Project information
Reforestation
Saving the RainforestSaving the Esquinas Rainforest
- Click on the photo to see satellite image
In 1991, the Esquinas forest, one of the last unprotected lowland tropical rainforests on the Pacific coast of Central America, was declared Piedras Blancas National Park. However, since all land was in private hands, it could only be catalogued as a "paper park" until it was owned by the Costa Rican national park service. Logging permits for tropical hardwood trees had been issued before the declaration of the park and deforestation continued, inflicting irreversible damage. This prompted, 
Michael Schnitzler, a well-known classical violinist from Vienna and part-time resident of Costa Rica, to found a non-profit organization called Rainforest of the Austrians with the goal of raising funds to buy property in the Esquinas forest.
- Park rangers inspect an illegal logging road in the Esquinas forest.
Land is purchased and donated to the Costa Rican government
By 2010, over 15.000 Austrian individuals had donated more than $4,000,000, enabling the purchase of more than 15 square miles of forest. Nobody has been expropriated. All land owners have sold their property voluntarily and have received the fair price stipulated by government evaluations (avalúos). All property, most of which had exploitation permits for logging, has been donated to the Costa Rican government and become part of the national park; logging in these areas has ceased. With the help of the Costa Rican government, the hydroelectric company Tenaska, The Nature Conservancy, and the Moore Foundation, 70% of the Esquinas forest had already been purchased by end-2009.
- Park rangers have confiscated purple heart trees that have been cut to timber in the forest
Conservation and Protection instead of Logging
Since 2003, Rainforest of the Austrians has donated funds to the Corcovado Foundation for the employment of two park wardens. The organization has taken an active role in the campaign against illegal logging and hunting and regularly meets with park officials, rangers and members of the community. In 2008, it will fund the construction of a park ranger station in La Gamba. Rainforest of the Austrians has donated 30 acres of property and contributed more than $40,000 to The Nature Restoration Foundation for its successful scarlet macaw release project in Piedras Blancas NP. Hundreds of confiscated birds and mammals have been reintroduced into the Esquinas forest. Michael Schnitzler was awarded Austria's highest environmental prize, the Konrad Lorenz Prize, for his conservation efforts, and was appointed Honorary Member of the Costa Rican National Park Service. Rainforest of the Austrians was awarded the prestigious, CHF 50.000 Binding Prize in Liechtenstein.
- Donation of land, 2003: Costa Rican Environment Minister RodrÃguez and Michael Schnitzler
- Konrad-Lorenz-Preis 1995: Austrian Environment Minister Bartenstein with Michael Schnitzler
- Michael Schnitzler with park officials and rangers, 2003