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Iguana Park
A modern-day descendant of the dinosaur is now a major player in the fight
to protect and preserve our rain forests. The Pro Iguana Verde Foundation in
Costa Rica is uniting human, animal and forest in a symbiotic relationship
that may guarantee the survival of all three.
It seems that today an environmentalist lurks behind every bush. Within
this genre, the "right" approach to conservation and protection
varies from proponent to proponent. Some say we must provide absolute
protection at all costs while others say we can exploit to our heart's
content, as long as we plant a tree somewhere to replace the one we cut. On
the middle ground is a growing faction calling for sustainable development.
This sounds like a great idea, but just what does it mean?--We can develop in
the forest if we only cut a few trees? We can let people roam this forest if
we keep them out of that one? We can let people exploit the already desecrated
land near the forests if they promise not to wander into the protected areas?
With her Pro Iguana Verde Foundation, Dr. Dagmar Werner has found alternative
ways to support protected areas, to make rational use of the forests without
cutting them down. Concentrated in the buffer zones around these areas, her
work involves campesinos (farmers) as an important factor in the formula.
Iguana Park, near Orotina, Costa Rica, is where she practices the technology
she has developed with the endangered green iguana.
Doctor Werner asked, "Why not get serious and teach the growing human
population how to live off the forest and preserve its abundance for future
generations?" Iguana Park is the showplace of just exactly how this can
be accomplished, and in fact is being done. The campesinos, who hunted wild
iguana for food, are now learning how to raise them, for food and livelihood.
What they are learning is surprising a lot of people.
What iguanas need to survive is buffer zone habitat a combination of open
areas, scrub and trees just the type of area humans historically destroy. We
encroach upon the forest at its edges, destroying it by slash and burn. If
humanity can be taught how to manage this buffer zone and its naturally
occurring fauna, we can actually increase this type of habitat and its fauna.
Then farmers working these areas will become not only self-sufficient, but
more productive and less destructive members of society. The key is making it
economically feasible--the lowly green iguana is the first step in this
concept.
At Iguana Park the melding of science, technology and practice has created a
project in sustainable development that is earning profits at its first stage
of implementation. In its initial five years in Costa Rica, more than 80,000
iguanas have been released into the wild. They are now a recovering population
here and the Park has permits to sell iguana meat and make other commercial
use of the animals. The Park's outreach programs involve local communities in
all aspects of iguana farming: locals raise the young animals for release,
hunt them, produce iguana leather and make handcrafts.
An equally important project at Pro Iguana Verde is the scarlet macaw program.
Due to habitat destruction and fragmentation, a population of scarlet macaws
that once stretched from Mexico to Peru is today limited to several small
isolated populations. These groups have essentially no intercommunication nor
gene exchange. Add to this the problem of uncontrollable poaching and you have
populations that, at the very best, are stable. Unfortunately, all signs
indicate that populations are declining.
Pro Iguana Verde is using a scientific approach to restore resident macaw
populations as a first step toward replenishing the vast historical numbers.
According to recent censuses, there are only three groups left in Costa Rica.
Two hundred birds live in Carara Biological Reserve next to Iguana Park,
another 150 in Corcovado National Park and seven reside in Palo Verde National
Park. These numbers are way below the minimum size population that is viable
over the long term and a genetic refreshment program encompassing neighboring
colonies is necessary. These three groups are still close enough in genetic
characteristics to interbreed and begin to refresh the gene pool. Birds from
unknown populations or imported from far-away groups are too dangerous
genetically and tend to produce negative effects in native macaws.
This project also depends greatly on the locals. Scarlet macaws are heavily
poached because they bring big bucks in illegal marketing--as much as $1000
each, locally. Encouraging campesinos to breed and raise the birds of unknown
origin for sale in a legal market protects the resident populations from
poaching. With proper training the local people can use well-known technology
to raise up to eight clutches per year, earning sizeable incomes and
protecting the local macaw populations from the introduction of potentially
dangerous gene variations.
Beyond the iguana and scarlet macaw, Dr. Werner's next step is a feasibility
study, utilizing other buffer zone animals in the same fashion. Deer, paca and
wild turkey all use the variety of buffer zone vegetation for survival. The
idea is simple, she said: "Increase the economic feasibility and optimize
use of the forest. In the virgin forests you cannot manage animals. The
optimum management environment is a diversity of habitats with open areas,
scrub areas and secondary forests, because you have a higher diversity per
unit area and in total plant numbers."
A newly opened tourist facility now teaches visitors about these interesting
and vital programs, offers a walk through the reserve area with a local guide,
and provides the opportunity to cuddle an iguana in the facility's walk-in
cage. The Park's restaurant serves a variety of tasty iguana dishes--at this
writing the only legal place to buy an iguana-burger in the world. The gift
shop has a variety of souvenirs produced locally from natural materials and
iguana leather. This is also one of the few places outside of a zoo where you
can see scarlet macaws; in the newly built macaw cage as well as flying free
overhead.
While in Costa Rica visit Iguana Park and see the future of forest management
. . . and eat a little iguana for the rain forest.
Favourites: Volcanoes | Pacific Coast | Caribbean Coast | Canals of Tortuguero | Cerro de la Muerte
Tropical Islands | Cabo Blanco Strict Nature Reserve | Iguana Park
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