In this series of photomontages I depict the endangered and threatened flora and fauna species of Costa Rica, and the causes of their endangerment.  I traveled to Costa Rica in 2007. Between 2007-2009, I created this series of graphic and colorful photomontages and an accompanying audio composition.  I was enchanted by the amazing biodiversity and it is only the size of Vermont and New Hampshire put together.  They have set aside 27% of their country as national parks, wildlife refuges and indigenous persons land.  However, I was upset to learn that many amazing species are still endangered due to a variety of factors, so I decided to create a body of work to share both my enchantment and my sense of concern.  One of the main threats is habitat loss due to illegal development on reserved land.  The main economic driver for this illegal development is the demand among Europeans and Americans for vacation or retirement homes and condominiums.  Please think twice before purchasing such a property and investigate any property that you do decide to purchase for the legality of its construction.    Many species are also impacted by agriculture through habitat loss and pollution from chemical fertilizers and pesticides.  You can support and encourage farmers to use sustainable practices by choosing organically grown produce when buying products from Costa Rica.  Common products include coffee, bananas, mangos, chocolate, passion fruit, and palm oil.  Another way to protect the rainforest home of many of these endangered species is to buy coffee and chocolate that is grown in the shade of the rainforest canopy rather than on a large farm where the plants may be shaded by banana or mango trees.  According to this article, a single cup of rainforest grown coffee, preserves 2.3 sq. feet of forest.  Chocolate as a high value crop, as explained in this article, has the potential to make the intact rainforest more valuable than clear-cut land for agriculture.  Climate change from global warming is also having an impact.  In the cloud forest mountian region, animals who are adapted to live at certain altitudes are forced to move up mountian as the humidity patterns and cloud cover change.  This forces them into competition for resources with the resident species.  Animals who formerly lived down slope move up into the higher altitudes and create pressures for the prior inhabitants by competing for food resources. Another impact of climate change is the increased prevalence of Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis, commonly known as the Chitrid Fungus, which is killing amphibians worldwide.  Many researchers have begun to draw links between the Chitrid Fungus's ability to survive outside the host and increased global temperatures.  More can be learned by reading these articles .  More information about endangered species can be found at the Red List .  The Red List was the source for the species specific information provided with the titles.