ABOUT US >

HISTORY

The land on which Tirimbina is located was acquired in 1960 by Robert Hunter, a U.S. citizen who came to Costa Rica to work with the Inter-American Institute for Science and Agriculture (IICA). Hunter’s property stood out due to his development of a series of new crops for the region (pepper, cacao, vanilla and nutmeg). At the same time, he conserved an extensive area of rainforest, which is now The Tirimbina Rainforest Center (TRC).

In the 1960s, Dr. Hunter made contact with different professionals in the Natural Sciences. Among them was Dr. Allen Young of the Milwaukee Public Museum (Wisconsin, U.S.A.) who today continues to work in Tirimbina’s forest. His scientific studies on various rainforest topics and cacao cultivation are known internationally and have generated more than 100 published scientific articles in several journals over the last 30 years.

In 1986, the Milwaukee Public Museum chose Tirimbina as the basis for a permanent exhibit on the tropical rainforest, called “Exploring Life on Earth.” This exhibit became the main reason the Museum established management of Tirimbina.

In 1989, Dr. Hunter initiated an agreement with the Tropical Agronomical Center of Research and Teaching (CATIE) in order to establish a research site with permanent plots in the forest. Since then, different scientists have carried out many research projects dealing with a great variety of topics related to the dynamics of rainforest growth.

In 1995, Dr. Hunter sold his forest and the Tirimbina Rainforest Center was born. The sponsors for the purchase of TRC were two Wisconsin organizations: the Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) and Riveredge Nature Center (RNC). In 2000, the Museum assumed complete sponsorship.

The Museum opened its doors to the public in May 1884, and Riveredge was founded in 1969, both with the purpose of raising consciousness about the importance of regional forest biodiversity and conservation. Both institutions have devoted themselves to environmental education.

In 1999, TRC began offering various environmental education programs for school groups in the local Sarapiqui area. Since then, thousands of students visit TRC each year to enjoy and learn about the importance of the tropical rainforest.

TRC implemented its first ecotourism activities in the year 2000. The ecotourism program now offers a vast array of activities that allow international and national visitors to intimately experience the rainforest like no place else in Costa Rica.

In 2000, Tirimbina was declared a “Private Wildlife Refuge,” giving it national prestige in its conservation and tropical-forest education efforts.