Photograph by Brett Cole
Bosque para Siempre
High in the mountains of Costa Rica, there is an ecological crisis. Bellbirds and other rainforest creatures are becoming endangered species because the forest through which they migrate has been cut down. Without the fruit from these trees, the birds and animals cannot survive! The unique bio-diversity of the region is declining as bird and animal populations decrease or become extinct.
Much of the rain forest where the birds mate and breed has been conserved in national parks or private preserves, but rich tropical forests that blanketed the Pacific slope of these mountains are rapidly disappearing. Hardly any of this critical habitat is protected!
The Change the World Kids and a group of Costa Rican biologists have established "Bosque para Siempre," the Forever Forest, an international movement to educate children all over the planet about migratory corridors and involve them in fundraising to permanently conserve this important habitat. The three-wattled bellbird represents the unique nature of this biologically diverse area, where without immediate preservation efforts, many species are threatened with extinction. With the help of youth from countries all over the world, we hope to establish this refuge for migrating and resident species in perpetuity through conservation easements and outright land purchases and though reforestation of destroyed acres. This means protecting a corridor of at least 300 hectares, and to do so will cost $1.5 million dollars.
So far we've raised over $150,000 toward land purchase and reforestation! Our hope is that you will help by holding a fundraising event, such as a car wash, dinner, or bake sale, to save the birds and animals. The section on this website about our projects has fundraising projects that were successful (and fun!) for us. Other groups have even offered more unusual events, such as pony rides or frog races, to raise some money. If everyone does a little, all of our contributions together will purchase and preserve the land forever!
We are racing against time to save this habitat and the amazing bellbirds of Monteverde, one of only four populations in the world!
As Marna Franson from our Arkansas chapter writes
“The Bellbird Rap,”
“So what do we do, do we stand on by?
Do we let these bellbirds go on and die?
No, we plant more trees, we make a place
We save these birds, within this space
The bellbird Rap, Gonna get those bellbirds back!”
Bosque Para Siempre Biological Corridor
For the protection of the Three-wattled Bellbird, neo-tropical migrants, and
other species of flora and fauna that need Pacific slope habitat in Costa
Rica Change the World Kids have purchased three parcels of land in this critical
corridor.
Description of parcels that still need to be protected
1. Refugio Ecologico La Esperanza: 8 hectares of mostly farmland with a small
river $120,000.
2. Connection between the wildlife refuges, Finca Rodriguez and Nacimiento
y Vida, 10 meters wide by 250 meters long, $38,000.
3. Two connections between the protected areas, Refugio Ecologico La Calandria
and St Francis de Asis, 20 meters wide by 250 meters ($100,000).
4. Refuge (Arguedas) that will start the connection to Zona Protectora Cuenca
de Abangares, 15 hectares ($225,000)
5. Refuge (Mena) that extends Bosque Para Siempre towards the Cuenca, 15 hectares
($225,000)
6. Center area between the corridor Bosque Para Siempre and the Cuenca de
Abangares, 15 hectares ($225,000) 933.000
7. Refugio (Chavarria) habitat to widen the corridor, 7 hectares ($105,000)
8. Refugio Finca Rodridguez extension, 8 hectares ($120,000)
TOTAL: $1,158,000