November 2020

This Magenta-throated woodstar (Calliphlox bryantae) was enjoying the flowers of the Ian Giddy memorial garden earlier in November. Photo credit: Anthony Vitolo

All in all November has been a good month for Cloudbridge Nature Reserve. Though we got off to a wet start, thanks to Hurricane Eta, we are very thankful to have not suffered any severe effects from this storm. In the United States, November is the month of Thanksgiving. Though this holiday should be examined critically for its misrepresentation of the relationship between colonizers and those who were already living on the American continent, the concept of giving thanks is extremely important and should take place every day of the year. Here at Cloudbridge, we give thanks for the opportunity to steward this land that is home to so much biodiversity; thanks for our health, facilitated by a healthy environment; thanks for the founders of the reserve and all who have supported it for almost two decades. Thank you!

Catarata Pacífica was quite full after Hurricane Eta!

This month started off with Costa Rica suffering the indirect effects of Hurricane Eta, with over 72 hours of non-stop rainfall and some flooding, landslides and other damage.  Here at Cloudbridge we suffered minimal damage, with the river taking out two of our bridges that access Cloudbridge North and some very minor slides.  However, our hearts go out to the relatives of those who lost their lives and the thousands of displaced families in Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala.  2020 has been a record-breaking Atlantic hurricane season with a total of 30 named storms, and the first year there has ever been two major hurricanes recorded in November.  Central American countries were devastated by Hurricanes Eta and Iota this November, affecting an estimated 5.2 million people in this region.

This image is from a town relatively close to Cloudbridge, where the effects of Hurricane Eta were felt a bit more keenly…

Of course we cannot talk about this hurricane season and the devastation it brought to the Central American region, without mentioning climate change. Warmer ocean temperatures lead to more evaporation, setting the stage for wetter and stronger hurricanes. This year was the fifth consecutive above average Atlantic hurricane season from 2016 onward, and a general trend is that the season has been beginning earlier, and ending later. This month also saw devastation from extreme weather events in other parts of the world, especially from Typhoon Vamco, which caused devastation in the Phillipines and Vietnam.

After the storm, the sun will shine again. Photo credit: Andrey Fotografía Móvil.

For the past 10 years, Cloudbridge has enjoyed a unique and rewarding partnership with the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky. On November 6th, it was announced that this collaboration has received the Innovative Partnership Award from the National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools (NCSSS). The NCSSS includes member high schools, many ranked as the best in the country, along with affiliate members (colleges, universities, summer programs, foundations, and corporations), that share the goals of transforming mathematics, science, and technology education. The NCSSS Innovative Partnership Award recognizes inventiveness in partnerships between member schools and partner organizations. To receive the award, the partnership must support and advance goals of both organizations, strengthen STEM in the partners’ communities, and provide a replicable model that can be implemented at other member schools. Over the last 10 years, 224 students have enjoyed a unique and memorable learning opportunity at Cloudbridge Nature Reserve.

Photo credit: Andrey Fotografía Móvil
An example of the certificate that your loved ones will receive from your gift.

The holiday season is upon us! As you consider what to give those you care about, please try to support small, local businesses who have been greatly impacted by the global situation of this year. If you would like to give a “gift that matters”, please consider donating to Cloudbridge in the name of your loved ones. This donation is fully tax-deductible in the United States. We also offer the opportunity to give a gift certificate for a tour or a stay in Cloudbridge´s rental cabins, redeemable at any time (dependent upon availability). Write to director@cloudbridge.org to arrange your gift.

Volunteers and Interns

My name is Jessica Bardey and I am studying International Nature Conservation as my Master‘s degree at the Georg-August-University in Göttingen, Germany. As an internship in a nature conservation project is part of my studies, I came here to Cloudbridge and so far it has been amazing. Cloudbridge offers a unique environment to explore and you can learn so much about tropical forest ecosystems here. I am an intern in the camera trap monitoring project and it’s fascinating to see the variety of animals which appear on the photos. In total I will be staying for twelve weeks, and it already feels as if that is too short to see all the amazing things offered by this beautiful spot in nature. Another part of my studies will be a semester abroad in New Zealand, which I am also looking forward to quite a lot. It is so exciting to be able to see the world and learn more about conservation and how it is done in other countries!

¡Hola! My name is Valeria González, I am a student of International Commerce. I envision a more fair, harmonious and solidary commerce, my greatest dream is to help people, small producers and others with what I have learned. Over the years, I have found a great love for Yoga, which has guided me on a path of understanding and love for all of existence, and has allowed me to follow my heart´s path at all times, which is why I am now serving here at Cloudbridge. I love being in direct contact with nature, and to fully appreciate nature. To be able to breathe pure air, smell each flower, feel the water, watch birds fly, see the beauty in each part of Mother Nature is a joy that leads me to understand that we are part of the forces of nature, of each plant, tree, animal, river, the Sun and the Moon, we are part of it all. I fully believe in the philosophy of “Buen Vivir”, of living fully and with complete harmony between the individual and the collective, with balance between humans and nature, for a development with more awareness and well-being. I am grateful to continue weaving my life in this marvelous place, where I will serve each instant with all of my love. Thank you Cloudbridge for allowing me to be here.

“I dreamed that life was joy; I awoke and saw that life was service; I served and saw that service was joy”

Hello, my name is Isabella Marshall, I am from the United Kingdom. I am very excited to start the new position as Base Coordinator here at Cloudbridge. I have a degree in Biology and a Research Masters in Environmental Science and Ecology. I have come to Cloudbridge to experience living amongst the amazing cloudforest, and to learn about the wonderful fauna and flora that live within it. My time at the reserve will be spent supporting the volunteers and interns with their studies, and assisting the staff team with running the reserve. I hope to make many new friends and learn many new skills here at Cloudbridge, Pura Vida!

Born in the province of Alajuela in Costa Rica, Mayi is a yoga instructor, holistic therapist and math teacher whose greatest vocation is to be of service. Lover of being surrounded by nature and admiring the sublime existence through it, he enjoys meditating and listening to the sounds of the environment, working with wood in the workshop, hiking through the different trails of the reserve and welcoming all our visitors. His vision is: “may the good practices and thoughts from the light that we evoke enter us and guide us in the right direction”. Feel free to ask him anything during the time you are with us.

Hello, everyone! My name is William, I’m 19 years old and I come from Leipzig, Germany. I would describe myself as an ambitious, sensible person, but also as a team-ready person. I just finished high school and now I want to travel around the world for a year. This trip should start in Costa Rica. I’ve been volunteering in cloudbridge for a month now and I couldn’t have chosen anything better! Because I fell in love with the reserve here in the middle of the rainforest and find it wonderful! So, if you have the chance, make a tour to the cloudbridge nature Reserve, you won’t regret it! See you soon and Pura vida!

Around the Reserve

Once again, our director and her family have participated in a course on identifying fauna of Costa Rica. Here are some of the 7 species of bats that were trapped in the nets! They were promptly released, of course. We are looking forward to having the instructor come up to Cloudbridge soon!

Suggested Reading

  • This month the local news outlet CR Actualidad has published an article about Cloudbridge Nature Reserve. We are very pleased with how it turned out and invite you to please take a look.
  • The economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have been devastating for many people around the globe. This article advocates for the stimulus plans to help these economies and people be closely tied to climate change mitigation and reducing carbon emissions. Multisolving is our best bet for dealing with these layered problems.
  • Robin Wall Kimmerer´s acclaimed book Braiding Sweetgrass is a refreshing and poignant take on our relationship to the natural world written by a woman who is both a highly trained scientist and a member of the Potowatomi Nation. This timely story of Skywoman Falling is an excerpt from the introduction of a new edition of Braiding Sweetgrass.
  • We always like to end on a positive note, and truly there is much to offer hope during these trying times. For many countries it is logistically possible, and more inexpensive than previously thought, to acheive zero emissions. However, what is usually lacking is the political will.

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