On the Pacific side of Costa Rica, between Quepos and Dominical, is a stretch of coastal land that is rapidly becoming developed for tourism, housing, and palm plantations. This development is putting great pressures on natural habitat and on the native wildlife. Rainforest Biodiversity Group recently took advantage of a great opportunity to protect from that same fate an important piece of relatively undisturbed habitat. . This nearly 300-acre property provides critical habitat for several species of wildlife, with more than 206 species of birds, including numerous neo-tropical migrants such as the Wood thrush, Golden-winged Warbler, and Prothonotary Warbler. This area is home to the Yellow-headed Carcara, the Black Hawk-Eagle, the Slaty-tailed Trogon, and many other birds, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals.
As the surrounding area becomes more developed, this area of very humid tropical forest and agricultural lands will become an even more important island for native vegetation and wildlife. The Rainforest Biodiversity Group was able to protect this habitat by negotiating and accepting the donation of a strong conservation easement that was placed on the property by the landowner. In doing so, RBG has broadened the scope of our conservation efforts into land trust work in Costa Rica. As the holder of the easement, RBG has made the commitment to protect in perpetuity the conservation purposes outlined within the easement agreement. These include the following:
To ensure the integrity of the conservation purposes of this property, RBG is required to monitor the property at least once every 12 months and will make detailed reports after each visit. This will ensure that the detailed terms of the conservation easement are not violated.
We are very excited about this new chapter in the history of our organization. Stepping into this new role, we will protect this important area; in the future we hope to help facilitate connecting area with other nearby reserves. Not 10 kilometers away is the famed Hacienda Baru National Wildlife Refuge and Lodge which protects 815 acres of habitat!
Holding, monitoring, and enforcing a conservation easement requires a strong and sustainable organization. You can help this important initiative with your financial contribution. This is a big step forward for the Rainforest Biodiversity Group, and we hope that our members and friends will support this work. We welcome your generous tax-deductible gift designated for this project.
We look forward to keeping you updated on these efforts in future newsletters.
