No. 90, Dec 2018 Wilson Botanical Garden Las Cruces Research Station Apdo. 73-8257 San Vito, Coto Brus, COSTA RICA Who We Are he Las Cruces Biological this moist, cloud-laden habitat and there is visitor-friendly amenities: comfortable Station is one of three field an impressive diversity of insects, and in private sleeping quarters, excellent meals, T stations owned and operated particular moths and butterflies. knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff, and a by the Organization for Tropical Studies Las Cruces protects more than 200 well-maintained network of paths and trails. (OTS) in Costa Rica. The station was hectares of primary forest (home to some The nearest town is San Vito, the municipal acquired in 1973 and, along with the 2,000 native plant species) and ~150 capital of Coto Brus county. It was founded Wilson Botanical Garden, offers natural additional hectares that are in various by Italian immigrants in the 1950’s and to history visitors and researchers alike an stages of forest recovery. The reserve this day they have a strong presence in the extraordinary place to visit and conduct is surrounded by a mosaic of mixed-use community. For example, a Dante Alighieri research. agricultural fields and forest patches, and Italian-Costa Rican Community Center Far from the noise and bustle of the it is this fragmented setting that makes provides Italian language instruction and country’s capital city San José, Las Cruces Las Cruces an ideal place to study the Coto Brus is the only county in Costa Rica is located in the remote southeastern effects of forest fragmentation and isolation where Italian forms part of the elementary corner of the country between Corcovado on animal and plant communities. The curriculum! But enough said here! We National Park on the Osa Peninsula, and landscape surrounding Las Cruces is also hope that you will be inspired to come and the enormous La Amistad International ideally suited for research on biological experience firsthand the splendid tropical Biosphere Reserve (472,000 hectares) that corridors and restoration ecology; key diversity of the Las Cruces Biological spans south-central Costa Rica and western fields of research that are of ever increasing Station and Wilson Botanical Garden! Panama. In 1983, UNESCO declared Las importance. Part of our mission at Las Cruces and the Wilson Botanical Garden Cruces is to continue to purchase land for Please visit the Las Cruces website at part of the Biosphere Reserve due to its reforestation and, in doing so, expand our http://www.tropicalstudies.org/lascruces incredible diversity and proximity to La protected areas and connect some of the for more information or contact us directly Amistad. isolated forest fragments around the station. by email at [email protected] The Wilson Botanical Garden, founded For further information on this campaign or telephone at: +506 2773-4004. Postal in 1962 by Catherine and Robert Wilson, please visit the Las Cruces website. mail can be sent to: Estación Biológica Las is arguably the most important botanical At approximately 1,200 meters Cruces/Jardín Botánico Wilson; Apdo. 73- garden in Central America and a “must elevation (3,900 feet), the prevailing 8257; San Vito de Coto Brus, Puntarenas; see” stop on the itineraries of plant lovers, temperatures at Las Cruces are cooler Costa Rica. birders, and other natural history groups. It than one might expect. Temperatures Reservations can also be made by is famous for its worldwide collection of range from 21-26 °C (70-80 °F) during contacting the OTS office in San José tropical plants that include palms, aroids, the day and 15-21 °C (low 60’s) at night. by email: threepaths.reservaciones@ bromeliads, gingers, marantas, heliconias, Mean annual rainfall is ~4,000 mm (157 tropicalstudies.org or by telephone +506 and ferns. More than 3,000 exotic species inches)! The dry season runs from January 2524-0607. of plants can be found in the 10-hectare – March, and the rainy season from May – The North American OTS office is (~ 25-acre) garden, including one of the November. Most visitors and researchers located at Duke University, telephone: largest collections of palms in the world. come during the dry season. +1 (919) 684-5774 or email: ots@ There is an incredible diversity of The station is well known for its tropicalstudies.org animals that inhabit the Las Cruces reserve, and the forest fragments in the immediate surrounding area. The bird list The Organization for Tropical Studies is a nonprofit consortium of universities and has registered 410 species; close to half research institutions in the U.S., Costa Rica, Peru, Mexico, South Africa, and Australia. the number of birds found in all of Costa Founded in 1963, OTS is dedicated to providing leadership in education, research Rica. There are also more than 100 species and the responsible use of natural resources in the tropics. To this end, OTS offers of mammals, of which 60 are bats. Some graduate, undergraduate and professional education, facilitates research, participates in of the more commonly sighted mammals conservation activities, conducts environmental education programs and maintains three include agoutis, white-faced capuchin fields stations in Costa Rica: La Selva Biological Station in the Atlantic lowland rain monkeys, kinkajous, olingos, and tayras. forest; Palo Verde Biological Station in the Pacific deciduous dry forest; and Las Cruces Reptiles and amphibians also thrive in Biological Station in the premontane cloud forest near the Panamanian border. 2 Amigos Newsletter Director’s Keys and Notes AMIGOS NEWSLETTER No. 90, Dec 2018 3 Director’s Keys and Notes 4 What’s New at Las Cruces The Art of Science Interpretation The Natural History Room Vertical Gardens 5 Research at Las Cruces When Ants go Bad What Happens to a Forest Fragment Long After it is Isolated? Stories From the Field 9 Las Cruces chef, Edier Monge Navarro Natural History Ramblings at Rebecca Cole / [email protected] Palo Verde ne of the best things about travel over large servings of fresh salad, 10 Flora and Fauna mealtimes at Las Cruces, worked our way through the must-see besides the great food, cultural attractions of home towns on four Captain Bligh’s Fern O is the company you meet. During the continents over a hardy main course, and high seasons, the dining hall becomes a had settled down over dessert to a mix Malaria in southern Costa crossroads for scientists, nature lovers, of perspectives on global health, water Rica! But not in people, in students, artists, writers, volunteers, and an security, and the odd habits of flower mites birds! eclectic assortment of folk from the local that hitchhike on the bills of hummingbirds. community. The guest sitting next to you So, next time you are at the station, take the 15 Our Donors might turn out to be a grad student studying time to talk with someone outside of your the relationships between plants and nectar group (assuming, of course, that the person The Magic of a Pollinator feeding bats, an avid birder adding a few looks like they’d welcome conversation); Garden more species to his life list, one of the you might pick up some new travel tips world’s leading expert on ferns, or an artist or a little known fact about the sex life of working on her watercolor techniques. That heliconia plants. Front Cover: Detail of the Wilson fit looking guy down at the end of the table The rest of this newsletter contains Botanical Garden: Painting by that just went back for a third helping of the articles on the strange relationships between Deirdre Hyde. chicken in passionfruit sauce is probably on ants and other arthropods, the exotic bike tour. history of the king fern and the changes and Back Cover: Bromeliad Hill: It can all make for some interesting challenges to the delicate forest ecosystem Painting by Deirdre Hyde. conversation. I was reminded of this last of our region. You will also find some week when I ended up at the lunch table stories from the field by researchers at our Editorial Committee: Rebecca with a group of volunteers that represented sister biological stations and updates on Cole and Carl Schmitt exactly seven different nationalities. We some exciting new additions for visitors at discussed the merits of volunteer adventure the Wilson Botanical Garden. Enjoy! Amigos Newsletter 3 What’s New at Las Cruces? The Art of Science Interpretation Rebecca Cole / [email protected] On your next visit to the Wilson Botanical Garden, you will see a new structure on the hillside between the dining hall, the library and the reception building. Sheltered from the rain and sun under a high roof are eight large aluminum panels making up a new Visitor Information Area. The panels are the work of artist Deirdre Hyde who’s extraordinary career of science and nature interpretation has enlivened museums, national parks, art galleries and even places such as the Vatican over the past 30 years. Over several months, Deirdre worked with staff at Las Cruces to create a rich exhibit that takes the viewer through the history What does a forest do for us? of our region, the adventures of early settlers, and the science that explains how our actions are changing this part of the world. Vertical Gardens Original art blends with traditional indigenous patterns and themes Thanks to the talent of volunteer horticulturist, Rodrigo De to create a sense of continuity and carry a strong message of Sousa, Las Cruces has it first vertical gardens. At the entrance of conservation and stewardship of our tropical environment. the station, native bromeliads form a living backdrop to a new On your next visit, take a few minutes to check out this welcome sign.