08/13/2025
When Paulino Nájera was young, he played in his ancestral forest and ate fruits from the trees. By the time he was a teenager, loggers had razed trees and industrial agriculture had poisoned waters, forcing his family to beg for drinking water. Determined to restore their forest home, Paulino and his brothers planted more than 37,000 native trees by hand. Today, after more than four decades, the 63-hectare forest supports a wide variety of plants and animals, and eight natural springs flow pure once again.
An elder of the Térraba Brörán tribe, Paulino protects not only territory, but also indigenous traditions. At Rincón Ecológico Térraba in Costa Rica, Paulino and his family welcome visitors to connect with the land and learn about Brörán culture. They offer forest therapy, guided meditations and tours, workshops in indigenous art and plant medicine, homemade meals including forest fruits, and accommodation in cabins they built from local materials. To learn more and contact Paulino, visit https://rinconecologicoterraba.com/
Heartfelt thanks to:
- Silvano Gutiérrez Reyes, a friend and neighbor of the Rincón, who provided the beautiful requinto guitar soundtrack
- Our gracious hosts and true heroes, Paulino and Fidelia
- Our talented, hard-working collaborator, Selena G. Aragón