UTSI, LLC was founded as a partnership between Robert Tate and Andrew Ogden in July, 2007. Finca Carolina, UTSI’s field station was acquired in 2002. Construction of the student Center occurred throughout 2006 and 2007. UTSI opened its doors to its first student group in December 2007.

Uvita Tropical Studies Institute, hereafter UTSI, is a business dedicated to tropical ecological conservation and education. Serving as its base is Finca Carolina, a 55 acre tract on the first ridge of coastal mountains overlooking the Southwest coastline of Costa Rica. Finca Carolina hosts primary and secondary rainforest, mixed species agro-forests, a web of hiking trails, and extensive organic gardens. Wildlife abounds as the farm is surrounded by several large tracts of land in various conservation regiments. Finca Carolina makes an excellent home base for excursions through southwest Costa Rica and beyond.

Our relationship with US and Costa Rican universities enables UTSI to provide a site for world-class research on marine, forest, and riparian ecology, ornithology, entomology, primatology, zoology, horticulture, medicinal plants, and issues related to development and habitat loss. UTSI plans to attract private businesses interested in the areas of fruit crop research, cultivar development, and tissue culture micropropagation of economically and botanically significant plants.