Monteverde is a town in north central Costa Rica high up in the Tilarán Mountains. It’s a beautiful part of the country and attracts visitors from all over for how its nature has been preserved.
Quakers have played an enormous role in Monteverde becoming what it is today.
In 1949 four Friends in Fairhope, Alabama were sentenced to jail because they did not register for the draft as a result of their belief in the peace testimony. After four months in prison, and their subsequent parole period, 44 of the Fairhope Friends decided to leave the United States.
They chose to go to Costa Rica for several reasons. It was welcoming to foreigners, had good farmland and a mild climate, and perhaps most importantly to the Quakers, Costa Rica did not have an army.
Costa Rican President José Figueres Ferrer abolished the military in 1948 following the country’s Civil War. To this day, the military has been replaced by the Public Force of Costa Rica, which provides security for the country. The budget that was previously dedicated to the military now funds education and culture as well as the Public Force.
In 1950, the newly arrived Friends purchased 3500 acres of land. They divided some of it into family farms but also kept an area for common community needs such as their Meeting House, school, and the cheese shop business they started.
While developing their community, the Quakers were also cognizant of protecting the nature around them. They set aside some of their land to create the country’s first nature reserve. Today, the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve protects 42,000 acres of land and wildlife. And Friends’ efforts to protect Monteverde have spread to other parts of Costa Rica, helping to preserve more of the country’s natural areas.
With its natural beauty and interesting history, Monteverde is visited by many tourists. In keeping with the goals of the original Quakers, tourist money is used to continue conservation and to support the businesses of the local ticos (the term Costa Ricans use to refer to themselves).
A lot has changed in Monteverde since Friends arrived from Fairhope 75 years ago, but the Quaker testimonies of simplicity, peace, community, and stewardship still have a strong influence on the area.
Peachtree Friends Meeting 