History and Mission of SCLC

Founded in the mid-1990s by the Holbrook family and Selva Verde Lodge, the SCLC is today a fully independent US and Costa Rica registered non-profit organization. The SCLC’s mission is to link communities and conservation through education and ecotourism in the Sarapiquí region of Costa Rica’s northern lowlands. The SCLC is run by an executive director and a mix of local and international staff, both salaried and volunteer. An national and international board of directors works to support Costa Rica-based staff.

The SCLC focuses its efforts in four areas — environmental education, community development, conservation, and tourism — in order to help form future environmental leaders, raise the organizational capacity of local communities, promote sustainable land use, and connect tourists to the local community. Our programs serve hundreds of local people and thousands of ecotourists each year. These programs include environmental education, ecotourism activities, English classes, ecology club, community outreach, women’s group, high school scholarship fund, community census, and GIS mapping.