Today marked our last full day at the Finca La Anita Rainforest Ranch, and what a day it was. After a wonderful breakfast of omelets, rice and beans, tortillas, fresh fruit, and a papaya-watermelon fruit juice, we all prepared ourselves for a full day of science. We gathered our research notebooks, slipped on our trusty rain boots, and hit the lab. Our morning consisted of wrapping up data collections and preparing immaculate presentations to share with the group later in the evening. With sweat on our brows and blisters on our feet, we worked tirelessly to perfect the projects we have diligently researched for the past week. In order to feed both our brains and our stomachs, we broke away from the lab to enjoy a delicious lunch of hamburgers, taro root chips, and fresh squeezed lemonade. We then headed back to the lab to polish up our beautifully crafted presentations.
**side note: we just finished holding a rare Walking Stick insect** :)
By the time five o'clock rolled around, the most anticipated moment of our trip arrived--it was time to share our scientific discoveries with the group. Team Ants Before Pants, Team $marty Ants, Team KFC^2 w/ Antz, and Team Antz that JJIG gathered with mentors and visitors alike, eagerly awaiting our turn to reveal our intriguing results. Each groups' question of study is as follows:
Ants Before Pants - How will Atta cephalotes forager ants react to dump solution while collecting leaves?
$marty Ants - Can ants claim food sources using pheromones?
KFC^2 w/ Antz - Does an Escovopsis solution on vegetation cause leaf cutter ants to reject that vegetation?
Antz that JJIG - Will secondary metabolites (citronella and taro) defer ants from eating a favored food source?
Each of these research projects focused on eco-friendly ways of preventing the leaf cutter ants from devastating crops from farms around the country.
**side note: we just finished playing "Uno, Dos, Tres, Queso," a Costa Rican version of "Red Light, Green Light" with Pablo, our awesome host** :)
Our mentors, guests, and fellow students were all impressed with each presentation; our Vis education has served us well even across international borders. We then headed off to a celebratory dinner of homemade tortillas and taco fixings with home-grown cacao hot chocolate and brownies for dessert. What a fantastic way to end our stay at Finca La Anita. As sad as it is to leave this beautiful rainforest property, we look forward to see the beach at Horizontes tomorrow.
Signing off,
Christine Kane, Mary Mullen, and Annie Ferraro
Our farewell photo with Andy and Pablo
Over 4 inches long!
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