The Instituto Nacional de BIodiversidad (INBio) celebrates this week the 20th anniversary since its founding in 1989.  Since then INBio has worked to catalogue and save the distinct species that exist within Costa Rica and learn what knowledge this vast array of life might impart to the benefit of humanity.  The goal for the next twenty years?  According to Rodrigo Gámez, the organization’s acting president, it is to convert the theme of biodiversity into the axes of Costa Rican culture, including its educational and business processes.  INBio was began by a group of concerned Costa Ricans in an old warehouse located on a coffee farm in Santo Domingo de Heredia.  Over the years that initial humble operation was converted into a highly sophisticated research center as well as a “biodiversity theme park” of sorts, which thousands of locals and tourists now visit annually.  In addition, over the last 20 years, the researchers of INBio have catalogued over 3.5 million different species of flora and fauna.  All this can be viewed at the INBio web site (http://darnis.inbio.ac.cr/).  INBio has also been instrumental in certain legislative processes such as the Ley de Biodiversidad.  Over the years INBio and its programs have been given numerous awards, such as the Príncipe de Asturias en Investigación y Técnica in 1995.  INBio is now recognized around the world for the level of its researce and efforts to protect Costa Rica’s rich biodiversity.  Gámez cited global warming as one of the future centers of focus, as well as “biomimetismo,” which he described in La Nación as the immitation of natural processes without actually extracting anything from nature.

Link to Article in La Nación

If you have been to Costa Rica and haven’t visited INBioparque in Santo Domingo de Heredia, you should.  It is a Costa Rican biological theme park.  One can spend hours learning about the various flora and fauna of Costa Rica.  It is truly a remarkable place for someone who really has a desire to learn about the biodiversity of this little country.  Now the folks who brought you the park have added a room dedicated to explaining the reasons behind global climate change.  The new exhibit opened its doors to the public just this week.  Costa Rica invested $40,000 in creating the exhibit, which is geared toward explaining to folks in simple terms the reasons behind climate change, the looming threat imposed by it and simple things that we can do in everyday life to combat it.  The exhibit features three dimensional figures and a documentary film prepared specially for INBioparque that shows the way climate change is particularly affecting Costa Rica biodiversity.  Recently the Sapo Dorado, one of Costa Rica’s most celebrated rain forest frogs was declared extinct from the cloud forests of Monteverde.  Scientists attribute its disappearance, as well as the threat to many such amphibians, to climate change.  The documentary ends by suggesting various ways you and I can fight against the effects of climate change.  Acts such as reforestation, using less paper and plastic products, turning off electric appliances when not in use, walking more and driving less, changing incandescent bulbs for new varieties that consume far less energy, are among the specific actions mentioned.  There is even a song dedicated to fighting climate change featured in the film that is performed by some of Costa Rica’s most celebrated musicians.

Link to Article in La Nación