Last Saturday, the 19th August, we went to San Gerardo. We had to hike in with our backpacks on. It was a beautiful hike, mostly downhill. We stayed in a research lab run by a wonderful family. Giovanni, the father, kept the facility running and took us on hikes. Ivannia, the mother, cooked delicious meals for us and made amazing desserts (the banana bread was increíble!). They had one son named Andre who is in elementary school and plays soccer really well. We had a beautiful view of the Arenal volcano in the mornings and as the day progressed we could watch the mist and clouds creep up the mountain bringing rain.
San Gerardo is part of the Children’s Eternal Rainforest, named this because children actually raised the money to create the reserve. Most days were spent in the field, which meant in a dense, species rich rain forest. We learned a lot about the local plant life, for example the cecropia tree is actually hollow and is a home for a specific type of ant that helps guard the tree from leaf eaters that hurt the plant. We did an engaging stream lab as well. We measured various aspects of the stream including: pH, temperature, flow rate, diversity of invertebrates, canopy cover, and more. It was so fun to work in the stream and learn about the complex ecosystem supported by it.
One night we had a night hike led by Giovanni. He has no educational background in ecology but knows so much about the land his family has lived on for generations. It was fun to practice my Spanish with such a friendly individual. We saw many frogs including a red-eyed tree frog and a glass frog and also saw a snake. The stars were amazing that night and I even saw a shooting star! There was also a beautiful waterfall that was at the end of a fun hike (we had to duck under logs and walk through a strangler fig). When we had free time, we spent it on the big porch outside our rooms. We hung out on the hammocks and played games (after getting our homework done of course). After four nights there, we hiked out (which was one of the most strenuous hikes I have ever been on) and returned to campus.
