Annual eco-tourism trips focused on tropical conservation and wildlife photography are offered with a built-in contribution to the MCLUS. They are usually two weeks long, draw on the expertise of local scientists and naturalists in the field. They are not luxury trips, but the opportunities for wildlife sighting are wonderful! Scroll down for detailed itinerary!

Join the Costa Rica trip June 11-24, 2010

$1995 plus airfare
These trips include a $200 tax deductible gift to the Monteverde Conservation League USA. 

Costa Rica Trip Overview

Maggie Eisenberger leads tropical adventures filled with conservation, biodiversity, and a spectacular opportunity to stay in the biological field station in the largest private reserve in the country, El Bosque Eterno de los Ninos.

You can view the active Arenal Volcano from the veranda. The 54,000 acre reserve includes Monteverde cloud forest and tropical rain forest. Bring your raincoat and rubber boots. You will raft the Corobici River through tropical dry forest and visit Carara National Park, a lowland Pacific forest. The differences in each ecosystem will be apparent as local biologists and naturalists share their expertise. You will get to help catch birds in a mist net as our scientist/guide collects data. You will visit a local school, learn about women’s issues in Costa Rica, learn a little Spanish, do lots of hiking and see fabulous birds, monkeys, coati, agouti, and maybe the tracks of margay, ocelot, jaguar or tapir.

Visits to a Wild Cat Refuge, a Butterfly Garden, the Orchid Garden and the Ranario (frog garden) are easy ways to see and learn a lot in a short time. Optional activities include canopy zipline, horseback riding, a live bat exhibit, and suspension bridges through the canopy of the forest. Photo ops are everywhere! This is not a lie-on-the-beach trip. Come ready to have a jungle adventure, sleep in a bunk, be willing to hike, learn a lot, and try new foods, learn a little Spanish, meet new people and appreciate a whole new culture and ecosystem.

$1995 includes all lodging, overland transportation, guides, admissions, instruction, taxes and meals. A deposit of $200 will hold your spot and is refundable (less a $40 cancellation fee). The balance is due April 1, 2010. The FREE day expenses, tips for guides and departure tax of $26 are not included.

TESTIMONIAL from 2005 trip participant, “My Costa Rica journal is filled with the startling, inspiring and glorious discoveries of this wondrous trip. My senses and my spirit were repeatedly awed and refilled by the discoveries this journey holds … Going to sleep in the navy blue night to the metallic clinking of tree frogs and the lush whispers of a stream … Laying between the giant arms of a giant buttress tree … Listening to a Bellbird, training my binoculars on chattering toucans and white-faced Capuchin monkeys bouncing through the canopy of branches above me, and spotting, near my feet, a beautiful silver-grey fox.”

Itinerary for Costa Rica Trip – June 11-24, 2010 -

Fri 11 Arrival at airport in San Jose, Costa Rica- overnight Hotel Cacts

Sat 12 Visit National Institute of Biodivesity. Begin nature journal w/sketches of flora and fauna. Lunch en route through coffee plantations etc. to Monteverde on Pan Am Hwy (4 hours). Supper and Overnight at Los Llanos Field Station. Take in the sunset over Gulf of Nicoya.

Sun 13 Hike through the cloud forest to El Bosque Eterno de los Ninos (BEN) the Eternal Forest of the Children, 54,000 acres of protected forest. Settle in San Gerardo Biological Field Station view of Arenal Volcano – Solo on trails w/sketch and journal time howler monkeys, coati, morpho butterflies Supper night hike w/Mark Wainwright author of Mammals of Costa Rica.

Mon 14 Early a.m. bird walks are always an option orientation hikes with Mark and Chico:
Praying mantis, beetles, orchids, morpho butterflies, coati, lianas, palms, white-faced monkeys -Afternoon solo w/sketch and journal time amidst towering strangler figs festooned w/epiphytes-Supper and journal by candlelight ever possible volcanic eruption of Volcan Arenal – Games

Tue 15 Mist-netting birds w/ornithologist – photo or sketching ops of individual species: maybe nightingale thrush, wood wren, manakin, spinetail, wood thrush, flycatcher, swallowtail kite, oropendula, toucan, toucanet, cotinga, resplendent quetzal – Lunch-Trail maintenance or other service project- Typical CR dinner homemade tortillas you get to make yourself! Free time til lights out

Wed 16 Hike out through cloud mist for return to Monteverde, bus pickup to Los Llanos-LunchVisit CASEM and coffee Roastery, Cheese factory for best milk shakes in the world – Supper Slide show by Deb Derosier re: Pacific Slope Forest and Bellbird migration Los Llanos overnight

Thur 17 Visit Bajo del Tigre trails solo, nature journaling, white-faced monkeys, agouti, chachalaca,blue-crowned motmots Climb the strangler fig tree picnic lunch Reforestation with Deb for afternoon. Supper ,art, journaling time with sunset over Gulf. Mark’s DVD “Rhythms in the Clouds”

Fri 18 Bus to nearby rural San Luis Valley for strenuous hike to spectacular 200ft waterfall and bathing pool. Sketching time and picnic lunch. Visit local rural school and take donation of school supplies. Supper at La Calandria Evening visit to Ranario when frogs are singing. Overnight Los Llanos.

Sat 19 Visit Butterfly Garden w/four habitats and hatching pupas more sketching ops: morpho, owl eye, heliconia butterflies and cool insects to sketch picnic lunch at MCL office Afternoon breather to catch up on watercolor – Supper – Slide show of essential efforts of the Monteverde Conservation League. Overnight La Calanria.

Sun 20 Attend Quaker meeting, the historic beginning of Monteverde. Women’s Issues afternoon visiting homes of artisan members of the Women’s Co-op and visit an orchid garden.  Oveernight La Calandria.

Mon 21- FREE DAY on your own – options: Horseback riding, Sky Walk (canopy suspension bridges), Sky Trek (zipline above tree tops), cloud forest hike w/guide, live Bat exhibit Hummingbird Gallery, Cloud Forest Preserve, serpentarium. Be sure to bring your nature journal. Shopping op- Supper at La Calandria 6 pm. Pack for early departure tomorrow for lowlands

Tue 22 Chartered bus to Canas – Raft Coribici River: caimen, iguana, basilisk lizard, howler monkeys, egrets, herons, wood storks, ibis, roseate spoonbill, kingfishers, etc. Picnic Lunch- Visit Las Pumas Wild Cat Refuge (puma, jaguar, ocelot, margay, jaguarundi) Supper in small town and strole around the plaza. Overnight at La Pacifica Hacienda with swimming pool.

Wed 23 Bus to Tarcoles River to see giant salt water crocodiles and Carara NP to look for lowland rainforest species- palms, parrots, poison arrow frogs, paca, agouti, turquoise-browed motmot, scarlet macaws  Return to San Jose -Farewell dinner Cacts Hotel

Thu 24 Airport  fly home – Departure tax $26

Contact info@mclus.org for more information and reservations!