Latin America
Follow the story of trying to set up a new National Park (Parques Nacional Natura) in the Colombian Andes. Of the challenges of working in a country where environmentalists are seen as 'the enemy' by wealthy landowners, who destroy the forest for cattle ranching, so that they - and their friends - can play at being cowboys.
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Or how the cocaine trade is supporting conservation of forests and manatees (yes ... seriously).
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From Mexico to Costa Rica to Colombia, enjoy following the journeys of a Man for whom finding 'win-wins' for people and wildlife is embedded into his psyche. And discover the place where mosquitoes number in the trillions ...
My Story of Latin America
Historically, the Empire of Colombia stretched from Mexico to Peru, so this is what I mean by 'Latin America'. It is a region full of song and salsa; of towering Andean landscapes and river basins so vast that they have become bywords in the English language. The Amazon Basin (massive beyond belief); The Orinocco (a vast plain); The Pinocchio (okay, that last one really isn't a river basin, but the stories do come to life).
Extract from 'Travels of a Conservationist - Latin America'
Impressions of Tortuguero
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The trip from Barra to Tort is along the canal system; these are mostly natural waterways, with one being cleared out to enable boats to travel. Although the manatees come into these channels, they prefer the quieter areas where the big boats don't go.
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The town of Tortuguero lies on the edge of the National Park. As a Class II PA, people are not allowed to settle inside the limits of the park (45,000 hectares - Barra del Colorado refuge is 90,000 hectares). Over the last ten years, Tortuguero has grown considerably, as local people have taken the opportunity to develop lodges, restaurants, bars, guiding services, hotels and other businesses, based mainly on the number of international travellers who come to see the wildlife in the park. Costa Rica promotes ecotourism heavily, and is a great example of win-wins for people and wildlife.
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The positioning of TNP as a tourist destination is interesting; the sea is warm, but has difficult tides and although the village of Tortuguero lies on a spit of land between a large waterway and the ocean, there is very little 'beach tourism'. The focus is on wildlife tours, and hence the offer to the international tourist is for the more active, traveller, backpacker market. It isn't a gruelling experience however, as the tours are on a variety of different motor boats, which means that the tours are suitable for practically any age of tourist who is interested in seeing primary forest, central American wildlife; it's a very good offer. It appears as though the town is being allowed to grow organically i.e. there is no restriction on the type of new businesses (but this may not be the case ... just a feeling).