Biodiversity in the Tropics
| Proposed Itinerary for the Costa Rican Trip in Winter 2007 | |
| Friday | We have an early departure from Detroit Metropolitan Airport with an early afternoon arrival in San Jose. The afternoon will be spent driving to Monteverde where we’ll be spending the next two nights. The scenery is beautiful as we travel through the Tilerán Mountain range. We’ll be spending tonight and tomorrow night at the Poco á Poco Hotel in Monteverde. |
| Saturday |
This morning we’ll take an unforgettable hike up into the Monteverde rain forest canopy. We’ll be using well maintained trails that take us through several levels of the canopy. This is accomplished with a series of seven, sturdy suspension bridges. Each level gives us a different perspective of the rain forest and an opportunity to see different wildlife. On a previous trip the instructor saw howler monkeys, resplendent quetzals and many other birds. Epiphytes abound! This is a highlight of the trip. After a box lunch we’ll visit the Monteverde cheese factory started by the Quaker settlers who settled this area and visit a local handcraft co-op. For more information go to the Selvatura web site. For more information on the Monteverde Cloud Forest, click here. For more information on cloud forests, click here. |
| Sunday | Today we transfer to the San Luis Ecolodge owned by the University of Georgia. The lodge is set in a valley below Monteverde in a pre-montane rain forest. The Ecolodge is run as a model for combining multiple uses of land: ecotourism, farming, and biological studies. A busy day is planned with a morning walk to acquaint us with the forest, a workshop in the afternoon and a night hike. We’ll be staying in student housing and sleeping in bunkhouses. Excellent Costa Rican cooking is served family style in a dining room which we’ll share with other visiting college groups. The large veranda offers a relaxing place to socialize, recall our busy day, and watch the sun set. The web address is located on the Interesting Links page. |
| Monday | After a filling breakfast we’ll visit La Bella cooperative coffee farm near the Ecolodge property. The co-op is operated by 2 dozen families and the main products are coffee, organic vegetables and a forest nursery. This will give us an opportunity to learn about the local economy and the challenges of balancing man’s activity with habitat conservation. In the afternoon you will have the opportunity to go horseback riding in the valley to gain a different perspective of this area. In the evening the class will have a fiesta with dancing at the Ecolodge. Get ready to dance to the beat of salsa, merengue, cumbia and reggae |
| Tuesday | After breakfast at the Ecolodge, we'll board the coach and drive to the Arenal Volcano. This volcano has been one of the most active volcanoes in Costa Rica since it "awakened" in 1968. The top of the volcano can be covered in clouds so we'll hope for clear weather. When seen at night it’s quite spectacular. To see pictures of past eruptions, click here. Tonight we’ll have the opportunity to relax in Ecotermales Hot Springs. Our hotel tonight and tomorrow night will be the Arenal Paraíso. |
| Wednesday | After breakfast we will depart for a day trip to the Caño Negro National Wildlife Refuge. This is the end of the dry season so most of the wetlands will have disappeared leaving the man-made channel of the Rio Frio. This is the winter home of many migratory water birds. Among the birds commonly seen here are the glossy Ibis, neotropical cormorant, American anhinga, northern jacana, wood stork, white Ibis, green backed heron, roseate spoonbill, and blue-winged teal. Lunch and dinner will be on the way and we'll spend a second night at the hotel. |
| Thursday | The day will start with an early breakfast at the hotel and then we'll travel by coach to the Organization of Tropical Studies La Selva Biological Station, a world-class biological research station. La Selva is owned and operated by the Organization for Tropical Studies (Duke University). Upon arrival we will check into our dormitories at the station and then follow the activities of the OTS. The rainforest here is one of the best-studied on the entire planet, and boasts impressive species lists of plants and animals. In the evening we’re scheduled to visit a bat research/education center where we will learn about the natural history of bats, observe how bats are trapped in mist nets and see live bats. Bats represent 50% of the Costa Rican mammals. |
| Friday | Breakfast in the dining room will be followed by a hike/orientation led by a La Selva naturalist. A second hike
at night should reveal some of the nocturnal inhabitants of this primary rain forest. The trails at La Selva are well marked and are actually
cement sidewalks which cut down erosion during the very rainy season. In the afternoon students will have an opportunity to explore some of
the trails (with at least one buddy!). There is also an excellent (and air-conditioned) library which is always open and computers for free
internet access.
La Selva is located in the Caribbean lowland at the northern base of Braulio Carrillo National Park and recognized internationally as one of the premier facilities for rain forest research. This research station covers about 3,900 acres of tropical and premontane wet forest. About 73% of the area is primary tropical rain forest. The averages 4 meters (over 13 feet) of rainfall that is spread throughout the year. Each year, more than 250 scientists from some 25 countries and thousands of international students come to La Selva to study tropical ecology. This rain forest has been intensely studied and many species have been identified including more than 1,900 species of plants, 330 species of trees, 436 species of birds, and 450 species of ants. Showy birds, such as toucans, parrots, trogons, and hummingbirds, and mammals, including monkeys, peccaries, agoutis, and coatis, are frequently seen. |
| Saturday | After an early breakfast we'll leave La Selva and return to San Jose. On the way we'll stop at the La Paz Waterfall Gardens. At these gardens we'll visit an exceptional butterfly conservatory and a hummingbird garden. In addition, we'll take well-maintained trails to see a series of waterfalls in the forest. An excellent lunch will be served here. Our final destination for the day is the Country Inn and Suites Hotel near the San Jose airport. Dinner is on our own tonight and we have the option of eating as a group and sharing our memories of a great trip. |
| Sunday | We'll be escorted to the airport by our guide and bus driver. We need to leave the hotel 3 hours before departure. Exact flight times will be available soon. |
