Costa Rica Treehouse article in BCS Bulletin Magazine

1. Paul Pidcock (BCS ’62)
P
aul grew up in Quebec and attended BCS from 1956 sand, cow manure, rice hulls, saw dust, wood chips, and other So, what is next for you and Jeanne?
to 1962. After an initial start as a consultant at the organic matter were brought in to bring life back to Pura
Well, the tree-house will be an eventual retirement retreat
University of Waterloo computer centre, he moved Jungla both above and below the canopy. Tens of thousands
from at least part of Canadian winters, but in the interim we
into sales and marketing in the high-tech computer field for of trees have been planted. Expert studies were also con-
are really enjoying introducing our friends and family to the
the next thirty-five years. Then one day he and his partner ducted to determine how to create a community that offers
incredibly beautiful and diverse country of Costa Rica. More
Jeanne Marsh initiated a sabbatical – launching the voyage a perfect harmony between people and nature. The natural
information on that and the Pan American Highway trip can
of a lifetime – a one year 66,000 kilometer drive from Toronto rhythms of Pura Jungla, animal movements, rainfall and
be viewed at www.junglavista.com.
via Alaska and along the entire length of the Pan-American Paul Pidcock and Jeanne Marsh. runoff patterns were all monitored as part of the process of
Highway to Patagonia, Argentina, and back. On the way, designing what would go where in the development. Finally, There are many local community projects currently underway
lous treehouse that had no outer walls, except in the bed- in 2003, the Pura Jungla Lake was deepened and enhanced
they encountered and fell in love with Costa Rica… – just one, as an example, is the protection of various en-
rooms where there were walls, but they consisted of ceiling- by adding a small island primarily as a sanctuary for nesting dangered turtle species. Jeanne and I would like to become
What is it about Costa Rica that you love so much? to-floor glass. Only the trees and jungle were surrounding this water birds. even more involved in
immense house. Al and Judy were returning to the US the fol-
Costa Rica is an amazing country; it just grabs you. We love the preservation of
lowing week and they offered to rent the tree-house to us. The Would you consider Pura Jungla to be an Eco-Friendly develop-
the peace and solitude. There are 26 national parks and pro- these fascinating
next day we went back for a discussion and surprised our- ment?
tected areas spread across the country. Our home is located creatures that inhabit
selves by deciding to rent it for two or three months while we Yes. It was the first project in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, to in-
in a tropical dry forest near some spectacular Pacific beaches, the ocean and forests
planned the South American portion of our voyage. corporate ecologically friendly underground utilities, a man-
but not far away are rain forests and cloud forests – each part of our unique little
of the country has its own unique microclimate. The variety Where exactly in Costa Rica is this tree-house? made lake, and sensitively engineered roads that take into corner in paradise.
of birds and wildlife is incredible. The people are friendly and consideration the wildlife corridor connections. As hoped, the
It is near a small village called Paraiso (Paradise), Guanacaste increased animal populations and natural watersheds have
helpful.
on the Nicoya Peninsula in the middle of a private ecologi- reaped the benefits. Pura Jungla’s mission is to provide
How did you find your house in Costa Rica? cal reserve called La Pura Jungla. The treehouse, which we world-class ecological regeneration and management within
call Junglavista (jungle view), is located high on the side of a livable housing community.
It was in December 2003. We were driving south along the
a mountain and is just a few kilometers inland. It has a spec-
Gold Coast and we were lost. In one of those one chance in
tacular view over the valleys, mountains, and the incredibly
a lifetime encounters, we met up with a fellow named Al,
blue Pacific Ocean.
from Minnesota, who invited us to follow him to the moun-
taintop house he shared with his wife, Judy. Jeanne and I had Pura Jungla?
never seen a house quite like this. A teak staircase under the
It is Spanish for Pure Jungle. Pura Jungla is a beautifully re-
middle of this steel and glass structure lead up into a fabu-
forested mountainside community. It was first developed and
nurtured over twenty years ago as an indigenous two hundred
and fifty acre forest reserve. It is owned and operated by Ray
Beise, an ecologist with a passion for giving nature all that it
deserves. Ray first laid eyes upon Pura Jungla in 1991. He
had a vision to transform a withering cow pasture into an eco-
logical refuge. The former jungle had been cut down for pas-
tureland and was then covered in tall African desert grass,
and desperately in need of transformation. Now he has cre-
ated the foundation for an eco-community and the natural en-
vironment to coexist in one of the most beautiful parts of the
country.
What initiatives have been taken to preserve the natural envi-
ronment at Pura Jungla?
Since the early 1990’s efforts at reforestation including the
identification of “donator” trees, seed collection, and the cre-
ation of nurseries have been made. Deforestation in the area
had denuded the soil, so hundreds of truck loads of river
20 | The BCS Bulletin ~ Spring 2009