Costa Rica Attractions / Northern Region / La Selva Research Station

La Selva is the international biological research station owned by the Organization for Tropical Studies, a consortium of approximately 50 universities in the United States and Costa Rica. La Selva works closely with the surrounding community by involving them directly in the research being carried out by using their farms as study sites while at the same time educating them in new conservation techniques, new viable native species for reforestation, etc. La Selva also offers a course to train locals as naturalist guides. In the 1980s, the Braulio Carrillo National Park was created in the mountains to the south of La Selva. The Park was subsequently extended 20 kilometers northward to connect with the research station.