Costa Rica

Created 31-Aug-20

In 1992, my spouse and I flew to Costa Rica with our six year old daughter, rented a Toyota Corolla and drove on deeply rutted gravel roads up into the mountains to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. We were absolutely captivated by the combination of cool temperatures, high humidity, and lush tropical forest full of giant trees.

After a few days, we drove back downhill and south to the central Pacific coast and Manuel Antonio National Park. We swam, played on the beach, and hiked all over the Park with its abundant wildlife. And I was hooked by Costa Rica's natural beauty, its hospitality, and ease of travel.

So, for the next five summers, I organized natural history workshops for other educators so that I could see more of the country. I stopped running the workshops in 1998 in order to travel and photograph in Costa Rica on my own. I've been returning once or twice a year since then. My Tico friends joke that I'm secretly working on a Ph.D. in Costa Rican geography because I've traveled so extensively around the country - making images at every stop.

This collection of photographs presents my favorite images from this nation that I consider as my second home. I hope the pictures here give you a sense of the vibrance, color and warmth of Costa Rica in all its forms.