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Day Four(est… get it, forest?): Poking Holes and Picking Bugs

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As I type this up, I have swatted away 15 bugs of different sizes, including two true bugs from my bright screen amid the dark screen. I think two are about to battle out for the space or try feeding on my screen (they’re debating). 

I literally cannot believe we’re already 4/14 of the way into our trip. To be fair, it’s only the second day in LCRS, so we’ve still got a ton of time, but that’s already 28% of our trip! It’s been so so fun getting to know everyone and their tasks along our trip. From Sam’s ant catching to Dyllan’s butterfly trapping (always so close, it’s really really hard though), to Claire C’s insane ability to spot anything from a mile away. And also, Elise can tie super crazy knots (figures she was an Eagle scout). But we’re only getting closer as we complete more and more projects together. And today, we had two of them!

But not to get ahead of myself! First, at 6 we saw a group of parakeets–it was so cool to watch them fly above in formation. There were also a lot of bright green parrots and something called Morelet’s seedeater… makes me think they eat seeds lol. They were this really pretty shade of brown though I loved it. After this, we had a yummy, yummy breakfast of fryjacks with eggs and beans. Miss Angie has never missed on a meal, like plate scraped and everything. Now would also be a good time to mention the dishwashing station. There are three areas, a bin to scrub your plate with soap water, one to rinse off the water, and one with a mild bleach solution. We all wash our plates and utensils, and throw out any food scraps. While we did have sinks and stuff, this is actually a pretty similar system to one I use in India visiting my grandparents. All scraps need to be composted because they won’t be drained otherwise. And all food is washed outside to prevent insects from potentially entering indoors. But back to the point. 

After breakfast, we got to working. Dr. Solomon taught us about pitfall traps. These are super useful to collect specimen in understanding the abiotic factors of the rainforest. One of these is nitrogen richness in the canopy vs. the forest floor. With the sheer mass of leaf litter, soil-breaking organisms, and roots on the ground, much can vary between this area and the canopy, which is dense, and often quite isolated. This includes nitrogen content, which can really change the mass of producers, and thus herbivorous and predatory invertebrates along the forest floor and the canopy. To understand these dynamics and how they varied species biodiversity and abundance, we decided to place a nitrogen source and regular fluid in the pitfall traps. We would add these to the base of trees to capture forest floor dynamics and the tree trunk to get the expansive canopy above. And what better trail than the 50 hectare plot. Funny enough, each spot was about 50 ft away from the other. Coincidence? I think not…

Ok, ok, but what was our nitrogen source? If you’ve read any of the other blogs, don’t spoil it. OK. 

3..

2..

1…

 

…pee? 

Yup! And so the process began. We were actually really speedy with the setup. And obviously, as the best person ever, I was first to go (we ran out of vials, and long story short my very makeshift pitfall needed to be placed quick). But it was really a cute setup. And writing coordinates and marking spots, we were done in time for lunch!

Featuring my pee!

One beautiful stirfry rice later, it was time for our second experiment of the day. A key characteristic of plants in the rainforest are their symbiotic relationships with insects. And one unique one is the Cecropia Tree and Cecropia ant. These ants burrow deep into the Cecropia, making multilevel chambers to lay their pupa in, gaining nutrition from the numerous extrafloral nectaries (little knobs on the tree surface). In return, the tree get’s protection from the ants against other herbivores. 

We wanted to test out if there was more that was keeping the herbivores away from the tree. As ants habited the tree, did the tree physically and chemically change? To solve this mystery, we needed leaves from an uninhabited and an inhabited Cecropia tree. We would also need several general herbivores to compare this. 

So off we went to the San Pastore and Las Cuevas Roads, hunting for both Cecropia and herbivores. But first off, (the royal) we caught to big, green katydids for each group. They were literally right there, and massive skill from Serenity, Dyllan, and Claire C. really paid off. Bug and leaf hunt time!

My favorite frolick yet. Remember those bright red nymph/beetle things from yesterday? We saw so many of them and it was giving herbivore so we stuck them all into one bin to pick apart later. Then, we were off on a cricket and grasshopper hunt. And Ian was really put to the test today with all of these species. I’d never caught bugs before this and it was a brain chemistry-altering experience. Crouching below, getting them with my bare hands, it was so fun. At one point I caught what we thought was an ant but turned out to be a tiger beetle, which is a lot more bitey and a lot less fun. Eventually, we got a high rise of the bugs. I like to think they were all like roommies back at the dorm, some better than others. Speaking of bitey though, we got to see a tarantula exoskeleton! They’re super hairy (the hair is a defense tactic!) and their fangs are a glossy black. It was so interesting to hold, because you know the tarantula is now bigger than this exoskeleton (a bigger shell of itself, one might say).  

Tarantula exoskeleton!

Ian, the Orthoptera expert!

Also though, we got to cut open a Cecropia. It was so insane to see the layered chambers, as I’ll add below. And also, there were tarantula holes on the base of these trees. Crazy stuff. Try and try as we could though, we couldn’t get the young, uncolonized Cecropia. That is, until we literally walked 10 feet into Las Cuevas Road. And there it was, ready for Claire C. to spot it. Legendary stuff. Punching the leaves with a penetrometer to test physical resistance was definitely the most satisfying part of it all. I can’t wait to see how our insects do as we collect biomass of the leaves they eat tomorrow. But yeah, check out the leaves below!

The old Cecropia (top) and young Cecropia (bottom)

What a fun, tiring day. I got to present my topic lecture which was fun. I did have a lot more info than I thought and had to skim through it, but I hope it was decent! Also, some fungi/lichen updates! Today was kind of a slow day. I got to see some more Dirinaria in interesting places. Also, there was a Turkey Tail right at the end of the 50 hectare plot. It was like a reward (after the long day of potting up everything). Plus, my first few termite mushroom of the day, with hollow, funnel pileus and white coloration. And a really interesting one, Claire C. spotted a series of black shelf fungi on a high up tree. I couldn’t tell you what it was, but I would love to climb it and find out at some point.

Some fruticose lichen with cool apothecia!
spot the mushrooms in the tree!
Love u Dyllan thanks for the candid <3

P.S. Speaking of climbing, check out this vine I swung through. #gains #tarzan #allnatural #cleangirlaesthetic

What came first, Sohee or the leaf?

Mysterious ecology experts

More to come!

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Day T(h)ree: Bites, Scratches, and Sparks of Life

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Being in the rainforest feels like living out the Snow White dream. You wake up at 4 am to some howler monkeys, before being woken up for good at 6 am by grackles, macaws, and parrots. So maybe the birds didn’t really fold my clothes up for me or anything, but it was definitely a good start to the day.

Waking up bright and early, I was excited to some of the birds that woke me–bright green parrots on the tree past the porch of the Las Cuevas Research Station (LCRS) residential area. This vine and epiphyte-covered, maybe 50 ft tall tree holds so much life, roosting tired birds flying vigorously from clearing to tree. Within the span of 20 minutes, we saw so many other birds, including the iconic Montezuma’s Orapendula, with its bright yellow tail. We also saw some social flycatchers, distinguished by their yellow belly. And if not for the birds, stingless bees (aka the Drunken Baymen) were always ready to fly around us. 

After this quick look at the forest, we had a delicious breakfast cooked by Angie of tortilla with eggs and beans, along with some pineapple and banana. And then it was time for our big research project of the day. Into the lab we went to learn about camera traps! They’re activated by motion to capture footage of wildlife movement, a useful trick in the remote portions of the Chiquibul Forest. With 14 camera traps for the 14 of us, we now had one big task—what research could we perform? Ultimately, we decided to understand the influence of manmade trails on biodiversity in LCRS. Scoping out the map, we decided to split our camera traps to encompass seven “disturbed” or direct trail areas and seven “undisturbed” areas adjacent to the trails. 

The tree of (bird) life

We would place two traps on the smaller trails: the Maya Trail to 50 hectare plot track and the Bird Tower Shortcut. Two more would be placed on the medium-sized monkey trail. The final three would track movement across the recently closed San Pastor Road (one camera trap), and the typically used Las Cuevas Road (two camera traps). With a game plan in mind, we set off to the Monkey Tail trail. As we marked our path with direction coordinates, set up the camera trap, and marked the pink tape, we would go off into the forest right behind… with a machete! Dr. Solomon chopped and chopped the thick foliage, and we walked about 50 paces in before setting up the next trap. With a pattern established, we made quick work of the trails, marking the Maya Trail-50 Hectare Loop stretch as well. And after a delicious lunch of rice and beans, we set off to finish the Bird Tower shortcut and the bigger roads. 

Trail mapping time!!

In my unbiased opinion, we saved the best spot (mine) for last. I was tasked with setting up the fourteenth camera trap on an undisturbed location past the Las Cuevas Road. Looks are deceiving– what we thought was a simple clearing turned out to be so much more arduous. Mounds of bamboo, sharp palms, and extended vines encircled the expanse, making the 50 paces all the more laborious. And yet, so worth it. We heard, and then saw two (2!) red woodpeckers, a promising start for what might be out there. And Leo, our tour guide yesterday, did mention seeing 16 jaguars through the open Las Cuevas road. So who knows what we’ll see. 

The spiny give-and-take palms in our way.
Working hard or hardly working? We’ll see what the trap captures…
The coordinates of my marking, deep in the forest by Las Cuevas Road.

 

Nature in LCRS is elusive. There are signs of life all around, but it requires patience standing and squatting, peering closely into the flora. Doing so, we saw a big cat scratch, distinguished by the bare patch of soil, untouched by anything but the most recent leaves. Walking out further, we saw some leaves on a palm, regularly bit, in distinct, rectangular holes. Maybe a Honduran White Bat in its new roosting spot? Curious and curioser… Past the termites, butterflies, tailless scorpions, and ants—it was insect paradise. And that was just the tip of the iceberg: uncovering mossy logs, the microniches were teeming with life. Logs hid red nymph beetle hills, roots exposed termite mounds (fun fact, termites taste like carrots!), and elongated black beetles squirmed around, secreting chemicals to scare us away. Larvae hid in leaves and debris, and leafcutter ants cut perfectly semicircular holes into waxy leaves. It was sights upon sights to behold.

Red nymph galore

And I’m saving the best for last: the diverse fungi and lichen I glimpsed all across the forest. We started off strong with some dark green Common Greenshield attached to live trees, alongside the classic Powdery Medallions and epiphytes atop leaf expanses. But then well into the Monkey Tail trail, I spotted lichen growing atop shelf-like structures that I could only think were once shelf fungi. The unique structures and colors were a sight to behold, making the tree bark a mosaic of green. I have a feeling it was more Dirinaria, but jury’s out there. Further out into the Maya Loop, we saw a mossy, dark green lichen, only distinguished from moss by its powdery feel and radial growth pattern. Reaching LCRS again, we saw a light brown-white mushroom with white gills, likely a pearl oyster with its concave, fan-like pileus. In a fallen log after lunch, I saw a brown shelf-like mushroom, with brown striations on its pileus, most likely a Turkey Tail mushroom perched gracefully. Others also peaked out, with white borders around. Some even had mold growing atop it, fungus on fungus. Along the path, I saw fungi camouflage as leaf litter, with a yellow-white pileus. 

The lichen atop fungi complex, along with classic Powdery Medallions. (Monkey Tail)
A dark, green, mossy… lichen? (Maya Loop)

Two of the different Turkey Tails with different striation patterns, across logs.

One of the weirder, fuzzy fungi, with mold atop it.

Ultimately, it’s the little things that take over: quiet, patient, biding with life. It can be seen in the soft, white mold that covered a log’s underside today, and the plethora of insects, chirps, and smells everywhere. Today was an immersive experience into the forest, minute factors coalescing to develop the rich ecosystem around us.

The different fungi (white mycelia) and white mold, silently growing on the logs.

Signing off!

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Belize Day 3: Jungle Explorers or Fruit Ninjas?

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Now that we’re all situated in our jungle abode, we are really able to maximize the rainforest surrounding us to do field work. After a peaceful wake-up, sipping coffee and watching birds on our cabin porch (we saw scarlet macaws and yellow-bellied flycatchers!), we spent the first half of our morning cooking up a research project in the lab for our week at Las Cuevas Research Station. 

Dr. Solomon gave us these guidelines: We were given 14 motion-sensor cameras (one for each student) to place around the jungle to measure something. We decided to look at the impacts of human disturbance on biodiversity in the area, asking how the presence of man-made trails (hiking trails and roads) affects vertebrate diversity (mammals, birds, anything with a backbone). We would look at the number of species and the number of each individual within that species recorded by camera shots. 

(Motion Sensor Cam – 05/18/25)

 

In our comfortably shaded cabin, our class gathered together around a giant map and pointed to ideal camera locations, totally underestimating the amount of steps and sweat that would go into actually setting these cams up. We decided to pair each “human disturbed” camera location on the trail with another “undisturbed” camera off-trail nearby, keeping both cameras within the same general vicinity for consistency. So we had 7 different general locations to hike to in order to install our 14 cameras. With project methodology in our heads and recorded in our little field notebooks, we slid on our boots and set out for the trails.

While hiking to placement locations, we turned over quite a few logs to reveal pretty cool (and tasty) treats. Did you know that termites taste like carrots? Genuinely just like carrots; if you ever have an infestation, just cook them up for a little protein snack…that tastes like carrots. It’s because they contain some carotenoid compounds like carrots, giving them a sweet, earthy flavor. Ooh, also! I need to add a few more pages to my epiphyte identification card. Vascular epiphytes (the ones with stems) are estimated to make up to 25% of all vascular plants in tropical rainforests (https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-017-3606-0_5), and we saw a few more epiphytes than the 20 listed on my sheet today. We spotted this tiny bromeliad I need to run through Inaturalist to identify. (Update: I think it’s a Tillandsia schiedeana). 

(Tiny Mystery Endophyte – 05/18/25)

(My Epiphyte ID Sheet – 05/17/2025)

 

We were out all day scouting for ideal camera placement locations. This involved cutting through vegetation off the main trails to put cameras in “undisturbed” areas, 50 paces into the forest from each trail camera location. We recorded GPS coordinates for all camera locations and marked them with neon yellow tape for easy retrieval. 

Because Dr. Solomon had a “professor-only” policy for using the machete, he was the only one slashing through the forest. By camera #11, we began to imagine Dr. Solomon as a video game character, from either a fruit-ninja/jungle-explorer game. We called out point values based on the satisfying-ness of his chops. A clean chop of a thick stem earned him 20 points, but a thin, easy chop would be something like +5. 

There was one site off the trail that had particularly dense, unpassable vegetation, and as soon as my friend Sahana saw the thick green barrier in front of us, she exclaimed, “Wow, it’s giving undistributed.” We laughed and cheered Dr. Solomon on by shouting out points as he cut through. 

This day was super tiring (we got our steps IN) but super funny. We found ways to joke about our work while stopping along the way to learn about species and their interactions. With a tan and new inside jokes, I feel content and excited to get back to the field tomorrow. 

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(Our Hikey Day – 05/18/25)

  • Lily 🙂