Highlights of Day 7
It was another early morning, especially for the bird group who got up at 5:00, braving the rain and wind. Guess the early bird(ers) really do get the worm. A familiar breakfast of rice and beans was served at 7:00 and then it was off to the lab and field for more identifying plants and collecting insects from traps. All the hard work paid off because today was the day of the long awaited…ZIPLINE TRIP! The course was composed of thirteen different ziplines with the last one stretching a kilometer long. Julieanne tackled her fear of heights and conquered the descent without even breaking a sweat. Lindsay had the pleasure of making a new friend on one of the partner lines, a stranger who grabbed onto her legs out of fear. Lindsay reported back to us that it was an “awkward experience”. Those who did not go ziplining had a nice hike to botanize with Profesor Cardelus, learning about many plant species such as Peperomia, Begonias, and Passiflora.
With hearts still pumping and adrenaline rushing the crew returned to the lab to continue working diligently on their identifications. The insect group found their new strategy of taking night samples to be very effective. The plant and bird groups were able to start compiling their data in preparation for presentations the next evening. Overall it was a fun and productive day.
Rose & Thorn
Rose: Ziplining (duh)
Thorn: Zooming by the trees too fast to identify them
Vibe of the Day: Soaring
Quote of the Day:
“The Gentry book is something we all hold in our hands and cherish” – Danny
(Al Gentry was a famous botanist and author of the field guide that keeps the plant group afloat)
Scientist Spotlight: Sierra DeAngelo (Senior at Colgate University, Environmental Biology)
One favorite childhood memory in nature?
There were two pretty big trees in front of my house and my neighbor’s house growing up. I remember always climbing up them and scraping my knees but not even caring. The trees had a lot of leaves so we would spy on people up there. I had a bird whistle that I would bring up there and use unsuccessfully. Hearing Professor Cardelus talk about her tree climbing makes me nostalgic for that time in my life.
What have you enjoyed most about this trip so far?
Honestly I’ve really enjoyed getting to know everyone in the group. I’ve been really surprised by everyone. It’s a really complex and fun group. I’ve laughed more in the past week than I have in years.
Dream job?
I’d like to combine my passions for forestry and traditional midwifery. I don’t know how that would play out but I feel like if I could combine those two it would be a really perfect career path for me. For now I’m looking into jobs in forest restoration.
