What an amazing start to March! Our Jicaro danto restoration team was full of energy as we embarked on 7 field expeditions throughout the Guanacaste Mountain range, in search of the special Jicaro Danto tree populations.. It was a thrilling adventure as surprises came up! The most successful expedition by far was in the Caribbean sector of Rincon de la Vieja National Park. We couldn’t believe our luck when we stumbled upon what we believe to be the healthiest Parmentiera valerii population yet! And as if that wasn’t exciting enough, we saw tapir tracks everywhere we went. We cannot deny that where tapirs are, Jicaro dantopopulations thrive!
Another amazing and surprising expedition was our collaboration with the Mi Ocotea Project in Cacao Volcano. Not only did we find a healthy Jicaro danto population, but we were thrilled to discover a huge population of Ocotea monteverdensis (a tree that was believed to only occur in tiny patches in Monteverde). Two endangered and endemic tree species coexisting in the same forest. We are truly amazed by the incredible biodiversity of this region.
“This month has allowed me to meet many people with great enthusiasm and love for nature. Meeting Freddy in Cacao Volcano and sharing time with Daniela Quesada Cruz from Mi Ocotea motivate me to continue with the work of conservation and research”
Donald Varela-Soto
Jicaro danto restoration project coordinator.
