Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [460]
The accommodations, although lovely, are rustic – most don’t have electricity, though the kerosene lamps and starry skies are unforgettable. Room prices, which include all meals, transportation and a guided hike, seem high, but it’s because of the remote location – you, the groceries and the guides all have to be hauled up that mountain from Horquetas.
A GREEN-GREEN SITUATION
The gorgeous green plumage, electric-blue wing tips and red forehead of the great green macaw (Ara ambiguus) have long attracted collectors of exotic birds. The illegal sale of just one green macaw can fetch several thousand dollars, despite the fact that the species’ nervous personality causes them to fare poorly in captivity. International trade has depleted the population, though fortunately, the great green macaw is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites).
In addition to illegal poaching, deforestation also threatens the great green macaw. The northern lowlands have suffered from heavy deforestation in recent years due to the demand for increased agricultural and pasture land. Furthermore, the almendro tree (Dipteryx panamensis), whose nut provides 90% of the macaw’s diet and whose high hollows are far and away the preferred nesting tree for breeding pairs, is highly sought after as a luxury hardwood. Extensive logging of the almendro has severely cut back potential nesting sites, and as a result, the great green macaw has made it onto the endangered species list. It’s estimated that Costa Rica’s population of great green macaws is as low as 200 individuals, with as few as 30 breeding pairs left.
But all is not lost! A coterie of nonprofit organizations and government agencies formed a committee to establish the San Juan–La Selva Biological Corridor (www.lapaverde.or.cr), which aims to protect existing green macaw populations as well as other species in the area. The proposed corridor would bridge the gap between the Reserva Cordillera Volcánica Central, Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Barra del Colorado, Parque Nacional Tortuguero and the Indio-Maíz, Punta Gorda and Cerro Silva reserves in Nicaragua. Eventually, the hope is that all of these protected areas will form a part of a Mesoamerican biological corridor that will stretch from Mexico through Central America.
In 2005 the Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Mixto Maquenque was officially declared by then-President Abel Pacheco. Owing to this victory, Maquenque now protects an estimated 6000 species of vascular plants, 139 mammals, 515 birds, 135 reptiles and 80 amphibians. And as a ‘mixed-use’ wildlife refuge, the first of its kind in Costa Rica, it allows human residents to continue living and working within the boundaries of the refuge. However, most of the refuge’s approximately 500 sq km, which are privately owned, are now bound to certain regulations, such as the drastic reduction of activities such as logging. So where does this leave the residents, who depend on forestry and agriculture for subsistence?
Enter the Costa Rican Bird Route (www.costaricanbirdroute.com), a project initiated by the nonprofit Rainforest Biodiversity Group in partnership with several other nonprofit organizations. The Costa Rican Bird Route has been working with and educating communities within these protected areas to help create viable and sustainable ecotourism opportunities, as economic alternatives to habitat-destructive agriculture and logging. While promoting existing locally owned lodges throughout the region, the Costa Rican Bird Route is also helping to establish new, community-based ecolodges from Río San Juan to Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo. The hope is that green tourism – a field in which Costa Rica shines – will not only be more financially beneficial to these poor communities, but will also be salvation for the great green macaw.
The great news for travelers is that this blossoming bird-watching route offers a rare chance for a wilder bird-watching experience in one of the least developed regions of Costa Rica. Not only do