Onderzoek naar boomsoorten

For years, we have been researching the biodiversity of animals in our reserve, and with success: more than 1000 animal species have been observed in the areas we protect. Of course, the wealth of flora is also great, but more difficult to map. Since 2023, we have therefore been working with Utrecht University on a long-term project to map the diversity and development of plants. For the time being, we are focusing mainly on tree species. In existing forests, we are creating 50 × 50 meter research plots, in which we measure and identify the trees. This allows us to compare different forest types based on tree diversity, tree size, and the number of trees. This enables us to assess the long-term impact of past human land use on biodiversity. We are also conducting scientific research to determine the best strategy for reforestation.

Support our research

The importance of a herbarium

During these studies, it is essential that we are able to correctly identify the tree species. This involves hundreds of species from dozens of plant families, which is a huge task! This is why the herbarium is such an important addition to our research capabilities. A herbarium is a dried collection of plant material. Here, we can dry and preserve plant parts such as leaves, flowers, fruits, and bark for long periods of time. The collection keeps very precise records of where each piece of plant material was collected. In addition, the herbarium will be equipped with a photo corner for the creation of a digital collection and, for example, microscopes, binoculars, and literature to identify species.

Thorough research for the long term

Thanks to the herbarium, we can thoroughly map the diversity of trees, and later all plant species, in the reserve. We are also creating a collection and reference work that will help us inventory the plots to be studied and reforested. Initial contacts have already been made with other Costa Rican researchers, as there is a lot of missing information about the flora of Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. Our collection will therefore certainly strengthen ties with other research institutions. And who knows, it might get even better and we might one day find a new plant species in the reserve! Just a few years ago, a new tree species was described; a tree we sat under every week as we enjoyed the view from the viewpoint in the reserve.

Thanks to the support of our donors, we were able to make this important improvement to our research capabilities. This will enable us to conduct even better and more extensive research and continue to protect the rainforest and all its inhabitants. Although the construction is largely complete, there is still a lot to be done in terms of interior design. We hope to be able to provide a new update on this soon.

Help us to protect rainforest!

Het bericht Herbarium finished! verscheen eerst op Adopteer Regenwoud.

The results so far in a nutshell:

• 25,000 native trees planted
•  

  Including 4,000 Almendros for the critically endangered Buffon’s macaws

•  

  9 local people at work, including 5 women and 4 men

•  

  Connection with the Barbilla National Park and the Cabécar Indigenous Reserve restored

Over time we will share more updates on this project, stay tuned! Want to know more about this project? Check out the reforestation page for more details.

Help and adopt rainforest!

Het bericht Video: 25.000 trees grow verscheen eerst op Adopteer Regenwoud.

Joining forces

We visited the Centro Científico Tropical (CCT) where we gave a presentation on our new reforestation experiment. We also visited the Lankester Botanic Garden, Costa Rica’s main herbarium, and the Centro de Investigaciones Agronómicas (CIA), all part of the University of Costa Rica (UCR). These visits were very important for collaboration on tree and plant identification for our biodiversity research and to join forces for the new reforestation experiment on the plot already acquired.

A visit from SINAC

We also received two officials from the local government (SINAC), the body responsible for all national parks in Costa Rica. This was a valuable meeting to strengthen cooperation between Barbilla National Park and our reserve.

It was an incredibly valuable week in which we joined forces with various parties to improve effective conservation strategies. We would like to thank all parties involved for this fantastic collaboration!

Adobe Rent a Car

A special thanks goes out to Adobe Rent a Car. Thanks to their provided Hyundai and support to our foundation, we were able to visit these different parties and add more local partners and expertise to our research project..

Want to read more about the foundation and its activities? Then read our blog

Het bericht A valuable week of collaboration verscheen eerst op Adopteer Regenwoud.

Jaguar Tree

Locals call the recently acquired area “Palo Tigre.” This means “Jaguar tree.” In fact, on this plot there is a tree with several jaguar markings on the trunk. How cool: This tree is used as a scratching post by the Jaguar!

Cooperation with the local government

Quite soon after purchasing the new plot, we were approached by the Costa Rican government (SINAC). They needed to plant 10,000 trees to compensate for the widening of the highway between San José and Limon. Palo Tigre would be a perfect location to carry out this project. The foundation regularly has good contact with SINAC for different conservation initiatives. Thus, our good rapport created a new collaboration. The Costa Rican government, together with the coordinating party CCT ( Tropical Science Center) and the local team from the Indian reservation that we trained last year will plant the trees. This will provide additional employment again this year.

Planting trees with a scientific design

Professor Edwin Pos of Utrecht University also heard of the plan to plant trees, and suggested that it be done according to a specific research design, with the goal of studying ecological succession in tropical forests. The effects of density and diversity on tree growth and interaction will be examined. This information will help to decide with how many trees of which species the most natural and diverse forest is generetad, and thus how to make reforestation projects in the tropics successful in the most efficient and effective way possible.

Why is this research needed?

A deforested area, if left completely alone, eventually becomes forest by itself, however, this takes an incredibly long time because of the often present stiff grass where tree seeds have difficulty germinating. Planting trees accelerates this process, but purchasing and planting trees is costly. Also, large quantities of native tree species for planting are not always available. Experts believe that if areas are partially planted, the empty spaces in between will develop naturally, ultimately creating a more diverse forest for less money. Win-win, in other words.

What we ultimately want to know is how many trees of which species we can best plant, and how big the empty spaces should be to get the best effect. Professor Edwin Pos of Utrecht University has devised an innovative experimental research design where this can be figured out.

Something to be proud of

Thus the new plot is not only an important bridge between the reserve and the National Park, but also an opportunity for scientific research. It also provides additional local involvement and employment and we are working with various parties on a beautiful form of nature restoration. We can all be quite proud of that!

Do you want to read more about the latest developments? Check out our news

Het bericht Big news: We are going to plant trees together with the local government of Costa Rica! verscheen eerst op Adopteer Regenwoud.

If I may describe 2023 it in two words, I would choose ‘energizing’ and ‘demanding’. Partly because ‘positive’ and ‘growth’ actually dominate every year and this was certainly the case again in 2023. In terms of donations, 2023 was another record year. For that, of course, great thanks to everyone who contributed. And the logic is simple: more donations means more positive impact in Costa Rica!

Positive impact

The positive impact is increased with several projects started and implemented in 2023:

• Dia del Arból, where all the students of the local elementary school visited us for lessons on nature conservation.
• The reforestation of about 25 hectares of pasture land in the reserve by manually planting 25,000 (!) trees with the support of Trees for All. For this project we were able to provide 5 men and 4 women from the neighboring indigenous tribe with a nice job.
• A diversity of smaller local projects with multi-year support from the Tui Care Foundation. This significantly improves social engagement and visibility and a large number of frog pools have been created for endangered frog species.
• Taking research to the next level in cooperation with Utrecht University. We are working hard to establish some 20 research plots throughout the reserve with the aim of being able to conduct good long-term structural research into biodiversity and ecosystems.

The developments of last year are nicely in line with the decision at the end of 2021 to focus a little less on the expansion of the reserve and more on securing and local support. Fortunately, we were also able to save 2.6 hectares of beautiful forest from a logging neighbor after all.

Local strengthening

In addition to these great projects, we have also worked very hard to strengthen the organization locally. More local staff and foundation directors have been recruited and trained, and permits and other legal matters have been arranged even better, also with a view to the future. Around the turn of the year, the entire research center underwent a renovation to make all facilities even safer and more accessible.

We have also been able to and had to learn a lot. The result of all the projects mentioned above is really genuinely fantastic, but it has also put a lot of pressure on the Costa Rican organization in particular. In retrospect, not so strange when you consider that all the ‘normal’ activities have also continued full speed ahead. And those ‘normal’ activities include the following: running a fully staffed research center including supervising the students, protecting a 240-hectare rainforest reserve, employing 10 permanent staff members, conducting ongoing research and processing the results, rescuing animals whenever possible, maintaining the foundation’s assets well, expanding and keeping networks, and managing the local foundation. This of course is already a real achievement to execute and supervise well and thoroughly every year. A deep respect and big thanks to Maarten and Hanneke, our local managers and student supervisors in Costa Rica, is in order. And of course also to Matthijs, the operational manager in the Netherlands who, in addition to his paid work, also does at least as much volunteer work for the foundation in order to support everything from the Netherlands as well as possible.

Dutch organization makes good progress

Most of what is mentioned above is about Costa Rica, formally an autonomous organization supported by Adopt Rainforest from the Netherlands, but in practice much closer together (thankfully). But also in the Netherlands, of course, plenty of great things happened! Thanks to a partner we now have our own can of soda on the market, we celebrated a very enthusiastic and well attended summer festival in Utrecht where we also kicked off a long-term formal partnership with Utrecht University, everyone has again put a lot of time, passion, knowledge, skill and effort into fundraising, the workshops for elementary school, the partnerships and our visibility on social media.

Thanks to your support

Our thanks go out to everyone who shares our passion and contributes to it in their own way. Small or large, the contribution counts. All donors, partners, volunteers, fans, ambassadors and everyone not mentioned here but involved: together we form the foundation, together we share and strengthen the passion, together we contribute to the realization of a beautiful and unique project in Costa Rica.

For 2024 we aim for beautiful and important further developments, including hopefully another expansion of the reserve to realize the connection with the Barbilla National Park. But with a little more peace and quiet than in 2023.

Pura Vida

Martin Havik

Chairman Foundation Adopt Rainforest

Het bericht 2023 – The year of projects and cooperation verscheen eerst op Adopteer Regenwoud.

Update First Aid

My first reaction when I heard that Iris wanted to do an internship in Costa Rica was enthusiasm, my second concern. Of course it’s a tremendously fun opportunity to do an internship in such a beautiful country, with so much nature and such great biodiversity. But as a concerned fat

her, I had some reservations….

So I took action right away. I contacted the Work with Nature Foundation (the internship provider) and listened to how the stay was arranged, and how they ensure the safety and health of the students.

One of the topics that came up was first aid training for the staff and guides. Coincidentally, I provide first aid training in addition to my work, and visiting my daughter gave me the opportunity to do so for the foundation!

Design of the training

To tailor the training to the risks, I wanted to know how the students live and work at the project in Costa Rica. Key issues were: high temperature and humidity, lots of rain and mud in the rainy season, poor terrain due to vegetation and differences in elevation, day and night observations and hikes, poisonous plants, insects and reptiles.

Based on this, I set up a training based on Red Cross first aid and sports first aid courses and the MARCH Protocol, a treatment program from the U.S. Army aimed at treating trauma.

First aid kit

It was agreed with the foundation that I would train the leaders and guides. I felt it was important to get them ready to act right away. To do this, together with the startup “First 15,” I provided them all with an individual first aid kit containing a simple instruction card, a tourniquet, nitrile gloves, a trauma dressing, a CPR mask and a thermal blanket.

First 15 helps people act properly in the first 15 minutes after an accident. They sponsored the training by donating a good number of kits and additional demonstration equipment. Furthermore, I donated the bags for the first aid kits from my own BV, as well as the CPR doll for the training and additional materials to fill the bags.

The Training

The training went well despite having to be translated into Spanish. The participants practiced successfully with the donated materials.

A few things struck me:

• In a Spanish-speaking country, Staying Alive is not the best song to convey a rhythm of 110/120 BPM. For CPR/heart massage, that is the recommended rhythm! So a tip is to use a song that fits within a country’s music culture. Google “CPR song” and you will get plenty of alternatives from which to choose.
• My experiences with the First 15 tourniquet have been very good. The First 15 tourniquet, with elastic Velcro and simple buckle, was quite a bit easier than other alternatives. The instruction “pull as hard as you can until you no longer feel a pulse in your wrist or ankle” was sufficient.
• During the evacuation drill, the guides showed themselves to be “Masters of the Machete.” In a few minutes they made a stretcher with which they could safely transport a victim.

All in all, a fun day with positive results and reactions of the participants to the training!

“Buy a piece of rainforest!” 

I had two reasons for writing this piece: the training and the new insights I gained about conservation through small-scale actions.

I used to see advertisements to buy a piece of rainforest and support conservation. I always thought, “Yeah , right”, “What difference is that going to make!”.

I can now say that I have seen with my own eyes that it works: The Adopt Rainforest Foundation has purchased so much rainforest in recent years that they have created a green corridor between the important Barbilla National Park and the beautiful Cabecar Indian Reservation. As a result, an uninterrupted strip of nature now exists for nature to use. This was the puzzle piece that nature needed to cross Costa Rica. Perhaps a relatively small initiative but with great impact.

Meanwhile, Iris has successfully completed her internship, I have experienced what real nature looks like, and the foundation’s staff goes out with a well-stocked first aid kit and the right knowledge. And I bought a piece of rainforest because I have seen that it works!

Robert Klingens, father of HAS Den Bosch student Iris.

Het bericht Student’s father gives first aid training in the rainforest of Costa Rica verscheen eerst op Adopteer Regenwoud.

Toddler of a forest

Ivan, another volunteer who helped with the foundation’s reforestation project for three months, asked me if I wanted to go with him to the latest reforestation plot. Of course I wanted to! I had already seen the old patch where trees were planted five years ago, where, to the untrained eye, there was just a patch of rainforest to be seen, despite the fact that 5 years earlier it was bare pasture there. It seemed impossible to believe. In Belgium, where there is no shortage of rain either, a tree hardly grows in 5 years. And there I was, in a real forest. Not little shoots, but big trees, with lianas, hiding places for frogs and colorful butterflies and so much more. I have been along several times on censuses for the foundation’s long-running biodiversity study. Even though I know absolutely nothing about species identification, there is nothing like hearing a bunch of connoisseurs enthusiastically yell to each other that they see that one butterfly species they’ve only seen once, sitting further down the path there! I’ve watched the wildlife cameras placed in this newly planted forest several times, and it’s wonderful how many mammals have found their niche by now, too, in this toddler of a forest.

The Beast

So of course I wanted to come along to the new stretch where a total of 27,800 trees are being planted. So off we went with “The Beast. And if you now imagine us galloping heroically through the jungle on the back of a jaguar with our hair in the wind, I have to disappoint you slightly. ‘The Beast’ is the car of the local local foundation, a 4×4 with some miles on the clock. The steel steed that sometimes seems to hang together from superglue, dust and good spirits, but still manages to take you to the most beautiful places without fail. The last time I rode along, there was even a salamander hitching a ride.

We drove for quite a while at 15km/h on dirt roads, stopping along the way to spot some beautiful views and birds. These included a couple of Caracara. The Caracara is a bird about half a meter tall from the falcon family. Not only impressive to see, but secretly I also found it a bit hilarious. Because the name Caracara, is like literally yelling “face-face” in Spanish at a bird.

After some driving, we left “The Beast” on the side of the road and climbed a hill. We briefly passed by Robert, who is the foreman of the group of tree planters. Both he and the eight other workers are all original inhabitants of the adjacent Indian reservation. Then we continued to the top of a hill. Along the way we saw a small tree sticking out of the ground every few meters. Still so small and fragile, no higher than your knee, as wide as your finger. Some were already being eaten by leafcutter ants,  who eat an entire tree bare in no time. Again, impossible to imagine this will be a forest in 5 years, yet it is!

Natural corridor

Ivan pointed to the Barbilla National Park, the foundation’s old reserve and the recently acquired reserve. He explained how this plot where reforestation is now taking place will make the connection between the foundation’s reserve and the national park. A natural corridor for trees, plants and animals. With this corridor, there is less fragmentation, making it easier for animal species to move around in search of food or shelter. This leads to more cross-pollination and thus less inbreeding.

Hope

Anyway, so I’m standing on that hilltop with my feet in the grass, looking at the surrounding stretches of meadow and rainforest.We stopped talking, but you can’t call it quiet.It’s rarely quiet in the rainforest. You are always surrounded by birdsong, crickets, croaking frogs, calling salamanders. And in my head the news is playing in the background. Because sometimes I make the mistake of watching the news. This summer was another very pernicious one, climate-wise. One where one half of the world was on fire, and the other half flooded. My heart breaks at seeing news reports like this, and my cherished naivete that we can make everything right is sometimes hard to maintain. I hesitated for a long time about going to Costa Rica, as I have an appropriate amount of flight embarrassment, but still wanted to see all this beauty for myself. And where possible, even lend a hand. And there, on that hilltop, looking at all that potential, my heart healed itself a little. It’s hard to describe, but there, in that moment, there was suddenly a world of hope. Some 25 acres, or around 50 soccer fields of pure hope.The beauty overwhelmed me, and my eyes grew moist. Because if we can plant 27,800 trees here from a foundation founded by two Dutch guys, and already protect 240 hectares of rainforest, then anything is possible.

On the way back, I talk to Ivan about ecology, the projects the foundation is doing here and flight embarrassment. And for a moment I’m not the only one, who doesn’t quite fit into this world.No longer the only naive soul who doesn’t understand how the world always seems to go on and on, when paradise does exist and we just need to keep and restore it.

Dreams and goals

I didn’t plant any trees myself, but I did help dig three frog pools in the reserve under the expert guidance of local guides Hurben and Gerald.The first three of a total of 10 Frog Pools designed to give endangered frog species some additional habitat and breathing room.And as I push today’s tenth mosquito to death and rub off a layer of sweat, I stick my shovel into the ground once again. Because how cool is it, that 5 years from now a new group of volunteers and students will be strolling through this piece of paradise, hearing how several endangered frog species have been successfully reintroduced here. Just as I have heard all these cool stories about what the people before me have accomplished here. A chain of people, connected by that same wonder and fascination. Connected by those same dreams and goals. Connected by those same trees and plants, only about five years bigger and older.  And that was exactly what my heart needed!

Would you also like to contribute as a volunteer to our project in Costa Rica? Then take a look at the website www.studytherainforest.com

Het bericht Zoë on her wonderful experiences as a volunteer in Costa Rica verscheen eerst op Adopteer Regenwoud.

Successes in the spotlight

During the summer party, donors, ambassadors, partners, former interns and volunteers came together for an inspiring evening. With great pleasure and enthusiasm, chairman Martin Havik and founder Matthijs Bol presented the latest news from the rainforest in Costa Rica. There have been many recent successes with unique and endangered species in the reserve. On several of our stair cameras we see more and more new inhabitants of the rainforest passing by. We will also share messages about this on our social media channels in the coming period. The cooperation with the local population and the reforestation project with no fewer than 27,800 trees planted were also discussed in detail.

New pioneering project

During this special evening, we announced our new collaboration with Utrecht University. Together we will initiate a large-scale scientific research project with the aim of analyzing and understanding the development of rainforest under different historical land uses. Director and Ecologist Edwin Pos of the Botanical Gardens Utrecht came to tell a bit more about this. This long-term commitment will allow us to explore the rainforest in even greater depth and accurately map its flora in the coming years. Because the better we understand the rainforest, the better we can protect it and restore it where necessary.

Future ambitions

A concrete goal for next year is the purchase of 50 acres of land adjacent to the current reserve. This purchase will provide a crucial link between the Adopt Rainforest Foundation reserve and the adjacent Barbilla National Park. This expansion will significantly enrich the biodiversity in our reserve, providing an important corridor for native plants and animals of Costa Rica.

Thank you

On behalf of the Adopt Rainforest Foundation, we would like to thank everyone for this great evening. But also everyone who could not be there this evening but is still involved. Because everyone in their own way plays an important role in the success of this beautiful foundation.

See the pictures

There are beautiful pictures of the summer party made by Studio Grøn, which you can view below.

Haven’t adopted a piece of rainforest yet? Then click here and get your own piece of rainforest!

Het bericht Summer party full of positivity – Adopt Rainforest celebrates 12 years of success verscheen eerst op Adopteer Regenwoud.