I am currently writing this post in one of the few air conditioned rooms in La Selva Biological Research Station in Costa Rica. Wow. If you asked me a year ago to this date where I would be, I don’t think I would have ever guessed that this would be the answer. But that is just life, you never know where you may be in a month, a year, or even five. As humans we try to control so many things in our lives, present and future, and sometimes opportunities may come your way that you never expected. Like this one.
One of my first memories at La Selva was the slightly -awkward- first dinner. Everyone was jet lagged from the plane and getting to know each other in a completely new environment. Looking back, it is funny to me how familiar I am with every person on this trip now, then merely six days ago. It makes me laugh at the idea that this year I had no idea who most of the students on this trip were and how we have many beliefs, interests, and morals in common.
So far through our discussions at dinner, classroom time, and hikes in the jungle, I have gained a much broader paradigm and appreciation for ecology and biodiversity. I am so grateful to be able to discuss my interests with this group and have an enlightening and deep conversation about what we find important. Every person in our group comes from a various upbringings, with different majors, circles, and hobbies, yet we all tend to have one thing in common; our curiosity. Every time we embark on a new hike or have class lectures, everyone is curious and fully present during those times. It’s amazing to me, especially living in a world surrounded by distractions; our iPhones, laptops, iPads, etc. Within these few days, I have learned, problem-solved, and used my cognitive thinking skills more than I normally do in a classroom setting. I have felt a complete change in my attention span and ability to cognitively come up with solutions and ideas during discussions and field work. Additionally, this group’s positivity, excitedness, and capability to go with the flow has encouraged me to adapt that mindset and mentality more. I appreciate every individual here and am incredibly grateful that our similar interests have formed a great group.
There are many aspects that encapsulate La Selva, including scary insects, amazing food, and a great environment. And while I may not have space or time to write out every activity or event that has happened since stepping off our bus, I can point out some memorable moments. First memory that has stood out to me was the night hike our group embarked on Friday night. In full honesty, I personally was not too excited for this hike just for my general fear of spiders, snakes, and whatever creepy crawlies lies within the forest floor. Our guide, Jaime, met us after our dinner around 7pm and I remember that particular night the moon was full and lit up the sky like a halo with the stars surrounding us. Beginning the hike, Jaime was able to identify cool fungus on the branches and bark of trees with his blue light, as well as tree frogs perched on leaves. However, the further we got into the forest the more uneasy I felt being surrounded by so many nocturnal creatures that I could not see. About halfway through the hike I glanced around with my headlamp and saw dozens of shining, small eyes staring back at me through the trees. After realizing all of those eyes were insects, including spiders, I started to internally freak out. The idea of these creatures watching me while I was walking made me feel vulnerable and scared. However, after Jaime pointed out a tarantula molting, shedding its skin, I realized how fascinating these animals are; it opened my eyes to the diversity and beauty of nature. La Selva is amazing and the biodiversity is invaluable and it reminded me of why protecting all of nature (even the scary insects) is important for humanity to survive.
Another moment that stuck out to me was when a few friends and I observed leaf cutter ants building a colony. Walking around La Selva, leaf cutter ants seem to be everywhere; carrying leaves in a line, following a trail all leading to one destination. Never did I question this process until someone in our group chose to learn about this species of ants. While my friends and I were observing them walking with the leaves on their backs into a burrow, she began explaining how this system operates. It is an intricate and amazing process. A colony of ants will all gather leaves, walking on the same trail, to bring back into their burrow and harvest fungi. In return, the fungi acts as a source of food for the ants offspring. It is almost comical to me how much of a fascination our group finds from these ants. I never expected myself to care about an insect let alone, a small ant, so much. Yet the way a leaf cutter ants colony works allows the whole system to function, it is a great example of how collaboration and teamwork should result in mutual benefit for every individual.
For my personal research project, I have always been interested in the cultural difference between the United States and Costa Rica. Having traveled to this country two times prior, something that has always resonated with me is the way these citizens live with the environment rather than exacerbating the natural resources our earth provides. Another student in our group found an interest in the difference in quality of life of Costa Ricans and Americans using the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goal metric system. After a lot of reflection, we plan to conduct a social survey on the difference in climate change perception between Costa Ricans and Americans using the Yale Climate Change Opinions map, and studying if quality life influences those perceptions. I am excited to begin the research process and learn more about the data as we collect it! I am curious how we will collect social survey data with the local citizens, but am hopeful that we will poll a good survey group.
Overall, while adjusting to La Selva took a few days, I am so grateful for the people on this trip who have enlightened me with their positivity and knowledge and made our class time more interesting. I also am so thankful for this program and for Dr. Wasserman, Dr. Libby, and Eric for their expertise and genuine interest in everyone’s ideas. I am excited to see how everyone’s projects come along and to learn more about the culture and values of Costa Rica!
– Julia
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