Preparing for this trip has been a very exciting part of my summer. Every time I learn something new about the places we’re going, I look forward to it even more. Most of this has come from a lot of reading, as well as research on my assigned taxonomic group (Reduncini) and paleoanthropological method (phytoliths/pollen).
A big part of getting ready for this wasn’t just the coursework, but also figuring out what I was going to pack. There’s a lot to consider: sleeping in a tent, finding mosquito netting, wondering if I even own enough socks for two weeks, etc. My goal was to make sure I had all the necessary gear, but also to pack light enough to easily move from one stop to another.
A quick look at what I’m bringing!
During this course, I’ll have the opportunity to do more writing than I normally do. It’ll definitely be a learning experience to keep a field journal and also make these daily blog posts, but I’m looking forward to it. Mostly I’m excited about seeing all the things I’ve read about in person.
Very recently I had the opportunity to visit Costa Rica, and spent time in various environments— from the true tropical rainforest to the mountainous cloud forest. It was fascinating to see how the same general ecological concepts I was reading about for this course applied there too, despite the environments of the rainforest and savanna being radically different.
It was incredible seeing ants living inside the thorns of acacia trees on a hike in Costa Rica, because I knew the exact same mutualistic relationship was being echoed continents away on the plains of Tanzania. Although the species and environments themselves may be different, the collaboration between the ants and acacia trees form a parallel phenomenon, linking the two very distinct continents I would get to experience this summer.
On this trip I’m looking forward to learning more of how life works and how we as humans became who we are today. And hopefully I’ll see the acacias and their ants, this time on the other side of the world.
Preparing for severe jet lag,
Carina
