12 DEC 2018

Today we ate breakfast at approximately 6:30am, after which we met with our mentors and groups. Our group, along with one other group studying the shampoo ginger (Zingiber spectabile), had the opportunity to learn from Rodo, who had completed a master’s dissertation on the plant and its invasiveness. He first brought us to the library, where he showed us his dissertation (in Spanish) and did a bit of translation for us so we understood the various tables ad graphs he had created. After we grasped the basics in the library, Rodo took us out to the jungle trail to teach us how to identify the plants. Since they are quite similar (in the same family, zingiber) to a few other plants in the area, this particular ginger plant can be difficult to differentiate from its relatives. After showing us a few examples, he took us to a plot of land about 1 meter by 1 meter and asked us to how him which plants in that plot were the ginger we were looking for. Individually we showed him our newly found skills in identifying the plants. After we showed Rodo that we were confident and able to identify the plants, half the group continued down the trail to the river. After visiting the river, we returned just in time for lunch (delicioso!).
Shortly after lunch, our group of three returned to the jungle to count out the amount of ginger plants growing in the first 50meters of the trail. We counted 5 meters off the trail on both sides, replicating Rodo’s original experiment as closely as we could. When we were finished counting the ginger plants, we ventured further down the trail to place a camera trap with a Kestrel. By the time we were finished placing the instruments, the sun was setting and it was time to head back to the base camp. Afterwards, we had free time until dinner, which was also very delicious. Hiking through the trails proves to be very taxing, and much rest will be needed between ventures.