Author Archives: Steve

While some students were apprehensive (and excited) about being in rainforest field station with no a generator for electricity (for part of the day) and no hot water, I think all really enjoyed being there. And, as we said, at the … Continue reading →

Today students made a strong push to finish the bulk of the data analysis and writeup. We had presentations at 4 pm. They are having a check for both science and language journals before we move on to the the next … Continue reading →

¡Hola padres y madres! Sophie and Dean here, coming at you live from the ITEC palace. We haven’t seen any of the other blog posts yet, but assure you that this one will be the funniest. Today we continued to … Continue reading →

Feb. 17, 2015 Day 7 in Panama Day 5 in ITEC Today was the hottest day so far, well into the 90s with no rain (finally). In the morning we went our separate ways and worked on our projects. Some … Continue reading →

Today was a major workday for getting the projects started in earnest. There are a wide variety of projects, and they take advantage of several major ecosystems nearby. While there might be some slight adjustments, below is a very quick, … Continue reading →

Molly’s day: In the reefy morning, it was impossible to collect any data because the water was so murky. Lucky for us it cleared up in the afternoon, and all the reef project-doers were able to gather some data. There … Continue reading →

Joey and Naomi recount the Panama expedition’s cave experience earlier today. Continue reading →

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 … Continue reading →

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 … Continue reading →

We had a full day today. We went to visit the Miraflores Locks today and watched a couple of ships go from the Pacific Ocean, raising them 1/2 the way up to the 85 feet above sea level of Lake … Continue reading →

After settling into the Magnolia Inn we went out to eat at Purdue Pizza. too too much to right now. We’re all going to sleep soon to get ready for a full day tomorrow.             … Continue reading →

We arrived safely and have settled in somewhat to the Magnolia Inn. We’re going out to eat.  It’s 86º F.  We’ll have a another post later with some photos.

The 2013 blog is up to give flavor for the course. The last things to happen in the course appear closest to the top. If you want to follow the course front he beginning, you will need to first scroll down … Continue reading →

We visited an Emberá community in Chagres National Park. In total it took about 2 hours to get there by bus and boat. The boatman displayed considerable skill in getting us up the river. The weather was great all day … Continue reading →

This afternoon at about 4 pm both groups arrived at the Soberania Lodge in Gamboa within 10 minutes of each other. The Pedasí group traveled from La Enea (~ 5 hour bus ride with stops). The other group had a … Continue reading →

We arrived safely in Gamboa. Things went smoothly in our boat ride from ITEC to Boca del Drago, then by a bus to the town of Bocas del Toro—and then we arrived at the airport. Our flight was delayed by … Continue reading →

We’re all at Yarisnori restaurant to celebrate Sarah’s birthday. Our bare feet on the sand floor, the setting sun, the gentle ocean breezes, with the ocean 75 feet away are a stark contrast to what we are hearing about the … Continue reading →

I talked with Amber and she told me that the group had spent the morning at Isla Iguana (a little piece of paradise) and that they had arrived in La Enea and that all students were in their new homestays. … Continue reading →

Julia and Andre have some albums up for some of their photos during the course. Check them out buy clicking on the links above. Student projects have begun. Lydia is working with Leaf-Cutter Ants and the defoliation of Pete’s Yucca … Continue reading →

Our journey Saturday from Cerro Punta down the Pacific slope to David, back up the Pacific slope along a lower pass (~4,000’) down to the Atlantic slope to Almirante all went smoothly. At the actual continental divide we could see … Continue reading →

Click the ITEC Grupo 1 for a few earlier photos from the Pedasi track.

It’s been a bit of a whirlwind with both groups intersecting, and there has been a rich, albeit brief exchange between the two groups. The Atenas group settled in for 2 days and stayed in  fantastic cabins in the forest. … Continue reading →

The Pedasí group left about 8:20 this morning and arrived with time to spare before entering their homestays. Last night they gave presentations of their independent initiatives and had a farewell dinner in a local restaurant. I’m sure you’ll get … Continue reading →

We left ITEC at about 8 this morning. We took two boats to the port of Almirante, and then boarded a bus for Cerro Punta. After following the coast for a while we cut over to cross over the continental … Continue reading →

We have no Internet at the Field station. We learned of Karl Fisher’s passing in the morning, and after lunch we circled up and told the students of Kar’ls death. We had a long moment of silence interrupted only by the … Continue reading →

  I will give you a very brief overview of student projects: Liam, Jasper and Alex are looking at the Golden Orb spider. Often, nearby the large females are much smaller males as well as another small species of  “clepto”-parasitic … Continue reading →

Hola Familias! We’ve been having some busy days here at Itec. The weather has been great everyday, except today where it has been raining all day. It’s a nice refreshing rain though. Everyone has been working on their science projects … Continue reading →

This night was a truly amazing way to end a fantastic afternoon in downtown Bocas del Toro.  We are at Yarisnori Restaurant right behind the waves breaking over the coral reefs we snorkeled a few days ago.  The sound of … Continue reading →

  We still have very limited internet, and uploading photos can be lengthy  Yesterday afternoon, after lunch, the students had Spanish with Izzy. After a short break went out into the area around the ITEC field station, including the forest, … Continue reading →

The travel from Panama City went very smoothly (which is not always the case in Central America). The Air Panama flight left on time and arrived slightly early. We moved quickly from the airport in Bocas del Toro to waiting … Continue reading →

Hello parents and other folks stuck in the cold! Hope your valentines day went well, ours did! We traveled by boat on the canal and saw it in action with oil tankers and other giant ships. We also saw animals … Continue reading →

Hi all, We had a good day, and we saw many monkeys, big ships and birds. The group is having a pizza dinner in the “Casco Antiguo”— the oldest section of Panama. I’l post some photos and more description but … Continue reading →

It’s been a long travel day, but all went fairly smoothly. We’re scheduled to have an early breakfast and then leave at 8:00 am for a tour of lake Gatún in the morning. Lake Gatún is the large manmade lake( … Continue reading →

All is well. We’re waiting to board out flight to Panama City. It leaves at 3:30 pm CST. The time in Panama is the same as in Massachusetts. We are scheduled to arrive at 9:00. We will publish Panama cell … Continue reading →

We do not expect students to go to school on Thursday. We encourage them to sleep in and to try to get some rest. Students may come in during the afternoon if they wish, but we ask that they be … Continue reading →

All is well and we’ll be on our way home tomorrow. It’s been a long time since we’ve had any extended access to internet. When I glance through the topics of the long list of unread emails, I realize it’s … Continue reading →

It’s been a long time since I’ve had a chance to blog, I have a very short time to do so now. I am pleased to see the the student entries, see http://blogaboutmonkeys.blogspot.com/ and http://wfreedberg.tumblr.com/. Read them to get more … Continue reading →

Click for Photos of UTN and more: UTN (Unversidad Tecnica Nacional) This is our last day in Atenas. I’m going to the airport shortly to pick up Carra Cheslin. We’re excited to have Carra join us as a teaching intern … Continue reading →

We are nearing the end of our time in Atenas. Yesterday we had Spanish classes in the morning, and in the afternoon, three groups of students collected continued initiatives to find out more about recycling in Atenas. One group polished … Continue reading →

On Saturday evening we went to the “Fiestas de Sabana Larga,” Click on Fiestas to see photos. This a four day event. There was abundant food, dancing, and mingling with locals. We went on the first day that they had rodeo … Continue reading →

First some photos. Click the images below to see more photos from a “nice afternoon” and  “Futball Cinco”. Yesterday lunch through the afternoon was very relaxed and pleasant. As Juan said “we arrived promptly on US time, but left on … Continue reading →

I am at an internet cafe and I don’t have a way to upload any photos. Yesterday after Spanish classes in the morning, we regathered at 3 pm to further develop the mini-social sciene project we began earlier in the … Continue reading →

Click her for photos of dance class and Rio Grande watershed: Dance/Watershed Click for a short (2 min) dance clip: Dance class 2-15 Internet has been unavailable in the evenings, so we are largely confined to morning posts. Yesterday morning … Continue reading →

Click to see photos of day 2 in Atenas We arrived at Isabel’s Language School at 8:00 am. The group was divided into 4 classes. After some orientation in the school, students took a tour of the town and learned … Continue reading →

Here are some photos of students meeting their homestay parents and entering into their homestays (Homestay Day1). We’re in classes now everyone is fine.

Feb 12 (Click for photos) At about about 5:00 pm we went loaded up our picnic supper and traveled to the top of a steep hill adjacent to “La Casona.” There is a monument at the top of this strategically … Continue reading →

In the dry season any rain is welcome. It refreshes the whole ecosystem. Many of the plant and animals living in this area have to endure the tight bottleneck of very little rain for several months. Rain is plentiful the … Continue reading →

Hello this will be necessity a short entry.  We had a full day in our excursion to Volcán Rincón de la Vieja, and we didn’t return until 5:45 for an immediate supper. The generator at the station failed immediately at … Continue reading →

This site is evolving with, and I’ve added a new page & tab which will “post” student contributions, which may be taken from a separate blog they have created. We support the students in having a separate blog with more … Continue reading →

Here are some student bird and animal photos from today (Student Photos Santa Rosa I). Amelia, Niko, and Jesse contributed. We will post photos of the group tomorrow, but it won’t be until the evening as we have a full … Continue reading →

Jesse Phillips has created a YouTube channel for the course, and he has posted a 30 second video of white-faced monkeys we saw around the field station. See it at  http://www.youtube.com/user/cswoffcampus

To to get an excellent summation of the day, check out Will Freedberg’s blog at http://wfreedberg.tumblr.com/ Will’s blog is part of his Capstone. You can go to his site directly or link to it from this site. After supper, we gathered … Continue reading →

We got in last night at about 8:30 pm local time. It didn’t take long to get settled into the dorms at the Research Center/Park Headquarters. We got up for a 7:30 breakfast, and then went out for an orientation … Continue reading →

We have posted a day-t0-day course itinerary. You can access it by hitting the “Course Itinerary” tab above or the right. While there will be some modifications as we go along, it should give you a good idea of what … Continue reading →

Travel information first few days Please arrive at the Airport (terminal B) at 6:00 a.m. (Note that that this information is also contained in “Travel Dates and Destinations.”) Dates and Destinations 2/9/11 Wednesday
Fly from Boston to San Jose: Lv Boston, … Continue reading →

We’re pleased to announce that Carra Cheslin CSW ’07 will be joining our group as a teaching intern for the Panama portion of the Course. Carra was a student on the 2007 CSW integrated Science and Language course in Costa … Continue reading →

There will be an informational meeting geared to parents on Tuesday, January 11 at 7:15. The meeting will be be held in Bio 1 in the Garthwaite Bldg. Bio 1 is the first classroom of the right as you walk … Continue reading →

Our morning has gone smoothly. We loaded our bus at the Los Quetzales hotel at about 5:00 am and then got underway about 5:20. We arrived at the airport in David in plenty of time. Our flight  from  David to … Continue reading →

We’ve had our 12th consecutive full day of activities. We just finished with some student presentations of individual projects involving combining drawing and photographing birds and comparing night and day reef life. The cloud forest was spectacular and now we’re … Continue reading →

Click on ITEC or go to albums on right hand side to see some photos.  We have many. many more. We aren’t at the facilities where we can post easily.

We got on two boats in Boca del Drago for about an hour ride to Almirante n the mainland. In our bus ride from the Atlantic port of Almirante we went up the continental divide (about 3,000 feet at the … Continue reading →

We’re well settled into a routine the ITEC field station that keeps all busy as well as enjoying ourselves. The ITEC field station is located in Boca del Drago (“Mouth of the Dragon”) on Isla Colón.  There is no Internet … Continue reading →

We’re in the Soberiana Station in Gamboa. We’re all a bit tired, and we’ll sleep well tonight. It is an exotic location adjacent the canal and large tracts of rainforest. We’re off early again  tomorrow, so we’ll get only glimpse … Continue reading →

Hello All, The flight left on time, and surprisingly it was a smooth flight. We got into Miami about 20 minutes early. Great job by all on getting there on time. Thanks to all who helped to get them there. … Continue reading →

Checked Bag Policies and Fees visit: http://pdp.link.aa.com/r/5OASNW/EYNJY/NPLM5J/WPA2N/IYVTXX/AZ/t Carry-on Baggage Allowances visit: http://pdp.link.aa.com/r/5OASNW/EYNJY/NPLM5J/WPA2N/WLEMPU/AZ/t Flight Status Notification visit: http://pdp.link.aa.com/r/5OASNW/EYNJY/NPLM5J/WPA2N/5CPEO0/AZ/t Gates and Times Informations visit: http://pdp.link.aa.com/r/5OASNW/EYNJY/NPLM5J/WPA2N/YH94LH/AZ/t

Check in at terminal B  2 hours before the flight. The following are some key points concerning Check in: • Logan airport opens at 3:30 am. • You should be at the terminal at 4:15 a.m. • Sunday, March 14 … Continue reading →

From this time forward through the upcoming course (March 14-March 25) we will actively maintain this blog. Comments are welcome. Posted comments and questions will be read and responded to if needed. Please see basic instructions by clicking on the ‘About Commenting” … Continue reading →

Click on Bouquete to see more photos of our final full day in Panama  We left the beauty of the cloud forest in Los Quetzales in a timely manner. (The group has been amazing in terms of efficiently moving from … Continue reading →

With the recent rains there are some tree falls and some small slides on the Los Quetzales trail, and we are advised to forgo the hike. Instead we will go to some areas near the beginning of the trail and … Continue reading →

Click on Living in the Cloud Forest for more photos. (About half of these phtos were taken by Matthew B.) Double click to enlarge any photos.      It’s Monday morning, and this is the first time the group has come … Continue reading →

Our former phones won’t work in Cerro Punta, so we have acquired new ones. All numbers are preceded by 011-507 Steve 686-11737 Amber 686-23537 Kaihla 686-23538

We did have a fair amount of rain in Boca del Drago and we had a very rich and productive time. The kids projects, energy, and creative thought were very impressive. The seas were to choppy to reasonably to take … Continue reading →

  Click project work to see more photos. On Monday we returned and put in some long work days on our project. The group project involved looking at the “tank” communities living in the cups of water formed by Heliconia … Continue reading →

Click on Bastimentos island  to see more photos We traveled to Bastimentos island, which as another large island in the Boscas del Toro archipelago. We visited an indigenous Ngobe village and walked in a little reserve there. We saw Western … Continue reading →

Click on group studies and snorkeling to to see more photos of our 2nd and 3rd days at ITEC. More photos will follow (at some point) showing all 3 groups.

Click on ITEC, Forest & Beach Hikes to see more photos of our first full day in Panama.

Click on on to Panama to see photos of our bus and boat trip to the ITEC field station on Isla Colón. 

    Zach and Matthew making raised plant beds with 2 students from the Green Valley School.   Click on Servicio Comunal to see more photos of our time at La Puebla elementary school. On Saturday we did a community service project … Continue reading →

Click on Carara Photos to see more photos of our visit to Carara National Park. Sunday, Feb 22 we visited Carara National Park. The forest in this park is a transition between the seasonal dry forest to the north and lowland rainforest … Continue reading →

 Click on Chloe Renshaw to see more of Chloe’s photos.

Click on feria de agricoltura to see some more photos of the market. Here are some images of “las ferias de agricolltura” which occur every Friday. It is basically a farmers market. The students went there with their Spanish teachers, prior … Continue reading →

Click on agriculture tour to see more photos. Here are some photos from our tour of the agricultural fields of the Anchia family. There are several of us that are staying with some generation from this family. We toured the fields … Continue reading →

Click on Matthew B.’s photos to seem some photos taken by him since the start of the course.

              Click on the photo to see a higher resolution image. Or click on Atenas & Classes, Rodeo, or Cooking Class. to see images with a similar theme. We got back to classes on Monday morning, and … Continue reading →

  Click on this link – La Reserva – or go to the photo gallery under important links to the right to see photos of our stay at Alberto Manuel Brenes Biological Reserve field staion (La Reserva)  Our stay at … Continue reading →

Kaihla has the cell phone that is our emergency contact number while in Costa Rica. To reach Kaihla dial:     011-506-88 91 16 38     I will post this in communications section now and delete this post in a … Continue reading →

We’re all in the airport waiting for our connecting flight to San José. There are have been no hitches and everyone seems to be doing well.