Costa Rica eco tourism takes many forms, is enjoyed or experienced in different ways, affects tourists in various ways, and yields diverse societal consequences-some apparent, some not.

And, indeed, the very word "eco tourism" brings different images to mind in different people.

For some, Costa Rica ecotourism brings to mind enjoying the country's incredible biological variety. Hence, it's appropriate to label the kinds of ecotourists traveling this country.

About the size of little West Virginia, comprising about 1/10,000 of the globe's land surface, nearly 5% of all the world's species of plants and animals on earth are found in Costa Rica.



There are more varieties of butterflies in tiny Costa Rica than on the entire continent of Africa. And,almost as many types of birds have been identified in its forests and lands as in the continental United States.



The earth's largest Green Marine Turtle preserve is found along the Caribbean Coast at Tortuguero Park. Sometimes tens of thousands of female turtles come ashore to nest on the deserted beaches.



35% of the world's species of cetaceans (porpoises and whales) are found off its coasts---and humpback whales from Antarctica travel north to Costa Rica while humpback whales from the Arctic travel south to the same waters.



Tiny Corcovado Park, just 20 miles long and 8 miles wide, has been called "the most biologically intense place" on earth by National Geographic.



Folks who pay a visit to Costa Rica for any of these things are best described as "vacation eco tourists."



But, of course, Costa Rica ecotourism is more diverse than bird watching, taking a photography tour, or hiking jungle trails to lovely waterfalls-which brings this author to an internationally recognized but little known and comparatively little visited place called the Tirimbina Rainforest Center.



The Tirimbina Rainforest Center sits on about 850 acres (345 hectares) of primary rainforest. "Primary rainforest" is the original, never logged, rainforest that covered 99% of Central America when Christopher Columbus visited its Caribbean coast and discovered (and named) Costa Rica in 1503.

In the ensuing centuries, widespread logging and burning to create more agricultural areas decimated primary forests and only vestiges of this valuable resource remain.



The Center's history dates back to 1960 when an American, Robert Hunter, traveled to Costa Rica to work for the Inter-American Institute for Science and Agriculture and bought the land now occupied by the Center. He invited American scientists to the property, among whom was Dr. Allen Young of the Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Public Museum, and an internationally recognized authority on cacao cultivation and rain forests.

Dr. Young, and others like him who have worked from the Center over the last 50 years, are "research eco tourists." Their professional curiosity and work on rain forests have proved invaluable to understanding the ecosystems of tropical climes.

Tirimbina proved fascinating not only to Dr. Young but to the Milwaukee Public Museum itself which, in 1986, designed a permanent display on the tropical rainforest, called "Exploring Life on Earth." In the ensuing decades hundreds of thousands of museum visitors have viewed the Tirimbina exhibit as "virtual eco tourists" whose awareness of the importance--and fragility-of rain forests have contributed to conservation efforts.

Indeed, the Museum eventually bought the Tirimbina Rainforest Center and managed it until 2006 when it was sold to a Milwaukee nonprofit called the Pura Vida Foundation. Subsequently, the Center was transferred to a Costa Rica nonprofit organization, the Asociacion Tirimbina Para La Conservacion, Investigacion y Educacion.



If you're an eco tourist or considering real-deal Costa Rica ecotourism, we recommend going to the Tirimbina Rainforest Center if you're:



(a) A "research eco tourist." This is a working rain forest research center and for 30 years has been used for doctorate research, graduate studies, and museum related work;



(b) An undergraduate looking for a unique study abroad opportunity.

Ball State University of Indianapolis recently announced a new Study Abroad in Costa Rica program at Tirimbina Rainforest Center, starting Spring Semester 2010. This program is modeled after two very popular study abroad programs in London and Australia. If this is for you, you will be a "student eco tourist" ; or



(c) Just curious about visiting a working tropical forest research center that also hosts family activities and educational projects like hiking through primary rainforest on five miles of trails; a bird tour; a frog tour; a bat tour; even a chocolate tour.

Also there is an aerial tram tour, boat tour, and a truly remarkable variety of optional activities. Visit the Tirimbina web page for a list of the activities and become "family eco tourists."

Accommodations and a restaurant are on site for people who wish to stay overnight or for several days.



Although it has been known by the scientific community for more than five decades, Tirimbina Rainforest Center is visited by only about 8,000 Costa Rica eco tourists a year. Until now, its existence has been virtually unknown as a tourist destination, but no more. If you are planning a Costa Rica vacation, consider a visit.
The author writes from magnificent Escazu, Costa Rica. Visit his acclaimed website about Great Costa Rica Vacationsand if you want to learn more about fun eco tourism activities in Costa Rica, visit Costa Rica Eco Tourism Opportunities