How to Grow a Tropical National Park: Innovative Conservation at - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

How to Grow a Tropical National Park:

Innovative Conservation at Costa Rica’s Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG)

By Carlos R. Garcia, MFC International Conservation Fund of Canada (ICFC) May 2018

Costa Rica's Natural Beauty & Biodiversity!

Pura Vida!

The World’s Most Biodiverse Countries

Source: Mongabay 2015 Costa Rica

4% of the World’s Biodiversity in 1% of its Total Surface Area!

Area de Conservación Guanacaste

 Located in northwestern of Costa Rica  UNESCO World Heritage listed site  163,000 ha (1,630 km2)

ACG Map – Sectors

Changing Paradigms: Tending The Wild Garden

 ACG expansion: Rincon Rainforest  Use of Gmelina arborea: a fast-growing alien tree species  The ‘Orange Pulp’ Restoration Project: Del Oro (Fruit Juice Company)

ACG Expansion: Rincon Rainforest

The ‘Orange Pulp’ Restoration Project

1,000 truckloads of peel!

The work crew!

Creating a Human Presence in the Park: Parataxonomists Corps

 A parataxonomist is a resident, field-based, biodiversity inventory specialist who is largely

• n-the-job trained out of the rural work force

 Makes a career of providing specimens and their natural history information to a multitude

• f users across society.

Parataxonomists at Work!

Environmental Ed. & Citizen Science

 ACG Biological Ed. Program  ACG Marine Ed. Program

“The question is not whether a tropical forest can be restored, but rather whether society will allow it to occur.” – Daniel H. Janzen.

Pura Vida! Thank You!