Two packed days at our Santa Ana campus brought community leaders, indigenous guardians, and ecological pioneers together for Sinergias. Integrated into Orientation Week and Lifeskills & Leadership training, this new initiative reimagines how our community prepares for Community Action Week (CAW).

Sinergias shifts the paradigm of traditional outreach. Instead of short-term interventions, our college grounds community engagement in active listening, reciprocity, and long-term relationships across Costa Rica. Partners traveled from the mountain rainforests of Talamanca to the coastal mangrove channels of the Gulf of Nicoya to share their knowledge directly with our students and staff.

Indigenous Leadership and Heritage Defense

Ancestral knowledge took center stage as local guardians shared how environmental defense remains deeply connected to cultural identity.

• Casa Aiko (Bribrí): Leonardo Buitrago and his family traveled from the Talamanca region. He explained how his community generates 70% of its food through traditional agriculture. Buitrago pointed out that La Amistad International Park remains protected primarily through the daily stewardship of Bribrí and Cabécar families. 
• SoCagrú (Boruca): Harol represented SoCagrú, an initiative created by elder Boruca women. While 80% of the local economy relies on traditional wood carvings and woven textiles, land theft and illegal cattle ranching put heavy pressure on the territory. In response, SoCagrú four-hectare collective farm has planted 26,000 native trees to restore natural watersheds. Harol’s mother gifted college staff hand-woven textiles dyed with achiote, turmeric, nance, and indigo in a heartfelt exchange on the amphitheater.

Documenting the Frontlines of Land Rights

The gathering included a screening of a powerful documentary on indigenous rights led by filmmaker and UWC Costa Rica alum John Ortiz ’18 from Costa Rica.

His film chronicles the life of Jerhy Rivera, an indigenous Brörán land defender from Térraba who was assassinated in 2020 while leading land recovery efforts. Screening the film on campus opened an honest dialogue among students and staff about legal impunity, land defense, and human rights across Latin America. The project shows how our global alum network uses art and storytelling to challenge systemic injustice.

Regenerative Agriculture and Watershed Protection

Local leaders demonstrated how practical ecological stewardship restores degraded ecosystems while supporting rural families.

• Posada Nacientes Palmichal: Mauro Ramírez ’18 from Costa Rica (UWC Dilijan) and his father Hernán Ramírez reflected on 35 years of watershed protection in Palmichal de Acosta. Their project introduced biodigesters on small pig farms to process waste into biogas and liquid fertilizer. They also manage a vermicomposting system alongside a 42-hectare nature reserve, protecting vital water sources that supply surrounding communities.
• Finca Agroecológica Campo Alegre: Luis Gabriel “Chico” Coronado presented his family’s agroecological farm in Cartago. Driven by a desire to ensure his family’s food safety, Coronado built an agricultural model free of synthetic chemicals. Through their “Mi Tierra” program, the farm cultivates 340 perennial plant species and uses mountain microorganisms to rebuild soil health.

Coastal Ecosystems and Community Conservation

Conservation leaders shared innovative models that combine environmental protection with sustainable economic opportunities.

• Fundación Corcovado: Executive Director Francisco Delgado highlighted conservation work in the Península de Osa near Corcovado National Park. While tourists flock to the region for its biodiversity, local residents act as its true guardians. In places like Bahía Drake, where public waste collection does not exist, residents manage waste systems themselves. Fundación Corcovado supports them through monthly environmental education for 200 children, mangrove restoration, and regenerative agriculture programs.
• Mariposas del Golfo: Esther Ledezma Chavarría brought red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) specimens from Costa de Pájaro in the Gulf of Nicoya. A former fisherwoman, Ledezma Chavarría founded a community-based tourism initiative that leads educational boat tours through local estuaries, creating alternative livelihoods while protecting coastal marine life.
• Diwo Ambiental: Liliana Chacón detailed nature-based solutions across the Brunka region in southern Costa Rica. Their coalition has rehabilitated 780 hectares of forest and mangroves, planted 4,000 native trees, and provided technical support to 123 family-owned businesses.
• Cooperativa Los Campesinos: Freddy Pérez and Juan Pablo from Quebrada Arroyo explained how rural community tourism sustains 16 local families near the Savegre River. Beyond tourism, cooperative members work alongside visiting UWC Costa Rica students on public infrastructure. Juan Pablo noted that a past student collaboration built a pedestrian bridge on a rural road, enabling five local teenagers to travel safely to high school every day.

Celebrating Connection Through Rhythm and Movement

Between presentations, the campus community gathered to express their culture. Community partners, staff members, and students stepped onto the stage together to dance “Maahi Ve,” a long-standing UWC Costa Rica campus tradition. Laughter and shared dance steps connected people across languages, ending the event with warmth and a shared sense of purpose.

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