Our story
Woodpecker Reserve was born in 2022 from a simple yet profound dream: “To share with others the beauty and meaning of a place that has been at the heart of our family for generations.” This forest, a legacy from our parents, Víctor and María, has not only been their home since 1968, but also our space for learning, playing, and connecting with nature. “Here we grew up among trails, laughter, surrounded by love and family.”
We are a family that combines knowledge of the field with training in education, research and regenerative tourism. We grew up under a clear principle: protect, not destroy.
For years, a small part of this land has been cultivated organically, not as a commercial activity, but as a balanced practice where the land provides for the family and is shared with the community; today linked to tourism with regenerative-self-sustaining practices.
The pandemic (COVID19) marked a turning point in our history. In the midst of uncertainty, we reaffirmed our purpose and opened the reserve to the public as a way to protect what is essential: the 33 hectares of forest that today make up Woodpecker Educational Tours.
Our journey is part of a larger conservation story. After decades of intense deforestation between 1940 and 1980, the country managed to reverse this trend thanks to efforts launched in the 1990s, achieving up to 70% recovery in forest cover today. In this context, the property has been an active participant in reforestation processes since the 1990s, long before it was established as a reserve. In collaboration with the Monteverde Conservation Association (ACM), a non-profit organization founded in 1986 and a leader in important conservation initiatives such as the Children's Eternal Rainforest, the Monteverde Institute, and the Bellbird Biological Corridor, we are strengthening our commitment to the regeneration and protection of the natural environment.
In 2022, motivated by respect for nature, we started this project with a clear vision: Not to show the forest as a product, but to share it as an authentic and educational experience. Today, with the help of our visitors and collaborators, each tour is an invitation to learn, connect and actively contribute to the regeneration and preservation of the ecosystems that make Woodpecker Reserve truly unique.