Eco EraSupport
Primary forest interior, where the biological surveys are carried out

Before you can protect a place well, you have to know what is there.

Conservation begins with observation.

A forest can appear healthy from a distance while its ecological relationships are changing underneath the canopy. Research makes those changes visible: which species live here, where they are moving, how water changes between the headwaters and the river, where erosion is occurring, which habitats are regenerating, and which edges are under pressure.

The findings

Nine findings from the research on this land.

Scan the index, then select a finding to read the evidence behind it.

  1. The Naranjo River at the lower boundary01The land850 mof elevation, from the Naranjo River to the highest ridgeRead the evidence
  2. Water dropping through rock at El Salto del Nara02The ground60°+slopes, where tree roots do the structural work of holding soilRead the evidence
  3. Rainwater held on a leaf in the understory03The waterDaysthat rain is held in canopy and soil before it reaches the riverRead the evidence
  4. The Naranjo running clear over boulders04The measurements6.1–8.3pH range, with low nitrates and the conductivity of an undisturbed watershedRead the evidence
  5. Mist moving through the canopy05The evidence4M+tonnes of CO₂ stored in the primary forest on the propertyRead the evidence
  6. Bromeliads on a forest branch06The record717+species documented across plants, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibiansNow reading
  7. Cup fungus fruiting on deadwood07The system6forest functions working together as one self-regulating systemRead the evidence
  8. Cerro Nara canopy in morning mist08The horizon35 yrsof family protection so far; the next step is legal protection that outlasts itRead the evidence
  9. A group walking the forest09The practice4connected areas of conservation work, from patrols to peopleRead the evidence

III · The record

Surveys repeated over years

A single survey records what researchers encountered in one window. Repeated surveys begin to tell a story: species appear or disappear, populations shift, and change can be measured against what was here before.

Eco Era works with academic researchers, including survey work associated with the University of Costa Rica. The goal is practical.

Research should change how land is protected.

  • Species data can identify important habitat.
  • Water monitoring can reveal changes in watershed condition.
  • Elevation data can help us understand where climate-sensitive species may move.
  • Field observations can guide patrols toward areas under pressure.
Species documented at the Eco Era reserve, by group
Plants
432+
Birds
166
Mammals
54
Reptiles
35
Amphibians
30

Counts from biological survey work on the property. Plant diversity outweighs everything else recorded here, which is what makes the structure the other groups depend on.

Survey work, on foot

Walking a survey transect through the forest
Transects are walked, not sampled remotely
Walking the forest trail at Cerro Nara
Thirty years of returning to the same ground
Fruit collected from the food forest
Fruiting records track the season by hand