BÖËNA ARTICLE
Where Do You Find Costa Rica’s
Best Nature Guides?
Welcome to the 2023 Böëna Guide Summit
The unprecedented event took place September 18 through 20 at Böëna’s Cloud Forest Lodge and Monteverde Lodge & Gardens.
The gathering provided a space for guides to exchange lessons learned and enrich their knowledge of Costa Rica’s vast plant and animal biodiversity and its role in the region’s historical and cultural development.
Böëna’s extensive cadre of nature and adventure guides are hailed among the most accomplished experts in the industry. Sixteen guides participated in the summit, including renowned birder, expedition leader, and author of Discover the Magic of Our Birds, Max Vindas.
The gathering’s core objective was to embolden the participants with a deeper appreciation of their role as gateways to the country’s phenomenal natural and cultural heritage.
Expertly Trained Nature Guides in Costa Rica
The summit comprised close to 30 hours of intensive study and reflection. Each session explored topics such as the medicinal plants of the Isthmus, the natural history of Costa Rica, and extensive reviews of neotropical birds, animals, insects, and plants.
Learning Through Observation
Mornings began with birding among the gardens and private reserves of Monteverde and Cloud Forest Lodges. The guides also hiked the legendary Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and were rewarded with sightings of several tropical bird and animal species, including male and female Resplendent Quetzals.
Understanding the Stories Behind the Landscape
Thematic lectures delved into the cultural diversity that permeates Costa Rica’s past and present, emphasizing the invaluable ecological and anthropological lore bestowed by the country’s eight indigenous groups and scores of international immigrants. Participants also reviewed the colonization of the Americas from the unique perspectives of the local cultural groups who experienced its glories and tragedies across the centuries.
The discussions recognized the many naturalists and scientists who contributed to Costa Rica's conservationist history, from the early Spanish Conquistadores to more recent Costa Ricans and foreigners. Among them are the celebrated conservation pioneers Joseph Tosi, Alexander Skutch, Dr. Holdridge, Enrique Jiménez Núñez, José María Orozco, Mario Boza, Rafael Lucas Rodríguez, Juvenal Valerio, Luis Fournier, and many others.
Passion Is the Greatest Tool
Böëna’s teams of nature experts from Pacuare Lodge, Lapa Rios Rainforest Lodge, Tortuga Lodge, Monteverde Lodge & Gardens, and Cloud Forest Lodge are readily on hand to offer guests and visitors a choice of nature and cultural excursions into Costa Rica’s most pristine eco-destinations.
Through the passion and professionalism of Böëna’s exceptional guides, visitors gain a first-hand understanding of the importance of protecting Costa Rica’s fragile biodiversity. Ecotourism and the visitor’s participation in supporting conservation efforts have a tremendous impact.
What Makes Böëna Different Is Not Only Where We Are — It Is Who Guides You Through It.
Behind every unforgettable wildlife encounter, forest trail, cultural story, and moment of discovery is a guide who knows how to reveal the meaning of the place.
That knowledge, combined with curiosity, professionalism, and passion, transforms a journey through Costa Rica into something guests carry with them long after they return home.