Edward O. Wilson wrote in his book Naturalist that the memories one retains the best from               childhood are often related to one's true passion and vocation.  My furthest memories

     from childhood involve birds.  Once many years ago my grandparents took me to an airshow,              but of all the cool airplanes, fighters and jets present I can only remember one thing

           that could fly: a Belted Kingfisher.  Later on I explored different groups in nature

            and seriously entered the world of orchids when I was eleven, spending most of

               my spare time with the orchid experts Robert Dressler, Dora Emilia Mora and

                Franco Pupulin at Lankester Botanical Gardens.  When I once again encountered

                birds during a short introductory course to birding at the botanical gardens, it

              was obvious that the rest of my life would be centered around birds.  I was very

             fortunate to have learned from Costa Rica's most experienced ornithologist,

          Julio Sánchez, who took me under his wing and put me on the path I am on now.

 

At present, my occupations are divided in two major segments: birds and coffee.  Any time not spent on research and leading birding and natural history tours throughout Costa Rica, I spend working on my family's organic shadegrown coffee farm, 

ERNESTO CARMAN

Birding guide