My eight companions and I have finally undergone the orientation of this semester abroad. Well, only eight of us made it to orientation. Our last classmate was delayed by a full 24 hours from Massachusetts. We will be traveling to 6 different sites that contain unique ecosystems at each site. There are two independent research projects at Palo Verde and La Selva stations, one is a dry forest and the other an “iconic” wet forest. These involve developing a ecosystem based hypothesis, answering that question with field research, and presenting it through a scientific paper, and oral presentation. There will also be a day in which we will present research at a community college, but more on that when it happens. Finally, we will have guest lecturers and assist them on their personal research and learn from their particular discipline of ecology.

Our biology portion will involve learning to classify families of plants and insects, we are avoiding mammals and reptiles for safety reasons, and because our resident professors are plant and insect experts. We will discuss how each ecosystem we visit cycles nutrients and sustains its biodiversity. We will visit Panama by bus near the end of March and also study coral reefs at Bocas del Toro, a system of islands on the border between the two countries.

That last science portion of this course is environmental study and policy. This involves visiting farms near each site and discussing how they affect the rain forest and visa versa. This will be the difficult part for me because we will be required to taste test about five different types of coffee, and those who know me should be worried that this is where my addiction will start.

All OTS stations are quite modern, with internet and housing for up to 100 researchers at one site and well developed trails and gardens at these sites.