July 2007
The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

That simple Emerson quotation is premise of the reforestation program developed by us at our Leaves and Lizards Arenal Volcano Cabin Retreat.

Just over a year ago, we purchased a 26 acre dairy farm in Monterrey, Costa Rica. We built 3 cabins and opened to guests in January 2007.  A vacation at Leaves and Lizards is an ecological and cultural experience.  Guests may learn about the Meso-American Biological Corridor (http://www.ecoworld.com/home/articles2.cfm?tid=377), the consequences of deforestation, spend the day with a Costa Rica family, become informed about the circle of life in the rainforest by their expert guides and eat food cooked with methane gas produced from the manure of their pigs and cows.  Many of the guests that have had the pleasure of staying at Leaves and Lizards enquire about reforesting opportunities.  Some have even purchased farms in need of reforesting and others just want to NOT do NOTHING about deforestation. 

Proper reforestation takes planning and follow through (1). These are the steps necessary for a successful reforestation plan: 

1. Clean-up and soil preparation – if the farm has natural grass, clean-up is done once before planting.  If the farm has exotic grasses like Brazilian or Gigante, it will take several clean-ups. These invasive grasses have been planted as pasture grass on cattle farms. They choke out and kill baby trees or other native grasses and plants.

2. Designing the new forest, ordering and careful transport of trees to the planting location. The design includes a variety of native trees.  Teak, not native to Costa Rica, is commonly used as the pioneer forest.  It grows rapidly, has large leaves that provide shade that the native trees need to grow.  The teak can be harvested later to provide additional funding for future projects. 

3. Making sticks for tree supports, digging holes, planting and organic fertilizing of trees.  In the San Carlos area of Costa Rica tree planting season is in May and November.  These are the rainiest months. 

4. Eliminating weed competition and pruning – once a month for the next 24 months.  It is possible to just let the land go back to ‘back to nature’, however, that takes longer and the new forest will have less biodiversity.

Biodiversity is short for Biological + Diversity, defined as the number of organisms in an ecosystem, region or environment.  Rainforests are complexly biodiverse; they cover only about 2% of the land mass on the earth, but contain 50% of all life on the planet. In 2.5 acres of primary rainforest there may be as many as 480 different species of trees. Brazil has the highest level of biodiversity in the world with 59,851 known different species of plants and animals. Sadly, they also have the world’s highest deforestation rate. Brazil is responsible for 27 % of the earth’s yearly deforestation. The earth suffers 80,000 acres of deforestation daily! (2)

A good reforestation plan includes ways for the new forest to support itself.  For example, two trees are growing side by side, but in nature only one of those trees will reach old age, the other less dominate one will eventually be crowded out by the larger tree, the smaller tree can be harvested and the wood used to provide funding for the farm up keep, and further reforestation projects.  Another tree is planted in its place. This is growing what Fred Morgan at Finca Leola (http://www.fincaleola.com) calls, a perpetual forest.

A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. - Greek Proverb

The reforestation project at Leaves and Lizards (http://www.leavesandlizards.com) offers people a chance to buy trees for reforestation as a gift, memorial or as part of a vacation package. One package gives the supporter the opportunity to plant and care for the baby trees. Supporters receive yearly photographs, documenting the growth of the trees they sponsored. The Legg’s work with Hector Ramirez from Reforest Costa Rica (http://www.reforestcostarica.com).  Hector’s knowledge and expertise of the local flora and fauna, as well as the connections he has in the community, prove to make this program a great success.  Local farmers trust him and he is educating farmers about the need to protect their remaining forests and reforest to protect water sources.

Community involvement is the philosophy of Leaves and Lizards.  It is an ecologically and socially responsible resort.  Monterrey is a tiny, close knit community, perched in the mountains above La Fortuna.  La Fortuna sits in the shadow of the Arenal Volcano and has experienced rapid growth as numerous tourists flock to the area hoping to get a glimpse of one of the most active volcanoes in the world.  The community of Monterrey has watched Fortuna outgrow its resources and since the opening of Leaves and Lizards, Monterrey has looked to us for guidance in planning for future tourism.  We believe tourism should be a support to the community, remain in the background and not take over the community.  Local leaders are taking proactive measures to ensure the preservation and continuation of the quality of life in this tranquil hamlet. The first meeting of the ‘city association’ took place in February 2007.  The association facilitates community improvements including road repair, handling of garbage, recycling and water usage. 

Many of the tours offered at Leaves and Lizards promote rural tourism.  Farmers and other locals show off their farms, waterfalls and forests to the guests at Leaves and Lizards.  Residents of Monterrey have helped plant native trees and plants that produce fruit to attract wildlife to the resort for guests to enjoy. 

The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a  green thing that stands in the way.  Some see Nature all ridicule and deformity, and some scarce see Nature at all.  But to the eyes of the man of imagination, Nature is Imagination itself. -  William Blake, 1799, The Letters.

Costa Rican Spanish - Christopher Howard, the foremost expert in living and retiring in Costa Rica and author of the No.1 bestselling "New Golden Door to Retirement and Living in Costa Rica", has written a one-of-a-kind language book for people wanting to live in or just visit Costa Rica. It is the result of twenty years of experience, experimentation and research in the field of bilingual education. Tiresome grammar and tedious exercises have been eliminated to both accelerate and facilitate the learning process and make this book more enjoyable. Thus, people of all ages can benefit from it.