2019 SOC Bioinformatics: Day 2 - Birding, Science Project Brainstorming

Our first full day in Costa Rica! We woke up at 5:30ish to go on a birding excursion. We saw: a toucanet, wrens, parakeets, doves, multiple humming birds, a hummingbird moth, a vulture, chachalacas, a blue-crowned motmot, a social flycatcher, and a clay colored thrush (nat'l bird of Costa Rica). We also saw two coatis (Costa Rican raccoons)!

After an hour of birding, we enjoyed a delicious breakfast of rice, beans, eggs, and an unidentifiable circular fried food. The group then gathered in our classroom, which was named after the chachalaca. We embarked on an intensive seven hour science experience, where we reviewed the basics of the IMG/M database (Integrated Microbial Genomes and Microbiomes). Somewhere in between our long hours of science, we took a short lunch break. After we finished eating and attempted a ten minute nap, we brainstormed ideas for our research projects. We chose our research partners and started to design our projects! The two of us (Annabelle and Hanna), decided to research the effects of deforestation on forest soil on a microbial level. Some of the other projects included research on schizophrenia, obesity, flesh eating disease and much more! We presented our project proposals, gave each other feedback, then went to dinner.

We ate more rice; lentils; chicken legs; salad; fruit juice; and incredible, fresh avocados. They brought out the famous hot chocolate and the dining hall erupted into chaos. It was gone before I (Hanna) could get any. I was sad. Everyone did, however, get hold of a brownie.

Next, we gathered on the deck to prepare for our first hike! A night hike. We saw an orange millipede, lots of butterflies (including a glass winged butterfly), leaf-cutter ants, army ants, two stick bugs (which were adorable), daddy long legs, lots of monstera plants, and some weird mushrooms. During the hike, we all turned off our flashlights and stood in an attempted silence and listened to the rainforest.