Costa Rica’s natural environment faces a range of threats from poachers, pollution, illegal deforestation and forest fires, which affect vast areas of protected land and has endangered an increasing number of species. Despite the national pride for its biodiversity and initiatives to support it, there is little state support to finance and conserve natural resources within Costa Rica’s national parks. This limits the capacity of Park Rangers to maintain and protect infrastructure within these parks, which in turn limits conservation itself.
In Costa Rica, Raleigh Expedition Volunteers have been working side-by-side with skilled park rangers to improve access in national parks through the construction of new trails. These trails will support conservationists to continue vital work to preserve nature in Costa Rica, as well as opening to door to tourism which supports local communities.