Jaguar Rescue Community: Education and Connection for Conservation

The Jaguar Rescue Center is deeply committed to the United Nations 2030 Agenda and actively aligns its work with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our aim is to fulfill these goals responsibly—toward both society and the environment—recognizing their interdependence as key pillars of sustainable progress.

Limón is one of Costa Rica’s most vulnerable cantons, with the highest poverty rate in the country. At the same time, it is one of the richest in biodiversity and natural beauty. These social and ecological realities shape how local resources are used and often exploited. Since our founding in 2008, the Jaguar Rescue Center has responded to these dynamics by integrating environmental education with wildlife protection through our outreach initiative: Jaguar Rescue Community.

Rooted in shared values of cooperation, sustainability, integrity, and equity, this program brings together local schools, police, the Ministry of Environment and Energy, firefighters, coastguards, neighbors, and community leaders. In April 2022, we began strengthening the structure of this program to deepen its reach and impact.

The Jaguar Rescue Center Sanctuary offers a living landscape for biodiversity education. During our tours, visitors meet animals who cannot be reintroduced into the wild. Through their stories, we illuminate the realities they face, the pressures on their habitats, and the urgent need for change.

These tours are designed to educate both local residents and international visitors, encouraging them to carry the message home: Costa Rica’s biodiversity is extraordinary, but the country’s precious ecosystems are under threat. Our goal is to ensure that every school in the region has the opportunity to visit the sanctuary at least once a year, so that all children can become agents of change. Influencing their peers, their families, and future generations.

We believe knowledge is power. Education is essential in addressing the challenges faced by wildlife. That’s why we travel and provide online experiences to bring the JRC experience to schools and community projects that are unable to visit us in person. Every child deserves access to this knowledge, regardless of location or circumstance. Our aim is to shape academic journeys with a foundation of respect for nature from early childhood through adulthood.

This initiative fosters direct relationships with Costa Rican communities. Our goal is to make conservation familiar and accessible—inviting families, educators, and local leaders to see themselves as part of the solution. In doing so, the JRC becomes not just a sanctuary, but a source of inspiration. Together, we cultivate knowledge and raise awareness through workshops, seminars, and hands-on activities—both inside and beyond the JRC.

With integrity and equity as our compass, we prioritize outreach to the most vulnerable sectors of the community, including women, rural and Indigenous populations, elders, and grassroots leaders.