Why women are conservation leaders in rural Costa Rica

Interviews with a group of women identified as leaders in the conservation movements of Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica, examined their knowledge and motivation for participating in forestry practices. The results indicate that participation is motivated by basic requirements for living, as well as a shared sense of duty. Women stressed soil conservation, the preservation of biodiversity, aesthetics, and ecotourism benefits as the primary reasons for practicing forest conservation. Timber resources were only moderate motivators. Most respondents expressed concern that no one else--individual or organizational--had taken responsibility for conservation. This motivating factor may be at work in comparable settings in developing nations.