If those steps weren’t enough to pacify the concerned conscience, the second question is, “Should I be looking for a life outside of a society that perpetuates environmentally detrimental, resource-wasteful, and economically ludicrous behavior?”

Now you’re talking. So now the third question becomes, “Can I build a home in a beautiful place like Costa Rica – a politically stable, developing country, with world-renowned health care, surrounded by like-minded neighbors and wildlife you’ve only seen on TV – on a reasonable budget?”

You betcha. After reading a thoughtful post on The Resilient Family blog site, we’ve decided to put together our own “back of the napkin budget” for building in Tierra Pacifica; an ecological community that combines sustainable living with top of the line amenities and services.

Let’s set the scene: imagine a 1-2 acre wooded lot, guarded 24/7, about 5 minutes from great surf and restaurants, and your grocery store, doctor, and vet right out of the front gate. Your home is a modest 1500 square feet, Spanish-colonial style, with a solar water-heating system and passive cooling. You have access to the best pool in Guanacaste, alongside a fitness center with yoga studio and regular classes.

Now, to break it down:

Land Cost: $70-100k
Building Cost: $125-150k ($80-90 sq ft)
Solar Water-Heating: $1-2k
Edible Landscaping: $1k
Total: $200-250k

For $200k you can start a more sustainable life in an amazing place that has the infrastructure to support you through the process. Take your tour now and discover what the buzz is all about.

A Rainstorm brewing over Finca La Norma in watershed town of Las Delicias

Guanacaste, Costa Rica, is known for its starkly contrasting seasons, alternating between six months of hot, dry weather and six months of consistent rain and humidity. This year, the first rains of the season were light sprinkles in early April. As we begin May, dark clouds are prevalent and late afternoon rain is becoming a regular occurrence.

There has been no measurable rainfall from January to April for longer than many Nandamojo residents have been here. Interestingly, this wasn’t always the case. Historic rainfall data from Santa Cruz show that there used to be measurable amounts of rain all twelve months of the year. In 1954, the first zero appears on rainfall charts, as there was no rain in February of that year. In 1959, the dry spell extended to a three-month period from January to March. April then became a dry month in 1974.

The correlation between forests and rainfall is very nuanced and not fully understood, as many factors affect how much rain falls in any one place. It is interesting to note, however, that the decrease in annual rainfall and the creation of our four-month dry season coincided to decades in which large swaths of Guanacaste’s dry tropical forest were cleared to create sugar plantations and cattle pastures.

Needless to say, measurable rainfall on April 2nd – reported by Ray Beise of Pura Jungla – was very welcome.

The rain’s arrival marks Restoring Our Watershed’s first planting season in partnership with the Blue Flag Committee. The group has been organizing communal meetings in watershed towns, during which residents discuss the need to protect and renew our ecosystem.

Already this year, ten landowners have agreed to reforest at least part of their land. The word is spreading through watershed communities about the work ROW is doing, and more forest means more habitat, better infiltration of rainwater, and a healthier watershed.

You can help by donating online to Restoring Our Watershed. Donations are needed to buy trees and plants for the 2012 reforestation season. For more information, contact ROW’s director, Matt Rosensteele at (506) 8718 3887 or by email at matt@ourwatershed.org.

Subscribe to the ROW monthly e-newsletter to follow our progress and learn more on our website.

Construction begins on Lot 51 in Tierra Pacifica

The newest home construction project broke ground this month in Tierra Pacifica. Will and Ann, owners of Lot 51, have partnered with Doug Stern of Noswell Construction to make a Costa Rican dream their reality. Having visited Junquillal for years because of the great surf and “pura vida” lifestyle, they watched as Tierra Pacifica developers kept their word by developing a secure, gated community that focused on preserving the natural beauty of the land.

Hard at work preparing rebar for the foundation.

Working with Doug to design their custom home using local materials, has been Will and Ann’s favorite part of building in Costa Rica. Their Spanish Colonial style home, set to be completed by the end of the year, will feature a large terrace for backyard nature viewing. From here, Will and Ann will be able to enjoy bird and monkey-watching, as well as other wildlife that is drawn to the trees and creek on the lot. They look forward to landscaping with tropical plants and fruit trees that will enrich their future retirement months here in Costa Rica. Additionally, their proximity to the Tierra Pacifica park and green zones will be perfect for entertaining their future grandchildren.

Foundations have been dug out in preparation for concrete.

With the finalized, approved construction plans in hand, Doug’s crew has begun work on the foundations of the house. We look forward to following the project over the coming months and are excited for Will and Ann!

Today, in just one 15 minute drive around the community, I saw these magnificent birds. Thankfully the camera was nearby.

A Yellow-tailed Oriole pulling threads of palm for its nest.

A Roadside Hawk stops to enjoy his catch, a small lizard.

A Black-headed Trogon

A second Black-headed Trogon perches nearby.

How many developments in Costa Rica can claim a working, organic farm as one of their sustainable amenities? Well we can. Earlier this year, the Plaza Tierra Pacifica Welcome Center teamed up with Mi Tierra Organic Farm to create a marketplace for the chemical-free produce growing in our own backyard. This is an exciting development in the availability of quality, local food from both the organic farm within Tierra Pacifica and now from valley farmers as well. You can enjoy the freshest, seasonal tastes of Guanacaste while benefiting the local economy and environment.

Residents and visitors from Junquillal, Paraíso and even Los Pargos are taking advantage of the new market while supporting the local economy.

Mi Tierra Organic Farm uses 10 acres of Tierra Pacifica for sustainable agriculture and also sources locally grown fruits and vegetables from within our river valley. Enjoy Mi Tierra cucumbers, tomatoes, honey and eggs in your own kitchen or at one of many hotels in the area that support our “buy local” mantra. Each purchase you make supports the local farmers who work to bring this wonderful food nearly to our doorsteps and helps the restoration work done by Restoring Our Watershed, a strategic environmental project supported by Tierra Pacifica.

So whether you live here year round or just escape part time, buy local! Visit the Plaza Tierra Pacifica Welcome Center, right next door, for your fresh fruit and vegetable needs!

Recently, the Tierra Pacifica Homeowners Association took it upon themselves to create and distribute their first newsletter to foster that sense of community and show appreciation for the natural wonders around them. Organized by HOA co-President, Kim Frigault, the newsletter is a collection of volunteered articles and anecdotes from various Tierra Pacifica homeowners. Meet the guard and support staff, get updates on happenings in the Junquillal area, and discover the wild animal sightings among just a few of the many sections of this informative periodical.

Click here to check out the first edition! To share comments, suggestions, or appreciation or to contribute an article to the next newsletter, contact Kim Frigault.

Dreams Become Reality in Costa Rica
Judith Donovan, The Howler, March 2012
November 2004 was a magical year for Wes and me. We decided to take a vacation in Costa Rica. We both had been there before and loved the country. While our relationship was new this trip became some of the mortar cementing it in place.

A friend had told us of a possible piece of land we could buy for $10,000 near Flamingo Beach where many ex-pats land up. He had bought a similar plot and it had doubled in value in one year. This sounded intriguing and we could vacation besides.

So off we went to explore and rediscover this sleepy, lush, beautiful land. The red and yellow flowers against the bluest of blue skies, the clear water, and a massage on the beach, all deepened our love for each other and this country.

However, when we saw the tiny square piece of land for sale it held no life for us. We did not want to buy something that we would not ever want to live on ourselves. Thus, we were referred to a couple of developers, both from the states, to continue our game of exploration.

Ron was a multimillionaire character who seemed to have laughed his gaudy way to his first million. He gleefully put on my sun hat and drove us off to his next project. This lot was gorgeous and I gazed around at the wonderful view through the trees. “We can cut down all these trees and build a highway up the middle.” “What?” I almost burst into tears. I could not bear to see the land bludgeoned in that style so we said adios to Ron.

Our next developer Greg was a sweet, apparently hard working man possibly on his way to his first million. What a spectacular mountain top lot he showed us with a 360 degree view of forest and Flamingo Beach. It made me tremble in anticipation. But alas, all our questions were answered the same, “I do not know yet.” Greg was still in the pre-planning stage. He suggested we head south to explore other areas less popular than Flamingo Beach and Portrero.

So off we went in our tiny rented car, bumping over rocks and gullies as we dodged pot holes. Suddenly it was more than a deep hole that made our car tilt, it was a flat tire. As we turned around to head back to nearby Tamarindo Beach, to fix the tire, I breathed a sigh of relief. Surely this would discourage Wes, especially after spending a few hours hanging out in the dusty, greasy tire shop. We could relax, have dinner, and enjoy the beach. Wrong! Sometimes it takes awhile to fully know another person. Wes’ eyes were boyishly alight. “Let’s get back on the road south.” He wanted to restart the aborted adventure. We had no idea where we were going but that was not a factor to Wes. Off into the unknown, returning to the dusty road, driving hop scotch around the holes, through cowboy terrain we went. While the cowboys were friendly enough, waving their hats and smiling broadly this did little to assuage my city girl qualms. We often were stopped by cattle being herded across the road, pigs or dogs enjoying siesta in our path, and roosters running by. I felt as if Wes had encapsulated me in his own time capsule. It was like we had been swept back in time to how folks lived in the 40’s or 50’s. I feared I could never live in Wes’ fantasy world of rustic country living. I blocked any sense of Peace I could have felt.

We bounced along for what seemed days, which in reality was perhaps two hours. We breathed in pounds of dust despite the closed windows. Wes, one pointedly focused on the road to no where, lips tightly closed to discussion. I refused to even glance at the inviting mountains or experience the relaxing quaintness. “If he thinks I would live here he is loco.”

Suddenly the road ended smack dab on a huge stretch of beach. I jumped out of the car, gleeful to escape my metal prison and breathe in the smell of my beloved beach environment.

Over to our left was a small beach shack. We were jolted back to the 21st century as our eyes blinked unbelievably. There was a huge sign “come watch the Super Bowl here.” A somewhat scruffy American inquired as to how we had suddenly dropped into his oasis. Wes described our mission as I gazed out to sea. “You must meet my friend Ben. Turn around and go back the way you came for about one mile. I will call Ben and have him meet you.” I followed numbly, “what was this about?” I was sure skeptic.

Sure enough, in a few minutes a handsome professional landscape architect from California was showing us Tierra Pacifica in all its’ well planned grandeur and respect for the land. Ben’s words of “community” “preserve the monkey migration path” and keeping acres of greenery, started melting even my heart. To my amazement, I felt a sense of home coming.

We drove around the well maintained roads, hiked through waist high grass to ultimately “the last lot for sale with an ocean view.”

Over the final three days of our vacation we explored the wider community of Junquillal and experienced the friendliness that further melted our hearts. The sense of community, the blending of Tico, Americans, Europeans, and Canadians was just the mix we craved. Some would gasp as we found ourselves making the decision to follow our dream. Our initial investment went from $10,000 to just over $100,000 with two acres. Maybe we were a bit loco but it sure was exciting and we hoped rewarding.

A few years later we built our house in Tierra Pacifica. Still I tend to pinch myself in disbelief as we found Paradise. The road has even cooperated and is mostly paved! Our fruit orchard is richer each day. Some of the frosting is our adopted hotel dog Biscuit. Who would have ever thought Judith, a cat person would have fallen in love with a dog? Miracles do happen daily in Paradise.

We awake each morning with the monkeys and revel in the joy of each other that this generous country has given us.

And that is how 2004 became the year of magic for Judith and Wes in Costa Rica.

Two homeowners, Eric and Martha Von Ammon, were recently invited to accompany the local Comité Pro-Cuenca de Bandera Azul (Blue Flag Committee for the Watershed) on a walk down 4 km of the Nandamojo River, the main river of our watershed. The committee is part of  a larger Costa Rican organization that works to clean up and preserve key areas, one of which being watersheds. Comprised of local Costa Ricans from the various towns in our watershed, the committee works with US-based non-profit, Restoring Our Watershed, to understand the sources of contamination and degredation of our water system and implement strategies for improving it.

With committee member Gerardo as our guide, we trekked through and above the river, seeing beautiful trees, birds, and even some famous fiesta bulls. We also saw some examples of erosion and tree-cutting that remind us of why green zones are so important to preserve.

Highlights of our walk down the Nandamojo River.

Like Eric and Martha, visitors and homeowners can get involved in local projects and learn more about what makes our valley so special. There is something to be said for a valley with this much local pride in its beauty and involvement for its protection.

We have also sold two condos in our recently completed mixed use development, Plaza Tierra Pacifica.  The Plaza now includes Supermercado Junquillal a 3000 square foot grocery store, Veterinarian Dr. Jessica Jimenez, a Medical Clinic with Dr. Xinia  Vasquez, the Welcome Center with Tierra Pacifica Vacations and Junquilla’s newest restaurant Amigos Bar and Grill.

In order to continue the momentum into 2012 we are announcing a new financing option that we feel will enable us to sell out the remaining 10 lots as soon as possible.  We are prepared to finance the lots with rates as low as 4% or terms as long as 15 years.  We have lots priced as low as $99,000 and condos as low as $149,000.

The best opportunities are always the early ones. We’ve all wished we had gotten in on the opportunity — whether it was a real estate investment or the hot new restaurant in town — when it was still a well-kept secret. For those of us who are fortunate enough to live part of the year or all year round in Guanacaste, we feel like we’re in on a well kept secret. Although Junquillal’s beach carries the well-known Blue Flag distinction, it is still deserted on most days (except when the sardines are running and the fishermen are out); despite it’s proximity to world-class surfing and the legions of surfers who visit nearby towns, Junquillal remains a peaceful, sleepy pueblo. It is for these reasons and many more that we consider the area we live in to be a rare gem, a place whose natural beauty is breathtaking and its wildlife abundant.

The concept of Tierra Pacifica was borne out of a desire to live sustainably and in harmony with all the wonder that surrounds us in Guanacaste. It was developed with conservation and preservation of the wetlands and estuary that are home to innumerable species, right in our backyard. Most importantly, the community of Tierra Pacifica is composed of people who share a common value – nature and its protection – and who have helped to grow Tierra Pacifica into a unique environment, one that we’re sure you won’t find anywhere else and one we’re sure you’ll want to be part of.

Some of you who have visited have heard me say that I believe we are in a sweet spot.  We have all of the conveniences that make life easier and more enjoyable, without the crowds and hassle.  Most evenings we are alone at the beach for sunset and each morning we are the first to walk in the fresh sand along the beach.  It may be a little selfish on my part, but I really do not want to see Junquillal grow, I like it just the way it is.  Phase 1 sold out, there are only 10 lots remaining in phase 2 and there is no phase 3.  This is your last chance to buy in Costa Rica’s most successful ecological community.  Call us today at 619 573-9929 to schedule a visit.

One of the great attractions of the Playa Junquillal area that gets completely overlooked by many visitors and part-time residents is sea turtle nesting and the protection of the eggs. Most people come to Costa Rica’s northwest Pacific Coast in search of sun, surf, sportfishing and the like. But the magnificent beaches and water that provide those entertainments for humans also attract five endangered sea turtle species to lay their eggs.

Harvesting turtle eggs from beach nests is a centuries-old tradition throughout Central and South America. Although the practice now is illegal in Costa Rica, poaching continues because of a lack of law enforcement resources.

Two organizations have worked hard in Playa Junquillal and nearby communities for the past few years to nearly eliminate turtle egg poaching here. The Pacific Leatherback Conservation Project began operating in Playa Junquillal in 2005 and has protected hundreds of nests, enabling more than 16,000 of the seat turtle babies to hatch and return to the sea. Led by Argentine biologist Gabriel Francia, teams of local PLCP volunteers and visiting students conduct nightly patrols along the 5.6 kilometers of greater Playa Junquillal. This includes the central Junquillal beach as well as three nearby stretches – Playa Honda, Playa Estero and Playa Blanca (just north of Hotel Iquanazul).

The patrollers locate the pregnant sea turtle tracks left in the sand as they make their way onto the beach to dig their nests and lay their eggs. Sometimes the PLCP volunteers wait until the mother turtles return to the ocean and then rake away the tracks that would identify the location of the nests. But most of the time they move the eggs – usually between 80 and 120 per nest – to a protected area where poachers cannot get at them. This is because sea turtle species return to almost the exact nesting location year after year, so the poachers often know where to find them.

The PLC effort is focused on the three sea sea turtle varieties that nest in the Playa Junquillal area: the mammoth Leatherback and the smaller Olive Ridley turtle and the Eastern Pacific Black turtle.

Coupled with the effort to protect nests and collect research data is a community awareness program. This involves educational presentations at local schools, recruitment of local students and adults as volunteers, and sponsorship of events to promote turtle protection.

The biggest such event – the annual Turtle Festival at Playa Junquillal each February – has grown into a broader community get-together that encourages cooperation among locals, foreign residents, part-time residents and tourists on a variety of issues. Some visitors who have experienced the Turtle Festival, volunteered for the nest patrols or witnessed the mass release of hatchlings into the sea make a point of returning to Playa Junquillal for these events.

The success of the PLCP in Playa Junaquillal has Francia considering expansion southward. “It is also our ambition to make this message reach other communities such as Venado, Lagarto and Marbella, where threats still exist for the sea turtle nesting grounds,” Francia stated in a recent newsletter published by the organization.

The other local effort for sea turtle protection is based in Punta Pargos, just north of Playa Junquillal. The Punta Pargos Sea Turtle Protection Project was established by Marc and Rachel Ward in 2003. The Oregon couple had witnessed turtle nest poaching first-hand as visitors to the Nicoya Penninsula of Costa Rica, and in 2001 they founded Sea Turtles Forever, an Oregon based non-profit conservation organization. The non-profit now runs the Pargos project in Costa Rica and the Pacific North West Leatherback Awareness Program in Oregon.

The Pargos project uses volunteers and visitors to patrol the beaches and protect turtle nests from north of Playa Blanco to Avellanas. It also engages in extensive community outreach through local schools and other organizations.

Marc Ward estimates that nests protected by the Pargos project have produced bout 8,000 sea turtle babies in the last three years. In addition to Leatherback, Olive Ridley and Eastern Pacific Black turtles, the Pargos project has protected eggs of Hawksbill and Eastern Pacific Green turtles found on those beaches.