QUAKER VILLAGE
Monteverde was founded in 1951
by a group of 44 North American Quakers-most from Fairhope, Alabama—who
as a matter of conscience had refused to register for the draft.
Led by John Campbell and Wilford “Wolf” Guindon, they
chose Costa Rica for a new home because-it had done away with
its army. With the help of their Costa Rican neighbors, the Quakers
began developing the community that exists today. They built roads
and cleared much of the virgin forest for dairy farming. They
decided to make cheese because it was the only product that could
be stored and moved to market (without spoiling) along a muddy
oxcart trail. Cheese is still a mainstay of the local economy,
arid the Quaker organization is still active in Monteverde (it
meets every Wednesday morning at time Friends’ Meeting House;
visitors are welcome).
The area had been heavily
deforested when Gum don and company arrived. Monteverde’s
founders, however, were environmentally conscious and set aside
a heavily timbered region near the headwaters of the Rio Guacimal
to be held undisturbed and in common to safeguard the water source
for their small hydroelectric plant. The area attracted scientists,
especially after a small brilliantly colored frog— the golden
toad—was discovered in 1964. In 1972, under threat of homesteading
in the surrounding cloud forest, visiting scientists George and
Harriet Powell joined forces with longtime resident Wilford Guindon
and, overcoming local resistance, established a 328-hectare wildlife
sanctuary. In 1975, the 554-hectare community watershed reserve
was annexed with the aid of a $40,000 grant from the World Wildlife
Fund. Together they formed the initial core of the Monteverde
Cloud Forest Biological Reserve.
Don’t expect to find
the Quakers walking down the road dressed like the chap off the
oatmeal box. Cuaquerismo (Quakerism) in Monteverde is a low-key
affair.
Much
of the information on our site as it relates to Costa Rica is:
 Courtesy
of Christopher P. Baker and Avalon Travel Publishing.
© 2004 Christopher P. Baker. All Rights Reserved.
Spanish Abroad, Inc. highly
recommends Christopher P. Baker's book: Moon
Handbooks Costa Rica. Click on the image to visit
his website where you can purchase this book or find out more
about the author.
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