Friends of the Osa

In a remote and lush corner of Costa Rica, near the border with Panama, lies a realm of giant trees, potbellied spider monkeys, harpy eagles, prowling jaguars, and herds of white-lipped peccary, a tusked pig-like beast. This is the Osa Peninsula and there is no other place in the world like it.

Named after an indigenous chief, the Osa Peninsula is an area of just 430,000 acres that juts out from the mainland. Osa: Where the Rainforest Meets the Sea includes within its purview the greater Osa region, which encompasses the Térraba-Sierpe Delta to the north, the lands bordering the Golfo Dulce, and, to the south, the northwestern corner of Panama, a territory of similar biology, weather, and cultural history.

The Osa Peninsula supports more than fifty percent of the animal and plant species that live in Costa Rica, yet it covers a mere three percent of the country’s total land area. This is an especially remarkable fact in a country that contains over 500,000 species—or four percent of all species estimated to exist worldwide. The entire United States, by comparison, has half the number of species that live in Costa Rica, with 200 times more land, and, because the Osa remains a relatively unexplored wilderness, thousands of species still await discovery.

Internationally acclaimed nature photographer Roy Toft travels the world in search of new photographic images. His work has been featured in National Geographic, Smithsonian, Audubon, Discover Magazine, and other publications. In addition to receiving a BBC award for photography, he was named founding fellow of the prestigious International League of Conservation Photographers. He has been traveling to the Osa for more than twenty years.

Biologist and conservationist Trond Larsen received his PhD from Princeton University and has been conducting scientific research on the Osa for over ten years. In his former role as science director for the organization Friends of the Osa, he established a new biological station on the peninsula. He is currently a research fellow with World Wildlife Fund, Princeton University, and the Smithsonian Institution. He was a founding director of Amazon Conservation Association and has won numerous awards for his research and publications.

A portion of the proceeds from this book will be donated directly to conservation projects on the Osa

To purchase this book please click here

Available for a limited time only, Friends of the Osa is offering a signed copy of the award-winning book, How Monkeys Make Chocolate.

Author and Friends of the Osa President, Adrian Forsyth, brings the rainforest to life in this educational and colorful childeren's paperback book.

From the Publisher: "Tropical rainforests may seem like far-off, exotic places, but in fact we have a daily connection to them. Take a bite of your favorite candy bar, pour a glass of cola or feel better after taking an aspirin and you're enjoying just some of the unique riches of the rainforest. Join internationally renowned biologist, Adrian Forsyth, on an amazing journey deep into the world's rainforests, with his first-hand stories and stunning photographs of the people, animals and plants who live there. Swept along on this eye-opening excursion, we can't help but share in a deep wonder for the rainforests' web of life and understand the importance of conserving these forests of plenty". - Maple Tree Press

To order your special signed copy today, please send a check or money order for US $12.95 (this includes a $2.50 shipping & handling charge) to:

Profits from the sale of this book are applied directly to conservation projects currently underway in the Osa!

Protecting the Web of Life is a DVD documentary about conservation, ecology, and eco-tourism on the Osa Peninsula. Independent film maker Mitch Popa of Mitch Popa Productions immerses viewers in the stunning biodiversity of the Osa Peninsula and introduces key players ranging from the Minister of the Environment to local eco-lodge operators--all of whom stand for and contribute to conservation of the Peninsula.

Send a check or money order for US $24.00 (this includes a $4.00 shipping & handling charge) to:

Profits from the sale of this DVD are applied directly to conservation projects currently underway on the Osa!