We’re not sure how we first met Pedro. He was Chris Ewing’s classmate at the Baru School. This was a one room school with one teacher that had two daily sessions for kids from 1st through 6th grade. Pedro and Chris remember the soccer scrimmages, called “mejengas” in Costa Rica, during recess and after school.

Pedro started working for Hacienda Baru when he was 14 years old; he has 7 brothers and sisters, and he went to the Baru School through 6th grade. When he first started working here his main job was to keep the weeds chopped on the farm boundaries, the edge of the road and the creek beds. He did this tough job for 3 years. Pedro tells how one day he was chopping when Don Jack called him and asked him to take a couple of guests up to the primary forest on the mountain, this marked his beginning as a guide. After that any time there were visitors on the Hacienda, Pedro was an official guide.

Since then Pedro has learned a lot of English and become the local expert on bird species. Having lived in this area all of his life, he has special insight on the evolution of the Wildlife Refuge and the creatures that live in the area.

What does he like about guiding? It’s a heck of a lot easier than wielding a machete and he loves the birds. If birds are your passion, Pedro’s keen eye and hearing make him the man to lead you on the trail. He guides all of our tours, but if there is a chance to guide birdwatchers he is always ready to go.

When he’s not guiding Pedro enjoys soccer, fishing and even likes to go out birding by himself. His favorite bird is the house wren because it’s happy and singing every morning.