Roxana Gonzalez Chaves did post-graduate studies in Botany at the University of Costa Rica (UCR). She has worked in the herbariums of UCR, with emphasis on the identification and classification of fungi, and the National Museum of Costa Rica identifying collections of plants. Further work sponored by the National Institute of Learning (INA) involved teaching adult students in various locations throughout the Country about the natural history of Costa Rica whom were being licensed to be nature tour guides. She also has been employed to undertake plant identification research at the Turu Ba Ri ecological park located near Orotina in addition to doing work involving environmental impact assessments associated with various private projects. To her credit are several research publications regarding fungi which she has co-authored. Currently Roxana is an active member of a volunteer organization called "Helping Abandoned Animals From Atenas" (www.costa-rica-live.com/AnimalesAtenas/Adopciones.html) which is involved with collecting stray dogs and cats and having them neutered or spayed and providing them with medical treatment, if necessary, prior to searching for an adequate home. A donation to the aforementioned organization of $10 will be given by us for each honored reservation made for our B&B or apartment.

  Frederick Ball did post-graduate studies in Marine Biology/Oceanology at the University of Hawaii. He worked as a Research Assistant at the University of Hawaii studying the behavior of dolphins at the Kewalo Basin Marine Research Lab and also as a manager of a U.H. field station located in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Additional work includes 9 years as a marine biologist with the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources and over 10 years as a part-time Marine Biology/Ocanography lecturer at Chaninade University in Honolulu. In Costa Rica he has worked several years teaching Science at various private high schools and was contracted by the Universidad de las Americas to write a document in English about the natural history of Costa Rica for exchange students from the United States.