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The Children’s Eternal Rainforest (Bosque Eterno de los Niños, in Spanish, or BEN) is the largest private reserve in Costa Rica, that protects the country’s tropical rainforest, primary forest, secondary forest and regeneration areas in northwestern Costa Rica, a project that has been part of the dream of children’s and adults around the world. On September 18th, 2007, it was declared part of the Peace and Water Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, and is administered by the Monteverde Conservation League
(ACM in Spanish).
The Children’s Eternal Rainforest is located in the Tilaran Mountain Range, bordering the Arenal Volcano National Park, the higher elevations of Monteverde and Miramar, reaching the Alberto Manuel Brenes Reserve in San Ramon. It continues through the San Carlos zone, close to the populations of San Jorge, La Tiga, San Isidro de Peñas Blancas, Chachagua, and El Castillo.
The Children’s Eternal Rainforest exists thanks to the dream of saving the rainforest by children. It’s fundraising campaign began in 1987, in a small rural school in Sweden, while studying tropical forests prompted a nine-year-old Roland Teinsuu, to ask what they could do to keep the rainforest and the animals that live in it safe from destruction. Young Roland’s question led his teammates to make a campaign to raise money for the purchase and protection of threatened rainforest in Costa Rica. With the guiding hand of teacher Eha Kern and her husband Bernd, and the assistance of tropical biologist Sharon Kinsman, who introduced the Monteverde project to the school, Roland and his classmates raised enough money to buy six hectares of rainforest at a cost of $250 per hectare, including surveying, title search, and legal fees connected with the purchase.
Linked to this initial success, this group of children dedicated to saving the tropical forests formed the “Barnens Regnskog” (Children’s Rainforest). The vision took hold, sweeping the globe, with contributions flocking in from the far corners of the world. Fundraising projects have been as varied as a child’s imagination. Children have collected aluminum cans and glass, baked cookies for sale with rainforest ingredients (ginger, chocolate, vanilla), or asked for a parcel of rainforest as a Christmas or birthday gift.
The original six-hectare preserve, settled near Monteverde in 1988, has grown to more than 22,500 hectares (over 54,000 acres) of land, currently is the largest private reserve in Costa Rica, and to date, 44 different countries have contributed to the acquisition and protection of the territories of the Children’s Eternal Rainforest.
In the Children’s Eternal Rainforest are represented 6 out of the 12 life zones present in Costa Rica, as well as a variety of habitats and ecosystems that span from 450 to 1800 meters above sea level, so it presents a topography characterized by peaks and mountain ridges, valleys and canyons as well as abundant rivers of rapid currents that drain both the Pacific and Atlantic slopes of the country. In general can be classified into three forest types: seasonal evergreen forest, cloud forest and aseasonal rain forest, this later type being the most representative within the reserve.
The Children’s Eternal Rainforest and other nearby areas have been the focus of numerous studies and vast collections of plants and 
animals. Since the 1960′s, many naturalists, students and biologists have contributed to the knowledge of the cloud forest and other adjacent habitats.
The climatic conditions and the topography of the terrain have allowed for habitat diversification and a high degree of endemism. To date there have been 60 species of amphibians, 101 reptiles, known worldwide as the habitat of the Golden Toad (Bufo periglenes), 425 of birds, including the Three-wattled Bellbird (Procnias tricarunculata), Rufous Motmot (Baryphthengus martii), Piratic Flycatcher (Legatus leucophaius), Bare-necked Umbrellabird (Cephalopterus glabricollis), Rufous-tailed Jacamar (Galbula ruficauda), Emerald Toucanet (Aulacorhynchus prasinus), Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra), Blue-grey Tanager (Thraupis episcopus), Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus), Cherrie’s Tanager (Ramphocelus costaricensis), Buff-throated Saltator (Saltator maximus), Yellow-green Vireo (Vireo flavoviridis), and even the Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) as well as various species of hummingbirds, woodpeckers, orioles, parrots, parakeets and many others. Here you can also find 121 species of mammals which represent 50.5% of all terrestrial vertebrate species known in Costa Rica, such as the howler, spider and capuchin monkeys, raccoons, porcupines, peccaries, agoutis, deer, lowland pacas, squirrels, jaguars and tapirs, which is the largest land mammal in Costa Rica and very abundant in these forests. Also, within the invertebrates, it have been reported about 658 species.
The diversity of plant species in the area is also great, there have been reported 3.021 species of vascular plants, a number that corresponds to one third of the total species reported for the country. Other groups classified on the lesser-known flora and are also endemic in the area. For example, approximately 10% of the total flora is considered endemic to the Tilaran Mountain Range, where you can find a variety of trees such as Kapok (Ceiba pentandra), Cedrillo (Brunellia costaricensis), Cirri Blanco or Colorado (Mosquitoxylum jamaicense), Sura or Guayabon (Terminalia oblongata), Laurel or Salmwood (Cordia alliodora), West Indian Laurel Fig (Ficus americana) and several species of ferns, palms, orchids, bromeliads, vines and moss.
Another major objective of the Children’s Eternal Rainforest is the protection of water, due to conditions of geographical location, topography, climate, and principally forest cover, permits a higher richness in the clean water resources within it that are used for human and animal consumption as well as the generation of hydroelectric energy, approximately 50% of the production of electricity originates from this protected area. The main watersheds located in this area are: the Peñas Blancas River, the Esperanza River, the San Lorenzo River, the Aranjuez River, the Caño Negro River and the Guacimal River. Each watersheds has its own composition of different rivers and permanent and temporal streams, as well as innumerable amounts of springs and natural lagoons.
Within the Children’s Eternal Rainforest, you can stay in one of their biological stations, either San Gerardo Station or Poco Sol Station. These are ideal for retreats, workshops, study groups, research projects or vacations. Both offer classroom 
for session groups work, hiking trails in natural forest and regeneration areas with an excellent opportunity to observe and share with the wildlife, the opportunity for a presentation (on request) and delicious Costa Rican meals.
San Gerardo Field Station
San Gerardo Biological Station is located on the Atlantic slope of the Tilaran Mountain Range at 1,200m above sea level. The station has the best conditions to house 32 people. It has 6 bedrooms on the second floor, each with private bath. The balcony offers a spectacular view of Arenal Volcano, Lake Arenal and the surrounding forest. The first floor has a kitchen, dining room, rooms for guides and group leaders and a conference room. It also offers facilities for students, researchers and tourists such as trails through primary and secondary forest and regenerating areas.
The average temperature of this zone is 16°C (61°F), with an annual rainfall of 4000 mm, being the best time to visit during the dry season, from April to June, because that is when most bird species in the region are very active due to their breeding season.
Location: 6km (3.7 miles) northeast of downtown Santa Elena in Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
GPS coordinates for San Gerardo Biological Station: 10.359658, -84.790992 (10°21’34.77″N, 84°47’27.57″O)
Getting to San Gerardo Biological Station:
From San Jose, take the Interamerican Highway north to km # 133, and take the turnoff to the right towards Sardinal to Santa Elena (about 29 km). Upon entering the community of Santa Elena, continue 6 km to the station entrance. Santa Elena is reached via a gravel road, so it is recommended to go with four-wheel drive vehicle. Driving time from San Jose is approximately 1 ½ hours.
By bus:
You can take a bus route San Jose – Santa Elena (Auto Transport Tilarán, 222-3854), which takes about 4.5 hours. From there you can take a taxi to the entrance, which can take about 15 minutes.
Poco Sol Biological Station
Poco Sol Biological Station is located on the Atlantic slope in Tilaran Mountain Range at 720m above sea level. The station’s 
infrastructure is divided into two buildings. A main building which corresponds to the shelter with capacity for 34 people. It has seven rooms, each with private bath. The main floor has a conference room, bathrooms and two rooms for the disabled; the second floor is an open room with terrace and five bedrooms. The second building has a kitchen and dining area for the enjoyment of traditional foods. It also offers facilities for students, researchers and tourists such as trails through primary and secondary forest and regenerating areas, passing through a 3.8 ha lagoon, a waterfall, fumaroles and hot springs.
As to San Gerardo station, the type of forest in the area is classified as Premountain Rainforest (an evergreen forest), with a canopy of 30 to 40 meters in high, abundant epiphytes and a dense undergrowth. The average temperature of this zone is 24°C (75°F), with an annual rainfall of 4000 mm, being the best time to visit during the dry season from December to May.
Location: Poco Sol in the province of Alajuela, Costa Rica.
GPS Coordinates for Poco Sol Biological Station: 10.362025, -84.658467 (10°21’43.29″N, 84°39’30.48″W)
Getting s to Poco Sol Biological Station:
From San Jose, take the Pan-American Highway westward to the city of San Ramon. Then follow the road north through Angeles and La Tigra up to Pocosol. Driving time from San Jose is approximately 4 hours.
You can also take the Pan-American Highway to Naranjo and follow the road through the villages of Zarcero, Ciudad Quesada and La Tigra to Pocosol. Driving time from San Jose is approximately 4 hours.
By bus:
You can take a bus San Jose – La Fortuna, (Auto Transport San Jose-San Carlos, 2256-8914), which takes about 4 hours, making a stop in La Tigra. You can also take a bus from Ciudad Quesada to La Fortuna (Transpisa, 8379-3153) which takes about 1.5 hours. From there you can take a taxi to the entrance, which can take about 15 minutes.
By plane:
You can also take a flight from the Juan Santamaria Airport and the Arenal Airport, either with Sansa Airlines or Nature Air every day. From there you can rent a car and drive to the reserve, or take a taxi, which can take about 30 minutes.
Bajo del Tigre Sector
The Bajo del Tigre Sector is physically separated from the large block of the Children’s Eternal Rainforest, but is part of this large protected area and administered by the ACM. Bajo del Tigre is located in Monteverde and has a size of approximately 29 hectares, however the property is surrounded by other private protected area, a situation that provides a greater forest cover.
The forest type found in Bajo del Tigre is quite rare and has a low representation in the country due to the deforestation to make way for coffee plantations and urban zones, for presenting favorable conditions for human settlements. Bajo del Tigre has an elevation between 1.020m to 1.380m above sea level, and record rainfall over 2,400 mm of rain per year. This forest is considered 
seasonal, with a dry period extending from January to early May.
Bajo del Tigre has a reception center for visitors and a gift shop with items related to their organization and conservation in general. In addition, next to the reception it has a “Children’s House”, aimed to environmental education for local children and visitors.
Bajo del Tigre Sector has about 4.5 km of trails that let you enjoy a unique flora and fauna of the area, as well as an excellent opportunity to appreciate the sunset over the Gulf of Nicoya.
Location: 2km (1.2 miles) southeast of downtown Santa Elena, Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
Bajo del Tigre Sector GPS Coordinates: 10.305703, -84.811578 (10°18’20.53″N, 84°48’41.68″W)
Reservation Phone: + (506) 2645-5305
Birder’s Tour Schedule: at 5:30 a.m. and at 7:30 p.m.
Daytime walks Schedule: from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Night walks Schedule: from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (tThe Night Hike allows visitors to see the difference between the forest during the day, and at night. An experience you will not want to miss!)
Bajo del Tigre Website: www.btigre.white.prohosting.com
Getting to Bajo del Tigre Sector:
From San Jose, take the Pan-American Highway north to km # 133, and take the turnoff to the right towards Sardinal to Santa Elena (about 29 km). Upon entering the community of Santa Elena, continue for 2 km to the station entrance. In Santa Elena is reached via a gravel road, so it is recommended to go with four-wheel drive vehicle. Driving time from San Jose is approximately 1 ½ hours.
By bus:
You can take a bus San Jose – Santa Elena (Auto Transport Tilarán, 222-3854), which takes about 4.5 hours. From there you can take a taxi to the entrance, which can take about 10 minutes.
Finca Steller Education Center
In 1993, ACM acquired a property adjacent to Children’s Eternal Rainforest in order to build a Environmental Education Center. Some years later, thanks to donations from organizations and individuals, they were able to build basic buildings to carry out education and 
reforestation activities.
The Finca Steller Education Center, located in La Tigra of San Carlos, has a classroom, a kid’s house and a tree nursery for the production of native tree species. In addition, there are hiking trails through primary and secondary forest, and areas of regeneration.
Location: La Tigra in the province of Alajuela, Costa Rica.
GPS Coordinates for Finca Steller Educational Center: 10.341378, -84.584947 (10°20’28.96″N. 84°35’5.81″W)
Finca Steller Phone: +(506) 2468-8382
Getting to Finca Steller Educational Center:
From San Jose, take the Pan-American Highway westward to the city of San Ramon. Then follow the road north through Angeles to La Tigra. Driving time from San Jose is approximately 4 hours.
You can also take the Pan-American Highway to Naranjo and follow the road through the villages of Zarcero and Ciudad Quesada to La Tigra. Driving time from San Jose is approximately 4 hours.
By bus:
You can take a bus San Jose – La Fortuna, (Auto Transport San Jose-San Carlos, 2256-8914), which takes about 4 hours, making a stop in La Tigra. You can also take a bus from Ciudad Quesada to La Fortuna (Transpisa, 8379-3153) which takes about 1.5 hours. From there you can take a taxi to the entrance, which can take about 15 minutes.
By plane:
You can also take a flight from the Juan Santamaria Airport and Airport Arenal, either with Sansa Airlines or Nature Air every day. From there you can rent a car and drive to the shelter, or take a taxi, which can take about 30 minutes.
Other nearby national parks include the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Santa Elena Cloud Forest, Arenal Volcano National Park, Alberto Manuel Brenes Reserve and Juan Castro Blanco National Park.
Location: between Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve and the Arenal National Park, in the provinces of Alajuela and Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
Size: 22,500 ha (54,000 acres)
Altitude: from 450m to 1,800m (1,480ft to 5,900ft) above sea level
Reservation Telephone: +(506) 2645-5851 / 2645-5305
Website: www.acmcr.org
to convert the land into a cloud forest reserve. The philosophy of this reserve is unique, where long term sustainability is not only a concern of the Reserve, but of the community as a whole, making it an excellent example of what people can do to preserve and learn from their environment.
store moisture, which is especially important in the dry season (from February to May).
support to the education of Santa Elena’s youth. They are also invested into the development of courses in environmental education, biology, agriculture, language and tourism. In using the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve as a natural classroom, students and teachers harness an unlimited educational resource that can be used for anything from studying tropical plant ecology to leading tours.
Although majority of the reserve is located in the Puntarenas province, however parts stretch to the Alajuela province, along the Tilarán Mountain Range.
Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus), the Piratic Flycatcher (Legatus leucophaius), and the Yellow-green Vireo (Vireo flavoviridis), reproduce in Monteverde and migrate to South America during their non-reproductive phase.
Cloud Forest Reserve is a paradise for nature lovers and avid photographers. It comes as no surprise that people who visited Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve rank it as one of the most beautifully, stunning and breath taking nature reserves in the world.
