Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [375]
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SLEEPING & EATING
Camping costs US$4 per person per day at any station; facilities include potable water and latrines. Sirena station has a covered platform, but other stations have no such luxuries. Remember to bring a flashlight or a kerosene lamp, as the campsites are pitch black at night. Camping is not permitted in areas other than the ranger stations.
Simple dormitory lodging (US$12) and meals are available at Sirena station only. Food and cooking fuel have to be packed in, so reserve at least 15 to 30 days in advance through the Oficina de Área de Conservación Osa (Osa Conservation Area Headquarters; 2735-55800) in Puerto Jiménez. Scientists and researchers working at the Sirena biological station get preference over travelers for accommodations and meals, but if you secure a reservation, you will be taken care of.
Otherwise, campers must bring all their own food. Note that ranger stations face a challenge with trash disposal, so all visitors are required to pack out all of their trash.
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GETTING THERE & AWAY
From Bahía Drake
GREEN GRASSROOTS
The Fundación Corcovado (2297-3013; www.corcovadofoundation.org) is a network of local businesspeople – mostly hoteliers – who have teamed up to raise both money and awareness to support their most valuable resource: the biodiversity of the national park. Through their own fund-raising efforts, they have hired additional rangers to crack down on poaching, implemented various community education programs and worked toward establishing a sustainable-tourism code for local businesses. Fundación Corcovado has also been spearheading an increasingly high-profile campaign to designate Parque Nacional Corcovado as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
The Fundación Corcovado invites volunteers to work in the community and in the park. Tasks might include teaching about waste management and conservation at local schools, maintaining trails and bridges in the park, patrolling beaches and collecting data during turtle season, and providing assistance and expertise to visiting tourists. The daily fee of US$24 for volunteers includes transportation from San José as well as room and board with a local family. Note that there is a two-week minimum commitment for all service projects.
From Bahía Drake, you can walk the coastal trail that leads to San Pedrillo station (about four hours from Agujitas), or any lodge can drop you here as a part of their regular tours to Corcovado. Alternatively, you can consider heading inland to the Los Planes station, though this is a longer, more heavily forested route.
BAIRD’S TAPIR PROJECT
The Baird’s Tapir Project (http://savetapirs.org) has been studying the populations of Baird’s tapir around Sirena station since 1994 in the hope of enhancing conservation efforts. Scientists use radio telemetry (that’s radio collars to us) to collect data about where the tapirs live, how far they wander, whom they associate with and how often they reproduce. So far, several dozen tapirs around Sirena are wearing collars, which allows scientists to collect the data without disrupting the animals.
Sirena station is an ideal place to do such research, because there is no pressure from deforestation or hunting, which gives researchers the chance to observe a healthy, thriving population. The animals’ longevity and slow rate of reproduction mean that many years of observation are required before drawing conclusions.
So, what have we learned about these river rhinos so far? The nocturnal animals spend their nights foraging – oddly, they prefer to forage in ‘disturbed habitats’ (like along the airstrip), not in the dense rainforest. They spend their days in the cool waters of the swamp, out of the hot sun. Tapirs are not very social, but a male-female pair often shares the same ‘home range,’ living together for years at a time. Scientists speculate that tapirs may in fact be monogamous – who knew these ungainly creatures would be so romantic!
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