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The communities and their conservation efforts |
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Costa Rica is world famous for its commitment to the conservation of natural resources. More than a quarter of the country is under some kind of protection, either as national parks, indigenous reserves, forest reserves or wildlife refuges. The government of Costa Rica has devoted many resources to this end, but without the collaboration of the populace, especially of the people who live near protected areas, it would be very difficult to ensure that conservation is really happening. The leading organizations in community-based rural tourism are also leaders in the protection of forests, water sources, and endangered species. With environmental education, community awareness campaigns and legal action, they confront many threats to wildlife on a daily basis.
 For example, the Association ASEPALECO is creating a biological corridor throughout the length of the Nicoya Peninsula. Its environmental education programs are enhanced by 32 small forest reserves at local schools. ASEPALECO has made its solid waste dump into a model of sustainability. It has mobilized volunteer brigades to fight forest fires. In addition, it protects the private, 800 hectare Karen Mogensen Reserve. The Association APIBA, which manages Albergue Heliconias in northwestern Costa Rica, protects 400 hectares of forest. It has fostererd a youth cooperative that is giving environmental education and English classes to the community. They also have a women's crafts cooperative.
Thousands of acres of forest are being protected as community reserves. These reserves form biological corridors, bridges of life that connect wild areas and allow wild animals the ranges they need for genetic interchange, feeding and mating rituals. The majority of lodges in this guide book are located in these biological corridors, which you can visit through a network of trails, lookout points and hanging bridges. All the rural tourism destinations in the Southern Caribbean section of this book are part of the Talamanca Caribe Biological Corridor.
Their reserves and their environmental education and reforestation programs help to connect Cahuita National Park with the Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge and Amistad International Park. Just by visiting these rural community tourism projects, you are helping their conservation efforts. But if you would like to know more, or would like to collaborate, feel free to contact them. Many have volunteer programs, sponsorship opportunities, or fundraising campaigns in order to buy strategic parcels of land.
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Ecotourism and Nature 
