EVENTS, EXPERIENCES, EXHIBITS, ETC.
COMPILED BY PAT HENDERSON
Keel-billed toucan
Resplendent quetzal
Scarlet macaw
Follow your nose
Maquenque Eco Preserve
The preserve is home to
more than 400 species,
including scarlet macaws,
the endangered great
green macaws, toucans
and a number of migra-
tory birds.
San Gerardo de Dota
The only spot in Costa
Rica listed in “50 Places
to Go Birding Before You
Die,” San Gerardo has
more than 170 species,
including many that are
endemic to the zone near
the cloud forest.
Selva Bananito Reserve
An early morning
walk with one of Selva
Bananito’s experts takes
birders to see orioles,
kingfishers, toucans,
trogons and many other
species.
Selva Verde Rainforest
Lodge and Reserve
This site is part of the
recently created Costa
Rican Bird Route, a
group of 12 sites in
the San Juan-La Selva
Biological Corridor.
Turrialba and Irazu
volcanoes The higher
altitudes in this area
allow visitors to see a
different species, ranging
from the flame-throated
warbler to volcano jun-
cos and timberline wrens.
For more information, contact Costa Rica Travel Excellence’s Carlos Blanco at [email protected] or go to travelexcellence.com.
Fired up for fossils?
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in central Colorado
is one of the state’s top archaeological sites. Located 35 miles
west of Colorado Springs, the 6,000-acre park includes a wide
array of well-preserved plant and insect fossils that date back
18
April/May 2018
millions of years.
At the visitor center, groups can learn more about the role
the nearby Thirtynine Mile volcanic field played in helping
the area become a major fossil repository. They can see the
14-minute movie, “Shadows of the Past,” and view hands-on
exhibits and fossil displays.
A number of ranger-led activities are available, including
the popular night sky programs. Offered monthly, these ses-
sions start with a 30-minute presentation and then partici-
pants have 90 minutes for telescope use and stargazing. From
the park, it is possible to see the Milky Way, other galaxies,
planets, comets, star clusters and more.
The monument also is home to North America’s largest col-
lection of petrified redwood stumps. Several of the massive
redwood stumps are behind the visitor center, while short
loop trails lead to others.
Additional nature walks on the park’s 14 miles of trails
wind through pine-covered hills that are home to Douglas fir
and aspen trees. The 3.8-mile Hornbek Wildlife Loop takes
hikers through meadows and past Hornbek Homestead,
which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
To learn more, call +1.719.748.3253 or go to nps.gov/flfo.
bit.ly/2HoySou, CC
Costa Rica has carved a reputation as an outdoor lover’s paradise. The Central American nation, known as the birthplace of canopy
tours/zip lining, is also a top destination for birdwatchers.
Visitors can see more than 900 species across the country at top birding spots, including the following five, which are part of
a 13-day birdwatching tour offered by NTA tour operator member Costa Rica Travel Excellence.