A fragile paradise in Costa Rica
Why travelling sustainably is so incredibly important
This week, I was captivated by the article 'Brooding Paradise' in the February issue of National Geographic. This article is about the successful Osa Conservation programme in Costa Rica. Once again, it became clear to me how important sustainable travel is.
The article in National Geographic details the success of the Osa Conservation programme. The programme demonstrates how various ecosystems on the Osa Peninsula have been beautifully restored and are being maintained. It is a collaboration between the government, the local community and ecologically responsible tourism. However, the article, written in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, also highlights the threats facing these fragile nature reserves. The pandemic has brought tourism to a standstill, causing the flow of income to dry up. As a result, illegal logging and poaching are on the rise again.
Photo: Osa Conservation
The Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica
In the south-west of Costa Rica lies the Osa Peninsula, home to Corcovado National Park. It is one of the most fertile places on our planet. The area covers approximately 1,800 square kilometres, which amounts to less than one-thousandth of a per cent of the Earth’s surface. Yet it is home to around 2.5 per cent of all life on Earth. The area consists of lowland rainforest, wetlands, freshwater lagoons, coastal lagoons and mangrove forests. It is home to five species of felines, various species of monkeys, many species of birds and so on. In Golfo Dulce Bay, which separates the peninsula from the mainland, humpback whales and hammerhead sharks come to give birth to their young.
The success story of the Osa Conservation programme
From poaching and illegal logging to a paradise for nature lovers
From the 1960s onwards, there was widespread illegal logging and gold prospectors flocked to the area. Local residents destroyed large swathes of rainforest to clear the land for agriculture. At one point, more than 75 per cent of the rainforest had disappeared. In the mid-1990s, the Costa Rican government decided to intervene. Logging and gold prospecting were banned. For every tree felled, five had to be replanted. However, the team at Osa Conservation realised that simply planting trees was not enough. Working successfully with biologists and scientists, they set about fully restoring the natural environment, including all native flora and fauna.
Why is sustainable tourism so important?
In the National Geographic article, Andy Whitworth, director of Osa Conservation, explains that for a thorough ecosystem restoration plan to succeed, it is vital to involve the local population. This requires not only education, but also sources of income. You can explain the benefits of protecting flora and fauna. However, if this means people have to give up their sources of income – such as livestock farming, hunting, fishing and gold panning – then alternative sources of income must be provided simply to enable them to survive.
The Osa Conservation programme only became truly successful when national and international tourists began to regard the peninsula as a unique nature destination. With the successful reintroduction of wildlife, more and more nature lovers found their way to the peninsula. As a result, nature conservation also took on economic significance. The peninsula’s inhabitants were able to leave their old trades behind and generate an income through tourism. More than 80 per cent of the population on the Osa Peninsula now works in tourism.
Lapa Rios Ecolodge
The Lapa Rios Ecolodge is an excellent example of the successful restoration programme. Rarely have I visited an ecolodge where I have seen such an abundance of plant and animal life. Throughout my visit, I was accompanied by extremely knowledgeable and passionate guides.
In 1993, John and Karin Lewis opened the lodge with the aim of teaching travellers more about the area’s unique natural environment, whilst at the same time generating income to protect the natural surroundings and restore the original ecosystem. The estate on which the lodge is situated originally comprised just under 400 hectares of land, consisting partly of primary rainforest and partly of agricultural land. This agricultural land has since been restored to a healthy secondary rainforest, with the same level of biodiversity as the primary rainforest.
Lapa Rios has 17 very comfortable guest lodges. Various walking trails have been marked out within the resort’s own nature reserve, which guests can follow either with or without a guide. The revenue generated is used to train nature guides and enable biologists to study the unique ecosystem.
Lapa Rios’ mission is clear:
“No matter how you look at it, a rainforest that’s still standing is worth much more.”
A new threat: Covid-19
Although Costa Rica has few coronavirus cases and deaths compared to many Western countries, the country has been severely affected by the pandemic. Costa Rica is heavily reliant on tourism for its income. Over the past year, tourism has been virtually impossible, causing almost all sources of income in the country to dry up. As a result, illegal logging and wildlife poaching have on the rise again.
As Hilary Brumberg, a member of staff at Osa Conservation, so aptly puts it: “The people here are close to nature. But if you have to choose between protecting nature and feeding your family, you choose your family.” We therefore hope to be able to organise trips again in the near future, as this is not only important for us as a travel organisation, but also, without a doubt, for the preservation of our planet.
In partnership with the Black Jaguar Foundation
As the founder of Sapa Pana Travel, this article is very important to me, because, first and foremost, it highlights the importance of sustainable travel. Furthermore, during my visit to the Osa Peninsula, I was able to see for myself just how successful the full restoration of a particular ecosystem can be, and that this goes far beyond simply planting a few trees.
This experience has convinced me that the Black Jaguar Foundation’s approach to reforesting the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor in Brazil is the right one. Here, too, it is not just biologists and scientists who are involved, but also local authorities and the local population. For this reason, we have decided to offset all our trips through this Black Jaguar Foundation project.