October Big Day: A Birding Success Story

SELVA VERDE NEWS

Congratulations to Team Sarapiquí, which recorded a whopping 380 bird species on October Big Day—surpassing their goal by 100 species and landing a spot among the top 10 teams worldwide! More than two dozen volunteer naturalists explored the forests and fields around Selva Verde Lodge, La Selva Biological Station, and other sites in Sarapiquí to identify as many birds as possible in 24 hours.

With generous support from our wider community of travelers and friends, the Oct. 17 event raised funds for the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) and the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center (SCLC). Thank you to our community for making the day such a great success!

Team Sarapiquí’s quest was part of a global effort to gather critical data for bird conservation. Worldwide, more than 32,000 birders from 168 countries participated in October Big Day, recording a combined 7,097 species on eBird—a single-day record.

If you’ve visited Selva Verde before, you know it’s a natural wonderland, and you may remember the talented local naturalists who interpret the flora and fauna. Perhaps you visited the SCLC—a library, computer lab, and community center located on the lodge grounds—or hiked the trails at La Selva. It is thanks to organizations like La Selva that Sarapiquí is a global biodiversity hotspot known for its reserves; organizations like the SCLC have built upon that tradition. This has helped shape a local culture in which being a naturalist is a passion, a hobby, and a profession for many.