The Houston Museum of Natural Science presents:
A Natural History Adventure in Costa Rica
A unique 12-day/11 night celebration of natural history
with Dr. Nancy Greig, Director of the Cockrell Butterfly Center

12-day/11 July 2004

Costa Rica is considered one of the most biodiverse regions in the world, boasting 20 national parks, 8 biological reserves, and a wealth of other protected areas that have captivated lovers of ecotourism for decades. Our tour, led by Nancy Greig, will take you from the Pacific coast in the southwest of the country, through the mountainous areas of Monteverde and Arenal, to conclude in the northeast on the Caribbean coast, where we'll join scientists who monitor the populations of the endangered Green Sea Turtle on the beaches of Tortuguero National Park.

Nancy Greig has served as director of the museum's Cockrell Butterfly Center since its opening in 1994. Her background is in tropical plant ecology and insect-plant interactions. After receiving a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin and before coming to the museum, she worked for the Organization for Tropical Studies leading field courses in Costa Rica. Nancy is enthusiastic about all aspects of tropical natural history. Her love for and familiarity with this peaceful, friendly country will make our Costa Rican adventure a very special trip for participants of all ages.

Out trip includes:

• 2 nights at the Bougainvillea Hotel in San Jose, including our farewell dinner on the final night.
• 3 nights at the Tiskita Jungle Lodge on the southern Pacific Coast. Located on a hill overlooking the ocean and a beautiful beach, the lodge lies just across the gulf from Corvovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula, hailed by National Geographic as "the most biologically intense place on earth." Tiskita's 11 charming cottages all have ocean views, verandas with hammocks, private baths and electricity. The lodge also has a swimming pool.
• 2 nights at the Fonda Vela Hotel in Monteverde and 1 night at the Arenal Observatory Lodge. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is considered one of the richest and most complex tropical cloud forests of the New World. Volcan Arenal in Costa Rica's northwest region is among the world's most active volcanoes, and staying at the Observatory Lodge offers visitors a rare chance to see this incredible phenomenon up close.
• 3 nights at Mawamba Lodge on the Atlantic coast just outside Tortuguero National Park. On 15 acres of beachfront, the lodge features 54 comfortable rooms with private bathrooms, hot water, and ceiling fans. At Tortuguero we will have the opportunity to participate in the Caribbean Conservation Association's longterm monitoring project of the Atlantic green Sea Turtle. We will hear a detailed lecture on the research, and will actively help to record and tag turtles that come onto the beach at night to lay their eggs.

A Natural History Adventure in Costa Rica We fly from Houston to San Jose, Costa Rica, where our driver will meet us and transfer us to our hotel. The next morning we fly to Tiskita on the Pacific Coast. The area around Tiskita offers exceptional bird watching, plus chances to see three species of monkey and possibly a sloth or tapir! Along the beach are tidal pools to explore; in the forest are waterfalls and freshwater swimming holes. You will have opportunities for both guided and self-guided tours through the jungle and exotic fruit tree farm. Miles of clean, wild, deserted beach stretch in front of the lodge, and just down the beach is a native village, inaccessible except through Tiskita. You can visit their school, clinic, talk to the villagers - an opportunity to see a side of Costa Rica not usually available to tourists. Our next destination is one of Costa Rica's highlights: the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. With eight distinct ecological communities, Monteverde boasts an incredible diversity of flora and fauna. The reserve is a paradise for the nature lover, with over 400 species of birds (including the elusive three-wattled bellbird and resplendent quetzal, and dozens of hummingbird species), over 100 species of mammals, and an estimated 2500 species of plants. After two nights in the cloud forest we move on to something completely different - the Arenal Volcano. At night lava flows and occasional eruptions of glowing hot rocks provide viewers with an impressive fireworks display. Short periods of inactivity may be followed by loud explosions, "cauliflower" shaped eruption clouds, and ejections of hot "block lava", which crash and shatter down the steep gray slopes of the volcanic cone and can be heard from over a mile away. Our final stop on the Caribbean coast offers a truly unique opportunity as we join the research team at Tortuguero in their monitoring of the endangered population of Green Sea turtles by night. During the day we'll observe caiman, birds, monkeys, and more as we explore the canals and trails of Tortuguero National Park, or canoe and fish in the lagoon. Please contact Graham Farebrother, 713 807 9620, Amy Featherstone 713 639 4744 or Dr. Nancy Greig 713 639 4678 for additional information. Print this Itinerary You can download a print-friendly version of this itinerary in PDF format by clicking here. Click here for your Reservation Form Dates: July 5th - 16th 2004 Prices: From $3,195 per person, double occupancy and subject to availability; change; holiday/seasonal supplements; and any restrictions that may apply. Required travel Insurance: $178 per person Single Supplement upon request Included: All activities as described in the itinerary All meals while on safari Not Included: Any items of a personal nature, such as gratuities, meals not specifically included in the detailed itinerary, gifts, telephone calls and similar expenses. Passports and visas