meeting and is a continuing community project sup-
ported by MVI. The first proposed easements create
a network of protected forest along a wedge of land
bordering the river between the Bosque Eterno por-
tion of the MCFP and the Bajo del Tigre sector of BEN
and buffer the river below the MCFP (see Fig. 1.8).
Enlace Verde passes through the heart of Monteverde
and encompasses a community walking path and
MVFs education center. Enlace Verde is working with
over fifty properties and six neighborhood clusters.
In 1998, the first easements were written into three
deeds and registered.
One innovation in the Enlace Verde project is the
use of mutual easements (easements written into two
or more deeds between neighbors). This contrasts
with the traditional conservation easement in which
a conservation organization "holds" the develop-
ment rights in trust and is responsible for monitor-
ing and enforcing the terms of the easement. In a
mutual easement, a group of neighbors as a whole
develops a set of reciprocal land use restrictions that
preserves important aspects of the land. Neighbors
are also responsible for enforcement and for future
changes in the agreements. The first easements
within Enlace Verde include a clear community-
based conflict resolution process written into the
deed.
The greatest challenge with developing mutual
easements is defining property clusters of optimal
size, both from a landscape and a social perspective.
Large groups are likely to be too heterogeneous and
unwieldy; small groups may provide weaker protec-
tion in the long run, as it is easier to achieve consen-
sus to change the restrictions. In many cases, biolo-
gists must be consulted about which restrictions
are most environmentally valuable and which land
should be included. The economic impacts of the
easements must also be considered.
Since 1995, the MVI, in partnership with the Uni-
versity of New York in Buffalo and the University of
Maryland, has fostered Enlace Verde through the
Sustainable Futures program. Students in urban plan-
ning, architecture, and landscape architecture have
helped develop Enlace Verde by bringing neighbors
together in focus group discussions and by integrat-
ing biological knowledge into the community dia-
logue. In late 1996, CEDARENA received a one-year
grant to work on conservation easements in Costa Rica
and Central America. Monteverde was selected as one
of three focal communities for the country.THE MONTEVERDE BUTTERFLY GARDEN
Jim Wolfehe growth of ecotourism in Monteverde has
provided opportunities for local natural-
resource-based enterprises. The Monteverde
Butterfly Garden (MBG) is an example of sustainable
use of the area's natural resources. The MBG is a fam-
ily-owned business dedicated to the conservation of
butterflies through education. It operates under per-
mission from the Costa Rican Wildlife Department
(Vida Silvestre).
The facility includes a reception area and nature
center that houses displays on butterfly biology and
ecology. Three greenhouses and a 465-m^2 screened
botanical garden contain hundreds of adult butterflies
representing more than 40 local species. Butterfly and
plant species correspond to different habitats in each
enclosure. A gift shop contains displays on butterfly
conservation and items for sale. Trained multilingual
guides cover themes such as diversity, relationships
with plants and animals, life cycles, migration, cater-
pillar defenses, chrysalis formation, and butterfly
emergence. Written material in several languages and
a botanical guide that corresponds to tagged plants in
the gardens are provided.
The MBG plays an educational role for tourists,
MBG employees (many are volunteer overseas stu-
dents), and the local community. It offers free tours
to local schools. University students and local biolo-
gists also use the MBG for research (e.g., color pref-
erences by butterflies, pollination, and sugar prefer-
ences of emerging butterflies). The MBG creates
employment for 6-10 people (guiding, gardening,
butterfly egg collection, rearing of caterpillars, and
gift shop attendance).
These benefits have been achieved on a very small
piece of land and without damaging local butterfly
populations. The garden's butterflies are hand-raised
from eggs collected at MBG with only occasional
wild-caught individuals to provide genetic mixing.382 Conservation in the Monteverde ZoneT