Palo Verde Extension - Marley Peifer

Day One: December 8th

On the last day of the Nature Journal Beach vacation everyone is off to the airport in Liberia. Unless, you decided to do the Palo Verde extension. In which case you are on your way with me to catch a boat in Puerto Humo. We might stop at a famous hand made tortilla place on the way so you can have a taste of the traditional culture of the Nicoya Peninsula. A short boat ride up the tempisque river could be a good time to see rare birds such as the boat billed heron or the otherworldly Jabiru. We are entering one of the most important wetlands in Central America. There are also crocodiles and other reptiles to be seen here.

Arrival, check in and settle in to rooms at Palo Verde Research station. Short siesta time if it is hot. Afternoon nature journaling session will focus on quick sketching of animals. Focus will depend on who is willing to model for us. Likely candidates are black iguanas, howlers, or capuchin monkeys right in front of hotel or copious waterbirds such as limpkins, jacanas, spoonbills at nearby wetlands elevated walk way. This is a unique intersection between the wetlands and one of the last intact areas of seasonally dry tropical forest in Costa Rica. Learn more about Palo Verde here.

Optional sunset walk to spectacular overlook on craggy limestone rock and landscape painting class. Dinner and optional night walk or moth drawing.

Are you ready to paint a landscape from up here? Wild plumerias waft their perfume, flocks of roseate spoonbills fly overhead, strange bromeliads sprout from the rocky crags, and the golden sun glints off a mosaic of water in the world-class wetlands below you.

Day Two:

Wake up early to go birding or boat tour. Breakfast. Post breakfast class on quick sketching strategies and drawing standing up. Lunch and siesta. Afternoon personal exploration time. Work on your pages in the dining room, draw black tailed iguanas close up. Follow curassows down a trail. Group dinner. Optional night walk or moth drawing.

These incredible curassows are often seen right outside the dining hall!! Scroll down on this page to see species lists for Palo Verde. One of the coolest ground birds in the neotropics!

Day Three:

Wake up early to go birding or boat tour. Breakfast. Post breakfast class all about color. Lunch and siesta. Afternoon personal exploration time. Work on your pages in the dining room, draw black tailed iguanas close up. Follow curassows down a trail. Group dinner. Optional night walk or moth drawing.

Want to observe and sketch these iguanas for hours on end? There are many of them right where we are staying. Look for the cerulean blue shade on some of the males.

Day Four:

Our last morning to enjoy at Palo Verde! Let’s make the most of it. After breakfast we will have time to pack and get ready for our driver to take us back to Liberia. We will have one last meal together in Liberia and spend the night again at Hotel Villa Hermosa. We have come full circle and tomorrow you will be shuttled to the airport in time for your flight out of the very relaxed little airport of Liberia.

$750 for this 4 day extension

All park fees, reservations, organization, meals, boat tours, and transportation covered.

All nature journaling lessons, one on one help and feedback.

Fly in with everyone on the Nature Journal Beach Vacation: December 1st

Fly out day: December 12th