WCS Costa Rica

Costa Rica lies in the southern part of Mesoamerica, nestled between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Over 17% of Costa Rica’s surface area is dedicated to national parks, refuges and private reserves. These lands provide critical habitat to wide-ranging species whose habitat is disappearing across Central America. WCS has been involved in conservation in Costa Rica since 1970, when the nation’s first protected areas were created. Today WCS conducts wildlife research and provides technical assistance to Costa Rican authorities for park planning, administration and protection. WCS emphasizes jaguar and sea turtle conservation in key sites, as well as the consolidation of the entire park system to ensure its long-term success.

The Human Aspect
Costa Rica is a democratic country with a remarkable commitment to conservation. Public opinion in favor of environmental stewardship is very strong, thanks in part to eco-tourism’s positive impact on the national economy. Working with the Ministry of Environment and Energy, WCS promotes the development of education and interpretation projects as well as the creation of private nature reserves.  WCS also encourages entrepreneurship among inhabitants of park buffer zones to involve local communities in park management.

Threats
As elsewhere in Central America, jaguars are threatened by habitat fragmentation and poaching of their prey. Marine turtles face habitat loss due to coastal development, as well as exploitation on nesting beaches and at sea. On a broader scale, the protected area system of Costa Rica is threatened by poor park management infrastructure and existing private holdings within parks.

WCS Activities
Jaguar Conservation. Under the leadership of Dr. Eduardo Carrillo, WCS has an integrated approach to jaguar conservation in Costa Rica. At Corcovado, Guanacaste and La Amistad National Parks, we conduct jaguar surveys and related research to learn more about the ecology and distribution of jaguars and their prey. We disseminate our findings to Costa Rican authorities to improve management of protected areas. At Costa Rica’s National University and in the field, Dr. Carrillo trains wildlife biologists from across Central America who are developing jaguar conservation projects in other nations. WCS provides technical and financial support to students’ jaguar research in the Darien Gap and Nicaragua. Click here for more information on WCS's Jaguar Conservation Program.

Sea Turtle Conservation. To protect sea turtle habitat along the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica and Nicaragua, WCS is helping to implement the Cocos-Baulas Marine Corridor. Cocos-Baulas is one of the few legally established marine corridors that exist in the world. This project safeguards some of the most important nesting beaches for sea turtles in the Americas. Click here for information on other WCS sea turtle conservation projects in Mesoamerica.

Conservation Planning. Under the guidance of Dr. Mario Boza, considered the father of the Costa Rican park system, WCS supports the design and management of parks, reserves and local biological corridors based on the needs of wide-ranging species including jaguars and marine turtles. A new focus is the consolidation of the entire protected area system, which serves as a model for other countries in the region. WCS activities include: promoting legal changes to allow funds collected in the protected areas to remain in the system; proposing new terrestrial, marine, and coastal-marine protected areas; and involving local communities in the protection of parks.

Important Next Steps

• Continue jaguar research at Corcovado National Park and other protected areas and disseminate results to promote regional wildlife corridors.
• Continue the development of key coastal protected areas including Baulas National Marine Park and Ostional National Wildlife Refuge.
• Write a new national parks bill to include the administrative and economic changes necessary to consolidate of Costa Rica’s protected areas.