The Project Bridging a Costa Rican cloud forest In the valley below Mt Chirripó in Costa Rica, a unique conservation venture is under way. Introduction The Goals Conservation Reforestation Research The Project Team Researcher Volunteers and Contributors

(The project's rationale may be found at cloudbridge.org/context.htm   In the following sections we outline the project plan.)

Goal 1. Preservation. The principals, Ian and Genevieve Giddy, identified a 60-hectare cattle farm that borders the Chirripó National Park at the northern end of the Talamanca mountain range in southern Costa Rica. In June 2002 they completed acquisition of this property, and subsequently the reserve was extended to Cloudbridge North and Gavilan and Catedral Verde and Los Quetzales and El Jilguero Cloudbridge now includes about 700 acres. Currently the team are working to inscribe the project into the government preservation and forestation programs. The property includes a significant portion of riparian and high-altitude mountainside virgin forest. Cattle grazing and its consequent denuding and erosive effects has been halted. In parts of the reserve, natural regrowth is taking place. Easements and other legal means will be employed to protect the forest in perpetuum.

Goal 2. Reforestation. With the assistance of experts in Costa Rica, the local community, and volunteers from abroad, a program of careful multispecies tree planting has begun. This is being done in such a way as to extend and preserve the diversity of the surrounding virgin forests. The efforts include:

• Stage 1. Planting saplings. We began by planting about 4200 trees in 2002. Subsequent plantings have brought the number to over 10,000.
• Stage 2. Ongoing maintenance to help the trees survive.
• Stage 3. Parallel with the diversity project, a small portion of the reserve has been set aside for a demonstration project of sustainable forestry.
• Stage 4. To undertand what we are doing and to help others, we label, measure and monitor the trees' progress. 

As far as possible, we are attempting to restore the mix of trees and flora that is native to the surrounding area. With the assistance of specialists, we have compiled a list of trees and other flora from which selected species have been chosen for the reforestation project. Those who have helped us include Barry Hammel of INBio, David Knowles, Arno Finkeldy, Dick Andrus and Carl Leopold of the Tropical Forestry Initiative, Gravin Villegas of CATIE and the Chirripó National Park office, and local forestry experts Freddy Rojas and Ken Gallatin. Tim Woodruff of Land Assurance facilitated the initial property acquisition, and Jennifer Smith supervised the first round of tree planting. You can read a fuller account of the planting process.

Goal 3. Research. From its beginnings as a reforestation project, Cloudbridge has evolved into an ongoing series of studies of the cloud forest. Some work is repeated year after year, to gauge the progress of the forest's recovery -- examples include the biomonitoring, plantation and moss recovery studies. Others focus on a particular aspect of the flora or fauna -- one study, for example, sought to measure the diversity and density of different tree species in the primary forest.

Recreational Access. A further objective is to allow people to see the progress of the plantation and to hike the Reserve's steep slopes and enjoy the views of the valleys and waterfalls. Hiking trails have been laid out and are gradually being improved (your help with this would be welcome). You can view a map of the reserve with a description of the trails, or an overview of some of the trails. More adventurous hikers have access to the largely unexplored wilderness of Cloudbridge North .

The Project Team Ian Giddy is a native South African living (mostly) in New York. A lover of natural history and the outdoors, he is the author of The Hudson River Watertrail Guide and other books.  Genevieve Giddy is another nature-loving displaced South African now living in New York. Her recent career has been as an environmental librarian in Vancouver, at Environment Canada. Eric Kang is Manager of the Cloudbridge Reserve, and is working hard to improve access and to protect the forest, old and new. Imaginative and dedicated, his experience with forestry and guiding over the last several years  in Costa Rica has well equipped him for this position. He can be found at Casa Amanzimtoti, the hillside house before the entrance to the reserve, or contact him via his web site at climbcostarica.com. Research Volunteers form an integral part of the Cloudbridge Nature Reserve. Year after year, they have contributed to an ever-increasing body of knowledge about the flora and fauna and recovery of the cloud forest. Their contributions may be found at the Research Reports section of this web site. Some, like John Tingerthal (information management and GIS) and Nathan Marcy (ornithology) have continued to be involved with Cloudbridge research long after their initial stay.  The people of San Gerardo de Rivas are bringing local knowledge, supplying experienced planters, gathering saplings from the neighboring forest, and encouraging schoolchildren to participate in planting and learning activities. Pictured at left are Mauricio Marín, our man-of-all-skills, and his family. The Government of Costa Rica has fostered a regulatory environment conducive to efforts such as the Cloudbridge Project. Costa Rica has an ambitious conservation program, perhaps one of the most developed in the world for a country with rainforests. It includes restrictions on deforestation, financial and property-rights incentives for private preservation and environmentally sound forestation, and a national park system that covers more than 15% of the country. The biggest of these, La Amistad, adjoins Chirripó National Park and encompasses most of the Talamanca mountain range.

Volunteers and Researchers are welcome. You are invited to apply to study the cloud forest natural history and to help with the reforestation project itself. Volunteers have helped with tree planting, trail maintenance, shelter construction and other projects. Research volunteers have studied the water purity and the recuperation of natural habitats. Other research projects include lichen diversity and insect taxonomy. Come for a four weeks, or several months. We'll find you a place to stay in the village. You'll work, plant some trees, maintain trails, and further your knowledge of tropical flora and fauna, while enjoying the fresh mountain air, swimming in cool mountain pools and hiking the surrounding peaks. You'll need to cover your own expenses. See the Volunteering and  Research pages.

Financial Contributions, no matter how small, are put to good use in purchasing equipment and saplings, and hiring local labor for maintenance of the reforestation project. See the Contributing page .

To get involved, email Ian or Jenny Giddy (see the contact page).