Good-bye Tirimbina (Brian Shipp)

Well, this is the last chance that I have to post a blog here in Costa Rica.  We head out of Tirmibina on Saturday and it will be a bitter sweet departure.  I’ll be sad to leave but excited for my next adventure to the rafting camp at Guayacan.  The past few days have been full of excitement.  My night time amphibian/reptile surveys have been very eventful with the finding of lots of different toads, frogs, snakes, etc.  The other night we came across a Cloudy Snail-eating snake which I had the opportunity to hold.  It was a really cool looking snake that gave off a funky odor, but it was still awesome to hold.  We also found a salamander which is a pretty rare find in these parts of Costa Rica.  During the day myself and some other students have had fun playing with David (pronounced Daveed) who is the resident chef Laura’s (pronounced Lowwra) son.  We have played a few games of soccer, large wood tower (which we know as Jenga) and swimming in the river.  He really seems to enjoy our company which is nice.  Today my team started our first day of Ficus research.  With the help of our guide Emmanuel, we identify which bird species are using the Ficus’ fruits as a food source.  There are so many beautiful birds here and a lot of them have vibrant colours.  The Tanangers in particular stick out in my mind with very bright colours of blues, yellows and reds.  Tomorrow is my last day of work here at Tirmibina.  We have a 10 mile hike ahead of us to Guayacan on Saturday that will be a welcome challenge.  It will be fun to push myself to get there in one piece.  I look forward to seeing all my friends and family but will be sad to leave.  Meghan, you’re awesome for picking me up at three in the morning in London on Thursday (I told you I’d give you a shout out haha).  Pura vida!

Surviving in the Dark (Andrea Follett)

Hola! I survived the PM reptile and amphibian surveys, which I’ll admit I was somewhat worried about. The highlight of the evening surveys was finding a salamander on a plant near the forest floor (very uncommon, this was the first salamander observed by Josh F. in Costa Rica!) Today, our group began identification of fruit-eating birds associated with different species of Ficus trees. Though I don’t find this as interactive as the reptile and amphibian surveys, I love watching and identifying tropical birds (including Canadian migrants!) We also saw two epic birds: the squirrel cuckoo and the slatey-tailed trogon (though not associated with the Ficus trees) and a two-toed sloth, a mammal I’ve always wanted to see in its natural habitat. I am sad to be leaving the Tirimbina biological reserve, but also curious and intrigued about the adventures that lie ahead in the upcoming week. I am prepared for the unexpected – bring it on. Pura vida!

Never a Dull Moment (Radek Odolczyk)

Buenas noches! There is never a dull moment here at Tirimbina. For example, earlier today we were sitting around reading and writing our journal, when who but a southern scorpion snake decided to join us on our patio. I assisted Josh in identifying my first snake, and was quite pleased with myself.

Speaking of snakes, we saw the most dazzling looking snake my eyes have ever witnessed. When we spotted it scurrying off the path with our flashlights it looked like it was glowing purple similar to a glow stick at a rave. Josh proceeded to catch the serpent and informed us that it was a Smokey snail-eating snake. Its beauty continued to impress me when I had the opportunity to handle my first wild snake. It is a dark coloured snake, mottled with grey and silver specks. It released a musk in self-defense but this did not bother me none as I’m quite used to foul odours by now.

We began our Ficus phenology surveys today, in which we observe the relationship between the Ficus tree and what birds feed off its fruits. The highlight of this day was spotting a Squirrel Cuckoo with has a very long tail in proportion to it’s body, which is beautifully striped black and white. Not to take anything away from the Canadian wilderness, but there is so much natural beauty here in thanks to the richness in diversity it is hard to take it all in. One thing at a time is the only way I can handle it.

Tomorrow is our last night here, and then of to Guayacan for further adventuring. See you all soon!

Pura Vida

Deb's Diablos

The Night Shift (Debbie Yarnell)

Yesterday was our last day on the amphibian and reptile daytime survey and tonight we do our first night survey.  From the sounds of things, it will be a much more exciting time since we are in the rainforest at night to start with and there are a lot of different species to see in the night.  Yesterday our big find was a Golden-eyed Parrotsnake, which we were all able to hold and have a photograph with.  Very interesting watching Josh dive into the undergrowth to catch the snake.  Sort of like a tree falling in the forest with not a lot of noise.  We also had an interesting find in my bathroom when we got back of a species that we hadn’t seen yet either, a little tree frog called Scinax boulangeri .  Still pretty warm here, around 29 without the humidity, but because today is a little bit of a down/ rest day for us,  it is easier to stay a little cooler.  Looking forward to a hike this afternoon with Josh and Irwin (an experienced older man who now lives here) going on trails we’ve not been on before.  Sad that tomorrow is our last day here, but looking forward to another new adventure on Saturday to the rafting camp.  Missing home, but will be there soon enough.

A Growing List (Jesse Van Allen)

The last few days have involved a shift in the projects I’ve been involved in as my team has switched to doing the reptile and amphibian surveys as opposed to the ficus research.  This has been an exciting change as I’ve been able to add to the list of different species I’ve encountered here in the rainforest.  The largest adjustment has been trying to focus your eyes on the ground instead of all the rainforest that surrounds you, I think it must be a learned ability.  The most difficult part of the process is trying to spot the small individuals.  Everything seems to blend into its surrounds making them hard to spot, and once something is spotted it seems as though everything here looks like something else only adding to the confusion.  Despite these challenges its exciting and rewarding to be part of this research.  Unfortunately our time here at Tirimbina is nearing an end and I only have two more surveys to complete, I’ll have to make sure I make the most of them while I still have the opportunity and hope to see a few more new species as it looks like we’re finally starting to get some rain.

A Short Note (David Dunn)

There was a hard rain last night that left the forest fresh and vibrant with early morning rays of sun illuminating the mist amongst the trees. I have been pretty lazy so far today so I can save my energy for the amphibian survey our group is doing tonight. It’s nice to sit on the porch and look over the rainforest. Yesterday was another good day; we got to handle a parrot snake and later tubed down the river to the swimming spot. I miss everybody at home and wish they could be here to enjoy this with me.  

Team Bushmaster

Ficus Finish (Josh Cronmiller)

Only three full days are left of our stay here at the Tirimbina Rainforest Centre. My group and I have completed our contribution to the Ficus Phenology project which was a little different than expected. Data collected for this project included percentages of immature and mature fruit, estimated between our three group members and our guide. We then stayed at the particular tree for about 45 minutes, recording bird species which utilize the tree for nesting, habitat and food.  A total of 25 different species (approx.) were recorded over three days by our team. This data is then used by Tirimbina in future and ongoing forest restoration projects in instances where bird diversity is compromised. It is a useful tool in protecting and maintaining biodiversity in the forest as a whole.

My team and I begin morning reptile and amphibian surveys tomorrow with our instructor Josh. The nighttime surveys were a success and hopefully the mornings will be too. Just want to say hello to everyone back home who’s reading, and Dani too!

"Oh ficus!" (Carolyn Knapper)

Today marked our final outing for the Ficus survey. Bird watching in a tropical paradise is truly an experience! Oddly enough, however, there were many species similar to what we have back home; Clay colored Robin, Great crested flycatcher, Swainson’s thrush, Black cheeked woodpeckers and several different tanagers. The most visually appealing was the Golden hooded tanager, a bright blue bodied bird with a golden cap. The most interesting sound was produced by the Montezuma oropendula (oro=gold and pendula=swinging), a large bird that makes its call as it swings around a branch. The fruits of the Ficus colobrinae were much smaller than expected, approximately the size of a blueberry, and tasted quite bitter. Fortunately we later wiped our palettes of the taste with freshly roasted cacao beans that grow in the research centre garden. We have been spending our days leisurely walking through the rainforest, as to avoid “Wesley Vipes,” the somewhat elusive Hog-nosed viper that the Masters of the Bush can’t seem to spot. We hike about an hour to work in the morning, crossing waterfalls, rivers and two large hanging bridges. Yesterday we spotted a sloth and several iguanas in the trees before retreating from the heat in the cool, rushing waters of the large river near the centre. Yup, it’s a tough life out here. Slowly we are attempting to pick up Spanish phrases; our guide/coworker Emmanuel shared a familiar tune with us (which Katie keeps singing half in French), “La cucaracha (the cockroach)! La cucaracha! Yono puede cominar!” Im confident that I will be fluent by the time Im back in Ontario- NOT! But for now, Pura Vida! To all my friends, family, Charlie and Scotty, mi amos! Tirimbina esta buenissimo!

Morning Move (Katie Bigras)

Yesterday we finished up our Ficus bird surveys, and we’re on to our morning surveys. This morning was really cool. It rained REALLY hard last night so many species were out and about! We saw plenty of reptiles and amphibians, but the coolest thing we saw was when we gazed up at the trees and saw 2 Crested Guan’s mating. They stalked us for about 100 meters afterwards. They looked so awkward because they are such large birds balancing on fragile branches in the canopy. When we were on our way back to our cabins Josh spotted a vine snake from about 20 meters away. I have no idea how he saw it because it has probably got the best camouflage for any snake I have seen yet!  So other than all the cool little critters, life at Tirimbina is great. Yesterday I took the majority of the day to myself to enjoy watching the hummingbirds feed from the heleconia’s, listen to the chatter of the Montezuma’s oropendula’s, and listen to the Howler Monkeys claiming their territory. Days have been plentiful here at Tirimbina but it seems that everyday there is time that you can take to enjoy and appreciate all the amazing gifts mother nature has to offer. 

Deb's Diablos Reporting

Debbie's Blog

Well, another few days in the living National Geographic adventure series here at Tirimbina Rainforest Center.  We have changed jobs and are now on the morning reptile and amphibian survey.  This is our second day at that and it was a little slow for sightings but we did see and photograph a Hog-nosed viper of a fairly good size and that was the first one that we have seen on our survey.  The weather is quite warm around 28 – 29 by 9:30 in the morning and lots of humidity.  Water is truly a very important thing to have with you at all times.  Yesterday afternoon we walked down the road to a place that the Bush master crew is calling paradise.  I would have to agree that it was quite beautiful.  A waterfall, swimming hole and great scenery.  Another National Geographic moment.  Aside from missing my family, I feel like this is a wonderful adventure and am very thankful for the opportunity.

David's Blog

Hola. Another great day at the office. Today we got up with the sun had a delicious breakfast and headed off into the rainforest to do the morning reptile and amphibian survey. On the trip we found a large hog nose viper and got a perfect view of a toucan.  The rest of my day consisted of playing soccer, relaxing in the hammock and swimming in the picturesque river swimming hole. Pura Vida 

Jesse's Blog

It’s hard to believe but everyday here in beautiful Costa Rica seems to offer a little something new for me.  Besides from the work we’ve been doing on the reptile and amphibian surveys spotting new creatures everyday, our off time has proved to be equally exciting.  The other afternoon I was introduced to a new swimming hole and waterfall a relatively short walk from our field station, truly a piece of paradise that looked like an image from a tourism brochure.  This afternoon after we finished our work we spent the afternoon playing football (or soccer as some would call it) with a local kid and cooling off the river when the sun got a little too much.  The only way this day could have been better was if a young child hadn’t embarrassed the group of us with his far superior football skills.  

Team Bushmaster Reporting

Katie's Blog

Everyday, just keeps getting better. Yesterday was the Bushmasters last shift on night surveys. So we took full advantage of having the morning off, and it was seriously one of the best mornings of my life. Josh, Carolyn and I walked up the gravel road we came in on. Located in the middle of farms and houses was a sweet little store that we thought was quite neat because it was just so random. After we purchased some Fanta and pear juice, we continued on our way and ended up stumbling on the most beautiful stretch of stream I have ever seen. You could go down and swim in the calm water right before the waterfalls, or walk down the side of the falls on the large boulders and jump into the natural pool created by the flowing water. It was simply amazing, swimming in this natural pool right beside the rumbling falls, and even being able to sit in a perfect rock seat in the falls. It was such a perfect morning, and such a perfect place that we decided to name it “Paradisio”. We came back excited to bring the others this special spot so they could enjoy it too!

Now that we are done the night shift we are working on the Ficus tree portion of our field placement. It’s a nice relaxing day, we get to sit under large beautiful Ficus trees identifying central American birds with a field guide and a nice man named Emanuel. What I enjoy best about the Ficus surveys is the 4km hike in the rainforest there and back to arrive at the center. I hope you enjoy the picture of Paradisio!

Bushmaster Paradise (Josh Cronmiller)

This field placement is slowly becoming one of the most fun, exciting and beneficial experiences of my life. As we were finishing our last night survey yesterday, I realized how much of a thrill the placement has been thus far. I could honestly say to myself that I could be a part of this type of work for the rest of my life, and be ultimately content. That, underlines the experience I am having in this wonderful line of work so far… enough said.

As I’m sure others have blogged about, yesterday Ms. Knapper, Ms. Bigras and myself came across something worth noting. “Paradisio” as we have dubbed it, is a waterfall/pool/bridge/ol’ fashion swimmin’ hole that we came across yesterday during the day on one of our bushmaster excursions. It is a surreal place, something you’d expect to find in a national geographic magazine. Anyways, I’m going to leave my blog at that, as I’m needed by my peers for a late night coffee on our balcony. Pura Vida!

Carolyn's Blog

Sensory overload, yet so little room to write about it in! The rainforest is always alive; the seemingly simple leaf litter of the forest floor, full of tiny, determined leaf cutter ants, marching with ten times their weight overhead and the angry wolf spiders lurking in every dark crevasse, waiting to attack; the vegetation camouflaging the forest floor inhabitants and providing a perch to wide eyed amphibians; the lush overhanging canopy that seems to soak up every ray of available sunlight streaming onto the land; the meandering rivers that flow over rocks creating beautiful waterfalls and holding schools of tiny fish, unafraid of my presence and swimming around my legs. It truly is paradise!

The last few nights the Bushmasters have been completing the reptile and amphibian surveys with Josh. The forest comes alive with reptiles, amphibians and even birds making their calls into the cool dark air, some sounding like something out of a horror film. The second night brought on a few nasty “jungle bees” that wanted to eat our flesh, and unluckily I was struck! To make matters even better, the immense amount of sweat pouring off my body found its way to the bite, stinging even more. Good thing Im a tree planter and am thoroughly used to being eaten alive by bugs! On the flip side, the days are relatively bugless, and full of sunshine. I spent the afternoon floating down a river in the foothills below our lodgings, allowing the current to carry me along beneath the bamboo and mossy trees. Each day we are exploring new territory, and yesterday we came upon “Paradisio,” named by us because of its breathtaking beauty and serenity. We pass several local farms to get to it, which consist of quaint, bright colored homes, chickens and cattle. The water is cool and refreshing, and Ive been snorkeling after the fish, taking pictures underwater. If there is one thing Ive learned about what I want to do in life, its that I want to travel the world to explore more of the beautiful hidden wonders Mother nature provides, just like the one’s here in Costa Rica.  

Team Chimichanga Reporting

Andrea’s Blog

The past three days Radek, Brian, Josh F. and I have been collecting data on reptiles and amphibians between 08:00 and 11:30 on three different trails at Tirimbina. Our group has learned a lot about the species observed and their habitat preferences (among other things). The first two days we saw many amphibians, but it wasn’t until day three (today) that we first saw venomous snakes during our survey. Today we saw three hog-nosed vipers and one ferre-de-lance, all venomous (and dangerous) snakes. The most intense moment was when we observed an injured ‘Central American whiptail’, a lizard species that is common at Tirimbina, which we stopped to investigate. While observing the species, a hog-nosed viper (likely searching for its prey) passed between Radek and I, nearly touching my legs. I nearly croaked! I must mention, however, that snakes are misunderstood – their intention is not to hurt humans, but to protect and feed themselves.

The rest of my experience at Tirimbina has been equally spectacular, yesterday Radek, Brian and I ventured to the other research centre (~4 km hike) and crossed two suspension bridges, saw a family of howler monkeys only ~15 ft away and Radek nearly was attacked by two venomous snakes (see Radek’s entry). Overall, I’ve learned not to mess around in the rainforest and that visitors must be attentive at all times. It’s good to be alive – Pura Vida!

Rad’s Blog

Holy crow folks! What an adventurous couple of days team Chimichongas which consists of: Brian, Andi and myself, have experienced. The AM reptile and amphibian surveys have been a very enjoyable way to start the day, especially the early morning light penetrating the canopy of the rainforest. We have had the opportunity to learn a great deal about the microclimates of the rainforest, and how these relate to the types of species that can be found within. Things just keep getting better and better here in Costa Rica! Yesturday after lunch, the team decided that we’d hike through the “jungle” over to the main center to check things out “on the other side”.

We managed to observe a Montezumas oropendula high in a tree, performing it’s courtship dance and song. The song of this bird sounds more like something a special effects program on a computer would produce, not a tropical bird. On our way back to our more remote center, we witnessed one of the most joyous moments I can recall: a troop of howler monkeys rolled over us in the canopy and decided to feed a stones throw away. The young were incredibly cute and inquisitive, and watched us while they munched on leaves. We were so close we could almost see too much (ask me about this in person). We had to be back for dinner so we decided to carry on before it got too late. About halfway through the walk, which I was leading something jumped in front of me and freaked me out… it was just a frog. Phew! I remained quite vigilant throughout, impressed with my observation skills thanks to the morning surveys, up until I took a step right beside a hog-nosed pit viper and it lunged the opposite way of my ankle. My heart must have skipped a beat, and we were all a bit freaked out. We calmed down and decided to keep going, thinking “that was a close call”… until about 500m from there, where I noticed a fer-de-lance right before I stepped on it. Luckily I managed to notice it early enough that this was not deemed a close call, after the last encounter. This was an eye opening experience for me, and I understood the fact that we are out of our element and must be EXTRA cautious. All I can say is that the Chimichongas learned a lesson, and now have a story to tell about it. I am absolutely smitten by this place and never want to leave, as there is hardly a dull moment. Not to rub it in, but I hope ya’ll are having as much fun as we are!

Pura Vida

Brian’s Blog

Hey everyone.  Well, the past three days have been something else.  I really can’t stress enough how amazing this place is.  On a hike yesterday, my research team (Team Chimichongas: Radek, Andi and myself) saw a family of 6-8 Howler Monkeys.  We were only about 20 feet away from them; it was an experience I will never forget.  There were 2 juveniles in the group and they seemed to be as interested in us as we were of them.  It was really interesting to just stand there and watch them eat and swing around in the treetops.  My research team has been out with our professor, Josh Feltham, conducting morning amphibian/reptile surveys.  I’m normally not a morning person but while I’ve been here I’ve turned into one.  Waking up every morning at 6 a.m. and going on 3 hour hikes hasn’t been a problem.  Getting out of bed and seeing the rainforest not even 100 feet away and mountains in the distance is amazing.  I even woke up this morning around 5:45 a.m. to see the sunrise.  Everyone heads down for breakfast at 6:30 a.m. and is treated to a delicious meal of fresh water melon, papaya, pineapple, rice and beans, and something new every day.  The food here is awesome and gives you lots of energy for the long day ahead.  The morning surveys have been challenging but a lot of fun and we get to see something new every day.  This morning we saw 4 venomous snakes, a few different frogs and toads, and 2 courting lizards.  This afternoon we headed down with some other students to a beautiful spot along the river.  There were some rapids on the right side of the river but a deep pool of still water to the right.  We were able to jump off the rocks into the water which was a lot of fun.  J-Cron and I jumped off the bridge into the river that was about 20 feet high.  This spot is just beautiful and we dubbed it ‘paradisio’, the Spanish word for paradise.  Some of the locals were taking pictures of all of us sitting in the rapids and having fun, I guess they don’t see a lot of people that aren’t from Costa Rica.  There is so much more that I could write about but it would take forever to type out.  Tirimbina is a beautiful place and if you ever have the chance to come to Costa Rica I highly recommend a visit.  I hope all my friends and family are doing well and having at least a quarter of the fun that I’m having here.  Everyone back home should live a little more like Costa Ricans; take it easy and enjoy life. 

Pura Vida 

Fun With Ficus (Dave Dunn)

I feel happy healthy and full of energy. I am not usually a morning person but here I am to excited to waste time sleeping. There have been so many new things that I have seen, and yet somehow I feel completely comfortable here as though a small part of me has always been here. For the last two days I have been working with a great group of people observing the interactions of birds species with several different Ficus trees. I was surprised by the variety of bird characteristics, from large to small, dull to colorful, herbivores and carnivores. If I were doing research like this for a career I would live a very happy life.  I am looking forward to every day here and what I might experience next.

It’s Been a Howl (Debbie Yarnell)

This is a very incredible place, even more than I was imagining.  We are in cabin rooms in a very civilized arrangement and steps away the trail into the rainforest takes us to a whole different world.  I am in a group that have been doing Ficus surveys for 2 days and it is a little deceiving regarding what we are doing.  It is actually a bird survey in numbered Ficus trees.  The ripe and unripe fruit estimate is done by the guide that we have, Emanuel, for the sake of consistency but we are responsible to spot and help identify the birds using those trees.  I have a total of 22 new species of birds just in a short 8 hours.  And today was a slow day because of the overcast weather.  Jesse, Dave and I were discussing today how very small we feel in comparison to the trees and plants here.  Everything seems to be giant size and so many colours of green that it is really hard to get any sort of a photo that gives a feeling of the magnitude of it all.  We all went on a night hike our first night here and that was a bit unnerving.  Got some really interesting camera shots and unbelievable sightings of things you would never see unless you were out at night.  One of the very coolest parts of the sound here are the Howling Monkeys which we think would be a good name for a rock band.  The sound they make is really unique and the guys are trying to imitate it so they can answer the calls.  Really neat stuff!!!

Can’t See the Forest for the Trees (Jesse Van Allen)

It’s safe to say that I came into this experience with an expectation of what the rainforest would be like, although I’ve never actually been to the rainforest.  I’ve since realized that after only a few short days the expectations I thought were lofty were actually conservative.  Walking through the rainforest it’s pretty easy to forget about the world existing outside of it.  The sights and sounds have an initial effect of a sensory overload while at the same time offering a sense of tranquility.  Since I’ve been here I’ve constantly tried to capture the perfect picture to convey the grandness and density that surrounds you while in the forest, but all the pictures have failed to do it justice.  My work thus far has been identifying different bird species using the Ficus tress in Tirimbina and I’ve been not only amazed at the wide variety of species present, but also their similarity to species commonly found in Ontario.  The work has been incredibly interesting and although I’ll miss the Ficus project when we switch in the next few days, I’m also looking forward to seeing some of the other surprises the rainforest has in store for me.