Spoon and Boat Bills

Everything about this place is beautiful and the best part is it never gets old! This is now the third day in a row I have woken up at 5:30am and had to be ready for a days work by 6 and I have yet to find it hard to get up and go. Even though don't have an alarm clock it is easy to determine the time to wake up because like clock-work, the howler monkeys are out and howling at 5:20 every morning.
Its exciting to get up with the rain forest, you never know what you'll see though out the day and that is why I'm always sure to have the camera ready to fire. It is an amazing feeling of integration when the animals and birds allow you to see them in action. Although it has already happened many times, whenever the monkeys cross over head or a bird lands just in site it is an exciting experience. Everyday is different and everyday is an adventure. Two days ago we walked right under a pack of spider monkey and the day before that a pack of white faced monkeys. Today we were ambushed from a bird throwing fruit down on the trail. You just never know what will happen on the trails of Carara. We have only been here eight days and i can see now that we have only begun to scratch the surface of the amazing life of the rain forest.
The only Cararian animal that is not an experience to see are the flies that have decided to call our deck, home. Although i don't really blame the flies, as we have our laundry out and our smelly shoes on the deck along with our sweaty, and stinky selves out on the deck, i find it really annoying that they NEVER go away. Why can't the flies be more like the monkeys and just pass over head and disappear into the jungle?

The Monkeys Fling Poo

The number one reason I wanted to come to Costa Rica was to see monkeys in the wild. The first day everyone found out that the only Spanish I learned in preparing for this trip was "Donde esta los monos?" (Where are the monkeys?). At our first location in Monteverde we saw white-faced monkeys in the trees before we even had lunch. Even the cafeteria workers somehow found out I was the monkey fan and pulled me aside to show me more white-faced in the trees behind the building. After a few days of staying at our station in Carara National Park it seemed like every study team had seen monkeys in the jungle but ours. I went out with part of the biogeography team yesterday afternoon out of boredom and the desire to see some jungle creatures. We got far enough into the jungle to see a full and digesting bird-eating snake but the ominous thunder forced us out before our equipment got soaked by a tropical downpour (nothing like the rain in Bellingham). I've taken two showers in the rain so far but that's another story. We were no more that 30 feet from the trail exit when Sam called out "hey spider monkeys!" I was ecstatic! There were 4 or 5 skinny-limbed brown monkeys swinging from the trees right above our heads; it was like something off Planet Earth but it was real and right there! I started taking pictures and quickly learned that the flash couldn't reach them so I took a couple of videos of them stretching from tree to tree. I started to follow them down another path when I heard Louis behind me call out "AHH they pooped on me!!" and he came running and gagging with poop on the shoulder of his shirt and on the screen of the YUMA satellite monitor he was trying to take pictures with. "Ohh it smells so bad!" he screamed between gags. He then ran off down the trail to our station for a shower and Sam followed him back to make sure he was ok. I continued to follow the spider monkeys a few more feet down the path until a large stick fell through the trees and vines at an alarming rate, nearly hit my head as I screamed and landed right in front of me. The monkeys were throwing things at me! I decided that those two clues meant they did not want to be followed and I headed back to the station. I guess the moral of this story is that you may want to approach wild animals in the rainforest but they don't always want you around and they will let you know it.

Andrea Magnuson

Carara Character

It is june 30th and its our first day entirely dedicated to field work and research. Mustering up the energy to be in the field for hours at a time is difficult, more difficult for some than others. I myself am on the botany team in which we focus on forest composition differences between Carara and Corcovado NP. It is definitely exhausting crawling over leonas and constantly being attentive to what is on the ground in front and around you. The understory is thick and houses a ridiculous amount of spider webs and insects. I have never had so much difficulty trying to identify a tree since the leaves of the tree are hidden and intertwined with five other species of trees and numerous epiphytic species. A new technique to me for obtaining leaves is to throw sticks and hope to knock off a branch containing the leaves of interest. It is interesting however, to see the huge diversity of tree species within such close proximity to one another. Yesterday we got to experience the mangroves first hand with a boat tour into the mangrove estuary. As it was my first crocodile experience i couldn't get enough of it, they were everywhere, babies to 16 footers! The variety of birds was also amazing, macaws to vultures to pink spoon-billed sifters. At the start of trip the insects were obnoxious, scary, and occupied a majority of our attention, nowadays they are an everyday occurrence which we deal with and dont worry about, even the tarantulas are becoming less noticeable and the giant creepy crawly crickets and maysids have gone from creepy to cool. The most exciting thing everyone is looking forward to now is laundry day, a washing machine and a drier! It turns out that high humidity doesnt add pleasant smells to boxers and socks! But since nobody smells good anymore we have turned into one big happy smelly family! The wildlife is extravagant! Just an hr ago before i came to blog i was walking back from my plot site and ran into a family of white faced capuchin monkeys. There was about four little ones and one parent figure no more than five feet above me in all directions. I decided to take a seat right there in the trail to observe their behavior, i saw them eating and playing among the swinging leona vines and various trees. It was my favorite and best wildlife experience of the trip so far, once they realized i was not a threat they went along with their mid day activities every so often checking back in with me to make sure i was still there observing and admiring. Walking around Carara you would never think that the scarlet macaw population was under 500 worldwide. Just this morning a group went out around 5 am and saw over 120 in just over an hr making their daily journey from the mangroves to the rainforest. Sitting in this ranger station room in front of a computer and air-conditioner i am reminded of home and civilization, and i do indeed miss it. But then i remember that i am surrounded by a rainforest, i am immersed in the most biologically diverse ecosystem on the entire planet and it makes all the negative feelings disappear.

Anthony Sutter
June 30th 2010 from Carara N.P. Costa Rica

"A Squawking Sunrise" by Lisa Karsen

Rise and shine students! It's 4:50am and half of the group is walking around in their headlamps getting ready to embark on a new adventure to count Scarlet Macaws. The Scarlet Macaw count is important because it allows the park to know the current population of Macaws in Carara.
Just down the road from our rugged Carara station lies a resort, Nativa Resort. This, unortunately, is where our Macaw count will take place. Now, you have to realize it is the morning of Day 6 in Carara and we have experienced everything from Tarantula's, smelly clothes (even after they are washed), and a sudden stop of our water flow (no showers?! for how long?! [this problem is now fixed!]). I say "unfortunately" because seeing a glimpse of luxury so close to home is a tease to our soul.
Behind the guarded gates of Nativa's entrance is a curvy, inclining road that gives us a perfect opportunity to spot an infinity pool complete with an open bar and even a volleyball court. The condos and hotels are nestled comfortingly into the trees and it is quite obvious that only the very rich could afford.
The van continued to climb past all these luxuries and up to the top of the ridge where the most beautiful view of the rainforest canopy appeared. Beside the rainforest wall lies the Pacific Ocean which goes as far as the eye can see beyond the horizon, behind where we stand the sun is rising quickly above the hills.
This is a sunrise that I will never forget, and this is where we spent just over an hour counting Scarlet Macaws as they sqauwked (Raaak, Raaak) and flew for miles over the canopy to some new destination. I believe our final count was 136 Scarlet Macaws, including 13 babies. Many of these exotic birds will fly in pairs (they mate for life) while others will fly as families in groups of 4 or 5.
I am forever thankful that I was able to spend such a glorious morning on this ridge feeling the warmth of a new days sun on my skin and watching the most beautiful birds in the world including Storks, Parrots, and flocks of bright green parakeets soar elegantly over the green canopy.

WAHOO!!!

!!! It is exactly one week in Costa Rica and it seems like we’ve been here either a day or a whole month at the same time! WHAT an adventure- everyday is cram packed with new experiences, both small and large, amazing and terrifying. Tarantula would come under the combined category of large AND terrifying. However, there is a good side to everything. The sighting of the gargantuum spider in our room has put quite the perspective on the “smaller ones” that line the wall next to my bed. I now look on them with friendly appreciation, and just hope that nothing ELSE will arrive that will give me perspective on the TARANTULA!!! Although many Costa Ricans do speak English very well, I am making an honest effort to learn some Spanish- practicing on the porch the other day my friend inquired, “Como esta usted?” to which I very enthusiastically replied- “SE LLAMMO WHITNEY!!!” which loosley translated means, “THEY NAMED WHITNEY!!!” fail. Let’s hope my talents lie in other areas.
I have only a short amount of time to write. The wildlife is incredible, biodiversity staggering, people awesome, new friends, new sunburns- but the thing that hits me the most about Costa Rica are the people. Costa Rica is scientifically named the “happiest country in the world” and while this seems cheesy- it is actually very much so true. The atmosphere here is so- relaxed. No one is in a rush or hurry, and every moment of the day- good or bad- is enjoyed. The locals are constantly joking- a teasing sense of humor that I got the best of me the other day while we were at the ziplining place. Observing my terrorized face as the guide attached my harness to the cords that strung over 100 feet high over the canopy, he asked me seriously, “Would you mind telling the guide on the other side that this link is broken? You should be fine for a couple rides more- but just let him know. “
WHAT?!?!?!!? I eventually figured out he WAS joking- but I did spend at least one zipline clutching my harness fearfully, making sure my helmet was on tight, and trying to spot a branch belowthat I could possibly catch onto while I fell to my death.
As many who know me can attest- I would sooner jump off a cliff then wake up in the morning before 10am- but as a ditiful member of the bird team I am actually EXCITED to wake up at the barbaric hour of FIVE THIRTY AM!!! The rainforest wakes up early and the best viewing hours for wildlife and birds is- well in the morning! The possibility of seeing endangered species like the scarlet makaw and spider monkeys is more then enough to get me out of my slightly damp bed. I don’t even need my alarm clock- the local howler monkeys do the job for me :D
BAH have to get back to the station before the snakes come out- hope everyone out there is doing as amazing as I am!

pura vida!

whitney

You don’t know what dirty is until you’ve hand washed your clothing in the rainforest

Love is a dangerous thing. Today is the first day I think I’ve ever really heard “love” used in a negative way. When I think of love, I think that I love this rainforest, I love this experience, I love these people and I love this journey we are on. As we arrived to the dock where a boat would take us down the Tarcoles River to view crocodiles and birds, a naturalist named Ray, who is the VP for LAPPA (a parrot-type bird conservation team) explained to us how humans are separated from animals because of our power and need for love. When asked if we own or have ever owned an animal, most students eagerly rose their hand. It soon dawned on us how love and companionship can become a sort of possession. This is a huge factor of why so many people own not only cats and dogs, but go through the black market in order to find the rarest animal companions such as the beloved Scarlet Macaws.
With everything in life and in this jungle, there must be a balance. Like the balance between a bird who eats the pests of a tree and in return the tree provides a safe home for the bird’s family. “Save the rainforest” is slowly becoming not only a phrase, but a way of balancing the need for love and a respect of nature. We’re learning so much!!

Here are some reasons we’ve fallen in love with the Costa Rican rainforest:

Standing in the middle of Carara park rainforest, there is never a still moment. Movement is a constant and viewing new life forms is always endless. Often branches fall that sound like pouncing panthers.
There are places that look like they stepped straight out of time. Today we passed a man riding a cart pulled by oxen.
Torrential rain downpours on the Carara station’s tin roof… so loud you cannot hear someone sitting next to you speak.
Feeling like we’re living in an episode of Planet Earth and thinking that an episode couldn’t show us anything more then we could walk out into the jungle and see for ourselves.
Helping citizens with conservation (my team, biogeography, is creating a map template for the Carara national park, birds and botany are taking well-needed species counts, and the educational team will teach young children the importance of wildlife conservation.
Falling asleep to rain on tin roofs and crickets chirping literally on the roof above my bed.
Eating fresh fruit everyday. Today our guide picked a starfruit off of a tree and handed it to us to eat right there!
Seeing 31 crocodiles in one boat ride. They were only a few feet away and mostly around 12 feet long!
Taking a shower with the TOAD that lives in our bathroom drain.
Hiking in the most beautiful setting in the world every day for hours.
Watching rare birds, like Macaws, play in the back of our rainforest “yard” and knowing what they are based off their squawk.
Being with the people who actually out their saving rainforest wildlife. Roy, the naturalist, has helped the population of Scarlet Macaws in Carara go from 220 in 1990 to 440 today. Also, we have first hand knowledge of their lifestyle patterns… such as the fact that macaws are monogamous and if one dies they never move on to another mate. (Although some of them cheat on their hubbies/ wifies!!)
Having absolutely no idea what time it is, but living life the Costa Rican way.. based off experiences not time covered.
Watching white-faced capuchin monkeys and spider monkeys play and waking up to a Howler monkey’s roar.
Attempting to shower by standing in the pouring rain.
The passion and love of nature by the Costa Ricans here (and knowledge of real dancing too!)
Dancing tango in the discothèque. (And being jealous we didn’t learn to do this as kids)
Seeing big one-foot tall mice called Guatamundes, more often then seeing deer in the Northwest.
If you walked off the porch looked into the rainforest, it TOTALLY wouldn’t look out of place if a Tyrannosaurus Rex stomped out.


Things I, and mostly we, wouldn’t mind leaving behind in Costa Rica:
Never taking our eyes off the trail when walking in case we walk into a Fur de Lance snake (one of the most deadliest snakes). There was already on our station’s porch!
Not having a clothing dryer in total humidity… our clothes will never be the same.
Aragog, a huge black hairy tarantula the size of my hand that lives in our bedroom wall and used to poke his legs out.
Constantly itching bug bites and sounding crazy when we swear at the buzzing bugs.
Not being able to brush through my hair. Dr. Bronners does weird, weird things.
Rice and beans at EVERY meal.
Spiders with big, knobby knees.
Whatever weird things DEET is doing to our skin.


But all in all, I’d take the bad things in order to have the good things anyday! This place is amazing and an incredible journey we will never forget. We are all being pushed to an almost-breaking point and we will never be the same… in a very good way.

More than the Green Republic

Connor Harron

Costa Rica. A name that to many is synonymous with “green republic,” “the last country the god’s made,” and many others that describe the eco friendly nature of this beautiful land. Since landing here and meeting the people as well as seeing many of the forests and animals which call this place home it is easy to see why. However, the picture portrayed by many of these descriptions is incomplete. Costa Rica, like the rest of Central and South America has been subject to the cruel hands of fate as colonizers from the west claimed much of its territory and economies, harnessing them for comfort goods that by now we accept as natural. Costa Rica has been one of the luckiest, preserving 25% of their land as protected areas with the help of international organizations and countries around the world through their “debt for nature” program. Even so, Costa Rica is experiencing faster rates of deforestation than any other country in Central America as banana and coffee plantations fill the countryside in order to fulfill the increasing demand from developed nations. As with many developing countries, a disconnect exists here between the raw goods produced as export commodities and the people who eventually consume them in their home or mug. The farmers who till the land here receive less than 1 cent for every dollar made for the goods they produce, and trade agreements with the IMF and World Bank have constricted these countries economies in a vice grip so that only the most highly valued exports can be grown in order that international debts can be paid. In order to do so social spending has largely been cut and the large expansive forests that are “protected” in many ways can only be described so on paper.

Please do not take me the wrong way, Costa Rica is very much the tropical paradise that many envision when they here the word. But there is a complex dynamic between the people here and the forests/animals travelers from around the world come to see. We have heard that humans need to love and be loved, but one of the most moving individuals I have met so far claimed that we need to learn to “love with respect.” An example of this can easily be found in one of Costa Rica’s most famous birds, the scarlet Macaw. Many people love this bird, so much so that a huge black market exists for poachers to sell them as pets to wealthy individuals globally. This depicts the lack of respect for the Macaw as well as many animals around the globe. If we truly love these animals, then we should show them the respect they deserve by allowing them to be free. The same is true for our environment and ourselves, for while we seek to love and be loved, it is imperative that we ensure the same is possible for all others. Just as many of the people and animals in Latin America have been marginalized by our need to seek fulfillment and happiness, so have we marginalized our own lives by creating a society dependent on material satisfaction. If we do not love ourselves responsibly, then we cannot share that love with others, and thus we will continue to ignore the suffering of others so that we can ignore our own. However, if we seek to bear each other up then we can reverse our status as consumers, and be providers of the most amazing gift of all; life.