Itinerary of the Tropical Field Biology Course in Costa Rica (BIO 532L)
June 22-July 6, 2006
General: The class will visit three principal tropical ecosystems: Tropical Dry (Seasonal) Forest
at Palo Verde, Tropical Rain Forest at Selva Verde, and Tropical Cloud Forest at Rio Savegre.
Additionally, we will see Transitional Tropical Forest, Tropical Alpine Paramo, Tropical
Wetland, and Tropical Riparian habitats at various locations during the field trip. Field projects
on birds and frogs will be conducted at selected sites, and geological features will be discussed as
well. We will travel in a 24 passenger, air-conditioned bus with a professional driver and an
excellent naturalist guide, Senor Guillermo (“Memo”) Ayub, who has worked with us on two
previous class trips and a faculty exploratory trip to lay the ground work for this year’s class. The
following is an abbreviated itinerary of the field trip, partly organized by our usual travel agent,
Sandy Schmidt, at Holbrook Travel in Gainesville, Florida. The details will change, as necessary,
depending on weather and travel conditions.
June 22: Morning Departure from Ontario International Airport, Arrival in San Jose, C.R.
We make a plane change in Dallas/Fort Worth before flying to San Jose, Costa Rica. Collect
your luggage, go through Customs and Immigration, then take luggage to the waiting bus with
our guide, Memo. Bus transfer to the Club Martino Hotel, located on a 6.7 acre natural reserve.
June 23: Travel to OTS Palo Verde Biological Station via Tarcoles.
Getting an early start from San Jose, we travel west toward the Pacific Coast and take an eight
mile detour south to the bridge crossing the Tarcoles River. Here we look down on an unusual
gathering of American Crocodiles 25 feet below us. A couple of miles farther south, near the
town of Tarcoles, we may find spectacular and rare Scarlet Macaws. Proceeding north, we will
stop for lunch in the Puntarenas area on the coast. Many species of birds will be seen as we
travel, especially hawks, so keep your notebooks handy! Picking up the Pan American Highway
nearby, note the increasing aridity of the environment as we enter Guanacaste Province. The
Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) maintains one of its three Costa Rican Biological
Research Stations in Palo Verde National Park. This will be our home for the next two days.
Palo Verde offers shared dormitories and baths with meals of traditional foods served family style
in a small dinning hall. Relative humidity will be in the 90% range and daytime temperatures
may be in the low 90s F., cooling to the low 80s F. at night. The accommodations are simple but
adequate, although there is no air conditioning and mosquito nets are needed over the beds. As
time allows, we search the station grounds for birds and herps. Work on your field notebooks
rounds out the day.
June 24: Palo Verde Biological Station.
The main activity today is a guided tour of the Tropical Dry (Seasonal) Forest, which covers the
hills behind the Station. This is a medium-tall, relatively open forest with many deciduous trees
and large lianas dominating the ecosystem. We will discuss various adaptations to drought and
poor soil conditions, both of which will be evident. Geological features of the area also will be
discussed. Observations for the bird project will begin here. There will be opportunities to see
Mantled Howler and White-throated Capuchin Monkeys, as well as many species of birds and
reptiles. Large Black Spiny-tailed Iguanas are particularly common and roam the Station
grounds. In the afternoon, we look at the floodplain of the Tempisque River which forms a large
Tropical Wetland adjacent to the Station. Many species of water birds, unique to the American
Tropics, such as Limpkins, Jabiru Storks, Roseate Spoonbills, Tiger Herons and others use this
extensive wetland for feeding and nesting. The wetland also is home to Spectacled Caimans and
a great diversity of frog species. Around the Station, we’ll see Turquoise-browed Motmots,
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Kiskadee Flycatchers, Violaceous Trogons, Tropical Kingbirds, Grey Hawks, etc. Work on your
bird lists and field notebooks. In the evening, the class begins work on the frog project,
investigating the calling behavior of the various species.
June 25: Palo Verde Biological Station.
Today we take a boat ride on the Tempisque River. This is a medium-sized river, draining the
northern part of Guanacaste Providence and emptying into the Gulf of Nicoya. Because of strong
tidal action from the Gulf, salt water enters the mouth of the river at high tide and flows up stream
(the river actually reverses flow), so you see mangroves along the banks of the river, a sign of
brackish conditions. There are many species of birds, mostly Herons, Egrets and Kingfishers, but
several species of Parrots will be seen or heard. We may see Spectacled Caimans and American
Crocodiles, also. An afternoon bird walk in the Dry Forest, work on your bird lists and field
notebooks, and the evening frog project round out the day.
June 26: Travel to the Arenal Volcano Region
After breakfast, we travel to the geologically interesting region of Volcan Arenal, an active
volcano. We have lunch along the way and note that the vegetation changes from Dry (Seasonal)
Forest to an evergreen Transitional Forest. Although not as tall as the Rain Forest, it is
nevertheless a closed-canopy forest with some very large emergent trees and a high diversity of
both plants and animals. You have a unique opportunity to see this forest “close-up” as you walk
though it on about a dozen Hanging Bridges at mid- and canopy level. You really see this forest
as many of the animals do, including Mantled Howler and White-throated Capuchin Monkeys.
Later, we can observe the volcano and discuss the geological features of the area. The volcano
periodically emits large clouds of smoke and dust, and occasionally lava flows are seen, which
are rather spectacular at night. Occasional rumbling emanates from the crater and slight
earthquakes may be felt. Relative humidity remains high, but daytime temperatures should be in
the low 80s F., cooling to the 70s F. at night. Tonight we stay at the very comfortable Arenal
Lodge and have dinner cafeteria style. The Lodge overlooks Lake Arenal with the volcano on the
opposite side. Up-dating you field notebook rounds out the day.
June 27: Travel to Selva Verde Lodge.
This morning, we walk along the road beside the lake and through Transitional Forest to observe
birds, mammals and reptiles. We take our time to see as much as we can, but plans are very
much dependent on weather conditions. After boarding the bus, we travel eastward through
mostly agricultural areas, but note the increasing height and density of the vegetation as we pass
through patches of forest. We have lunch on the way and later stop in the village of Muelle to see
a large congregation of Green Iguanas in the trees along a river and on the property of a small
restaurant where the proprietor allows people to feed them. Selva Verde is our home for the next
four nights. The Lodge is located in the Caribbean lowlands in a tall Tropical Rain Forest. You
will see the greatest diversity of birds and plants here (both in terms of the number of individuals
and the number of species), compared to any other area we visit in Costa Rica. The reasons for a
this will be discussed more completely as we hike around in the lowland habitats. Selva Verde is
private area, completely protected from development, and is close to the renowned La Selva
Biological Station of the OTS. The Sarapiqui River flows right through the property and you can
see a variety of tropical habitats within easy walking distance. The rooms at the Lodge are very
comfortable and the meals are excellent regional cooking served cafeteria style. Day and
nighttime temperatures run from the low 80s F. to high 70s F., with nearly 100% relative
humidity. After arrival, as time permits, explore the grounds for many species of forest birds, two
species of Poison-dart Frogs, Tink Frogs, Giant Toads, Smooth-skinned, Toads, Blunt-headed
Vine Snakes, and White-lined Sac-winged Bats. Up-date your field notebooks before tuning in
for the night.
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June 28: Half-day Visit to the OTS La Selva Biological Station.
La Selva is the site of many fundamental studies of Neotropical Ecosystems. At any given time,
many scientists and graduate students are in residence, conducting extensive biological studies.
Much of what we know about the functioning of tropical forests came from research done at this
site over the past 50 years. The nearly 4,000 acre biological preserve is immediately adjacent to
the north end of huge Braulio Carillo National Park, providing virtually unlimited opportunities
for ecological research. We will take a tour of the La Selva Rain Forest, led by a local expert
guide, usually a graduate student at the Station, and Memo. This forest has high horizontal and
vertical diversity. Observations for the bird project continue here and at the Lodge. We will see
many species of forest birds, such as Golden-hooded Tanagers, Green Honeycreepers, Blue
Dacnis, Laughing Falcons, Violet-crowned Woodnymphs, and Broad-billed Motmots; mammals,
such as White-nosed Coatis, Collared Peccaries and Brown-throated Three-toed Sloths; and
lizards, including Striped Basilisks, Central American Ameivas and several species of Anoles.
Lunch at the Station, cafeteria style. Afternoon at leisure back at Selva Verde, with work on your
bird lists and field notebooks. The frog calling project will continue after dinner with a new
group of species!
June 29: Selva Verde Lodge and Sarapiqui River.
We travel to the town of Puerto Viejo and board a river boat for a morning cruise on the
Sarapiqui River. This a fairly large tropical river bordered by Tropical Riparian Forest. The
river changes its level almost daily, depending on the amount of rainfall, as it flows through
cultivated and forested areas. We will have a chance to see a variety of reptiles and mammals,
including Green Iguanas, Green Basilisks, Spectacled Caimans, American Crocodiles, Brownthroated Three-toed Sloths, Mantled Howler Monkeys, and Long-nosed Bats roosting on
overhanging tree trunks. Many species of birds, such as Tiger Herons, Olivaceous Cormorants,
Anhingas, Ringed and Amazonian Kingfishers, and several species of Hawks occur along the
river, so keep those notebooks handy! You can compare the characteristics of the Riparian
Forest with those of the other forests you have seen so far. Lunch back at the Lodge and
afternoon at leisure (but work on your bird lists and field notebooks!). More work on the frog
project after dinner will finish the day.
June 30: Selva Verde Lodge.
Part of this day, depending on weather conditions, will be spent on a long hike through the Rain
Forest with a local guide and Memo. We may take our lunch with us or return to the Lodge for
lunch. The area immediately across the Rio Sarapiqui from the Lodge is made up of both primary
and secondary forest in excellent condition. As we proceed, lectures will be given on ecosystem
functions, nutrient cycling, tree architecture, complexity of canopy organization, geology and
other topics uniquely observed throughout the hike. This will give us an opportunity to examine
the question of topical forest soils and why there is such a lack of nutrient storage in them. There
is a good chance of seeing Central American Spider Monkeys, Hoffmann’s Two-toed Sloths, and
many of the birds and herps already seen on the Biological Station and Lodge grounds.
Discussions of these species and their roles in the total functioning of the Rain Forest ecosystem
will be offered by the faculty and guides. Leisure time may be spent as you please, but it is
highly recommended that you explore the botanical garden, the ponds and the secondary forest
across the road from the Lodge, if you haven’t done that yet. Continue up-dating your bird lists
and field notebooks. If necessary, complete observations for the frog project after dinner.
July 1: Return to San Jose and Buena Vista Lodge.
After breakfast, we board our bus and travel south toward San Jose. Along the way, we will stop
in a portion of Braulio Carillo National Park where we are in a large tract of Transitional Forest
that is wetter than what we saw at the Hanging Bridges, because it is on the Caribbean side of the
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Cordillera Central (Central Range) and has characteristics of both Rain Forest and Cloud Forest.
During a short hike, we should encounter Mantled Howler Monkeys, many forest birds such as
Rufous Motmots, Woodcreepers, several species of Parrots, and perhaps an Eyelash Pitviper. We
also will stop at an abandoned butterfly farm, noted for its unusual diversity of Hummingbirds,
including the tiny Snowcap which is rarely seen elsewhere. Climbing to the crest of the
mountains, we are still in the National Park and the middle of an outstanding tract of Cloud
Forest. If the clouds lift, we will get a spectacular view of this pristine forest. We will have
dinner and stay overnight at Buena Vista Lodge, a comfortable resort hotel with views of three
volcanoes, Poas, Barva and Irazu, surrounding the city of San Jose. Unlike Arenal, none of these
are active at the present time. Continue to up-date your field notebooks.
July 2: Travel to the Savegre Lodge (Cabinas Chacon) on the Rio Savegre.
After breakfast, we board the bus and pick up the Pan American Highway, traveling south into
the Cordillera de Talamanca (Talamanca Range). As we climb along the northern spine of the
mountains, you will see a quick reduction in the height and density of the trees in this Cloud
Forest, which is at a higher elevation than the one we passed through in the Central Range. The
change in the vegetation indicates increasing night cold and the lack of direct sunlight. Almost
all of the precipitation comes from the persistent cloud cover that only breaks for short times,
usually in the afternoon. The environment feels damp and condensation drips from the leaves.
Ferns, lichens and epiphytes, characteristic of the Cloud Forest environment, are common. Note
the several species of red flowers, which are pollinated by Hummingbirds, which reach their
highest species diversity in the Cloud Forest. Still higher, at around 9,000 feet, the trees are
reduced to only about 10 feet in height, forming the so-called “Elfin Forest.” From the highway,
we descend a steep mountain road to about 7,200 feet at the Savegre Lodge, still within the Cloud
Forest zone and the Los Santos Forest Reserve. In earlier days, the floor and lower slopes of the
narrow valley were cleared of much of the original forest to allow for cattle ranching and orchard
plantings. Under recent management as an ecotourist resort, a scattering of forest trees and
orchards, as well as Riparian Forest, remain in the valley. Also, extensive tracts of Cloud Forest
cover the higher slopes and ridges on both sides of the valley. Due to the elevation, daytime
temperatures will be in the 70s F. and nighttime temperatures in the 60s F., so even though the
relative humidity will still be in the 90% range, the climatic conditions are quite pleasant. The
Lodge provides comfortable cabins near the Rio Savegre, with excellent meals served family
style in a common dining room. Hummingbird feeders are hung around the reception and dining
area, attracting many of these beautiful birds as well as species of Tanagers and Orioles. We
probably will have lunch at the Lodge and take a bird walk along the river in the afternoon,
returning for dinner. Work on your bird lists and field notebooks before calling it a day!
July 3: Savegre Lodge.
We will spend most of the day looking for birds, especially the Resplendent Quetzal, the unique
green and red, long-tailed Trogon of the Central American Cloud Forests. The exact location
where this species can be see varies according to season and the availability of its favorite food,
small-fruited avocados. Because several varieties of avocado are available in the area, Quetzals
are here year-round, but we may have to hike a bit to find them. In addition, we will see many
species of birds that can only be found in Cloud Forests. However, because this forest area is
characterized by many species of Oaks, you also will see a bird that should be very familiar to
you, the Acorn Woodpecker! We will return to the Lodge for lunch, and there should be plenty
of leisure time in the afternoon. Frogs appear to be relatively scarce here, but keep your eyes
open for them. Be sure to work on your bird lists and keep up with your field notebook before
turning in for the day.
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July 4: Savegre Lodge.
We will take a long hike in the Cloud Forest on the upper slopes of the valley today, looking for
birds, mammals and herps. We may take our lunch with us. You will note that the vertebrate
fauna of tropical mountain areas tends to be dominated by bird species, unlike the lowland
regions we have seen so far, where mammals and herps are abundant. However, we may at least
find Green Spiny Lizards. During the hike, we will discuss the characteristics of this unique
forest type which, unfortunately, has already disappeared over most of Central America due to
clearing for grazing and farming. You will have some leisure time today, but continue working
on your bird lists and field notebooks to make them as complete as you can.
July 5: En Route Back to San Jose and the Hotel Buena Vista
Departing Savegre Lodge after breakfast, we will climb back up to the Pan American Highway,
travel south for a few miles, then, near a place appropriately called Siberia, turn west on a small
dirt road that will take us to an elevation of approximately 11,000 feet. Here we will take a short
hike on the flanks of Cerro de Muerte (Hill of Death) which overlooks the deep valley of the Rio
Savegre. We are in the unique tropical alpine environment called Paramo. This is essentially a
treeless, open region dominated by small shrubs and rosette plants, looking not unlike places you
might have seen in the high mountain regions of California. Not surprisingly, some of the plant
species will look familiar, too! Geological features and the interesting flora and fauna will be
discussed. Note that there are very few animals living here (a few birds and the Green Spiny
Lizard) due to the harsh conditions, but surprisingly, several species of Hummingbirds are only
fund in the Paramo, because insect pollinators are lacking. Again, red colored flowers will be
frequently seen here. It is a windy environment, with air temperatures in the upper 40s F. or low
50s F., so you will be cold. You also will quickly notice the lack of oxygen at this elevation, and
we suggest that you move around rather slowly as we make our observations. Returning to the
bus and the highway, we head north back to San Jose, descending to an elevation of just over
4,000 feet at the Hotel Buena Vista. You probably will have some leisure time, and an
opportunity to up-date your field notebooks and begin packing for our early morning departure.
A nice farewell dinner is planned for this evening, our last in Costa Rica!
July 6: Depart Hotel, San Jose Airport, and Return to Ontario International Airport.
Your luggage must be packed and ready to go before our early morning breakfast. We will take
our bus to the airport, go through Customs and Immigration, then board the plane for Dallas/Fort
Worth. After a change of planes, we’ll be on the last leg of our fantastic trip and headed for
home!
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Tour Cost:
$2052.00 Per Person in Double Occupancy (except at Palo Verde)
Based on 16 persons traveling.
Cost includes hotels and lodges
indicated/transfers/activities as indicated.
as
listed,
including
taxes/meals
as
Cost does not include personal expenditures/gratuities to drivers and guides/international
airfare/optional tours and activities/departure taxes.
We are currently holding 16 spaces for the following airfare and schedule:
AA #2248 22JUN Ontario – Dallas/Ft. Worth 1026A 334P
AA #2167 22JUN Dallas/Ft. Worth – San Jose 543P 841P
AA #2166 06JUL San Jose – Dallas/Ft. Worth 905A 214P
AA #355 06JUL Dallas/Ft. Worth – Ontario 415P 522P
$755.00 Per Person
SPECIAL NOTE
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR PASSPORT IS VALID 90 DAYS PAST THE TRIP
DEPARTURE DATE. COSTA RICA NOW REQUIRES THIS FOR ENTRY.
Reservations can be made by contacting Sandy Schmidt at Holbrook Travel at 877-907-5360
or Schmidt@holbrooktravel.com The deposit of $250.00 per person is due no later than
March 20, 2006. The deposit is applicable to the balance due. If a cancellation is made
outside of 60 days of departure, the cancellation charge is $100.00 per person. The balance is
due 60 days prior to departure, and within 60 days prior to departure, the moneys are nonrefundable.
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