OTS developed the Decision Makers Course for professional policymakers who devise and implement policies that affect tropical resources but who often have minimal training in environmental sciences in order to enhance their understanding of environmental issues. A campaign to endow the U.S. Decision Makers course is currently underway. For more information, contact the OTS Development office.

Due to the success of the current Decision Makers courses, the OTS Environmental Policy Program is planning a new course to target Central American corporate leaders to enhance their understanding of environmental issues. The course is funded by the Tinker Foundation through a grant that covers the costs of planning the courses and undertaking two initial offerings.

The Latin American Decision Makers course, Principios Ecológicos para el Desarrollo Sostenible en América Latina (97-6), took place April 26 to May 10 with 20 participants from 10 Latin American countries. Raúl Solórzano (Director of Natural Resources, Ministry of the Environment and Energy (MINAE) and OTS Board of Visitor Carlos Manuel Rodríguez (Lara, Lopez, Matamoros, Rodríguez y Tinoco Abogados) were the coordinators who led the course to the La Selva Biological Station, Santa Rosa National Park, Monteverde Biological Reserve, and Puntarenas. Much thanks to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the course’s primary sponsor, and to World Wildlife Fund-Central America, The Nature Conservancy Costa Rica-Panama Program and the Inter-American Development Bank for additional support.