Expanding the Reserve: Protecting Key Habitats
Just after the Reserve’s one-year anniversary, we doubled its size from 208 to 411 hectares, a major milestone in our efforts to protect the critically endangered Great Green Macaw. When we acquired the first property, we immediately started the process to secure its neighboring property, El Retorno. The significance of protecting these adjacent properties cannot be overstated. On El Retorno alone, two ancient Mountain Almond trees provide nesting sites for Great Green Macaws during their breeding season. These majestic birds, with fewer than 1,000 individuals left in the wild, rely heavily on the Mountain Almond tree for nesting and food. Tragically, both species have suffered major population declines due to habitat destruction and deforestation.
The expansion of the Reserve doesn’t just benefit Great Green Macaws and Mountain Almond trees, it’s a haven for an incredible variety of wildlife. We have witnessed pumas, ocelots, spider monkeys, tayras, howler monkeys, endangered Baird’s Tapirs and more traversing both properties. Furthermore, the location of the Reserve is a key piece in a stretch of continuous forest, the La Selva-San Juan Biological Corridor. While parrots can fly to and from different patches of forest, land-dwelling species like large cats and Baird’s Tapirs suffer greatly from habitat fragmentation. They are left either isolated in one patch of forest, or face vulnerability when crossing deforested sections. With the seemingly never-ending threats to forests around the globe, protecting large, in-tact sections has never been more important.
A Successful Year & A Dream Come True
It’s hard to believe that it’s already been a year since the Sarapiquí Rainforest Reserve was established, and what a whirlwind year it’s been! From planting Mountain Almond trees and restoring habitat to installing camera traps and updating facilities, the past 12 months have been transformative for this critical piece of rainforest.
The launch of this reserve was a dream come true for our team, especially Dr. Sam Williams. As the Executive Director, it’s his job to see the bigger picture and inspire his team to do the work to get there, no matter how far-fetched it might seem to the rest of us. Since the first time our team set foot on the property that would become the Sarapiquí Rainforest Reserve, Sam knew that it was special and that one day it would become a central part of MRN’s vision. The rest of us…well, we knew it was special. But we didn’t know how capable we were of taking ownership of it, nor that we would be able to do it as soon as he predicted. But he proved once again why he is the right man to lead us, he knew we had it in us. The dream for the Sarapqiquí Rainforest Reserve didn’t end with just that first property though. This dream is much bigger, and now it’s becoming a reality.
The Ongoing Threat of Deforestation
One of the greatest threats to biodiversity across Costa Rica is the loss of forests. Historically, lowland rainforests have been cleared and replaced with cattle pastures, as was the case for the farm that is now the Sarapiquí Rainforest Reserve. Today, small-scale logging, both legal and illegal, continues to chip away at forested areas. Even when logging is legal, protected species like the Mountain Almond tree are often left standing alone, isolated, without their surrounding ecosystem. Unfortunately, this leaves them vulnerable to disease and unable to perform their critical ecological roles. Over time, these solitary trees die, and the resources they could have provided to other species are lost.
In the last 30 years, 16,000 hectares of land in the Sarapiquí area have been converted to pineapple plantations. Though laws now prohibit directly converting forests into pineapple farms, land is often first cleared for cattle pasture before being turned into monoculture plantations. These pineapple farms are ecological deserts, unable to support wildlife, and use up to 50 different agrochemicals, which contribute to biodiversity loss. One such farm has expanded right to the edge of the Reserve, forming a staggering contrast of what the land used to be versus what it is now. The Reserve now functions as an ecological fence, preventing this farm from growing even further. While the local devastation is obvious, the impact of this deforestation reaches beyond Costa Rica, contributing to climate change and threatening biodiversity worldwide.
Climate Change: A Growing Concern for the Rainforest
Last year, the effects of climate change were felt firsthand in Sarapiquí. Record-breaking rains caused dramatic landslides, one of which swept away 40 hectares of forest upstream from our reserve. The aftermath left rivers clogged with fallen trees and destroyed habitats.
These effects were also felt 55 kilometers away in Boca Tapada, the home of our Women Rangers program. This was not the first time that the community of Boca Tapada was heavily impacted by extreme weather events. In 2021, several of our Women Rangers’ homes were flooded, leading to property damage and loss of necessary living supplies. We were able to gather support for them during that time, but the constant threat of severe weather is destabilizing and stressful for an already impoverished community. This year, they suffered from a drought, an extreme in the opposite direction.
As climate change continues to intensify, protecting and restoring forests like those in Sarapiquí becomes even more urgent. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, forest restoration is the most effective way to combat climate change. Forests are allow for carbon sequestration, reducing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. This is just one way that forests play a critical role in restoring balance to our planet.
Looking Forward: Next Steps in Conservation
In addition to preserving vital habitats, MRN is working closely with the local community. Soon, reforestation efforts will begin on the Reserve to repair damage done by cattle ranching. The Women Rangers will play a key role in this process and have already supplied hundreds of plants for the Reserve from their Casa del Titor plant nursery. We are exploring ways to make the reserve an asset that benefits the surrounding communities, as this land is also part of their ecosystem.
The expansion of the Sarapiquí Rainforest Reserve marks just the beginning of our long-term conservation strategy. We plan to continue acquiring larger parcels of land in the surrounding area to create a more extensive protected habitat for endangered species. The support of organizations like the American Bird Conservancy, the March Conservation Fund, and private donors has been crucial in making these conservation efforts possible.
As we look ahead, our focus will remain on restoring and protecting this unique rainforest ecosystem for future generations. Our excitement to make this dream a reality only grows with each milestone reached. We are committed to ensuring that Macaws, the forests they call home, and the communities around them, thrive for years to come. But it’s not just us that share this commitment. Our supporters are fiercely driven to protect biodiversity, and they make it possible for us to reach these milestones together.
If you’re reading this, you likely share this vision for a future where biodiversity thrives. This is just the beginning, click here to help us make your vision possible.
