Imagine a developer who really cares. As one of the largest developers in Costa Rica, Ed Mercer takes you on a spectacular journey of Costa Rica and tells the story of he and his wife’s beginnings in this beautifully delicate country and how they made changes to protect the environment, the wildlife and the culture in this ever-changing world.

With the founding of “The Edward R. Mercer Foundation” we leave a legacy dedicated to the betterment of the Planet through ecological conservation and education. Considering Costa Rica his home for over 20 years, Mr. Mercer is an active philanthropist and member of Habit for Humanity, National Geographic, The World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace and many other organizations, settings his sights on giving back to the community that welcomed him in so many years ago.

The flagstone of the foundation is Isla Garza, an island that the Mercer’s took over and transformed into a wondrous private reserve to protect the diminishing population of Scarlet Macaws, Sea Turtles and White-Faced Monkeys. All of which, were on the verge of being wiped out by poachers who hunted them for their beautiful feathers, eggs and to sell as pets.

From their giving-back philosophies and dedication to the environment, they have demonstrated how small changes can make huge differences in the betterment of the regions fragile environment and habitat. Through continued preservation of a land that has always impressed the rest of the world, as being one of the most bio-diverse places on the Planet, we now reach out to the rest of the world and ask for your help.

Considered the jewel of the Americas, Costa Rica has more natural wonders than most continents, setting aside 21% of its national territory as national parks, wildlife refuges, protected forest areas, wildlife sanctuaries, and national forests. Protecting more land than any other country in the world, containing 6% of the world’s species, it’s not hard to believe that…

… “Costa Rica embodies everything that the Planet Earth is and it’s never to late to help.”

Our Legacy

The purpose and goal of our foundation is to educate the world

in the subtleties of living in an eco-sensitive world.

By informing the world to the uniqueness of our foundation and

our like minded goals for sustainable growth though precise planning,

the eco-minded individual can learn how they can participate and

become part of this phenomenal movement.

Through continuing education of the people of our planet, they will

understand the need for sustainable, ecologically friendly developments,

as well as the preservation of one of the most pristine and

bio diverse places on Earth; The Rainforest and its Inhabitants .

We are their guests.

Ed Mercer

For those of you that want to see Costa Rica up front and personal, check out the new reality series “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Outta Here!”This season takes place in the jungles of Costa Rica.  Not really an example where you might buy property and build a house, but definitely and first hand view of the beauty that lies in the Costa Rican jungles.

This is the low down; A group of B-list celebrities is stranded in Costa Rica, with their fate in the hands of viewers in this retooling of the British reality show. The celebrities compete in survival-themed challenges to earn extra food, supplies and luxury items, and viewers vote them off the show one by one.

Although former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich had been asked to take part in the new season on NBC, a judge refused him permission to leave the country while awaiting trial on corruption charges. The last… Read more celebrity standing wins cash to be donated to his or her favorite charity.

Although I am not a fan of reality shows, ones like this always catch my eye.  I started watching “Eco Challenge”, one of the original reality shows (more reality than drama) about ten years ago and am watching I’m a Celebrity and Expedition Africa this year because alot cannot be faked in these forums.

When I first started watching it yesterday, I was not sure whether I really liked the approach they took to telling the story.  I was wrong.  It was a very creative way to keep me from falling into the trance of watching a “TV Show” or “Movie” and kept in the present to the information that was being shared.

Although I’m not one for watching, reading or being captured by the Global Warming Doom and Gloom (I believe it exists, but am not a prone to the panic tactics that many use)  This show however, does make you really, really think about the current state of affairs of our global attitude towards the very eventual outcome of Global Warming and what needs to be done NOW to side-step this disastrous potential future.

Along with the doom and gloom was the amazing job we have done to create technologies to present such an outcome.  But the thing that really caught me was that so  much of this is based on economics!  Money?  Our governments and Corporations would rather the Earth be devastated by climatic global change because it costs too much?

I think we really need to ask ourselves and our individual governments and demand that they begin working together and find the solutions to these global problems.  Perhaps a percentage of each country’s gross national budget is put into a world technology fund that is used to start making the changes throughout the world

We are a species that waits until we no longer have a choice before we move on a solution.  WHAT WILL BE THE EVENT THAT FORCES OUR HAND?  WILL IT BE TOO LATE WHEN WE REALIZE FINALLY TAKE ACTION?

http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/travel/22CostaRica.html?scp=2&s