Tag Archives: 2025

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Leaping lizards!

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As I am writing this, my lower back hurts and my neck is sore, but I feel great! My day began at the ungodly hour of 5:30 AM, but I guess I better get used to it.  I had never flown internationally before, so it was really cool to get my first stamp in my passport.

My rainforest taxon is Lepidoptera, so I have been keeping my eyes peeled for butterflies and moths. I saw one of each today! Both of them were too speedy for me to get a good look at them, but I will be more prepared next time. The butterfly was HUGE and dark colored. We saw it during the day when we stopped for lunch. The moth was much smaller, and we saw it at night during the presentations. I present my taxon tomorrow, and I am a little nervous that someone will ask me a question I am not prepared for, but I am also excited because I really like my taxon. My goal for the trip is to see– and hopefully catch a blue morpho, which is a very recognizable species, known to locals as a symbol of healing or luck.

Besides my taxon, today, we stopped for lunch at the most lovely restaurant. It was so peaceful eating outside in the rainforest, and the weather wasn’t too bad. Here, we saw giant iguanas in the trees. I wouldn’t have noticed them at first, because all I could see at first was big blurs falling from the trees into the small lake below. In the photo below, you can see one iguana hiding in the trees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a lovely drive, we arrived at our destination: Crystal Paradise Resort. This place is BEAUTIFUL and the family that runs it is so nice. We all went for a walk down to the river to explore a bit before it got dark, as you can see in the picture below. Two dogs kept following us everywhere– it was adorable! They said that this small hike was just a warm-up for what’s coming, so I’m a bit nervous, but also excited to explore more.

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Day one – Ants, Arkansas, and Awesomeness!

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What a great first day we had! Waking up at 4:30 was rough, but if it meant getting to the beautiful Crystal Paradise Ecolodge and embarking upon these amazing two weeks, it was worth it. We had a great day of travel, beginning dark and early (earlier than bright and early) at ABL, heading to IAH, then Belize City, then the 2-hour ride to the Ecolodge, with stops at Cheers Restaurant for lunch and a supermarket for last-minute supplies before heading off into the tropical rainforest tomorrow (among a swimming stop and ruins of the Mayan city Caracol, one of their largest cities!) The travel day, while exhausting, was great. I was excited to meet/ get to know everyone better, and I can’t wait for these next two EEPS with his group! We also met another class group from a University in Arkansas staying at the Ecolodge, so that was fun to meet and chat with a couple of them.

Ok, Ant-man suit on, I was skeptical of my ability to see ants today. I was wrong entirely! I saw some unidentifieable ones crawling along a pipe at the Cheers Resataurant (where we had lunch on the way to the Ecolodge from the airport.) When I couldn’t pick them out, I was discouraged, but luckily Dr. Solomon brought some tools to make identification easier when we get to Las Cuevas Research Station tomorrow for the week. At the Ecolodge, I was lucky enough to find ants on two occasions, despite being outside for not too long: first, I saw leaf cutter ants transporting their leaf cuttings to their fungal gardens (did not see their garden though 😔) and second, I saw ants making a little highway along the trail from the Ecolodge to the Macal River. I wonder if they trampled down that whole path. Both of these instances are pictured (in not so high quality) and attached below. Here’s to another day of fun, friends, and ants!

Sam Forman

2025

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Travel Day to Belize!

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Today we traveled to Belize! We started the day early, meeting at 6 am for a bright and early start. The flight was a quick 2 hours! We then took a bus over to get lunch where we ate some local Belize food and tried their signature hot sauce. We continued on our way to a local market in Belize to buy snacks and goodies before we step into the rainforest.

We arrived safely at Crystal Paradise Resort where we had a little time before dinner to explore. We hiked down to the river by the resort guided by the local resort dogs! We got back in time for some dinner that the resort provided.

During our brief time at the resort I found many beetles, like the ones in the taxa I researched. I observed two different species of beetles in the fruit scraps that the staff put out for the birds. One of which was distinctly a Dung Beetle. Later in the night, as we were eating dinner several beetles were attracted to the light and were dive bombing us as we ate and listened to presentations! While unsure, because it was dark and the beetles were flying this was probably a Neoclytus muctonatus. Excited to see what the rest of the trip brings!

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Day 1: Iguanas are falling from the sky!

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It is the first day in Belize! Today we had an easy flight into Belize City, and after about an hour of driving, we stopped for lunch at a restaurant called “Cheers”. It was an outdoor layout with a ton of previous visitors signed shirts that were hung up on the ceiling. I ordered rice and beans (not beans and rice), and while we waited, one of the waitresses told us to check out a pond out behind the place. She said we would be able to see fish and turtles, so we walked over to it. As soon as we rounded the corner of a bushy tree and saw the pond, there were about six large splashes. We were all quite confused until another few happened, and then we realized that iguanas were launching themselves from the trees into the pond! I recognized both black spiny-tailed iguanas and green iguanas, and as we continued to watch them, they kept dramatically splashing into the water below. I also saw a turtle, but it dipped under the water before I could identify it.

We drove for a ways longer and got to our place for the night: The Crystal Paradise Ecolodge. This place is rustic but gorgeous, as it is right in the middle of the forest. There is a chorus of frogs, insects, and birds coming from all around. We walked down to the nearby river and saw a hummingbird and a large, brown butterfly which were very cool too.

I am excited for where tomorrow will take us and should get to bed soon, as we have another early wakeup. Next update is about Mayan ruins, Las Cuevas Research Station, and more dense rainforest! Talk to you then!

Claire C

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Pre Departure Blog

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Hello! My name is Claire C, and I am a rising sophomore at Sid Richardson College. My major is biosciences with a major concentration in integrative biology, so naturally, I LOVE ecology and the outdoors.

I am so excited for this trip and cannot wait for all that I will learn in Belize! I am looking forward to learning about and seeing all sorts of plants and animals. While I have always loved the ocean more than anything in the world, I am most excited for the rainforest part of the trip. I have experience snorkeling and being around reefs, but I have never been to a tropical rainforest before.

I hope to learn a ton about how rainforest ecosystems and field research works. I expect to see some of the coolest ecosystems and organisms I have ever seen in my life. Being as isolated from other people as we are should let us see some fascinating animal interactions both within the rainforest and in the ocean. While seeing any animal is cool, I most want to see rays in the ocean. Whether they are spotted eagle rays, manta rays, or stingrays, I love seeing them swim through reefs.

I finished packing all of my gear last night, and I traveled to Houston today, so I am finally ready to go to Belize! My duffle is quite heavy, but that just means I have fun gear inside!

On this trip, I hope to learn how to keep myself safe and comfortable while doing field work. I also hope to learn some field research techniques that cannot be taught from a classroom.

That all being said, I am slightly nervous for how isolated we are going to be. I know we will do everything to keep ourselves safe, but being in a new and extremely disconnected ecosystem from people is still scary despite how fascinating and fun it will be.

I have been lucky enough to have been on in other international marine ecology field research class through my high school. The class took place in Baja California Sur which is a desert on land and is is home to the “Aquarium of the World” beneath the water. Through that class,  I learned how to do an underwater transect and fish census along with other techniques. While this class was definitely not exhaustive, it did give me some experience doing labs in the ocean that I can build off of in Belize.

I am so excited to wake up bright and early tomorrow to go to Belize!

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Off we go!

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Hey hey hey! My name is Sam Forman, and I’m a  rising Junior at Jones College! Some facts about me: I’m from Tampa, FL, I like to swim (good thing we’re spending a week at Glover’s!) and I am an Environmental Science major with a minor in Business!

In November, I heard about this class, applied, and made my friends apply too. In January, we were accepted. In February, we met to assign taxa and topics and introduce the course. In April, we met to look at snakes and check that our equipment worked. And now, in May, we depart for Belize tomorrow!

My expectations for this course, in truth, are limited. I expect to have fun, and beyond that I barely know what to expect. I have experience in the tropics, as I took a vacation to the Galapagos in 7th grade, but I am also fully aware that this will be about 1-5% like that trip. I also have visited the Florida Keys as part of a 6th grade school trip and done some snorkeling and marine biology exploration there, but nothing to the level of what we are going to do in this class. I know I will see things I’ve never seen before and do things I’ve never done before, and I’m excited about that. That’s pretty much all I’m expecting. I’m expecting to be wowed, the mechanism by which this will occur I cannot foresee.

A lot of this course consists of things I have generally heard about. I have heard about tropical rainforests and studied them in class, and I have extensive experience snorkeling around coral reefs. I’m excited to marry the two. The course has us learning in depth about the ecosystem through lectures and primarily through experience. I have not experienced experiential learning to this degree, so I’m quite excited about that. Accomplishments-wise, I see great potential for this course beyond tropical field biology-related educational growth. I am going to live in a rainforest with no AC and many other things I operate daily with. There will not be a Target 10 minutes away if I need anything. These two weeks will be an accomplishment in the sense that I will have lived without these things I “need.” That’s an accomplishment in and of itself. Tropical Field Biology-related foreseen accomplishments include extensive fieldwork, among others. The most fieldwork I’ve done has been in BIOS 213. Time wise, BIOS 213 Labs were probably 5-10% of the time we will spend in the field in Belize. And it will be condensed much more. I’m excited to run field experiments, (as the ant-man I have to look forward to the pee one, right?)

Pee-gets us into the “what I’m nervous about” section of the post… I’m nervous about accomplishing what I described above. It seems like it will probably be fairly difficult. The bathrooms, among other things, will likely not be similar to what I’m used to. I’m also nervous about my 3 presentations, on Ants, Wrasses, and a longer lecture on Wrasses, but that is likely the same as any pre-presentation nerves. I feel well prepared, as all of the prep work for this class has indeed felt like a full time job this past week. Between actual coursework (Taxon ID Cards, slideshows, reading) and the many shopping/ pharmacy trips, the course preparation was quite intense. Even just packing was intense, as I tried my best to finagle everything into the waterproof luggage & water-resistant backpack I have while leaving room for the helmet and sleeping bag. And, in general, I’m just jittery. So, after cautiously but hurriedly packing my bags and setting things out for myself for tomorrow (pictured below,) I’m gonna go to bed and…

…see you tomorrow for the DAY ONE RECAP!!!

<3 Sam

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Pre-Departure Blog!

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Hey y’all, my name is Ian Chen and I’m a rising sophomore at McMurtry! I plan on double majoring in Biosciences, with a concentration in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Computational and Applied Mathematics (CAAM). I’m currently writing this entry sitting at my gate, about to depart for Houston. T-15 hours!!

I’m super excited for this trip, and literally every part about it too. I will say, I am most excited for our second week, staying out by Glover’s Reef. Beyond all the wildlife we’ll see there and all the snorkeling opportunities, I’m really curious about how being so isolated is going to feel, both being so far from civilization and being completely surrounded by vast ocean. I’m also really excited to explore the cave system! I’ve visited a couple caves in Patagonia when I went backpacking there a couple years ago, and they ended up being one of my favorite parts of that trip. From what Dr. Solomon’s said, these caves sound even cooler, especially the Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) cave!

To prepare for this trip, I studied my assigned taxa (Orthoptera and Groupers), prepared presentations on them and angelfish, and caught up on assigned reading and their quizzes.

Additionally, I’ve gone on a couple hikes in the state parks near me, Umstead and Jordan Lake.

I used to go backpacking quite often, but haven’t gone on a trip in a year, so I found myself a bit more worn out than I had hoped. I’m excited to embrace the challenge nonetheless!

I hope to learn a lot about this trip. I’ve always been fascinated by birds and ornithology, and have gone on numerous birding trips within North Carolina. My bird knowledge is a bit limited to NC and the continental US, so I’m hoping to learn a lot about the birds of Central America!

However, there are a couple things I’m nervous about. Like I mentioned earlier, I feel a bit out of shape and I’m a little bit worried about the physical aspects of this trip, both hiking in the jungle and swimming on the reefs. Additionally, I’ve never been snorkeling before so I’m a bit nervous about that, but I’m also really excited about all the new opportunities it unlocks.

This trip will also be my first time in the tropics and first time doing any real fieldwork (beyond BIOS 213)—both reasons to be a bit more nervous and a lot more excited about this trip. I’m hoping to gain tons of valuable field experiences, along with memories that will last a lifetime!

Ian C

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Hooray! My first blog!

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Hello! My name is Dyllan, and I’m a rising junior at Jones! I’m double majoring in Environmental Science (EEB) and Social Policy Analysis. I am writing this blog right before I leave for my flight to Houston, and I couldn’t be more excited!

Ever since I was young, one of my biggest dreams has been to study a prominent coral reef up close before coral bleaching destroys these beautiful ecosystems. My reef taxon is hard corals, and I have really enjoyed researching and learning more about them. I’m really looking forward to seeing them up close. I expect to grow my interest and passion for protecting these environments even more.

I have prepared for the trip by making sure I complete my homework before the trip. Our class meeting to practice snorkeling was very helpful because I don’t have much experience. A few days ago, I practiced again on my own in the pool. The hardest part is the pain in my ears.

I hope to learn about how to study ecosystems without intruding and disrupting the natural environments. I want to learn field study techniques that respect nature because I hope to apply these skills to my future studies.

I am most nervous about being tired or sunsick. I packed lots of protein bars and liquid IV packets to prepare for this. Even though I am nervous about the physical activity and early mornings, I am also very excited because I think it will get me into shape lol. The backpack I brought comes with a water bladder to make staying hydrated easier, too.

I am the most excited about seeing the Mayan ruins and ancient Mayan forests. I’ve learned a lot about the natural history of these forests, and I think it is fascinating how ancient Mayan sustainable agriculture can still be observed in these wild forests. The Maya were able to cultivate biodiversity that has lasted to this day, and I think their relationship with nature is something we should learn from.

I don’t really have any experience in the tropics and the only fieldwork I have done was in BIOS 213, so I am excited to gain this experience.

See everyone soon!

 

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Excited for Belize!

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Hi! My name is Noelle Hall and I’m going to be a senior at Brown College in the fall. I’m studying BioSciences with a concentration in Integrative Biology. I’m incredibly excited to explore the rainforests and coral reefs of Belize! I expect to encounter a wide variety of animal and insect species and to experience firsthand the incredible biodiversity that Belize has to offer. I’m looking forward to observing how ecosystems function in such a rich tropical environment and gaining a deeper appreciation for the species interactions and ecological relationships that I’ve only studied in class up until now.

To get ready for this trip, I’ve been doing a lot of hiking back home in Washington State, especially with my sister and mom. While the landscapes are very different from Belize’s tropical forests, the experience has helped me build up my stamina and comfort with being outdoors for extended periods. I’ve also been reviewing course material and packing!

I hope to learn as much as I can about tropical species and the roles they play within their ecosystems. I’m particularly interested in how species adapt to specific niches in such a biodiverse environment, and how those interactions shape the broader ecological community. I also hope to strengthen my field research skills—everything from species identification to data collection techniques—so I can apply what I learn here to future research in ecology or conservation.

I’m probably most nervous about the bugs and snakes we might encounter. That said, I’m also very curious and excited to learn about them ! The part of the course I’m most excited about is definitely snorkeling! I had the chance to snorkel before and loved doing so, and I can’t wait to see the marine biodiversity up close and learn how these ecosystems are studied and protected.

While I haven’t been to the tropics of Central America before, I’ve had some great hands-on experience with fieldwork through lab courses at Rice, including BIOS 211, BIOS 213, and BIOS 322. Most recently, I took the Conservation Biology Lab, where I really enjoyed participating in on-campus restoration work and studying how to manage and protect local biodiversity. That course helped spark my passion for conservation, and I’m looking forward to applying what I learned in a completely different environment like Belize.

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Pre-Departure Prepping: Fulfilling my Planet Earth Aspirations

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Hey y’all, my name is Sadhana! I’m a rising junior from Lovett College studying Bioengineering. Our trip to Belize is literally one day away (eek!) and I’m so so excited. We had an information meeting around the end of the spring semester, and since then I’ve been getting my snorkeling gear in check, and am about to start packing. Which… considering the state of my room, may take a while. Not to fret, a whole 24 hours await 🫡

Alongside gear, we’ve had a ton of pre-work to get ourselves familiarized with flora and fauna around Belize’s Las Cuevas Research Station and Glover’s Reef (representing portions of the rainforest and coral reefs respectively). I’ll be the first to say–I massively underestimated the time it’s taken me to get through it. But it’s been so, so worthwhile. In the rainforest, I’ll be scavenging for fungi and lichen, and in the reefs, I’ll be grazing for parrotfish (puns intended if you find them). 

Learning about the taxonomy and sheer variety of species has been insane. I am absolutely in love with fungi and I could barely fit all the species I wanted into my taxon ID sheet. As a tropical habitat, Belize has so many niches that the fungi occupy. And don’t even get me started on the cool cellular adaptations lichen have, merging algae and fungi into one superbody. On the other hand, I didn’t know much about parrotfish before starting on my reef taxonomy presentation. I’ve come to internalize how important parrotfish are as a keystone species, not to mention their interesting jaws. They serve the purpose of maintaining reefs, but they’re also so flamboyant, I love it. 

I think it would be amazing to find any of the species I have on my ID sheet, but I’m even more excited to find ones I haven’t seen yet. However, I have absolutely no experience doing fieldwork, so figuring out what to look for, what to remember, and how to maintain field notes will all be challenging, and I’m a bit nervous about that. But I did live in the tropics of India, so I’m used to similar climates. This is my idea of all the David Attenborough Planet Earth documentaries I’ve grown up watching, so I can’t wait to put in the work, no matter how intense it might get. We’ve got a lot planned, and I just know it’ll be a trip to remember.

p.s. The state of my packing at 11 pm the night before we leave (this was the better part…)