We awoke this morning to a breakfast of rice, beans, eggs, and pb&j. What a luxury, to have peanut butter. We then departed for a long hike up what we thought was a mountain at Cuerici, but turned out to be Mt. Everest. When we weren’t too busy being dramatic, we enjoyed the sites of our hike. We learned so much about the new plants we were seeing at high elevations! One species of orchid is quite unique in that it resembles a female bee so as to attract male bees. We learned that bromeliads are red at high elevations in order to protect them from the high light environment. Davi very excited to see some pink Melastomataceae flowers (see photo below). At the top of the mountain we found a perch on an old wooden stand that allowed us to enjoy the breath-taking view. We encountered puma feces but unfortunately no puma, and tarantula nests but no tarantulas. Once back at the station, we received a well-deserved lunch. Julieanne was excited to see us all as she had spent the whole day alone at the station on quarantine, staring at the trout. After lunch we worked on independent projects. Most of us were mentally destroyed/obliterated by R and our papers. While working on the independent projects, we sustained our field-hardened bodies with snacks and hot drinks. With exhaustion looming over us, we happily went to bed.
Quote of the day:
“Who put rice and beans in my shoes??” – Danny
“I feel most validated when I make Aidan smile.” – Lindsay
Vibe of the day: Rise and Grind
Rose: Singing Lion King on the trail (thanks danny for the tunes!)
Thorn: R.
Megan Herbruck ’22, Biology Major, Art Minor
What is your favorite childhood memory in nature?
There was a ravine in my backyard, so I would go down to the river and catch frogs and minnows and I would find salamanders under logs.
Favorite part of the trip?
Rafting was reallllly fun and exhilarating and I got a rush of adrenaline, but it was also a really good way to relax and get away from work for a little bit
Dream job/aspirations
My dream job would combine being in nature and the medical field. It has also been my dream to have a side business to draw/paint family portraits.
