The Rainforest of the Austrians

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It was love on the first sight as Michael Schnitzler, the Viennese music professor and well-known violinist bought a cabin on Golfo Dulce 20 years ago in order to spend his vacations there.
He was fascinated by the Esquinas rain forest and the variety and tropical virgin nature in Costa Rica’s southern part. He noticed

that this paradise was threatened to be irretrievably lost through deforestation. In order to do help prevent this, he founded the association “Rain Forest of the Austrians” which, since that time, has focused on buying plots of land and preserving them as rain forest.        

The Esquinas rain forest is a part of the biological corridor, Osa, around Golfo Dulce. It’s one of the last surviving deep rain forests on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. Whoever visits this rain forest can find 180 tree species, 3000 plant species, 320 bird species and rare animals like jaguars, ocelots and macaws.

Michael Schnitzler was able to delight and entice many with his idea: with the help of its members and donors, the association has, to date, collected the substantial amount of $3,000,000 and thus bought 43 properties. These properties have been protected against illegal loggers and donated to the country of Costa Rica. They’re now integrated into the Piedras Blancas National Park.
As time drew on, the project was enlarged and the association took on research and sustainable area development. A biological research station run by the University of Vienna had been established (www.lagamba.at), preservers are paid and a re-launch project for macaws, a protection project for feral cats and the community are also sponsored.

For all tourists who want to very closely experience this unique rain forest, the Esquinas Rainforest Lodge was built and is surrounded by thousands of hectares of virgin wilderness. Every guest can experience the fascination of nature there. Since 2010, the Esquinas Rainforest Lodge has been CO2-neutral due to the planting of 2300 rain forest trees.
 

“The Rain Forest of the Austrians is like a second job for me. I believe that the ecological footprint that the project leaves behind is much more important than my successful career as a musician. I’m replaceable as a violinist but, without my work in Costa Rica, there probably wouldn’t be an Esquinas rain forest anymore.”CRS