MONTEVERDE, Costa Rica – A new orchid garden being cultivated at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve is projected to open in September. Orchids are one of the many unique organisms found in the richly biodiverse ecosystems in Monteverde. But they face threats from poaching and climate change. Gabriel Barboza, an orchid specialist at the reserve’s Centro Científico Tropical (Tropical Science Center), is the creator of this new garden. He explains possible threats to orchids and shares his aspirations for public environmental education.
For more on Monteverde orchids, read Orchids: The Hidden Treasure of Monteverde