Conserving keystone species and their ecosystems from local to global scale

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Our Programs

WE COUNT ON SPECIFIC AREAS OF FOCUS IN COSTA RICA WHERE ALL OUR RESEARCHERS DEVELOP ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION PROJECTS AND HAVE WORKED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, HOWEVER, WE ARE ALSO OPEN TO MATCH OUR EFFORTS WITH INITIATIVES AND PROGRAMS ON OTHER AREAS WHERE DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES, ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND BIOLOGICAL MONITORING OF KEYSTONE SPECIES AND THEIR ECOSYSTEMS ARE NEEDED.

GUANACASTE CONSERVATION AREA
The Guanacaste Monitoring Program for Felines & their Prey Species focuses on biological monitoring of felines and their prey species that occur in the Guanacaste Conservation Area Nevertheless we count on a special focus on habitat use and home range estimation of jaguars. This is particularly important in order to infer how jaguars use their territory, interaction with livestock and other carnivores and to follow up with their tracking in real time. We count on the first jaguar tagged with a GPS collar in Central America and we are eager to keep expanding.
BARBILLA NATIONAL PARK & NAIRI AWARI INDIGENOUS TERRITORY
The Caribbean Slope Monitoring Program for Felines & their Prey Species has been running for over 10 years documenting abundance of predator and prey species with camera traps in Barbilla National Park, the Nairi Awari Indigenous Territory, the Pacuare River Forest Reserve and non protected areas. This information is crucial to make sure that conservation actions are being effective or not and to plan management actions for the future. Local perceptions of Wildlife in Costa Rica project aims to identify the factors that influence attitudes towards jaguar conservation among indigenous and non-indigenous people. With this approach is possible to address conservation topics and problematic in a more precise and effective way, specially in territories where customs and culture backgrounds represents a bigger challenge.
OSA PENINSULA
The Osa Peninsula Monitoring Program for Felines and their Prey Species focuses on: Biological monitoring of more than 20 species of terrestrial mammals that occur in the Osa Peninsula, including the five species of felines and their prey species. In conjunction with local community groups we develop research based on camera trapping and track surveys that include Corcovado National Park, the Golfo Dulce Forest Reserve, Local Communities Territories and Wildlife Refuges and Private properties.
RINCON DE LA VIEJA
The mammal population monitoring project for Rincón de la Vieja has been documenting the abundance of more than 20 species of terrestrial mammals including felines and their prey species. Run by researchers in conjunction with local owners and Ecotourism entrepreneurs, this initiative aims to include all stakeholders in a region to understand the value of keystone species and ecosystems for their well being, healthy life style but also economic income. Communities and locals commonly are included also in citizen science activities in contact with real data collection and divulgation activities.