Final Thoughts...

The trip to Puerto Rico was challenging at times, especially conducting experiments in less than ideal laboratory conditions, but in the end it was very rewarding. We got to experience the life of a field biologist, studying outside one's comfort zone. From the remote rainforest to the island life, we are very lucky to have such an adventure. I would do it again and definitely recommend it to anyone considering the field of biology.

I am personally stoked to have seen and experienced things people spend their lives dreaming about...

Our Fearless Leaders:

Final reflection: Morrison Morganne

These past two week have been absolutely amazing and an experience of a lifetime! I was able to meet an extraordinary bunch of people. I was working with Tiffany on our ant project that turned out to much more interesting than I imagine. Who knew that ants in a way could be so much like human having their own ideas and working in a way a family would each having their own part in the colony. Even though we had entered a few problems during the way such as having a hard time finding the ants in the rainforest and also trying to do the experiment out in the field, we were able to change our methods at the beginning and enjoy and wait for the result to come! While I weren't busy working with our ants I was out exploring the culture of Puerto Rico! From the rainforest, Camuy caves, bioluminescent bay, dry forest and staying at the marine station snorkeling everyday I wasn't sure if I was ready to hop on that plane back home! My favorite activity of the trip would be by far the Camuy caves and the bioluminescent bay. I love to cave dive here in Florida in the springs and being able to explore a cave above water was just breathtaking! Also while at the marine station I learned that the bioluminescent bay was just around the corner and surely didn't hesitate to jump into glowing water!

Taylor's final reflections!

      My journey to Puerto Rico was indescribable! I had such an amazing experience, and I wouldn't change it for the world. I have never had the opportunity to participate in anything quite like this and I am so grateful for my opportunity. I have learned so much about field work, how it works, and the nitty and gritty behind it all. Throughout this trip, I was able to see firsthand how intensive and tedious field work can be. I absolutely enjoyed applying my previous knowledge to my work in the field. I realized how much different field work was than classroom work, yet I appreciated the challenge. In the classroom setting, we miss out on so many important aspects of science. However, in the field, possibilities are endless! There is so much to learn, so much to experience. I will never forget my experience in Puerto Rico, for I learned how to live with thirteen individuals, all with the passion of science and hopes to excel in their knowledge through hands on work. I have very much enjoyed getting to know new people and learn their story. Everyone seemed to have different goals throughout their career as a scientist and this made for an awesome experience of the different aspects of science. I loved that we all worked together, inquiring about each other's research projects and offering a helping hand whenever the chance be. Getting to personally know other individuals that shared the same interests as myself was very rewarding. This helped in the entire process of my research experience for I was able to collaborate and excel in what I was doing.
       For my research project, I was interested in the antibiotic effects of various medicinal plant extracts on the bacterias E. coli and S. epidermidis. Having a passion for the medical field, the opportunity to research this topic absolutely intrigued me. Collecting samples from the El Yunque rainforest, Guanica dry forest, and San Cristobal reef off the coast of Isla Magueyes and testing their antibacterial properties was as challenging as it was rewarding. Although the process was frustrating at times, we ended up with more results than expected. I will never forget what I learned throughout my days in Puerto Rico, nor will I ever forget the amazing, life changing experience that I had the opportunity to take part in. This trip has opened my eyes to many aspects of science that I had never known that I enjoyed so much, yet has also made me realize how difficult science can actually be! I loved working in the field, and would absolutely take this opportunity up again if I had the chance to. The knowledge that I gathered is overwhelmingly exciting and I cannot wait to utilize it in my future goals. Overall, the aid and support of our wonderful instructor, Dr. Judkins, only enhanced the experience of our field work. A special thanks to her and all of her hard work and patience!

Final Reflection: Aria J. Bernson

           To concatenate two weeks worth of experiences into one final reflection is a bit overwhelming to say the least.  To begin, I believe it took me a few days into the trip to realize that it was not just a dream. Perhaps it was in the midst of my attempts to identify the genus and species of trees in an 8m²  quadrat while simultaneously becoming a buffet for the local mosquitoes (unbeknownst to me) that it dawned on me: "I am actually getting to do what I want to do!  This is really happening!"  In that moment, all of the hours that I have spent in a classroom and in labs analyzing data culminated into this incredible moment where I have a real life application of tools I have gathered from many teachers along the way.

            

            I was very happy to be paired with Alexandra (Alex) Hernandez.  She and I had like interests from the beginning and while there were differences along the way, we worked together as a team and made the best of every situation.  My favorite obstacle that we overcame was the moment we realized that our trusty chemical tests (nitrate, phosphate, and salinity) were not set up to sample soil the way we had intended.  It was a heart-sinking moment to say the least.  After a bit of innovation, coffee filters came to our rescue.  We made a very quick recovery and were able to modify our methods immediately.  While we did not encounter too many method-shattering obstacles along the way, Alex and I were able to modify our methods depending on the environments we encountered and ended up with some great moments in our “mobile laboratory”.  

            The feeling of completion from data collection was a bit more emotional than I expected.  The moment we got back on the boat from the marine station, it dawned on me that we were done with that phase of our trip.  Now the data analysis must begin and there is no more field work during this segment of our research.  I was very excited to have that sense of completion- we had finished what we came to do!  At the same time, I was sad to know that our journey was so near to the end.  Additionally, even though our data collection was complete, our research is far from over!

            While I am used to preparing my meals at home for myself and my family (or going out to eat far more often than I care to admit), preparing meals for thirteen people was a bit daunting at first.  I was very happy with the team I was on which consisted of myself, Amanda, Catherine, and Dyllan.  They made the task of cooking enjoyable and thanks to Catherine, I do not think a single one of us had to clean a dish.  Seriously, thank you Catherine!  When we did have the opportunity to eat out, I found myself eating plantains and mofongo.  One thing that I did not realize that I would miss until I did not have it was green vegetables.  By the time we arrived back in Tampa, I was ready for a massive salad!

            This entire trip was incredible.  The amount of planning that went into making it happen as it did was not without notice.  I have a completely new respect for Dr. Judkins and Dr. Radabaugh.  They truly were our fearless leaders.  They allowed us to explore our topics of interest, ensured we had the tools necessary, and only answering enough questions to keep us as independent as possible, while knowing that they were there as our continuous support.  They were also very good tour guides, bringing us to many scenic locations to allow us to explore the cultural side of Puerto Rico- making sure we didn’t get too caught up in our data! 

            Would I do this again?  In a heartbeat!  I would hope I could go with the same group of people!  I had mentioned it several times during the trip, but I feel that it is certainly worth mentioning again:  Traveling with thirteen people continuously over fourteen days is normally not an easy task.  Not only did we successfully travel with thirteen people, we made connections and friendships that will truly last a lifetime.  Initially from the plane ride to Puerto Rico, I was lucky enough to sit with Amanda and Erik who, throughout the trip, allowed me to tag along in their adventures. I got to meet a wonderful woman from New Mexico who was my roommate in El Yunque.  Her friendliness made all of the girls that were sharing that apartment feel welcome immediately.  From that stemmed the friendships that were found in that apartment and carried on to each site in Puerto Rico, and now back home.  From trekking down the waterfalls with Amanda, jumping into the pitch black waters of the bioluminescent bay with my classmates, wandering through the historic streets of Old San Juan in search for vegetables with Taylor, to diving into the deep blue sea with Tiffany and the many adventures in between- I thank you all for this experience.  No matter what we explored, or the locations that we were, it was all of you that made this trip the memorable journey that it was.

                                               

 With Kind Regards,

                                                         

                               Aria Jade

Me, gazing off into the Caribbean.  Image Credit: Amanda Chappel

Tiffany's Final Reflections

    This has definitely been an amazing and great experience to take. It has taught me a lot and gave me an idea of how field work is done. Certainly grateful to be able to take this course and be able to experience work outside of the classroom. Being able to go to Puerto Rico has given me a new appreciation towards field work and living in another county other than Florida. While doing this project proved to be more of a challenge than thought, it was still a lot of fun to experience and construct. I learned that not all methods are going to work and sometimes plans will change throughout the experiment. During the experiment, some methods had to be changed throughout the course of the trip to accommodate the environment that surrounded us. Our hypothesis was proven to be incorrect since ants in rain forest were highly attracted to honey and ants in marine station were highly attracted to tuna.
    The best part of this trip was definitely the rain forest since I have never staid or experienced being in a rain forest ever before. It was certainly a new environment for me to be and live in for five days. With the sounds of  the insects and frogs at night, it was almost like a sound track of  mediation music yet it was actually real! While the Marine Station was a great experience also, I live on the water so it wasn't as much of a new environment for as the rain forest was.
    Living with 13 complete strangers also proved to be an interesting task at first until everyone began open up to each other. Even though everyone had there own projects to research, each person grew to know what each person was studying. We were all forced to room with one another along with either cooking or blogging with each other, which helped bring people closer together. By the end of the trip we were al able to bond, get along, and have a great time. Not only was this a great learning experience for the future but was also a fun and new adventure that I can remember for al lifetime. So much advice and tools were learned and can be taken from this trip that will help me through the rest of my future that I will always remember. This experience is certainly something I will always remember and grow from.

Along the rocky coast of the Guanica Dry Forest.




The beautiful El Yunque Rainforest Creek.



A Trap Jaw found in Puerto Rico, feasting on a drop of honey.

 

Final Reflections - Catherine O'Lone

The driveway to El Verde
Research Station in El
Yunque National Park.

The beautiful rocky coastline at Guanica State
Park on the southern coastline of Puerto Rico.

 By far the most challenging thing about this course, for me, is figuring out what to write about in this blog post. I have no idea how to summarize my entire experience in only a paragraph or two! I've learned many new things about myself, like that I will drink black coffee if it's all I have time for, and that iguanas are definitely less afraid of me than I am of them. In all seriousness though, I feel like I have grown as a scientist after taking this course. I have definitely expanded my knowledge of botany, and I have a new found respect for scientists who spend their entire career in the field. Coming out of the lab and into the field was very challenging, and I couldn't be more proud of myself and my peers who completed this journey with me. It is safe to say that learning how to utilize the resources available to us in Puerto Rico made me much more appreciative of the labs back at school! I feel that almost every group had to, in some way, alter their original plans once we were in the field, and I think that the flexibility and ingenuity we demonstrated was phenomenal. I am thrilled that my group had some statistically significant results in our bacteria study, and am looking forward to doing more research like this in the future!