Plant hunts

The wildlife continues to be amazing here.  On the bridge over a gaping river that we cross to get to our classroom, there are usually iguanas as well as SLOTHS.  We've seen many two-toed sloths hanging out (I haven't had my camera on me, unfortunately), and even some sloths eating!  My friends have even seen a kinkajou

We went on a medicinal plant treasure hunt the other day.  To prepare for our fungicides lab, in which we obtain plant extracts to test anti-fungal properties, we needed to collect some specimens.  In order to practice our GPS skillz, our ethnobiology professor Hector chose some plants and gave us the GPS points to find them for a geocaching romp in the rainforest.

Sometimes we had to get a little creative to actually get a specimen....

We've been doing some research on agrotoxicology as well, which applies directly to the plantations that we've been visiting (we've been to a banana plantation, and we're going to the Dole pineapple plantation on Monday).

Somehow along the way, it has inexplicably turned into April.   Once this week of lectures and field trips is over, we're going to Luna Nueva, where we'll visit a giant medicinal plant garden, and then visit the Maleku indigenous people.  Then it's final exams and research project time!!

Hasta luego,
Anya