http://www.calypsoislandtours.com/blog/index.php/costa-rica/wilson-botanical-gardens/ Adventures, misadventures and reflections of traveling in the tropics Fri, 16 Dec 2011 03:15:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 http://www.calypsoislandtours.com/blog/index.php/costa-rica/wilson-botanical-gardens/comment-page-1/#comment-36 Calypso Island Chronicles » Blog Archive » The Botanical Gardens of Costa Rica Sat, 13 May 2006 15:42:34 +0000 http://www.calypsoislandtours.com/blog/?p=135#comment-36 [...] Located in southern Costa Rica near the Panamanian border at an elevation of 4500 feet above sea level, Wilson Botanical Gardens cover an area over 25 acres and were designed in part by the famous andscape designer and architect, Roberto-Burle Marx. The gardens are operated by the Organization of Tropical Studies (OTS) as a center for research, scientific study and public education in tropical botany. The gardens are terraced to give it sort of a natural feel; plants of the same culture requirements are grouped together. Bromeliads, marantas, heliconias, gingers in particular are well represented here; and there are over 700 species of palms alone, the second largest collection worldwide. Easy to navigate walking trails circle the entire property which abuts a private biological reserve. Believe it or not, this is one of the most popular venues for the birdwatcher crowd. When I was there, a small group of real avid Birdwatchers from California and Massachusetts stayed at the lodge and were really stoked as they added many new bird species to their life history list. Nearby is the quaint little town of San Vito which was founded by Italian immigrants sometime after World War II; there are several great pasta and pizza places in the area. [...] […] Located in southern Costa Rica near the Panamanian border at an elevation of 4500 feet above sea level, Wilson Botanical Gardens cover an area over 25 acres and were designed in part by the famous andscape designer and architect, Roberto-Burle Marx. The gardens are operated by the Organization of Tropical Studies (OTS) as a center for research, scientific study and public education in tropical botany. The gardens are terraced to give it sort of a natural feel; plants of the same culture requirements are grouped together. Bromeliads, marantas, heliconias, gingers in particular are well represented here; and there are over 700 species of palms alone, the second largest collection worldwide. Easy to navigate walking trails circle the entire property which abuts a private biological reserve. Believe it or not, this is one of the most popular venues for the birdwatcher crowd. When I was there, a small group of real avid Birdwatchers from California and Massachusetts stayed at the lodge and were really stoked as they added many new bird species to their life history list. Nearby is the quaint little town of San Vito which was founded by Italian immigrants sometime after World War II; there are several great pasta and pizza places in the area. […]

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