Approaching Refugio Bartola I felt extremely excited, but also extremely exhausted. It was a very long day of traveling and multiple obstacles for the group while traveling. A bag was lost by the airline, but eventually retrieved, a backpack was mistakenly stolen, but eventually retrieved, and all of our research equipment was detained by customs, but also eventually retrieved. Many obstacles, but all eventually resolved. Arriving was a relief and a breath of fresh, humid air. It was not as humid as I was expecting and the Rancho here at Refugio Bartola was also much nicer than expected. These are two very good surprises that definitely work in my favor. The first thing I noticed when pulling up on the boat that we took down the Rio San Juan was the amount of green trees and the abundance of nature waiting to be explored. This was definitely all a drastic contrast from life in the city. It was a drastic contrast, but a very nice one. As soon as we arrived, the excitement kicked in and I was ready to begin my new adventures in the rainforest of Nicaragua and what hopefully will be a life changing experience. Of course we were all hungry when we arrived, so the first thing we did after unloading our luggage was enjoy a delicious dinner. This definitely made me excited for every meal left to come. After interacting with my classmates over dinner and enjoying a very cold shower, I went to bed ready to tackle the next day and attempt to get as much out of it as possible.
Category Archives: from the field
Battle Scars
Alright, I am finally here! The first few days of my experience in Nicaragua have met my expectations in some regards, and have been different in a few others. One thing that I was very surprised about is that being in another country does not feel as different as I thought it was going to be. This is the first time I have traveled outside of the United States, so I thought it would be like entering some kind of different world. So far, however, I have to think to actually realize that I am outside of California. If it were not for all the monkeys that I have been seeing, everything isn’t too different. My expectations were definitely exceeded by the amount of wildlife I have both seen and heard. I love waking up to the sound of howler monkeys, even though they were a bit frightening at first.
As for some specific experiences that I have had, I’ll start with something positive that really made this trip special. I had a really cool interaction with a howler monkey on February 1st. The monkey and I had a “conversation” that lasted about five minutes. Other people I was with tried yelling at some howlers in the tree that we were standing by in the attempt to get a response from them, but they kept silent. I thought it would be a good idea to throat sing (it’s a little hard to explain what that is…) at them, and it worked very well! The monkey did not start howling at me, but he made inquisitive hoots at me and responded to different calls that I made. That little interaction was the first time in a long time when I felt like I was truly in nature, and that is something that I will always consider as a great experience.
The bad experience was an injury involving a slippery slope, a very pointy stick, and a clumsy me. I hiked down a trail after a very long afternoon of observing strawberry poison frogs, and since it had recently rained, the slope was extremely muddy and slick. I slid down neck-first into a branch that was recently cut by a knife. The injury was not that bad, but it is a bit annoying. I am fairly certain that this will not affect my project, which involves listening to the calls of strawberry frogs.
All in all, my experience has been amazing so far. The injury was not that bad and will give me stories, and the animals and plants I have seen more than make up for the pain. I am looking forward to finalizing my projects and collecting data!
Where’s My Sloth?
Even though my two/three toed sloth is still playing hide-n-seek with me, I am amazed by the biodiversity of the rainforest of Nicaragua. On the first day here, we took a stroll through one of the trails and we ran into a pack of howler monkeys and were able to observe them for over an hour! The best part was that one of them was carrying a baby on its back! Then today, not only did we see an agouti but I was finally able to spot and capture a green and black poison dart frog (don’t worry we set it free after taking some awesome pics).
Although we’ve been here for a couple days now, it still feels extremely surreal being here. Everyday consists of early morning breakfast, trekking through boot-high mud (tropical rainforest=rain 24/7), coming back for lunch, heading back to the trails, coming back for dinner, and heading back out for night time trials. The professors and TA’s warned us about how tiring fieldwork could be but my goodness, it is exhausting! It’s funny because today at dinner, Adrea mentioned how there’s a certain satisfaction you get from being so physically drained everyday that you immediately fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow and I could not agree with her more. Even though I come back from the field drenched in sweat, it’s totally worth it!
One of the things I look forward to during every meal is the fresh tropical juice we get. My favorite so far is naranjilla, it really brings back memories of home. The food here is amazing! And the staff is also so great, I love that they always have a smile on their faces. I’ve been fortunate enough to get to know a couple of the rangers here and they’ve shared some of the best stories and shown me some amazing pictures. They’ve even offered to help me with my behavioral project, how amazing is that! If all this has happened within the first week, I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the rest of the trip.
Spiders and Monkeys
I hear the sloshing of my boots being suctioned by deep watery mud in my sleep. Then I see, amidst total darkness, endless sparking green and blue eye shines of the hundreds of spiders perched on leaves, branches, and roaming in the leaf litter glistening and sparkling like stars in the night sky. I am then shaken awake by the deep rolling moan of the howler monkeys echoing through the canopy. A chorus of birds of striking colors of red and yellow call from the field and I find that I am overwhelmed with gratitude and passion. This is what I am meant to do.
Four days have now come and gone at Refugio Bartola. Many of us are still stressed about our project ideas and designs, but we all are working well with our respective partners and with each other. I like to say that we are all lost in the right direction. I remember being very anxious the first day while walking through the trails, thinking, “How in the world am I going to find something to study- wait, what in the world was that?!” However, my partner and I work very well together and we have come to a decision about both of our project ideas: our behavioral project will focus on potential sex differences in the foraging and roosting behavior of harvestmen, a type of arachnid that looks too much like a spider and our conservation project will focus on looking at the differences in the soil and activity in leaf cutter ant colonies to see if there is a difference between colonies that live in logged areas and un-logged areas of the forest.
Perhaps what I have come to learn about this trip is that we are doing more than just vacationing. What I have seen on every trip out into the rainforest is something many people can see. I can talk about how I saw a river otter on my first canoeing trip up the Bartola river, or the myriads of poison dart frogs I see about my feet, or the strangely shaped and brilliantly colored insects I see landing on my clothes, or nearly stepping on a turtle in a mud puddle left by a boot because I thought it was a fruit, or having a spider monkey throw a fruit at my head and hit me, or seeing a fer de lance and a coral snake in the same day, or having to pluck harvestmen with my bare hands from a spiny palm, or having a bullet ant land on my neck. What is different about this forest for me is that I am not just observing, I am interacting. Placing my data collection equipment around ant mounds, marking harvestmen with paint pens, actually performing research, has made me a part of this forest. Every venture has purpose, every venture has meaning and I cannot wait to see what lies beneath the next leaf.
Conquering Fears
Greetings from Nicaragua! After a very long day of traveling, lost bags, and the airport holding our gear hostage, we are finally here! The accommodations are great here at Refugio Bartola. Four people are staying in my room—five if you include the shrieking gecko on the ceiling. Every morning I get woken up by howler monkeys screaming in the trees nearby. Usually I get woken up by car alarms, so it’s a refreshing, new alarm clock. The days seem to pass by slowly, but each day is packed full of hiking, science, and more hiking! So far I have gone on nine hikes and two canoe rides, all in four days. I am loving the beautiful, ever-changing trails through the rainforest. Trekking through the muddy, muddy forest multiple times a day is extremely physically exhausting. However, I have never been so happy and content with what I’m doing since coming to college. I am constantly sweaty, dirty, and itchy but it feels so fulfilling to be doing something I love. My first impression of field biology is that it is very fun, but a lot of work—both manual and mental.
I have seen so many new organisms, ranging from spider monkeys, bullet ants, agouti, snakes, and a lot of spiders. My partner, Brigit, and I are focusing on harvestmen for one of our projects. I have never been a fan of anything tiny or multi-legged, and unfortunately harvestmen exhibit both these characteristics. We are looking into some intriguing questions with their behavior, so this means we have to handle them. Today, after about 15 minutes of pep-talks, I caught two harvestmen. All in the name of science! Before we started catching harvestmen, I accidentally ate a spider, a monkey threw a fruit at Brigit’s head, I saw a snake, and I saved Brigit from a bullet ant. Today was the hardest day so far, but thinking about it now actually makes me laugh. Scary experiences help make the forest more real and also more approachable. Being around nature all day every day is a luxury and a challenge. And being here has definitely been showing me how important it is to take the time to experience life, as cheesy as that sound, it’s so true. Facing fears liking catching harvestmen gives me confidence in myself and my budding field biologist skills. I’m excited to see where the next few weeks take me and I’m fully ready to tackle whatever comes my way!
Floods, Sweat, and Tears!
When I entered Refugio Bartola I immediately felt at home. I have always heard of the tropics, an environment where it is rainy, humid, sunny, and cloudy. I just had no idea this can happen all at once! My partner Emily and I walk the flagged trails, letting our boots sink into the waterlogged soil caused by the many bouts of rainfall. Like Floods! The warm air becomes even more saturated with water after it rains, how that is even possible I do not know. We always come back drenched in a mixture of forest dew, humidity, and most of all… sweat! I am grateful to return to camp and being greeted to a deliciously prepared meal thanks to the wonderful staff at Bartola. The combination of forest hikes and fulfilling meals is an experience I will never forget. It has only been 4 days here, and I am already dreading the thought of returning to UCLA and having to cook my own meals. Tears!
We were able to explore the series of trails that branch throughout Bartola and get a sense of its bountiful wonders. Yet, I am certain we have not even scratched the surface of what truly goes on here. It is a humbling and invigorating sensation. We have the unique opportunity to explore deeper into this tropical wonderland, which is why I am so excited to venture fourth with a behavior and a conservation project. While my group had their eyes in the trees for howler monkeys, I kept my gaze low to see the abundance of life at my very footsteps. I noticed a golden-black insect crawling about. It’s a spider. No, it’s a wasp. No, it’s an ant! I happened to stumble upon a wasp-like ant, adorned with yellow bands and spots along its jet black body. My mind races with ideas on how to test its behavior and possible mimicry, which is even more enticing once I learned this species of ant is likely unknown. While walking with our headlamps fully ablaze at night, we noticed a flurry of moths and winged insects heading for our faces. This was the spark to look into anthropogenic lighting at night, and how it can disrupt the natural behavior of diurnal and nocturnal moths. The next step was to test the idea of attraction to a bright light. So, I did the obvious thing and tied a white pillowcase to a tree so moths can stick to it, and taped a flashlight to illuminate the fabric. I walked away proud of the rigorous scientific set up we have accomplished that day. Upon returning we saw no moths but a few mosquitoes. So at the very least, our project can explore the solutions to reduce mosquito attraction to camp sites. However, I still believe a bat ate all our moths.
Different
I would describe this whole experience as different. Different from the normal school experience. Different from our normal daily routine. Different from anything we, or maybe just I, expected.
Before we left for Refugio Bartola, we spent some of our class time talking about the history of Nicaragua: its geography, its biodiversity, its socio-economic standing. However I didn’t think I was going to really realize we were in a different country until we entered the rainforest. In retrospect, that was a very naïve thought of me to have.
When we got off the plane, our next plan of action was to take a four-hour bus ride, followed by a two-hour boat ride to the reserve. On the bus ride I was intrigued by all of the different colored houses bordering the side of the road. Red, yellow, aqua, teal, baby blue. Chickens and stray dogs were walking along the street, their owners nowhere to be found. The first time the economic-standing of some of Nicaragua’s citizens really became apparent to me was when we drove by a dirt field, where the skeletons of the houses were made out of large branches, and the walls and ceilings were just black trash bags. Occasionally, one of the “walls” was missing and for a split second, you were able to see a family sitting inside the house, different from anything I have seen before.
Every morning since we have arrived at the reserve, my alarm clock has been replaced by the echo of howler monkey cries coming from the forest. At night, my roommates and I have a creature living in the corner of our room, which will periodically make three, distinct, screeching noises. Our ceiling is not connected to the walls, therefore every night we have to make sure that our mosquito net is completely tucked under our mattresses, making sure bugs are not able to bother us while we are sleeping.
However, I have also hiked the most beautiful trails and seen the most beautiful animals. Lizards shining five different colors in the sunlight. Little strawberry frogs making the loudest noise imaginable from such a small animal. Spiders that look as though they were designed for the sole purpose of a sci-fi movie. Butterflies of all shapes and sizes. And I have canoed down the Bartola River at night, after having turned off our headlights, and only using moonlight as a navigation source, while looking for the eye-shine of caiman.
Different. But in the most fantastic, eye-opening way possible.
The Rainforest, the Tropical Rainforest
Greetings from a rocking chair overlooking Rio San Juan! As I reflect on all of the things I’ve seen and done during my time in Nicaragua, it’s surreal to realize that I have only been here for a few days. It’s beginning to dawn on me how intense this experience is. I’ve seen more amazing organisms in the past week than I’ve seen in most of my life. In the mornings, we wake to a chorus of birds and howler monkey calls in the surrounding forest. In the afternoon, we walk on muddy trails (side-by-side with leaf cutter ants), blanketed by an omnipresent green canopy. In the evenings we take night hikes looking for the retinal eye-shines of nocturnal critters.
I think one of the greatest aspects of this trip has been experiencing everything with my fellow FBQers. In our first couple explorations it was amazing to see how much people knew about certain organisms and processes. More than that, their enthusiasm has been infectious. On one of our first night hikes, we stopped every couple of seconds to look at every thing that moved and almost every plant. I find that I’m fascinated by thing I hadn’t even thought to pay attention to before. It’s overwhelming, humbling, and beautiful.
In the fifth grade, a conservation organization came to talk to our class about biodiversity in tropical rainforests. They brought in large mammals found in the Amazon, taught us about forest structure, and showed us a music video. In all my years since then, I still find myself singing the theme song in my head from time to time: “The rainforest, the tropical rainforest. All, all that beauty!” I’m amazed to find that not even my childhood imagination could have prepared me for the magnificence of the rainforest.
Until next time!
Love, hugs, beans, and rice,
Michelle
Embracing Uncertainty
A saying was shared with us at the beginning of this quarter: ”Anything that could possibly go wrong, will definitely go wrong.” There is no truer saying that could describe the bumpy start to the journey! With multiple hiccups on the way to Nicaragua – getting stuck at customs in and out of the two airports with action packs, missing personal backpacks at Managua, and a boat ride through the rapids all in twenty-four hours – the first day of the trip did not spare any surprises from us. What seemed like a well-tried procedure of getting to Refugio Bartola from LAX didn’t exactly turn out as planned.
This event definitely isn’t standalone in learning about the uncertainty of outcomes. Ben (my research buddy) and I woke up at 5am on the first of February for the grand start to our project only to be met with a rainstorm that washed all our plans away for the day. Or having set up a spider arena to study their aggression on prey, only to realize that all they did was stay still and wait for something to come along. Yet, not everything about uncertainty is doom and gloom. Just as the events that occurred during the journey pulled the class closer together in ways that could not have been otherwise, unexpected occurrences has given rise to some amazing moments.
Being here for just 4 days so far, I’ve seen incredible things: Howler monkeys as a daily alarm right outside our sleeping quarters, Spider monkeys crossing the river above our heads while in the canoe, a coral snake in one of the many night hikes with great company. Every step into the rainforest promises a realm of new possibilities and sights; and each day a great opportunity to learn more as we take strides in our research projects…each stride embracing the uncertainty to come!
Diamonds in the Leaf Litter
Hello All,
It’s really incredible how slow time moves here. My day starts with either the explosion of rain on our tin roof or the ominous shrieking of Mantled Howler Monkeys. From there I divide the time between meals with my two projects, trekking up and down canyons and wading through streams. By the time I return to the rancho, my boots usually weigh another couple pounds from the mud that I’ve accrued in my journeys. It is in that state that I’m now writing to you with my reflections from the past couple days.
The first thing I’ve learned in Nicaragua is the value of patience in fieldwork. Nothing ever takes how long you think it will—sitting and waiting for an orchid bee is no exception. After twenty minutes of watching a log it is easy to get discouraged, but without notice the flash of iridescent green can make the whole wait worthwhile.
These past five days have been an exercise of perspective. The first night, after settling into our rooms, a few of us went for our first hike. We ventured for what seemed like quite a long time on a stretch of trail along the Rio San Juan, stopping and obsessing over every spider and frog we encountered. In the light of day, we had barely stepped onto the trail network; the newness of our surroundings had completely captivated us.
With the beam of a headlamp, the trail paths look like diamond paved roads from the eye shine of the litter dwelling spiders. What I wouldn’t dream of touching in the US now fascinate me beyond belief. Driven by my awe of the immense species diversity and the smallness I feel among the towering canopy trees, I am braver and more alert than I ever imagined I would be. I look forward to what changes I will see in the next couple weeks.
Best,
Joey