Costa living

Biologist Neel Zaver shares three projects in Costa Rica that offer hope in a time of crisis

Home » Costa living

Published: October 2, 2024
This Article was written by: Contributor
animals, eco break, eco resort, rainforest, travel, wildlife

0 Shares

This article first appeared in our Organic September 2024 issue of My Green Pod Magazine. Click here to subscribe to our digital edition and get each issue delivered straight to your inbox

Over the last eight years, I have focused on spreading my experience in biological sciences within online communities, hoping to make science more accessible and digestible to those with no scientific background.

One of my biggest motivations was to tackle disinformation; I soon realised that, as the world was adapting and changing, the conversation around the environment, conservation and climate was shifting, too.

I noticed an upsurge of negative rhetoric across all media formats, particularly in our news cycle, when it comes to where our planet and its inhabitants are heading.

The negative headlines became almost all-consuming – to the point where they were driving people away from the conversation with an overwhelming sense of hopelessness.

I knew that if I could feel it, as someone driving for change, the feeling would be even more pronounced for those on the fringes of the dialogue.

We are ambushed with negativity almost daily and from all angles – whether it’s the cost-of-living crisis, international war or the impacts of tipping points.

Yet we see and hear very little of those who are not just striving for change but making positive strides in conservation, environmentalism and sustainability.

Finding hope

Having worked with conservation projects, both on the ground and behind the scenes, I know how uplifting it can be to see your own positive impact; it can instil a sense not only of hope but also of investment in something beyond yourself.

I wanted to share that feeling, to break through the negative rhetoric and give people something inspiring to aim for.

I set myself the ambitious task of creating an eco-documentary, beginning in the incredible country of Costa Rica.

With a history of deforestation that led to radical changes in its environmental protection policies, Costa Rica was filled with diverse organisations working to connect and restore nature – and to reconnect us to nature as well.

Costa Rica is estimated to be home to over 500,000 species, a figure that represents about 5% of the world’s total biodiversity.

With its tropical climate, diverse topography and variation in altitudes, the country houses various ecosystems, from tropical rainforests and dry forests to coastal areas, mangroves and cloud forests.

Lands in Love

Located deep in the valley of a cloud forest on the outskirts of San Lorenzo, Alajuela, Lands in Love is a unique eco hotel in a magnificent location.

Inspired by a love and passion for animals, and with an on-site, no-kill animal rescue centre, it was formed by a group of 16 vegan friends who embarked on a remarkable journey that led them to Costa Rica.

The cloud forest provides habitat to a wide variety of plants and animals; many are found nowhere else on Earth, making their conservation crucial.

As I walked around Lands in Love I could see wildlife thriving everywhere I looked. Families of toucans and honey-creepers filled the tree lines thanks to Lands in Love’s efforts to protect the environment.

The hotel’s environmental advocacy extends to the cuisine; this is a fully vegan hotel, and the team works with local communities to source and produce its menu.

Today Lands in Love is home to a large animal rescue centre, though this was not part of the original plan.

The centre has grown organically; as locals learned of the team’s stewardship, more and more animals were abandoned there or reported for rescue.

To date Lands in Love has helped over 3,000 animals in need, and remains home to 1,700 animals including dogs, cats, chickens, goats and horses.

The goal is to rehouse animals where possible, but in the meantime Lands in Love relies on hotel guests and donations to keep these animals safe, fed and protected.

Macaw recovery

Costa Rica has recently made historic progress towards reducing deforestation and protecting its abundance of biodiversity, yet when I visited I found the country at a crossroads when it came to the conservation of some of its most critically endangered species.

Living amongst the Macaw Recovery Network (MRN) team in Sarapiqui, I witnessed both the success and struggles faced on the mission to bring parrot species like the great green macaw back from the edge of extinction in the heart of the bird’s habitat.

A booming pineapple export industry has caused a recent upsurge in plantations in Sarapiqui.

These pineapple plantations, which could be viewed as economically beneficial, are causing a cascade of issues with deforestation, habitat loss and environmental pollution – the effects of which are felt throughout the regions.

The great green macaw, once a vibrant icon of Central and South American rainforests, is now facing a fight for survival.

Classified as critically endangered, fewer than 600 remain in Costa Rica and there are no more than 1,000 in the wild.

Intelligent birds with diverse diets and complex social behaviours, they are threatened by deforestation for crops like pineapple and habitat loss of crucial tree species like the mountain almond tree.

As agriculture expands their world shrinks, leaving fewer nesting sites and food sources.

The Women Rangers nursery

Community collaboration has been integral to MRN’s operations – not only to help protect critically endangered species, but also to promote local stewardship and education around ancestral land.

The establishment of a local Rainforest Reserve shows how these issues can be addressed in tandem.

While speaking to local landowners and farmers about nest scouting, the MRN discovered a cattle farm booming in biodiversity.

The team built a good relationship with the owner and was able to put a simple monitoring site on the property.

It eventually purchased the land to create the Sarapiqui Rainforest Reserve.

Following the establishment of the 203-hectare reserve, the MRN found that even cattle ranching had fragmented the habitat; the majority of the farm was rich with biodiversity and its long-term protection was essential – particularly in light of the rapid expansion of pineapple plantations.

Restoration efforts to recover 20% of the site were conducted by the Women Rangers plant nursery in Casa del Titor, a female-led community-empowered initiative created by the MRN.

Originally formed to help six women from Boca Tapada who were displaced from their jobs in the tourism sector during Covid-19, it was so successful that training continued and Casa del Titor plant nursery was established in 2022.

The plant nursery has helped to protect key plant species, such as the mountain almond tree, while allowing women in rural communities like Boca Topada to become primary income earners.

School children have also been introduced to STEM careers and shown how to coexist with nature.

Origins Eco Lodge

Origins Eco Lodge rounded off my experience in Costa Rica, showcasing how conservation is for everyone and can also be a luxury experience.

Set against the backdrop of the Tenorio volcano, the 45-acre property’s panoramic views extend across the rainforest to the distant lakes of Nicaragua.

The environment has been prioritised in all aspects of guests’ experience, from the expert local guides to an on-site mandala garden that houses over 50 cultivated plant varieties and provides 60% of the fruit and veg consumed on site.

95% of Origins’ workforce come from the local Upala community; staff spoke highly of their time working for Origins and the vital skills they were gaining – extending to socially responsible programmes to support work, education, health and culture in their communities.

Origins has also developed partnerships with wildlife conservation programmes such as the Tapir Valley Reserve, which protects and conserves the endangered Central American tapir.

While visiting the valley I heard first-hand from one of the founding brothers, Donald Varela, of the partnership’s benefits in educating visitors on the plight of the tapir and advocating for the species and its habitat.

Looking back on my time with the three groups I’m left with an overwhelming feeling of passion and strife for our planet and nature.

Each is aware of the global issues and challenges they face, yet they do not let these inhibit them from carrying out the positive work they hope to achieve.

I hope that those who come across these organisations can look to this approach as a way forward, learn from it and use it as a way to invigorate our sense of stewardship and protection for the place we all call home.

ABOUT NEEL ZAVER

Neel Zaver is a biologist and creative who is using his work to showcase the inspiring work of organisations around the world for the environment, conservation and our planet. His goal is to instil hope by profiling those working to create a positive future for us all.