Webinar last week.

We had a great interactive webinar, "the SIP formula explained" last Thursday and thank you to everyone who attended.

We hope you found it useful.

If you could not attend and would like to listen to the webinar there is a recording of the webinar in the FREE Downloads and Media section of our website

New entry level investment opportunity in Nature Walk

A new type of hybrid investment is now available starting at US$5,000.00 sponsored by NATUREWALK Projects in Costa Rica. This entry level investment allows individuals to participate in the NATUREWALK sustainable investment program and achieve investment and socio-economic goals that have only previously been available to larger scale investors.

Different from a pooled investment format, each US$5,000.00 investment receives a secure, titled interest in real estate as well as a proportional investment in teak forestry grown on the lot. These real estate interests are title guaranteed by Chicago Title Company, a multi-billion dollar U.S. based title company through its exclusive agent in Costa Rica, Latinamerica Title Company.

Investment Lots offered in this program have been selected on the basis of superior location, amenities and views of the ocean and have been categorized in terms of length of investment period. Participants select the investment term that fits their individual investment goals. Each lot is different in size, outlook, number of interests, pricing and length of investment giving the participant a range of selections.


We have created 3 categories of investment terms to suit individual strategies:


Short Term (Three Year), Medium Term (Five Year) and Long Term (Seven Year)


Each lot and its common ownership is governed by a Trust Investment Plan which is jointly administered by Trust Latinamerica Title acting as Title administrator trustee and Naturewalk Sales Trust 1 administering the maintenance and resale of the Property. The Trust Investment Plan contains instructions to the joint Trustees governing the maintenance, security and disposition of the real estate at the end of the investment period.

Tim Alexander, from NATUREWALK projects, commented "we have had huge interest in our new NATUREWALK development, and many smaller investors had inquired as to how they might get involved. This new titled interest share opportunity is ideal for smaller investors with a desire to be involved in an eco-friendly, sustainable, profitable project."

James Cahill from Costa Rica Invest added "we are delighted that NATUREWALK has responded to the needs of smaller investors by creating this new opportunity and with each shareholder receiving a secure titled interest in Real Estate with their title guaranteed by Chicago title they know that their shareholding is backed and underwritten by their land".

Webinar - The SIP formula Explained

Thursday May 27th 1:00pm EDT (5:00pm GMT)(6:00pm BST)

In this informative webcast, host, James Cahill of Costa Rica Invest outlines the investment dynamics of the NATUREWALK offering of LAND + TEAK FORESTRY + DEVELOPMENT USE.

Find out why this investment model performs BETTER that most and why it is SAFER that most. With the recent trends in the market indicating a turnaround is in process in the real estate, tourism and forestry sectors of Costa Rica, how will this trend effect the Land, the Forestry and Development components at NATUREWALK.

For those who are not familiar with Costa Rica, a quick presentation on the Country is offered as well as information on the NATUREWALK PROJECT and it's socio-economic objectives. Joining for this session is Tim Alexander of PRG Canada, the Developers of the NATUREWALK brand of ecological developments who will highlight the growing importance and influence on real estate development of trends concerning the environment, social responsibility and corporate governance.

This interactive webcast presentation will last approximately 20 minutes followed by a Q&A session for you to ask specific questions.


As a small thank you for attending we would love to send you a gravity defying teak wine bottle holder. This is hand carved from teak from Nature Walk. So don't forget to give your full address details and we'll ship direct to your door after the webinar. We have a limited number so the first 25 registrant attendees only!!

To register for the webinar just click on the button below


or cut and paste the following URL into your browser

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/270444650

Title insurance on all lots in NatureWalk

Title Insurance on all lots purchased in NatureWalk is provided by Chicago Title Insurance Company through their partner in Costa Rica and throughout Central America - Latinamerica Title Company.

This title insurance is included by the developer in every lot and gives investors the certainty and security and indemnity insurance against financial loss from defects in title to real property and from the invalidity or unenforceability of mortgage liens.

The eco-aims of Nature Walk,

It is not a mystery that sustainable investments are becoming the buzz word in governmental, corporate and institutional investments. This trend has been building over the last 10 years but lately increased emphasis has been focused on this because of the attention to global warming.

For many of us that need to be refreshed, Global warming is attributed to the build up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels chiefly from industry and transportation. (factories and cars). As a result you will see whole countries now moving to adjust their carbon output and achieve carbon neutrality. Ie: what they make in Carbon Dioxide they offset with carbon absorption.

Costa Rica has stated that it aims to become the first carbon neutral country on the planet and will do so by 2020. On of the principal ways it will do this is by Planting Trees. Trees especially tropical varieties sequester (use ) a lot of carbon dioxide because they are growing 12 months of the year versus trees in northern climes that grow slowly or not at all for months of the year..

So we have harnessed something as simple as the power of the TREE and in doing so created a socio-economicly friendly and a responsible vacation investment model in support of the Costa Rican governments initiative for carbon neutrality and for eco-touristic development.

Our aim is not only to be ecologically successful but also economically sustainable. To this end we have created a complete sustainability cycle that grows the trees, harvests and processes them into teak homes producing economic value. Environmentally the teak trees have done there job and the teak homes hold carbon for a very long time and then teak trees re-grow renewing the cycle.

So we think we have taken this sustainability idea one giant step forward encorporating good investment, vacation use and local economic benefits to Costa Ricans that are not a one time event. The result of this is a responsible model for future development in tropical tourism areas. We hope others will incorporate these ideas elsewhere.

The direct result of the sale of the first 6ha of launch offer lots being sold is that over 30,000 new trees will be planted.

EU to Bring in Tough New Measures against Illegal logging

NATUREWALK UPDATE

Costa Rica

Reprinted from European Parliament Environmental Report, May 4, 2010

Tougher measures against illegal timber

Environment - 04-05-2010 - 18:04

EU suppliers of timber from illegal sources must pay fines that reflect the real environmental and economic damage done by illegal logging, said Environment Committee MEPs on Tuesday. The committee amended draft EU legislation to stiffen penalties and ensure that all in the supply chain play their part in ensuring that timber sold in the EU comes from legal sources. The proposal is to be put to a plenary vote in July.

As much as 20 to 40% of global industrial wood production comes from illegal sources, and the EU is a valuable market for timber and related products.

Tougher penalties

Financial penalties, to be set by EU Member States, must reflect the degree of environmental and economic damage caused by illegally harvesting timber, said the committee, stressing that these penalties must be proportional to the value of the timber products obtained and the environmental damage caused.

Shared responsibility

MEPs called for a clear ban on placing (or making available) illegally harvested timber or timber products on the market. Operators placing timber on the market for the first time should comply with a rigorous "due diligence" system, since they have a particular responsibility for products entering the EU market. To improve timber traceability, MEPs ask that all suppliers provide basic information to identify the operator who has supplied the timber and to whom it has been supplied.

"I am delighted that the Environment Committee has agreed fundamental improvements to the draft regulation on illegally harvested timber. Strong support came from across the political spectrum on key issues including adoption of an overriding prohibition on placing or making available illegally harvested timber on the EU market, extension of traceability requirements throughout the supply chain, and setting of minimum standards for penalties, including criminal sanctions", said Caroline Lucas (Greens/EFA, UK), whose legislative report was approved with 49 votes in favour, 6 against, 2 abstentions.

Editors Note: Much of this illegal logging occurs in third world tropical jungles where poor controls, inadequate monitoring systems and graft play all play a role in perpetuating the problem of illegal logging. Increasing pressure to curb illegal logging by both private corporations and governments will undoubtedly lead to a greater awareness in sustainable plantation supplied forestry. and a increasing premium value placed on this type of forestry.

NATUREWALK COSTA RICA UPDATE Contact us at info@costaricainvest.ie

+1-866-990-1123 (toll free) or Europe +353-1-272-4184

Costa Rica's First Female President is Sworn into Office

Costa Rica's first female president has been sworn into office in San Jose.

Laura Chinchilla, 51, took her oath of office at an open-air ceremony in front of thousands of supporters.

The former vice-president has pledged to continue the free-market economic policies of her predecessor, Nobel laureate Oscar Arias.

She becomes the third female president in Central America after a landslide victory in elections.

Leading the centre-left National Liberation Party, she won 47% of the vote and had a 22-point lead over contender Otton Solis in February's election.

"I will work for a Costa Rica able to maintain moral leadership in the world thanks to defending peace, liberty and human rights," Costa Rican paper The Tico Times reported her as saying.

A number of world leaders attended the inauguration, including the presidents of Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador and Georgia.

A graduate of the University of Georgetown, Ms Chinchilla is a social conservative, opposing abortions and gay marriage.

She has pledged to tackle violent crime and drug-trafficking, and continue the economic policies of former President Arias which have enabled a trade pact with the US and commerce with China.

Mr Arias was awarded the Nobel peace prize in 1987 and has ruled the central American nation twice, most recently from 2006.

Read more on the BBC news website here

Saving the Planet tree by tree - Naturewalk leads the way

NATUREWALK, Costa Rica announces a new program to plant 750 new trees for each ecological teak subdivision lot sold at NATUREWALK.

Nature walk is a teak plantation of 100ha, close to the developed tourist resort of Jaco. With 300 building and development lots at NATUREWALK this new program will lead to the planting if up to 225,000 new trees for Costa Rica.

If each tree sequesters approximately 50 lbs of carbon per year this adds up to 11,250,000 lbs/5625 tons of carbon per yr.


Sustainable Forests benefits include
• carbon sequestration
• Helps to deter the illegal cutting of the Tropical Rain Forests.
• Socio-economic benefits including local employment in a "green" activity,

James Cahill from Costa Rica Invest said that “this is a part of a NATUREWALK’s sustainable commitment to replant unused pasture land with sustainable forests in a repeating and expanding cycle to replant Costa Rica in forest and achieve Costa Rica's goal of Carbon Neutral status by 2021”

Tim Alexander, commented, “we hope that this new idea will become the sustainable model for responsible development in Costa Rica and other Tropical Countries.”


Tropical trees account for 95% of all tree-based CO2 sequestration on the planet. Generally, the tropics are the areas between 23 degrees North and South of the equator. The average tropical tree sequesters a minimum of 50 lbs or 22.6 kg of carbon per annum. The woody biomass of a tropical tree is significantly denser than its boreal softwood counterparts, which is why tropical trees are usually hardwoods. In excess of 50% of a tropical trees woody biomass is sequestered carbon, which is why tropical trees are so important in the fight against global warming and climate change. Tropical trees also deposit or sequester carbon in the soil, though the amount trapped in the soil depends on local soil conditions and altitude. Consider this: tropical trees work 12 months of the year sequestering carbon, while boreal trees only work 3 months of the year. Most tropical hardwoods grow to maturity quickly (10 to 20 years), while their boreal counterparts take 80 to 120 years to achieve the same diameter as a softwood

Water Preservation and Protection at Nature Walk, Costa Rica

NatureWalk has provisionally agreed to incorporate the installation of the “advanced enviro septic” waste water treatment facilities on its site in Turrubares Costa Rica, to protect ground water and preserve the eco integrity of the project.

NatureWalk has provisionally agreed to incorporate the installation of the “advanced enviro septic” eco-friendly waste water treatment facilities on its site in Turrubares Costa Rica.

NatureWalk is an existing teak plantation, subdivided into serviced development lots of 1,000m2 and upwards. PRG Group Canada are the developers.

Tim Alexander from PRG Group said “the eco-friendly integrity of the project as a whole is very important to us. We have investigated a number of waste water treatment options and sought out an option which does not require electric pumps and so does not further contribute to the planets carbon dioxide load.”

James Cahill from Costa Rica Invest added “The treated waste water will be relatively superficial to the grounds surface and will help to water the tropical trees and shrubs growing on the lots. This will ensure that Nature Walk is the literally “greenest development” in Costa Rica.”

NatureWalk is an ecological subdivision in which purchasers benefit not only from the ownership of the serviced development lots but also the teak growing on them. The teak from the lots will be harvested at maturity and used by Tropical Teak Homes, a division of PRG Group, in the build of teak homes on site.

The offcuts of teak will be used in furniture manufacture on site. Each lot has an “ecological easement” attached requiring the replanting of at minimum 50% of the surface area with trees. The installation of the eco friendly waste water treatment will serve not only to preserve water, but will also ensure that ground water is protected and preserve the ecological integrity of the project.