Pura Vida, translating into Pure Life is a well know saying in the Guanacaste Region of Costa Rica. To live in peace and respect nature has made Costa Rica one of the top destinations for ecotourism with protected cloud forests, rainforests, wetlands and coastal marine areas. Costa Rica welcomes nearly 3 million tourists every year, generating about $4 billion in revenue which equates to roughly 8% GDP.
The biodiversity provides endless opportunities for every kind of adventure and The Savvy Elephant Co-Founder Lori Falk, ASID, CID recently took a trip to Costa Rica to explore. She returned ready to visit again; speaking fondly of the people she met, remembering their generosity when sharing stories about their culture and their pride in protecting the delicate eco-balance they call home.
"Costa Rica's natural beauty is breathtaking and knowing they are managing tourism to preserve the countries natural beauty means it will be there for generations to come. "
Cortez Waterfall
Panamania White-Faced Monkey in Guanacaste conservation Area
History
In 1996 after decades of cutting down trees, destroying their land the Costa Rican government declared it illegal to cut down the forest without prior approval and in 1997 it introduced PES to pay farmers to protect watersheds, conserve biodiversity or capture carbon dioxide.
Today
About 60% is forest again with roughly 1,300 hectares protected National Parks and Reserves.
Clean Rivers Initiative
To honor World Water Day this year Costa Rica is committing resources to improve water quality. Programs to restore rivers through reforestation and sanitary sewage works will involve installing barriers to capture solid waste in riverbeds and tools to monitor protected areas.
Planning a trip? Be sure to log into FONOFIFO and use their calculator to offset your carbon footprint.
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Thanks for reading,
Savvy
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Inspiring Reads - 
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Costa Rica: The Complete Guide: Ecotourism in Costa Rica (Color Travel Guide)by James Kaiser |
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