The Rivers and Forests Alliance (RAFA), together with the Macaw Recovery Network (MRN) and the Citizen Water Observatory (OCA) Rio Pacuare Turrialba-Siquirres held a grand reforestation event on October 28 to restore the connectivity in the Barbilla-Destierro Biological Subcorridor and the Pacuare River Basin.
With 92 volunteers ranging from 2 to 71 years old, we planted 1,615 trees at Finca San Martin in Tres Equis! The Macaw Recovery Network donated 1,500 native tree species, which will help restore the habitat for endangered Great Green Macaws returning to the Pacuare region. The remaining 115 saplings were donated by Corredor Azul Costa Rica.
We are incredibly grateful to all our superhero volunteer tree planters from the Barbilla-Destierro Biological Subcorridor Committee, JACANA, SINAC, Linda Vista School, the school and community of Bajos del Tigre, Siquirres Youth Committee to Rescue Cultural Values, Pacuare Lodge, Rios Lodge, Pacuare Outdoor Center, Whitewater Excitement Costa Rica, Corredor Azul Costa Rica, Macaw Recovery Network, and 3M. We thank the Municipality of Siquirres, Adventure Playground, Finca Tres Equis, and Coast to Coast Adventures for their sponsorship support.
After planting trees and having lunch, we celebrated phase two of our first Festival of Spheres of the OCA Rio Pacuare Turrialba-Siquirres. Our 92 volunteers joyously headed from the tree planting site down to the Pacuare River using a few pickup trucks and a tractor-pulled wagon. There, we enthusiastically tossed the 1,138 mud balls created on October 6 in an environmental education event into the Pacuare River. The mud balls were infused with effective microorganisms to clean bacteria and sediment in the river.
The Festival of Spheres is a regular event held throughout the national system of Citizen Water Observatories in Costa Rica.
