[1] Corcovado National Park was established on October 24, 1975 and occupies an area of 424 square kilometres (164 sq mi).

Historically, logging has taken place in lowland areas due to their easy accessibility and the presence of the largest and most abundant economically valuable trees.

[citation needed] Corcovado is home to the endangered Baird's tapir and a small harpy eagle population.

Other animals in the park include Central American squirrel monkeys, mantled howler monkeys, both two-toed and three-toed sloths, agoutis, giant anteaters, great curassows, black hawks, spectacled owls, hummingbirds, 220 species of butterflies, golden orb spiders, otters and raccoons.

Before Corcovado National Park's creation, the government used to release criminals on the peninsula, and many other people would mine the land for gold through various methods, such as panning [2].

These strategies created negative impacts on the ecosystem like soil erosion, water contamination from types of machinery, and trenching [4].

Land development companies, mining, and livestock production led to deforestation and water contamination in the park which contributed to the destruction of aquatic life [4].

After the creation of Interamerican Highway South, the population doubled in size including people who were interested in land development such as farmers, loggers, and miners [2].

[6] The impacts of tourism, mining, and deforestation cause declines in the biodiversity of native Costa Rican terrestrial and aquatic species.

There are thousands of species in the park including wild cats, rare birds, sea turtles, sharks, humpback whales, monkeys, and many more [7].

Species in Costa Rica like the jaguar, Baird's tapir, and the peccary are often threatened and even endangered due to commercial development [4].

Between the 1970s and 1980s, the Costa Rican government passed environmental conservation laws that encompassed protections against deforestation, illegal hunting and mining, and reforestation plans [7].

There has been a lot of disagreement among conservationists and local community members in the Osa Peninsula due to the changes in land development.

Corcovado National Park sees thousands of eco-tourists a day which contributes revenue mostly to the Costa Rican government [2].

Heavy rainfalls can create dangerous conditions in certain parts of the Osa Peninsula which can deter tourists and those who are not familiar with the region, but not miners and hunters.

The negative effects of gold mining on the environment are increased sedimentation in waterways, erosion of streambanks, accelerated evaporation of surface water, and mineral pollution from wastewater [8].

The government has also helped to promote reforestation efforts by requiring land development companies to agree to plant more trees in response to deforestation.

Founded in 2018, this grassroots conservation group is composed of environmental researchers, volunteers, activists, and even locals who are committed to protecting the nesting sites of sea turtles [6].

The essence of their mission is to educate and provide economic opportunities to their local community and to protect endangered sea turtles [6].

One track runs Northwest to Southeast along the coast to La Leona ecolodge, with the Estación Sirena roughly in the middle.

Rio Sirena is commonly regarded as the most dangerous of crossings, primarily because it flows directly into the massive Laguna Corcovado in the isolated heart of the park.