Page 6 - AAA Central Penn – AAA Now! – July/August 2017

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The Nature of Costa Rica An Eco-Adventure Extraordinaire
By Craig Haberle CTC
Watch for treasures to pop up, fly by, hang
or bloom as you travel in Costa Rica. Nature’s wonders frequently surround you with surprises
in this Central American country, where protective parklands and preserves comprise 25 percent of
the land. Symbols of active eco-preservation – sea turtles, scarlet macaws, sloths and orchids – are
just part of the picture painted in Technicolor throughout the country. Some species are rare, while others are abundant, and each has a tale to tell. Fortunately, local naturalist guides can translate each species’ story to enrich the experience of touring through this friendly and safe Garden of Eden. Let’s take a look at just a few of the places and reasons to visit natural habitats in Costa Rica.
Watch for sea turtles popping up for air in the Caribbean waters and mangrove-lined canals of Tortuguero National Park. Located on the northeast coast of Costa Rica, this is the remote home to one of the world’s largest sea turtle beach nesting sites. Toucans, kingfishers, blue herons and parrots are just some of the 375 resident species of birds that are seasonally visited by migrating birds flocking
to this park’s forests to rest and feed. Here, too, be on the lookout as manatees swim, caimans bask and crocodiles lurk along natural canals adjacent to tropical forests where jaguars prowl, monkeys howl and sloths just hang.
In the country’s central highlands, the Monteverde Cloud Forest is a sharp contrast to coastal Tortuguero. Located along the Continental Divide at 4,600 feet above sea level, the treetops
of Monteverde are often shrouded in dense clouds that provide abundant moisture to the pleasure of more than 2,500 unique species of plants, including 420 species of orchids.
The successful preservation of Monteverde covers 35,000 acres with eight eco-zones that support over 100 species of mammals and include one of the few remaining wildlife habitats that
can support all six of the native cat family: jaguars, ocelots, pumas, oncillas, margays, and jaguarundis. In addition to abundant butterflies, more than
400 species of birds fly over more than 1,200 species of amphibians dwelling in Monteverde, one of the world’s optimum examples of the
Cloud Forest ecosystem. A group of American Quakers established a sustainable community at Monteverde in the early 1950s and continue to share their vision of peaceful coexistence with nature while engaging in responsible agriculture. They are credited with being instrumental in the preservation of Monteverde as a Cloud Forest Biological Reserve and welcome international visitors at special dinners to learn how their efforts developed into many priceless benefits for this region and the entire country.
Look to the skies in northwest Costa Rica, as near the town of Aranjuez is an extraordinary home for rare macaws. Natuwa Macaw Sanctuary, previously known as El Manantial, breeds scarlet and great green macaws from chicks and releases them to wild environments capable of sustaining their potentially long lives. Integral to Natuwa’s mission is the re-establishment of forest spaces whose
natural shelter and fruit-bearing plants, seeds and clay licks are essential for the healthy existence and growth of the macaw population pushed
out by land cleared for farming. This sanctuary’s work includes saving, rehabilitating and nurturing macaws and other endangered species caught
by Customs authorities from dealers in the illegal pet trade. Natuwa supports a Noah’s Ark of native mammals including sloths, monkeys, tapirs, and other animals that escaped a doomed existence as exotic pets forcibly removed from their natural environs.
Arenal Volcano, also in northern Costa Rica, draws visitors to behold its impressive conically shaped mountain and to participate in activities that include horse back riding, kayaking, hiking, caving, and
even bat-watching. Volcano-view hotels feature geothermal hot springs with soothing mineral baths and waterfalls. Nearby, an exhilarating exploration of the jungle canopy is available when you walk safely along bridges suspended high in the treetops; be
on the lookout for hummingbirds, toucans, honey creepers and monkeys among other resident and migratory species while your camera captures impressive panoramas.
As you travel throughout Costa Rica, keep
watch for seemingly sleepy sloths hanging in
a tree or crawling along near the road. Their permanent smile appears to say “Welcome to my world, amigos!” Watch also for access to coffee plantations that thrive in select regions with just the right climate to grow beans bound to be brewed into beverages for which this country is renowned. Take time to tour a plantation and savor the flavor of the local coffees; then, bring home a bag or two to brew up rich memories of nature’s many treasures in Costa Rica.
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JULY/AUGUST 2017 – DISCOVERIES EDITION
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