Huaravito Reserve: Ecosystem Restoration Monitoring
Full Solution
Toyopan Sacred Forest / Huaravito Reserve
Randall Santamaria - Huaravito Reserve
Our reserve is a private protected area for the sustainable use of natural resources and the preservation of our sacred natural site, located in the Montes del Aguacate Biological Corridor of the Central Volcanic Mountain Range Biosphere Reserve in Costa Rica.
Photo and video gallery
Context
Challenges addressed
- Tree cover and biodiversity loss.
- Climate change effects.
- Post pandemic economic impact.
Beneficiaries
Quebradillas town, Potrerillos town, Piedades Sur town (population of 20.000 people)
Location
Piedades Sur - San Ramon, San Ramón, Alajuela 20205, Costa Rica
10.104813, -84.564749
Central America
Process
Summary of the process
Both building blocks interact directly with each other, by providing data in situ about forest health, biodiversity richness and ecosystem services. With this information we can make planning and take decisions about our Ecosystem Restoration Monitoring Program and follow up the effectiveness of our Management Plan yearly (please review our Management Plan on the link provided).
Building Blocks
Mobile Apps
The use of mobile Apps such as eBird, iNaturalist, Merlin Bird ID, provocated a positive impact for us on monitoring ecosystem and biodiversity.
Enabling factors
- Community engagement and environmental education.
- Support of international organizations such as Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Environment for the Americas.
Lesson learned
Local knowledge and local communities are very important for monitoring process and ecosystem conservation/restoration.
Resources
Restor Platform
Thanks to the Restor.eco platform, we analyze the restoration potential of our reserve, monitoring changes over time with satellite images and geospatial data, thus knowing the local biodiversity and its characteristics, current and potential soil carbon, as well as other variables such as patterns of land cover, soil acidity, or annual precipitation, using machine learning, artificial intelligence, and scientific units of measure.
Enabling factors
- Access to spatial information.
- Updated scientific data and resources.
- Increases the impact, scale, and sustainability of restoration efforts.
Lesson learned
- Restor is accelerating the global restoration movement by connecting everyone, everywhere to local restoration.
- Restor connects people to scientific data, supply chains, funding, and each other to increase the impact, scale, and sustainability of restoration efforts.
- Is not just about trees or forests, but also about grasslands, wetlands, coastal habitats and all the other places that support life on Earth.
Resources
Impacts
Conserving biodiversity | Counteracting climate change | Cultural/spiritual significance | Enhancing ecosystem processes | Regulating ecosystem services
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG 1 – No poverty
SDG 2 – Zero hunger
SDG 3 – Good health and well-being
SDG 4 – Quality education
SDG 5 – Gender equality
SDG 6 – Clean water and sanitation
SDG 7 – Affordable and clean energy
SDG 8 – Decent work and economic growth
SDG 9 – Industry, innovation and infrastructure
SDG 10 – Reduced inequalities
SDG 11 – Sustainable cities and communities
SDG 12 – Responsible consumption and production
SDG 13 – Climate action
SDG 14 – Life below water
SDG 15 – Life on land
SDG 16 – Peace, justice and strong institutions
SDG 17 – Partnerships for the goals
Story
Biomonitoring bird species with kids
Randall Santamaria - Huaravito Reserve
Nuestra Reserva Huaravito es un sueño personal hecho realidad, ya que durante muchos años trabajé en diferentes horarios en diferentes empresas, lo que me ocasionó una serie de enfermedades físicas y mentales: insomnio, estrés y ansiedad.
Ahora puedo vivir en medio de la naturaleza, conservando el bosque y monitoreando la biodiversidad, enseñando a los visitantes sobre la importancia de conservar y regenerar los ecosistemas, para nuestro propio bienestar y el de las futuras generaciones.
También es para mi de gran satisfacción capacitarme y aprender constantemente sobre el uso de tecnologías, información espacial y aplicaciones móviles para generar datos que pueden ser monitoreados y reportados en tiempo real, además son de bajo costo y pueden ser replicados por personas en todo el mundo.
