(Inside Crystal Lodge! – 05/16/25)
Here we are, winding down and typing up our day 1 recaps, appreciating the night’s breeze and tuning in to the chirps of insects all around us. After a long and hectic day of travel, it feels fulfilling to finally be writing from our destination in Belize. But even though today featured extra security lines and bus trips, we were able to experience Belize’s ecology, learning about (and seeing!) neat species and trying delicious foods.
As we hopped off the plane and entered the Belize airport, we were surrounded by wall ads featuring casinos, birdwatching, liquor, and river tubing. As we filled out our immigration form, we had to choose between “student,” “tourism,” “honeymoon,” and some other options as our purpose for travel. Yes, honeymoon was an option, and considering all of the couples surrounding us, I bet it was checked off by the majority. The wide variety of activities to do in Belize, from lying on the beach to researching in the rainforest, reflects its diversity of habitats and just how vital ecotourism is to the country.
(Da Bus – 05/16/25)
Our class’s focus is on learning about Belize’s species and ecosystems. When we hopped on the bus, Dr. Solomon reminded us to keep on the lookout during the ride for the species we were each assigned to study and later present to the class. My topics are rainforest soil, epiphytes, and sponges. Sam had extra trouble spotting ants (his assigned topic) out of the bus window, but I was able to observe the soil pretty well from my seat. It looked like there had been some landslides that revealed the natural layers of the soil, and I saw that the layers looked pretty rundown and weathered. While nutrient-rich soil has clear layers, the soil here looked chalky and blended. This makes sense because this soil has been here for a while with plenty of time to naturally break down, and the heavy precipitation has leached it of its nutrients, so its layers are extra scrambled and indistinguishable.
(Nutrient-sufficient, layered soil horizon – edukemy.com)
About 45 minutes into our drive, we stopped at a local restaurant called Cheers. While we were waiting for our food, we took a lap around the outside to explore the wildlife, and I saw more signs of the poor soil. I tripped over a root sticking out of the soil and realized that all of the trees in the area had shallow roots. This wasn’t a coincidence; often, trees in nutrient-poor soils have adapted near-surface roots to more effectively capture nutrients from the atmosphere, like those that fall down with the rain. Sam was also successful in finding his topic in real life. He tracked down some lines of ants! Now, whenever anyone spots an insect that looks the slightest bit like an ant, we shout Sam’s name to ask him to identify the species. We also watched lizards dive from high up in tree crowns (the leafy parts of the trees) to a little pond underneath. This is likely because they needed a way to cool their bodies off in the hot Belize sun. As cold-blooded animals, they rely on the environment to regulate their body temperatures.
(Shallow root system – 05/16/25)
We came back to our tables to enjoy the most delicious, freshly squeezed soursop fruit juice and some giant tamales and burritos. With full bellies and ready to nap, we reboarded and rode to our lodge for the night.
(Yum Burrito – 05/16/25)
The Crystal Lodge was an absolute tropical paradise. Stepping off the bus, we saw such an array of tree species with tons of epiphytes (nonparasitic species without root systems that live on trees). I was most excited to identify the nitrogen-fixing epiphytes on some trees’ leaves. They look like little splotches of white, blue, and green and inhabit plant leaves, converting nitrogen gas from the atmosphere to a form usable to the plant.
(Nitrogen Fixing Epiphytes – 05/16/25)
Today was filled with car naps and seeing ecological concepts in real life. Tomorrow, we are heading deeper into the Maya Rainforest, and I can’t wait to tell you about the intriguing, wonky creatures we see. Peace out!
