What we do: protect, restore and study tropical rainforest

For €2.50 you can adopt 1 m² of rainforest and guarantee years of protection. Discover how we protect, restore and study the rainforest in Costa Rica - and how you can help.

Our approach: from adoption to lasting protection

As a stable, CBF-accredited non-profit, Adopt Rainforest protects the tropical rainforest of Costa Rica. For every €2.50 we receive, we buy one square metre of rainforest and guarantee its protection. Newly acquired plots are immediately placed under Costa Rica’s nature conservation law, making it a criminal offence to fell or thin the trees and preventing the land from ever being converted to other uses.

We also have a presence on the ground: since 2016 we have worked from our own research centre within the reserve, alongside wonderful partners and dedicated volunteers. Our ultimate goal is to protect 2,000 hectares of contiguous rainforest — a vital buffer for Barbilla National Park and the indigenous Cabécar reserve — so that monkeys, jaguars and macaws return to the area.

Long-term protection of existing rainforest

The rainforest in Costa Rica is one of the most beautiful and biodiverse places on Earth, and preserving it for current and future generations is essential. We protect it by buying land that holds rainforest and placing it immediately under the nature conservation law, keeping it safe from commercial exploitation forever.

Our reserve lies in a region where deforestation is steadily advancing towards Barbilla National Park and the indigenous Cabécar reserve. By building a single, unbroken protected area here, we create a buffer that keeps these natural areas intact, allowing animals such as the jaguar and the howler monkey to keep moving freely. Protection also calls for presence. Thanks to our permanent presence in the reserve, illegal hunting and logging are quickly spotted and stopped. The reserve forms part of the La Amistad Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site within the ecological corridor that links North and South America.
We now protect more than 278 hectares (2,780,000 m²) of rainforest — and we’re well on our way to our goal of 2,000 hectares.

The reserve

Reforesting former rainforest

We don’t only protect existing forest; we bring it back. A continuous reserve is crucial, because many animals avoid open spaces and pastures. Wherever a strip of grassland lies between plots, we plant a mix of native tree species, so that within 5 to 10 years a young forest emerges where animals once again dare to cross.
To bring back the original rainforest, we first create a forest climate. We work with dozens of fast-growing, native, fruit-bearing tree species. These provide shade and draw animals in from the existing forest. Those animals then spread rainforest tree seeds, which germinate in the shade and grow into a fully fledged rainforest.
This restoration work delivers far more at the same time:

expansion of, and a buffer for, existing forest
restoration of the ecological corridor towards Barbilla National Park
capturing CO₂
preventing erosion
safeguarding drinking water
local employment.

The results so far: more than 30,000 trees planted and over 30 hectares of deforested land restored, with nine permanent local staff. Among the new planting: 4,000 almond trees (Dipteryx) for the critically endangered Great Green Macaw.

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Research into biodiversity and strengthening nature

We are convinced that the better you know the rainforest, the better you can protect it. That’s why we have a research centre and herbarium on site, where students from all over the world study its plants and animals. We map the biodiversity in our reserve and the surrounding plots, and investigate how land use affects it.
Since 2023 we have worked with Utrecht University on a long-term study of the structure and composition of the forest. We divide the reserve into GPS plots and measure factors such as the girth and species composition of the trees. This shows us how historical land use still shapes tree diversity and CO₂ uptake decades later, and how the forest continues to develop. Research of this scale and precision is rare worldwide and immensely valuable.
This knowledge helps us make more targeted choices about future purchases and reforestation, and can serve as a showcase for nature conservation across the (American) tropics as a whole. We share our insights with other local and international conservation organisations.
The tally of recorded animal species now stands at over 1,000!

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Raising awareness through education and employment

Nature conservation only succeeds with the local population. Their involvement is essential, and so we give something back too. We organise free guided tours and educational open days for schoolchildren from the village (such as the annual Día del Árbol), join the Friday-afternoon football matches, and donated the reserve’s water source so there is drinking water all year round. Protecting the forest also creates a healthier living environment and jobs: several local people now have permanent employment, and entrepreneurs in the village benefit from our presence.
Together with the TUI Care Foundation, we run the TUI Wildlife Programme Costa Rica. Within this programme we train additional local park rangers to tackle illegal hunting and logging, set up educational tours and school workshops, and help two critically endangered species recover: the Great Green Macaw (with only 500–1,000 adults left in the wild) through 4,000 almond trees and at least 10 nest boxes, and the Lemur Leaf Frog (down by more than 80%) through at least 15 new frog ponds.
In the Netherlands, too, we spread knowledge about the importance of the rainforest. Through our Children’s Rainforest programme we run workshops in a fun and educational way, because we believe it matters that future generations can enjoy not only the rainforest but a healthy planet as well.
Awareness, both local and international: from school workshops in San Miguel to the Children’s Rainforest programme in the Netherlands.

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Our achievements

In recent years, it isn't just our foundation that has grown - above all, our impact has. We now protect more than 278 hectares of rainforest, have planted over 30,000 trees, and have given several local people a job, while international students work daily in our research centre on the knowledge needed to protect the rainforest even better. One highlight: the 48.5-hectare expansion that finally connects our reserve to Barbilla National Park. And we're not stopping, you can be part of it.

Reserve expanded by 48.5 acres!

We are extremely proud to tell you that the reserve has been expanded by 48.5 acres! And it is not just any expansion, it is finally the connection between the reserve of Adopt Rainforest and Barbilla National Park that we have been working towards for so long. 48.5 hectares, that’s almost 100 soccer fields and […]

An extraordinary new step for foundation Adopt rainforest

From 25 hectares of grassland to a thriving rainforest

This month chairman Martin and founder Matthijs were at Trees for All’s headquarters to ratify a new cooperation for reforestation of 25 hectares of grassland. One of the largest projects in Costa Rica for the Adopt Rainforest Foundation to date. A total of more than 27,500 trees will be planted. (more…)

Adopt Rainforest deploys park rangers to protect rainforest

In recent years, the reserve of the Adopt Rainforest Foundation has been easy for project manager Maarten to oversee. Two or three times a week he and the students make his rounds through the project area for the biodiversity research. For this research they visit several plots of the area, giving them a good insight into what is happening. Should any illegal logging occur, it is immediately noticed. The same goes for illegal hunting. In addition to the local presence, camera traps are hung at various places in the reserve. These are checked weekly. Should hunters or poachers walk through our reserve, this is quickly noticed.

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Connection with Barbilla National Park another important step closer!

Despite uncertain economic times and the impact of Corona, the Foundation has some fantastic news to report. Over the past few months, we had to pull out all the stops and negotiate hard to acquire an important piece of land. And we succeeded! We were able to expand the reserve by 65 hectares, or 650,000 square meters!

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Reservaat groeit naar 169 hectare!

Weer nieuw regenwoud aangekocht met grote waarde voor het reservaat én de lokale gemeenschap Begin november kocht Adopteer Regenwoud een nieuw bosperceel aan, met strategische en maatschappelijke waarde. De aanloop naar het zetten van de handtekeningen was deze keer bijzonder lang: meer dan een jaar! Omdat de plattegronden meer dan 50 jaar oud waren moesten […]

Joining forces in Punta de Lanza

Together with Barbilla National Park and the Bajo Chirripó Indigenous Reserve, the Work with Nature reserve forms a “three-country point”. This place is known as Punta de Lanza or Lanspunt. The community consists partly of the indigenous population of Costa Rica and partly of “white people” (modern ticos). Recently, an association has been founded to achieve more together.

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Adopt Rainforest reserve on Dutch television!

At the end of September a crew of Dutch television came to film at our reserve in Costa Rica! The filming is for the programme ‘De Buitendienst’, which is described by the producers as a nature programme for children from 8 to 88 years ;-). There are two episodes recorded. The first episode will be about trees and their superpowers, in which Matthijs will tell about the importance of the tropical rainforest.
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131 – hectares of rainforest protected!

Wow! Thanks to many donors and funds, it has been possible to protect a new plot of 38 hectares of rainforest. This brings our total to 131 hectares of protected rainforest!

2017 – Research in rainforest started!

At the beginning of June 2017, Adopteer Regenwoud, together with Dutch students from various green courses, launched two long-term studies in the Work with Nature reserve!

2016 – Construction ranger station realised

The construction of a ranger station at a strategic location in the protected Work with Nature reserve has been realised! From now on the rainforest will be continuously guarded and we will employ a local labour force.