2024 Foxborough Costa Rica Conservation Expedition

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Blog 4

The group ate breakfast at 7:00 AM and then promptly headed off to the Tortuga elementary school. We brought a number of games with us, such as an animal matching game with English and Spanish, an animal themed twister game, and a game that teaches kids about recycling. We also played a game similar to tag that teaches kids about the importance of preserving forests. When we first got to the school we played with the kids, and then we painted the walls of the cafeteria building together. It was scorching hot and humid, but we were all in good spirits and we got ice cream too!
In the afternoon, we split into two groups and did monkey surveying and bat surveying. The monkey surveying group went through forest paths for a while before we spotted a group of monkeys in the treetops. We recorded our observations about them and then headed back to the reservation site. The bat surveying group also went through the forest looming for bats in their tents (under leaves). We saw about 6 tents and marked a few new ones, 3 tents had bats and we were able to catch 1 bat to bring for research that was later released. 1 of the tents had a baby bat in it so we were unable to try to catch those bats to try to weigh and add to the data chart. Whenever we saw a tent we marked the humidity, wind, and temperature of the area where the tent was found.
That night, the group that surveyed bats went to look for crocodiles and caymans in the river near the reserve. Whenever they found a crocodile they would mark the coordinates on a gps, checked the salinity and temperature of the water. They also checked the humidity percentage, temperature, and wind of the spot where the crocodiles or caymans were found. They caught one crocodile to measure, which was 103 cm long, and add data to their research. Everyone was exhausted afterwards when we got back, but we all had a fun experience. 
In total, the day was great. Everyone had a good time and learned something new. We all enjoyed doing work in the rainforest and interacting with the kids here.

Blog 3

Hey parents! We kicked off the day with an early breakfast, then dove into some awesome surfing action. Yeah, it was pouring in the morning, but the minute we hit the beach, the skies cleared up – total luck!

We had a little scare with what we thought was a beached whale, turns out it was just some funky-shaped driftwood. Anyway, surfing was a blast, maybe a bit too much fun since some of us ended up with sun kissed arms. Packed up after the lesson and bounced from the hotel.

Stopped for lunch at this cool spot with a balcony overlooking the beach – killer view! and tried some guanábana juice. Then, a quick ride to Reserva Playa Tortuga. Got settled, had a rundown of the upcoming projects, and met some biology students from the Netherlands who are studying bats. Ended the night with a seriously intense Uno showdown. Lights out at 9, and we crashed hard after our jam-packed day.

Blog 2

Hi all! So we touched down in Costa Rica on Tuesday night, after a delayed flight, and that’s when we linked up with Sara. She hooked us up with our first hotel, and we crashed out pretty quick. Woke up the next morning to this beautiful view, and we got to experience chocolate-making with Tapir chocolates. Bus ride vibes hit us, and on the way, we spotted a couple capuchin monkeys and some crocodiles– wild, right?

Checked into the next hotel and got a full dome experience. Oh, and we schooled Mr. Champlin in Marco Polo – classic move. Solid first two days, and we’re buzzing to see what’s coming up next.

Blog 1

The group has arrived! After a short morning in San Jose making chocolate, our intrepid travelers headed to Uvita on the central Pacific coast. This morning they’ll enjoy surf lessons before moving into Reserva Playa Tortuga, the research station where they’ll be based the next few days. Pura vida!

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