Beloved Founder of Children’s Eternal Rain Forest Mourned

BERND Kern, who helped establishthe largest private reserve in Costa Rica –the Children’s Eternal Rain Forest –passed away Aug. 3, the MonteverdeConservation League announced.Kern, a nurse, and his wife Eha, aschoolteacher, both Swedish, began workingon the establishment of the forest, aprotected area near the Monteverde CloudForest Reserve, in the 1980s. As a resultof their efforts, more than 50 countriesdonated millions of dollars to purchasethe land for the reserve.“The loss of Bernd fills us with greatpain,” said a statement from the league,which manages the 22,000-hectarereserve.Kern is survived by his wife Eha.Their only son, Martín, was killed whileworking for a U.N. peace mission.