All our projects

Costa Rica

By planting trees we protect the habitat of many animal species, we support local people and we contribute to a green and healthy planet.

Status: Completed project

Restoring tropical rainforest around Carara National Park

Carara National Park is one of the nature reserves with the highest biodiversity in Central America. Due to livestock farming and poor land use practices, many plant and animals species have disappeared. Trees for All supports the restoration of the original rainforest by planting a wide variety local and threatened tree species. This way we contribute to the creation of an ecological corridor for the jaguar.

Why is this project needed?

The rainforest of Carara is the natural habitat of jaguars and colored macaws. In the mangrove forests near the coast you will find large crocodiles. In the past there was a direct connection between these two regions, but as from the second half of the previous century large parts of forests were replaced for livestock farming and agriculture. This resulted in a loss of no less than 90 percent of the previously untouched tropical forests. What was left is a fragmented area of forest, abandoned pastures and degraded farmland.

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How many trees would you like to plant?

2
€10
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4
€20
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8
€40
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0

trees planted

0

hectares of tropical rainforest restored

0

tree species

0

families involved

What are we doing?

Trees for All supports the initiative of the International Tree Fund (ITF) and the local NGO Arbofilia to reforest the region. Together with the local population seeds of approximately 60 to 80 species are collected and grown in family nurseries. These trees are planted on former fincas. The main goal is to create the ‘Carara Ecological Corridor (CEC)’ and this way restore the connection between the rainforest of Carara and the mangrove forest on the coast. By now 65 hectares of forest is restored, leading to the reappearance of animal species like the macaws, jaguars and capuchin monkeys.

This project of Trees for All contributes to several
Sustainable Development Goals

Where are we planting?

The planting takes place in the Carara Ecological Corridor, located in the Costa Rican province of San José.

Our partners

The Dutch voluntary organisation International Tree Fund (ITF) and their local partner Arbofilia came up with the ambitious plan to restore a minimum of 105 hectares rainforest in the ecological corridor. Trees for All contributes to this initiative through donations. The planting of trees is done by the local communities. Not an easy task considering that most of the areas are very steep and difficult to reach. About 25 local farmers plant the 60 to 80 different trees species in the strongly degraded areas, taking into account the rarity and ecological value of each species.

The objective of the Carara Ecological Corridor is to create a sustainable ecosystem in which the connection between humans and nature is evident and in which they reinforce each other.