---

Cloudbridge FAQ A Costa Rican cloud forest reserve In the valley below Mt Chirripó in Costa Rica, a unique conservation venture is under way. Answers to questions about: Cloudbridge The trees  The weather Costa Rica

The Cloudbridge Reserve Project

What is Cloudbridge? The Cloudbridge Reserve was established to preserve and reforest an important gap in the cloud forest adjoining the Chirripó Pacifico river on the slopes of Mt Chirripó, the highest mountain in Costa Rica. More details on the project may be found at cloudbridge.org/project.htm . Who owns Cloudbridge? The reserve is owned by a non-profit Costa Rican corporation, Cloudbridge S.A. It is being inscribed in the goverment's reforestation program and will be protected in perpetuity from development. How big is the reserve? Approximately 600 acres (220 hectares). About 20% of this is cattle pasture, 30% secondary forest, and the remainder is primary cloud forest. Some of the pasture is being reforested and some is being left to regenerate naturally. What types of trees are you planting? With one exception, all the trees we have planted are native to the surrounding high-altitude forest of the Talamanca mountain range. The trees include Cedro dulce/Sweet cedar (Cedrela tonduzii), Yos (Sapium pachystachys), Tirra/Elm (Ulmus mexicana), Roble/Oak (Quercus costaricensis and others), Aguacatillo/Wild avocado (Persea caerulea), Lloró (Cornus disciflora), Dama (Citharexylum Donnell-Smithii), Frutilla (Tournefortia volubilis), Candelillo (Tecoma stans), Jaul/Alder (Alnus Acuminata) and Cipres/Cypress (Cupressus lusitanica). The last one is widespread in the higher elevations of Costa Rica but is not native -- it originates in Mexico. It forms part of our demonstration project of sustainable forestation. Some, like Jaul, are nitrogen-fixing -- they help fertilize the soil they grow in. Most bear fruit and seeds and provide habitats that encourage repopulation of the birds and animals. What is the altitude at Cloudbridge? The elevation at the entry is about 5500 ft (1675m). The highest point of Cloudbridge South is at the southeast corner (at the entry to Chirripo National Park). This is about 7200ft (2200m). The peak of Cloudbridge North is higher still, at 8760 ft (2600m). The location is approximately 9º28'N, 83º34'W. What is the annual rainfall? As the table below suggests, the rainy season ("invierno") is May-November. JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC TOTAL inches 4.3 0.5 3.9 6.0 23.9 32.0 18.8 17.9 32.3 26.2 28.4 7.3 202.0 mm 109 12 100 153 606 824 478 454 822 665 721 186 5130 What is the weather like? Remember that Cloudbridge is situated at a high elevation, so even though the dry season ("verano") is generally between late December and April, there will still be clouds drifting through, and some scattered showers. The green or wet season lasts the rest of the year - May through November and still offers an average of about 5 hours of daily sunshine. The evenings and early mornings are generally cool - you'll need a fleece, but by mid-morning, you'll be able to strip down to shorts and a t-shirt. The average temperature is fairly constant all year round. During a day it varies from about 15ºC (59ºF) at night to about 25ºC (77ºF) in the day after several hours of sunshine. Where is Cloudbridge? Near the village of San Gerardo de Rivas, Costa Rica. See the directions page. Why Costa Rica? Costa Rica is stable. It is the oldest democracy in all of Latin America, and has had more than a century of democracy and peace. There is no army, and there are more teachers than policemen. Free and obligatory public education has been mandated by Costa Rica's constitution since 1869. Costa Rica has a government of laws, and like the U.S., the Costa Rican constitution guarantees human rights, private property, and equality before the law -- for Costa Ricans and non-Costa Ricans alike. More important: 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 Can we visit? Can we volunteer to help with the reforestation project? Yes to both. No charge for visiting. You'll see why this natural beauty is worth preserving and restoring. Volunteers have helped with ongoing research studies and with tree planting and maintenance; see the Volunteering page. You can also help plant more trees by making a  Contribution. We also invite research proposals. How can one contact you? By email. Write to Ian Giddy ( ) or Jenny O'Grady Giddy ( ). By telephone Since telephone service has not yet reached the village of San Gerardo de Rivas, please call Ian Giddy in New York (+1-212-362-9391). Mailing address: Cloudbridge, 119 West 82nd Street, New York, NY 10024, USA.