Event Highlights

General Admission is FREE

Private VIP cocktail reception with
Dr. Thomas E. Lovejoy and Dr. Peter H. Raven ($50pp, space limited)
Food, drink and live “animal” entertainment

Silent Auction & Fund-a-Need to support rainforest conservation

Dress is business casual. Free parking in the North Lot of the Saint Louis Zoo. Registration is required. Please register online at: www.friendsoftherainforest.org/wild

Join us at this fun and free event to learn about today’s most pressing conservation issues and discover the inspiring Children’s Eternal Rainforest, a project that has engaged children and adults from around the world (44 countries and counting!).  Enjoy light refreshment, hear from some of the world’s greatest biologists and help protect this special rainforest by placing a bid on some great silent auction items (including some fabulous vacations!) or supporting our education and conservation programming.

Register Now!

Event Details

Date:  Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Time:  6:00-9:00 p.m.

Dr. Thomas E. Lovejoy 

Conservation biologist Dr. Thomas E. Lovejoy is the creator of PBS’ Nature series, the winner of the 2012 Blue Planet Prize, and the originator of the innovative debt-for-nature-swap.  Renowned for his 48 years of Amazon exploration and study, Dr. Lovejoy has served as chief biodiversity advisor to the World Bank, executive vice president of the World Wildlife Fund-US, and is currently Biodiversity Chair at the Heinz Center for Science, Economics and the Environment in Washington, D.C.  Dr. Lovejoy is an Advisory Board member of Friends of the Children’s Eternal Rainforest.  Dr. Lovejoy will speak at the event on current conservation issues, his experiences in the Amazon and the role of rainforests throughout the Americas.

with an introduction by

Dr. Peter H. Raven

Beloved father of conservation and biodiversity in St. Louis, President Emeritus of the Missouri Botanical Garden Dr.  Peter H. Raven has been designated by TIME Magazine as a “Hero of the Planet.”  Well known for his ability to provide compelling and accessible information about the state of our world today, he is also a board member of Friends of the Children’s Eternal Rainforest.

More About the Children’s Eternal Rainforest

The enchanting and inspiring Children’s Eternal Rainforest was created by school children around the globe (44 countries and counting!) to protect one of the world’s most rare and biodiverse habitats–the rain and cloud forests of the Tilaran mountains of Costa Rica.  Ten years later, Rachel and Dwight Crandell (co-founder of the Saint Louis Science Center) created FCER to educate and engage children (and adults!) in tropical rainforest conservation through the support, protection and expansion of this unique reserve.  St. Louisans have been learning from, visiting and supporting the reserve ever since.  Your support helps us educate children about the importance of conservation, protect and purchase endangered rainforest habitat, and raise awareness of today’s most urgent environmental issues.

Register for the Event

We look forward to seeing you there!  REGISTER today, and while you’re at it please consider HELPING AN ANIMAL, EDUCATING A CHILD, OR SAVING YOUR OWN PIECE OF RAINFOREST even before the event–you’ll have the chance when you register.  If you are unable to attend but still want to provide conservation education to children, buy and protect rainforest habitat and provide safety for the animals that live in the reserve you can still DONATE TODAY.  Your support IS the difference! 

Additional Details

Parking is free in the North Lot of the St. Louis Zoo.  Dress is business casual.  Advance registration is required–space is limited.

Walking on almost any trail in the Children’s Eternal Rainforest, you are likely to pass heliconias. Their large, paddle-shaped leaves resemble banana leaves, giving them one of their common names, platanilla, which means little plantain in  Spanish.

Heliconia tends to grow in clusters, often in light gaps in the forest and along the banks of streams. The bright red “flowers” are in fact not flowers but specialized leaves, called bracts. “Lobster claw,” one of the English common names for heliconia, derives from the color and shape of these bracts. At the base of the bracts, yellow flowers produce sweet nectar, and humming birds attracted by the intense color of the bracts can reach the nectar with their long, slender bills. As they follow established routes or “traplines,” hummingbirds fly from flower to flower and  carry pollen on their foreheads.

The small, fleshy fruits sit nestled in the red bracts, until small birds pluck them and eat them, spreading seeds through the forest.

Showy heliconia plants can be found in botanical gardens around the world. However, the ecological relationships of pollination, herbivory and seed dispersal that connect heliconias with the rest of the forest cannot be found in captivity. In the Children’s Eternal Rainforest, beauty and biodiversity sprout from the same seed.

Who made these holes? Beetles and other insects munch through the new leaf when it is still rolled up, leaving trails of holes.

SAVE THE DATE! Make plans NOW to attend the Friends of the Children’s Eternal Rainforest’s upcoming “Wild About Conservation!” Annual Awareness & Fundraising Forum.

This annual event to benefit the Friends of the Children’s Eternal Rainforest (FCER) will take place from 6:00 until 9:00 pm Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at the St. Louis Zoo’s Living World.

Guests will enjoy refreshments/cocktails beforehand and desserts/coffee after the presentation by Keynote Speaker Dr. Thomas E. Lovejoy, a world-renowned scientist, explorer and the founder of PBS’ Nature television program, with an introduction by Dr. Peter H. Raven, President Emeritus of the Missouri Botanical Garden and a Time Magazine “Hero of the Planet”. Both are on the FCER Board of Directors.

Read entire article here

And we’ve also been added to West End Word’s calendar of events.

The auction ends April 01, 2013, so get your bids in now!

Description:

Package includes 7 nights ocean view accommodations, 3 gourmet meals daily. Dive package includes 5 days of 2 tank boat dives, 1 night dive and unlimited shore diving. Valid until July 31, 2013.

For more information, go to www.utopiautila.com

Pickup Instructions:

Please contact the auction administrator and let her know when you can come and pick up your items:

Kate Danna
Director of Development
312-203-9312
kate.danna@friendsoftherainforest.org

Board Member Carol Weisman and FCER Director of Development discuss the story behind the Children’s Eternal Raniforest, FCER’s work to support and protect this uniquely important and inspiring rainforest, and FCER’s upcoming Wild About Conservation awareness and fundraising event to benefit the forest.   Give it a listen at http://www.klou.com/pages/MichelleEsswein.html?article=10778609.  If you’re in St. Louis, we encourage you to join us to get Wild About Conservation on April 23, 2013–you’ll have the opportunity to hear from two of the world’s greatest planetary biologists, enjoy free cocktails and refreshment, meet interesting people and support the forest by placing a bid at the silent auction or funding the forest’s needs.  Learn more about the event and register today!

Photo by Bagus Indahono/European Pressphoto Agency

By THOMAS E. LOVEJOY

View article on New York Times: http://nyti.ms/YiBYly

If you can’t like an organization named Friends of the Children’s Eternal Rainforest, something is wrong. But the moniker is not whimsical. “The Children’s Eternal Rainforest is a 55,000 acre reserve in Costa Rica founded by the efforts of school children from around the world (44 countries and counting),” according to a press release.

The friends’ annual awareness and fundraising forum, “Wild About Conservation,” will take place from 6-9 p.m. April 23 at the Zoo’s Living World.

Refreshments and cocktails will precede a presentation by Thomas E. Lovejoy, scientist, explorer and founder of the Nature program on PBS. Desserts and coffee will follow.

While general admission to the forum is free, $50 VIP tickets include a private cocktail reception.

The Friends’ organization works to educate people about rainforest conservation while it supports efforts to protect and expand the Children’s Eternal Rainforest conservation project.

For more information or to purchase VIP tickets, please call 314-941-1257or go to the organization’s website at www.friendsoftherainforest.org.

Full story here: https://www.stlbeacon.org/#!/content/29131/giving_childrens_rainforest_013013?coverpage=2639

Local Students Learn the CER

A $100,000 grant from an anonymous donor has seeded a 5 year education program for local residents and school children in the Children’s Eternal Rainforest. Critical to conservation and wildlife protection efforts, the program will build understanding of why it is important to protect the reserve and prevent the illegal poaching of the animals, orchids and other species.

The program’s new educator, Lady Garita, first brought a group of 15 regional teachers and administrators to the forest to show that the forest is a safe and magical place with myriad educational opportunities. After a classroom presentation, Lady led the group on a hike to see some of the Pocosol area highlights, including the fabulous, bubbling mud pots (a perfect stop for a free facial!)

The local education program will ensure the future well-being of the reserve because many of the children and others who learn about the CER in this way will carry and share that knowledge for the rest of their lives.

Look Outside: Where Did The Hummingbirds Go?

In an astonishing feat of endurance and instinct, our beloved Ruby-throated hummingbirds have disappeared from our back yards. The destination for many of them? The Children’s Eternal Rainforest!

Every fall these birds undertake an incredible journey, flying up to 18 hours without stopping in order to cross the Gulf of Mexico, a distance of up to 500 miles. Weighing less than a dime and capable of beating their wings 53 times a second, these amazing birds hatch nests with babies the size of a pea.

How do they know where to go? Not born knowing the migration route, first time Ruby- throat migrants have only a strong instinct to put on weight and fly south to find a winter haven. Once a route is established, the Ruby-throat may use the path in all subsequent migrations for the rest of its life. After gorging on insects and doubling their weight, they return in the spring over a three month period, a spread of time which allows the species to avoid being wiped out by calamitous weather. It’s a journey that would not be possible without the abundant winter food and safe harbor provided by the CER.

Seniors’ Trip to the Forest

On the flanks of Arenal Volcano–an adventure for all ages!

Having already travelled all over the world together, a group of seven seniors made the beautiful Children’s Eternal Rainforest the destination for their latest adventure. The group took part in many different activities, including bird-watching, night hikes, and guided tours of the area. Asked what he enjoyed most about the trip, Glenn Hoffmeister said, “the zip line experience was awesome for us old fogies.” Kathy Schneider, another group member, said she most enjoyed “the beauty of the country, the total experience.” If you would like to embark upon your own adventure to the Children’s Eternal Rainforest, go to www.friendsoftherainforest.org/eco-tourism/.

Warmer Planet: Different Animals

Pop Quiz: How do you add 4 new species of mammal, 7 new amphibians, 200 new birds and 200 new plants to an open range reserve like the Children’s Eternal Rainforest? The Answer: Climate change.

CER species counts have changed in the last decade due to an influx of species who have expanded their habitat range as warming temperatures enable lowland animals to occupy higher elevations. Unfortunately, those already living in the highest elevations have nowhere higher to go, which can have undesired consequences for some of our most precious species. Take, for example, the Resplendent Quetzal – regarded by some as the most beautiful bird in the world. As the Toucan moves into the Quetzal’s nesting range, it feeds on Quetzal eggs, threatening the regal bird’s ability to reproduce.

Building Toucan-proof nesting boxes helps slow the problem and provide a safer reproductive environment, but animals like the Quetzal will ultimately need to adapt their behavior or risk significant population declines and possible elimination from the region if they are unable to do so.

Kids in Action

5th grader Laurie Preston recently gave an incredible gift of $250 to Friends of the Children’s Eternal Rainforest after conducting her own fundraiser on Crowdrise, an online fundraising site for charitable causes. Here’s what Laurie had to say about her experience:

“Do you like chocolate? Well I do, and cocoa beans come from the rainforest – along with hundreds of different animals, plants, and insects. I heard about the rainforest in second grade when we were studying about the rainforest and its animals. I wanted to help because people were destroying the rainforest. The best way I could help was to try to raise money for an organization that was helping save the rainforest. So, I went on the internet and found the website for Friends of the Children’s Eternal Rainforest. I looked on Guidestar to make sure they were a good nonprofit. Then I asked my dad about the best way I could raise money quickly. He told me about the online giving site called Crowdrise. I set my giving page up in about 10 minutes and asked my friends to give to FCER. They did and it made me feel really good. I even met the President of FCER, Mrs. Waller, and she showed me casts of footprints of animals that live in the rainforest.

I’m really glad I helped the rainforest because it’s saving lots of animals that only live in the rainforest. Maybe I’ll visit the rainforest some day!”

Laurie Preston 5th Grade

Support the Children’s Eternal Rainforest

The Children’s Eternal Rainforest is being protected because of the thoughtful and generous support of people like you. Join the effort! You can:

• Make a donation on our website at www.friendsoftherainforest.org
• Like our Facebook Page to stay current on forest news and conservation issues
• Host an informational session or fundraiser
• Talk to us about ways to involve your kids and friends in fundraising for the forest

Your contribution is tax deductible. We are a 501(c)(3) non- profit organization.

The Children’s Eternal Rainforest is the largest private forest reserve in Costa Rica and is managed locally by the Monteverde Conservation League, a non-profit organization with offices bordering the reserve. Friends of the Children’s Eternal Rainforest does fundraising and outreach from afar in order to support the Monteverde Conservation League’s efforts to expand and protect the Children’s Eternal Rainforest.  The Monteverde Conservation League is lucky to have a talented staff that is dedicated to the forest and passionate about conservation. Here, we would like to introduce you to one such staff member, Wendy Brenes.

What is your position with the Monteverde Conservation League?

Officially, I am the Coordinator of Information and Ecotourism.

When did you start working with the CER?

In July of 2010. My first introduction to the forest was at Bajo del Tigre.

Where are you from?

I am originally from Cinchona, near Poás Volcano, but I also grew up in Sarapiquí, in the Caribbean lowlands. The eldest of four sisters, I grew up in rural areas surrounded by forests.

Tell me about your professional background…

I studied Ecotourism at the International University of the Americas and later received a master’s degree in Nature Tourism Management. Before coming to the Children’s Eternal Rainforest, I worked as an environmental educator and guide at Tirimbina Biological Reserve in the Caribbean lowlands. Conservation has been very, very important for me both personally and professionally.

What is your favorite part about your job?

Everything! But I especially enjoy working with children and working on the biological corridor project. I’m passionate about working with communities.

What is your favorite place within the Children’s Eternal Rainforest?

That is a difficult question, but if I had to choose, I would say the two stations: San Gerardo and Poco Sol.

Is there an animal in the Children’s Eternal Rainforest that you hope to see?

The umbrella bird! It’s been hard for me to get a chance to see one because the time when they are breeding in San Gerardo is a busy time for me because of the tourist high season.

Anything else that you would like to add?

Just that it brings me a lot of satisfaction to work for an initiative like this one!

A dramatic view of Lake Arenal and Arenal Volcano on the way to San Gerardo in the Children’s Eternal Rainforest

The view of Lake Arenal from the Children’s Eternal Rainforest is captivating: bright blue waters flanked by the gray cone of Arenal Volcano and a foreground of thousands of deep green treetops. Visitors to San Gerardo can enjoy this view on the way to the field station.

While the beauty of Lake Arenal is undeniable, the lake is in reality a reservoir that was created less than 35 years ago. This engineering project  involved the displacement of two towns, the flooding of 33 square miles, and the disruption of a river system by a dam.

These environmental costs are tempered by benefits: the water collected in Lake Arenal runs through turbines that generate a significant portion of Costa Rica’s electricity and reduce the need to burn fossil fuels in order to have basic things such as refrigeration and lighting at night.

As demand for electricity in Costa Rica rises and we become increasingly aware of the environmental costs of hydroelectric dams, it is important for existing hydroelectric projects to  be as productive  as possible in order to minimize the need for new hydroelectric projects and fossil-fuel burning power plants.

The Caño Negro River flows through the Children’s Eternal Rainforest and into Lake Arenal. Much of the forest in its watershed is protected by the Children’s Eternal Rainforest.

So where does the Children’s Eternal Rainforest come in? Well, healthy forests help to regulate the water cycle and reduce sedimentation in reservoirs. A drop of water that falls on the roof of the San Gerardo field station may very well end up flowing into Lake Arenal and tumbling through hydroelectric generators.

Costa Rica has set the ambitious goal of becoming carbon neutral by the year 2021. The Children’s Eternal Rainforest is playing a role in this mission by maintaining the effectiveness of existing energy sources. Contributions to Friends of the Children’s Eternal Rainforest help to protect more watersheds and to continue  safeguarding the rainforest and the services that is gives to  society.