Millions of water drops are trapped by the porous aerial plants that hang from every branch and make themselves at home coiled on the trunks of the giant tropical trees, located in a place of indescribable beauty known as Los Quetzales, close to Cerro Punta, high up in the La Amistad International Park.

Before first light I left the warmth of my cabin and set out to explore and record this particular corner of paradise, jealously guarded by Carlos Alfaro, which has become a must see spot for the world’s bird watchers, as this place has become world famous as one of the few places where quetzals can be seen in the wild.

After taking only a few steps, the forest’s magic begins to take over the senses, water flows in pristine streams, welcoming the silence. I have the overwhelming sense of being in a church where the divine presence is embodied in a primeval natural balance. It is almost impossible to believe that only a few decades ago, huge trees more than 200 years old were being cut down to create pasture land, transforming this place into barren moorland.

Seventy years later, nature is teaching us a lesson right here. It is demonstrating its regenerative power, showing us that if we just leave it in peace, it can restore itself and bless us with the essential environmental services that it provides, such as dealing with green house gases, protecting basins and producing water.

The history of Los Quetzales tells us that not all is lost and that given the will to undertake reforestation and avoid deforestation of the uplands, positive change can result in relation to the environmental crisis that is facing us.

The most important lesson that I learned from this visit is that the forests will be our strongest ally in reversing the increase in global warming, something that up to now has been unstoppable. If we manage to replicate the fine example of recovery given us by the forests of Los Quetzales across the whole of our continent, our children will be sure to inherit a better planet.

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