The TUI Care Foundation has launched a second phase of its TUI Wildlife Costa Rica project, expanding conservation work around Barbilla National Park to protect endangered species and support local Indigenous communities, TUI Group said in a statement from Berlin on July 30.
The initiative, run in partnership with the Work with Nature Foundation, has so far helped protect and conserve more than 280 hectares of rainforest in the buffer zone of Barbilla National Park, next to the Cabécar Indigenous territory of Bajo Chirripó, while engaging more than 350 local people in nature-based activities. The area forms part of Costa Rica’s Caribbean lowland rainforest, one of the country’s richest habitats and among its most threatened, facing pressure from deforestation, habitat fragmentation, poaching and land conversion.
During its first phase, covering 275 hectares, the project planted thousands of native trees to restore degraded habitat, built 20 artificial breeding ponds to support the critically endangered Lemur Leaf Frog, and installed nesting boxes for the Great Green Macaw, which TUI said has led to increased sightings and activity in the reserve. Camera traps, monitoring systems and regular ranger patrols were introduced to curb deforestation and poaching, alongside guided walks and school visits to build community support for conservation.
The new phase will expand ranger patrols to 289 hectares and connect forest fragments between the Work with Nature Reserve and Barbilla National Park using newly acquired land, strengthening the area’s role as a biological corridor. An arboretum introducing 50 new native species is planned, which TUI said aims to become the most biodiverse arboretum in Central America. Conservation efforts will focus on at least four endangered species, including the Lemur Leaf Frog, Great Green Macaw, Gliding Tree Frog and Splendid Tree Frog, supported by camera traps and bioacoustic monitoring technology, along with new research into the region’s lesser-known bat species.
The project also continues to create employment and training opportunities for local residents and supports Indigenous-led tourism activities. It forms part of the TUI Care Foundation’s wider TUI Wildlife Programme, which runs similar conservation initiatives in Rwanda, Cambodia, Namibia and Mexico.