March 2024 | Tales From the Jungle
Annual Report, updates, and a sloth fight!
The last days of March are upon us, bringing the Easter Weekend, or ‘Semana Santa’ as we call it here. This week, our little corner of Costa Rica is bustling. Thousands of tourists flock to our town, making travel difficult. With only one main road and three one-way bridges (two of which are under repair), traffic becomes a nightmare: a 10-minute drive can turn into two hours stuck in a jam, with scorching temperatures of 33°C (91°F)!
Because of these challenges, our team is taking a short holiday break, but we are excited to announce that our 2023 Annual Report is now available! But first, let’s review the important updates from the past four weeks.
Keeping connecting
This month, we planted almost 200 trees, bringing our total to 270 planting sites. We also installed 12 new Sloth Crossings, including the longest one yet: a 55m (180ft) bridge. This long bridge, with three main sections, connects a total of four trees. To date, we have installed 286 Sloth Crossings!
Joining Forces with Other Organizations
We participated in a plenary organized by the ATEC Asociación Talamanqueña de Ecoturismo, a local NGO focused on sustainable eco-tourism that also works on different community projects. This event brought together organizations from the South Caribbean of Costa Rica to address issues such as habitat loss due to urbanization and the impact of tourism, which also contributes to gentrification and the erosion of local cultural identities. Each organization presented its plan of action and worked collaboratively towards common goals.
One topic discussed was the rising rate of deforestation. To tackle this problem, we at SloCo are developing a new project focused on logging, conducting surveys to understand the motives behind irregular or illegal tree cutting, and creating a new awareness campaign.
Have you ever seen a sloth fight?
This video shows two males fighting, probably over a female. Of course, there is a winner and a loser, so how does this fight end? Don’t worry! None of the sloths was injured! Thanks to @jorg_mort for the amazing footage!
Double the Donation
Did you know that thousands of companies match donations made by their employees? If you have donated to us and would like to double it at no extra cost, please use our search tool to see if your company will match your donation and access the form to submit a matching gift!
See if your employer matches your donations!
2023 Annual Report
Every time an annual report is released, we reflect on our growth by comparing it with previous reports. Our initial report in 2019 was modest, reflecting our small scale at the time. We were just a four-person team with limited funds, each of us balancing other full-time jobs. Back then, SloCo was a side project fueled by our determination to succeed.
We are proud to have started this organization on nothing more than our dreams, hopes, and passion for making a difference in sloth conservation.
Last year we focused our efforts on three main areas: Sloth Research, a core of our organization, as understanding the ecological requirements of sloths is vital to developing conservation strategies; habitat restorations and connectivity, with our Connected Gardens and Sloth Crossings projects; and community and awareness because education and supporting our neighbors in the South Caribbean is, at the end of the day, the foundation of conservation and protection of wildlife.
2023 Annual Report
None of this would have been possible without you, our supporters and donors. Unlike many organizations, we do not receive significant funding from governments or large entities; almost 80% of our income comes from individual donations by people like you! About 45% of these contributions are recurring donations and monthly gifts. This shift in fundraising has allowed us to better budget, organize our projects, and plan for new research and initiatives.
Spreading the word, sharing our content on social media, reading our blogs, and visiting our website have been crucial in establishing us as one of the leading organizations dedicated to sloth conservation. Our achievements are a testament to our global community, which spans big cities, small towns, rural areas, and various cultures and languages. The universal love for nature and a shared commitment to protecting wildlife and the environment unite us all.
Thank you once again for everything. See you next month!
Dr. Rebecca Cliffe
Founder and Executive Director
