Tropical Ecology Itinerary
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Day 1: Saturday Arrival in San Jose, Costa Rica
- Early morning departure from San Francisco Airport.
- Airport pickup in San Jose, Costa Rica and orientationdinner en-route.
- Late check-in at La Casona de Monteverde Lodge.
Day 2: Sunday Activities
- Orientation talk on a Monteverdea
- Natural history walk through the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve. Break at the Continental Divide.
- Lunch
- Review of research projects methods:
- Field sampling:
- Collect soil samples.
- Data from camera traps.
- Dinner
- Night walk with focus on insects.
- Field sampling:
Day 3: Monday Activities
- Breakfast
- SkyWalk Suspension Bridges
- Box-Lunch
- Butterfly garden
- Dinner
- Continue research projects.
- Pack for early departure for Cabo Blanco.
Day 4: Tuesday Activities
- Early Breakfast
- Travel to Cabo Blanco via Gulf of Nicoya with scavenger hunt, geography, geology and biological corridors, and collecting soil samples along the way.
- Lunch en-route
- Check in to San Miguel Biological Station.
- Free time for journaling. Install camera traps.
- Dinner
- Night walk to Playa Balsitas.
Day 5: Wednesday Activities
- Breakfast
- Snorkeling and tide pool research to create a species area curve.
- Lunch
- Plant systematics and Coastal vs inland forest composition research
- Dinner
- Data analysis tide pool and forest composition
Day 6: Thursday Activities
- Early morning birdwatching
- Breakfast
- Snorkeling and soil analysis
- Lunch
- Data analysis and preparation for research. symposium
- Dinner
- Research symposium
Day 7: Friday Activities
- Breakfast
- Depart San Miguel Biological Station
- Beach time at Mal País Observational study
- Lunch
- Depart for San Jose
- Dinner en-route.
- Check-in at hotel Brilla Sol.
Day 8: Saturday Activities
- Breakfast.
- Departure back to U.S. airport drop off.
- Late Arrival at San Francisco airport.
Total program fee for travel to Costa Rica over Spring break including airfare, travel insurance, lodging, meals, transportation, entrance fees, and all activities will be approximately $2500 total. Students must have a current and valid passport.