In 2002, professor Ian Giddy and librarian Jenny Giddy bought a Costa Rican cattle farm to restore its cloud forest; 50,000 trees later, more than 300 bird species had been recorded

In December 2001, Ian Giddy and his wife Genevieve (Jenny) climbed Cerro Chirripó, Costa Rica’s highest peak, purely for the challenge of it, according to the Cloudbridge project history and a 2023 Mongabay profile of the reserve. During their descent from the mountain’s height of 3,821 meters above sea level, they stopped and looked out at the valley, through which there appeared a rich cloud forest that suddenly ended at an exposed cattle pasture. Ian asked Jenny if they could come back and purchase that land.

Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!