Costa Rica

January 3 - 15, 2011

         An eco-travel program from NJ Audubon

    I take 2 or 3 groups to Costa Rica every year.  It’s the perfect place for an introduction to the natural history of the American tropics.  Incredible diversity is packed into a compact area, ecotourism facilities are excellent, and our local guides, Charlie Gómez and Marco “Niño” Morales, are superb.  If you’ve never been, isn’t it time?  If you’ve been before, don’t you want to see new places and return to old favorites?  Join me in January!  Go to the New Jersey Audubon Society’s website for details, or e-mail your mailing address to me for the itinerary.

    The trip begins with a visit to the high Talamanca Mountains south of the capital city.  Luxuriant forests here are home to a great variety of birds, including Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush (right) and the Resplendent Quetzal.

    Next comes a visit to the central Pacific lowlands.  Rain forest dominates the southern Pacific lowlands, while tropical dry forest covers the northwest.  We will visit the transition zone between these two major ecosystems, seeing plants and animals representative of each zone.

    Our next destination is Palo Verde, the largest freshwater wetland in Costa Rica.  These marshes are surrounded by dry forest, creating an oasis effect as animals are drawn to Palo Verde during the dry season.  This is a great area for birds, and we’ll search for wetland birds, such as the Boat-billed Heron, far left, and for forest birds -- Pale-billed Woodpecker, at left, occurs here.  We’re likely to also find monkeys and other mammals in the open forests of this region.

    We cross to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica next, true rainforest on the slopes of Arenal Volcano.  Heavy clouds and some rain are likely, but the wildlife of this region stays active in all but the heaviest rain.  If the clouds part we’ll see the dramatic volcanic cone of Arenal, and if clearing comes at night we may see glowing boulders spewed out of the summit crater.

This trip is currently full, but call to get onto the wait list for no cost, no obligation.