La Reserva Forest Foundation

Lake Arenal and Volcán Arenal from entrance to La Reserva

Yesterday we had the opportunity to visit a nearby exciting place that we hadn't yet visited:  La Reserva Forest Foundation.  I have to admit to harboring a bit of regret for not having gone sooner, as plenty of our visitors would have benefited from experiencing this unique and important site.  La Reserva (http://lrff.org/) is a non-profit foundation dedicated to returning farmland to tropical rainforest with the goals of restoring biodiversity, supporting indigenous peoples and promoting carbon neutrality in an effort to reduce climate change.  They help individuals, families and business offset their carbon footprints by planting trees for tropical reforestation.

Work at La Reserva began in 1998 on a large dairy farm, where the planting of trees initiated a process that has resulted in reforestation of the entire plot of land.  Reforestation occurs quickly in this part of the world and animals come back to these environments in an impressive timeframe as well, as their natural food and habitat returns.

Reforestation!

The land in the photo above was cattle pasture that was completely restored after just a few years.  It is now part of the secondary forest at La Reserva.  Near this spot we repeatedly heard the call of the elusive Long-Tailed Manakin, an example of a species that has returned to this area.  We weren't lucky enough to spot one through the thick foliage, though.  Here is a great link with several recordings of Manakin calls in Costa Rica:  http://web2.uwindsor.ca/courses/biology/dmennill/CostaRica/LTMA/CRLTMA.html

We were fortunate to have several other sightings including a few creatures we'd not seen before.

Henry and a friendly katydid

In the video, a mass of "viejitos" gather on leaves.  Our guide, Thomas, wasn't exactly sure what they were doing and neither were we.  Thomas is a big believer in the value of the yet-undiscovered medicinal products of the rainforest and our responsibility to preserve what rainforest remains.

Baskeball-sized active termite nest

Tree-killer roots

There were several examples of so-called tree-killer roots.  Apparently these are thought to occur when a seed is dropped by a bird high up in a tree.  The seed of the parasitic plant germinates and sends roots down the length of the tree trunk as the tree grows.  Eventually the roots "strangulate" the tree and kill it completely, leaving a hollow cylindrical void in the center of interlaced roots around the periphery.  We were told that there are three types of these plants in Costa Rica.

Wild pepper plant but no salt

Insect fast food

Huevos de caballo

Huevos de caballo is a much catchier name than Tabernaemontana donnell-smithii for this tropical evergreen tree.  It is sometimes referred to as cojones de burro as the hanging fruits always come in pairs.  Though quite popular with species of monkeys and many types of birds, we were told it's actually quite toxic if ingested by humans and the ripe fruit will irritate the skin if touched.

Natural beauty

Erica soaks up the energy of the giant ceiba, the largest tree on site

Our stroll continued through what remains of the primary forest at La Reserva before the skies darkened significantly and the traditional afternoon rain returned.  By this time our crew was eager to finish the forest trek.  After having lived in Costa Rica for a year and a half, the initial novelty of the tropical rainforest we experienced has dissipated a bit for our kids.  They've acclimated to the environment here and no longer view the forest, monkeys, sloths, iguanas and toucans as new or exciting.  This being said, the timing for the end of our walk seemed just right.

We plan on contributing to La Reserva Forest Foundation both to support this impressive organization as well as to do our part to offset our carbon footprint, especially during these years of travel.  They will continue to plant trees both at La Reserva as well as across other sites in Costa Rica in their effort to combat global climate change.  We hope you will support this cause as well.  Please visit their website for opporunties to help.

Volcán Tenorio and Lake Arenal, as seen on the way home