Roy Valverde
Naturalist Guide
Born in the city of San Ramon de Alajuela on October 19, 1987, Roy grew up in one of the provinces of Costa Rica that is best known for its poets and fertile soils. This is the region where some of Costa Rica’s best coffee is grown.
He grew up with his mother and his older sister. His mother was a school teacher and his sister studied English at the University of Costa Rica.
As a child Roy dreamed of being a fireman and then a lawyer, he says he thinks he wanted to be a fireman so he could take care of his community and he wanted to be a lawyer so he would take care of his family.
His maternal grandparents lived in Cóbano a town on the north Pacific coast; he says that he spent hours exploring the pastures and rivers where his grandparents lived. It was there that he came into close contact with the wildlife and vegetation that is found in the Tropical Dry Forests and first started to notice the interactions that are such a fascinating part of Costa Rica’s natural history.
His strong suits in the field are birds, herpetology, some groups of insects and the symbiotic relationships that are found in tropical ecosystems. That said, Roy enjoys and knows something about most things that show up in the field.
In addition to guiding, Roy has worked caring for and managing snakes and amphibians, rainforest investigation, research and inventory, insect collection as well as environmental education and conservation.
When he’s not in the field, Roy plans trips to find new species of birds and work on his photography. At home he enjoys reading and rich conversations with his girlfriend, family and friends.
