Trinity / Assumption Costa Rica Trip 2023

 First we woke up and had a very familiar breakfast. All the other mornings we had rice and fruit but this time we got pancakes. The next stop was the lab where we cultured escovopsis, transporting parts of the fungi garden into petri dishes. Once we finished hat we went back for lunch where we had cheese burgers and chips. After lunch we went right back to the lab where we started our projects. We started with all the members of the group coming up with multiple ideas on what the project should be about. After a while of thinking we had a coffee break with coffee and hot chocolate. After, we picked back up on making a question. We gathered together and shared our ideas and came up with one for our project. Next, we made the rest of our projects until dinner where we had beef stroganoff. Once again to the lab where we presented our projects. Ours in specific was about comparing the bacteria in the fungal gardens of the Atta-cephatotes and Acromyrmex colonies. After we presented we ...

 Today we asked Elise about her learning experiences with the Seeds of Change program and discovered she developed a life long skill.

 Jason, a rising Jr. at Trinity High School, describes a few things he has learned since working with Dr. Pinto.

 We had a chance to catch up with rising Jr. Eli Dickerson to find out his impressions on the trip... so far.

 Just outside the research facility, a troupe of howler monkeys are hanging around. With the help of a drone, we got an up-close look at what they were doing. Turns out, they were just hanging around.

Curious about what we do at Seeds of Change?  Dr. Adrian Pinto (University of Costa Rica) shows our students techniques and procedures that are not traditionally taught in secondary education. For this experiment, students have already collected leaf cutter ant fungus gardens and created a working colonies in the lab. They will be exploring the growth of escovopsis (a microbe that attacks the leaf cutter fungus gardens) using experimental design. Students will be coming up with a hypothesis, independent and dependent variables, and the positive and negative controls to answer the question: WHERE IS ESCOVOPSIS IN THE ANT COLONY? 

This morning we started out with a fantastic breakfast and amazing smoothie drink. After breakfast we went straight to the lab and learned about different types of ants. we got to explore the thousands of chambers that can be made in Atta ant colonies. We learned about two different types of Atta ants, cephalotes and colombica, and a different type called Acromyrmex. Then we went out into the field and dug up our own colonies in groups. My group, GAJE, was one of the 2 groups to catch a queen ant. She was huge compared to the other ants! While digging up our own colonies we collected the fungi garden, which was where we found the queen. After our break for lunch, we had to meet back up at the main pavilion and hop on the bus to go down to the town. Before getting on the bus to go into the town, Dr. Pinto instructed us to follow him and look at the Acromyrmex nest that was found off the side of the main road at the farm.  After seeing the nest of the other genus of leaf cutter ants ...

 Just outside the new research facility was a small troupe of howler monkeys hanging in the trees. It makes it hard to concentrate on science when there is all this ruckus outside (haha).   

 Dr. Adrian Pinto and his graduate assistant Alan have been working with students all morning. They demonstrated how to 1) identify Atta cephalotes and Atta columbica colonies, 2) dig the hole, 3) remove the fungus garden, 4) store the garden, and 5) label the container. After a brief demonstration, students were sent out to find their own colonies and bring them back to the lab.  A third type of ant (acromyrmex) was discovered just outside the dining facility. They contain an ant called a Sheep Ant because it is covered in white bacteria. This bacteria is used to help fight other micro-organisms.  And to finish the day, students took the colonies and gave them a new home in the lab. Tomorrow, they will be able to see the newly cleaned fungus gardens and be able to provide food the ants. 

     We started the day off with getting our boots and going on a hike through the forest around the cacao farm. On the hike we came across a creek and stopped at a rock in the center and took a group photo. Then we met with Pablo, the owner of the farm, and he guided us on a "chocolate tour". First he explained the history of cacao, afterwards he told us about the process of making chocolate, he then let us try a roasted cacao bean (first we had to crush the shell of make cacao nibs). Then we tasted some chocolate drinks and we got to try a traditional chocolate Christmas drink from Costa Rica. We also got to try some pralines, one was filled with blackberry jam and the the other had nuts in it. Then Pablo put us to the test to see how rich of a dark chocolate we could stand, he gave us a 72%, 82%, and a 92% dark chocolate, not everyone made it to 92%.     After a filling lunch, we met our professor, Dr. Adrian Pinto and grad student Allen, that was working for...

Hola from 3,385.3 miles from you, are you kids,     Today was quite the adventure. First we started out with in the terminal, wondering who are these strange people are, and what is ahead of us.  Next we made it through the treacherous TSA/Security line. After we were on to Dallas. This is when we all started becoming friends. Met some cool people on the flight, and got some food in our systems. Starting to come back to life we started our descent to COSTA RICA. We left phones on the plane and boarding tickets where lost but we got through and everyone survived and found their phones and boarding passes.  Man it was HOT!!! But then we where temporary saved by the big ass fans that had been imported from Lex, KY (fun fact).       Next, we hop in our van with Don Gonzales whom drove us to TC Buguers, where we all ate great food (chosen by you the parents :)), and met a friend fury new face.  From there we where on our way to Finca La ...

 The start to our 10 day adventure has begun and we are settling in to a new environment. The flights comfortable and on time (always a good thing). Our 12 students enjoyed their first Costa Rican meal and we are heading out to Finca La Anita chocolate farm to get into the dorms. Stay tuned for student updates from Ellie and Landon, who will share their experiences later tonight.