By Alejandra Monge | Executive Director
On February 26, during the Osa Chamber of Tourism meeting, the Corcovado Foundation launched a program to hire for Corcovado National Park.
The Corcovado Foundation that was born for this protected area, has undertaken the mission to carry out a campaign to raise awareness and raise funds to strengthen this park and support its authorities to finance their efforts and thereby ensure the conservation of this national park in the long term.
Corcovado is home to a third of the tree species and half of the threatened plants in Costa Rica, home of 50% of the species that live in Costa Rica and 2,5% of the biodiversity of the planet. Therefore, the Osa Peninsula is one of the favorite tourism destinations in the country. In 2019, the park received 62,000 tourists in 2019, who require the hiring of hotels, restaurants, boatmen, transporters and local guides. At least, about 18.6 million dollars a year are generated by tourists visiting the national park. The Corcovado National Park is the engine of the economy of the Osa Peninsula.
However, this park has only 10% of the budget it needs to operate. We know that the government does everything they can, but with 25% of the country’s territory under some sort of protected status, 163 protected areas and only 34 of them receiving tourism, it is a huge undertaking. The Corcovado National Park has an extension of 42,570 ha and currently, the personnel designated to patrol it are 24 officials. Each park ranger of Corcovado National Park must take care of 1774 hectares. Take a look at our interviews with these courageous men and women that fight every day to maintain the integrity of this park. Protecting this national park is not only the responsibility of the government, but it is also the responsibility of all of us who benefit from this gem.
Help us protect Corcovado National. You can join donate on GlobalGiving now or you can also join the Little by the little campaign where a small donation will be matched by 50% by GlobalGiving. Our goal for this first campaign is US$10,000. With your help, it will provide the initial funding to meet the most urgent Park Ranger needs for basic field equipment, including proper dry-fit uniforms, radios, and compasses. This equipment is critical so rangers can do their job properly and protect the unique ecosystems of this beautiful national park.
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