The founder of Jardin Gaia, Dario Castelfranco, and his wife Cynthia
Pensa, arrived in Costa Rica from their native Italy in 1989, originally
to establish a botanical garden to conduct rese arch and work toward the
conservation of the many endangered species of orchids found in Costa
Rica. They soon realized that Costa Rican fauna was in as much need of attention as the country's flora, and wildlife soon became their primary concern. In 1991, Jardin Gaia was officially registered as a breeding center for former illegal pets confiscated by the Wildlife Service of Costa Rica's Ministry of Natural Resources.
The first goal of the newly founded center was to breed endangered species in captivity and release the offspring into the wild. It was soon realized that, if possible, it was more feasible to rehabilitate a confiscated animal, liberate it and let it reproduce in its natural environment. This is now the primary objective of Jardin Gaia.
The foundation of Jardin Gaia springs from the realization that, though legally protected, there are many threats to Costa Rica's endangered species and environment. Continued commercial development, increasing tourism, the illegal pet trade and other forces continue to take a heavy toll, and bring a risk of species extinction and further destruction of the area's natural resources.
Jardin Gaia is heavily involved in conservation at a local level. A chief
focus of Jardin Gaia is on the squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedi
citrinellus), an endemic primate native to Costa Rica's central Pacific
coast. Another focus is on issues at the nearby Manuel Antonio National Park. For the last 4
years Jardin Gaia's director, Dario Castelfranco, has been appointed to
the County of Aguirre Environment Commission, and has attempted to bridge
the gap between conservation in situand conservation ex
situ.
Jardin Gaia is a judicial deposit for confiscated animals. An orchid conservation project is planned for August 1997 to save endangered species and provide income for local farmers.
Read more about these projects on the projects page.
Jardin Gaia receives a grant from the Dutch Cooperation Agency which covers over half the project's costs. The Costa Rican government, whose officials deposit confiscated animals in the project, also makes a contribution. Over 25% of the day-to-day running costs must be raised from the public. Read about this in more detail on the funding page.