If you are considering hiring a guide while you're in Monteverde, I would recommend you check out Andres Alvarado. He was our guide at Monteverde Preserve, and he really made our morning a wonderful success. He is a trained biologist, so he really knows his stuff. Perhaps as importantly, though, is he has a great knack for connecting with people and can explain things in very understandable terms. He has a website: http://www.forestalive.com