About Us
David & Evelyn at the Discovery Beach House
Your Hosts
David & Evelyn are a conservationist couple whose passion for endangered primates led them to Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica as naturally as a river seeks the sea. Prior to settling in Costa Rica they had traveled to the remotest rain forests of Africa, Asia and Latin America. Of all the countries they visited the owners adopted Costa Rica to build their dream vacation home, the Discovery Beach House. They completed their Costa Rica vacation villa in 2006 and converted the property into a private nature reserve with the intention of sharing it with like-minded people looking for the ideal Costa Rica beach vacation.
Your hosts have worked with scientists such as gorilla expert Dr. Dian Fossey and orangutan authority Dr. Biruté Galdikas. David produced a documentary, “Orangutans Grasping the Last Branch.” Evelyn is a wildlife photographer whose photos adorn the walls of their vacation rental home.
She’s also the author of the award-winning book, Among the Orangutans, which earned a starred review in Publisher’s Weekly.
Evelyn spoke worldwide on the issue of saving endangered primate and their habitats. She was invited to speak at more than 500 schools where she inspired students with her “Follow Your Dream” theme and her captivating photos and stories.
Some students were motivated to form pen pals partnerships with students in Uganda to help save their dwindling wildlife, other students raised funds to hire anti-poaching patrols to protect mountain gorillas in Rwanda;yet others adopted orphaned orangutans in Borneo by recycling cans and used the proceeds to provide critical veterinary care.
The Discovery Beach House is a reflection of David & Evelyn’s life experiences. Their story is unique and remarkable and they’re happy to share it with you.
The Discovery Beach House Philosophy
David & Evelyn returned to Thailand in 2008
We’re all about conservation, protecting the local wildlife, and enriching the biodiversity of our private nature reserve. We work closely with local botanists to and have planted more than 60 trees of 40 different varieties to provide a diverse diet and maximum nutrition for the local wildlife. Botanical plaques identifying our trees enhance the nature experience at our vacation rental home for our guests.
There are no overhead electrical cables within our private nature reserve. This not only enhances the environmental experience, it protects the wildlife from possible electrocution. We’ve installed Monkey Bridges to connect the gaps where the monkeys’ natural foraging routes have been interrupted.
David & Evelyn working on the Orangutan Project in Borneo in 1987.
We’re the first home in Manuel to install its own private waste treatment plant to process our gray water and sewage through the use of bacteria. It passes through 5 different chambers it comes out 95% pure water and can be recycled for irrigation
As conservationists who’ve spent more than 27 years traveling to places such as Rwanda, Uganda and Borneo working on projects to help endangered primates and their threatened habitats. We’ve talked the talk, now it’s time to walk the walk. What we once did on a global level we now do on a personal level at our Discovery Beach House & Private Nature Reserve. By sharing our private reserve with our guests we hope they’ll leave as impacted by their experience here as we were by our experiences among the orangutans, gorillas and other wildlife we’ve encountered in the wild.
How The Discovery Beach House Got its Name
David & Evelyn at the Discovery Beach House with their dogs Diego & Frida
When community members in Manuel Antonio heard about David and Evelyn’s plans to install underground cables, a waste treatment plant, a gray water recycling system, and to enrich the monkey corridor by planting more than 60 varieties of fruit trees on their property, the concept reminded locals of documentaries they’d seen on the Discovery Channel. People began referring to the project as “The Discovery Beach House.” The nickname stuck because it worked on so many levels. It not only described the attention to creating an environmentally conscious home, it also referred to the many eclectic details to be discovered throughout their home. Every bathroom has unusual handpainted art tile niches and sinks that are sure to surprise. But there’s even more.
Manuel Antonio has an everyday-is-an-adventure sense of place. You never know what each day will bring. How many species of monkeys will you see? Will a three-toed sloth appear carrying a newborn baby? Will a small reptile run across the pool on its hind legs and demonstrate how it got its nickname, “Jesus Christ Lizard”? Discover for yourself what awaits you at the Discovery Beach House.
