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 riverNow reading
  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 amphibiansRead the evidence
  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

II · The water

What the forest does to rain

Stand beneath this canopy during heavy rain and surprisingly little water reaches the ground at once. Leaves catch it and branches redirect it, so it travels slowly down trunks and through layers of vegetation before touching soil.

Belowground, roots open pathways through the earth. Organic matter acts like a sponge. Water soaks in instead of running straight downhill.

This delay matters.

It reduces erosion. It limits the amount of sediment entering streams. It helps recharge groundwater. It stretches the movement of water across time, supporting streamflow after the rain itself has passed.

A standing forest is part of the watershed's infrastructure.

Rainwater held on a leaf in the understory
Bromeliads holding rainwater in the canopy
Bromeliads hold rain in the canopy for days
The Naranjo running clear over boulders
The same rain, days later, in the river