Bijagual River Watershed, Costa Rica: Improving Watershed Health & Engaging Local Communities in Monitoring and Outreach

Abstract

The Bijagual Center for Environmental Education and Conservation (BCEEC) owns and operates the Bijagual Ecological Reserve (BER) in Sarapiquí, Costa Rica. In order to assist the BER to engage community members in reforestation efforts as well as monitor the outcomes of these efforts, this report summarizes environmental attitudes and interests in the region, provides geospatial analysis to support the BER in identifying land use patterns and areas to target for reforestation and provides materials for a water quality monitoring program and educational interpretive signage system. The body of the report is divided into four sections: social research, geospatial analysis, stream sampling/water quality monitoring, and signage. Each of these four sections include an introduction, methods, results and recommendations as appropriate.