Hoy nosotros… Just kidding. Although this is only our second day at the ITEC research station, we have already seen so much! After some shockingly cold showers and a delicious breakfast this morning, we split up into two groups to explore some of the different ecosystems in the area.
Our group ventured into the rainforest first, finding some huge spiders, poison dart frogs, and stick bugs among other insects. Pete (our guru), talked to us about the clay in the soil, age of the forest, and warned us about the leaves with foot-long spikes attached to them. We found some fruit that many locals use to dye their skin and clothes, and brought some back to try for ourselves. When we entered a clearing, we found a 50-foot root hanging from a tree. After testing it, we found we could swing from a nearby hill, ending the morning on a fun note.
Photo by Josh
After lunch and a short siesta, our group boarded a 15-person boat with our snorkeling gear and headed for a small coral reef and mangrove forest nearby. The water was much warmer than we were used to, but the poisonous, spiky sea urchins (Diadema antillarum) kept us on our toes. Throughout the afternoon we saw starfish, puffer fish, and Featherduster worms, as well as many different types of coral. Yesterday’s rainstorm made the water a little murky, but the reef was still beautiful.
photo by Roshni
After both groups returned, we had a little down time where we debriefed our experiences, ate dinner and played cards. In the next few days, we will be starting our experiments in one of these ecosystems. We are super excited to explore more of the nature around us, even if it means braving the bugs and the 95% humidity. Stay tuned for more posts from the rainforest in the coming week!
– Madeleine and Joe H.
(There are new photos in Photo Albums)