Costa Rica, a country barely bigger than the state of New Hampshire, lies along a tenuous land bridge separating the continents of North and South America.  This is a pivotal region, separating two oceans and two continents vastly different in character.  Despite its small size, the nation of Costa Rica boasts more than a dozen different climate zones, all located along a backbone of jagged volcanoes and mountains.

In the past, nearly 40% of the forested lands in Costa Rica were destroyed to make way for cities, agriculture and logging operations.  However, today the nation of Costa Rica is considered a model of what can be done to help conserve forested lands.  Costa Rica has employed ecotourism and enlightened land management strategies which have dramatically slowed the rate of deforestation in the nation, and helped to make Costa Rica an example for other nations to follow.

photo M. Noonan