The forest awoke with a sudden release of rain. The Howler monkeys in the adjacent valley starting calling with excitement and the toucans began their morning migration out of the forest. This is how the first day started for the Costa Rica REU program at the Soltis Center for Research and Education.
For the last two weeks, the REU students have been frantically preparing for life in the cloud forest and getting their field equipment ready back in College Station. With great excitement the students and faculty mentors started their first trek into the forest that was fully immersed in clouds. While searching for locations to site their instruments the students saw their first eyelash vipers, numerous poison dart frogs and evidence of a puma, and had a chance to swing on a vine. After five hours of hiking to the waterfall, the summit and down the river, the students and faculty mentors are now back at the center unpacking their equipment and deciding on sampling sites.
Summer 2011 Costa Rica REU participants.