Costa Rica is a model for the rest of the developing world in conservation and in preserving its natural resources by creating extensive national parks and biological reserves. In 1951 a group of Northern American Quakers came to Monteverde in search of a peaceful, rural life, choosing Costa Rica because of the recent abolition of its army. The small community is enriched by its bicultural nature and by the scientists, artists, and visitors who came to study and enjoy the biological richness of the surrounding forest. Permanent residents make their living by coffee cultivation, dairy farming, work in the local cheese factory, arts and crafts, or participation in grassroots organizations such as the Monteverde Institute. The Monteverde Institute, a nonprofit educational association, was initiated by the people of Monteverde to administer cultural, scientific, and educational programs and to share Monteverde's natural beauty and biological richness with the rest of the world.
Students stay at a biological station complete with classroom, dormitory, and dining facilities.
The biological station abuts a large, stunning rainforest reserve which is contiguous with the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, the major tropical montane forest research center in the Western Hemisphere. The program has a growing library of books and articles relevant to the program's courses. The summer program, established in 1989, was developed to fulfill several goals. The first is to introduce students to all aspects of tropical biology, such as ecology, forestry, entomology, and environmental sciences. The second is to allow students to pursue a specific interest in tropical biology through independent research.