Manzanillo is a small fishing village on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The province is characterized by poverty and abandonment by the government. In this area the only means of livelihood is artisanal fishing, an activity that has been strongly affected by climate change and industrial fishing making the area not have enough work. This is why the women of the village decided to unite and create the Mudecop Cooperative. They identified the need to activate sustainable rural tourism in the area, as well as to protect natural resources, such as mangroves, as they are the main source of sustain for the community. The project “Vivero verde mar” main goal is the reforestation of around 500 m2 of land in the mangrove ecosystem located in the village of Manzanillo, Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Vivero Verde Mar aims to restore the natural mangrove barrier to what it used to be before degradation by human force.
Astrid Peraza is a materials engineer, climate, and gender equality activist from Costa Rica. She is a Future Rising Fellow. A year ago, she went to film a documentary focused on the women's cooperative of the rural village of Manzanillo, Puntarenas.
