Böëna Lodges
Provides financial, logistical and operational support for conservation initiatives.
BÖËNA ARTICLE
Playing for the Jaguar
How Soccer Helped Bring Communities Into Conservation
Conservation becomes stronger when research, local knowledge and community participation come together. In the Pacuare region, soccer became the unexpected bridge that connected Indigenous communities with long-term jaguar monitoring.
01 — Creating Alliances
Science, Conservation and Community
Böëna works with researchers, conservation professionals and academic institutions to strengthen wildlife projects and share their findings with surrounding communities.
Since 2009, the company has supported research with the National University of Costa Rica in private reserves and sensitive ecosystems, including areas near national parks.
National University
Contributes scientific research, training and long-term wildlife monitoring expertise.
Jaguardians Project
Supports jaguar conservation and community engagement around monitoring efforts.
Local Communities
Provide territorial knowledge and become essential partners in protecting equipment and habitats.
02 — Linking Communities
Training Local Guardians of the Forest
During periods of lower lodge visitation, Böëna develops activities with nearby communities to strengthen local participation in conservation.
In the Osa Peninsula, the Jaguar Program organized three workshops for Community Groups for Local Surveillance of Natural Resources, known as COVIRENAS.
Monitoring Fundamentals
Participants learned how wildlife monitoring supports conservation decisions.
Camera-Trap Techniques
Training covered installation, operation and protection of monitoring equipment.
Fieldwork Skills
Community members practiced methods used by researchers in rainforest terrain.
03 — The First Tournament
Soccer Becomes a Conservation Tool
In the Pacuare region, the project reached the Indigenous communities of Las Brisas, Tsiobata, Dueri and Bukeri.
With support from researcher Carolina Sáenz, the National University and the Jaguardians Project, the first Soccer Tournament for Jaguar Conservation brought together education, sport and community participation.
4
Indigenous communities involved
30+
Participants in the conservation workshop
60+
People attending the tournament
4
New community volunteers identified
Former National-Level Players Joined the Event
The tournament included former first-division and national-team players such as Evaristo Coronado, Enrique Rivers, Andrés Núñez, Víctor Cordero, Carlos Vivó and Germán Chavarría.
04 — From Awareness to Action
Protecting Equipment and Expanding Monitoring
The event aimed to help communities understand the role of camera traps in rainforest research and why protecting the equipment is essential.
Soccer created an inclusive space where Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups could participate together — a level of integration that is often difficult to achieve through conventional workshops alone.
Equipment Awareness
Participants learned why camera traps should not be damaged, moved or removed.
Local Volunteers
Four people joined the initiative to support field monitoring and equipment review.
Strategic Coverage
Two volunteers are located in territories especially important for monitoring.
Stronger Relationships
The tournament strengthened trust between researchers and participating communities.
05 — Benefits That Stay Local
Conservation Support With Community Impact
Böëna supports the Jaguar Program through its Conservation Support Fee, providing resources, tools and logistics for research partners and participating communities.
The intention is not only to fund conservation, but also to ensure that activities generate meaningful local economic benefits.
Research Resources
Equipment donations, field logistics, transportation and accommodation support scientific work.
Community Participation
Food, cleaning supplies and local services support workshops and events.
Sporting Support
Soccer balls, uniforms and prizes help make the tournament accessible and rewarding.
One Match, A Stronger Conservation Network
The tournament showed that conservation does not always begin in a laboratory or on a forest trail.
Sometimes, it begins on a soccer field — with shared enthusiasm, new relationships and communities choosing to become protectors of the jaguar.