GC Supports Thermal Imaging to Prevent Fires in the Guanacaste Conservation Area
Response efforts to forest fires were intensified during the first quarter of 2026, which began with significant challenges due to the high number of incidents reported. Personnel carried out prevention, monitoring, and control actions to reduce the environmental impact on protected areas and surrounding communities.
The dry season saw a continuation of the prioritization of wildfire response and prevention efforts. Twenty forest fires were put out by authorities, who also conducted 138 preventative operations and field engineering monitoring actions to safeguard ecosystems that were at risk of fire. These endeavors highlight the significance of merging quick reaction to emergencies with plans for prevention in the long run.
As a result of Global Conservation's funding, the Guanacaste Conservation Area's operational and technical capacities have been significantly enhanced. The long-term preservation of important habitats and animals, better field operations, protection of biodiversity, prevention of wildfires, and institutional cooperation are all directly impacted by this partnership. One of the most significant protected areas on Earth cannot be effectively conserved without ongoing global assistance.
Overall, the indicators for the first quarter of 2026 show that management is actively working to maintain biodiversity, reduce environmental threats, increase legal enforcement, and secure Costa Rica's natural heritage for the future.
A Royal Bengal tiger was photographed during a camera-trap survey conducted recently in the sanctuary with technical support from Bengaluru-based Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE).
Through enhanced patrols, technology deployment, expanded partnerships, key species protection, and community empowerment, multiple initiatives continued to support sustainable marine conservation across East Kalimantan and Maluku.
The Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) program in Arunachal Pradesh—part of the wider Himalayan Initiative—works across one of the most irreplaceable and least-protected biodiversity regions on earth.
The Ann Cottrell Free Animal Reporting Award Goes to
ABC News Live with Global Conservation for Last Lands: South Africa
Funded by Global Conservation, For the Oceans Foundation has announced the successful completion of the first phase of the “Peace for the Pacific” Expedition, a scientific, monitoring, and marine documentation mission that covered more than 600 nautical miles throughout Costa Rica’s Eastern Tropical Pacific. PftP was developed by For the Oceans Foundation within the framework of the One Ocean Worldwide Coalition (OOWC).
Global Conservation and Busch Gardens Conservation Fund Announce Historic $2 Million Grant for Wildlife Recovery of Lions, Rhinos, Elephants, Hippos, Hyenas, and Giraffes in Uganda’s National Parks
In a historic move, the New South Wales government has announced a Great Koala National Park will be established on the state’s Mid North Coast, in a bid to protect vital koala habitat and stop the species’ sharp decline.
Global Conservation reports from Belize on the effectiveness of the 2025 enforcement and scientific adaptive management of Turneffe Atoll, the country’s largest Marine Protection Area (MPA).
While Bora Bora has been considered a prime destination for vacationing in one of the world's most beautiful island chains, decades of tourism, including sports fishing, and an explosion of non-native people moving there have left a significant number of reef systems dead or depleted. GC now collaborates with the French Polynesian government, researchers, locals, and more to save this local marine ecosystem.
During the month of May, Global Conservation, in collaboration with Panama’s National System of Protected Areas (SINAP), led a three-day training program for Panama National Park Rangers. More than 20 park ranger supervisors and field-level rangers from various Panamanian national parks attended. The training was designed to equip these supervisors and rangers with knowledge and skills they could pass along to other park rangers.
Following the launch of the Banda Seas Project in April, patrol teams from the Fisheries and Marine Affairs Department (DKP) of Maluku, local NGOs, the Navy, and the Marine Police conducted three patrol missions across Banda Neira, West Seram, and the Kei Archipelago, covering approximately 360 km of marine waters.
As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the protection and conservation of the country's natural resources, the Ministry of Environment, with the support of Global Conservation, continues to promote the training and professional development of the rangers of Darién National Park.