Tempisque (Sideroxylon capiri), one of Costa Rica's most valuable native hardwoods, is so central to the Guanacaste landscape that it gave its name to the region's great river—the Río Tempisque. This magnificent dry forest tree produces wood so dense it sinks in water, earning it comparisons to ironwood. Deciduous during the harsh dry season, Tempisque reveals its massive branching architecture against the blue sky, then clothes itself in fresh green leaves with the first rains. Its sweet fruits attract diverse wildlife, making it a keystone species of the tropical dry forest ecosystem.

Stand beside the Río Tempisque in the dry season's golden light, and imagine this landscape as it once was: the riverbanks lined with great Tempisque trees, their leafless branches etched against the sky like iron sculptures, their massive trunks providing shade and shelter for the communities that gathered beneath them. This tree gave its name to the river, and through the river, became woven into the identity of an entire region. Its wood, dense enough to sink in water, built the foundations of pre-Columbian villages and colonial churches alike—construction that has outlasted generations. Today, Tempisque trees are rare, scattered survivors in a landscape transformed by cattle ranches and farms. But each one that remains is a living monument to the great dry forests that once covered this land. When they fruit in the desperate months of the dry season, they feed the creatures that depend on them, maintaining ecological connections that span millennia. To plant a Tempisque is to plant for centuries—to invest in a future that your great-grandchildren might see mature. It is an act of faith in the endurance of Guanacaste's wild heritage.