Palo Verde Biological Station

Palo Verde contains seasonally dry deciduous forests on limestone hills adjacent to the marshy floodplain/estuary of the Rio Tempisque. VIEWS FROM THE BIRD TOWER

Looking over the marsh at dusk towards Puerto Humo.

Looking left towards the Rocky Overlook. The cows hopefully keep the cattails under control.

Looking back towards the limestone cliffs above the station. ON THE CLIFFS

Looking down at the station from the limestone overlook. Skeeter is looking at some beetles on the cactus. The dry season at Palo Verde lasts 6 months, thus plants above the floodplain are either deciduous or xerophytic.

For example, this fern (held by Jane) has a loose waxy coating presumably to help retard water loss.

Other plants, such as this Agave, have fleshy leaves to store water. ACACIAS AND ASSOCIATED ANTS LIVE WITHIN THE FOREST

The ants aid acacia tree growth by killing all adjacent plants, creating a "lawn" of open ground. In addition, the ants swarm and sting any animal bumping into the trees. (Thanks, Susan, for the benzocaine!)

In return, the acacias provide the ants with shelter in the hollow spines as well as food-- protein in the yellow brood bodies at the ends of modified leaflets (right arrow) and carbohydrates from the nectaries at petiole bases (left arrow). ---FOR FUN---

The Costa Rican equivalent of "Wonder Bread" was the subject of many bad jokes.

Gringos and friends at the local charity rodeo, watching the bull (which subsequently broke out and ran home).

White-faced monkeys near the ranger station.

White-shirted monkey on a Bauhinia vine.

With a headlamp, viewing caimans (crocodiles) and paraques (like nighthawks) was feasible. The last night at Palo Verde we tried but failed to find a "watering hole" to observe other animals, but did find a spectacular view of the valley from "Mirador la Roca".

Listening to Volcan Arenal rumble en route to La Selva