Posted on July 1st, 2009 by Carolyn Ramer
Male Tetrisia Florigela
The Costa Rican rainforest located in the country’s southern region remains one of the most diverse and unexplored terrains in the country. A group of visionary and brave entrepreneurs decided to open the Veragua Rainforest Research and Adventure Park in La Amistad region despite the odds.
The Costa Rican National Institute of Biodiversity (InBio) decided to become a part of this project and contributed in setting up a research center as well as employing two researchers at this park located in the South Caribbean province of Limon. Costa Rica hotels in this area are located at an hour or hour and half drive towards the coast. Popular beaches in Limon are Puerto Viejo, Punta Uva and Manzanillo.
One of the researchers, Jose Montero, was the one responsible in rediscovering the long lost butterfly species Tetrisia florigera. This type of moth genus was last seen and described by the late William Schaus in 1911. Schaus reported to have seen this butterfly species in San Jose, Costa Rica in 1911; however, the exact location was not documented.
Montero has so far found a female and male species of this butterfly at the Veragua Rainforest Research and Adventure Park 98 years later. The discovery is seen as a positive one by the scientific community as this means that the species has been able to adapt to a different climate and terrain. San Jose, where the species was spotted in 1911 is located at over 1,000 meters above sea level while the province of Limon is located at 400 meters above sea level.
Veragua Rainforest Research and Adventure Aerial Tram
Currently, the only known sample of the Tetrisia florigera is located at the Museum of Natural History in Washington among the species William Schaus collected from his multiple visits to Costa Rica.
According to Montero, now that they have rediscovered the species, they will be able to learn about their life cycle and feeding habits.
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Posted on June 25th, 2009 by Carolyn Ramer
The region of Guanacaste in Costa Rica’s North Pacific Coast is one of the most visited areas by tourists. The rapid development and expansion in the tourism and real estate market has contributed to attract thousands of tourists year round.
However, the sky rocketing development in Guanacaste and the increase in tourism influx was too quick for the Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia to keep up with the demand.
In order to modernize this once domestic airport and make the necessary adaptations for its current purpose, the Coriport Consortium made up of 5 different companies will be taking over the airport in the next few months.
The Coriport group has among its members the Houston Airport System (HAS) who will officially take control of the Juan Santamaria International Airport in San Jose. Among the responsibilities of the Coriport group is to expand the airport in Liberia up to 247,000 square feet which will include a 2nd floor along with all the necessary public services.
According to the consortium’s proposal, they are to begin construction work around November or December 2009 and have completed the airport’s expansion within the following 6 months.
The passenger arrival to the Daniel Oduber International Airport has increased considerably over the last few years as the majority of Costa Rica hotels and most popular beaches are located in the North Pacific Coast. Travel time from the airport to major hotels in the region vary among a one hour drive to an hour and a half.
International flights as well as domestic flights arrive and depart from the Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia, Guanacaste.
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Posted on June 24th, 2009 by Carolyn Ramer
Actor Stephen Baldwin was quite a strong contender in the reality TV show “I’m a Celebrity…Get me Out of Here! shot in Costa Rica for this current season. However, he surprised his fellow competitors and viewers by dropping out of the show just 5 days prior to the Wednesday night finale.
Although the show hasn’t made an official statement, Baldwin mentioned in a pre-broadcast that he suffered an allergic reaction to one of the many bug bites he received while in the Costa Rican rainforest.
According to the local media, the reality show is being filmed in Sarapiqui, located towards the country’s North Atlantic region. Sarapiqui is visited by nature enthusiasts, scientists and adrenaline junkies as the area offers spectacular flora and fauna and adventure tour activities.
Costa Rica hotels in the area are mainly focused on the environmental protection and preservation of local animal and plant species. La Selva Biological Station is a sanctuary for local and foreign researchers interested in the local rainforest while the Sarapiqui River offers awesome white water rafting for the more active of visitors.
“I’m a Celebrity…Get me out of Here!” will air its live finale this Wednesday June 24th at 8/7 Central. The three finalists include former NBA player John Salley, World Championship Wrestling diva Torrie Wilson and actor/producer Lou Diamond Phillips.
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