History

In 1989, Rios Tropicales purchased 90 acres along the Pacuare River near a small subsistence farming community. Rios bought the land from local community member Anibal Obando and his wife Dina Fuentes. The Obandos had cut down significant tracts of rainforest to create farmland so they could scrape out a subsistence living for their family of 11 children. Visionary Rios Tropicales co-founder Rafael Gallo then turned around and hired the same Obando family to manage the land for a new mission, creating a river camp for paddlers and reforesting most of their deforested farm and grazing land.

That first year alone, together we planted over five hundred trees, using native, local seeds that the kids had collected over time on that very land. Our reforestation efforts have continued over three decades since then, with new land parcels purchased and reforested thanks to Rios Tropicales funds and outside donations. Volunteer participants in tree-planting have included local communities, Rios Tropicales staff, student groups, and Costa Rican & international guests.

Since 1989, Rios Tropicales has planted over 30,000 native trees as part of the One Billion Trees for the Planet UNEP. We are keen to continue this important work. As most of us know, the rainforest is considered the lungs of the world. Let’s protect what we can!

See also this Pacuare River history timeline for more information about this famous river and the ongoing conservation fight for it to stay free-flowing.