Area in Costa Rica secured
Purchase of 180 hectares
It's done: we have purchased a finca in the La Gamba region, Golfito district, covering over 180 hectares. The finca is located between the La Gamba Tropical Station, run by the organization “Rainforest of the Austrians”, and the village of La Gamba and borders directly on the Piedras Blancas National Park. There is a large network of protected areas in the south of Costa Rica: Corcovado National Park (41,800 ha), Golfo Dulce Forest Reserve (60,500 ha), Térraba-Sierpe National Park (27,000 ha), Piedras Blancas National Park (14,500 ha) and the Golfito Wildlife Reserve (1,310 ha). Together they form a huge protected area of around 145,000 ha or 1,450 km². However, behind the Golfito mountain range and almost parallel to the Piedras Blancas National Park, an almost uninterrupted forest area of around 70 - 80 km³ or 7,000 - 8,000 ha stretches inland, which is not protected - we want to change that.
The land that has now been purchased is an important key to establishing the biological corridor between the Piedras Blancas National Park and the Fila de Cal mountain range. The area consists of pastureland as well as primary and secondary rainforest. The pastureland is ideal for reforestation and will be planted with thousands of trees over the next few years. This will create a new habitat for a variety of animals and plants as well as another important carbon sink.
Originally planned: the construction of a golf course
The original owner of the land was considered a wealthy resident of La Gamba and farmed the land with cattle breeding and rice cultivation. After his death, the land was bought by a group of investors who initially wanted to turn it into a golf course, then into a housing estate for American pensioners and later into an oil palm plantation. But the land was too swampy, the price of palm oil fell and the investors ran out of money.
The group of investors then offered the land for sale again and the organization “Rainforest of the Austrians”, which already owned various areas directly adjacent, decided to buy the land. They were supported by Naturefund and other private sponsors.
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