More orchids

Here is another photo of an orchid from Lankester Botanical Gardens near San Jose. In the recent newspaper article about the discovery of 10 new orchid species, the Tico Times quoted the Lankester Director as saying that the discovery of new orchid species is the result of an effort begun 10 years ago by the University of Costa Rica to identify and classify plant species.

When my wife and I first visited Costa Rica in 2005, she commented that the environmental culture in Costa Rica is similar to the artistic culture of Paris in the early 20th Century. Paris attracted artists and writers from many other countries, where they learned from each other and developed their talents.

There are students of the environment from the USA, Canada and Europe who have come to Costa Rica to study plants, animals and climate. In the Monteverde Cloud Forest area they lamented that certain species of frogs could be found only at higher altitudes because of the effects of global warming. Ecotourism is one of the largest contributors to the Costa Rican economy. Conservation can be good for business, too.

This week we are showing photos from Villa Balbianello at Lake Como, Italy, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.