The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Earlier this month, nine students from Big Sandy High School, along with their advisor Melanie Schwarbach traveled to Costa Rica for an unforgettable research experience. They were joined by eight students from North Toole County High School (Sunburst) and their teacher, Amanda Nix.

For most of our students, this was the first time they'd traveled out of the country. This was an opportunity for them to experience a new climate, a new culture and food that was much different than they were accustomed to. The purpose of the trip was for students to learn about rainforest ecology, leatherback sea turtle research and ways in which they can become citizen-scientists. The students explored many ways in which they can make a positive difference in their own community with regard to conservation and the environment.

The group began their immersive research experience at the Pacuare Sea Turtle Preserve. Accessible only by a 20 minute boat trip via canals originally built for the banana plantations, this remote spot on the Caribbean coast is a haven for Leatherback sea turtle nesting. The students worked with turtle researcher to identify sea turtle nests, collect eggs and perform measurements on the nesting turtle that give scientists important insights into the effects that multiple egg laying events have on the female turtles. Leatherback turtles lay their eggs at night, so students took patrol shifts that ranged anywhere from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. Walking approximately 6 kilometers up and down the beach, guided only by the light of the moon, the group searched for the telltale tracks of a female sea turtle. Once evidence of a nesting turtle was discovered, we waited for the turtle to dig her nest, which can take up to 45 minutes. Once she was satisfied with the depth and shape of her nest, she laid her eggs. Unbeknownst to her, the eggs were collected, to be transported to the Pacuare sea turtle hatchery. The turtle then camouflaged her nest by flipping sand in all directions. All in all, most egg-laying sessions take well over and hour.

It is estimated that only 1 in 1,000 sea turtles live to reach adulthood. Predators such as snakes eat eggs before they can be hatched, poachers steal eggs from nests and birds snatch up hatchlings on their voyage from the nest to the sea. Once they reach the sea, they are prey to many aquatic species. The hatchery at Pacuare reserve serves to increase the likelihood that eggs will be successfully hatched and that the hatchlings are given a better chance of reaching the sea. Students were able to visit the hatchery and witness as a nest was excavated. Careful record keeping gives scientists an approximate hatching date. Once hatchlings emerge from the nest, the number of hatchlings are compared to the number of fertilized eggs placed in the hatchery. If there is a considerable discrepancy in number, researchers will wait two additional days before manually digging the nest to look for additional hatchlings. The excavation our group witness resulted in close to a dozen additional hatchlings. They are carefully monitored for a couple of days before being released to the sea.

The forested area at the Pacquare reserve is home to three monkey species: howler monkeys, spider moneys and white-faced Capuchin monkeys. While rather small, howler monkey calls can be heard for miles away. We were fortunate enough see all three monkey species and to enjoy the calls of the howler monkeys, which often began at 4 a.m.

During the days at Pacaure reserve, students improved their research skills. Groups of students selected a research topic, gathered data and presented their findings to the rest of the group. Research topics ranged from studying the behaviors of leaf cutter ants to the relationships between height of palm trees and the number of coconuts they produce.

Halfway through the trip, the group left the coast and traveled inland to the Tirimbina Tropical Research Center. While at the

research center, (most) students enjoyed a trip over a suspension bridge, spanning the Sarapiqui River. Waiting to greet us at the other end of the bridge was a hog-nosed pit viper, one of Costa Rica's many venomous (and potentially lethal) snakes.

A bird-watching experience gave us the opportunity to see and hear many of Costa Rica's exotic bird species. Toucans, macaws, mot mots and the common potoo greeted us in the early morning hours. Rainforest hikes led to the discovery of several species of geckos, bearded dragons and tree frogs.

Students spent part of one day studying stream health by collecting and identifying macro-invertebrates. These indicator species can give valuable clues as to the levels of pollution in a stream. While the stream appeared to be pristine, we discovered that it was not as healthy as it could have been, partially due to the herd of water buffalo grazing upstream.

A night hike gave students the opportunity to view nocturnal animals such as caimans, red-eyed tree frogs, blue jean frogs, bats, geckos, snakes and mice, all within a half mile of the research center.

The trip culminated with a white-water rafting trip down the Sarapiqui River. The area was experiencing an unusual dry spell and hadn't seen rain in almost five weeks. The river was rather low, but provided enough rapids to make a memorable experience for many of our first-time rafters.

The Costa Rica kids would like to express their thanks to the community of Big Sandy for their generous support of their fundraising efforts.