Costa Rica | Artistic Workshop with Mindy Lighthipe

Upon arrival in San José meet your guide and transfer to your hotel. Greet Mindy and your fellow travelers over an introduction slide show of Mindy's art created from her years of travel in Costa Rica. Have dinner at the hotel this evening. Check in starts at 3:00 pm

Depart for the Toucan Rescue Ranch, home to rescued birds and animals such as toucans, a variety of parrots, macaws, owls, two toed and three toed sloths, and kinkajous. This is a unique opportunity to see conservation and rehabilitation of rainforest animals up close and personal. After an orientation and tour of the facility, spend the afternoon drawing and photographing animals and birds. There will be a boxed lunch at Toucan Rescue Ranch. In the afternoon, return to Hotel Bougainvillea for a slide show lecture and demonstration with time to paint in the garden with Mindy. Dinner at the hotel.

Today, grower and expert on the native orchids of Costa Rica, Randall Obsney, will educate you about his native orchid plant collection at its peak blooming time at La Catalina Jardin Botanico. After a lecture and trail hike, there will be time to paint orchids. This evening, view a slide show lecture with Mindy before dinner.

Leave early morning and head to Selva Verde, stopping at La Paz waterfall garden for shopping and a photo with the waterfall. Upon arrival at Selva Verde join your guide Pedro for a walk into the secondary and primary growth rainforest of Selva Verde. Bring your cameras! He will introduce you to the sounds, sights, and highlights of the rainforest and share tips and techniques for photography in the rainforest. After the hike, check into the rooms and have lunch. Spend the afternoon drawing and painting. Before dinner attend a presentation on the Birds of Costa Rica by Genier speaker from Best Chocolate Tours. After dinner embark on a nocturnal frog hike on the property around Selva Verde.

Early morning optional bird walk and photography around the reserve with Pedro. After an early breakfast, head out to CopeArte, the home of a local artist/photographer. "Cope" is the pseudonym of José Pérez. He is a self-taught artist and amateur photographer with a great love for nature; a simple and humble person without professional academic training, but with enormous innate talent. Cope will share his paintings of birds in acrylic. His property is designed to maximize opportunities for birding and photography, and features ponds that attract aquatic species as well as blinds from which visitors can photograph birds despite weather conditions. Enjoy a boxed lunch on site.

Visit Pierella Garden, the home of Kristal & William. In 1995 they took bare land and created a rainforest oasis. They are reclaiming the rainforest. True conservationists and ecologists they raise butterflies for many of the butterfly houses around the world. This is sustainable farming and requires a pristine and diverse rainforest ecosystem. Beyond learning the lifecycle of butterflies and seeing so many varieties in their stages of development, spend the day drawing and painting from this stunning live collection. Spend all day at the garden to draw and paint butterflies.

Start today with another early morning optional bird walk and photography around the reserve. Morning to paint and/or go for walk with Pedro across river into secondary forest. After lunch at Selva Verde, enjoy a short walk to a local cocoa plantation, Best Chocolate. During the visit, learn about the artisanal process where the cacao fruit is transformed into chocolate, starting with harvest, fermentation, and drying, and ending with the grinding of the dried seeds into cocoa powder. After dinner, visit Tirimbina Reserve for a bat presentation to help you gain insights into their classification, diversity, threats and more.

Early morning optional bird walk and photography around the reserve with Pedro. After breakfast, take a boat ride on the Sarapiquí River for a chance to photograph the wildlife and wading birds that flock to the riverbank. Return to Selva Verde for lunch and have free time for drawing. Tonight enjoy a farewell to Selva Verde pizza party on the lodge's river patio before your return to San José.

Depart Selva Verde and head back to San José. Arrive at Sibú Chocolate for a tour and lunch. Sibú is located in the cloud forest overlooking the mountains of Costa Rica's Central Valley. During the visit learn about the history of chocolate and how Sibú has created a sustainable business utilizing a local organic cacao plantation. Enjoy a chocolate "tasting" as part of the experience. Arrive at Bougainvillea in the afternoon for a demonstration and time to paint in the garden. In the evening attend a farewell slide show and dinner.

Check out is at noon; transfer to the international airport in San José for your flight home.