History
Simbiosis is a plan of love, awareness and respect for life around us,born alive and conscious admiration I have for nature in all its expressions.
It’s was created to be a bridge to sensitize people about the environmental damage to support and participate in projects that generate the resources for repair, recovery and maintenance; receiving in exchange an average improved environment and assertive information to learn how to care and keep sustainably over the time.
Simbiosis was born as idea without name, in 2002 in Escazú – Costa Rica while I studied biology and worked in preservation and tourism. Over time, using my hyperactivity and curiosity I decided to create a new concept called Bio-Arte, I opened a workshop, i registered a trademark and created my own company called “Si-Atelier de Costa Rica.”
Bio-Arte means handmade recycled paper, combined and decorated with natural elements (leaves, branches, seeds, flowers etc). At the same time I was volunteer donating money from the sale of products of Siatelier to the Association to the Fauna and Flora conservation (APREFLOFAS).
Thanks to the workshop where I had a team of 4 vulnerable people from Costa Rica and Nicaragua, it was born the idea of developing an environmental and educational project to recycle paper, called KREP (Paper Recycling Kit – in spanish (Kit de REciclaje de Papel). The KREP was focused on children and adults they went to the national arts festival, held every year in the Sabana park in San Jose de Costa Rica, also spread in activities in Alajuelita and Desamparados.
In 2006 “Si-Atelier” opened its doors in Chia (Colombia) also with Bio-Arte workshop, with different types of textured paper for promotional items, handmade and custom (CD and gift boxes, calendars, envelopes, cards, between others). During a year we support to the foundation of abandoned children in this town. The KREP was also replicated in Soacha and Bogota in more than 130 schools and some companies
In 2008 “Si-Atelier” closes its doors and becomes action plan 100% focused on the biodiversity conservation, through projects with different foundations and groups of people with whom we share the same ideas to improve the quality of life. It does not have the name of Simbiosis but the concept always applies.
Simbiosis as a name was born in 2010 in Zürich – Switzerland, maintaining the same concepts since 2002, because it is a term applied to the biological interaction as a close and continuing relationship between organisms of different species, that are mutually beneficial, therefore make Simbiosis between the society and the living beings through eco-projects are our main goal.
In 2015 it was legally constituted as an association in Zurich – Switzerland doing and supporting environmental projects in Colombia. We are religious and politically independent.
We launched our online ecoshop in Europe, where you can buy ecological and friendly products, based on fair trade and sustainability. With the earnings, we can to continue make own or in partnership projects while we support the people who make and produce them.
We have strategic alliances with groups of people working in implementing projects with common goals and plans which are based on support, education, respect, awareness and promotion of conservation. We support too, the vulnerable communities arranging excursions to Colombia (Simbiotourism) and promoting their ecoproducts.
We have a lot of energy to go on, we grow and strengthen our team.
Irma Sanchez
General Manager
Simbiosis Activa ORG