Ecology Field Trip

Today, Ms. Godoy and I, along with our awesome Lab Manager, Rasheed (in the white shirt, below), took 30 Ecology students to Guanacaste National Park in Belmopan, Belize.  They were able to study the flora and fauna of rainforest and riparian ecosystems, starting with some Emballonurid (sac-winged) bats that were roosting in one of the picnic shelters.  On the trail they observed forest zonation, epiphytes, and various species of medicinal plants.  They then collected soil and water samples and analyzed them on site (pictured).  The only issue was that the bus repeatedly overheated on the way home due to a hole in the radiator hose, but our trusty driver just pulled over and added water (below) as needed. It was a fun and productive day, and I hope the students thought so too!

Xunantunich

As of this weekend, I have now visited the Holy Trinity of Belize Mayan ruins, as depicted on the back of the $2 bill (pictured below).  The holiday weekend, which celebrated Belize's Independence Day, also marked my first real trip to Guatemala and another enjoyable time in San Ignacio.

Goff's Caye

Today was St. George's Caye (pronounced "key" - one of the barrier islands off the coast of Belize), which is a federal holiday in Belize.  Since we had the day off, we (a few faculty and about 70 St. John's College students) took a trip to Goff's Caye, a tiny, private island.  My view, when I wasn't in the water looking at reef fish, is above.

A few fun pic's from last weekend

Usually the only pictures in which I am featured are those where I am using some part of my body for scale (see "Enormous Fungus," "Giant Cane Toad," and "Yummy Vegan Meal" below), but I agreed to be in the last pic with an old friend (Richard, far right) and two new friends I met in Belize (Nuria and Ahmed).  This picture was taken at a place called Pier One, out on a pier in the Caribbean, in the dark because the electricity had gone out.  All we could hear was each other and the waves crashing next to us.  Great night.

Altun Ha

This weekend we also had the opportunity to run up to Altun Ha, a Mayan site just north of Belize City. Yet another spectacular experience! It was overwhelming to stand atop the temples and imagine thousands of people bustling around in the plaza below.

Weekend in the jungle

This past weekend, a friend visiting from the States and I went to a lodge outside of San Ignacio, Cayo,  Belize and saw some spectacular sights!  This is just a small sample of what we saw, including the view of the lodge and the Maca River from a mountain summit we hiked, a tarantula we saw along the way, and a collared Aracari we spotted on our bird watching hike.  So beautiful!

First week

We successfully made it through the first week of the academic year at SJCJC!  My colleagues and students are amazing and so much fun.  This promises to be a great semester!  The pictures below are of the students in the chapel during the general assembly on the first day of school (Monday, August 11th) and then dispersing to their respective departmental meetings across campus.