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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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Friends Of The Osa: Conservation Initatives |
Osa National Wildlife Refuge (ONWR) and the Corcovado-Matapalo Biological Corridor
Friends of the Osa is spearheading an effort to improve the management of the Osa National Wildlife Refuge (ONWR) and facilitate the development of the Corcovado-Matapalo Biological Corridor, which covers the area between the southern edge of Corcovado National Park and Cabo Matapalo. Improved management of this land is a top priority and can not be achieved without considering the needs of the local communities and their livelihoods.
 This area is a mosaic of private and public land. To conserve and protect the corridor, we collaborate with a variety of local stakeholders, including local communities, businesses, and private landowners, who each have specific needs and concerns. Consolidating and protecting this corridor is crucial because it provides the continuity of habitat that keystone species, like the jaguar, tapir and white-lipped peccary need to survive and flourish on the Osa.
Friends of the Osa is supporting the integration of new properties to the corridor through our Conservation Buyers Program.
Local Patrols and Monitoring Effort
 Since 2004 , Friends of the Osa has organized a local-level patrol effort to help safeguard wildlife in the Matapalo-Carate biological corridor from ongoing illegal practices. To accomplish this, we are involving nearby communities in this protection effort and building upon their local institutional capacity, which includes providing salaries for three MINAE park guards who operate in the region.
Osa Sea Turtle Conservation Program
In 2006, we are proud to support a comprehensive sea turtle protection and research program, run by biologist Fabian Sanchez, who has worked with turtles on the Osa for the last two years. Fabian’s project enlists scientists and volunteers from around the world to monitor and study the regionally significant populations of Olive Ridley, Leatherback, and Black turtles. | | Photo by Roy Toft |
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