Reforesting, Animal Sanctuary, Data Collection and monitoring Costa Rica

Reforesting

The Reserve was originally partially forest and cattle pastureland.
After the cattle was removed, the Reserve received and planted, more than a 1000 trees of varying species, on one of the pastures. We completed the planting of another 1200 trees on a second pasture in 2021. In mid-2022, we completed the reforesting of all of Terra with more than 6,000 trees. This brought our plantings to over 10,000 trees of native species. We are grateful to the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) for many of the trees we received, and we sourced other tree species from Earth University and other private nurseries enhancing the biodiversity of the Reserve plant life to accommodate numerous species of wildlife and plant life. We are grateful to The Jaguar Project www.thejaguarproject.com, and to Simon Macara, a founding member of The Jaguar Project, who helped us locate the property which became Terra and helped to advise us on our first reforestation plantings. He has continued over the years to provide his expertise to Terra.
This reforesting work is continuing both to provide maintenance and care for the trees planted and to prepare for more trees to be planted in other pastures over the coming years.
In early 2022 we created the Terra Nursery where we are now germinating trees and plants to help with the reforesting at Terra.

In 2023, we planted 2500 trees all grown in our nursery from native seeds collected and germinated by our expert naturalist Miguel Arrietta.
In September of 2022, we purchased an adjacent 22 hectares, more then half of this will need to be reforested as today it is pastureland.

In 2023, we began the process of planting and are trying different methods of maintenance for the trees planted.

We were privileged in 2022 to be a part of the Great Green Macaw international census. Over a week period we counted up to 20 Macaws staying at Terra. Macaws are now being seen more frequently in our area and we have planted trees that they favor for food and nesting.
In 2022, we learned of a three toed sloth whose trees had been cut down. He was brought to Terra and released. We call him Terra and he is enjoying his forest surroundings.

We recently rescued a female anteater trapped by the busy highway and released her at Terra.
In 2022, in an effort to assure our amphibians had homes at Terra, we created 4 lagoons where the frog populations have continued to grow.
Not long ago our Administrator Jose Zuniga rescued a Boa from busy Highway 10 and released it at Terra.
We plan to offer the Reserve for other rescued animals.

The Reserve has a resident caretaker and naturalist who monitor the Reserve and the wildlife.
We have installed numerous trap cameras on the Reserve both for wildlife viewing and to discourage poachers.
Trap Camera information is regularly collected, reviewed and analyzed to catalog our current wildlife population and to determine if we are increasing the population and species.
Since our purchase of Terra, our trap cameras and observers have seen an increase in both the number of animals and the number of new species not seen before at Terra.

We recently were granted protection status by the Minsteria Ministerio De Ambientte Y Energia (MINAE) as a private reserve that can call upon the agency in the event of illegal activities at Terra or at neighboring properties that could impact the Reserve.
Besides MINAE, we have begun the process of connecting with both public and private groups that may be able to help us achieve our mission, this includes ICE, Sistema Nacional de Áreas de Conservación (SINAC), the Costa Rican Environmental and Energy Agency, Panthera (an organization dedicated to the conservation of big cats including the Jaguar), local government bodies and Earth University.
With our status with MINAE, we will actively discourage poachers and hunters and, if necessary, prosecute them.

We know that many individuals and foundations believe in our Mission and we hope to partner with them in the preservation of the Corridor.

We believe the Reserve’s success requires community support.
We are educating the community on our Mission.
We have begun and will continue to offer the local community environmentally sustainable work that is not in conflict with our Mission.