A Project combining Conservation, Research, Ecotourism and Development Aid
- Schoolchildren from La Gamba pay regular visits to Esquinas Lodge.
Our project began with the founding of the non-profit organiza- tion Rainforest of the Austrians in 1991. For the past 15 years, the small Austrian NGO has been purchasing properties within the Esquinas forest and donating them to the Costa Rican government. More than 8000 acres have been incorporated into Piedras Blancas National Park. For more information about our conservation efforts, click 
here. In 1993, Rainforest of the Austrians, together with the University of Vienna, founded La Gamba Field Station, which has become an internationally acclaimed research facility for tropical biology. For more, click here.
- On Mother's Day each August, all employees and their mothers are invited to a fiesta at the lodge.
Seeing their future threatened by restrictions set up by the Park Service, a group of local farmers and former loggers in the village of La Gamba decided to turn to nature tourism as an alternative to the exploitation of the Esquinas rainforest. However, a lack of funds made it necessary to find a financial backer. In 1993, the Republic of Austria, recognizing the importance of sustainable alternatives as opposed to the destruction of tropical forests, decided to finance the project as part of its Development Aid Program. Rainforest of the Austrians was appointed to oversee and direct the project, and the construction of Esquinas Rainforest Lodge was completed in 1994.
- Soccer game between lodge guests and children from La Gamba (obviously, the kids won...)
The Austrian government donated the lodge to Rainforest of the Austrians in 1998, and in 2005 it was privatized but remains in Austrian hands. The ultimate goal is to prove that a small, ecologically safe nature lodge, accomodating no more than 40 guests, can generate enough income to raise the living standard of a whole community of 70 families. Esquinas is the largest employer in La Gamba, offering at least 15 permanent jobs. Except for management and office personell, all employees at the lodge are from the local town. The lodge has assumed an active role in the financing and implementation of community projects. For more, click here.