Restoration Space
CATIE: A Turrialba Treasure
Restoration in Action
Good Practices

CATIE: A Turrialba Treasure

Located in the heart of the Central Volcanic Range–Talamanca Biological Corridor (CBVCT), CATIE is an international benchmark in research, technical assistance, and training in ecosystem and forest landscape restoration across Latin America. Its campus, situated about 5 km south of downtown Turrialba, Costa Rica, forms part of the area of influence of the Reventazón Model Forest, establishing itself as a key space for conservation and environmental sustainability.

Throughout its history, CATIE has played a strategic role in global restoration initiatives such as the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030), the Bonn Challenge (2011), and Initiative 20×20 for Latin America. From a territorial perspective, the restoration actions implemented on the campus are aligned with the objectives of the CBVCT , a conservation strategy with a landscape approach that seeks to restore and maintain biological connectivity among protected areas such as the Turrialba Volcano National Park, Guayabo National Monument, the Tuis River Watershed Protected Zone, and the La Marta Wildlife Refuge.

Within this framework, CATIE adopts an integrated management approach that combines research , education, and conservation, allowing for the implementation of restoration strategies in multifunctional landscapes. Through these efforts, the campus aims to recover essential ecosystem services and strengthen the resilience of ecosystems in the face of climate change , promoting nature-based solutions for a more sustainable future.

Discover how CATIE, as a restoration campus, becomes a living laboratory where science, innovation, and action come together to restore and protect the region’s ecosystems.

Biodiversity at CATIE

With an area of 973 hectares, CATIE’s campus is a unique space where conservation, restoration, and research are integrated to preserve biodiversity and enhance environmental sustainability.

Restoration and Ecosystem Conservation

of restoration model areas for the recovery of degraded ecosystems.
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of riparian and secondary forests protected.
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of forest plantations, of which 182 hectares are allocated for carbon credits.
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Diversity of Fauna and Flora

including some endangered.
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medium-sized.
0 mammal species
associated with 63 tree species.
0 bee species
with 6 classified as threatened.
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in secondary forests and 38 forest genera, 11 of which are melliferous.
0 tree species

Germplasm Collections: A Global Genetic Heritage

CATIE safeguards 4,751 accessions of key crops, including:

  • The 3rd largest International Coffee Collection (1,992 accessions, 9,000 coffee plants).
  • The 2nd largest International Cacao Collection (1,070 accessions).

Other strategic crops: peach palm, annatto, sapotaceae, myrtaceae, and orthodox seeds of chili, squash, and tomato.

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