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

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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.