Just a quick note from me for this evening as I try to avoid the moths attracted to the computer LCD. As may already be evident, the trip has been quite full of experiences, and perhaps it can be challenging at times for them to process everything completely.
I should mention that all of them have their own strengths that have contributed to the project. Natalia, even as a non-biology major, has been game for all the fieldwork, and has overcome fears of dark spaces and hiding creatures. She is doing a great job with our pilot study of soils, and is applying her skills to the photopoints. Her side project is going to be a small orchid study, which we hope will yield a small orchid book for the property owner.
Aliza has gone from knowing nothing about birds to processing huge amounts of information about Costa Rican species--even at times feeling comfortable enough to disagree with our guide on an identification. She sat in the rain today watching the Green-breasted Mango hummingbird, and is diligent in her notetaking.
Nick has brought a whole new area to the research by examining butterfly and ant diversity. In our first day here he had identified 30 different butterflies, and is now at nearly 50. It is amazing to watch process of setting out tuna as bait, and bringing in the ants for identification. He managed even through a sudden nosebleed (taken care of quickly) to net a new butterfly and to collect his ant traps.
Katheryn has been a great and energetic field assistant, and has worked with all the groups on data collection. She has been especially effective during Nick's emergency, and has walked rough and steep roads to do the shopping for the group. I'm very glad she's part of the team.
As for Rich and I, we feel this is a great project that has many more years of new discoveries. We've had our fun watching the students learn, eating termites with them, and find Costa Rica almost like coming home!
Leave a comment