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Costa RicaAbout Costa Rica | Sustainable Agriculture | Sustainable Forestry | Sustainable Tourism | Neotropics Communications About Costa RicaThe Rainforest Alliance has three main offices around the world: New York, Vermont, and San José, Costa Rica. We opened the San José office in 1989, to be closer to the frontlines of our Latin American conservation work. Today, our Sustainable Agriculture, Sustainable Tourism and Neotropics Communications programs are based in San José.
Bordering Panama and Nicaragua, with coasts on the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, Costa Rica hosts an amazing wealth of biodiversity. An estimated four percent of the world’s species can be found within its borders, though Costa Rica’s 19,652 square miles represent just a tiny fraction of the planet’s land mass. With more than 200 mammal species, 214 reptiles, 130 fish, 168 amphibians, 600 birds and over 12,000 different plant species, Costa Rica is a biodiversity mecca. As variable in terrain as it is in natural beauty, the country contains both tropical and subtropical climates with landscapes ranging from coastal plains to rugged mountains. Costa Rica is also a hotbed of volcanic activity with100 volcanic cones and several active volcanoes. As with any area that contains wealth of natural resources, balancing peoples’ need to make a living with their desire to preserve biodiversity is a complex issue. Air and coastal pollution, agriculture, -- which occupies about 45% of the land in Latin America -- and solid waste management are but some of the threats to the Earth’s equilibrium in this part of the world. Costa Rica is exemplary in its measures to combat one of Latin America's highest deforestation rates. A quarter of the country is protected park land, and the beauty found in these preserves draw millions of visitors each year. To ensure sustainable use within areas of critical natural importance, the government’s Ministry of the Environment and Energy (MINAE) has created the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC), a network consisting of eleven areas with sustainability-oriented management plans.
One example is the Osa Conservation Area, which includes a remarkable variety of ecosystems including cloud forests, mangroves, marine ecosystems, and even a tropical fjord. An estimated half of the country’s biodiversity -- including the endangered jaguar, ocelot, scarlet macaw, and the Pacific green sea turtle -- is found in this region. Another area central to national conservation efforts is La Amistad/ Talamanca within the Talamanca mountain range in south-central Costa Rica. Designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1982, this area contains one of the largest tracts of virgin rainforest in all of Central America. As a result, it is also home to several endangered species including the giant anteater, as well as several notable birds such as the harpy eagle and the resplendent quetzal. Roughly 25,000 people reside in the area, relying on traditional subsistence methods to earn their livelihoods. A third area of great importance is the Guanacaste Conservation Area. Located in the northwest and covering over 400 square miles, its designation as a conservation area serves to protect varying ecosystems including evergreen and cloud forests. Protected status provides a safe haven for migratory animals native to the region, which is home to several species of monkeys, over 300 bird species and over 10,000 insect species. The Tortuguero Conservation Area, along the Caribbean shore is also critical to conservation efforts. Tortuguero, or “turtle catcher” is one of the largest nesting areas on the planet for the green sea turtle as well as several other turtle species and crocodiles, bull sharks and manatees. The area includes Tortuguero National Park, Barra del Colorado Wildlife Reserve and Tortuguero Protected Area. Sources:
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