By JIVANA
Six years ago, I sat down with Philippa “Pippa” Attwood shortly after she began what would eventually become Futuro Nativo. At the time, she had recently transitioned from her work with Tree-Nation and was focused primarily on reforestation, inspired by her experiences in the Brazilian Amazon and a growing desire to support ecological restoration.
Since then, her journey has unfolded in beautiful. inspiring, surprising but not totally unexpected ways that have woven her several of her passions. What began with tree nurseries has expanded into long-term relationships with Indigenous communities across Costa Rica and Peru, supporting projects that range from cultural infrastructure and ecological restoration to artisan enterprises, music collaborations, education, and community-led initiatives.
What struck me most in catching up with Pippa wasn’t simply the growing list of completed projects, but how her understanding of conservation has evolved. Our conversation was less about delivering solutions and more about listening, reciprocity, and learning to support projects that emerge
from the communities themselves.
Here’s what she had to share.
Six years ago, Futuro Nativo didn’t exist. How did it begin?
Pippa: The inspiration for Futuro Nativo came after I’d spent several years living in Costa Rica. Having previously lived in Brazil, I found myself missing the close connection I’d experienced with Indigenous communities there. At the same time, I felt a deep gratitude toward Costa Rica for giving me a safe place to call home during the uncertainty of the pandemic, and I wanted to give something back.
I reached out to a friend and asked whether there were still Indigenous communities here. They’re much less visible than in countries like Brazil, Mexico, or Guatemala, so I simply wanted to visit and learn.
Around the same time, I traveled to Peru with my friend Madeleine Lynch from Weaving Worlds. Through that trip I met a Shipibo family who later invited me back to spend time with them. None of this was part of some grand expansion plan. It happened through relationships. As I spent time with different communities, I noticed similar patterns. Many had incredible cultural knowledge and leadership, but there were practical projects that simply weren’t receiving support. Eventually I realized the work had grown beyond occasional fundraising campaigns. It needed its own organization. That’s how Futuro Nativo was born. The name felt right because Futuro Nativo translates to “Native Future,” and it’s spoken the same way in both Spanish and Portuguese, reflecting where the work began and where I hoped it could grow.
Since we last spoke, you’ve completed an incredible number of projects. Which ones stand out to you?
Pippa: It’s been a busy few years.
One of the first major projects was the Boruca Cultural Ranch, a traditional conical structure built on ancestral Boruca land with a 360-degree view across the mountains. Seeing that space become a place for culture and gathering has been really special. We also built a textile center with the Ngäbe people in the Osa Peninsula and provided six sewing machines so artisans could continue creating traditional clothing and sharing ancestral stories through their work. Near San Vito, we helped build another cultural ranch with the Ngäbe community. What surprised me most was how that space evolved. It naturally became an educational center and a place where a local doula now supports young women through pregnancy and birth. That wasn’t part of the original proposal, but it’s exactly the kind of community-led evolution I love seeing.
Working alongside Sol Curú, a Boruca women’s collective, we also helped build a bridge connecting women with farmland where they’re reintroducing cacao cultivation as part of their cultural heritage.
In Peru, we funded an arts center with the Shipibo community, supported a five-hectare reforestation project alongside a medicinal plant pharmacy, and later funded a community well.
We’ve continued expanding native tree nurseries, including another nursery with Don Ulises in Boruca, and partnered with Jiboya to continue reforestation efforts in Pinulla.
We also helped establish an artisan shop with the Trëtega community inside an existing ecotourism center, contributed to rebuilding the roof of a Maleku cultural center after a fire, and have hosted workshops ranging from Boruca mask making and weaving to ceramics and cultural exchanges.
One of the highlights recently was bringing representatives from all eight Indigenous territories of Costa Rica together for a gathering at The Ark in Santa Teresa. We’d love to see that become an annual event.
Music has become an unexpected part of Futuro Nativo’s work.
Pippa: Very much so. Music has become another way to preserve culture while creating new opportunities for collaboration and fundraising.
We released Fragrant with Liquid Bloom, Bloomurian, Snow Raven, and Pedro from the Shipibo community. The vocals were recorded while we were in Peru building the arts center.
Royalties from that track, along with Ayasciela by Savage, helped fund the completion of projects and further reforestation. We also released Huacomaya with the Yawanawá and Savage, and brought Yawanawá representatives to Envision Festival for two consecutive years. Watching traditional chanting merge with contemporary electronic music on stage was a beautiful experience.
Another project I’m particularly proud of is Sounds of the Earth: Costa Rica Edition. We recorded approximately one hundred traditional Indigenous instruments from communities across Costa Rica as a professional sample library for music producers. It’s a way of preserving cultural sounds while creating new possibilities for artists around the world. We’re also continuing to explore new collaborations using vocals recorded with the Cabécar people here in Costa Rica.
Why do you think Costa Rica’s Indigenous communities are less visible than those in some neighboring countries?
Pippa: I think a lot of it comes down to scale. Countries like Peru, Mexico, Guatemala, and Chile had very large Indigenous civilizations whose influence is still woven into national identity. Costa Rica has always been much smaller, and its Indigenous populations were comparatively smaller as well. That meant many communities were more vulnerable during colonization, and today they remain relatively small and geographically dispersed. Their cultures are incredibly rich and very much alive, but unless you intentionally seek them out, it’s easy to miss how much Indigenous knowledge still exists here.
Six years ago I asked you what a “sexy future” looked like. Has your answer changed?
Pippa: I’ve actually been reflecting on that question a lot over the past year. I intentionally slowed Futuro Nativo down for a while to think about what I want it to become as a long-term legacy project. When I first started, my motivation was deeply rooted in reforestation. Along the way, the work naturally expanded into cultural preservation, education, music, and community infrastructure. I’m incredibly proud of that evolution. But now I want to consciously weave ecological restoration back into the heart of the organization. More than anything, I’ve come to believe that the future depends on Indigenous and non-Indigenous people caring for the land together. If I had to summarize that vision, I’d say it’s about redistributing the world’s wealth in ways that allow people and nature to thrive together.
How do you see emerging technologies like cryptocurrency?
Pippa: I actually think cryptocurrency has the potential to be an empowering tool, particularly for many Indigenous communities. Traditional banking systems often require permanent addresses and documentation that aren’t always accessible. Those barriers can prevent people from fully participating in the economy. With the right education and access to technology, crypto offers another path. Like any tool, it’s about how we choose to use it, but I think it has real potential to create greater financial autonomy.
A few rapid-fire questions…Favorite Costa Rican fruit?
Pippa: Mamonchinos… although mangosteen is a close second whenever I can find one.
Favorite Costa Rican food?
Pippa: Chorreada, fresh handmade corn tortillas with natilla.
One last observation…
Living in the same community has given me the opportunity to know Pippa beyond project updates and grant applications.
Over the past several years she’s become part of the fabric of Rancho Delicioso, helping maintain community trails, supporting the revival of the Awaken retreats, organizing workdays around the community orchard, and lending a hand whenever environmental or community projects arise.
She has also happily swapped hiking boots for a mermaid tail, joining local wildlife fundraisers and conservation events (Mermaids for Modoc, Earthrace Wildlife Ball, Wild Sun Mermaid Activation) as part of our growing mermaid community. Whether through forests, festivals, music, or environmental education, there’s a consistent thread running through her work: finding creative ways to connect people with the living world around them.
Looking back over two conversations separated by six years, one shift feels especially clear. Our first interview revolved largely around planting trees. This one centered on relationships.
Perhaps that’s the quiet evolution of Futuro Nativo itself. Not a departure from regenerative efforts, but an expanding understanding that healthy ecosystems and healthy communities grow together.
Learn more:
Pippa
Futuro Nativo
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