Home: Matapalo, Costa Rica and Austin, TX

Married for 26 years, Lyn and Kirk Ulbricht have been partners in raising two great kids, Calla (29) and Ross (24), and in several businesses. Twelve years ago, while visiting friends on the Osa Peninsula, Kirk found his heaven and Lyn began overcoming her snake phobia. (Luckily, she's hardly seen any over all the years). They bought four acres of overgrown cow pasture by the Golfo Dulce, cleared it of brambles and weeds, and began to transform it. Kirk planted 1,000 trees (now part of the monkey trail) and built Casa Bambu with the help of local friends. He completed a second bamboo house, Casa Linda, in September, 2002; and a third, La Piña, in August, 2003. All the houses are solar- powered with artesian wells, beautiful tropical yards and on a pristine beach.

Back in the U.S. Kirk has been a "green" builder and home designer in Austin, TX. His houses are ultra efficient - utilizing passive solar techniques, proper siting and other applications that conserve energy while providing comfortable shelter. His heart, however, is in Costa Rica, where he relishes life in the rainforest and can fulfill his lifelong love of the sea. Here he, Lyn and their children, love to gather with friends and family, when life permits.

Lyn is a freelance writer whose work has been published in several magazines and websites and also works on the Costa Rica project.