COSTA RICA - ASCONA

GRANT COMPRISES THREE INTERRELATED ELEMENTS: ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTIGATION, INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHENING. IN THE EDUCATION ELEMENT ASCONA WILL WORK WITH LOCAL PRESS, RADIO, AND TV STATIONS. IN ADDITION ASCONA WILL CONDUCT SEMINARS, HOLD CONFERENCES, PRESENT ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS AT NATIONAL AND LOCAL LEVELS, AND GIVE LECTURES AS REQUESTED. TO GENERATE INTEREST IN CONSERVATION AMONG COSTA RICAN YOUTHS, ASCONA WILL PROMOTE COMPETITIONS IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND NATURAL RESOURCE SUBJECTS. IN THE INVESTIGATION ELEMENT, ASCONA WILL SERVE AS A PRIVATE SECTOR CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, IDENTIFYING NEEDS AND ATTEMPTING TO PROVIDE SOLUTIONS FROM ITS IN-HOUSE VOLUNTEERS" EXPERTISE, FROM STAFF MEMBERS PAID UNDER THIS OPG, OR FROM OUTSIDE ADVISORS ALSO CONTRACTED WITH OPG FUNDS. THESE ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE IMPLEMENTING LEGAL DEFENSE PROGRAMS TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT, INDEXING LAWS RELATING TO CONSERVATION, CONDUCTING STUDIES OF COSTA RICA"S NATURAL RESOURCES TO BE USED BY DEVELOPMENT PLANNERS. TO STRENGTHEN ITS OWN CAPABILITIES ASCONA WILL INSTITUTIONALIZE A FUND RAISING PROGRAM. ALSO, ASCONA WILL OBTAIN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO SET UP A PROCESS FOR IDENTIFYING LONG-RANGE GOALS AND PREPARING WORK PLANS. WITH ASCONA ASSISTANCE, LOCAL AFFILIATE GROUPS WILL BE ESTABLISHED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. AS A RESULT OF THE ABOVE ACTIVITIES, ASCONA"S IN-HOUSE TECHNICAL STAFF CAPABILITY IN FOREST ECOLOGY, SOILS CONSERVATION, BIOLOGY, SCIENCE EDUCATION, BIOCHEMISTRY, AND OTHER RELATED SKILLS WILL BE IMPROVED.