Costa Rica Eco-Tourism

The Audubon Society code of environmental ethics for nature travel. We believe that tourist can be a valuable friend in the effort to conserve natural resources.

Audubon Society of Costa Rica code of ethics for eco-tourism is:

Costa Rica Wildlife

Wildlife and natural habitats must not be needlessly disturbed. Visitors to Costa Rica should stay on the trails, avoid using machetes, and not collect plants. Some eco-systems, such as coral reefs, are particularly sensitive, and special care should be taken to avoid damaging them. Visitors should keep their distance from wildlife so it is not compelled to take flight. Animal courtship, nesting, or feeding of young must not be interrupted. Bird nests should be observed from a safe distance through binoculars. Nesting turtles should be viewed only with the assistance of a trained guide. Photographers also should keep their distance: foliage should not be removed from around nests, and animals should not be disturbed for the sake of a picture. Monkeys and other wild animals should not be fed, because this alters their diet and behavior.

Waste should be properly disposed. Tour operators should set the example by making sure that all garbage is confined to the proper receptacles. Boats and buses must have trash cans. Special care should be taken with plastic items. No littering of any kind should be tolerated. When possible, tourists and tour groups should use returnable or reusable containers.

Tourism should be a positive influence on local communities. Tourists and tour operators should make every reasonable effort to allow communities near natural areas to benefit from tourism. By hiring local guides, patronizing locally owned restaurants/lodges, buying local handicrafts, tourists can help convince residents that natural habitats and rainforests places are worth saving.

Costa Rica Birds

Tourism should be managed and sustainable. Tour operators should encourage managers of parks and reserves, including the Costa Rican government, to develop and implement long term management plans. These plans should prevent deterioration of ecosystems, prevent overcrowding, distribute visitors to under visited areas and consider all present and future environmental impacts.

Tourism should be culturally sensitive. Tour operators should give visitors an opportunity to enjoy and learn from Costa Rica's mix of cultures. Tourism should serve as a bridge between cultures, allowing people to interact and enrich their understanding of how other people live. Tours should be designed to take advantage of and not conflict with local cultural traditions.

There must be no commerce in wildlife, wildlife products, or native plants. There are strict international laws prohibiting the purchase or transport of endangered or migratory wildlife. Tourists should be discouraged from buying or collecting any wildlife or plants, even if they are legal. Audubon does not tolerate trade in wild birds, feathers, stuffed birds or animals, sea turtle products of any kind, snakes, and lizards or their skins, coral, furs, or orchids, and other plants, except those commercially grown.

Tourists should leave with a greater understanding and appreciation of nature, conservation and the environment. Experienced, well-trained and responsible naturalists and guides should lead visits to parks and refuges. Guides should be able to provide proper supervision as the visitors, prevent disturbances to the area, answer questions of the visitors regarding flora and fauna and describe the conservation issues relevant to the area.

Tourism should strengthen the conservation effort and enhance the natural integrity of places visited. Tour operators should collaborate with conservation organizations and government agencies in finding ways of putting the economic resources generated by tourism to work improving Costa Rica's environmental programs. Equally important, tourism's human resources, including visitors, should be linked with active conservation. Visitors should be made aware of Costa Rica's great conservation achievements as well as the problems.

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