La Selva Biological Station is a protected area encompassing 4000 acres of low-land tropical rain forest in northeastern Costa Rica. It is estimated that it contains over 500,000 species of mammals, birds, and insects. Owned and operated by the Organization for Tropical Studies, a consortium of universities and research institutions from the United States, Costa Rica, and Puerto Rico, it is recognized internationally as one of the most productive field stations in the world for tropical forest research and peer-reviewed publications, La Selva hosts approximately 300 scientists and 100 university courses every year. Guests are also welcomed and can mingle with researchers while staying at the facilities. 

Not surprisingly for the rain forest it rained for much of the day. Fortunately, not before I took a 3 hour walking tour with one of the resident nature guides early in the morning. He spotted wildlife I would have walked right past and provided great information about the ecosystem. Ninety percent of my photos for this day were lost with my cameras.