When I heard we would be going on a mangrove expedition as part of the field course, I nearly broke down. Can you blame me after the nightmare that was my last experience in the labyrinth of roots, water, and endless mosquitoes??
This time I came prepared: hat, practically the entire container of bug spray soaking into my skin, a rain jacket to cover my arms, rubber boots for our feet, etc...
My heart raced as we approached the site, I cringed at the impending doom, ready to meet my fate we all stepped out of the van with the mangroves in sight...
And it was actually kind of fun!!!
Two representatives from Fundacion Neotropica led us into the wilderness to collect a specific type of mangrove seed in order to add to their existing nursery in an attempt to restore some of the mangroves in the area of Puerto Jiminez.
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| Our fearless leaders explaining how important mangroves are, some of the biggest threats to their survival right now, and pointing out the different species. |
To get to the mangroves and start collecting our seeds in teams of three, we had to traipse through the thickest mud I have ever encountered... there were some casualties: namely Ines' backside...
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| God bless the inventor of rubber boots. |
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| Notice our leader way out front walking through the mud no problem... |
Once inside the mangroves we were on the hunt for seeds... we were told they would be on the ground to snatch up but it is still too early for them to fall and we ended up in the trees like this...
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| Jeni up in a tree smacking some seed pods out with a giant stick... |
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| As a group we collected over 85 seeds and brought them to the nursery to finish the day! |
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