July 17- Day 3: First Years

Hey Everyone!

We started out our day with science. Instead of spending time in a classroom we got firsthand experience through digging up leaf cutter ant colonies.  When we visited a large colony we were able to see the soldier ants (pictured below) we had learned about before coming to Costa Rica when we disturbed the nest.

Next we headed to find smaller colonies to collect for our experiments. The first excavation was unsuccessful because the nest had relocated deeper into the mud due to construction.

 The next nest was smaller and we were able to successfully remove the fungus garden and queen. We collected it in tupperware containers and brought it back to the classroom.

 After lunch we took a ride in the tractor (#$wagTer) halfway to the river. It poured the whole ride, both rain and insects (which most people, except Bridget, were unhappy about). The rest of the way we had to hike down. The path was flooded and muddy making it extremely slippery. We could've floated down the path if we had inner tubes. We also heard Howler Monkeys (though sadly we didn't see any), which was a unique a experience for us.

 After the long hike down we swam in the river. Afterwards we were forced to hike back up the slippery path. When we finished everyone was covered in mud and dirt.

Following dinner we had the opportunity to go on a night hike. We saw many insects, bats, and amphibians, including the large wolf spider pictured below. We also saw a praying mantis, which was a new experience for many of us.

Overall, we had an eventful yet exhausting day. We had firsthand experience digging up ant colonies, allowing us to learn a lot.The river and night hike were tiring yet rewarding. We are looking forward to the rest of the trip and finally starting experiments tomorrow!

                                   ~Karin and McKenna