Costa Rica has an area of 51.100km2, the equivalent of only 0.001% of the earth surface, but holds approximately 500.000 species., or 4% of all the living organisms on the planet. In addition, the country has an enormous bank of information and research of its rich biodiversity and an extensive road network providing access to all areas. This is complemented by a variety of lodging and restaurant services, communication technology, friendliness of its people, and great scenic beauty.Costa Rica´s immense biological wealth is found principally in its primary forests – rainforest, dry forest, and cloud forest; - which still cover approximately 25% of the country. Many of these forests are protected by the Costa Rican government as national parks an biological reserves. Nevertheless, a great percentage of primary forests belongs to private landholders who have dedicated lands as private nature reserves.

The owners of private natural reserves in Costa Rica can be categorized in four groups:

• “NGO´s” (non-governmental organizations such as: foundations, associations, universities, etc) generally own very large reserves for protection, research, education, and occasionally tourism. Their income comes primarily from donations an the services provide to users.
• “ECO-TOURISM BUSINESSES” (operating a hotel or nature lodge) usually own and manage medium sized reserves for visitors, conservation, education, and research. Their operating income is derived from tourism, and their initial capital is often times from banks and investors.
• “FARMES” are the largest single block of private reserve owners and include commercial farmers, agribusiness, and subsistence farmers (campesinos) who have conserved natural areas within their farms. Many, especially campesinos, are motivated by the same reasons as the dedicated conservationists. These owners typically live from the income produced by the agricultural part of their holdings.
• “DEDICATED CONSERVATIONISTS” are those individuals who have inherited or purchased property with natural areas and who are motivated by the desire to conserve these areas for future generations because they feel it is their duty to protected the biological wealth which we know today.

The Costa Rican Network of Private Natural Reserves was established as an initiative to group together into a single non-profit associations an important number of Costa Rica´s private nature reserves. The number of these reserves had been growing over several decades, without an umbrella organization working for their common goal of conservation. In 1995, this need was met, and now the Network currently has over 110 affiliated private nature reserves. Together they protect over 60.000 hectares of land, nearly all of which is primary forest.These reserves are involved in a number of activities, including:

• research
• ecotourism
• environmental education
• bioprospecting
• sustainable non-timber forest products
• absolute protection (not ever for investigation purposes).

A Private Nature Reserve is any property consisting of natural areas and whose owner preserves and/or sustainable uses these areas and assures their conservation. Natural areas are: alpine meadows and paramos, wetlands, primary forests, secondary forests, natural forests sustainable managed and subject to the extraction of only fallen trees and forests planted exclusively with native species in order to increase diversity.