The Osa Campaign

The Osa Peninsula, an area less than half the size of Rhode Island on Costa Rica’s Southern Pacific coast, hosts approximately 3% of the species found worldwide.  Nowhere on this planet does such a small area contain so many distinct tropical ecosystems.  Rapid deforestation, erosion, and poaching threaten the ecosystem and cherished species such as the jaguar and the scarlet macaw. However, in 2005, the global importance of this unique region led Amigos/CRUSA, The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, and the Government of Costa Rica to come together in the Osa Campaign, an equally unique conservation effort.

The Osa Campaign ran through 2007 and continues to fund projects aimed at building a biological corridor between national parks, securing protected areas, launching a marine and costal initiative, and building the capacity of local organizations. Together, Campaign participants raised over $19.2 million in support of a clean and peaceful Osa, including over $250,000 from a national Campaign encouraging Costa Ricans to invest in their country’s environmental future.

Amigos is working to establish a fund that will support future conservation projects in Osa. Stay tuned for updates and download the project’s case statement  for more information.