Rural Watershed Improvement, Volcán de Buenos Aires, Costa Rica

Two members of Watershed Management Group (WMG), Lisa and Catlow Shipek, lived and worked in Volcán de Buenos Aires, Costa Rica for three months assisting a local watershed commission. WMG assisted the watershed commission (La Comisión para la Gestión de la Cuenca del Río Volcán) with the development and implementation of a reforestation demonstration project. The objective of the demonstration project was to reforest pastureland in critical recharge zones and protect springs, streams, and river banks.

The project was realized in collaboration with a local rancher on a plot of pastureland the size of 8 hectares. The restoration of the pastureland included fencing of the critical recharge zones from cattle, building simple watering tanks for the cattle, and planting trees in the protected area. The watershed commission and WMG organized an exhibition day which brought together diverse members of the watershed, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations to see the demonstration project, learn monitoring methods for reforestation, and dialog about future work.

 WMG is continuing to communicate with the community of Volcán to develop small-scale projects and hopes to return soon to Volcán.