Works to build resilient and healthy coral reefs in Costa Rica, which are essential to marine life, fisheries, tourism, and our connection with nature.
If you would like to donate by wire transfer or donate stock, please email admin@amigosofcostarica.org to receive the indicated account information. We will also confirm which project you would like to support with your donation and how you would like to receive your receipt.
Amigos of Costa Rica charges a 3% fee on donations. If you would like to cover the fees associated with your donation, please include an additional 3%.
Please make payable to Amigos of Costa Rica and mail to:
Amigos of Costa Rica
P. O. Box 748
West Chester, PA 19381
Amigos of Costa Rica charges a 3% fee on donations. If you would like to cover the fees associated with your donation, please include an additional 3%.
Don't forget to tell us what you'd like your donation to support! Please indicate the organization & project name on the memo line, or include with your check. Checks received without a designation will be used to support Amigos of Costa Rica operating costs. Receipts will be mailed to the address on the check unless you request a digital receipt.
Let us know your check is on the way!
To let us know you're mailing a check, please fill in this form to help your payment reach the intended organization & project.
Amigos of Costa Rica accepts payments via Zelle to the email address: emily@amigosofcostarica.org
Let us know about your Zelle payment!
Please fill in our form to help your payment reach the intended organization & project. So that we may provide you with a receipt, please include your email and mailing address below.
Amigos of Costa Rica accepts donations via Crypto, read more. Please be sure to add the organization name to the donation notes section.
Raising Coral Costa Rica is a nonprofit group dedicated to the restoration of coral reefs in Costa Rica. Many coral reefs have been damaged by pollution and climate change. Through our work, we aim to restore coral reef ecosystems as well as the human connection with nature. We grow corals in underwater nurseries and plant them on damaged coral reefs to help speed up their natural recovery. We work closely with the local communities, to understand their needs, educate them on marine ecosystem, and to develop strategies to help them sustain livelihoods by engaging and employing them in reef restoration. Our work consists of four main activities:
Nurseries: Our underwater nursery consists of structures where we test rapid growth methods of coral species from Golfo Dulce. Each structure holds about 100 coral fragments. After 6-10 months the corals are large enough for outplanting.
Coral Outplanting: Corals are outplanted in at various test reef sites in Golfo Dulce. We restore in local patches of 20-200 corals, to determine the optimal coral density for successful long-term restoration.
Monitoring: Continuous temperature sensors are deployed at the nursery and at all outplant sites. We not only monitor the long-term health of outplanted corals but also keep track of their effect on the reef ecosystem by conducting surveys of fish and invertebrates before and after coral restoration.
Working with local communities: Restoring coral reefs benefits local communities, particularly when they are actively engaged in the effort. We plan to train people from local communities in coral propagation and coral planting, so that they can draw income from responsible reef tourism. We also plan to distribute a new children’s book “Los Corales Mágicos” to as many local schools as possible. The book was written by the famous Costa Rican author, Lara Rios, who was inspired by our project to spark kids’ imaginations about the wonders of ocean life.
Our objective
Our 2-year objective is to scale up our coral restoration work, and to train local people to be coral restoration workers and guides.
The Raising Coral Team
Our team includes leading scientists in coral reef ecology and restoration, as well as an investment manager with a strong track record in finance and business.
We also receive impassioned and in-kind support from local hotels, captains, government officials, and fisherman, all of whom we also consider part of our team.