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owler looks skyward, to Costa Rica’s rainforest treetops and beyond, in our August cover story. For one of the world’s most richly blessed countries on so many biodiversity counts, being right up there as a favorite birding paradise seems only natural. We revisit five of the many bird species featured in past magazine issues: toucans, oropendolas, motmots, scarlet macaws and cuckoos. Discover more birds and other creatures on land and underwater in this month’s Travel & Adventure section. First explore three of Costa Rica’s most exquisite yachting destinations: Cocos Island, the Osa Peninsula and Gulf of Papagayo. Then take a boat tour through the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge, teeming with non-human life during rainy season to delight visitors. As surfing makes its Olympic debut this summer, we celebrate Costa Rica’s global prominence with two iconic contenders: Brisa Hennessy and Leilani McGonagle. Nicoya’s longevity renown as one of the world’s five Blue Zones is the subject of our Cultural Heritage feature, while the Artist Spotlight is on Fernán Salazar’s glass fusion talents. CR Biz offers entrepreneurial advice on resetting your mindset, and information on joint tenancy property titles and the new law promoting foreign and investment and relocation in Costa Rica. In our Pura Vida section you’ll learn about ginger’s health benefits and mindfully embracing peace and abundance. Also find out from our featured contributor, Chuhan Zhou, what a big impact one small-scale community composting project can make by setting the right dynamic example for waste management.
FEATURED CONTRIBUTOR Chuhan Zhou is a recent graduate of Universidad para La Paz in Costa Rica and American University in the U.S., where her studies focused on natural resources and sustainable development. She currently dedicates her time at the off-grid living project she shares with her partner and dog in Avellanas. There they enjoy building with earth, regenerating the land, making art with upcycled materials, and surfing when they have energy left. Their homestead projects include, as pictured below: homemade bricks consisting of mud, river sand and coconut husks— all sourced nearby and hand-processed — and an earthship-style structure being built from recycled materials, featuring a bottle wall.
WRITERS Debbie Bride. Canadian continuing to create and communicate in Costa Rica. Ivan Granados. Managing Partner at GM Attorneys, specializing in real estate and corporate law. igranados@ gmattorneyscr.com Joanna Blanco. Integrative nutritional health coach who helps clients embrace wellness in five interconnected areas of life: relationships, livelihood, physical activity, spiritual awareness and diet. John Brockmeier. Writer and activist inspired by diverse interests and international life experiences.
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