Trip Report: Appreciating the vast diversity of Costa Rica
In early February we took a group to Costa Rica in conjunction with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Boise State University. Wow! What a place. It is so incredibly diverse. It’s not a large country, with only 5 million people, but it goes from coastal lowlands to 12,000-foot peaks. It has both rainforests and dry, sunny beaches. And everything in between.
There are over 12,000 plant species, 850 species of birds, 1,200 types of butterflies, and 650 mammals, reptiles and amphibians. All in a country that has only .03 percent of the world’s landmass.
After flying into San Jose, we headed north to the La Selva research station, run by the Organization for Tropical Studies. There we explored the rainforest with our talented guide, including a memorable night walk. We then moved over to the area around the Arenal Volcano where we had a hands-on chocolate workshop and a visit to the Children’s Eternal Rainforest.
Finally we moved to the Pacific coast where we observed a sea turtle at night, digging a place for her eggs on the beach and newly-hatched baby turtles struggling to find their way to the sea. We also visited a Macaw rescue center and observed wildlife by boat. And we even made time to enjoy the beach.
In many ways, it was like being on three or four trips, as our surroundings changed so dramatically. And still we only saw a small portion of what the country has to offer. It will take many trips more to see the entire country.
Here are some of our photos from the trip, although there are many photos taken by participants and our guide that are better than these.
Click/tap on any photo below to enlarge it.
