Marco Molina

Marco Molina was born in San José. After finishing high school with a technical degree in graphic design and photography, he worked in commercial photography, which contrasted sharply with his primary love for nature. He dropped out of university after the first semester and began traveling the world. During his first six months of travel, he visited Germany, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, experiencing diverse landscapes and developing a deep fascination with people’s stories. He also felt internal conflict due to the stark social contrasts and the severity of the global climate crisis.

This journey awakened a profound sensitivity and a need for justice between those holding the camera and those on the other side of the lens. It highlighted the importance of stories and those who tell them. This journey was just beginning. Around the age of 20, back in Costa Rica, he began visiting Monteverde, a mountainous region where his soul found greater peace in connection with nature. He currently lives there.

His work as a nature illustrator gained momentum after returning from that first trip, and he began building his portfolio. His work was published in guides to the plants and butterflies of Costa Rica. Gradually, he encountered a problem that ignited a passion: the space between science, culture, and art. He believed that science, culture, and art could be a way to bridge the gap between them, allowing them to work together toward a goal of planetary benefit: conservation.

The reason for this stems from his belief that people generally do not want to live in conflict with their ecosystems. However, they have often been drawn into harmful practices by prevailing economic systems. But when a story, an image, gives them back what has been taken from them, it can ignite a spark, inspiring them to harmonize their connection with nature wherever they may be.