On a beautiful, sunny day at Finca San Martin in Tres Equis, 88 volunteers enthusiastically planted 1,000 trees to help reforest the Pacuare river basin.
The Feb. 5 tree planting was sponsored by U.S. company Echo Breeze Entertainment LLC to help offset their carbon emissions from filming an adventure reality show in Costa Rica in December 2021.
All native species, the trees were sourced from EARTH University and were planted on private conservation land. The new stand of trees restores habitat for the Barbilla-Destierro Biological Sub-corridor, which links the Central Volcanic and Talamanca mountain ranges to preserve natural jaguar migration paths.
The day before the event, members of Team RAFA, Costa Rica’s national youth rafting team, gave their all to dig nearly 1,000 holes for the trees. Then they came and helped plant them the next day – that’s dedication! The Rivers and Forests Alliance is very grateful to Marcelo Omodeo, Joaksene Bustos, Andrei Araya, Jose Contreras, Enrique Segura, Sergio Jimenez, and team manager Tom Ranieri, and his family for their extraordinary efforts.
We are immensely appreciative of our friends with the SubCorredor Biológico Barbilla-Destierro Paso del Jaguar (Barbilla-Destierro Biological Sub-corridor – Jaguar Corridor Initiative) and JACANA community organization for lending their muscle, enthusiasm, and smiles at the event. Our change leaders are making a difference for Costa Rica and our Mother Earth, and we are honored to collaborate with them.
A special thank you goes to Eyder Fonseca Sanchez, head of the Biological Sub-corridor Committee and official at the Barbilla National Park, for giving a captivating environmental education talk on the importance of reforesting the Pacuare basin. Two more Barbilla National Park officials, Rolando Gayle Thompson and Jeffrey Ortega Mena, also joined in planting trees.
The biggest group of the day’s volunteers captured the hearts of everyone – the Scouts of Costa Rica. Fifty-three scouts from three troops of the Explorers of Costa Rica (Cuerpo de Exploradores de Costa Rica CECR), and Group 83 of the Costa Rica Guides & Scouts Association, made heroic efforts to travel several hours from San Jose to help. With the youngest at age 7, they lent their incredible energy, positive attitudes, and strength to plant 1,000 trees in one day.
“Yesterday, we lived a special day with extraordinary boys and girls reforesting the Paso del Jaguar biological sub-corridor along the Pacuare River. Three troops from the Corps of Explorers showed up to serve, and we had the beautiful surprise of meeting dear brothers and sisters of Group 83 from the Guides and Scouts who also responded to the call to service,” wrote Explorers leader Boris Cárdenas on the group’s Facebook page after the event. “How proud we are to work together with them to make this noble country a better place. Just as the sailor is made to sail and the pilot to fly, the Scout lives to serve. Always ready.”
RAFA also greatly thanks those who made our event logistics happen: Tropical Rivers and Adventures Tours, the Municipality of Siquirres, Emergency Care Costa Rica, and Pacuare Outdoor Center.
The Rivers and Forests Alliance is committed to creating natural climate solutions like reforestation. RAFA will ensure with the landowner that the seedlings are well cared for during the critical first year after planting and do annual checks on the trees as they grow.