We were up before 4 am to catch a 6:30 air Panama flight to Bocas del Toro. It was raining somewhat when we got there. After spending a half hour in town the rain had abated somewhat and we took off for the other side of the island and you can see our route by clicking on “boat ride to ITEC“. The rain picked up a bit on our way to the station, and we were in various degrees of wetness by the time we got to Institute for Tropical Ecology and Conservation (ITEC). The station itself, is about a 200 yards walk from boat dock.
After a change of clothes, an early lunch, orientation to the station and a siesta we were in
pretty good collective mood. A large group of students went for a short walk with Dr. Peter Lahanas, the director of ITEC. We got a great look at a three-toed sloth and had a little discourse on its life history, evolution it’s relationship to other forms of life.
Please note that there are some photos of our day today in “Photos ’15” tab. We’ll be here long enough to settle into a rhythm, you will see more photos, including more student photos as well a student blog entries. Tomorrow, the group is separating into two different activities. In the morning, one group, weather permitting (no not snow), will go snorkeling at the coral reef, and the other will walk in the rainforest with “Pete.” In the afternoon we plan on switching the groups. We will debrief and discuss what we discover.