Edwin Villarreal:  

Edwin was born in Golfito, a town located across the Golfo Dulce, and grew up in a small nearby town named La Virgen.  He later moved to the Osa Peninsula where he participated in gold extraction activities and worked on a cattle farm with his family.  In 1995, he started working at Lapa Rios and for over eight years worked as the Director of Housekeeping.  Through his exposure to ecotourism and sustainable development, Edwin developed a special interest in the environment and, in 2001, participated in a course on the Natural History of Costa Rica sponsored by the National Institute of Education.  For more than five years he has worked as a guide at Lapa Rios.

Dionisio Paniagua:  

“Nito”, is a nature guide who was born and raised in San Vito, a town founded by Italian emigrant who settled in Costa Rica after Second World War. He is the fifth boy in a family of eleven. At a very young age, he became interested in insects, especially army ants; as a result he was named “anteater” by his brothers, as he preferred studying with ants to playing soccer. He previously worked for Stanford University in San Vito, where he met a group of ornithologists who introduced him to the fascinating world of birdwatching. He has been birdwatching, and guiding, ever since.

Ulises Quintero:  

Ulises was born near Puerto Jimenez in a town named Gallardo, where he and his family participated in gold mining activities.  In 1996, he decided to take a course given by the National Institute of Education and a nonprofit organization named Fundación Neotrópica to learn about how to be a nature guide. In 2003 he started working in Lapa Rios as a receptionist and in 2005 he began guiding. He enjoys bird watching with our guests and studying amphibians and reptiles. Currently, he is settled with his wife Yorleni and their son Andres in Gallardo.