City Style and Living - Winter 2007/2008 - (Page 52)

When Carlos Chacón, our guide, finally appears, we are surprised to see a young man in his late teens, not the hardened, weathered fellow we had imagined. His slight Spanish accent leads us to believe he’s an American living in Costa Rica. Carlos laughs at this suggestion and shoots us a puzzled look. It turns out that Carlos is the grandson of Don Efraín Chacón, the settler of the San Gerardo de Dota region. Carlos’ brown eyes and blonde hair are reminiscent of his grandfather and when we comment that they resemble, a look of pride comes over him. If Efraín Chacón had simply settled in San Gerardo de Dota and raised a family on what was once remote, inaccessible land it would be interesting but not particularly noteworthy. Instead, Chacón, has come full circle protecting the land he first cleared under the Costa Rica Homestead Act. Amidst the cloud forest deep in Cerro de la Muerte, the idea of sustainability is being brought to life by the Chacón family. a joint venture between the Chacón family and Southern Nazarene University in Oklahoma. As the highest-altitude biological field station in Central America its mandate is to study the Resplendent Quetzal in its natural habitat. Birders and ecotourists from around the world are lured to this spot which rivals the Monteverde Reserve as one of the best places in Costa Rica for seeing the quetzal. 52 | WINTER 2007/2008 | citystyleandliving.com WES HANSON Beginning in 1954, as land in this pristine valley was cleared for dairy farming, and through various exploits from raising rainbow trout to importing apple seedlings from Israel, the Chacón family sought to expand their farming operations. The fragile ecosystem where the Chacón family lived, home to mammals, birds and insects was slated to be cut down completely to accommodate the family’s expansion plans. Gazing at a white oak, underneath which three generations of his family stood, Efrain Chacón reflected on the beauty surrounding him and decided instead not to continue with expansion. The plans were shelved and the Savegre Hotel de la Montana has slowly evolved. Among the many ventures into sustainability, the Chacón land is now home to the Quetzal Education and Research Center (QERC). In 1983 a visiting American professor was the catalyst for what would become the QERC, a biological field station that operates as “So I guess there are no divorces,” we suggest. Resplendent Quetzals mate for life. Carlos tells us that the best place to search for the Resplendent Quetzal is in old growth forests and trees that were once inhabited by woodpeckers. A member of the trogon family, Quetzals define the word cute chubby little birds with iridescent green feathers, a red underbelly, and tufts of hair on their head, suggestive of a punkrocker. We know this by the picture that Carlos shows us from his birding book. He tells us that he had seen the nest of a family of Quetzals near the banks of the Rio Savegre. “Savegre means dangerous water in the dialect of the region,” Carlos informs us, “it is the cleanest river from here to Columbia according to UNESCO.” Resplendent Quetzals mate for life. “So I guess there are no divorces,” we suggest. Carlos laughs. Then, as if to prove that his resemblance to his grandfather goes beyond looks, Carlos tells us the story of how he rescued new-born chicks that got separated from their parents. “The chicks can fly once they are a week old,” states Carlos. “One of the chicks got lost one day so I had to take him back to the other side of the river so the parents could get him.” Carlos shows us the sound that the bird makes – a repeating whistle. Wheww, whew, whewwwww. We walk down to an area that is cleared for the construction of more cabinas. Carlos paces up and down restlessly, mumbling off the names of every single bird he spots. We ask how long Carlos has been a guide, and he tells us that when he was little, he would go out with his uncle to look at birds; and it paid off. In the trees and shrubs we see tanagers and parrakeets. We are waiting though, for the real star. http://citystyleandliving.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of City Style and Living - Winter 2007/2008

City Style and Living - Winter 2007/2008 Contents Editor’s Note Website Behind the Cover Contributors The District Calgary’s Holiday Storefront Windows: Through the Looking Glass Need it Want it Fusion Culinary Adventure Champagne 101: Tiny Bubbles Covet Prêt-à-porter Fashion Adventure Resort Wear Enchanted Evening Passport 24 Hours in Paris Anatomy of... Costa Rica: In Search of the Resplendent Quetzal Final Thought

City Style and Living - Winter 2007/2008

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