SFS Signs Agreement with Costa Rica National Parks Service to Aid in Sustainable Development:
SFS faculty and students to lend research support
February, 2008

Atenas, Costa Rica – The School for Field Studies (SFS) Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Atenas, Costa Rica, announced the signing of an agreement with the Sistema Nacional de Areas de Conservación (SINAC) to aid in research in and around protected areas related to mitigating the impact of development and increased tourism on the environment and communities. The underlying objective of the agreement is to allow SFS-CSDS to help park authorities and surrounding communities alike to formulate strategies for achieving sustainable development goals, including biodiversity conservation and sustainable economic growth. SFS research, carried out by faculty and students, will provide critical information to the institutions and decision-makers responsible for conservation and development in and around the country's protected areas.

Costa Rica is a leader in biodiversity conservation through habitat protection in its extensive system of national parks (11%) and other protected areas, covering fully one-quarter of the country. Costa Rica has become a destination for ecotourism, with future projections of highly increased tourist traffic.

The area is also experiencing a major real estate expansion, and parks like Carara National Park are increasingly becoming surrounded by real estate development projects. Residents of former fishing communities are being displaced by foreigners who are building their dream vacation homes in this coastal tropical paradise. The influx of wealth to the region is putting a heavy strain on natural resources, especially water. Rigorous studies on the environmental and socio-economic impacts of this type of growth are necessary for local authorities and protected area managers to make wise development and resource management decisions.

This is the second round for this agreement between SFS and the Costa Rican Ministry of Environment confirming the commitment of both institutions to conduct relevant, solutions-oriented research and capacity building activities with local and national stakeholders. The first agreement, covering the period 2003 to 2007, yielded a wealth of analysis and recommendations by SFS faculty and students on topics including land use changes in a community protected zone, evaluation of trails and other infrastructure in the Carara National Park, and the impact of the ongoing illegal extraction of palm hearts of Geonoma edulis (Arecaceae) and alternatives for its sustainable use.

In the words of Jorge Hernandez, Coordinator of Wildlife Management office of the costa Rican Ministry of Environment and Energy, "As it is evident from [your] achievements, the benefits have been many, so I can say that our relationship with SFS has been very fruitful, considering that many of these investigations were carried out for the first time, or have updated very important projects implemented in the past."

The 2008 agreement comes on the heels of an SFS report entitled Tourism Management Planning in National Parks and Their Area of Influence: A practical application to Carara National Park, divulging the results of a year-long 2007 SFS research project. This report was delivered to the director of Carara National Park by SFS President, Paul Houlihan, and Costa Rican SFS Center Director, Dr. Gerardo Avalos,

Carara National Park is an excellent example of concerns facing SINAC in managing all Costa Rica's parks. Created in 1978, Carara National Park measures 12,952 acres (5,242 hectacres) and is located in the central pacific region 60 miles (90 kilometers) from San José. This park is particularly attractive to tourists due to ease of access and a high biodiversity. The park itself contains a melding between the dry forests to the north and the wet forests in the south, resulting in great diversity of plant and animal species, with a particularly spectacular population of resident and migratory birds. Due to these factors, conservative projections indicate that by 2015, there will be up to 35,000 more tourists visiting this park. In this 2007 study, students and faculty at SFS analyzed the impact of roads as a disturbance to wildlife, current parks services and infrastructure, the capacity to receive increased tourist traffic by nearby communities, and conflicts about access to and use of natural resources by local residents.

About The School for Field Studies
Since 1980, The School for Field Studies (SFS), a leader in field-based study abroad, has combined hands-on environmental studies with scientific research to develop sustainable solutions to critical environmental problems. SFS students work with communities in developing nations to discover practical ways to manage their natural resources. In the process, SFS students undergo a transformational experience that assists them in advancing their careers as skilled professionals and globally aware citizens. SFS continues to conduct research and work with local communities through its centers in Mexico, the British West Indies, Costa Rica, Kenya, and Australia. SFS is a non-profit educational institution based in Salem, MA.
www.fieldstudies.org

About the SFS-Center for Sustainable Development Studies: This field station was established as part of The School for Field Studies in the Fall of 1991 in Las Cruces, Costa Rica, and later moved to its present Atenas location in 1993. SFS has been working to study different sustainable management models that protect the biodiversity of Costa Rica's ecosystems while promoting socioeconomic benefits for its people.

###