Training Day

I just got back from our training day. I learned so much today! First we had a delicious breakfast of omelettes, toast, oatmeal, and fruit. Then we sat down in the "dining room" area and Sally, the principal investigator, gave a talk about what we'll be doing for the next week. She explained that the goal of this project is to prove that the rainforest can be used to make money in a responsible way that does not destroy the environment. Our job here is to take measurements on a variety of trees, so we had to learn how to use all the different tools. Here are photos of the dining area and Sally:

Then we were off on a hike into the rainforest! We had to wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts to protect ourselves from razor grass and toxic tree sap. It was a HOT and HUMID day, so I got pretty gross and sweaty! We hiked for a while until we found some trees to practice taking measurements. My favorite tool to measure with is called a "clinometer". We used it to measure the height of each tree.. Just being out in the rainforest for the first time was amazing! It is a beautiful place, and I can see why Sally and her team are trying to find ways to preserve it. Here is a photo of the canopy (top layer) as I looked up at it from the ground:

Here's a challenge for you: I took this photo of an interesting plant I saw in the rainforest. See if you can figure out what it is!

(Hint: it hasn't quite "unfurled" itself yet.)

It didn't rain yet today, but I'm hoping for some later tonight! After all, it IS a RAINforest!