Costa rica...

If there is one place in the world where ecotourism really works it's here in Costa Rica.  I was commissioned by the Earthwatch Institute in 2000 to photograph and promote their conservation work here.  Based at the Guanacaste Research Station on the border with Panama, the scientists here are superb; helpful and informative and such good company.  The forest at Guanacaste is called a dry tropical forest as it sheds its leaves during the dry season.  This forest is a huge strip of rich habitat that runs down the pacific coast linking the North and South American continents.   It forms an unbroken corridor for animals to move, and here in Costa Rica you can see wildlife from both continents mixing together.     Fire often clears space within the forest, which helps to promote biodiversity, and come the rains again, the forest bursts into life with an amazing array of insect life and vigorous leaf growth.  One memorable occasion during my stay (during the start of the rains) was an awesome display of twinkling fireflies that stretched as far as the eye could see.

Squirrel monkey

Agouti                                                          Southern tamandua

Torquoise browed motmot                                  Violaceous trogon