The Fundación Conservacionista Costarricense, also called the Costa Rican Conservation Foundation, was founded in 2002 by concerned Costa Ricans and biologists. The challenge of the Foundation is the protection of habitat that is virtually disappearing in Costa Rica and other Central American countries. While most of Costa Rica's conservation efforts have focused on the Carribean slope, the Pacific slope has been subject to rapid human development and farming.

A very threatened habitat on the Pacific Slope is the Monteverde Rain Shadow Forest. Botanists tell us that this area was once contiguous forest. Photo courtesy of Terri Mallory.

Photo courtesy of Brett Cole. This area is now completely fragmented and degraded. There are no longer any large forested areas.

Two species of animals that are suffering greatly from this loss of habitat in the Tropical Rain Shadow Forest are the Three-wattled Bellbird and Resplendent Quetzal. While their breeding grounds are protected in the high cloud forests, their post-breeding area is close to disappearing. We dedicate our work to the survival of these two endangered species.

Photo courtesy of Brett Cole.

Our CONSERVATION GOALS are to protect and restore habitat in the Tropical Rain Shadow Forest. Protection includes direct land purchase, conservation easements, and land sharing agreements. Restoration includes reforestation with native species, soil improvement, and creating biological corridors.

Our CHALLENGES are to: 1. Conserve the Tropical Rain Shadow Forest. We must protect a block of forest that is large enough to support all species native to the area.	Photo courtesy of Brett Cole.
2. Create a network of biological corridors that will interconnect habitats in the Rain Shadow Forest. The ultimate goal is to connect the Monteverde Cloud Forest reserve complex and the Abangares Watershed Reserve. The Monteverde Corridor will be an ecological connection between the highlands and the lowlands. Corridors are critical for area-sensitive species which require large, interconnected areas to maintain viable populations.	Photo courtesy of Michael and Patricia Fogden
3. Provide critical habitat for seasonal migrants, such as bellbirds, quetzals, mountain robins, toucans, butterflies and many other threatened species.	Photo courtesy of Michael and Patricia Fogden
4. Provide critical habitat for neotropical migrants that arrive in the Monteverde Rain-Shadow Forest from North America each fall.	Photographer unknown

We welcome collaboration from organizations, groups, and individuals to help save the Tropical Rain Shadow Forest and its inhabitants.