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| | | Rios Projects | 
| | The Rios Tropicales Foundation, NGO partnerships, conservation leadership in Costa Rica, assisting other countries with sustainable tourism implementation, and more. | 
| The Rios Tropicales Foundation
- Fundacion Rios Tropicales (FRT) is a non-profit environmental organization we established in 1994 to assist in the preservation, protection and restoration of the rivers, streams and watersheds of Costa Rica.
- FRT's main rivers of focus are the leading recreational attractive rivers of the national ecotourism industry. These rivers include: Rio Pacuare, Rio Reventazon, Rio Sarapiqui, and Rio General. These four rivers, like many others, are threatened by massive hydroelectric projects, as well as constant contamination and pollution.
- Most locals are unaware of their direct impacts on the rivers and the benefits of keeping them clean, clear and free flowing. International adventurers and professional boaters frequently visiting these rivers are also unaware of the threatened status of these rivers and the likelihood that they will no longer be navigable in the very near future.
- The FRT is now focusing on the purchase of forestlands that are threatened or that can be purchased for total protection.
- FRT also launched elementary environmental programs for rural Costa Rican school children.
Leave No Trace Minimum Impact Philosophy Followed on All Rios Tours
- We work tirelessly to ensure that we are constantly adhering to “Leave No Trace” ethics and practices in all of our tours and expeditions. We are able to ensure that all products, including foodstuffs, on our trips are either recycled, composted (at our Rainforest Lodge), or disposed of properly at the end of every trip that we run.
- From our company’s leadership team to each frontline staff person, we believe that attention to the small and daily details add up to make the long-term difference for our environment and communities.
Rainforest Eco-Lodge: The Only One of Its Kind on the Pacuare
- Our Rios Tropicales Lodge on the Pacuare River is a clean energy powered, green construction jungle “resort” managed by the original landowners, the Obando family.
- Our lodge is a model of sustainable tourism practices with recycling, composting, local employment, and collaboration with the nearby El Tigre community. Visit Rainforest Lodge for details on the history of the Lodge, how it was built, and operations today.
NGO Partnerships (Non-Governmental Organizations)
- Fondo Nacional de Financiamiento Forestal (FONAFIFO): We teamed up with FONAFIFO to reforest areas within our reserve in order to produce more oxygen to offset pollution in other areas which leads to global warming.
- United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP)
- Our reforestation efforts are recognized and supported by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), to plant a billion trees in 2008. We originally pledged to plant 5000 trees in 2008 as part of Rios’ efforts alone. As of May 2008, we are at 5,200 trees and have increased our goal now to 10,000! We are encouraged by support of our local communities and international traveler guests.
- Red Costarricense de Reservas Naturales Privadas: Rafael Gallo, co-founder of Rios Tropicales, now serves on the board of directors of this renowned NGO. Its main purpose is to join all the private reserves in Costa Rica and the rest of Central America. Rain Forest Reserves
While government organizations and NGOs are certainly important to help Costa Rica protect its natural resources, gaining the partnership of local and indigenous communities to truly support and self-monitor wildlife and forest protection, including those who were the very people who had been poaching and deforesting the land, is the biggest achievement of Rios Tropicales’ efforts. Without such grassroots ownership and involvement, many valuable and well-meaning efforts at environmental protection ultimately fail.
Rios Conservation Leadership: Within Costa Rica and International
The leadership taken by Rios Tropicales in Costa Rica has raised critical awareness of the need to implement sustainable business practices and environmental protection programs with community partnerships. In addition to Rios’ involvement with the FRT, FONFIFA, and the UNEP, Rios has invigorated the environmental agenda of the International Rafting Federation (IRF), of which Rios co-founder Rafael Gallo is also currently the President. The IRF’s primary purpose is to promote the Rafting World Championship and international Guide Training and Certification Programs, Rafael has been able to focus the organization also on ideal river use and river protection around the world, through his position as chairman of the Recreational and Conservation Committee.
For more information on the IRF, please see International Rafting Federation
Replicable Sustainable Tourism Models
Rios Tropicales is currently in the early phases of working to help other countries implement similar sustainable tourism development models to what we has implemented here in Costa Rica. More on that as it unfolds!
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