Costa Rica's BIG IDEA

Costa Rica is creating a vast network of wildlife corridors to link its isolated reserves. James Lowen asks if this ambitious vision could inspire conservationists beyond Latin America

- James Lowen

In a humid rainforest moistened by Pacific currents, Canadian photographer Nick Hawkins sits cross-legged amid tangled vines, his form concealed by a massive tree trunk thrusting skyward. Unseen in the soaring forest canopy, an avian orchestra flutes and frets. Hawkins is entranced by a family of white-nosed coati – bushy-tailed, long-snouted mammals with extravagant white mascara – rootling in leaf litter. “Being in Cabo Blanco Reserve feels like travelling back in time,” he grins. “It hums with natural energy.”

Hawkins spent five months documenting the radical efforts of Costa Rican conservationists to future-proof their protected-areas system against the stresses imposed by a burgeoning human population and changing climate. Their solution? To join the dots of the country’s many reserves using biological corridors.

Revered for its wildlife riches, Costa Rica is one of the world’s top destinations for ecotourism. Bernal Herrera-Fernández, vice-president of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas, points out that despite covering barely one-third of 1 per cent of Earth’s landmass, this relatively small Central American state harbours 5 per cent of global biodiversity. An estimated half-a-million species cram into an area just two-thirds the size of Scotland. “Costa Rica also plays a hugely significant role in connecting the flora and fauna of North and South America,” Herrera adds.

BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOT

The diversity of butterflies here is 20 times higher than in Britain, and there are 30 times more reptiles and amphibians. The mammal list edges towards 250 species, and upwards of 600 bird species are resident. It’s no wonder that Costa Rica enjoys a worldwide reputation for its astonishing biodiversity, as well as for setting the pace environmentally – its record puts many wealthier nations to shame.