The Living Library

The Living Library houses the broadest ethnobotanical preservation project in Costa Rica. Our aims are to educate, conduct research, and promote a generalized ethic of conservation, land stewardship, and respect for traditional ecological knowledge. The growing collections at The Living Library benefit from both traditional and scientific management techniques.Our work involves not only the preservation of native medicinal plants but also the development of natural habitats to support such culturally and ecologically significant species. Our research additionally embraces the advancement of sustainable wild harvesting practices and the cultivation of such medicinal plant species significantly affected by wild over-harvesting.