A01- CLOUD FOREST
0108, Jackie Trahan, Meg Pulling
INTRODUCTION
((NAT))
WATER GURGLING
((TAKE VO))
THE MONTEVERDE CLOUD
FOREST BIOLOGICAL RESERVE IS
HOME TO A PLETHORA OF
TROPICAL PLANT AND ANIMAL
SPECIES.
FOUNDED IN 1972, THE
STRIKING MYSTIQUE OF THE CLOUD
FOREST NOW ATTRACTS VISITORS
FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
MORE THAN 70-THOUSAND
ECOTOURISTS FLOCK TO
MONTEVERDE EACH YEAR TO
EXPERIENCE ITS ENCHANTMENT.
((SOT))
((CG LINE 1))*
“THIS WAS INCREDIBLY
LOUIE MERCADO
IMPRESSIVE. AGAIN, YOU KNOW,
TOURIST, NEW YORK CITY
WE HAVE NOTHING LIKE THIS
WHERE I COME FROM. SO THE
NATURAL BEAUTY, THE FAUNA, THE
FLORA, IT’S ALL PRETTY, I’M BLOWN
AWAY BY IT ALL.”
((CG LINE 1))*
RON RUPPERT
BIOLOGY PROFESSOR, CALIFORNIA
((SOT))
“BEAUTIFUL… SERENE…
QUIET.”
((CG LINE 1))*
TOM TUDJMAN
TRAVELER, THE NETHERLANDS
((SOT))
“THAT’S REALLY AMAZING
BECAUSE IT’S VERY WELL
PRESERVED AND THERE ARE SO
MANY SPECIES ALL LIVING THERE.
FIRST I CAME HERE, I DIDN’T KNOW
WHAT ECOTOURISM WAS. THEN I
REALIZED THAT THE MONEY THEY
GET FROM THE TOURISTS HELP TO
PRESERVE THIS BEAUTIFUL
LANDSCAPE. I’M REALLY AMAZED
HOW BEAUTIFUL IT IS.”
((CG LINE 1))*
FAITH ZACH
((SOT))
“AMAZING…BEAUTIFUL…
TOURIST, CALIFORNIA
POWERFUL.”
((CG LINE 1))*
((SOT))
JENNIFER HARRISON
“WELL DEFINITELY
RETIRED NATURALIST, BRITISH
INTERESTING AND DEFINITELY
COLUMBIA
BEAUTIFUL RAINFOREST TO BE
ABLE TO SEE ALL THESE VINES AND
TO SEE THOSE EPIPHYTES IN THE
TREES. I REALLY LIKE SEEING
THOSE BECAUSE WE LOVE PLANTS,
TOO. SO, WE LOVE LOOKING AT
STRANGE AND DIFFERENT PLANTS
AND SEEING SOME OF THE
TROPICAL PLANTS DOWN HERE
THAT WE ACTUALLY GROW AT
HOME, OR WE DON’T GROW THEM,
WE ACTUALLY USE THEM AS HOUSE
PLANTS. SO LIKE
CUT-LEAF PHILODENDRONS AND
CECROPIAS.”
((VO RESUMES))
41 YEARS AGO THE RESERVE
CONTAINED 328-HECTARES OF
PRISTINE BEAUTY.
TODAY, THE BIOLOGICAL
RESERVE STRETCHES ACROSS
TEN-THOUSAND-500-HECTARES, OR
NEARLY 26-THOUSAND ACRES, OF
INCREDIBLE BIOLOGICAL RICHES.
PROFESSIONAL TOUR
GUIDES LEAD PARK VISITORS
ALONG ANY OF NINE TRAILS TO
EXPERIENCE THE ABOUNDING
BIODIVERSITY FOUND IN EACH
CREVICE OF THE CLOUD FOREST.
THE 13-KILOMETERS OF
TRAILS EXPOSE HIKERS TO FOURPERCENT OF THE WORLD’S KNOWN
PLANT AND ANIMAL SPECIES.
VISITORS HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE THE
HABITAT OF A BOUNDLESS NUMBER
OF SPECIES.
MORE THAN 500-SPECIES OF
BIRDS SOAR THROUGH THE CLOUD
FOREST’S CANOPY, INCLUDING THE
BREATHTAKING QUETZAL.
60-SPECIES OF AMPHIBIANS,
101-SPECIES OF REPTILES AND
THOUSANDS OF INSECTS ALSO
CALL THIS RESERVE HOME.
ENDOTHERMIC ANIMALS
ALSO ROAM THE FOREST FLOOR.
130 MAMMALS HAVE BEEN
IDENTIFIED WITHIN THE RESERVE.
THE COSTA RICAN RACCOON,
THE COATI SCROUNGES FOR FOOD
BENEATH THE BRUSH AND FOLIAGE
SPRAWLED ACROSS THE FOREST
FLOOR.
THE CLOUD FOREST
RESERVE IS ALSO A LARGE
BREEDING GROUND FOR AN
IMMEASURABLE AMOUNT OF PLANT
SPECIES.
TEN-PERCENT OF THE FLORA
FOUND ALONG THE GROUND AS
WELL AS IN THE LUSH FOREST
CANOPY ARE ENDEMIC TO THE
TILARÁN MOUNTAIN RAINGE.
MANY OF THE RESERVE’S
GUESTS HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE
OF SEEING THESE SPECIES FIRST
HAND IN THEIR NATURAL HABITAT.
((SOT))
“ON A NIGHT HIKE WE SAW A
SLOTH IN THE TREES, JUST EATING.
SO I THINK THAT’S AMAZING. NOT
EVEN IN THE ZOO, BUT IN REAL LIFE
WE SAW A SLOTH.”
((SOT))
“THE WATERFALL. I THINK I
SAW PIECES OF A SLOTH THROUGH
A TELESCOPE.”
((SOT))
“WE SAW A QUETZAL! AND WE
SAW SLOTHS AND BROMELIADS
AND ORCHIDS AND NEW BIRDS.”
((SOT))
“FOR EXAMPLE, I REALLY
ENJOYED SEEING THE TWO-TOED
SLOTH. AND THEN ON OUR OWN
LITTLE TOUR BY OURSELVES LATER
WE SAW A TWO-TOED SLOTH WITH
BABY. SO THAT WAS REALLY NICE.”
((VO RESUMES))
HOWEVER, SOME VISITORS
SEE THE INCREASE IN TOURISM AS
A DETRIMENT TO THE RESERVE’S
BEAUTY.
((SOT))
((CG LINE 1))*
“I THINK WE CAME A LITTLE
PETTER LILLEENGEN
BIT TOO LATE TO SEE WHAT WE
BIOLOGY STUDENT, NORWAY
WANTED TO SEE. BUT, OF COURSE
IT’S VERY BEAUTIFUL, BUT
COMPARED TO SANTA ELENA, THE
OTHER RESERVE, IT’S MUCH MORE
TOURISTY AND IT’S NOT THAT
NATURAL.”
((VO RESUMES))
THOUGH GUESTS MAY
DISAGREE ABOUT THE ENJOYMENT
OF THEIR HIKE, MANY EMPHASIZED
THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESERVING
THE BEAUTY OF BOTH THE
MONTEVERDE CLOUD FOREST
BIOLOGICAL RESERVE AND
FORESTS AROUND THE WORLD.
((SOT))
“I GUESS I CAN’T MAKE AN
ECONOMIC ARGUMENT, BUT I THINK
IT ENRICHES OUR LIVES. I’M SURE
THERE IS AN ECONOMIC
ARGUMENT TO BE MADE, BUT I
DON’T THINK I HAVE THAT. BUT IT’S
JUST…NATURE IS SO MUCH MORE
CREATIVE AND SO MUCH MORE
AMAZING AND SO…THAN ANYTHING
WE’VE PRODUCED. I MEAN WE’VE
PRODUCED AMAZING STUFF, BUT
THIS IS BEYOND ANYTHING.”
((SOT))
“AND I THINK WE NEED TO
PAY MORE ATTENTION TO
PRESERVING SPACES LIKE THIS
AND MAYBE LESS OF AN EMPHASIS
ON THESE URBAN SPRAWLS AND
MCDONALD’S AND OTHER
CORPORATE ENTITIES CAN MAKE
MORE MONEY, RANK IN MORE
MONEY.”
((SOT))
“WELL I THINK BECAUSE WELL
WE ARE LIVING WITH SO MANY
PEOPLE ON THIS EARTH AND WE
HAVE QUITE A HIGH STANDARD OF
LIVING AND POLLUTION IS SO BIG.I
THINK WELL, IF WE DON’T WANT TO
LOSE THIS BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY,
THE NATURE, ALL THE ANIMALS
AND NOT HAVE AN EXTINCTION OF
ANIMALS, I THINK WE SHOULD DO
THIS.I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT IF WE
LOVE OUR PLANET.”
((SOT))
“WELL, BECAUSE THE WORLD
IS BECOMING SO BUSY AND SO
BUILT UP AND, I MEAN, WE JUST
HAVE TO PRESERVE NATURE
CAUSE WE KNOW WE’RE ALL
CONNECTED AND WE JUST HAVE
TO KEEP THESE SPECIAL PLACES
OR THE HUMAN RACE IS GOING TO
DIE, I MEAN, IT IS. LIKE THE
ECOLOGIST THAT’S IN MY TOWN, I
ASKED HER ONCE ‘WHAT DO YOU
THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE
FUTURE?’ AND SHE SAID WELL, IF
WE DON’T SMARTEN UP AND
PROTECT OUR BEAUTIFUL
RAINFORESTS AND LANDS AND
KEEP OUR AIR CLEAN BECAUSE WE
KNOW THAT THE TREES KEEP OUR
AIR CLEAN… WE ARE NOT GONNA
BE ON THE EARTH UNTIL MAYBE
OUR GREAT, GREAT
GRANDCHILDREN. AND THE WHOLE
EARTH SYSTEM WILL JUST
COLLAPSE AND THE WHOLE
ECOLOGY OF THE WORLD WON’T
LAST.
((SOT))
“BECAUSE THE ANIMALS THAT
OCCUR HERE CANNOT LIVE IN THE
FARM AREAS AND PLACES THAT
THEY FARM AND CLEAR AND SO ON.
SO YOU WOULDN’T GET QUETZALS
DOWN IN THE FARM AREA. YOU
HAVE TO COME HERE TO SEE A
QUETZAL. WE SAW SLOTHS, YOU’RE
NOT GONNA SEE SLOTHS. WE SAW
MONKEYS, YOU’RE NOT GONNA SEE
MONKEYS DOWN IN THE
AGRICULTURAL AREAS. SO I THINK
IT’S FOR THE ORGANISMS MOSTLY
THAT WE NEED TO PRESERVE
THESE AREAS.”
((SOT))
“WELL THERE’S SPECIES IN
HERE. THERE’S, YOU KNOW, 200
SPECIES IN ONE TREE OF THESE
PLANTS AND THERE’S MORE THAT
WE DON’T EVEN KNOW ABOUT. SO
IT’S IMPORTANT FOR OUR FUTURE
JUST BECAUSE OFTHE POSSIBLE
MEDICINAL VALUE OF THOSE
PLANTS AND JUST, I MEAN, WHAT A
SHAME IF IT WENT AWAY. I MEAN
IT’S AMAZING HERE.”
((SOT))
“WELL BECAUSE THERE’S I
GUESS A LOT OF BIODIVERSITY
THAT YOU CAN ONLY FIND IN
PLACES LIKE THIS AND YOU DON’T
FIND ANYWHERE ELSE.”
((VO RESUMES))
MANY VISITORS LEFT THE
RESERVE ON CLOUD NINE, EXCITED
TO SHARE THEIR VISIT WITH
FRIENDS AND FAMILY BACK HOME.
((SOT))
“JUST THAT IT WOULD BE AN
AMAZING PLACE TO VISIT IF THEY
EVER GET THE CHANCE. IT’S JUST
SO, SO BEAUTIFUL.”
((SOT))
“THE GREENERY, IT’S JUST
LIKE SO MUCH GREEN, QUIET,
NATURAL BEAUTY AND THERE’S
NOTHING LIKE THIS…WE DON’T
HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THIS AT ALL.”
((SOT))
“SO I TAKE PICTURES OF
EVERYTHING AND MY STUDENTS
WILL GAIN A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE
AS A RESULT OF MY EXPERIENCES
HERE AND OTHER PLACES IN
COSTA RICA AS WELL.”
((SOT))
“IT’S WORTH IT. COME DOWN
HERE AND CHECK IT OUT.”