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Located in the dry tropical region of Liberia in the Guanacaste province, this 3,700-acre property was donated in 2005 to EARTH by the family of Costa Rica’s ex-president, Daniel Oduber Quirós, in recognition of EARTH’s work. These 3,700 acres will be divided as follows: 1,295 acres for development, 1,233 acres for agriculture, 925 acres for cattle and forage, and 247 acres of forests.
Today, part of the University’s third-year Academic Program is conducted at EARTH-La Flor, involving students in the sustainable development process of the Guanacaste province.
EARTH-La Flor Mission
The center is dedicated to generating innovative ideas that foster development through social justice, the spirit of socially responsible business, technological innovation and a new generation of alternatives to protect the environment.
Development Components
EARTH-La Flor will be a center where students, scientists, entrepreneurs, professionals from various fields, and leaders from the tropics can meet to find solutions to real problems. Through the development phase, special interest will be given to themes such as water, waste, and energy management; agricultural systems; value-added agricultural production; telecommunications; and socially responsible businesses development. The fundamental components of EARTH-La Flor’s development include:
- Academic Enrichment through research and development, teaching, community development, and training and capacity building;
- Sustainable Commercial Agriculture including mangos, citrus, passion fruit, and innovative organic agriculture for sugar cane, bananas, and pineapple;
- a Sustainable Technology Park with construction emphasis on harvesting rain water, using rooftop wind turbines , installing solar panels, energy efficiency, using non-toxic and recyclable materials, and using passive solar building design. Tenants will include innovative companies who focus on research and development as it relates to clean energy, water technologies, resource recovery, and information technology;
- Tourism including agricultural, ecological, educational, and cultural;
- a Green Conference Center with a three star hotel (and possibility of hospitality school), a 600 person capacity conference facility, and an exhibition pavilion to showcase products and materials from the region, innovative technologies, and EARTH’s products;
- and lastly a Housing Project
EARTH-La Flor is unique. Upon completion, no other development in the region offers the combination of vision, purpose, and services as EARTH-La Flor.
Director, Carlos G. Murillo Martinez cmurillo@earth.ac.cr Mr. Murillo began his career at EARTH in the 1990’s and helped launch the Entrepreneurial Program. He left EARTH and worked as the Dean of the Division of Natural, Social and Applied Sciences at Contra Costa Community College in California. Carlos is a former Associate Peace Corps Director and is from Tilarán, Costa Rica near Lake and Arenal Volcano.
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