DECEMBER 11, 2014

It's really happening.  I am going to Costa Rica.  We had our first gathering last night and it seems like it is going to be a fabulous trip.  We had a guest speaker, Dr. Scott Shumway an expert on Costa Rica from Wheaton College.  He gave us some great information about some of the places we will be travelling to.

Some facts include:
Costa Rica is about the size of Vermont and New Hampshire combined.
Pacific side of the country is drier than the Atlantic side.
A mountain range divides the country in two
Rain forest and Atlantic side approx. 1/2 M of rainfall per month.
Many trees in the rainforest have buttresses?  Tress are enormous, shallow soil and it rains a lot so the buttresses act like a support to the tree.
Canopy of the rainforest is approx 100 feet tall while the emergent layer can reach to 150 feet
Lower canopy is the ground layer only about 1/2 thick, this layer decays rapidly
Most action in the canopy layer.
Most trees in the forest are rare.
Lots of hummingbirds
Frogs such as the Blue Jean  are poisonous but you can hold them just don't lick them!
Fig fruit popular
Green Iguana hope I see one at least
Passion Flowers low down in the canopy Orchids high up.
White Bats?
Lots of insects too.
So much to see.  I look forward to sharing with my class and colleagues.

Check out Dr. Scott Shumways  Page with great resources for learning more about Rainforest Ecology: http://wikis.wheatoncollege.edu/rainforest/index.php/Main_Page