By Victor Block

I knew before traveling to Costa Rica that it has a well-deserved reputation for preserving its magnificent environment. I was aware of the diversity of landscapes and multiplicity of animal and bird life. But only after spending time in that virtual Garden of Eden did I fully appreciate that so much variety is compressed into an area smaller than West Virginia.

The setting changes quickly and frequently in the compact Central American country. An uphill climb transports you from an Amazonlike jungle environment to an alpine woodland reminiscent of Switzerland. Both dry stretches of forest and pockets of verdant wetlands lie in the shadow of volcanoes, several of which still are active.

Seeking to experience as much as possible of what Costa Rica has to offer in a limited time, I went there with Overseas Adventure Travel. As the self-styled "Leader in small groups on the road less traveled," that tour company allows clients to pack as many experiences as possible into every hour of every day.

And packed with action every waking hour was. One day included visiting an OAT-sponsored school, a traditional lunch with a local family and a guided horseback ride through dense forest. Another began with a hands-on tortilla-making lesson followed by viewing giant crocodiles at close range and visiting one of Costa Rica's most beautiful beaches.

Most of our time was spent animal-watching and exploring the unspoiled environment. Those activities are closely intertwined, for the emphasis on preservation provides the diverse landscapes that sustain the great variety of wildlife.

Vast tracts of Costa Rica are set aside in national parks, wildlife refuges and reserves. Much of the money derived from the gasoline tax goes toward conservation. Among many laws that protect the environment is one that requires people who cut down trees for certain uses to plant several more in their place. And hundreds of tour operators, hotels and other travel companies have received the prestigious international Certification for Sustainable Tourism.

The results of their efforts are evident everywhere, and I observed a number of them first-hand. I hiked in Manuel Antonio National Park, one of the smallest preserves in Costa Rica and one of the most bio-diverse areas in the world. Its varied terrain includes a luxuriant rainforest, bird sanctuaries and four inviting beaches.

Most awesome was time spent in the Monteverde Cloud Forest, a 26,000-acre preserve that spills down both the Caribbean and Pacific slopes of the Tilaran mountain range. Its environment lives up to its name. Warm air rising from the tropical coast condenses into a persistent fog and mist.

More than 3,000 kinds of plants live in the forest, including over 500 types of orchids, the largest diversity of that flowering plant in the world. Because sunlight has a difficult time breaking through the constant veil of clouds and dense tree canopy, plant life uses tree trunks and limbs as a ladder in its quest for light. These epiphytes, as they're known, cover trees with a blanket of velvety green accented by colorful flowers.

My tour group explored this dreamlike setting by means of six suspension bridges, one almost 1,000 feet long, that wind their way through the high tree canopy some 425 feet above ground level. This provides both a bird's-eye outlook over the forest below and close-up views of the plant, bird and animal life that thrives in the mysterious treetop world.

Adding to the wonder is the opportunity to spot wildlife that thrives in this other-worldly environment. A sign at the entrance to the Cloud Forest notes that 126 species of mammals and 448 types of birds live there. Mammals include jaguars, pumas, ocelots, sloths and tapirs. We heard the roarlike sounds of accurately named howler monkeys reverberating from treetops but had trouble spotting those noisy but elusive critters.

The incredibly rich diversity of trees, plants and flowers shares top billing as one of the major appeals of the Monteverde Cloud Forest with the wildlife that makes that setting their home. Throughout much of Costa Rica, on the other hand, wildlife that lives on land and in the sky is the main attraction.

About 850 kinds of birds have been spotted, more than 600 of them permanent residents. Over 1,000 species of butterflies dot the landscape with myriad colors. Fortunately we escaped encounters with the 100 or so different types of mosquitoes that find Costa Rica's damp environment to their liking.

When Christopher Columbus arrived in 1502 he chose the name Costa Rica, or "rich coast," because he believed the land would yield a vast treasure of gold. However, Spanish conquistadors soon realized they would not discover the mineral wealth they had hoped to find.

Visitors today discover wealth of a very different kind. They leave Costa Rica with memories of a magnificent natural setting, an extraordinary assortment of wildlife and people who value and protect the riches that Mother Nature has bestowed upon them.

WHEN YOU GO

Overseas Adventure Travel boasts a 38-year history, offers trips to 75 countries from Albania to Zimbabwe, and limits land excursions to a maximum of 16 people. For more information, visit www.oattravel.com or call 800-955-1925.

Victor Block is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.