Saturday, December 26, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Tico Navidad
Day 3 in Carara yielded some of our best photography from the trails of Carara National Park, the banks of the Rio Grande Tarcoles, and the almond trees at Playa Azul.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Sunday morning at Sirena
I wrote the following blog after a wonderful first day at Sirena 12 days ago.
Day 1 at this Corcovado biological station began at 4am. Yep, 4am. We didn’t dream of such an early wake up but the forest had different plans. The howls began slowly and seemingly in the distance. They grew to a crescendo right above our buildings and most of us were shaken out of a tropical slumber. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXiFgANry30). Two and a half hours later we really started our day with a breakfast of rice, beans, eggs, and toast.
Station rules were the first order of business. Breakfast will be from 6:30 to 7 and the dining room closes at 7:30. The groups will split up with half painting the station building and the other half conducting their project research. Lunch is roughly 11:30 to 12:30 followed by more service and research. 2pm marks the end of our work day and the beginning of time for exploration. Shoes are the topic of rule number two. No field shoes on the stations deck. Our living area is a series of elevated sleeping wings, a dining hall, and a two story building with a beautiful veranda and upstairs for research work. Closed toed shoes are the rule for off the deck and trail-hiking. Boots are required for the research work off the trail. Rule number three covers swimming. Visitors can only swim in one spot along the Rio Claro. No one can swim on the beach or at the mouth of either the Rio Claro or Rio Sirena.
Well, you could swim at the mouth of either river but you might encounter a crocodile! They like brackish or salt water and both rivers funnel nutrients into the ocean that attracts a lot of other fish that the crocs feed on. This rule really came into focus when we nearly stepped on a baby crocodile tanning on the beach TWO DIFFERENT TIMES ON THE SAME DAY! Sharks also patrol these waters! Bull sharks a common sight between the two rivers while also feeding at the mouth of the rivers at high tide.
Finally, trail rules. No one hikes alone and one must always be vigilant. No running on the trails and no casual strolls off-trail. Its crucial to maintain respect for the forest. Then, your safe and you’re more likely to benefit from all this ecosystem can offer.
For instance, this is a quick re-cap of yesterday’s first full day at Sirena. Again, it started at 4am with the howler monkeys. As we began our morning hike, we were greeted by a blue-morpho and its puppet like flight. This butterfly flaps its large blue wings at a pace that gives one an impression that there is some hidden puppeteer in the sky. We then cruised down the beach and startled what we first thought was a lizard. But it scurried into the ocean and it became obvious that we just saw a baby croc. We then formed a human chain into the beach surf (this is allowed) to unload our paint (pintura) donation, new roofing tiles, and some of our food. A pelican floated next to us in the surf attracting quite the affection from Devon. He’s one of Devon’s friends now. She also reminded me about the “crap-ton” of hermit crabs also on the beach.
We then began our “interpretive hike” with Alberto and walked north on the beach. I asked Alberto to stop half way down towards the next river to talk about the tapirs at Corcovado. They’re the largest mammal in Central America, in the horse family, nocturnal, and herbivores. Typically, they are gentle creatures that you can be close too but mothers with their babies can be dangerous. They have a very hard skull to hit you with but incredibly poor eyesight. We finished our first chat and proceeded around the beach point to the Rio Sirena mouth and as I asked Alberto to stop and prepare for his next interpretation and right on cue, a tapir lumbered awake just twenty yards away. We enjoyed its antics for a bit and then wandered back to the station for lunch. We saw more in one morning than most visitors see in their day jaunts on a boat from Drake Bay.
But our epic day continued. After lunch, an anteater appeared in a banana tree on the Westside of our front porch and ambled to the ground, underneath our platform, into our courtyard and then disappeared under the kitchen building. We then took a siesta and started hiking to the swimming hole. 2 km later, we found the spot and two other visitors who promptly informed us they spotted a small crocodile. Now I’m a policy guy, but I remembered that Alberto said crocs are only in salt or brackish water, not clear river water. So I thought this must be a small caiman and not much of a threat to us. So we waded in, threw rocks in the swimming hole and then splash, the caimen moved against the other bank of the river. It was about 1 meter long and keeping its distance from us. So I dove in, crossed through a short, but deeper channel until I could again stand on the river bottom up to my knees on the same bank as the caimen. Then it hit me. I’m swimming in the same waters with a caimen! We approached, and it darted downstream. We approached again, and it darted downstream. I then gave the ok for the rest of the group to swim.
At 4pm, we decided to hike to Rio Sirena for high tide and along the way, we saw squirrel monkeys, spider monkeys, and then walked right into a large herd of collared peccaries. We got back to the beach and continued hiking north when we again ran across a baby croc. It ran into the incoming surf and we tried to get a second glimpse but it was gone in a flash. As the sun began to set, we saw one bull shark in the mouth of the Sirena river and it was time to call it a day.
Day 1 at this Corcovado biological station began at 4am. Yep, 4am. We didn’t dream of such an early wake up but the forest had different plans. The howls began slowly and seemingly in the distance. They grew to a crescendo right above our buildings and most of us were shaken out of a tropical slumber. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXiFgANry30). Two and a half hours later we really started our day with a breakfast of rice, beans, eggs, and toast.
Station rules were the first order of business. Breakfast will be from 6:30 to 7 and the dining room closes at 7:30. The groups will split up with half painting the station building and the other half conducting their project research. Lunch is roughly 11:30 to 12:30 followed by more service and research. 2pm marks the end of our work day and the beginning of time for exploration. Shoes are the topic of rule number two. No field shoes on the stations deck. Our living area is a series of elevated sleeping wings, a dining hall, and a two story building with a beautiful veranda and upstairs for research work. Closed toed shoes are the rule for off the deck and trail-hiking. Boots are required for the research work off the trail. Rule number three covers swimming. Visitors can only swim in one spot along the Rio Claro. No one can swim on the beach or at the mouth of either the Rio Claro or Rio Sirena.
Well, you could swim at the mouth of either river but you might encounter a crocodile! They like brackish or salt water and both rivers funnel nutrients into the ocean that attracts a lot of other fish that the crocs feed on. This rule really came into focus when we nearly stepped on a baby crocodile tanning on the beach TWO DIFFERENT TIMES ON THE SAME DAY! Sharks also patrol these waters! Bull sharks a common sight between the two rivers while also feeding at the mouth of the rivers at high tide.
Finally, trail rules. No one hikes alone and one must always be vigilant. No running on the trails and no casual strolls off-trail. Its crucial to maintain respect for the forest. Then, your safe and you’re more likely to benefit from all this ecosystem can offer.
For instance, this is a quick re-cap of yesterday’s first full day at Sirena. Again, it started at 4am with the howler monkeys. As we began our morning hike, we were greeted by a blue-morpho and its puppet like flight. This butterfly flaps its large blue wings at a pace that gives one an impression that there is some hidden puppeteer in the sky. We then cruised down the beach and startled what we first thought was a lizard. But it scurried into the ocean and it became obvious that we just saw a baby croc. We then formed a human chain into the beach surf (this is allowed) to unload our paint (pintura) donation, new roofing tiles, and some of our food. A pelican floated next to us in the surf attracting quite the affection from Devon. He’s one of Devon’s friends now. She also reminded me about the “crap-ton” of hermit crabs also on the beach.
We then began our “interpretive hike” with Alberto and walked north on the beach. I asked Alberto to stop half way down towards the next river to talk about the tapirs at Corcovado. They’re the largest mammal in Central America, in the horse family, nocturnal, and herbivores. Typically, they are gentle creatures that you can be close too but mothers with their babies can be dangerous. They have a very hard skull to hit you with but incredibly poor eyesight. We finished our first chat and proceeded around the beach point to the Rio Sirena mouth and as I asked Alberto to stop and prepare for his next interpretation and right on cue, a tapir lumbered awake just twenty yards away. We enjoyed its antics for a bit and then wandered back to the station for lunch. We saw more in one morning than most visitors see in their day jaunts on a boat from Drake Bay.
But our epic day continued. After lunch, an anteater appeared in a banana tree on the Westside of our front porch and ambled to the ground, underneath our platform, into our courtyard and then disappeared under the kitchen building. We then took a siesta and started hiking to the swimming hole. 2 km later, we found the spot and two other visitors who promptly informed us they spotted a small crocodile. Now I’m a policy guy, but I remembered that Alberto said crocs are only in salt or brackish water, not clear river water. So I thought this must be a small caiman and not much of a threat to us. So we waded in, threw rocks in the swimming hole and then splash, the caimen moved against the other bank of the river. It was about 1 meter long and keeping its distance from us. So I dove in, crossed through a short, but deeper channel until I could again stand on the river bottom up to my knees on the same bank as the caimen. Then it hit me. I’m swimming in the same waters with a caimen! We approached, and it darted downstream. We approached again, and it darted downstream. I then gave the ok for the rest of the group to swim.
At 4pm, we decided to hike to Rio Sirena for high tide and along the way, we saw squirrel monkeys, spider monkeys, and then walked right into a large herd of collared peccaries. We got back to the beach and continued hiking north when we again ran across a baby croc. It ran into the incoming surf and we tried to get a second glimpse but it was gone in a flash. As the sun began to set, we saw one bull shark in the mouth of the Sirena river and it was time to call it a day.
Rainforest Immersion comes to an end...
Today brings the end to RICA 2009. Everyone is in good health (maybe a few with tummy aches) and some will return today while a big group will stay on to explore more of Costa Rica or Nicaragua. I too will stay on for two weeks of much needed R&R and return on Aug. 11. We saw and learned a lot in these 31 days and I have a few more posts to share today and during my own travels in the coming days.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Danta Corcovado Lodge
We are officially staying in the most amazing lodge...but only for a grand total of 14 hours (we leave at 4am for our 18 mile trek to Sirena station). Walking into the lodge you feel like you are still in the forest as the whole building and almost everything inside of it is handmade from reforested wood. Some of the more fascinating things I've encountered so far include the stick that you turn to procure water from the sink, the polished log rings that serve as beautiful yet somewhat ungainly toilet seats, and garbage receptacles carved like little houses complete with swinging shingled roofs. The bungalows where most of the group are staying are a short walk through the forest and over a creek where a caiman is said to live. The bungalows, consisting of wooden platforms, a sectioned off bathroom, and green netting for roof/walls, almost appear to be part of the surrounding forest. My description of the lodge and bungalows may sound somewhat rustic, but this is not the case. Immaculate detail and planning has gone into every aspect of the construction of the structures and overall atmosphere with intricate wood working everywhere you turn (including a few carved snakes around corners). You can read more about the lodge at their website: http://www.dantacorcovado.net/index.html
Wish us luck on our venture tomorrow! <3 sarah catudio
University for Peace
Hola! Policy Sara here once again....
Since this is our last chance to blog before disappearing deep in to the jungle, I have been given the assignment to inform you all about our University of Peace experience this past week. We were given a unique opportunity to attend 4 guest lectures at U Peace on a variety of topics on environmental and social justice issues. Robert Fletcher, a freshman professor at U Peace provided an interesting and critical look at ecotourism and its effects on local communities, culture, and economies. He introduced the idea of a nature/culture dichotomy that is present in the consciousness of most westerners-the idea that there are human spaces and natural spaces- and ecotourism gives a chance to "cross over". He argued that ecotourism is a the extention of our colonial legacy, as the heros of American narratives ventured into the unknown. Jan Breitling gave a lecture on environmental values, valutation, and services of forests where he talked about the economic use and non use values of environmental services. Our second day at U Peace we received lectures from Rolain Borel and Victoria Fontan. The first examined environmental stress as a cause of both intrastate and international conflicts. He described different forms of land degredation such as top soil erosion, nutrient mining, deforestaiton, etc., and how they contribute directly to conflicts over land and resources, often leading to political struggles within and between countries. The final lecture was on peace studies with a focus on post-saddam Iraq. Professor Fontan starting her second doctorate, researching how quantam theory-- very simply put, the holistic interconnectedness of everything--is key to peace studies. She emphasized the complexity, uncertainty, and creativity that is and will be necessary to achieve peace in post-Saddam Iraq.
And here I was, worried that I wouldnt be getting any Political Science curriculum out of this...
Anyway, I am off to surf. Be jealous Chris...haha! Love and miss you all.
Sara Hall
Since this is our last chance to blog before disappearing deep in to the jungle, I have been given the assignment to inform you all about our University of Peace experience this past week. We were given a unique opportunity to attend 4 guest lectures at U Peace on a variety of topics on environmental and social justice issues. Robert Fletcher, a freshman professor at U Peace provided an interesting and critical look at ecotourism and its effects on local communities, culture, and economies. He introduced the idea of a nature/culture dichotomy that is present in the consciousness of most westerners-the idea that there are human spaces and natural spaces- and ecotourism gives a chance to "cross over". He argued that ecotourism is a the extention of our colonial legacy, as the heros of American narratives ventured into the unknown. Jan Breitling gave a lecture on environmental values, valutation, and services of forests where he talked about the economic use and non use values of environmental services. Our second day at U Peace we received lectures from Rolain Borel and Victoria Fontan. The first examined environmental stress as a cause of both intrastate and international conflicts. He described different forms of land degredation such as top soil erosion, nutrient mining, deforestaiton, etc., and how they contribute directly to conflicts over land and resources, often leading to political struggles within and between countries. The final lecture was on peace studies with a focus on post-saddam Iraq. Professor Fontan starting her second doctorate, researching how quantam theory-- very simply put, the holistic interconnectedness of everything--is key to peace studies. She emphasized the complexity, uncertainty, and creativity that is and will be necessary to achieve peace in post-Saddam Iraq.
And here I was, worried that I wouldnt be getting any Political Science curriculum out of this...
Anyway, I am off to surf. Be jealous Chris...haha! Love and miss you all.
Sara Hall
Come on a surfin safari with me...
This is the second morning we've gotten to wake up and be able to jump in the ocean and it still amazes me everytime how warm the water is here!!! Dominical is a mix of locals and people from all over the world just living the life in a small beach town. The beach front hotel is so perfect to go with the beach bum feel and I could not asked for anything more, there is even a hamock right outside every room, just in case you want to relax for a few in the shade after being in the sun. But make no mistake a quick shade jolt is all you need, and all you will agree to give up, before jumping back into the sunshine, waves and sand. Yesterday was surfing day, and the bulk of the day was spent with that...which is a positive for me!!! This is heaven if you ask me, and one of the most perfect beach spots with the best atmosphere I have ever been to. This blog is going to be cut since we have exactly 2 hrs and 54 min (by my watch right now) until we have to leave Dominical, which means its surfing time before heading out. Miss you and pura vida from paradise!
Surf Camp
Buenos dias friends and family. We are finishing surf camp this morning and the students have enjoyed their break. We are at full strength again and the group is ready for our Osa portion of the trip. We leave Dominical at 11am and should arrive around 4am. We'll get a good rest in a nice eco-lodge and then start at 4am tommorrow for the tractor ride followed by an 18 kim hike. We should arrive at the Sirena biological station after a full day of trekking and begin our 8 day immersion into Corcovado National Park. We'll be off the grid so our last blogs for 10 days will appear today.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
abelt67 sent you a video: "local nature global commitment"
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| abelt67 has shared a video with you on YouTube: One theme that we discussed early in the trip is about the political challenge of reconciling local perspectives with global pressures. For instance, ecotourists deman certain services and may inadvertantly marginalize local traditions. On cue, this phrase appeared as we exited the plane. | |
| © 2009 YouTube, LLC 901 Cherry Ave, San Bruno, CA 94066 | |
abelt67 sent you a video: "Service work improving Carara trails"
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| abelt67 has shared a video with you on YouTube: Video of trail service work. Our service work encompasses both maintenance and environmental monitoring. Here, we paint one of the main bridges in the trails of Carara National Park. | |
| © 2009 YouTube, LLC 901 Cherry Ave, San Bruno, CA 94066 | |
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Hola from Costa Rica! Today we had a guide at Monte Verde (Cloud Forest). We saw a eyelash viper, glasswing butterfly, an array of hummingbirds, some white faced capuchin monkeys and many other creatures. It was indescribably beautiful there. Our tour guide was enthusiastic and seemed to know everything about the flora and fauna of the area. Yesterday we took a hike through the trails of Monte Verde and went over a suspension bridge overlooking the canopy of the forest. It was very high up and the bridge wobbled quite a bit when walking over it. We hiked to the continental divide and there was an observation deck that overlooked the jungle. It was extremely windy but so much fun. We took our rain jackets and made a sail- everyone almost blew away from the wind. After our tour guide we had lunch and packed up our luggage into our backpack and made our way back to San Jose. It was about a four hour drive and mostly everyone slept on the bus. It was nice to get some sleep but it started raining and I had a leak over my head and woke up towards the end of the trip. Tomorrow we are going to the University of Peace for some classes and then we are headed to the beach for surf lessons.
Hello friends and family! Pura Vida!
Bonnie
Hello friends and family! Pura Vida!
Bonnie
Hello from Costa Rica
| It has been 2 weeks since I left Bellingham. We celebrated the 4th of July at Moteverde. Today, we went for a hike with an experienced guide. The most significant moment was at the continental divide. I felt a cold wind from the Atlantic ocean side, and at the same time, I felt a warm wind from the Pacific ocean side. Tomorrow, we will have a lecture at UPeace for Peace studies. I am very much looking forward to it. Japan (which is my home country) and Costa Rica both have peace constitutions, but while Japan has been compromising its constitutional ideal for the past 50 years, Costa Rica has got so close to its ideal. We can see it through permanent dissolution of the armed forces. There are lots of things we can learn from this country. well, it is time to go to bed... Masa |
Hola! from Bird Megan
Well a lot has happened since we all arrived in Costa Rica. It was sad to leave Carara National Park yesterday but i am ready to see more of Costa Rica and see what Sirena has in store for us. It was exciting to see all of the animals of Carara up close and personal. On Friday a Group of white faced Capuchin monkeys came to eat the mangos out of our tree. They seem more concerned about getting the mangos then the crowd of people taking pictures of them.
The bird team finished all three recordings, after changing many variables, at Carara as well. We also got to go bird watching with an expert bird guide. Now we can identify some of the birds we recorded, although it's going to take so more practice for me. It will be nice not to wake up at 5 in the morning for a change... at least until we are in Sirena.
Yesterday we spent the fourth of July at the Monteverde Cloud Forest. We enjoyed pizza for dinner and hot showers. Today while hiking with a guide my group got pooped on by a Guan, a Costa Rican flying turkey. Jason got the most, his shirt must be very unlucky.
We are now back in San Jose and will be attending the University of Peace for the next too days. Until next blog, Hi to everyone back home. Its been an adventure and i am looking forward to the next ones that are sure to come.
-Megan Watson
Thank you for coming!
This is Giovanny Soto, the Public Use Coordinator at Carara National Park. I had the chance to work with many local and international universities but when my friend Dr. Troy Abel comes with WWU, its really a different experience because we appreciate his students and staff and welcome all the group. For me its just a great experience to work, organize and share with students about the importance of nature, national parks (especially Carara which is very biodiverse). The best thing is to let the students know about the support from them and how it makes the difference here at the park. Its seems to be a very unique experience because not all the rangers in the whole sytem of conservation areas have this kind of relationship and it allows me to show my country as it is. Perhaps the only way to have people in touch with this protected area is to live inside the biological station and to understand the needs we have and share your time to collaborate with our main purposes and keep going with protection and activities. You have been more than tourists, but collaborators and friends.
Maybe in the future we could have more equipment, supplies and more technology to provide not only for students internationally, but for local student volunteerss who can understand your effort, support and your ideas to help Carara make improvements. I hope you keep your Carara experience in your memories and share these with your families and friends in Bellingham and around the USA.
I certainly like to thank all of you who gave us a hand and to understand our purposes and say “ An empty mind produces nothing, a full mind and warrior heart can get us what we need” Gracias amigos to give us the opportunity to help you and to be your hosts, here in my country, friendly by nature. Thank you for coming.
Also, my best for mi amigo Troy, without your help, we could not have had this marvelous experience at Carara National Park.
Sincerely, Bach. Giovanny Soto.
Maybe in the future we could have more equipment, supplies and more technology to provide not only for students internationally, but for local student volunteerss who can understand your effort, support and your ideas to help Carara make improvements. I hope you keep your Carara experience in your memories and share these with your families and friends in Bellingham and around the USA.
I certainly like to thank all of you who gave us a hand and to understand our purposes and say “ An empty mind produces nothing, a full mind and warrior heart can get us what we need” Gracias amigos to give us the opportunity to help you and to be your hosts, here in my country, friendly by nature. Thank you for coming.
Also, my best for mi amigo Troy, without your help, we could not have had this marvelous experience at Carara National Park.
Sincerely, Bach. Giovanny Soto.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Costa Rica Highlights
We are living and hanging out at the Biological station. This is full of nice sized bugs. We went on our first hike and saw so many different creatures. The rain forest is so wonderful and beautiful. There are so many creatures I don´t know where to begin. Today we went croc hunting. They are such weird animals I don't know how to explain. They are so rustic set in the new world. We saw this huge one that look like it eats very well. :) We also have been able to partake in some "ecotourism" and went zip lining. That was a blast but a little to touristy. I really enjoyed the Macaw counting we did the other day. My group saw 147 Macaws. They are taking an average over the month for the park. Those birds are so graceful and pretty. When we went on the lagoon hike we saw a flock of like 30 birds feasting. That was so amazing!!
I am so over whelmed by the fact that there is such a first world influence in a truly 3rd world country. You see billboards and high class hotels right next to the run down shack. So interesting I would love to investigate more about the culture. It is just so cool.
On Monday my education group went to one of the local schools Esquela Capulin, to do some teaching. We played with the kids and taught them about the trees and how they help the environment. It was so cool. Then after all of our teaching we went to plant trees with the kids! I made a friend who told me all about his biking battle wounds. It was great!! It was so exciting and so much fun to extend our work down here to the community. The really cool thing was that neither the students nor the teacher knew much English and so we had to work through the language barrier together to understand each other. We taught in broken Spanish and used lots of gestures to get our points across. We had one of the rangers who knew Spanish and English to help translate. I have been using some of my Spanish but it seams that it is a little rusty. Saturday we will be leaving Carara headed to Monteverde, then to U Peace and finally to Corcovado. Though I really enjoy it here I can't wait until our next part of the trip.
Until then,
Katie
blog
The following day we went to the mangrove forest and saw some wild crocidiles in there natural habitat. Our time at Carrara is running short but it is for sure a time to remember.
Pura vida,
Jason
Sun, crocs, and rain...a typical day in Costa Rica
Hey everyone, Sarah Degenhart (from the bird team) here! The ´09 rica team had an excellent day today. The bird team and a visitor from the Ed team, Katie, went out in the field at 5:30 am. We hiked along the Quebrata Bonita trail to our medium density canopy plot to record the birds we heard. The team completed 4, very difficult, point counts somewhat successfully while Katie got the headphones to hear what was being recorded. The recording worked great so we decided to take the long way home to try to see some creatures. Walking through the rainforest when the sun is rising is an amazing thing. ¡Que bonita! We tried to find some snakes but no luck, sorry Em! I will get some pictures for you soon. The hike back was great, no new sightings but still worth it.
After a much needed breakfast and coffee break, some of us headed to the Tarcoles River for the first crocodile tour. The drive was long, bumpy, and most people slept but once we got out we were fine. The eight of us put our life-vests on and piled into the small tour boat with our two guides. At first the ride was fun, no crocs or anything, just a nice ride on the brown, murky river. We finally got to a bend in the river where you could see the ocean and crocodiles! There were at least five of them sunning themselves on the beach directly in front of us. It was so cool! But dont worry, these werent "killer crocs" or anything. We sat there for a while, watching them enter the water and slowly swim away. On our way to the dock Erica spotted a huge one across the way so our guide drove us right up to it. This guy was pretty massive! After sitting there for a minute the guide started splashing the water and hitting the boat to get the crocs attention. It walked itself right into the water and disappeared! It freaked out a few of the people so we drove back to the dock. They were so cool to see up close. Amazing.
When we got back to the station, Handy-Boy Troy showed us the sloth in our front yard. He had the scope set up so we could see the sloths little face and everything. Super cute. A little after lunch, Troy spotted another animal in the tree next to the sloth. An anteater decided to drop in to visit. One of the park rangers said this is a rare sighting and he believes this species will be extinct within the next ten years. Yea, we have crazy jungle animals hang out in our front yard all the time. (Buggy you would have loved it! I have pictures to show you when I get home) The sun was out and a few of us decided to try and get a tan. After sitting in a boat for an hour and then falling asleep in a chair in the sun my arm got pretty burnt. Sorry Mom and Dad! I wont forget sunscreen the rest of the time I am here.
Well thats all the time I have now. Hopefully I will get to write again soon. Hello to everyone back home! Love you and miss you all, wish you were here!
The education team got to visit and teach a lesson at Escuela Capulin, a small elementary school in Costa Rica on Monday. There was one teacher for 20 students in grades K-6. After spending the morning at the school we went with the students and Adrian, a park ranger from Carara, to plant trees near the community water source to help filter sediment and remove unwanted nutrients from the ground water. I teach at an elementary school in Bellingham and am very excited to hopefully set up some global connections between the students at Escuela Capulin and Wade King Elementary in the fall.
Coming from a non-environmental studies/sciences background I´ve been very interested in both the novel coursework as well as the fieldwork that other teams are completing. I took a tour of the botony plot yesterday and was very impressed with how well Khai, Megan, Sara and Masa were able to explain thier research and answer all of my questions.
Hola from Costa Rica!
Carara has been a wonderful, if not sometimes challenging experience so far. We have seen so many different animals in their natural environments. We get to fall asleep, and wake up, to the screams of Howler monkeys. I am getting used to ice cold showers, an endless supply of beans and rice, and having at least 5 swollen, itchy bug bites at any given point. It is very humid here, but it is really nice when it rains. And boy, does it rain. We went on a Crocodile River Tour today, and got to see them pretty up close. They are pretty lazy and just lay there with their mouths open. I wanted to see one eat a bird or something, just to see them move fast, but no luck.
As a member of the Policy team, I have been able to go into town and see some of the local culture. Most people are very friendly, and it is a unique experience to be able to see people living in little villages and fishing towns. All of the park rangers in Carara are friendly, and it has made me not as intimidated to try speaking Spanish. I enjoy trying to read all of the signs, and understand what is going on.
Yesterday morning, a group of us went to a lookout to count Macaws as they flew off to their daily routines. These counts are part of the Macaw Conservation efforts, and it was awesome to be part of it. Macaws always fly in pairs, and occasionally in families. Some of them flew right over us, and others were really far away. Their bright red stood out against the green of the trees though, and it was beautiful to watch even from a distance.
We only have two more nights in Carara, and then we get a little break from our rainforest living. I think everyone is looking forward to getting laundry done. It is hard to keep things smelling even half-way decent when it takes a couple days for them to dry. I am looking forward to our big hike into Corcavado National Park. It is supposed to be similiar to the lagoon hike we did last week- calf deep muddy puddles. During that hike, i tried pretty hard at first not to get super muddy, and my shoes held up very well. Once i looked ahead on the trail to see solid puddles, however, i knew it would just be easier to give in and embrace it.
Hello to all my family and friends, I miss you lots, and hope you are all having wonderful summers!
Pura vida!
-Mallory
Living la Pura Vida!
by Skylar Hinkley (Policy Team)
Life in the rainforest is never dull. Yesterday I woke up at 4:30am to sounds of howler monkeys, birds chirping and insects buzzing (the rainforest never sleeps). We had to be up before 5 to go monitor scarlet macaws at a nearby lookout. Everyday they fly from their homes in mangrove forests across the Tarcoles River to a feeding area to feast on fruits. We counted 147 of these beautiful birds fly by us and overhead. It is truly an amazing sight to see. I never thought I could smile so much, so early in the morning. Then the rest of the day consisted of the usual rainforest treks with all sorts of creatures crawling, and flying around. Although I have grown accustomed to it over the past week, waking up to the rainforest right at our porch never gets old.
Today there was an ant-eater in a tree right over our station (a rare sight)...so I snapped a quick pic:
Not only is the rainforest exciting and beautiful, but so are the local towns. The policy team gets to interact with the community through interviews. The other day we went to a nearby school and interviewed the principle about environmental education programs with Carara Park. The students were excited to see us and have there pictures taken…to say the least.
Over the weekend we had a little play time to relax from our week of field work. We went to a popular ecotourism attraction in Costa Rica where you get to zip line over the canopy of the rainforest. It was as cool as it sounds. It was another hot day in paradise, so John decided to wear his usual short-shorts uniform (crocs and all), even on the zip line. The employees got a good laugh out of his unique gringo style. It's so hot though that it is hard to blame him.
Today we got to go on a boat ride through the mangrove forest on the Tarcoles River. We got to see crocodiles bathing in the
sun. They looked more lazy than vicious.Just another day in Costa Rica.
erica´s blog
Hola from the jungle!
I have had some amazing experiences here so far.
One of my favorites is when my group (the environmental education group) got to visit an elementary school here. It was a little tricky communicating with the children because of the language barrier, but we managed pretty well. It was also interesting to see how the schools here differ from ours in the U.S., they only have one class for all the grades and the ages in the class range from 6-14 or so. We got to do a presentation and science experiement about tree planting. Afterwards we got to then plant trees with the children, since their school in loctaed in a flood basin. The trees will help slow floods, and the roots will help clean their drinking water since they get it from the groundwater. It was such a great experience! When it was time for us to leave the school, a little girl ran up to me and gave me her bracelett to remember her by and it made my day! I can´t wait to further my environmental education experiences.
Another great time I had was the macaw monitoring. Although we had to wake up at 4:30 am, it was definitely worth it! We counted around 147 individual macaws. The sunrise was gorgeous as well. It was awesome to see so many macaws fly overhead!
Today we got to go on a boat through the mangroves and the first thing we saw was three white-faced monkeys which are my favorite! We also saw a few crocodiles!
I am really excited for the "Carara Olympics" tomorrow that Sarah D., Bonnie, Mitch and I have been planning. Go Environmental Ed. Team!
- Erica Roeglin
I have had some amazing experiences here so far.
One of my favorites is when my group (the environmental education group) got to visit an elementary school here. It was a little tricky communicating with the children because of the language barrier, but we managed pretty well. It was also interesting to see how the schools here differ from ours in the U.S., they only have one class for all the grades and the ages in the class range from 6-14 or so. We got to do a presentation and science experiement about tree planting. Afterwards we got to then plant trees with the children, since their school in loctaed in a flood basin. The trees will help slow floods, and the roots will help clean their drinking water since they get it from the groundwater. It was such a great experience! When it was time for us to leave the school, a little girl ran up to me and gave me her bracelett to remember her by and it made my day! I can´t wait to further my environmental education experiences.
Another great time I had was the macaw monitoring. Although we had to wake up at 4:30 am, it was definitely worth it! We counted around 147 individual macaws. The sunrise was gorgeous as well. It was awesome to see so many macaws fly overhead!
Today we got to go on a boat through the mangroves and the first thing we saw was three white-faced monkeys which are my favorite! We also saw a few crocodiles!
I am really excited for the "Carara Olympics" tomorrow that Sarah D., Bonnie, Mitch and I have been planning. Go Environmental Ed. Team!
- Erica Roeglin
Tengo un excellente tiempo
Tengo un excellente tiempo!
Today I woke up about 5am and prepared for field work. I am on the team studying birds in Carara National Park and we will continue our work at Parque Nacional de Corcovado (Corcovado National Park). For breakfast I had something that resembled Cocoa Pebbles as well as some coffee.
For field work we had a site selected about 20 minutes from our biological station about 10 meters off of the trail. We have to where our rubber boots for protection since we are off the trail so as not to be bitten by the Fer De Lance which is a poisonous snake. Our site was selected because we wanted to monitor birds in a canopy layer with medium density. We had already done a low density and will do a high density tomorrow. The team monitors number of individual birds as well as number of different species. To do this we use a microphone that rests on a tripod, a recorder, headphones, a densiometer to measure canopy density, and our notebook to do a point count of the number of birds we here for a 10 minute period. In the evening we have students in other study groups listen to our recording and have them note how many birds and how many species they can hear. Half the students will listen at Carara and the other half will listen at Corcovado.
In other news, we went on a boat tour in the morning and observed some crocodiles as well as some fascinating birds. Upon returning to the station we saw a sloth right by our biological station and soon after we saw an anteater! He was pretty awesome. I also spent some time reading Trouble in Paradise about the destruction of the Amazon rainforest. For lunch I had a ham and cheese sandwich with some chips and salsa.
Nothing but good times here in Costa Rica. Right now we are at an Internet café in the town of Quebrada Genado. I will blog later. Pura Vida!
Mitch Olson
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Hey from Botany Megan!!
Today we did a macaw count and woke up at 4:30 am. We saw 105 individuals and 12 baby Macaws. After that we ate breakfast. We then painted half of a bridge. The paint was super smelly. Then we ate lunch. Nice tuna fish sandwhiches. After that the botany team went out to their plot. We finished measuring the diameter Base height of all the trees in the plot. We have a total of 17 trees with the base height of more than 10 cm. We have been having difficulting in identifying the species, but we´ll figure it out. Yesterday the botany team was out all day working in our transect. We also got a lecture about the Scarlet Macaws and saw pictures of snakes. There is a tree next to our station that has a bunch of Howler monkeys that wake us up in the mourning!
Later from Megan!
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Today we did a macaw count and woke up at 4:30 am. We saw 105 individuals and 12 baby Macaws. After that we ate breakfast. We then painted half of a bridge. The paint was super smelly. Then we ate lunch. Nice tuna fish sandwhiches. After that the botany team went out to their plot. We finished measuring the diameter Base height of all the trees in the plot. We have a total of 17 trees with the base height of more than 10 cm. We have been having difficulting in identifying the species, but we´ll figure it out. Yesterday the botany team was out all day working in our transect. We also got a lecture about the Scarlet Macaws and saw pictures of snakes. There is a tree next to our station that has a bunch of Howler monkeys that wake us up in the mourning!
Later from Megan!
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Today the GIS team went on a long hike all the way accross Carara National Park. the day started at about 4:30 in the morning and we were on the road to the trailhead by five. we started the roughly 9 mile hike with our hired local guide around 7. the purpose of the hike was to map the ¨trail¨ with GPS because it had never been done before. Antonio, the guide, who used to be a hunter in these parts before it became illigal in the park, estimated that there had only been about twenty people to have ever traveled this trail. when we started along our journey, i knew he wasn´t lying, because there was no trail. some portions of the trek were on small game trails at best, but the majority of it was spent hacking our way through the jungle carefully placing each step to ensure we didnt step on any snakes or other dangerouse animals. we saw some monkeys, tucans, wild pigs, macaws, among other jungle creatures. it took us 5 hours to complete the trail, which was a pretty fast pace.....the fastest done so far Antonio says. our GPS data turned out well and we were all pretty tired and glad to get back to the research station at the end.
I hope everyone following this blog is doing well back home and i wish you could be down here with us.
-Jon Skelton
I hope everyone following this blog is doing well back home and i wish you could be down here with us.
-Jon Skelton
Monday, June 29, 2009
Weekend!
Hola Amigos! “Policy Sara” here. Sara Hall to m
y friends and family back home. In a group of 25 students there are 4 Sara(h)s , so seeing as I am a member of the policy team that is what I am now called. Welcome to my first blog ever. So much to tell! This weekend was a whirlwind adventure. The highlight was most definitely seeing 30 scarlet macaws at once on our Saturday afternoon lagoon hike. It was a beautiful and rare sight to behold. Many of us stood in awe for a half hour unable to turn away as the birds flew from the food tree to their perching tree. On the same hike I saw my first monkey of the trip which Shanley and I were quite excited about, let me tell you. I think the hike itself was a short preview of what is to come on the Sirena trek—lots and lots and lots of mud. Imagine getting back to the station with only 30 minutes until leaving for a fancy happy hour and a night at the disco. What are 20 girls, sweaty and covered in mud to do with only two showers? Answer: out door sink shower. It was quite entertaining as well as environmentally friendly. Once we all finally smelled well enough to reenter the real world (read: no longer smelling like a zoo mixed with a gym
locker) , we hoped in the lovely air conditioned vans and drove to a beautiful resort on the top of a cliff overlooking the ocean for happy hour. A mojito has never tasted so good.
y friends and family back home. In a group of 25 students there are 4 Sara(h)s , so seeing as I am a member of the policy team that is what I am now called. Welcome to my first blog ever. So much to tell! This weekend was a whirlwind adventure. The highlight was most definitely seeing 30 scarlet macaws at once on our Saturday afternoon lagoon hike. It was a beautiful and rare sight to behold. Many of us stood in awe for a half hour unable to turn away as the birds flew from the food tree to their perching tree. On the same hike I saw my first monkey of the trip which Shanley and I were quite excited about, let me tell you. I think the hike itself was a short preview of what is to come on the Sirena trek—lots and lots and lots of mud. Imagine getting back to the station with only 30 minutes until leaving for a fancy happy hour and a night at the disco. What are 20 girls, sweaty and covered in mud to do with only two showers? Answer: out door sink shower. It was quite entertaining as well as environmentally friendly. Once we all finally smelled well enough to reenter the real world (read: no longer smelling like a zoo mixed with a gym locker) , we hoped in the lovely air conditioned vans and drove to a beautiful resort on the top of a cliff overlooking the ocean for happy hour. A mojito has never tasted so good. The night progress to dinner at an authentic Costa Rican restaurant and dancing at, Lucille’s, la discoteque, where we were the only patrons for a good hour, as it was only about 9:30. Once the locals showed up they were quite amused by the dancing gringos and gringas, watching from the outskirts, waiting for us to leave to have their dance floor back.
Despite partying, the ziplining, and the movie night, I am learning a ton.(Mom and Dad, this is for your benefit...) Being on the policy team, we have interviewed numerous locals about Carara National Park and gotten their views on how to
get the comminty and the local schools more involved in the Scarlet Macaw Conservation Project. I love being immersed in the rainforest and the local community. Today's highlight was definitely going to the school, although I'm sure the teacher's were not as pleased to see us. As soon as we pulled out our cameras the kids came running out of the classrooms jabbering rapidly in Spanish, all wanting to have their photo taken. All in all it has been a great trip so far.
get the comminty and the local schools more involved in the Scarlet Macaw Conservation Project. I love being immersed in the rainforest and the local community. Today's highlight was definitely going to the school, although I'm sure the teacher's were not as pleased to see us. As soon as we pulled out our cameras the kids came running out of the classrooms jabbering rapidly in Spanish, all wanting to have their photo taken. All in all it has been a great trip so far. Parque Nacional Carara photos by Khai Bhagwandin
Tucan!
On one of our hikes, we were advised to wear our rubber boots but Troy told us not too. 2 days later our shoes are finally dry... the crocodiles and macaws were worth it though.
Spider moneys! walking the many trails at Parque Nacional Carara, seeing these guys is only one of the many treats we see every day!
Zip line over the canonpy at Turu Ba Ri
The endangered scarlet macaw, while on one of our hikes we saw over 25 feeding on the fruit of these palms.
Hola Senoras y Senoritas!
Today the ranger station had a problem with their wáter system, as they had very little water pressure. Like all the tough jobs, they assigned the GIS team, consisting of John, Jason, Ian, Kelly, and me. Troy joined us today, however, and we set out to the ranger station early in the morning to save the day. We were decked out in knee high rain boots to ensure protection from the all the beasts of the jungle. Trailing three rangers with machetes, we slipped quietly into the rainforest, hoping to not disturb any wild animals. As we entered the jungle following the water pipe, it seemed quiet.. Too quiet. All of a sudden out of nowhere I hear "Shit!"… "Get the hell out of here!" We all turn and run to escape the deadly snake, or maybe a jaguar? After the 5 of us got out safely, we realized that the 3 rangers had been split up and ran the other direction deeper into the jungle. When Troy came running out, he showed us his nasty battle wounds on his neck. Wasp stings! Apparently we walked into a wasp nest and they swarmed the people in front of the line. One of the Rangers then walked back to the nest, grabbed it with his bare hands and threw it into a bag. We then continued on, following the water pipe, being more careful than we had been on our first attempted entrance. About 20 meters into the depths, we decided to start digging to get a visual of the pipe and try to find the leak. We quickly found one, but it was minor and most likely not the cause. During our excavation, we were frequently attacked by acacia ants, the nasty little guys that guard the Acacia trees from invaders (apparently we were invading). They would crawl up our boots and down into our socks, only to grab on and continually bite. And they hurt! There was a time when I thought ants were friendly and minded their own business. After 15 minutes of digging, another "Shit!" could be heard, and then the nasty sound of water shooting up through the pipe. Uh oh. One of us broke the pipe pretty severely. After 5 minutes of arguing, the water finally was turned off and we kept digging. Eventually it was decided that there were too many holes and the old pipes were to be completely dug up and new pipes layed down. We were told to wait for 30 minutes for the new pipes to arrive, so we waited. And waited. During our stay, we decided to play with the army ants. We threw dead bugs into the massive trails of army ants and watched the swarm engulf the bug like the scarab beetles in The Mummy movies, tear it apart and carry it off to the nest. Then a ranger challenged us to see who could put their hand into the army ant stream the longest. We all agreed and thrust our hand in. They swarmed and all of a sudden my hand was on fire. My hand was in the middle of 2 others, so I only got 5 or so, but some hands were totally engulfed and they didnt last long. The ranger made it to 1 minute, and pulled his hand out to see ants clinging on like little staples to his skin, and had to pull them off 1 by one. 1 and a half hours later, we decided to just leave and walk back to the biological station. As we left the gates out onto the road, our ride drove up and picked us up. We made it back just in time for lunch. Not too eventful the rest of the day, we walked around and marked the areas on GPS where other groups had made animal sightings. Now it is time to sleep, for the GIS team gets to travel to the other side of the park via van, and make the 8 mile hike back to the station. Only 20 people have ever been on this trail, so we should get some action.
Adios, hasta luego!
-Geoff
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Today the ranger station had a problem with their wáter system, as they had very little water pressure. Like all the tough jobs, they assigned the GIS team, consisting of John, Jason, Ian, Kelly, and me. Troy joined us today, however, and we set out to the ranger station early in the morning to save the day. We were decked out in knee high rain boots to ensure protection from the all the beasts of the jungle. Trailing three rangers with machetes, we slipped quietly into the rainforest, hoping to not disturb any wild animals. As we entered the jungle following the water pipe, it seemed quiet.. Too quiet. All of a sudden out of nowhere I hear "Shit!"… "Get the hell out of here!" We all turn and run to escape the deadly snake, or maybe a jaguar? After the 5 of us got out safely, we realized that the 3 rangers had been split up and ran the other direction deeper into the jungle. When Troy came running out, he showed us his nasty battle wounds on his neck. Wasp stings! Apparently we walked into a wasp nest and they swarmed the people in front of the line. One of the Rangers then walked back to the nest, grabbed it with his bare hands and threw it into a bag. We then continued on, following the water pipe, being more careful than we had been on our first attempted entrance. About 20 meters into the depths, we decided to start digging to get a visual of the pipe and try to find the leak. We quickly found one, but it was minor and most likely not the cause. During our excavation, we were frequently attacked by acacia ants, the nasty little guys that guard the Acacia trees from invaders (apparently we were invading). They would crawl up our boots and down into our socks, only to grab on and continually bite. And they hurt! There was a time when I thought ants were friendly and minded their own business. After 15 minutes of digging, another "Shit!" could be heard, and then the nasty sound of water shooting up through the pipe. Uh oh. One of us broke the pipe pretty severely. After 5 minutes of arguing, the water finally was turned off and we kept digging. Eventually it was decided that there were too many holes and the old pipes were to be completely dug up and new pipes layed down. We were told to wait for 30 minutes for the new pipes to arrive, so we waited. And waited. During our stay, we decided to play with the army ants. We threw dead bugs into the massive trails of army ants and watched the swarm engulf the bug like the scarab beetles in The Mummy movies, tear it apart and carry it off to the nest. Then a ranger challenged us to see who could put their hand into the army ant stream the longest. We all agreed and thrust our hand in. They swarmed and all of a sudden my hand was on fire. My hand was in the middle of 2 others, so I only got 5 or so, but some hands were totally engulfed and they didnt last long. The ranger made it to 1 minute, and pulled his hand out to see ants clinging on like little staples to his skin, and had to pull them off 1 by one. 1 and a half hours later, we decided to just leave and walk back to the biological station. As we left the gates out onto the road, our ride drove up and picked us up. We made it back just in time for lunch. Not too eventful the rest of the day, we walked around and marked the areas on GPS where other groups had made animal sightings. Now it is time to sleep, for the GIS team gets to travel to the other side of the park via van, and make the 8 mile hike back to the station. Only 20 people have ever been on this trail, so we should get some action.
Adios, hasta luego!
-Geoff
Windows Live™: Keep your life in sync. Check it out.
This country is amazing! Being able to stay at Carara National Park has been the biggest eye opener and most exciting experience. Going to sleep to the sounds of the rainforest and waking up to the roar of the howler monkeys is unreal. I thought I knew what the rainforest was like, but nothing beats actually experiencing the torrential downpours, biological diversity, and green canopy! Everyday has consisted doing service work for the park and local community, as well as diving right into our research for our different teams. We worked on the trails, raking the debris away and painting buildings. Today my policy group went on morning interviews that led us to a local school and we got to interact with the kids. They were all so full of life and not shy about coming up to us at all, it was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. One thing I have really enjoyed about being on the policy team is all the interview outside of the park we have got to conduct. We have really got to get a taste of all the different aspects of the local community, with more to come! Along with our service and research time, we have also got to experience both the local culture and tourism sides to being in the country. Going out to eat and then to the disco gave us a taste of Costa Rica nightlife, and then going on the zipline above the canopy was an experience like no other! Staying at the station has been such a great change of pace from our usual lifestyles and has really allowed the group to get to know one another. I think one of the most surreal things we have done is watching the Jungle Book on the side of the station with the actual jungle less than ten feet away. I would have never thought that I would be watching that in this situation when I was a kid…it is truly amazing here. I am overwhelmed by the amazing people I have met and the openness of the local people. It has nearly been a week, and I have already had so many new experiences…I cant wait for the rest of this month! Pura Vida!!
Lots has happend since I last wrote! We have been very busy at Carara, each team working on their individual projects and all of us have been doing service work in the park on the week days. We did some trail clearing to minimize snake habitat, and also have been working on cleaning and painting the bridges on the trails. I am on the policy team, and am really enjoying my experience so far. Giovanni, the head park ranger, has been arranging interviews for us to do around town. This has been really great because we have the opportunity to get out into the towns and see the community and interact with people. Today we had one of our best interview days because we got to go to a school to interview a teacher and the principal, and also got to see the kids at the school. They were all so excited to see us, and we took lots of pictures with them! So cute!!! The little girls were very interested in my hair because it is blonde, they kept touching it and telling me it was "bonita." We also had a really great weekend that was packed with activities. On Saturday we went out on the muddiest hike in the world! We were hiking to a lagoon that had crocodiles in it, but in order to get there we walked through 3-4 inches of standing muddy water, with deep mud underneath. We all were wearing hiking boots and everyone had mud up to their knees! After the hike we went back to the station to shower, where we discovered that we had a water problem and the showers were not really working! Many of us had to shower out in the laundry spicket! That night we went out to have drinks and dinner, and also went to a disco for dancing. It was nice to get out of the station and have a good time as a group. On Sunday we went on a canopy zipline tour! I have always wanted to do a zipline, and I really enjoyed it. It was a really cool way to see the forest canopy and at times I really felt like a bird flying over the rainforest! Overall I would say that we are having a really great time here, but we are also getting lots done. I cant believe that we leave the station this Saturday, but I cant wait to see what the rest of this adventure has in store!
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Friday, June 26, 2009
The jungle from the inside
Hi Everyone!
I (Sara De Sitter) would like to fill you in on what the botany team has been up to.
Today we got to start our research project. At around 1:45pm we took off down a trail to set up our transect. Of course that is exactly when it started to rain. An hour later we were still trying to find a place to fit our 50m x 10m transect and we were so wet we blended in with the rain. At 4:00 we ended our reseach for the day. Despite the drenching rain and the puddles in my rubber boots we had found a place to set up our transect and had pin-pointed two of the corners. Of course we were working hard but we also took the time to enjoy watching tucans and taking pictures by the river. It was a successful day!
I (Sara De Sitter) would like to fill you in on what the botany team has been up to.
Today we got to start our research project. At around 1:45pm we took off down a trail to set up our transect. Of course that is exactly when it started to rain. An hour later we were still trying to find a place to fit our 50m x 10m transect and we were so wet we blended in with the rain. At 4:00 we ended our reseach for the day. Despite the drenching rain and the puddles in my rubber boots we had found a place to set up our transect and had pin-pointed two of the corners. Of course we were working hard but we also took the time to enjoy watching tucans and taking pictures by the river. It was a successful day!
The first few days in the jungle...
So since we have arrived at Carara National Park in Costa Rica there have been many new experiences and adventures. I think we would all agree that the first night of sleep was pretty rough. Troy made sure we read about all the bad things that could bite, scratch, and infect us. One item of particular interest was the botfly, which I won´t share the dreadful details of to you all, you can just look it up later if you really want to know! I had never used a mosquito net before and have learned since that first night that having the net touch you doesn´t do any good and is not very comfortable to sleep under.
Carara station is actually a pretty cool location. We are right next to the rain forest and have two trail access points from our station. I am on the Bird Team and we are going to record (with a really sensitive microphone) the different bird species in the national park. Today all of us : Megan, Mitch, Sarah, Bonnie and myself all went out and marked our first location of bird recording. It was our first experience off trail with our big black rubber boots that we have to wear to prevent snake bites. Another one of those could-be-bad experiences that we are faced with daily here at Carara.
Overall the adventures we face daily slowly calm down the fears we all came here with and we are all getting excited for our touristic experience this weekend, going ziplining!
Hello to all family and friends!
-Rachel-
Carara station is actually a pretty cool location. We are right next to the rain forest and have two trail access points from our station. I am on the Bird Team and we are going to record (with a really sensitive microphone) the different bird species in the national park. Today all of us : Megan, Mitch, Sarah, Bonnie and myself all went out and marked our first location of bird recording. It was our first experience off trail with our big black rubber boots that we have to wear to prevent snake bites. Another one of those could-be-bad experiences that we are faced with daily here at Carara.
Overall the adventures we face daily slowly calm down the fears we all came here with and we are all getting excited for our touristic experience this weekend, going ziplining!
Hello to all family and friends!
-Rachel-
Tromping throught the rivers and such by Kelly Ess
So far Costa Rica has been amazing. The hot and humid climate is a huge shock at first, but surprisingly it isn´t bothering me as much as I thought it would...although I don´t think I have been completely dry since we arrived in Carara National Park.
Today my group, the GIS team, began our first field research. This consisted of testing our equiptment and mapping the northern section of the Quebrada Bonita, which is a small creek that runs through Carara. Because of the dense canopy cover of the jungle we had to walk in the middle of the creek to recieve satelite signals to track where we were and the path the creek follows. Right as we began this adventure the largest amount of water I have experienced fell from the sky and continued throughout our hour or so long trek. By the time we arrived back at the station it looked like we had just swam up the creek with no paddles. Even with the wettness this has been my favorite part of the journey thus far. We saw some scarlett macaws on our way home and the rain was a bit of relief from the heat. Tomorrow should be another adventure to a river where supposedly crocodiles make their home....
HEY FAMILY!!! I LOVE YOU!!!
Today my group, the GIS team, began our first field research. This consisted of testing our equiptment and mapping the northern section of the Quebrada Bonita, which is a small creek that runs through Carara. Because of the dense canopy cover of the jungle we had to walk in the middle of the creek to recieve satelite signals to track where we were and the path the creek follows. Right as we began this adventure the largest amount of water I have experienced fell from the sky and continued throughout our hour or so long trek. By the time we arrived back at the station it looked like we had just swam up the creek with no paddles. Even with the wettness this has been my favorite part of the journey thus far. We saw some scarlett macaws on our way home and the rain was a bit of relief from the heat. Tomorrow should be another adventure to a river where supposedly crocodiles make their home....
HEY FAMILY!!! I LOVE YOU!!!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Carara arrival
Greetings from the rainforest of Carara National Park. And naturally, its raining. Our group arrived to the park yesterday and we spent the afternoon cleaning, fixing beds, and putting up mosquito netting. Larissa and Mallory joined us later in the day after meeting our TA Jim at the airport and taking a taxi to the park. We also got our van stuck and unstuck in the mud!
Today we started with our service projects beginning with trail raking, sign cleaning, and painting the handicap trail bathroom. Carara is Costa Rica´s first National Park with an accessible trail. We ask for our lodging fees to be waived so that we can turn that money into a donation for Park materials. This year´s donation will total $2,530.00 and that goe along way for the Park. For instance, we will donate life jackets for the rangers to use on boat patrols in the mangroves where the Scarlet Macaws rest at night.
Every morning next week, one team (birds, botany, education, geography, and policy) will be up before first light to take part in the annual scientific count of these rare parrots only found in Carara and Corcovado National Park. We will be in position on a hill to observe the Macaws as they take flight along three ¨flyways¨ around and into the Park. Later today the teams will meet to plan their field work.
Hasta luego and Pura Vida
Troy D. Abel, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Environmental Policy
Department of Environmental Studies
Huxley College of the Environment
Western Washington University
516 High St., MS 9085
Bellingham, WA 98225-9079
tel: 360-650-6133
fax: 360-650-7702
http://myweb.facstaff.wwu.edu/~abelt
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Devon's First Blog EVER!!!
Yay!!! After a long day/night of travel we are finally here, and I am so excited to go to Carara tomorrow morning. When we first got here, I decided to go ahead and answer the first set of questions in my journal for the program. It was asking how I think Costa Rica will be different from home and I came up with five ways that I am expecting Costa Rica to be different. The first is the language difference! If I could go back in time and tell myself to take Spanish in high school and not French, I would. Knowing how to speak Spanish certainly would make life easier, but it has not been too bad since I have been with a group since I arrived. The second difference is the climate. It is very humid here and the rain is warm. I knew it would be this way, but this is one of the defining factors that sets Costa Rica apart from Washington ( and makes for excellent hair-dos). The third difference is the food. At home we have a variety of choices of what to eat, all of which come from different places around the world, but from what I have seen so far the food is very traditional to the country. We ate dinner at a restaurant just down the street from the hotel for dinner tonight, and it was really good! I enjoy getting to experience another culture through experiencing authentic food. The fourth difference that I expect is the plants and animals. I have lived in Washington all my life, and have grow used to the plants and animals at home. I am looking forward to be able to experience a new take on nature, and see Costa Rica's biodiversity first hand. This is the one difference that I am most looking forward to, and I know that it is something that I will remember about Costa Rica. The last difference that I have experienced and will continue to experience is the different way that women are treated here. Women are seen to have a more traditional role, and this is a stark contrast to the way that I am accustomed to being treated at home. For example, when Rachel and I arrived at the airport today we met up with two other students, one of whom was male. When we all walked out to try to get on a shuttle to the hotel, the airport staff and shuttle drivers always approached him first and asked him where we were headed, and did not pay much attention to us girls. Overall, I am excited to see where this trip takes me, and cannot wait to discover more similarities and differences between Costa Rica and home while I am here.
Sarah Catudio's day 1 reflections
I have very rarely been in a visible minority group. Walking around San Jose today (away from the immediate tourist areas) I was visibly a minority; not a ton of other folks with the kind of skin that freckles instead of tans. I'm pretty sure I already have a bit of a sunburn. I also only know about 10 mispronounced Spanish words/phrases. So upon realizing the above I immediately became more self-conscious and unsure of my actions. I waited behind a man blocking the sidewalk awkwardly for about 2 minutes because I wasn't sure how to say excuse me. I eventually mumbled something that sounded like "pardone" and ducked under his arm.
While I am intimidated by my overwhelming lack of language skill and cultural social graces, I am excited for the challenge of communicating my wants/needs as well as socializing with locals. I work with ELL (English Language Learners) students and families and I know that being in the language minority/unable to communicate as effectively as I want to will be an amazing learning experience and frame of reference to reflect upon.
I am also very self-conscious of falling into stereotypes of American travelers. I have had so many people tell me to say that I am from Canada and I have responded each time that I think I could be a positive representative from America. Now, I'm not totally convinced, I should have practiced more Spanish before getting here, and I am totally unaware of the social customs of Costa Rica. Walking around the town I attempted to observe as many social interactions as possible and to engage in a few of my own...I'll keep trying. I learned that honking is used very differently here, less for traffic purposes and more a masculine way to greet women. I also found that the people I talked to quickly switched to English after I mumbled my first "hola." I'll keep working on it and hopefully by my next post I'll regale you with tales of less awkward interactions and conversations. - Sarah Catudio
While I am intimidated by my overwhelming lack of language skill and cultural social graces, I am excited for the challenge of communicating my wants/needs as well as socializing with locals. I work with ELL (English Language Learners) students and families and I know that being in the language minority/unable to communicate as effectively as I want to will be an amazing learning experience and frame of reference to reflect upon.
I am also very self-conscious of falling into stereotypes of American travelers. I have had so many people tell me to say that I am from Canada and I have responded each time that I think I could be a positive representative from America. Now, I'm not totally convinced, I should have practiced more Spanish before getting here, and I am totally unaware of the social customs of Costa Rica. Walking around the town I attempted to observe as many social interactions as possible and to engage in a few of my own...I'll keep trying. I learned that honking is used very differently here, less for traffic purposes and more a masculine way to greet women. I also found that the people I talked to quickly switched to English after I mumbled my first "hola." I'll keep working on it and hopefully by my next post I'll regale you with tales of less awkward interactions and conversations. - Sarah Catudio
The adventures of Erica, Bonnie, Sarah, Brandon, and "Jorge"-Downtown San Jose
An interesting building
Our tour guides....
Sarah, Erica, and Bonnie shopping downtown San Jose
Erica & Bonnie's new favorite fruit-Rambuton!Today Bonnie and I (Erica), Sarah, Brandon, and Josh (who was told by our taxi driver that his name is Jorge) decided to go downtown San Jose. It was a sunny then stormy then sunny then very stormy day. We got dropped off at the Teatro Nacional Museo, but we were not allowed in because there was an event going on and the guys were "in use of shorts" (they were wearing shorts). It was very pretty from what we saw though!
Then we walked around downtown. We were sure to be very careful about watching our belongings since we knew it was a pretty risky area. At one time some guy came up to us yelling at Sarah to keep her camera on her wrist. He was trying to be helpful but yelled it pretty harshly!
Then I (Bonnie now) bought rambutan fruit at a fruit stand for Erica and I. It was delicious (Erica agrees)! We walked around more, stopping in various stores and stands. At one point the clouds got very dark and there was a downpour. We got some lunch at a small resaurant in Mercado Central (a local food court). Sarah, Erica and I ordered what we though were chicken quesidillas but turned out to turned out to be a couple tortillas with a couple small chicken drumsticks. It was still delicious!
We tried to call the taxi that dropped us off since we were told it was a roundtrip deal but were unable to get ahold of our driver. We wandered around trying to find a payphone but all of them were broken. We decided to learn out how to ride the bus and made it back home.
What a great adventure!
-Erica & Bonnie
( We are going to attach pictures of Rambuton fruit, us girls downtown with a bull, the boys being our tour guides, and a cool building)
Monday, June 22, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Rainforest program countdown-4 days to go
We are in the final preparations for our Huxley Rainforest Immersion program. Only 4 days remain until our arrival in Carara National Park, a central Pacific rainforest in Costa Rica.
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