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Conservation in Southern Costa Rica |
Conservation |
With over 25% of the country set aside to preserve wildlife & rainforest Costa Rica has lots to see. This humid region, in the pacific southwest, comprises some of the largest stands of rainforest in central America.
To contribute to a needed conservation effort contact any of the foundations, groups or hotels listed below. Find out about volunteering a few days of your vacation. Opportunities range from collecting turtle eggs, to feeding monkeys and baby sloths to planting trees. You can also work in local villages and help fix up schools and live with Costa Rican families. |
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Piedras Blanca National Park |
/*Nature Conservation: The Rainforest of the Austrians*/
In 1991, the Esquinas forest in southern Costa Rica, one of the last unprotected lowland tropical rainforests on the Pacific coast of Central America, was declared a national park. However, since all land was in private hands, it could only be catalogued as a "paper park" until it was owned by the Costa Rican national park service. Exploitation permits to use these lush forests had been issued before the declaration of the park and deforestation actually continued, inflicting irreversible damages upon the Esquinas forest. Later that year, Michael Schnitzler, a well-known classical violinist from Vienna and part-time resident of Costa Rica, founded a non-profit organization called "Rainforest of the Austrians" with the goal of raising funds to buy property in the Esquinas forest. By 2004, over 15.000 Austrian individuals had donated more than $1,300,000, enabling the purchase of more than 7000 acres. All property, most of which had exploitation permits for logging, has been donated to the Costa Rican government and become part of Piedras Blancas National Park; logging in these areas has ceased. With the help of the Costa Rican government, the power development company Tenaska, and The Nature Conservancy, 65% of the Esquinas forest has already been purchased, and fundraising continues. "Rainforest of the Austrians" has also donated funds to the Corcovado Foundation for the employment of park wardens and to Zoo Ave and Pro Felis for the reintroduction of scarlet macaws and wildcats into the Esquinas forest.
/*Rainforest Research: The Biological Station La Gamba */
In 1993, "Rainforest of the Austrians" purchased a small ?finca“ in La Gamba for use as a base for biology students wishing to study the biodiversity of one of Central America?s last existing lowland wet rainforests. Over the past decade, it has evolved into one of the most important research centers in southern Costa Rica and is now run by the University of Vienna. Many endemic species have been discovered, and the biodiversity of trees in the Esquinas rainorest was found to be the densest in all of Costa Rica, even surpassing nearby Corcovado National Park. The plants and animals of the Esquinas rainforest have been the theme of more than thirty Bachelors and/or Masters theses by botany and zoology students from universities in Europe, the U.S.A., and Costa Rica. The 500-page ?Field Guide to Flowering Plants of the Golfo Dulce Rainforests“ , compiled by botanists from Costa Rican and Austrian universities, has become the standard reference manual for the Osa region. The station, which has it?s own canteen, can accomodate up to 15 persons and is equipped with a laboratory, computers and a library. Larger study groups on field trips are accomodated at nearby Esquinas Lodge and can use the facilities of the station for field courses in tropical biology. Resident Austrian biologists are on hand most of the year. The 10-acre botanical garden contains countless species of orchids, tropical plants and fruit trees.
/*Development Aid: Esquinas Rainforest Lodge*/
Seeing their future threatened by restrictions set up by the National Park Service, a group of local farmers and former loggers in the village of La Gamba decided to turn to nature tourism as an alternative to the exploitation of the Esquinas rainforest. However, a complete lack of funds made it necessary to find a financial backer. In 1993, the Republic of Austria, recognizing the importance of sustainable alternatives as opposed to the destruction of tropical forests, decided to finance the project as part of its Development Aid Program. "Rainforest of the Austrians" was appointed to oversee and direct the project, and the construction of Esquinas Rainforest Lodge was completed in 1994. The ultimate goal is to prove that a small, ecologically safe nature lodge, accomodating no more than 40 guests, can generate enough income to raise the living standard of a whole community of 70 families. The lodge belonged to "Rainforest of the Austrians" until 2005, when it was privatized but remained in Austrian hands. From the sales profit, $210,000 was donated to a fund for projects in La Gamba. Recent improvements in the community - monitored by the Fundación Neotrópica and financed by the Austrian government - have been the completion of the village school, construction of a health care station, the establishment of a handicraft center run by the women of La Gamba, and a breeding project for pacas. Future projects iinclude the installation a new water system for 62 houses in La Gamba, the renovation of the school and the construction of a playground, as well as the implementation of a waste disposal and garbage program. Several children have been awarded scholarships for secondary school education. Except for management and office personell, all employees at Esquinas Rainforest Lodge are from La Gamba.
Article courtesy of Esquinas Rainforest Lodge
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