Tales from the Jungle | February 2026
The Month of Love has officially come to an end, and we hope you enjoyed having Kokomo Valentín take over our social media and inbox. As always, he reminded us to slow down… to hang in there… and that love really is the answer (especially when you’re hanging upside down).
Now, as we return to our regular activities, we have some very exciting updates to share.
St Andrews Prize Finalists
Big news from the jungle…
We’re delighted to share that our Connected Gardens project has been selected as one of three global finalists for the St Andrews Prize for the Environment - a prestigious international award recognising innovative solutions to environmental challenges worldwide.
Team Connected Gardens installing a new canopy bridge
Connected Gardens is our scalable, community-led solution to the often-overlooked problem of rainforest “micro-fragmentation”. Unlike clear-cut deforestation, micro-fragmentation happens slowly through urban expansion. It’s when buildings, roads and powerlines create small canopy gaps that block the movement of arboreal species (like our beloved sloths). Our solution is simple and effective: we install wildlife bridges to reconnect immediate gaps, and we carry out targeted reforestation to restore long-term canopy connectivity.
To date, we’ve established the largest network of canopy bridges in the world - 378 bridges reconnecting over 8,000 hectares of fragmented forest across hundreds of private properties. In our target areas, wildlife conflict events have declined by 82%. The project works, and now the world is paying attention too!
Being selected as a finalist means that we have already won $20,000 in project funding. Next month, we will travel to the University of St Andrews in Scotland to present our work in front of a panel of judges, where the winner of the full $95,000 prize will be announced.
We’ve got everything crossed for success, but simply reaching the finals alongside two remarkable global projects already feels like a win. We’re incredibly proud to see this work recognised on an international stage. Wish us luck!
Traffic Jams in the Canopy
Back home, life in the treetops remains gloriously chaotic. Recently, a full-on “traffic jam” was observed at Sloth Crossing bridge SC-326 - this time between a three-fingered sloth and a howler monkey.Neither was particularly willing to reverse. Moments like this are pure gold. They are funny, but are also a strong reminder that connectivity matters.
Enjoy the video below.
New Legislation to Prevent Wildlife Electrocutions
This month, we were invited by the Infrastructure Commission of Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly to review and provide technical observations on a proposed law aimed at preventing wildlife electrocutions. Before being debated in the full Assembly, proposed laws are reviewed by commissions that consult experts in the field - and we were honoured to be one of those voices.
Two-fingered sloth climbing an electrical pole
On the surface, this might sound like paperwork and politics, but this is where real, lasting change happens. This is the shift from reacting to wildlife deaths… to preventing them in the first place. If we can strengthen legal frameworks and make sure wildlife protection is built into national infrastructure planning (not added as an afterthought) we move from patching problems to designing safer systems from the start.
It might not be as visible as a traffic jam on a canopy bridge, but it’s just as important.
Growing the Team
February brought some very happy news within the SloCo family. Diego, our forest nursery manager (and professional tree whisperer), and his wife welcomed their newest little team member, baby Amós. We couldn’t be happier for them, and we’re already wondering how long it will be before Amós is helping label seedlings in the forest nursery.
We’re also delighted to welcome Gloriana to the team as our new Community Conservation Coordinator. She’ll be leading our work in education, tourism engagement, policy, and strengthening relationships with local communities.
Looking Ahead
And finally, our 2025 Annual Report launches next week. It’s a full reflection on everything we achieved together over the past year - the wins, the lessons, the bridges, the trees, the policy progress, all of it.
Recognition from initiatives like the St Andrews Prize reassures us that we’re moving in the right direction, and that this work resonates far beyond Costa Rica. but none of it would be possible without you. Thank you for standing with us and for helping us to make this world a safer place for sloths.
All the best from the jungle,
