Workshops
Fiona's a Costa Rican wildlife expert of 30 years, offering an authoritative experience like no other.
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Not content with a day visit? Perhaps you'd like to join Fiona and other international experts on one of the themed bioblitzes or workshops below. Still looking for something a little different? Don't hesitate at all to contact us to organize something a little more bespoke, from night walks to a themed tour of your own.
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Herpetile Tour 1
January 5 to 13, 2025
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In 2025 we are offering two 8-day trips with the amazing TWAN LEENDERS!
Tour 1 Based at Sylvan, we have ample time to search for glass frogs in Glass Frog Alley, snakes up Culebra Creek and much more. We have two day-trips: one is for dolphin-watching and a mangrove tour in Golfo Dulce, the second a trip to nearby wetlands and/or a search for a rare frog. We end with a flourish, driving through the highlands with stops at cloud forest, and an overnight at mid elevation on the Caribbean slope for a new range of species. The next morning we head to Irazu Volcano, early enough to (hopefully) see into the crater, then on to the San Jose area to overnight at the lovely Hotel Bougainvillea. Here we can see one or two more frog, owls and more.
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Cost: $2,150 USD per person
shared accommodations
Leader: Twan Leenders, author, photographer, leading herpetologist for Costa Rica. Co-led and organized by Fiona Reid.
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Group Size: 6-8.
Sorry, Sold Out
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Les: Any trip to the wildlife paradise that is Sylvan will leave you wanting more. From glass frogs and party lizards, to fer-de-lance and poison dart frogs, the 2024 herp trip with Fiona and Twan was a blast. Over 50 species of amphibians and reptiles were observed, but that’s only the beginning. We saw many birds, bats, monkeys, and insects while hiking the many trails in the area. Highlights of the trip were Glass Frog Alley, Culebra Creek trail, and of course swimming in the waterfall pool with the biting fish (a must for every visitor to Sylvan).
Bridget: I was a total newbie to Costa Rica and to ecotourism when I joined a herp blitz at Sylvan in January 2023. What a fantastic time I had! Fiona and Twan were fabulous and very knowledgeable and the food was amazing! I cannot say enough good things about my stay and plan on returning as soon as I can.
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Herpetile Tour 2
January 12 to 20, 2025
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Tour 2 starts in San Jose.
Fiona and Twan will meet you at the Hotel Bougainvillea, where both groups can meet one another. We leave the next morning and drive to the Caribbean lowlands for two nights. We will visit Frogs Heaven and other off-the-beaten track locations. Further explorations start after dark, in hopes of seeing a variety of snakes, frogs and other nocturnal creatures. Next we head to the mountains where we stay at a rustic locale surrounded by tall oak forest. This area is great for all kinds of wildlife, including mountain salamanders. On our way south, we stop close to the Boruca territory. Here we hope to see the very rare harlequin frog, along with other species. From here it is a short drive to Sylvan, where we spend the next 3 nights. We have two full days to explore Sylvan's many habitats, waterfalls and streams.
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Cost: $2,550 USD per person
shared accommodations
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Leaders: Twan Leenders and Fiona Reid, with local guides.
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Group Size: 6-8.
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Sorry, Sold Out!
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Tropical Sketching Workshop
January 23 to 30, 2025
This is our second sketching workshop with the multi-talented artist, naturalist, and instructor DEBBY KASPARI. Sylvan is the perfect place for studying landscape and wildlife, with incredible falls, streams and forest, and a variety of birds visiting feeders and nesting at the lodge. Participants will learn how to sort out and simplify complex rainforest subjects and experiment with a variety of media. There will be plenty of one-on-one instruction during daily classes. We also enjoy sketching excursions to nearby wetlands and nature reserves. This is a rare opportunity to immerse yourself in a pristine envirnment and learn how to portray it yourself.
The trip starts and ends in Rio Claro.
Cost: $1,950 USD per person, shared accommodations
Leader: Debby Kaspari - landscape artist, teacher and birder
https://drawingthe motmot.com
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A recent cancellation means we have one spot available!!
To register please contact Fiona: info@escapetosylvan.com
Comments from the previous workshop:
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Sue: Debby is patient, thoughtful and funny. Her classes each day were well-planned and the whole event was very well-organized. She and Fiona worked together behind the scenes to make sure each lesson offered something unique, both in terms of art and the variety of habitats we visited.
Catherine: Thank you, Fiona and Debby, for everything you did and for sharing the jaw-droppingly wonderful Sylvan. It was a perfect trip!
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