In January I did a post on Toucans and climate change and someone asked, “What can we do?”. One strategy that Friends of the Rainforest is actively involved in is the Bellbird Biological Corridor project that is trying to create continuous habitat for birds such as the Quetzal along their migration routes. Another approach is to [...]

I’ve heard stories from a variety of sources about what climate change is doing to the cloud forest in Monteverde. The electrical company, ICE, predicts that the electricity generated from hydro will be less due to lower rainfall but actual rainfall figures so far show increased rainfall. And then there is also the possibility of [...]

Local botanical expert, Willow Zuchowski, recently ran a tree identification course at four top tree locations in Monteverde. Willow is best known for her books, Tropical Plants of Costa Rica and  An Introduction to Cloud Forest Trees Monteverde Costa Rica, which we used for the course. Willow also runs ProNativas, a native plant garden service, [...]

In November last year the guards reported that they were conducting a joint investigation into illegal logging in Arenal National Park, adjoining the Children’s Eternal Rainforest, with MINAET, the environment ministry. It is important for MCL staff to reciprocate with MINAET over these anti-logging operations even when the logging is not in the CER itself [...]

Meet Joe Middleton, Reserves Manager for Avon Wildlife Trust who has just spent 2 months volunteering in the CER. Joe manages 35 nature reserves in South-west England, and thanks to Joe, we now have accurate trail maps to all the field stations in the CER. Luis Solano (Maintenance and Operations Coordinator) helped Joe brush up [...]

About two years ago volunteers built a viewing platform at Bajo del Tigre. Actually, my partner Willy and I slept the night on it as part of a fundraising Canopy Campaign by the Friends School. But the conditions here tend to make wood rot and the trees grew up around the platform blocking the stunning [...]

Last week when the board of Friends of the Rainforest were visiting Costa Rica they spent the night in the Children’s Eternal Rainforest at Poco Sol. Jim Wolfe, biologist, film maker and ex-board member who has a cabin nearby, put his camera out overnight near the trail from the lake down to the waterfall at [...]

By Julia Matamoros Alvarado, MCLUS Board member When MCLUS board member, Tom Newmark, and I accompanied the management team from NBO Shoes stores who were visiting Pocosol Station of the Children’s Eternal Rainforest, we had the privelage of seeing this new species that was recently registered for the first time in Costa Rica. The wonderful guide [...]

Two days after the full moon two hunters were identified entering the Tigra section of the Forest armed with a .22 calbre Springfield rifle, 7 rounds of ammunition and 2 knives. They spent the night in a police cell. One of the men was prosecuted and ordered to surrender the weapons as they didn’t have [...]

Patrolling the protected area is part of the daily work of the Children’s Eternal Rainforest. These patrols are necesary to prevent hunting and collecting plants and other materials from the reserve. Trails are monitored and also off-trail areas where hunters with dogs are sometimes removed from the forest. This is especially a problem on summer [...]