This coastal region in Costa Rica lost its mangrove forests. Now 12,000 seedlings and restored water channels are bringing them back

For generations, mangrove forests along Costa Rica’s southern Pacific coast provided food, timber and protection for communities living beside them. But years of cutting gradually stripped away parts of this natural barrier. Now, in the Golfo Dulce region, residents are attempting to reverse that damage. More than 12,000 mangrove seedlings have been planted, and early results suggest an estimated 75 to 80% have survived an encouraging figure for a restoration project where simply putting trees in the ground is no guarantee of success.

A Forest That Once Supported Entire Communities

Mangroves are much more than coastal trees. Their tangled roots provide habitat for fish and other wildlife, trap sediment and help shield shorelines from waves and storms. They also store significant quantities of carbon For people around Golfo Dulce, however, the relationship is also personal. Local resident David Avalos Bonilla told UNEP that families once depended heavily on the wetlands, harvesting resources including wood for charcoal, construction and fuel. Over generations, that use contributed to forest loss. “Mangrove forests are a vital lifeline for people living on the coast,” UNEP marine and coastal ecosystems official Sinikinesh Beyene Jimma said.

More Than 12,000 Seedlings Planted

In 2021, conservation organisation Misión Tiburón launched a community-led restoration effort inside the Golfo Dulce Hammerhead Shark Sanctuary. Working alongside Costa Rica’s National Wetlands Programme and National System of Conservation Areas, the initiative established two nurseries, trained residents and park rangers and planted more than 12,000 seedlings. Restoration work has now covered more than 68 hectares, to reach 80 hectares in 2026. Forest engineer Javier Rodríguez-González said participation was initially difficult. “At the very beginning, very few people came to work,” he recalled. But persistence gradually turned the effort into a community association.

Scientists Say Planting Trees Is Not Enough

One particularly striking number is the project's estimated 75–80% seedling survival rate. Yet research increasingly shows that successful mangrove restoration involves much more than planting. A 2026 study in Ocean & Coastal Management found naturally recruited mangroves held 30% more carbon than restored sites in the ecosystems examined. Researchers concluded that restoration results depend heavily on factors such as hydrology, sediment, species composition and forest age.

That principle is visible in Golfo Dulce. Workers are also removing invasive fern growth and reopening natural channels, allowing disconnected sections of mangrove habitat to recover. Elsewhere in southern Costa Rica, long-term mangrove restoration is already showing signs of ecological recovery. Osa Conservation reported that some of its earliest restored plots are regenerating naturally and providing habitat for wildlife, including the endangered mangrove hummingbird.

From Cutting Mangroves to Growing Them

Perhaps the most remarkable change is not measured in hectares. Some families who once depended on cutting mangroves are now helping restore them. David described that transformation simply: what initially seemed like employment eventually became “an act of love” for future generations. Costa Rica’s experiment therefore offers a larger lesson. Restoring a forest is not simply about replacing trees that disappeared. It requires repairing the conditions that allowed the ecosystem to exist and giving the people living beside it a reason to keep it standing.