"Over 60% of the world’s tropical forests lack the connectivity needed to withstand climate change."

Senior et al., 2019.

Creating a Climate Adaptive Future


We are developing a working model of conservation action. Osa Conservation protects the unparalleled biodiversity of southern Costa Rica in the face of climate change by restoring forests, rewilding key species, and re-establishing habitat connectivity across private lands & protected areas. From the Talamanca Mountain Range to the Golfo Dulce and Pacific Ocean, we work with a network of community members and international leaders to protect this incredible landscape and safeguard its flora and fauna.

We are building a mega-corridor to save as much biodiversity as possible.

Connectivity across landscapes is key to survival as climate changes. We see this mega-corridors as a connectivity lifeboat that will make it possible for biodiversity to move across southern Costa Rica.

To rebuild connectivity, Osa Conservation leads the Ridge to Reef initiative, an fusion of scientific evidence, sustainable infrastructure, cutting-edge technology, and strategic conservation action to protect one of the world’s last wild places. Powered by a network of partners and local stakeholders, the Ridge to Reef initiative will:

  • Reconnect fragmented forests throughout Osa’s biological corridors with rare, native and endemic tree species

  • Maintain existing forest cover

  • Rewild landscapes to encourage the return of ecosystem engineers, pollinators, and seed dispersers

  • Monitor wildlife movement and ecological indicators in real-time from ridge to reef

  • Develop and implement cutting-edge technology tools for tropical ecosystem conservation

  • Catalyze a shift in the social fabric of human-wildlife interaction and empower the next generation of conservation leaders to understand, advocate for, and protect their natural resources

A pan-tropical solution, the Ridge to Reef initiative is built to stretch beyond Costa Rica as an international model of climate adaptation to save biodiversity and build resilience for both people and nature.

Our working landscape spans 1,330,428 acres.

This includes the largest tracts of old growth rainforests in Central America, extensive wetlands, emblematic wildlife, and hundreds of plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth.

This model, developed in Costa Rica, is designed to be implemented at scale.

At Osa Conservation, we are demonstrating how restoring ecological connectivity along elevational gradients could be one of the most cost-effective solutions to meet the double challenge of climate change and biodiversity loss.

Our work in AmistOsa serves as a proof of concept. Here, we are rebuilding habitat connectivity between lowland and highland protected areas. We do this by empowering a network of local stakeholders to utilize biodiversity-friendly production and extraction practices on private land, and we protect and restore forests in the process.

In order to stem biodiversity loss, science shows conservation agendas worldwide should explicitly embed the strategy of facilitating species’ range shifts in response to climate change by restoring and rebuilding ecological connectivity along elevational gradients. This is particularly urgent in the Tropics, one of the regions most impacted already by climate change. Our research identified 10 regions in Central America with the most potential to protect the maximum amount biodiversity possible in the face of climate change.

Click on the arrows below to learn more about our efforts to scale our working model across Central America.

Osa Conservation's Pillars of Conservation Action

Pillar 1

Transforming Landscapes through Restoration & Rewilding

We work hand-in-hand with local communities to restore the rainforest by planting rare, native and endemic trees, and to rewild ecosystems by reintroducing key species that have gone missing.

Goal 1

Build connectivity so biodiversity can move upslope across landscape matrix

Goal 2

Plant 700,000 rare and native trees by 2027

Goal 3

Reintroduce keystone species across the landscape

Goal 4

Propagate the region’s 40 rarest and most threatened trees

Pillar Two

Reforming Food Systems for People and Wildlife

We work with local farmers on private land to build sustainable production systems and increase climate resilience for people and wildlife.

Goal 1

Build wildlife-friendly production practices across our network of over 200 farmers

Goal 2

Grow 90% of the fresh produce that fuels our conservation team

Goal 3

Serve as a model for climate-smart agriculture in the tropical lowlands

Pillar Three

Protecting our Blue Planet

We strive to protect the marine richness of the South Pacific region of Costa Rica and tackle overfishing, pollution, and unsustainable practices. With the support of coastal communities, we work to increase protection of marine habitats, enhance marine eco-tourism and blue economies, increase fish stocks, and research the marine wonders of the Golfo Dulce and Pacific Ocean.

Goal 1

Create the Corcovado Marine Protected Area

Goal 2

Protect over 10,000 sea turtle hatchlings every year

Goal 3

Empower coastal communities to protect their natural resources & improve their livelihoods

Pillar Four

Putting Technology to the Test for Conservation

Innovation, creativity and impact collide at Osa Conservation, making us a hub for cutting-edge technology across the tropics. We trial and utilize top-tier tech to protect the rainforest, lead Central America’s largest camera trap grid, and monitor wildlife from the mountain ridges to the ocean floor. From thermal drone imaging to acoustic monitoring and remote underwater videos, our eyes and ears are on Costa Rica’s most precious natural resources 24/7.

Goal 1

Build an army of Rainforest Protectors equipped with the latest technology

Goal 2

Generate and evaluate the most impactful data utilizing conservation technology

Goal 3

Push the frontier of conservation technology & scientific understanding

Pillar Five

Ground Up Community Conservation

Empowering people to become Earth’s stewards, we elevate the voices of local conservation heroes, build capacity for and knowledge of conservation, and provide immersive nature-based learning experiences to connect people and wildlife in Costa Rica’s greatest wilderness. This network of thousands of citizen scientists works together to shift mindsets, change actions, and cultivate the next generation of conservation leaders.

Goal 1

Cultivate the next generation of conservation leaders

Goal 2

Celebrate local environmental advocates to inspire further action

Goal 3

Empower local communities to become citizen scientists

Pillar Six

An Immersive Educational Experience

The Osa Conservation Campus is the hub of our organization’s impact – a facility for applied conservation action, ecological science, and training. Here, our state-of-the-art facilities, cutting-edge conservation team, and extraordinary landscapes form an incubator for innovation and talent, situated in one of Earth’s greatest wild places.

Goal 1

Immerse researchers, students, and visitors in the ancient wilderness of Osa’s rainforests

Goal 2

Provide the infrastructure and tools needed to produce top-tier science

Goal 3

Engage Osa’s local communities with the wonders of the natural world