About Us

What We Do

Savegre S.R.L. is a family-owned limited liability company (LLC) based in Costa Rica that owns and conserves over 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres or 15,000,000 m²) of primary old-growth tropical forestlands that are recognized on a national and international scale for their remarkable Biodiversity, Natural Resources, and Ecological Connectivity.

Where We Come From

Roberto and Gladys Valldeperas founded Savegre S.R.L. in 1949 with the objective of creating an adequate legal foundation to ensure the everlasting conservation and protection of their forestlands. Because of the deep respect for the natural world that Roberto and Gladys held and instilled in their descendants, the next generations of the Valldeperas family have continued this vital conservation mission with the same dedication and passion.

Our Timeline

Slide 1

1940

Roberto Valldeperas Escalante sets out to explore the natural wonders of the largely untouched forestlands at the heights of the Talamanca Mountain Range, and he acquires the rights and title to a significant amount of primary tropical forestland near the Cerro de la Muerte, one of the highest mountain peaks in Costa Rica in an area that is now known for its biodiversity, natural resources and unique alpine ecosystems.

1948

Roberto’s idealism and dream of contributing to the construction of a more democratic society leads him to serves as a Capitan during the Costa Rican Civil War, and upon the conclusion of the war the new government led by his party abolishes the National Army in order to re-appropriate all military funding to education and to the social safety net, an unprecedented move in the context of Latin America.

1949-1952

Roberto leads the construction of a new access road leading from the town of Division, which has direct access to the Pan-American Highway, to the small and isolated town of Santa Eduviges, which lies at the foot of Savegre S.R.L.’s forestlands, and he takes action to increase access to medical services and education and to ensure the civil rights and inclusion of the rural residents of Santa Eduviges. His work is recognized by the Mayor of the neighboring municipality of Perez Zeledon, who wrote “the good countrymen [of the zone] admired him and held a deep veneration for him” in a posthumous publication in 1971.

Slide 2

1950

Roberto and his wife, Gladys Gonzalez Aguilar, found the company Savegre S.R.L. with the mission of creating a long-lasting legal framework for the conservation of their forestlands and to ensure that their five young children, the Valldeperas Gonzalez siblings, have a clear path to inherit the forestlands and continue Savegre S.R.L.’s mission.

1955

Capitan Roberto Valldeperas Escalante passes away at the young age of 33, leaving his wife Gladys and their five young children with the company Savegre S.R.L. and the title to their forestlands.

1995-1998

The five Valldeperas Gonzalez siblings study the diverse ecosystems of their unique primary evergreen tropical forestlands while also taking action to register them as a privately owned Wildlife Refuge because of their ecological importance to Costa Rica and to the region, at a time when increasing deforestation threatens many vital forestlands and ecosystems throughout the world.

Slide 3

1999

The President and Minister of Environment of Costa Rica declare Savegre S.R.L.'s forestlands a private Wildlife Reserve in Decree No. 28278-MINAE, published in the official daily publication The Gazette, citing that their forestlands “constitute a very important nucleus for the conservation of wildlife in that zone” and that “the protection of the oak forests and the rest of the natural resources is necessary to help contribute to and satisfy the regional need for more environmental investigation, recreation and education.”

2000-2001

The National Institute of Biodiversity of Costa Rica (INBio) and various other renowned ecological organizations conduct an extensive study of the entire Savegre Watershed, including Savegre S.R.L.'s 1,500+ hectares of forestland located at the heart of the watershed; the study is applauded internationally and it significantly adds to the canon of prior research which declares the unique ecological importance of the area.

2002

Savegre S.R.L. registers 560 hectares of their forestlands in the Payment for Environmental Services (PSA) Program, a national program in accordance with Forestry Law No. 7575 that is administered by the National Forest Financing Fund (FONAFIFO) and "consists of a financial recognition by the State, through the FONAFIFO, to the owners of forests and forest plantations because of the environmental services they provide that directly affect the protection and improvement of the environment."

Slide 4

2010

Savegre S.R.L. conducts a hydrological study of the natural springs and water sources of their forestlands, choosing four representative natural water sources and measuring the volume of their output, and the results of the study indicate a substantial volume totaling 1,231.42 cubic meters per hour.

2012

Savegre S.R.L. receives recognition from the Santa Eduviges Páramo Association of Development for their life’s work of protecting the water sources originating within and running through their property. The declaration, which was sent to the Association of the Savegre Watershed, states that: “Savegre S.R.L. conserves and protects the natural springs of the Upper Savegre River [and] these are the cleanest waters in the country.”

2013

Savegre S.R.L.'s Forestry Engineer conducts an assessment of the value of the water originating within the property and the results demonstrate their significant value. Savegre S.R.L. considers that this dynamic valuation approach can translate into a greater urgency to protect these valuable water resources in concordance with fight against water scarcity and climate change.

Slide 5

2017

The United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declares the Savegre Watershed as an international Biosphere Reserve because of the zone's remarkable biodiversity and natural resources, and the nucleus of the newly designated Biosphere Reserve is the Upper Savegre Watershed, the area in which Savegre S.R.L.’s forestlands are located.

2020

Savegre S.R.L. plans the sale of 580.9 hectares of its conservation property, with the goal of ensuring the perpetual conservation of these forestlands and their significant biodiversity and natural resources, as well as to allow for their sustainable development potential to be realized through low- or zero-impact projects such as the continued study of their biodiversity by the scientific and academic communities and involvement in international carbon credit programs and ecotourism.

Location

At the Heights of the Talamanca Mountain Range

Savegre S.R.L.’s conservation forestlands are nestled at the heights of the Costa Rican Talamanca Mountain Range. They are located within the province of San José, and more specifically in the Páramo district of the canton Perez Zeledón.

Within the UNESCO-designated Savegre Biosphere Reserve

Savegre S.R.L.’s forestlands are located at the heart of the famously biodiverse UNESCO-designated Savegre Biosphere Reserve and the crystalline upper Savegre Watershed. They are also within the Los Santos Forest Reserve, and at their northern border is Los Quetzales National Park.

Between San Gerardo de Dota & Santa Eduviges

From the small town Santa Eduviges Savegre forestlands are approximately 5.7 kilometers (3.5 miles) to the north, and from the small town San Gerardo de Dota, Savegre S.R.L.’s forestlands are approximately 4.4 kilometers (2.7 miles) to the southeast.