The Coastal Lowland Initiative
Overview
ANAI’s first landscape level initiative sought to contribute to nature conservation and local peoples’ wellbeing in the Caribbean coastal lowland and near shore marine area in southeastern Costa Rica.
During the first phase of the initiative, from 1984 to 1986, ANAI
- worked with the neighbors and the national government to map and get land titles for the families who previously had no land rights in the five communities of the extreme southeastern corner of the country, bordering Panama;
- designed, mapped and facilitated the creation of the 10,000 hectare Gandoca Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge, the first protected area in Costa Rica with a legal structure of community participation and co-management;
- contributed to the establishment of the 20,000 hectare San San Pondsak Wetland of International Importance, in the coastal lowlands of Panama, directly across the Sixaola River from Gandoca/Manzanillo.
- helped local families set up and manage a diversity of community-based productive and infrastructure projects.
In the second phase of the program, from 1987 to 1992, the initiative
In the third phase of the program, (1993 – 2005), the ANAI team
- staffed and managed the Gandoca Manzanillo refuge, in coordination with the national wildlife department;
- facilitated the practice of community participation in the co-management of the wildlife refuge;
- began efforts to protect the endangered turtle nesting beaches, which previously were losing 100% of the turtle eggs to poachers;
- inventoried and researched unique local species and ecosystems, with opportunities and best practices for their conservation and sustainable use: lowland forests and wetlands; coral reefs; spiny lobsters; leatherback, green and hawksbill sea turtles; resident and migratory birds; tarpon; mollusks; freshwater fish; green iguanas; pacas; butterflies; and understory medicinal, ornamental and crafts plant species;
- worked with local families to begin bed and breakfasts, guiding and related ecotourism activities.
In the third phase of the program, (1993 – 2005), the ANAI team
- facilitated the designation of the wildlife refuge as a RAMSAR recognized wetland of international importance with 7 distinct wetland habitats;
- successfully handed off the staffing and management of the wildlife refuge to the national government;
- created the Gandoca Marine Turtle Research and Conservation Program, a community centered research and conservation effort to protect the endangered leatherback and hawksbill turtles and their nesting beaches;
- developed and shared with the national and international community best practices and protocols for community sea turtle research and conservation programs;
- attracted 600 eco-volunteers per year to support the conservation and research activities, and contribute to the conservation pillar of the local economy;
- helped train dozens of local young people as research and ecotourism guides;
- strengthened community ecotourism activities (food, lodging, guiding, transport) creating mutually reinforcing links among the wildlife refuge, sea turtle research and conservation, eco-volunteerism and livelihood;
- worked together with the indigenous Kekoldi community to establish an integrated biodiversity and livelihood program with 3 pillars:
- a green iguana research, husbandry and conservation program
- a monitoring program for the world’s third largest annual migration of raptors
- ecological and cultural tourism
- carried out environmental education in the area’s primary schools;
- worked with local partners to establish the Talamanca Land Trust and acquire 1000 hectares of endangered forests and wetlands.