No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsEnvironment and WildlifeCosta Rica’s Corcovado Park Fights Plastic Pollution with Volunteer Effort

Costa Rica’s Corcovado Park Fights Plastic Pollution with Volunteer Effort

In the Osa Peninsula, home to 2.5% of the world’s biodiversity and declared by National Geographic as “the most intense place on the planet,” volunteers will fight against pollution. From June 5 to 8, 200 volunteers, supported by the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC), the Puerto Jiménez Chamber of Tourism, local and international organizations, allied companies, the media, and UN Costa Rica, will mobilize to clean 27 km of coastline and trails invaded by waste from areas of the country far from the park and even from nations in South America, Africa, and Asia.

The initiative, called “Casita Limpia” (Clean House), commemorates the 50th anniversary of Corcovado National Park but also aligns with World Environment Day (June 5) and World Oceans Day (June 8). It also aims to prevent dozens of tons of plastic from endangering the lives of jaguars, tapirs, harpy eagles, and hundreds of other species that coexist in this natural paradise.

This sanctuary, although carefully protected by park rangers and local communities, faces an unexpected challenge: garbage. It is not only locally generated pollution but also waste brought by ocean currents from other countries, which ends up stranded on its most remote beaches.

Corcovado has 23 km of coastline, where 4 species of sea turtles nest (leatherback, olive ridley, green, and hawksbill). The park has more than 140 species of mammals, 400 species of birds, and 500 species of trees. Unfortunately, waste is often found in the park. It mostly comes from other continents; for example, bottles collected in previous cleanups had labels in Mandarin, Korean, and Arabic.

With this cleanup day, about 8 tons of waste are expected to be collected. The park cleanup will be a nationwide, community-led operation that will unite hundreds of people who will take action to protect this natural sanctuary.

The initiative came about when content creator Evangelina González (@alinfinitoo), who has visited Costa Rica three times, was deeply moved by the country’s culture and natural wealth. On a recent visit to Corcovado National Park, accompanied by Nito (Dionisio Paniagua), the park’s most renowned guide and also a content creator, she witnessed a powerful scene: protected beaches filled with bottles brought in by the sea

Trending Now

From Bookie to “Pura Vida”: A True Costa Rica Expat Story

I recently wrote about my fear that three decades after learning Spanish, I was now slowly losing my fluency, forgetting words I had once...

The Cocos-Galapagos Swimway Will Create a Legacy for Costa Rica and the World!

At the UN Oceans Conference in Nice, France, which Costa Rica is co-sponsoring, President Rodrigo Chaves Robles has an opportunity to make history by...

Costa Rica’s 2025 Flamingo Fishing Rodeo Highlights Sport and Conservation

With great fishing and a renewed focus on family fun, the Presidential Flamingo Fishing Rodeo presented by Marina Flamingo is set to take center stage in the world...

Costa Rica’s UN Ocean Conference Role Slammed as Hypocritical

Costa Rica’s high-profile role in the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, France, has triggered fierce criticism from lawmakers and environmentalists, who...

Banana Workers’ Strike Ends in Panama After Pension Agreement

Workers at U.S.-based banana company Chiquita Brands in Panama ended their protests and road blockades on Wednesday after reaching an agreement over pension reforms....

Costa Rica’s Guanacaste Welcomes First Starbucks in Liberia

Starbucks has opened its first store in Guanacaste at Solarium Business Park in Liberia, marking a significant step in its expansion across Costa Rica....
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica