renaturaRica - Saving a natural paradise from destruction by renaturaRica – Iris, Marc und Jonas Willecke

We want to protect a small but unique natural paradise in Costa Rica from destruction by construction. The habitat of countless animals, plants and trees is thus permanently preserved.

The goal of this project is the protection of an area threatened by deforestation and construction directly at the national park in Cahuita, Costa Rica.

For this purpose, a non-profit organization is to be founded. This organization will purchase the land so that it can be preserved for nature in long term.

At the beginning we will take care of the foundation of the organization, all administrative and financial matters, as well as the purchase of the land and support this with our own financial budget.

After that, we make sure that a natural rainforest area is created with the help of native seedlings and supporters. We will preserve large trees, remove cultivated plants and reforest native trees.

For two to three months of the year, we will work on site ourselves. During the rest of the time, we continue to take care of the preservation and expansion of the area, as well as the permanent financing, so that the project will be successful in the long term.

Since we are financially unable to purchase the available area from our own funds, we need your support and are happy about any contribution.

Here again in detail what it is about:

Next to the Cahuita National Park in Costa Rica, a property is to be purchased for protection from further deforestation and development. The area is currently being offered for construction of homes or tourist accommodations. The construction would massively threaten and destroy the habitat of animals and plants living there. 

Currently, the total area of about 30,000m² is very sparsely cultivated with bananas and coconut palms. The area is cleaned and harvested about once a year. A large part of the cultivated plants grow there under a secondary forest with native trees. 

Besides the unique direct location at the national park, the so far rather low use by humans makes the property so interesting for the native fauna and flora. It is used by many animals (monkeys, sloths, spiders, birds, caimans, basilisks, …) as a place to stay and retreat, as a passageway and for foraging.

All the money collected, after deducting the transaction fees for EcoCrowd and PayPal (approx. 4% in total), will go towards the purchase, management and reforestation of the land.

Goal 1

With the achievement of the first campaign goal, a non-profit organization (presumably a non-profit UG, gUG) will be founded that will buy the property. On the one hand, this avoids the impression that we want to personally enrich ourselves with the project in any way. On the other hand, this form of organization offers the advantage that donation receipts can be issued later and the project can be continued in the long term, even after the death of the initiators.

Goal 2

If the second campaign goal is reached, we (Iris and Marc Willecke) will add an additional 20,000 EUR (approx. USD 24.500) on top and use the money available then to buy a first section of the property via the non-profit company. We will not pay this 20.000 EUR into the EcoCrowd campaign, as otherwise transaction costs would be unnecessarily due on it. Instead, we have set the second goal of the campaign correspondingly lower.

Goal 3

With the funds from the third campaign goal, in consultation and cooperation with local organizations such as “La Asociación Corredor Biológico Talamanca Caribe” and the “Fondo Nacional de Financiamiento Forestal (FONAFIFO)”, we will begin to remove from the forest the cultivated plants such as bananas and coconut palms and begin reforestation of native tree species. 

Otherwise

In case more money is raised than given in the campaign goal, we will use it to buy another or larger area of land and reforest it according to ecological aspects.

If not enough money is raised for one of the planned goals, we will continue the project elsewhere on another crowdfunding platform in order to be able to realize the project in any case.

If the project cannot be realized in the planned form due to external circumstances, we will look for alternatives, e.g. other properties, or if we fail, we will donate the collected funds to another non-profit environmental organization.

This project will protect the unique fauna and flora of the region in the same way as it will counteract climate change through the continuation and expansion of the natural tree population.

For this purpose, the area described above will be purchased, preserved in the long term and ecologically improved.

The cultivated plants such as banana and coconut are to be removed, the existing tree population is to be preserved and expanded by further planting of native trees and plant species, so that a piece of natural rainforest is created again.

This project is intended to protect the unique fauna and flora of this region in the same way, as well as to counteract climate change through the continued existence and expansion of a natural tree population.

It is about the animals shown here like howler monkey, sloth, toucan, red-eyed frog, blue morpho butterfly, basilisk, etc. All pictures were taken by us within 8 weeks on or directly at the property and show the diversity of nature in this beautiful place.

For those interested in more detail about what animals live on the property and in the adjacent national park, there is a more detailed list on our homepage (in German only, sorry).

We very much hope that it will stay this way in the future and would be happy if you would support us actively.

Iris Willecke

I was born in 1970 in Bielefeld, Germany and later trained as a nurse. Today I work as a freelance grief counselor in the Sauerland.

I have always been fascinated by the variety and beauty of nature. I love traveling, because there is so much beauty to discover in this world. Unfortunately, there is also much suffering, poverty and destruction.

It is my wish to give something good back to the world and not only to exploit it by being there. I believe that small deeds also make a difference. I will never be able to save the world, but if everyone contributes a little bit according to his possibilities, we can achieve a lot …

Marc Willecke

I am 50 years old, self-employed entrepreneur and software developer for over 20 years, love nature and have already been able to marvel at some beautiful corners of this earth.

During many of these journeys it becomes however again and again clear, which influence human existence has on nature and environment. For this reason, I would like to make a sustainable contribution to preserve a piece of nature for our descendants.

With the project started here and the unique opportunity to buy a perfect piece of land, I now have the chance to do so.

I hope to be able to inspire as many project supporters as possible with this idea and look forward to your and your help.

Jonas Willecke

I am 19 years old and have been studying International Management since 2020.

Nature, especially the diversity of species, fascinates me every day anew. I love to travel, which has taught me to respect and appreciate nature and my environment. However, this valuable asset is constantly being destroyed and exploited, so it is time to act. For this reason I would like to contribute to the sustainable protection of a piece of nature and thus preserve important habitat for many different animals.

I hope that with this project we will succeed in motivating as many people as possible to act. Together we can always achieve more.

In the project, Iris is responsible for creativity, energy and perseverance. Marc takes care of finances and on-site tasks, while Jonas looks after the design of advertising materials and social media.

we want to leave the world a little better.