Pictured here is one of the teams that I had a chance to work with.  We enjoyed working together and shared our nostalgia for New York and Washington Heights.  In order from left to right Evelyn, Abelardo and Steve.

Smiling here is the Great Mr. Cole. Thanks for your support and for referring me to the program. You are a great teacher and an equally great friend.

Pictured here is a gigantic fern seen from the aerial tram at Monteverde National Park.

In the summer of 1999 I had the privilege of working in some of Costa Rica's amazing ecosystems with a team of experienced scientists who have been doing field work for the last three decades.  I  am interested in environmental issues affecting developing countries and how efforts to preserve natural habitats are succeeding or running into problems.  My main goals were to learn more about Costa Rica's national parks,  to do hands-on (field work) science and to learn as much as  I could about the politics behind the current environmental policies.   As I went through the course I had to keep in mind that whatever I did I needed to be able to bring back to my classroom in New York City and be able to raise questions with my students that would relate to my summer learning.  I  teach Environmental Studies in NYC and I was looking to enhance my curriculum.  I did field work at Palo Verde, La Selva and Las Cruces. This trip allowed me to learn science using the inquiry model and to be mentored by experts.  More than the academic learning, experiencing the rain forest in all its majestic beauty gave  me a deep appreciation for the importance of not giving up on teaching about environmental global issues.  Please, take a look at the bottom of this page and I strongly urge to look through the experiments performed during the Summer Institute as well as the specific classroom activities for teachers who have not had a chance to do field work.
 

Snakes were to be found everywhere.  Before going to the field an extensive workshop on venomous snakes was offered to participants.

 

Location	Topic Researched
Palo Verde	Florecilla as a Resource to Herbivores and the Implications for Biodiversity
La Selva	Acromyrmex Volcanus:  Studying an Ant's Foraging' Habits
Las Cruces	Biodiversity in the Java River at Las Cruces

 

Working on establishing ratios for the leaf predation project.

Palo Verde

July 20, 1999
We begun our research projects today.  I will study the interaction between plants and herbivores, more specifically the florecilla plant and the level of predation it is undergoing; also how this relates to biodiversity.  I will work with three other participants, Amy, Steve and Evelyn.  I am excited to finally begin working on actual research.  The past four days have been a lot fun and I certainly have enjoyed all the activities, but I am ready to work.  I am really interested in learning more about the dry forest, as this is one ecosystem that I knew very little about.  Perhaps one of the experiences that will forever stay with me is looking at the tree of life and learning that it is over seven hundred years old and that it is on the verge of extinction.  It made me very sad to look at this beautiful tree and to know that future generations would no longer be able to admire its serene beauty and that it would not be a resource to future generations.  It is always challenging to work with other people and learn from them while disagreeing.  I find the complaints of some group members disconcerting.  How can we complain about being out in a beautiful forest and not having laundry services?  How can we complain about no telephone services?
 
 

This picture shows members of my group conducting observations of the Tempesque River.

La Selva

July 25, 1999
We arrived at La Selva today.  I have been sick for the last three days and by now I am really miserable.  It will be difficult to do any research and enjoy this incredible place under the circumstances.  We went on a night walk and it proved to be the most amazing experience.  I loved the swamp, the trees dripping water and all the musical sounds coming from every corner of the forest.   I chose to study ants as I am really interested in learning more about them and I also realize that it might be really easy for me to replicate this experiment in New York City.

July  29, 1999
I am somewhat frustrated with the ant experiment as it rained a little too much and I was unable to find any really useful information.  However, I did learn how to classify ants and how to observe them carefully and learn more about their behavior.
 

While at La Selva I worked with ants.  I had had minor interest in ants, but after a fascinating lecture by Jim Wetterer on the environmental problems that invasive ants species are causing all over the world I decided to study ants. I was also interested in researching a topic I could easily bring back to New York City.  Researching ants at La Selva proved incredibly difficult as Ac. Volcanus lives in small colonies and can be easily disrupted.  It rained a lot, but through sheer persistence I managed to complete the study.  Thank you Mary and Jim Wetterer for all your support.

Las Cruces

July 29, 1999
We arrived at Las Cruces on July 29, 1999 after a stopping to relax in one of the most beautiful places I have seen in Costa Rica.  Las Cruces is pretty much a three-star hotel and the food is simply excellent.  I immediately went out for a night hike.  I love trekking through the forest at night.  I could not help thinking of my students and how much they would learn from an experience like this . . . anyway, I am excited to be here, the final stop and yes, I am also tired of group activities.

August 2, 1999
Today we get to present our findings on biodiversity at the Java River.  I have been doing field work for the last three days and really enjoyed hiking and netting for organisms in the river.  I am happy that this will be the last research project and the last presentation.  Of all three sites I definitely like this one the most and plan on returning as soon as I can.  Please, check out the result of my paper by clicking on the WWNFF  web site.
 

Pictured above is a heliconia flower and a beautiful tarantula.  When you visit a place like the rain forest you discover how much you do not know and how many species of life we are losing without ever getting a chance to see them.  More important than seeing numerous new species I learned a new reverence for life and respect for all living things.

LINKS

• WWNFF
• NSF
• OTS