By Chris Higgins, Margo Malcolm & Jamie Gripich
Staring up into the rainforest canopy, it
’
s almost like looking into a living
Impressionist painting, your eyes dazzled by the flash of colours, your ears
picking up the extroverted squawks and screeches of green and blue coloured
Macaws, orange and green Motmots, and multi-hued Toucans.
You
’
re in Central
America
’
s first bird route. Now the
400-plus bird species that inhabits the Sarapiquí region of Costa Rica will
have a greater chance of survival, and birders from around the world get a
chance to see these grand winged masters of the sky.
A Pathway to Survival
At roughly the size of West Virginia, Costa Rica has a greater
variety of bird species than all of North America. It is home to five per cent
of all the world
’
s known animal and
plant species, including 850 bird species.
The Costa Rican Bird Route is the brainchild of the Rainforest
Biodiversity Group, and partially funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The route consists of 12 birding sites, teaming up established and newly
created biological reserves, to offer a variety of bird watching opportunities
and programs in the San Juan-La Selva Biological Corridor of northeastern Costa
Rica.
The birdwatching industry is a global phenomenon, and has seen
the largest increase in participants over the last 10 years. Birding is the
fastest-growing outdoor activity in the U.S., and according to a survey by the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 51.3 million Americans report that they watch
birds. And more are taking it up all the time.
The first of its kind in Central America, the Bird Route not
only gives visitors access to primary rainforest, but also gives land owners
access to tourism income and an alternative income to other activities that are
not as environmentally sustainable.
“
We want to be able to
provide a way for locals to sustain their forests,”
explained Andrew Rothman, president and founder of the Rainforest
Biodiversity Group. “If we can take a little bit of pressure off of them by
providing an economic alternative, we think that is a good thing.”
Andrea Holbrook, proprietor of Selva Verde Lodge and Rainforest
Reserve, one of the established sites on the birding route, says there needs to
be a way to maximize the potential of protecting the rainforest.
“
Eco-tourism is a way for
landowners to protect habitat, and it will be significant step toward
protection of the rainforest, the habitat within Central and South America,
”
says Holbrook.
Selva Verde Lodge, a pioneer of the eco-tourism movement in
Costa Rica, is strategically located in the vital biological corridor of the
Sarapiquí
–
critically important
in connecting rainforests in the region. It was founded in 1985 by Andrea
’
s mother, Giovanna Holbrook who purchased the
500 plus acres to protect and conserve the land.
Corridor Connections
Selva Verde Rainforest Reserve has been identified as a
critical piece of the San Juan-La Selva Biological Corridor, part of the
greater Mesoamerican Biological Corridor initiative in Central America.
The Great Green Macaw Project is part of the San Juan
–
La Selva Biological Corridor
initiative. It is considered an emblematic species with less than 200 remaining
in Costa Rica as its habitat is being destroyed.
At one time, Almendo (Almond) trees were quite common in Costa
Rica, but illegal logging has cut the numbers down severely. This poses a
formidable threat to the Green Macaw, which uses the tree for nesting and
mating. Protecting the bird
’
s habitat
also protects 515 bird, 139 mammal, 135 reptile and 80 amphibian, and countless
plant species in the region.
Birding Safari
Established sites, such as Selva Verde, already offer
comfortable accommodation and a myriad of activities, while the newly created
sites will offer a more remote experience. Birders will get off the beaten path
and be able to explore new areas and meet Costa Ricans not previously part of
the tourism industry.
Selva Verde Lodge offers onsite birding, day trips to remote
bird route sites and an extensive birding safari package where guests can see
and experience the lodge
’
s ultimate
purpose.
“
I call on everybody to
come and support places like Selva Verde because it is only through visitors and
usage that we can sustain the rainforest,
”
says founder Giovanna Holbrook.