El Castillo, COSTA RICA – April 2013 – Rancho Margot, innovator and educator in sustainable community development, permaculture and self-sufficiency, announced enhanced Eco-Literacy Student Programs after years of experience educating students, guests, volunteers and employees at a 400-acre eco lodge near the Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica.

Rancho Margot’s Eco-Literacy Student Program aims to help educators and children of all ages understand the steps they can take to protect the natural environment and how this enhances not only their personal health and happiness, but also the well being of our planet as a home for future generations.

Since inception in 2004, Rancho Margot has hosted students and learning initiatives of all levels from around the globe. In the first quarter of 2013 Rancho Margot has already organized and hosted Eco-Literacy programs for:

-The Meadowbrook School of Weston (USA) – 40 middle school students from a co-educational independent day school focused on innovative, global curriculum
-Rhode Island School of Design (USA) – 3-Day ‘Prototypical Classroom Design/Build Challenge’ with Professor Colgate Searle, Professor of Landscape Architecture at RISD
-University of Tokyo and United Nations University – 5-day international seminar titled Sustainability in Action: Adapting to
Global Change Using Ecosystem Services

“The main objective of Rancho Margot is and always has been education. We aim to be a global example of a sustainable intentional community. Before putting the first shovel in the ground, Rancho Margot was involved in educating the local community of El Castillo,” recalls Juan Sostheim, owner and founder of Rancho Margot. “To this day, we work closely with our neighboring communities, and we are delighted to evolve as an outdoor classroom in which students and educators alike can efficiently learn about sustainability and self-sufficiency from a hands-on approach.”

Sustainable living and education is practiced everyday at Rancho Margot, from farming to energy production to soap making. Within this dynamic environment, Eco-Literacy students will participate in dozens of rewarding activities. Among the many hands-on experiences, students will:

-Learn creative ways to reuse and recycle.
-Plant trees and learn about reforestation and regional and global climate change.
-Discover how to make and creatively use compost.
-Work in our gardens and with livestock to grow an awareness of agricultural concerns.
-Help the kitchen harvest fresh fruits and vegetables and collect free-range, farm-fresh eggs to develop an understanding of the connection between agriculture and health.
-Participate in yoga classes to build physical and inner strength as well as self-awareness.

Nestled between rain and cloud forests on a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Biosphere Reserve, Rancho Margot’s unique classroom setting facilitates a close connection with nature and the development of a greater appreciation for the natural environment. A belief that as kids become more in tune with nature, they will feel inspired to protect it and treat it with respect, is a prime focus at Rancho Margot.

About Rancho Margot

Rancho Margot is a family enterprise focused on sustainable business operation and living. With a staff of 45 people, 8 to 10 rotating volunteers and 10,000 annual visitors, Rancho Margot is a dynamic hotel located in a lush lakeside valley between rain and cloud forests on a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Biosphere Reserve. In addition to providing a peaceful place that facilitates a close connection with nature, Rancho Margot strives to inspire each visitor to explore new ways in which they can incorporate the concept of sustainability into their own lives.

For more information please visit www.RanchoMargot.com

Media Contact:
Travis Day
Marketing Director
Rancho Margot S.A.
[email protected]