Day 5 - Costa Rica Ecology Project

The group left Osa Peninsula by bus and traveled for about 3.5 hours to Esterillos Este, Costa Rica. We stopped for lunch along the way. When we got to our hotel, we took some time to swim before we met to work on our research projects. 

A game of Marco Polo during our free time. 

The groups had 2 hours to work together to analyze their data, then write out their investigation on a poster that would be presented to the larger group later that night.

Working on our research projects. 

Marin discusses with the boys how to analyze their data. 

Organizing their research project. 

Phoebe writes out the research project onto a poster that will be shared later.

Vadim, Ollie and JP work well together on their project.

Carla, Manuel, Nikki, Jae Bin and Yutang process their data and write it out on their poster.

Each group got 10 minutes to present their research projects. This was followed by questions from the group. The following are the research questions each group designed:

Vadim, Ollie, and JP: Is there a larger population of hermit crabs located closer to the mangroves or further from the mangroves? 

Phoebe, Francesca and Subhana: Is there a correlation between the number of snorkel roots of red mangroves and the distance to the ocean? 

Jae Bin, Nikki, Yutang, Manuel and Carla: Is there a correlation between the ration of the carps and the ratio of the plastron of a black sea turtle and a hawksbill sea turtle? 

Vadim, Ollie and JP pose for a picture after presenting their investigation.

Phoebe, Francesca and Subhana presented their research project to the group.

Yutang, Jae Bin, Nikki, Manuel and Carla presented their project.

After the group presentations, Stanley and Marin led a sustainability activity that got the group to think about how to incorporate different stakeholders into an agreed upon use of land that would sustain the community. The students got involved in a healthy debate.

A late night lesson activity about sustainability.