Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
light, temperature, water, and fertilizer regimes to optimize growth and maxi-
mize survival.
As a diverse forest begins to take shape, Steve still directs its course. He
fells a tree here and another there, in the process creating light gaps for sun-
loving understory plants and slash piles for snakes, small mammals, and
wrens. The results are self-evident—cool streams in shady ravines (what lo-
cals call
quebradas
) line the property that today sports ninety-nine species of
native trees. On the other side of Rio Peñas Blancos a mature, protected cloud
forest, only slightly more diverse than Steve's yard, eagerly awaits its reoccu-
pation of the former pasture. This rare forest type, which occupies less than 1
percent of Earth's surface, is already broaching the river. Inga trees stretch
their branches from the reserve to Steve's property, providing a bridge suit-
able for monkeys. Soon sloths, tapirs, and jaguars may follow. These and
other rainforest species are expected to travel through Steve's canopy as they
seek seasonally abundant resources in the highland and lowland reserves that
together form the Alexander Skutch Biological Corridor.
As Steve clears, digs, and plants, he dreams about the return of the big
mammals. Our reaction is more immediate. My Costa Rican friend Marcos
Garcia watches Steve and then whispers to me that he is going to start restor-
ing native forest on his farm. Gerardo, a local man Steve employs, tells me
that the hard work of restoration has instilled in him a love of plants and in-
terest in birds. My students also soak up Steve's example, and, after getting
dirty planting one hundred saplings, they are eager to carry his message
north to their parents and friends. The process of restoration not only bene-
i ts nature, but also inspires a respect for the land and what it can do. It moti-
vates us to see property as Aldo Leopold saw it—a living community, not
simply a commodity.
To some, Steve may sound fanatical or especially privileged. True, as a
retired medical doctor of modest needs, Steve is able to devote his life to the
