Osa Campaign Struggles to Meet Goals

A campaign to raise money for Osa peninsula conservation is struggling to meet its goals.

The Osa Campaign, an alliance between three environmental nonprofit groups and the Environment Ministry, announced it was extending a second campaign selling temporary tattoos – all “nontoxic and biodegradable” – in an attempt to raise $1 million by the end of March. The organization achieved a $250,000 fundraising goal in April 2007 and set the bar even higher this year.

“People are not reacting,” Director Isabel Moya said. “We need to sell a million tattoos and we’ve sold 125,000. All we’re looking for is the public to engage with the need to conserve the Osa’s biodiversity.”

Moya said each purchase is matched by the Costa Rica-U.S.A. Foundation, one of the partnering nonprofits. She also said the money raised is used to fund research and development of sustainable practices and create legal taskforces to combat megaprojects, such as hotels, on the peninsula.

Each tattoo costs $1. They are available at Banco de Costa Rica, Palí, Maxi Bodega, Hipermás, Más x Menos, CCM Cinemas, Rostipollos, Spoon, Pollo Campero, Wendy’s, Auto Mercado, AM PM, Subway, Costa Rica Card and Café Britt stores.