Elements of the Vision for the Costa Rican Bird Route: Section San Juan – La Selva

English Version 4.0

Feb. 21, 2007

International Level

• This Route shall be a model for other countries to use to improve bird tourism, habitat conservation and sustainable development
• This Route shall be an example for the World. An example of how the protection and promotion of natural resources can improve the life for private landowners as well as the Natural Resources themselves.
• This Route shall provide the best locations in the world to observe the Great Green Macaw (Ara ambigua).
• The Route shall conserve habitat for the protection of neotropical migrant bird pathways.
• The Route shall elevate the status of the Sarapiqui on the world birding scene, so that all well informed bird watchers are familiar with the term Sarapiqui.
• The Route will be a location where birdwatchers and nature lovers worldwide will come to invest their time and money because they know the sites will provide an excellent bird watching experience and will be sustainably managed to not further degrade tropical forest habitat.

Regional Level:

• This Route shall contribute to the protection of sufficient habitat to maintain a sustainable breeding population of the Great Green Macaw in Costa Rica and improve the health of the global population of this species.
• This Route shall promote low impact sustainable development within Sarapiqui and give incentive to the advancement of other complimentary green development, directly or indirectly related to this Route.
• The Route shall be a tool by which local communities can be educated about birds, habitat conservation and sustainable development.
• This Route shall provide a medium through which local communities can benefit economically from bird and habitat protection.
• This Route will host long-term enforceable ecological easements at all sites.
• This Route shall provide the best bird watching sites within the Sarapiqui Region of Costa Rica.
• The Route shall provide means by which neighbors can work together to develop projects that increase habitat protection and connectivity and improve nature tourism opportunities.