RESERVA FINCA CURRÉ

Protecting the primary forest on the Caribbean coast

Urban sprawl and land speculation threaten remaining primary forests

On the southern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, tourism has developed more and more since 2010, with the result that road and building construction, deforestation and fragmentation of intact forest areas have taken on enormous proportions. In addition, small forest plots are for sale everywhere, where retirees and emigrants are creating their own little paradises – at the expense of previously intact forests.

Tropica Verde has been protecting a unique primary forest, the Reserva Finca Curré, which is several hundred years old, in this rapidly developing region since 1991. Part of this forest has been integrated into the neighboring “Keköldi forest” of the local indigenous population. Keköldi is one of the indigenous communities of Cost Rica from the Bribri tribe. Today, Finca Curré, which covers almost 100 hectares, represents an important forest link – a so-called biological corridor – between the Keköldi area and the Gandoca-Manzanillo wildlife reserve. Tropica Verde works together with COASTS to protect the sea turtles in Gandoca.

Biological corridors are particularly vital for larger mammals such as the tapir and jaguar. Jaguars, for example, have hunting areas of 50 – 100 km² in size and require connected forest areas. Such biocorridors are also extremely important for the genetic stability of animal populations, and not only in tropical rainforests. Poaching and illegal logging are unfortunately commonplace in the region today. The pressure on these coastal rainforests is high and only through neighborly networks, links with existing conservation reserves, continuous environmental education in schools and guided tours for nature lovers as well as the integration of committed local people does this type of forest with its high biodiversity have a chance of survival.

Strawberry frog from the poison dart frog family

ASOGUABO: Guardian of the forest in the southern Caribbean

The region of the southern Caribbean of Costa Rica impresses with its enormous biodiversity: here you will find trees up to 300 years old and 50 meters high, beautiful year-round flowering plants, monkeys, jaguars, tapirs, green macaws and, on the coasts, mangroves and sea turtles, to name but a few. While the indigenous inhabitants and newcomers used to live in harmony with this nature, the threats posed by infrastructure, including road construction, have increased once again in recent years. Many local residents are fighting back!
Tropica Verde has been protecting the primary forest on Finca Curré since 1991 and is committed to cooperation between various stakeholders in the region. The owners of the land around Finca Curré joined forces with like-minded neighbors many years ago as “guardians of the forest”. The association ASOGUABO (Asociación de los Guardianes del Bosque) was then founded in October 2023. In total, over 200 hectares on these neighboring properties are under protection. And the number is growing.

You can find out more about ASOGUABO, the origins and development of the association in this report Southern Caribbean – the roads that separate the biological corridor

Sloths are typical inhabitants of the Caribbean coastal rainforest. Here, as so often during a nap....

The fishing toucan can be heard from afar in the morning and heralds the start of the day.

The Ameiven lizard uses every ray of sunlight on the dark forest floor, as little light penetrates the treetops

Stefan Rother in front of a huge, more than 500-year-old kapok tree on the Finca Curré

WHAT DOES TROPICA VERDE DO?

The preservation of contiguous primary forest areas within the biological corridor supports regional biodiversity. Tropica Verde also supports scientific studies on biodiversity in the Reserva Finca Curré.
Regular patrols are needed to protect the Reserva, which are carried out regularly by committed local partners. Gentle, sustainable tourism with expert guided tours by locals is also part of the concept, as regular presence in the area sends out important signals against illegal logging and poaching.
The project is also supplemented by local environmental education in the sense of education for sustainable development for Caribbean and indigenous schools through our project partners ACBTC and the neighborhood association ASOGUABO – Guardians of the Forest with additional activities to raise awareness of the careful use of resources and adapted environmental techniques, including in ecotourism.
We support ASOGUABO in a wide range of measures that are intended to lead to even more effective resource protection: Inventories of biodiversity and its threats using GPS and drones, tests of soils and water, development of plans for the most ecologically suitable reforestation and use, a tree nursery for ecologically adapted plant species.
In order to link the Costa Rica-wide environmental education activities of our local partner organizations, Tropica Verde 2024 launched a cross-project education network.

News about this project

Conclusion May 2023: The Lapa Verdes are doing great!

13. April 2024 | Finca Curré, Finca Lapa Verde, SDG 15: Life on land

There is a lot of great news from the Lapas Verdes (Great Soldier Macaws): 1. in Tortuguero we could observe that macaws regularly flew to the beach to visit the beach almond trees. This is now a significant source of food. 2. at the height of Limon, deep in the...

Threat to our forests from illegal logging!

13. April 2024 | Finca Curré

At 80 hectares, Finca Curré is one of our larger properties in Costa Rica. It includes a valuable piece of primary forest that we were able to acquire back in 1993. Unfortunately, even in designated protected areas in Costa Rica, illegal logging continues to take...

Tree robbers on the move at Finca Curré – three people arrested

13. April 2024 | Finca Curré, News from the projects

In one of our previous posts, we reported that there were probably tree robbers on one of our properties, namely Finca Curré. Now there is good news: More deforested Nispero trees were found on a neighboring property. The wood was hauled by mules and horses, so Manuel...