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
