This country regrew its lost forest. Can the world learn from it?

By Nell Lewis, CNN

Updated 3:02 PM ET, Mon July 27, 2020

Costa Rica's lush rainforests are home to hundreds of rare species. Endangered great green macaws, with wingspans of up to 90 centimeters, raucously fly through the canopies.
Photos: Paradise restored: how Costa Rica saved its biodiversity
Costa Rica's lush rainforests are home to hundreds of rare species. Endangered great green macaws, with wingspans of up to 90 centimeters, raucously fly through the canopies.
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But the country has not always been a safe haven for wildlife. During the late 20th century, Costa Rica suffered from rampant deforestation, losing between a <a href="https://www.un.org/esa/forests/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/AHEG2_WG1_CostaRica.pdf" target="_blank">half</a> and a <a href="http://www.ambientico.una.ac.cr/pdfs/ambientico/253.pdf" target="_blank">third</a> of its forest cover.
Photos: Paradise restored: how Costa Rica saved its biodiversity
But the country has not always been a safe haven for wildlife. During the late 20th century, Costa Rica suffered from rampant deforestation, losing between a half and a third of its forest cover.
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A huge political and social effort helped to bring it back from the brink. Today <a href="https://www.sirefor.go.cr/pdfs/publicaciones/FRA-FAO_2020-COSTA_RICA.pdf" target="_blank">almost 60%</a> of Costa Rica's land is once again covered in rich forest.
Photos: Paradise restored: how Costa Rica saved its biodiversity
A huge political and social effort helped to bring it back from the brink. Today almost 60% of Costa Rica's land is once again covered in rich forest.
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Renowned for its wildlife, the country is home to around <a href="https://www.fauna-flora.org/countries/costa-rica" target="_blank">half a million</a> plant and animal species.
Photos: Paradise restored: how Costa Rica saved its biodiversity
Renowned for its wildlife, the country is home to around half a million plant and animal species.
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Of the 300 plus known species of hummingbird worldwide, at least 50 can be found in Costa Rica. The tiny birds hover and dart from flower to flower, drinking nectar through their long, narrow beaks.
Photos: Paradise restored: how Costa Rica saved its biodiversity
Of the 300 plus known species of hummingbird worldwide, at least 50 can be found in Costa Rica. The tiny birds hover and dart from flower to flower, drinking nectar through their long, narrow beaks.
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It is also a great place to see sloths -- sluggish mammals that hang out in treetops all day, barely moving and blending into the bark.
Photos: Paradise restored: how Costa Rica saved its biodiversity
It is also a great place to see sloths -- sluggish mammals that hang out in treetops all day, barely moving and blending into the bark.
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Occasionally their friendly faces can be seen peeking out of the foliage.
Photos: Paradise restored: how Costa Rica saved its biodiversity
Occasionally their friendly faces can be seen peeking out of the foliage.
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The incredible wildlife has made Costa Rica a hotspot for ecotourism, drawing in at least <a href="https://ict.go.cr/en/statistics/statistical-reports.html" target="_blank">3 million visitors</a> a year.
Photos: Paradise restored: how Costa Rica saved its biodiversity
The incredible wildlife has made Costa Rica a hotspot for ecotourism, drawing in at least 3 million visitors a year.
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Tourists flock to some of the country's 29 national parks which, alongside other protected areas, cover more than <a href="http://www.fao.org/3/a-c0180e.pdf" target="_blank">a quarter</a> of the country's land mass. Manuel Antonio National Park, where this photo is taken, is the most popular destination.
Photos: Paradise restored: how Costa Rica saved its biodiversity
Tourists flock to some of the country's 29 national parks which, alongside other protected areas, cover more than a quarter of the country's land mass. Manuel Antonio National Park, where this photo is taken, is the most popular destination.
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Here they are likely to see a Central American squirrel monkey, with its distinctive orange markings -- a flash along its back and goggle-like circles around its eyes.
Photos: Paradise restored: how Costa Rica saved its biodiversity
Here they are likely to see a Central American squirrel monkey, with its distinctive orange markings -- a flash along its back and goggle-like circles around its eyes.
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Or if they're lucky, an apple-green snake slinking off in search of prey.
Photos: Paradise restored: how Costa Rica saved its biodiversity
Or if they're lucky, an apple-green snake slinking off in search of prey.
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The mountainous country, sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, has contrasting climates and ecosystems. The forests of Monteverde are so high that they are often among the clouds, creating a rare and rich ecosystem of tropical plants and animals.
Photos: Paradise restored: how Costa Rica saved its biodiversity
The mountainous country, sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, has contrasting climates and ecosystems. The forests of Monteverde are so high that they are often among the clouds, creating a rare and rich ecosystem of tropical plants and animals.
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Beneath the sheltered canopies, dragonflies flutter from leaf to leaf.
Photos: Paradise restored: how Costa Rica saved its biodiversity
Beneath the sheltered canopies, dragonflies flutter from leaf to leaf.
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As do the thousands of butterfly species that can be found in the country.
Photos: Paradise restored: how Costa Rica saved its biodiversity
As do the thousands of butterfly species that can be found in the country.
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