The “Camouflaged” Eculyptus Trees of La Sabana.

In eight years, La Sabana park, considered the “lungs of San Jose” for being the largest green space in the country’s capital, will be unrecognizable. In a complex plan designed by the National Biodiversity Institute (INBio), more than 3,000 of the 6,500 trees will be replaced by 134 different species native to Costa Rica, including several in danger of extinction.

While the park’s signature eucalyptus and cypress trees add a beautiful air to the park, with their tall colorful trunks and deep green foliage, they are not native to the country and use up large amounts of ground water. These will be replaced by 5,000 indigenous trees that will attract and nourish the birds and insects of the region. It is hoped that the new ecosystem will be more representative of the rich biodiversity that the country has to offer.

Considering the size and importance of La Sabana, this is no small project. The “Let’s Restore La Sabana” plan is expected to cost $1.2 million, which will be provided by the Costa Rican Sporting and Recreation Institute and Scotiabank.

The project has already been underway for the past nine months, during which time a team of 20 people created a biological inventory of the park, including the size, age, health and life span of each tree. They also discovered a surprising 326 trees that were either sick, mistreated or dead, which could pose a risk to park goers, and will therefore be the first of 3,262 to go.

In exchange, two trees will be planted for each one that is removed. Biologists expect about 5,000 trees to form the new permanent addition to the park, considering that some may not take along with the risk of having others stolen.

The first stage of tree removal will not begin until March when the earth has dried enough to support the machinery necessary to do the job. The park has been divided into six sectors, which will be worked on one at a time so that the entire park is not closed or affected at once.

The planting will focus on fast growing trees during the first five years so that the park is not left looking quite bare for too long. In the three years that follow they will focus on slower growing trees, and supervision will continue for another seven years to see how the wildlife adapts. By this time, locals and those planning to Visit Costa Rica will enjoy a brand new La Sabana park, more of an urban forest with new tree and wildlife species as well as the brand new National Stadium, courtesy of China.

This post's rating:

Related Stories

Filed under: Costa Rican Wildlife on November 26th, 2008