Pro Cosara: Defending the Forest

Pro Cosara, a non-governmental and non-profit organization, was founded in 1997 by local residents, professionals, and other dedicated individuals with years of experience in protected area management and in working with indigenous communities. Since its inception, Pro Cosara has dedicated itself to preserving the reserve through environmental education and awareness activities, and control and vigilance efforts.

The main objectives of Pro Cosara's work are:

• To promote preservation of the San Rafael Reserve, being one of the last extensive areas of Interior Atlantic Forest in Paraguay.
• To protect the environment and stop deforestation, the destruction of natural vegetation, illegal logging, and man induced forest fires, which threaten the sustainability and future of natural resources.
• To collaborate with and assist Mbya indigenous communities in order to facilitate sustainable practices so they may have an environment adequate for the continuation of their cultural heritage.
• To support and facilitate project initiatives in favor of the conservation and sustainable use of regional natural resources.

To achieve these goals, Pro Cosara employs six park guards who patrol to locate and intercept illegal loggers, land invasions, and poachers, and when necessary control forest fires. Interceptions are carried out in conjunction with the police. In addition, the park guards observe and track wildlife and educate the public about conservation issues. One guard is indigenous and facilitates interactions with the Mbya communities. Automobile and foot patrols, combined with weekly surveillance flights (in a small aircraft), are carried out to identify illegal activities and conflicts.

In addition to receiving hundreds of diverse guests in their visitor center, Pro Cosara also leads educational workshops for academics and local residents, teaches about the benefits of organic agriculture, and provides educational scholarships to underprivileged youths living in the reserve's buffer zone.

Pro Cosara relies entirely on donations for staff employment, and infrastructure and equipment maintenance. Considering that Pro Cosara does not currently have a formal office work space and only has two vehicles and computers, we urgently need assistance to obtain an additional vehicle and computer and expand our office…so that we can continue growing and better defend our forest, and halt its degradation.

Our Partners

Pro Cosara is one of five non-governmental organizations in Paraguay that make up the San Rafael Conservation Alliance. Together, with Guyra’s technical assistance, which includes satellite image interpretation used for better monitoring and control, the legal expertise of IDEA (Lawyers of the Institute for Economic and Environmental Rights), and the private land management strategies of Natural Land Trust, the alliance looks for resources to purchase property within the reserve.

Since its inception in 1997, Pro Cosara has received technical and economic support from international environmental organizations including World Wildlife Fund (WWF), The Nature Conservancy, PrimaKlima, and AVINA. Their assistance helps make Pro Cosara's work possible.

Additionally, Pro Cosara receives support from Peace Corps Paraguay and numerous scientists conducting biodiversity studies in the reserve. Other contributions and assistance are provided by local businesses and private donors in Switzerland.