Costa Rica has become one of the most popular tourists locations all over the world, not only due to its beautiful beaches and outstanding landscapes, but also to its lush flora and magnificent fauna. However, the country has been faced with several environmental issues throughout the years, including deforestation and endangered species conservation. As part of its sustainable resource management strategy, Costa Rica has developed several strategies in order to solve these problems. Authorities and non-government organizations have started numerous conservation projects in Costa Rica, with a view to protecting the environment and conserving wildlife. These projects have been carefully developed so as to attract participants from the local population, but also tourists, who can enjoy the country’s beauty and take part in various activities. If you want to become a conservation projects volunteer, it is important to know what the biggest environmental challenges are in Costa Rica and how they can be solved. Despite the fact that Costa Rica has one of the high biodiversity rate, its tropical landscape is severely affected by deforestation – more specifically, nearly 80% of the forests have been cut down since World War II and the loss is huge not only in terms of flora, but also for the entire ecosystem. As a result of heavy deforestation, the thousands of species of plants, insects and animals face extinction. What is worse, deforestation has destroyed the natural climatic balance, so the country has to suffer from desertification and flooding. A collective mobilization process commenced in 1975 and by 2005 the deforestation rate had dropped dramatically, but the problem is far from being solved. Locals and foreign volunteers are urged to participate in reforestation activities by planting seeds and trees in the affected areas. So far, the response has been positive, but still more volunteers are needed. The main issue with deforestation is that even though new trees are being planted, it takes time for nature to recover from the damage that was done to it decades ago. Threat of extinction of different species is another conservation problem that Costa Rica is faced with and it comes as a direct result of deforestation. The number of parrots, snakes and turtles has dropped considerably and these are the three main species that projects focus on. Volunteers have to contribute by helping take care of these animals and doing research on the ways to restore balance. Apart from volunteering activities, Costa Rica aims to help local fauna by establishing national parks. There are currently 26 such establishments in the country, some of the most popular being Manuel Antonio National Park and Corcovado National Park. Even if a lot of damage was done to the Costa Rican ecosystem, it is reassuring to know that today approximately a quarter of the country’s territory is protected by law. As a whole, it can be stated that Costa Rica has a smart conservation strategy, especially because they blend volunteering activities with ecosystem. Thus, the country welcomes many volunteers every year, who can contribute to environmental efforts and at the same time enjoy the country at a much lower rate than conventional tourism. To find out more about conservation projects in Costa Rica and become a conservation projects volunteer, please review these links.
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