Hi, Fiona here, owner of Sylvan.

 

A bit about me: I am a biologist and artist, with a strong interest in all living things.  I've studied mammals for many years and written and illustrated several field guides and other books. I'll add a list at some point.  I fell in love with Costa Rica about thirty years ago, when I was spending time scrambling through bamboo laden cloud forest streams in search of swimming mice or squeezing into culverts and treeholes hoping to find a rare bat ( and not a poisonous snake). I've traveled widely through Central and South America and still find Costa Rica to be the most liveable place with the best forest and habitat diversity.  Finding a place that filled another goal of mine - swimming in fresh water in a pristine environment - was the icing on the cake for me.  

 

I've worked as a nature tour guide for over 30 years, taking small groups to Brazil, Africa, Sri Lanka and Borneo, mainly in search of rare and elusive mammals, but spending time on birds, herps, and moths as well.  My goal at Sylvan is to document as many species as possible, learn about their lives, and share this knowledge with my guests.  

 

When I'm not swimming under a waterfall or searching out a poison dart frog, I may be back in Ontario, Canada, where I've lived for the last 20 years. I have two wonderful kids who are now grownups, a flock of free ranging hens (two flocks actually, one at Sylvan and one in Ontario), a large dog in Canada and a small one here in Costa Rica.