Costa Rica Day 3

May 30, 2016
This morning, we dug out our first ant colonies. We collected the fungi, and latter took them back to the lab to study them. I would post a picture but the internet is too slow. We also saw a huge ant colony of over five million ants.
After lunch, we went on a hike to a river where we swam for about an hour. The hike back was very exhausting. Most of us went back to our cabins and relaxed until we had to eat dinner.
After dinner, we analyzed our results from our experiment yesterday. We used some statistical tests to determine if our data supported a hypothesis. Then, we went on a frog hunt with Juan, where we caught ten frogs.

29 May 2016: Costa Rica Day 2

Our second day started a lot later than our first for most of us. Some of us decided to go on an early morning hike, while others (including myself) decided to sleep in, as to counteract the long day we had yesterday. At 7:30, we had breakfast together, and then departed for free time. After our free time, we enjoyed a chocolate tasting, full of products produced here at Finca La Anita.

After our chocolate tasting, we went on a tour of the farm. Pablo taught us many things during that tour, but two stood out to me:

1)    Bananas and plantains do not grow on trees, but on plants.

2)    Pure chocolate is much better than the diluted stuff we have in the US.

We enjoyed some more free time after lunch, and then went on a trek to the local village, where we enjoyed some homemade ice cream and treats from the “mall” while learning about Costa Rican culture.

After we returned, we went to our first class, where our scientific research began with an experiment on microbes. I hope you are on the edge of your seats, as we are excited to share our results with you!

Overall, we had an interesting second day here in Costa Rica. Tune in tomorrow to see how the adventure unfolds!

May 28, 2016: Day 1

Our first day started at 5 A.M. at the Bluegrass airport. We arrived safely in Altanta, but we had to rush to our next flight in Liberia. Once we went through Customs, we left the airport to find food.

We went to a steakhouse and had an authentic Costa Rican meal. It was Fajita chicken with corn tortillas, rice, beans, plantains.

After lunch, we took a scenic drive to Finca La Anita along a gravel rode. Despite the obstacles, such as cows and over-flown streams, we arrived safely to our destination after the long drive. When everyone arrived, we had a brief introduction, and we received our rubber boots to protect us from the snakes we may encounter when hiking.

After an amazing dinner, we headed back to our cabins to rest up for an exiting day tomorrow.

Written by: Julie Mudd and Emma Harper

Welcome to the LCHS Leaf Cutter Ant Research Blog!

Starting May 28th, this blog will be the information base for our research on our 2016 trip. All students on the trip will take part in creating and maintaining the information on this blog about the Leaf Cutter Ants we will be studying. Please feel free to follow the events of our trip through the use of this blog!

Packing List

(Pack in one carry-on and a backpack)

Documentation:
1. Passport
2. Insurance Card
3. Flight Number/Tickets

Suggested Items:
1. Comfortable T-Shirts, long pants, shorts
2. Lightweight jacket
3. Bathing suit
4. Underwear
5. Socks (at least one pair of knee-length)
6. Tennis shoes
7. Sandals
8. Lightweight raincoat
9. Hat/sunglasses
10. Toiletries/sunscreen/bug-spray/personal medications
11. Small flashlight (extra batteries)
12. Water bottle
13. Small backpack

Additional Items:
1. Camera, journal, tablet, pencils
2. Plastic bags for transporting muddy clothes
3. Small first aid kit
4. Feminine hygiene products
5. Travel alarm/watch
6. Ear plugs (for students sensitive to forest noises)