Wild Studies

We have just returned from a delightful week in Baja Mexico. Having worked with Tara and Wild Studies in the past, I was confident that our needs and educational goals would be met. The flora and fauna in both Espiritu Santos and Cabo Pulmo were spectacular; among the best for biological diversity I've seen in these environments. My 13 students will never forget the amazing moments we shared together for a week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy the photos....

Tara

Our Bahamas’ adventure began on July 24th with a 3:30 am alarm and Weldon Condit once again graciously delivering us to the airport.  We met our one student and left, on time, for Chicago at 5:40 am. From there we flew to Ft Lauderdale (with our luggage made it with us). 
    We met up with the rest of the week’s group in Florida.  One student was joining us from Chicago.  She had to miss the trip with her group and was able to join ours.   We had 4 students and a teacher from Cambridge, Nebraska, on our flight from Omaha, but we did not realize that until later.  A teacher and her husband were traveling with 16 students from McCook, Nebraska.   The teachers from the two groups were friends.  This was their fourth trip to the Bahamas and it was our ninth.
    Lynx Air took us on our flight to the out-island of Eleuthera.  The McCook teacher and 12 of her students left on a flight about 2:00 pm.  They were landing at an airport about 45 minutes away from the Outpost. 
    The rest of us left about 4:30 for the hour flight in our 21 passenger plane.  It was a very long, skinny plane with 9 seats on each side and 3 across the back.  Everyone had to walk bent over to his seat because of the low ceiling.  By 6:30 pm we had all moved into our rooms and were lined up in the dining hall for our first meal.  The 18 girls stayed in the girl’s dorm (1) where bunk beds fill up the 3 rooms.  The 4 boys had lots of room in their dorm, where the bunk beds are 3 high.  Charlie and I had a room above the girl’s dorm on one side and the McCook teacher and her husband had the room above on the other side.
    All the food was delicious.  Our cook, Diane, was from North Carolina and had been a personal chef on a yacht as a previous job.  Her assistant, Greg from Jacksonville, Florida, helped serve up pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon or french toast for breakfast and dinners of BBQ chicken, spaghetti, pizza, grilled burgers, and enchiladas.  All the dinners came with dessert,too.  Lunches were sandwiches on homemade bread with chips, fruit and homemade cookies.
    After the three leaders introduced themselves, explained the house rules, and described the signs used to identify the different animals we would see in the ocean, it was time for bed.  Everyone was to be in the dorms by 9:30 and lights out at 10:00 pm. 
    Day two started with gear check-out after breakfast.  Snorkels, dive masks, fins and a dive bag were given to each student along with instructions on to make the gear fit.  We then went to our first dive site, Alabaster Bay (2).  The water is very calm there.  Three groups were formed and the leaders taught everyone how to put on the gear and how to get comfortable in the water using the gear.  The  three most important rules of snorkeling are; stay horizontal, no talking, and stay close to your buddy. None are easy for the students to do.
    Since Charlie and I have been to the Bahamas nine times, the leaders let us go off on our own.  Nassau Groupers (3) are a very common fish here and we saw many of them.  We also saw a Lion fish (4), a Pacific Ocean fish that has been released into the Atlantic and has made it down to the Caribbean.  People who have purchased these fish for their home aquariums have released them into the ocean when they have gotten too big.  They eat everything and have no natural predators, so they are creating a problem.
    We spent almost 2 1/2 hours at Alabaster and then went back to The Outpost for lunch.  After a little rest time,  the students did two activities on the beach just 50 feet down from the dinning hall, including a trash survey.    The amount of trash that collects on the beaches is just unbelievable----plastic, light bulbs, plastic, shoes, plastic.  Much of this trash comes from the streams and rivers that we live near in the US. 
    Later, we boarded the trucks  again and headed back to Alabaster Bay for some more snorkeling.  Some of the fish we saw this time were the Queen Angel, Barracuda, Hoggish and Yellow Stingray. The barracuda are very curious.  If you just float, they will come closer and closer and you can get a great picture.
    After dinner each night, we would meet again in the dinning hall to talk about what we saw that day and to have special talks about corals, fish, invertebrates and oceans in general.  I keep a personal journal on our trips, just so I can remember a bit about what we did each day and what we saw.  This also helps us with the pictures when we get home.
    Day 3 presented us with a special treat.  The ocean in front of the The Outpost was calm enough for us to snorkel there.  In our 9 years here, we have only been able to snorkel at this site about half the time.  There are so many great things to see there, we were really excited.  Some of the highlights were Blue Tang, Caribbean Spiny Lobster, Palometas Barjacks , and Stoplight Parrot Fish.  We were able to make two dives that morning and were in the water for almost two hours. 
    In the afternoon we were planning to take a trip to the cliffs a few miles away and have a geology lesson.  Unfortunately, a storm came up with strong lightning, so we went to Shipwreck Beach instead. This is a great place to collect sea glass and to body surf.  The weather was against us though, and the storms made it there, including the lightning.  We went to plan C and did a short snorkel to the south in a place called Governor's Harbor.   This site is a great place to find artifacts; pieces of china or silverware, inkwells, old bottles and other things from long ago.  We were not lucky this day, however.
    Day 4 took us to Turtle Hole, one of our favorite sites.  We walked about 30 minutes along the rocks and sand.  Near a small sandy cove, we put on our gear and swim about 100 yards around the shore to a very calm area called Turtle Hole.  In the past we have actually seen a sea turtle in this spot and also a Manta Ray.  That was a very unusual sighting for they like the deep, open ocean.   We did see many great fish, but nothing really rare.  On the way out, I did spot a Peacock Flounder.  They have great camouflage and are sometimes hard to find.  As a young fish, they have an eye on each side of their head, just like most other fish.  As they mature, one eye migrates so that both eyes are on the same side.  The mouth stays in its normal position, creating a strange look.  They are quite flat and swim near the bottom in shallow water.  On the way back in, I also saw a squid.  Usually we find them in groups of 10 to 20, but this time there was only one.
    After a short rest, we swam out over the reefs in this area.  Here we were able to see large schools of grunts, blue tangs, snappers and blue chromis.  We then hiked back out through the dry land scrub forest and went back for a late lunch.  
    Many of the students did sea kayaking that afternoon.  Charlie and I went back to the reefs in front The Outpost for another dive.  When we talk about dive sites and diving, we are still talking snorkeling, not scuba diving.  You hold your breath, dive down and let your legs and gravity push you lower.  I have to wear 5 lb. of weight on a belt to be able to do this.  Otherwise, I just pop to the surface like a cork.  I do have trouble equalizing the pressure in my ears, so this and only being able to hold my breath for a short time, limits the depth of my dives.  I have been able to go down 15 to 20 feet.   Both Charlie and I have prescription lenses in our dive masks and waterless snorkels. (This means when we dive down, a valve in our snorkel closes and keeps water from entering the tube.  When we reach the surface, we can breathe immediately.  Without this, we would have to blow the water out of the tube before we breathe.)  Having our own masks and snorkels makes the experience much better.
    We were able to see several types of coral at the different sites.  There are two types of fire coral that it is best to see and never touch.  The polyps in these have stinging cells just like a jellyfish.  We saw Elkhorn Coral  (19) with small damsel fish swimming near.  These juveniles have iridescent blue polka dots that shimmer as they swim.  We also saw several examples of Brain Coral (20).
    Day 5 was our best day of snorkeling at Naked German Beach.  (Yes, the first time the owner of The Outpost went to this beach, there was a naked German at the beach.)  We saw so many beautiful fish at this site and we were able to do two dives and spend almost 2 hours in the water.  We saw a File fish(21) and another Peacock Flounder.  This flounder was over a darker colored surface, so his coloration was different than the first one.  If you look closely at this picture, I think you can see both eyes and the mouth.  We also saw a great Squirrel fish.  This fish usually hides during the day and feeds at night, thus the big eyes.  We were able to hang out with a Smooth Trunk fish (25) and we saw three sharks (25) at this site.  They were 5-6  feet and curious, not aggressive.
    We had lunch with us this day and afterwards we drove on to Hatchet Bay Cave.  This is not a cave that is set up for tourists.  You must bring your own flashlight and the footing is very uneven at times.  You climb down wooden ladders to get into some of the rooms.  One of the rooms is half filled with water.  To leave the cave, you climb up a rope ladder that has wooden steps.  As we were walking on the path back to the trucks, we came across a large termite nest.  The leader poked a small hole in it with a stick, and we each had a chance to taste a termite.  If you crunch it with your front teeth, it tastes like a carrot.
    Day 6 is always Current Cut day.  We drive about 2 hours north.  The island is 200 miles long and 1 mile wide, with one paved road north to south.  There are many places where you can see both the Atlantic and the Caribbean Oceans.  At Current Cut, there is a break in the land.  As the tide changes, a strong current is created in the opening and if you get into this current you can ride along at 9 knots or so.  When it is time to come in, you must put yourself perpendicular to the current and swim like crazy for shore.  The last time Charlie and I did this, I couldn’t make it.  One of the young boys saw I was struggling and came out and pulled me in.  It was scary.  We snorkel in the protected areas at each end of the current and leave the wild ride for the younger ones.  We still were able to see some great fish; French and Blue-striped Grunt. Yellow-tailed snappers, Banded Butterfly fish, Spotfin Butterfly Fish, and Gray Angels.  One of the cool invertebrates is called a Christmas Tree Worm.  This is a tube worm that feeds with tentacles that make it look like two small Christmas Trees.  They come in different colors and when you swim close, they pull in the tentacles.  We were also able to see two Southern Stingrays  at this site.
    We bring a lunch with us on this day.  I had a lot of trouble with motion sickness this year.  I always have had to take Dramamine for this, but this year it didn’t seem to help much.  I “lost my lunch” twice and felt very ill many times.  If I see something really cool, I can focus and feel better, but as soon as it moves away, the feeling is back.  At Current Cut I just gave up eating and the second dive went well.
    On the way back, is our one stop for souvenirs at Pam’s.  She is an American that has been there many years and has some great island made gifts.  I think she makes her yearly income from the groups from The Outpost.  The kids buy lots and lots of stuff.  She also gives a great discount to everyone, especially the adults.
    Back at The Outpost, it is our last evening.  In past years, we have had a local lady come and do hair braiding at $40 a head.  It has become so popular that they were still braiding hair at midnight.  This year they taught us all how to weave with hemp string and then add a shell we had collected during the week.  It made a nice souvenir.  We also had a chance to view a DVD made of photos of us taken by the leaders through the week.
    The last morning after breakfast, everyone put on their clean, new Wild Studies t-shirt and it was time for a group photo on the front porch. (I was the only one in a tank top.  Everyone else was in a pale green t-shirt.  I did not put my t-shirt on until I was in the air conditioned gate area of the Ft Lauderdale airport.  I should have put it on for the picture, but I just find them so hot and in the past, it wasn’t just me that did this.  I felt a little guilty afterwards.)  It was then time to finish packing and cleaning up the dorms. 
    Vans took us to the airport at 10:30.  The first plane took off about noon and we took off about two.    We had no trouble with our flights. We landed in Omaha at 11:30 pm, with all of our luggage, and we had successfully completed Bahamian Adventure # 9. 
    Hope you enjoyed the trip, too.            

Costa Rica 2008

    Our 8th trip with Wild Studies to the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica began at noon on June 3, 2008 with a ride to Eppley Airport.  There we met our fellow Nebraska travelers, Andrew (who teaches construction at the Career Center with Charlie) and Amy (who teaches pottery at Benson).
    We had great airline experiences.  The Continental Kiosk e-ticket check-in worked (first time) and our luggage tags were printed at the counter allowing us to go ahead of a person who was not having a good airline experience. After a 2 hour flight (which included free pretzels and a drink), we arrived in Houston with plenty of time to find our new gate.  We took off for San Jose on time, were served a free meal (sandwich, salad, dessert and a drink) and landed 3 1/2 hours later with our luggage. Our other fellow travelers were from Conifer, Colorado, about 30 miles west of Denver. We were seated directly behind them on the plane and formally met up with them as Reade, our host in Costa Rica, met us at the airport and provided transportation to our hotel, the Inca Real.
    At 6:30 am the next morning, a guide from Expediciones Tropicales met us in front our hotel and we began our 12 hour 4 in 1 tour. (We visited 4 attractions in 1 day)  First stop was breakfast at the Doka Coffee Plantation in the mountains about an hour out of San Jose.  We were served black beans and rice (a staple with every meal), eggs, tortillas, and fresh fruit.  Eight different types of coffee were available, too.  After the meal we were given a short explanation of coffee growing, harvesting and processing and then had a bit of time to shop for souvenirs.
    The second stop was Poas volcano, one of Costa Rica’s 7 active volcanoes.  At a height of almost 9,000 feet, the mile wide crater is often in the clouds as it was this day.  We were lucky that after about 10 minutes, the wind blew some of the clouds away and we were able to see half of the crater.
    Our third stop was La Paz Waterfall park.  This is a privately owned attraction with birds, monkeys, butterflies, snakes, frogs, and a hummingbird garden as well as a trail (with over 300 steps) that takes you by 4 different waterfalls. This is the 3rd time we have been to this park.  It gets larger each time.  One of my favorite places is the butterfly house.  It is larger than a football field enclosed in mesh so the butterflies are free to fly around you.  As the blue morpho and at least 15 other species of butterflies land on shoulders, hats and flowers, soft music plays in the background.  We were able to see the eggs, caterpillars, chrysalis and butterfly of the blue morpho.  I was able to spend about 30 minutes at my second favorite spot in this park; the hummingbird garden.  If I stood still at one of the 20+ feeders, I would have 6 or 7 birds (many different species) land right in front of me to drink.  They would fly so near you could feel the wind from their wings on your cheek.
    After a buffet lunch that included hot dogs and pizza as well as traditional Costa Rican dishes, we took the hike by the waterfalls.  Thank heavens our bus picked us up at the bottom of the falls so we did not have to climb the 300 stairs back to the top.
    Our last stop of the day was on the Sarapiqui River.  We took a long, narrow boat (1 seat on the right and 2 on the left with room for about 25) for a ride on the river looking for wildlife.  A tropical storm had hit about 4 days before we arrived.  You could see high water marks on the trees that were several feet above where the water was now.  We did not see any caiman or crocodiles this time because the banks where they like to sun themselves were under water.  We did see spider monkeys, iguanas and an anhinga (a bird smaller than a goose and larger than a duck).  They swim and hunt for food in the river but must get out and dry off  for they do not have the oils that other birds have to keep their feathers dry.  You will often find them with their wings spread out to dry sitting on a log in the river.
    We arrived back in San Jose around 7:30 pm.  After 10 minutes to “freshen up” we began walking to a restaurant in downtown about 20 minutes away.  Dinner choices were fish, chicken, steak, or a beef in red sauce served on banana leaves with black beans and rice, plantain and fresh fruit drink.  We arrived back at our hotel about 10:00 pm ready for some sleep.
    Our second full day in the country was mainly spent traveling to the Osa Peninsula and La Escuela de Bosque (School in the Forest).  We began with breakfast at another restaurant in downtown.  We had several choices again for the meal;  a fruit plate with a roll, an American breakfast with eggs, hash browns, and toast, or a typical breakfast with eggs, black beans and rice and tortillas.  After breakfast we toured downtown for a bit and then walked back to our hotel.
    Walking in San Jose is an experience in itself.  Most corners have no traffic control.  If there is a stoplight, there is only one hanging in the middle of the intersection.  As a pedestrian, sometimes you can not see if the light is red or green and cars always have the right of way.  When you are walking in a group of 20 people, it is was hard to get all of us across the intersection before the cars started to move again.  I am always glad to leave the craziness of the big city and walk the quiet trails of the rain forest.
    We took a tour bus to the small airport in San Jose for our 11:00 am flight to Puerto Jimenez on the southwest coast.  Each piece of luggage is weighed (limit 25 lb.) and then each person and their carry on is weighed.  The plane we were taking seats only 19 people and San Jose is surrounded by mountains.  It is important to know exactly how much the people and cargo weigh to insure that the plane can make it over the mountains.  Flying in humid air is more difficult than flying in dry air.  

    After a 45 minute flight, we landed safely and loaded all of our gear into three Toyota pickups.  One took most of the luggage and had room for 4 people in the double cab.  The other trucks were equipped with padded benches in the back that could seat four on a side with a canvas top that has sides that can be pulled down in case of rain.  We made a quick stop at a grocery store to get cold drinks and snacks and then hit the road.  Our destination, only 27 miles away, would take over 2 hours to reach on an unpaved road.  The road is filled with pot holes and large stones and goes through streams (only a few bridges).  We stopped for a picnic lunch on a beach.  This gave us a chance to stretch our legs and stop bouncing.  As we were leaving our lunch stop, our driver spied a family of white-faced capuchin monkeys in the trees.  We also had a chance for photos of squirrel monkeys and howler monkeys before we reached out camp site about 4:00 pm.
    This is the first year we have been able to use the new camp site.  It is perched on a narrow strip of land about 600 feet above the Pacific Ocean.  The dining hall/classroom has a beautiful view of the ocean, a black sand beach, a lagoon and the forest.  Right outside the hall is a small swimming pool which is wonderful for cooling down after a day of hiking.  Next to the pool is the main cabin.  It has one large room and a second smaller room.  Both have a shower, toilet and sinks.  The walls of the cabin only come up about half way with the remaining distance open air.  Screens and a door are yet to be installed, so all of the girls and teachers who slept in this cabin had mosquito netting over their bunks.  Just across the path is a huge, double room tent covered by a metal roof.  Each room of the tent had a toilet, shower, and a double sink.  The back wall of each room was all mesh and looked out over a valley of the rain forest.  Each night we went to sleep to the sound of frogs and each morning we woke to the sound of birds and howler monkeys.  (The sun went down about 5:00pm and came up about 4:30.  We were only about 10 degrees above the equator, so day and night are each about 12 hours long and that does not change much with the seasons.)  The three males of the group slept in bunk beds in one room and Charlie and I were in the other room.  The mattresses for the beds had just arrived the day before.  The tropical storm had caused landslides along the Pan-American Highway from San Jose to Puerto Jimenez.  The mattresses had been stuck in a truck along that road.
    Dinner that night was chicken in a red sauce over rice and a delicious fruited flan.  We knew one of our cooks from a previous trip and when I saw her, I knew we were in for some wonderful meals.  After dinner, we divided into two groups of nine for the evening.  Ifi, a neotropical biologist, would be taking one group into Corcovado National Park the next day.  She met with her group to discuss the basics of rainforest biology while Reade taught our group the fundamentals of waterfall rappelling. 
    A diesel generator provided electricity each evening from about 5 to 10 pm.  When we turned the lights on in the dining hall that night, it became insect city.  Several types of moths, praying mantis, and beetles invaded the area, especially the bathroom.  Kids and adults took turns snapping pictures of all the creatures on the walls.  A rhinoceros beetle landed on the table right in front of me.  I have never seen one of those except as a picture in a book. Bedtime for us came about 9 pm.  (That was 10 pm Omaha time and we were ready.)
    It rained most of the night and was still raining a bit at 6:30 breakfast time, so the waterfall rappelling was called off for the day. The rain did stop and the group to the park was driven down the hill to Carate.  From there, you walk about a mile down a black sand beach to the entrance to the park. 
    The other group went to a lower area on the property where Reade has built a trail around some wetland.  He hopes to create a small pool to attract more wildlife.  We also walked an area known as Shady Lane.  There we found a squirrel, bats, leaf cutter ants and white-faced capuchin monkeys. 
    Later, we went to Carate where there is a small pulperia (store) where we could buy cold sodas ($2) and snacks.  We had sandwiches and cookies with us from camp and ate our lunch on the grounds there under the trees.  Later, the kids went down to the beach and played a bit in the ocean.  The Pacific is very dangerous here because of strong waves and undertows so no swimming is allowed.  Even so, when we came back to the truck for a ride up to camp, several of the students had scrapes cuts from being hit by rocks as the waves rolled into them. 
    Back at camp we had a shower, a dip in the pool to cool off and then had time for a short nap.  Before dinner we had time to work on our  “creature feature”.  Each person chooses an animal (or a plant ) to learn more about.  The camp has several books on the mammals, birds, insects, reptiles and amphibians of the area.  On the last day in camp, we present our animal to the others.  Charlie chose the strangler fig.  Birds deposit the seeds of this plant in their poop in the upper branches of a tree.  When the seed germinates, roots grow down from the branch and the fig tree starts to grow.  Eventually, it kills the host tree.  I pretended to be the host tree at the beginning of his presentation.  I spread my arms (branches) and Charlie’s hands flew by and he pretended to “poop” a seed (the eraser of my mechanical pencil) into my hand.  He then wrapped his arms around me as if to strangle me.  This definitely got the audience’s attention.
    A Boruca Indian, Anna, came to camp that evening and told us her story.  There are Indian Reservations in Costa Rica just like the US.  To earn money for her tribe, she spins, dyes, and weaves cotton grown in the area into belts and purses.  She showed us how to spin the cotton into thread and then let others try it.  She also showed a small loom where the thread is strung to dye with natural colors from rain forest plants.  She demonstrated using a waist loom to weave the colorful threads into cloth. She had brought many belts and purses as well as ear rings made from feathers and masks carved from native woods to sell.  All of the money she earned that night would go back to help her tribe.
    Before retiring for the night, the groups from the night before switched topics and prepared for the following day’s activities.  Martin, one of the boys from Conifer also did a frog purge of the area.  He caught about 20 frogs and removed them from camp (gently).  They had awakened many of us the night before with their mating calls since they were using the swimming pool as their rendezvous site.  It did make the night quieter, but they were back around 2:00 am calling away.  It did give me a chance to look out and see all the stars.  It was a clear night (rare in the our experiences here) and the number of stars that were visible was amazing.
    By 7:45 am the next day, we had eaten breakfast and were on our way down the black sand beach to a tent camp called LaLeone.  This is where we have stayed on several previous trips, just outside the national park.  We had time to rest a bit, fill our water bottles and get some great pictures of the leaf cutter ants in the area. They are fascinating to watch at work.  We also had time to hike the trail behind LaLeone which is a great place to find the green and black poison dart frog.  We did see some of them as well as a red-tailed squirrel and Andrew even spotted a coral snake. 
    After a brief rest it was on to the national park.  Each person signs in at the park entrance and a fee is paid- $6 per person which is included in the cost of our trip.   We saw several birds and a large family of the white-nosed coatis (an animal related to our raccoons) on our hike through the park to the Rio Madrigal.  While we were eating lunch near the river, a lone male coati (called a coatimundi) came out of the forest and was investigating our backpacks and other things laying on the ground.  He was quite curious and  seemed very unafraid.  At one point, Charlie could have easily reached out and touched him he was so close.  We have one picture where he was almost stepping on Betty’s shoe (with her foot still in the shoe.)  We also have a picture of Charlie holding the front page of the Omaha World Herald with the coati nearby.  They are having a contest where you can submit pictures of yourself taken with the paper at different vacation sites. We had time to do a little swimming and exploring along the river and then it was time to hike back.
    When we arrived back at camp, we had a delicious snack of twice-smashed plantains (like twice-baked potatoes).  The plantains had been smashed and then cooked.  Then they were smashed again, formed into patties and fried and served with a delicious bean dip.  Just another example of our wonderful cooks. 
    In the distance, in two directions, we could see rain clouds forming and headed our way.  All of the papers, workbooks, other loose articles were collected off the tables and clothes were gathered in from the window ledges.  When the storm hit, it was quite a blow.  Very, very heavy rain fell with strong winds blowing it into the hall, cabins, kitchens and tents.  The wind died after a few minutes and then it was just raining.  When we went to bed that night, Reade had to bring us dry sheets and we had to move the bed farther from the back because it was still raining in.  Many of the other people had wet sheets, too, but they just had to sleep on them.  We are very spoiled and treated with extra attention because we are such regulars.
    The next morning we were on our way for waterfall rappelling by 7:30.  We drove as far as we could and then it was a 10 minute hike to the  river, a 20 minute hike in the river and another 20 minutes up and down a very steep trail to the river above the falls.  We had about 30 minutes to rest and relax as Reade and his helper set up the ropes. 
    I was the photographer at the top.  I used Charlie’s camera with the 28x zoom and took pictures of them putting on the gear, stepping to the edge of the falls, leaning back giving the “Look Ma, no hands signal” that let Reade know they trusted the rope and then disappearing over the edge.  Charlie sent his underwater camera over the edge with the first person, so we could get pictures of people rappelling down and climbing back up. (A trail from the bottom of the falls has been washed away by heavy rains, so everyone must rock climb back to the top of the falls.  That is just one of the reasons I do not do this activity.)   Everyone made it down safely.  The first student up the wall made it in one minute and thirty seconds. (Remember, the other group were from Colorado and she had done rock climbing before.)  It took a very long time for the next person to make it back up.  Amy is only 5’ 2’’ tall.  The places for her hands and feet were too far apart for her to reach. At one point, Reade told her to put her foot in the space where her chin was.  At another point, he told her to jump for the next hand hold.  She tried 3 times and 3 times she missed and crashed into the wall. (She did not fall down because as you make progress upward, you belay the rope so you do not fall back down.) Reade eventually had to climb up behind Amy.  She could then use his hand as the next place to push off from.  She had quite a bruise on her thigh when she finished this day.
    Eventually, everyone made it back up.  We ate a sack lunch we had brought with us and then headed back down.  The two boys from Conifer, were my “helpers”  on the way back.  I had a walking stick that gave me extra balance, but sometimes the steps were just too big so I needed a push from behind going up a part of the trail or someone to hold my stick as I slid on my rear down the trail.  I told Gus and Martin they had permission to touch my “posterior” when I needed help up. 
    That night the “monkey lady” came to camp.  She was studying the  monkey populations of the area and came to tell us a little about her research.  She had been in the area a month and was staying at least two more and possibly longer, depending on the grant she had received.  Yes, she was being paid to do this research.
    The next morning, Monday, June 9, was time to leave camp.  After a 6:15 breakfast, a sad good-bye to our cooks, and loading up all our gear, we were on our way back to Puerto Jimenez. 
    We arrived at the city pier at 9:00 am and boarded the Blanco Dolfino (white dolphin) for our cruise on the Golfo Dolce.  The boat was 50 feet long and had an upper deck.  We were hoping to see dolphins but we had no luck. The water was very calm and it was a fun ride. We did get a chance to do a bit of snorkeling.  The water is pretty murky here because of all the rainfall, but if you have never snorkeled before, it is a treat.  We had about 45 minutes in the water and then it was time to visit the wildlife refuge site.
    The people here are an American couple who are doing what they can to help rehabituate animals back into the wild.  Some of the animals have been injured, some orphaned, and some abused.  This day there was a young spider monkey that had fun moving from person to person investigating us.  This interaction with people helps the monkey with his social  skills so that one day, he might be able to join a group of his own kind as they pass by the area.  They have a howler monkey that is almost ready to leave.  When a howler troupe comes by, it goes into the trees for the day, but it is still coming back at night.  They expect it to leave for good soon.  We saw two scarlet Macaws that were raised in cages that were too small so they can not fly.  They will have to spend the rest of their lives at the refuge.  There were two sloths there and several white-faced capuchin monkeys. 
    To get to the refuge, our boat captain had backed his boat in near the shore, we climbed down the ladder and waded into shore.  By the time we left, 2 hours later, the tide had risen and the weather had changed.  It was quite rough and the boat could not come as close.  We put all of our cameras in a plastic bag and one of the boat helpers carried them to the boat.  As we were wading to the boat, the water came waist to chest high and you had to work to keep from getting knocked over by the water.  The trip back was little rough, but we didn’t get rained on.
    On shore once again, we took a short walk to an area where some crocodiles live.  Egrets nest in the trees above where the crocs live, so any nestling that falls out has no chance of survival.
    Next stop, was a gift shop and then on to our hotel.  Our bags had been taken there earlier.  We had time to clean up and rest for a bit before our final dinner.  We rode in two shifts to an open air restaurant where we had a delicious barbecued chicken dinner with a salad and rice and beans. 
    The next morning we had our last Costa Rican breakfast and then walked to the airport.  All of our flights went well that day.  We were back at the main airport in San Jose by 11:30 am.  We had a flight leaving at 12:48 pm so we did not have much time to spare but it all worked out.  The .  We had 3 hours in Houston, which was good.  It didn’t take us long to get through immigration and customs, but you never know, so extra time was good.  Our flight landed in Omaha a few minutes early, all our bags arrived and we were back at our house about 1:00 am.  
   

The Director of Wild Studies, Jim Jordan, attended the Experimental Aircraft Association's (EAA) Air Venture Oshkosh, in Oshkosh Wi., July 2008 to do developmental work on a TV show about the lifestyle of general aviation pilots in an effort to encourage more young people to consider learning to fly. During his visit, he flew a new reproduction of a 1939 WACO biplane for promo film footage. Jim's motto: "Live life, don't let it live you!!!"

EAA is a growing and diverse organization of members founded by the Poberezny family with a wide range of aviation interests and backgrounds. EAA was founded in 1953 by a group of individuals in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who were interested in building their own airplanes. Through the decades, the organization expanded its mission to include antiques, classics, warbirds, aerobatic aircrafts, ultralights, helicopters and contemporary manufactured aircrafts. Check out EAA's websites www.eaa.org and www.airventure.org

 

Watch the video of flying in the Bahamas with channel 2 news: http://uvu.channel2.org/PublicSite/Video.aspx?id=2866&skin=4

 

 

Today we woke up at 7 o’clock and had a delicious breakfast! We meet at the circle drive to go to Naked German Beach to do some snorkeling. We saw a shark it was so cool! Some of us didn’t get to see the shark, so we turned around and saw it three times. Then we got to see 27 baby squid, they were soooo cute!! When we were finishing up and coming to shore we found a lot of colorful sea glass.

            For lunch we went to the caves. There were a lot of bats flying everywhere but I learned what it would be like if I was in a cave without lights or anything. It was scary!!!! When we were coming out of the cave, there was a rope ladder we had to climb up. Then when we got up, we ate termites and other people said they tasted like carrots but I didn’t taste anything. After we got out we went to a beach on Cupids Cay so we could find sea glass since all of us kids were so interested in finding it. We were tired so we came back to the outpost and ate dinner. It was really good! Today was my favorite, but I miss my parents even though I’m having fun over here.

 

 

Shoutout to all of my homegurlz : I love you guys and miss you!  J <3

 

To mom and dad: I love you!!! ^_^

 

Love,

ViVi

Craig, CO

 

Today the Outpost crew went to Naked German Beach where we saw tons of fish, a shark, and a stingray. The dive was amazing and a little bit cold at first but that feeling went away with the fun and enjoyment we had more into snorkeling. Moreover we also went to the caves for some exploring excitement in the dark. We had flashlights of course and heard Leaf Nose Bats flying over our curious heads as we traveled deeper into the stalagmite utopia. My group also had a chance to go lower into the caves to the "Water Room". A cave level filled with brackish water
(both salt and fresh water). Coming out of the cave was fun too! We had some termites that they all say taste like spicy carrots. Some say it had no taste to it but when we get home we all get to say "Mom, Dad I ate some termites!" Leaving from the caves everyone got to stop at a local store to buy treats to eat. Many had ice cream while others had different types of snacks. The store had many things to eat that we in the U.S. get to enjoy. I learned that the exchange rate here and back home are the same! One dollar here is one dollar there at home. Now that's cool and amazing to know for future trips trips to the Bahamas. Lastly we toped off this fun filled day with a calm easy dive to look for sea glass and artifacts. The beach we swam at was located in Governor's Harbor which has been a dock for 400 years and you can still find things there from the 1800's. I gotta say this has been the coolest day this week and nothing can ever top it.

Beautyful

Glencoe, IL

 

HELLO! This birthday has rocked! We went to Turtle Hole and we saw a turtle. We snorkeled and went around a tongue and groove reef and saw fish and a lot of things. Then we walked about 20 minutes to get there then we snorkeled. When we saw the turtle it only had two legs because the other two were cut off.

 

            Then we went and went to this thing were we dove down in the water and went under this rock ledge and it was so cool. Then we went and got out of the water and we went on a 30 minute hike to the truck and then we came back to our camp sight. We had lunch and then I took a nap. I woke up and we had dinner. I wrote this but this is the only time I’m going to get to talk to you because people only get to do this one night so I guess I’ll see you in a couple of days.

 

            Thanks for giving me this birthday gift mom and dad.

 

Mike

                                                                        Craig, Colorado

 

Today we went to Turtle Hole to dive. We had to hike there on a beach. When we got to turtle cove I saw many more fish than I have seen anywhere else we have dove. A few of them included the honeycomb cowfish, surgeonfish, bar jack, palmeta, sea bream, bicolor damsel fish, a huge Nassau grouper, blue head wrasse, squirrelfish, flounder, goatfish, balloon fish, band tail puffer, fire worm, fuzzy chiton, lobster, and of course a sea turtle.

When we got back we had lunch. After that we went down to the beach and combed the beach for sea glass. We came back found some anoles, geckos, and frogs played the ring game and talked.

Kalin

Craig, Colorado

Students 14 years of age or older may now apply for a 2009 Wild Studies adventure!!

Click here for the application : www.wildstudies.com/sit_contact2.asp

I had so much fun today and its only going to get better and better! When I arrived at the Outpost the water was so warm and inviting; it was so cool! At the beginning of this trip, I didn’t really want to go because I was scared, unsure, and unprepared, but now, that I’m down here I wish I could move down here. This place is amazing! The people are so nice and like to have fun just like all the kids! We played a fun game by the beach and there was a lessen to go with it. The lessen was to teach us about life and how the environment is impacted!

 

Even though most of us only got a little bit to sleep, no one is grumpy or grouchy.  We all just seem to get along great. The trip has been long and this whole time we have been hanging out with each other even sleeping on a hard floor in the airport. No matter what were all together even if that person isn’t in your click at school he or she is going to be included in every thing because this is a group trip, so were all making a group effort!               

 

Taylor Rose

Craig, CO

Hello Nebraskans!!  We are having a wonderful time here in the Bahamas. J Today, we snorkeled at the Outpost Reef which the people here said is usually too choppy and wavy to do so.  I got a little sea sick, but the views were awesome.  We saw Yellowtail Damselfish, a huge lobster, fire coral (not a good animal to touch…ouch!), and Parrotfish.  Before lunch, we got to walk along the beach and pick up shells.  Some people found some truly unique ones that I’m sure they’ll show you when they get back.  We have 3 more days of swimming/snorkeling and then it’s all over. L  The food is great, and, no mom, it’s not healthy, but it sure tastes good!  Oh, and Liv told me to tell you, Mr. and Mrs. Walter, that her dream of touching a jellyfish came true!  It did storm a little today, but not bad.  I’m so sorry you guys can’t be here with us.  I love you dad, mom, Christi, and Tucker! 

Abi

McCook, Nebraska

 

Today was the day of search and seek. Searching through new seas and seeking out all different kinds of shells. Each day is a new adventure with excitement around every corner. Our first snorkel site was the home beach of outpost Eleuthera. The waves are intense, but the coral reefs make up for it. Then we enjoyed a delicious BBQ at James Cistern. Unfortunately, not everything went according to plan. After 5 seconds of swimming at Shipwreck Beach after lunch, lightning and thunder snapped us out of the water, forcing a detour to the opposite side of the island.  Cupid's Cay, the supposed first site of Columbus' landing, was where we ended up for artifact hunting instead of Shipwreck Beach.

The grub is not too shabby, except for the fact that it's too good to stop eating...tehehe :D. I'm having a dandy time soaking up the sun and using up the sunscreen, but don't you fret mom, I have plenty to spare. Quick shout out to my parentals, Danten, and all the boys since they seem to be lacking those on this island. Miss and love you all, talk to you all when I get home. Only five more days!!!!

 

Love much,

Hailey

McCook, Nebraska 

        

Today I realized that this is not a dream anymore. When I woke up and I could hear the waves on the beach.  We were supposed to wake up at 7 o’clock but I woke up at about 6 and watched the sunrise a little bit. Our wake up call was the coolest conch shell and the dogs went crazy and it was so cool. After we had breakfast, which was amazingly good pancakes, we got our snorkel gear and got in the ocean for a test run. And just let me say, SNORKELING IS AMAZING!!!!! I didn’t think all the fish would be so easily seen, we were just in the shallow water and we had all these little fishes swimming all around us. It was so cool!!  Then we went deeper (well further it didn’t really get deeper) and we saw all of this algae and coral and all kinds of sweet stuff. Then we took a water break and had lunch and just chilled out for a little bit. We had this crazy beach activity that had us tie up in knows and it was crazy. Speaking of crazy, my teachers and instructors are bonkers but so much fun and they make this so funny. They are just a blast. Anyway after our crazy knot we went back out and snorkeled some more. Oh my gosh there was this huge fish!!! Like seriously I think it was as long as me and fat, we thought it was a shark at first. So cool but none of our teachers saw it so they probably think were crazy or something. Me and Haley (my dive buddy and regular buddy) were so goofy. You’re not supposed to laugh when your snorkeling because it lets water in your mask. Every time we would see a jelly we poke its back and go, “boing boing boing” and just start cracking up and get water in our mask. So I have a lot of salt water in my nose!!  I told my teacher that I may hide on the day we have to leave this wonderful place. But I probably won’t because I am already starting to miss my little bro.

-Kayla Fahrenbruch

Mccook, NE

 

    Today we woke at 7:00 a.m. For breakfast we had pancakes, baked apples, cranberry juice, and grape juice! Everyone enjoyed lessons in snorkeling and gear. We received our gear and met in the circle in front of the main house.  From the outpost, we trucked to Alabaster Bay where we got in the water at roughly 9:20. We applied the sunscreen ALL the time! We entered the water and tried on our gear and learned how to swim and snorkel with fins and masks. It was very cool! After that we went and explored with our instructors. At noon we departed the bay for lunch at the outpost! We had delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato! After lunch we chilled at the beach and made a human knot which taught us about importance of everything in the environment. Then we took a beach survey of all the trash and found the most abundant was plastic and found where it all came from. I found a shampoo bottle with Spanish writing that had a bite taken out of it. It made you think a lot about your personal role in the environment and keeping it healthy. After that we went back to Alabaster bay and snorkeled on a more with our buddy! It was an amazing day and I am looking forward to so much more!

Kaleb

Cambridge, NE

 

 

July 24^th, 2008

 

            Talk about a long and tiring day!  We spent from 4:00am to about 4:00pm traveling.  We took 3 different planes to get here!  It’s about time!  It was really weird being in Georgia and Florida in the same day.  Our plane from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale was huge!  It was like 44 rows and 6 seats to a row!  Half of the McCook group landed in North Eleuthera, so we had to drive about 50 miles to get to the Outpost.   It was pretty crazy.  It’s really weird that they drive on the opposite side of the road here; I think it about gave some people a heart attack!  On the plane ride to Eleuthera we flew through a spot of the Bermuda Triangle, which was pretty cool.  Also, on the way to the Outpost, we drove over this bridge that is considered one of the most interesting places in the world because on one side is the Atlantic Ocean and on the other side the Caribbean.  It was really neat to see the different colors contrasting each other.

 

            Once we got to the Outpost, the instructors showed us around and we immediately headed down to the beach.  Gorgeous!  White sand beach, clear blue water, perfect water temperature, it can’t get any better than this!  We had a class tonight to go over different marine animals and dive signs and signals.  We finally get to go snorkeling tomorrow!  Can’t wait, so excited!

 

 

            Talk to you later,

                        Madison

                                    McCook, Nebraska   

 

Today, we arrived at the airport around 5:30 this evening.  This was my first time going through customs and I got my first stamp in my passport.  We traveled to the Outpost and drove on the wrong side of the road!  That was pretty crazy because we came around a curve, met a car, and I freaked out for a minute thinking we were going to run into the car.  When we arrived at the Outpost we got to choose our bunks and then eat supper!  We were all hungry from flying all day and not really eating very much.

For supper we had spaghetti, salad, bread, and delicious cake.  After supper we got to do what I had been waiting for all day…SWIM IN THE OCEAN. Swimming in the ocean was definitely my favorite part of the day.  The ocean was delightfully warm and refreshing!  After swimming in the ocean we had a meeting.  Krispen gave us the general guidelines for the Outpost and respect is the #1 rule. Then we learned some snorkeling signs and a few of the sea creatures we will see while snorkeling.  Then we went to our cabins to shower and get ready for bed.

 

Julia

Holbrook, NE

            

 

 

Nobody knew how this week would go for my son Jason and me. Jason has a genetic disorder called Prader Willi syndrome, and it presents us with a number of challenges in everyday life. Imagine how challenging this week has been for Jason (and his sidekick)! But the staff and his fellow travelers have helped make this once-in-a-lifetime dream come true for Jason. They were not only his supporters, but his champions, as he hiked and snorkeled and explored this amazing island and its ecosystem.

In Jason’s words: “I had a lot of fun. I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun on a trip! I loved being able to explore the island and snorkel in its oceans. It really gave me a good idea of how hard it would be to go into this line of work. My favorite dives were Ocean Hole on Friday, and Alabaster Bay and James Cistern beach on Sunday. I also loved the cave on Monday. I would definitely recommend this trip to kids with special needs and anyone who is willing to push themselves to the limit to see what they can do in this kind of work.”

 

Joleen and Jason

Omaha, NE

 

Today, on our last snorkel adventure, we had our most fabulous discovery.  While searching for shells I came across a small broken conch shell that had some sort of goo inside.  “Its odd that we’re all looking for the tiny shells,” I thought.  Then, I realized that the goo had eyes…and legs…eight legs.   Yes, it was an octopus.  While about twenty-five people tried to see the tiny thing, another was discovered.  And a few minutes later, another.  Yes, three octopuses.  What a wonderful end to our last dive, huh?

 

Well, it has come time for the Wild Adventurers to turn in their gear, pack up their bags and reflect on the last few amazing days.  As week look back, we’ve been to seven or eight dives in the last five days.  We’ve been through smashing waves, very wet caves, rainstorms, conch shell horns, and so much more.  We’ve had the opportunity to meet thirty-five people from five different states.  We’ve learned everything from fish identification and snorkel breathing to eco-friendly habits and friend making games.  All in all, this has been an experience to remember. 

 

I’ve never been on a trip where you are literally hiking through the bush and swimming with free roaming sharks.  I didn’t know what to expect when I got on the plane six days ago, but this trip is definitely one of the most extreme memories I’ve ever had.  So, thanks to our dive leaders:  KTO, Jeff, and Kpen—you guys are awesome. All of you are great teachers and a blast to hangout with   And thanks to our chaps—you have all been more like super knowledgeable friends than teachers on this trip.  Thanks for bringing us!! Jim—wow, what a program, thank you. 

 

So, now we’re off like a heard of turtles back to our respective corners of the Earth.  But, we take with us knowledge and memories that few students have had the opportunity to experience.  We go back to our lives more aware of the expanse we inhabit.  So, goodbye, paradise; goodbye, Eleuthra; goodbye El mar.  Hello, home. 

 

Kate

Jenison, MI

 

Students 14 years of age or older may now apply for a 2009 Wild Studies adventure!!

Click here for the application  : www.wildstudies.com/sit_contact2.asp

 

 

             Today, after getting up at 7:30, we went to the outer wall of alabaster bay. There we started at a old navel base. The sea fans were everywhere. We saw some yellow snapper, tons of parrotfish and a couple of grouper. The coolest fish was the large lionfish. Then we went to a swim throw. We then had to climb out on some cool rocky area and hike back. It was supper fun. We then drove to James Cistern Beach. It was a nice sandy bottom with a few coral spots.  We saw a cool hogfish, and a sweet flying gurnard. It just sat there opening and closing its wing like pectoral fins, that had a cool blue and purple color on it.        

            After lunch we went to the cliffs that were vary cool looking.  There were cool tide pools, and a cool cave that we got to climb down to. We then drove over to ship wreck beach. The surf was not really big but for those who wanted to snorkel had a ball. A group of us went snorkeling around the coral areas. Then headed back to look for sea glass.  That was fun to do but even more fun to watch. When a big wave came in it would wash everyone up on to shore. We were colliding into one another.  Overall this day was so much fun filled with great activities. I can’t wait for tomorrow!

 

Tyler

Jenison, MIs

 

           

 

            Today I got up to the sound of the conchs and canines at seven o’clock.  We had a wonderful meal of eggs, grits, bacon, and coffee cake for breakfast and then we headed to the outer wall of Alabaster Bay. We were able to do a swim through called the river of fish in some of the coral and see some crazy fish.  My favorite fish of the day was the Fairy Basslett.  Also, we spotted thousands of silversides, juvenile puffers, moon sea jellies, and hog fish to just name a few. We got out after the swim through and took a short hike to the trucks.  From there we went to James Cistern and did buddy snorkeling and shell hunting.  There were some crazy cool things in there.  I found loads of conchs and oyster shells.  From James Cistern we came back to the Outpost for some lunch.  On the menu were ham and cheese sandwiches, veggie sandwiches, and pasta salad.  It was all delicious!

            The next stop for us was a hike on the cliffs.  We saw some gorgeous views of the ocean and we learned how the cliffs that we were standing on actually were fossilized coral that had been exposed from the changes in the climate from the ice age. The last beach we went to was shipwreck beach. We got to swim and a few people decided to go snorkeling.  I really enjoyed that.

            Dinner was amazing. We had mac and cheese, barbecue pork, beans, and coleslaw.  Then we had time to shower and chill.  Now I’m off to a “history” class about the islands of the Bahamas!  I can’t wait for tomorrow!

 

Callie

Pinehurst, NC

Gee whiz!! Today was freaking awesome! JI woke up and had some great pancakes and sausages. We hiked along the rocky ocean shore this morning to get to our first dive sight. It was really interesting learning about the tide pools and how hard of a life the creatures lead that reside in them.

On our first dive I saw some amazing marine life. My group actually some sea turtles! It was pretty cool. But, I felt bad for it because one of the turtles had like a huge gash in its shell. But, once someone scared it, the turtle swam away pretty easily so it was okay. There were also some filefish and some really cool squirrelfish there as well. On our second dive we went to this dive sight where some of the people would swim under these caves or something. I was too scared to go down and do it because I’m not really the most impressive diver. Then during that same dive we went to Turtle Hole. Here we got to pair off and swim on our own. It was so cool because my partner and I went into all the little caves and crevices. We spotted a whole lot of grouper and parrotfish. Turtle Hole was spectacular.

After our two dives, we started off over to a local barbeque. We actually hiked over to the trucks through the forest which took a lot of time, and I hit my head on many of the trees and plant life. The hike was pretty sweet anyway. The barbeque food tasted great!!!! The chicken and all the sides were killer. But, the best part by far was the banana cake.

Once we got back, a group of us decided to go on another dive right at Outpost Reef. It was a little bit wavy and I actually bumped into some fire coral. It stung terribly, but the dive was worth it because I saw a humongous triggerfish along with many others. Once I got back though, I had some awesome red marks all over my stomach and I put a whole lot of vinegar on them. That was fun! J

Well that kind of sums up the day!!!

 

Nick   

Racine, WI

 

Today was a very exciting day. It started with an AMAZING pancake breakfast. The real adventure began when we took an ocean side hike along the beach. The view was GEORGEOUS! A nice tan was a bonus! From there we entered the water and snorkeled to turtle hole. That place was awesome. Because it’s the second day, I was beginning to master my dive and was able to swim under a rocky ledge. There I saw many colorful fish… face to face.

            After snorkeling the group went to a local barbecue. The barbecue ribs were DELICIOUS! Once everyone was done eating, we went back to wild studies head quarters and were offered the option to play volleyball, snorkel, or relax after our exhausting (yet fun) morning activities. Over all, it was a blast and I can’t wait for what tomorrow has to offer.

 

Rhiannon Miller

Racine, WI

 

 

Students 14 years of age or older may now apply for a 2009 Wild Studies adventure!!

Click here for the application  : www.wildstudies.com/sit_contact2.asp

 

Today was our first day snorkeling and it was amazing. Our first snorkel spot was Alabaster Bay, the sandy floor with tons of invertebrates and many colorful little fish like silversides. We even saw a barracuda, a small one but it was still awesome. One of the groups even saw a spotted eagle ray which I wish I would have saw.                       

            Then we headed to another spot that had a huge pit in the middle of the ocean, called Ocean Hole. It was so cool. We found all sorts of things like lion fish, blue tangs, stingrays, upside down jellyfish, and angle fish. There was also a nurse shark in the area but again, I missed it so hopefully on one of our next dives I will be able to see one. I’m so excited, now that I know how to snorkel, to go to the rest of our dive sites and see more of these truly amazing creatures that inhabit the ocean.

Alana

Jenison, MI

 

Today kicked off our week at the Bahamas.  The day was excellent and included two impressive snorkel adventures.  Alabaster bay, dive site one, was a gentle sand plain that provided a nice sheltered area for everyone to get comfortable with their equipment in the ocean.  It was a relaxing dive and right off the bat a spotted eagle ray was sighted.  Some other common sights included sea urchins, sea stars, donkey dung cucumbers etc.  But the second dive is where the excitement was.

            Our second and more advanced dive was situated in the glassy Caribbean.  This dive took us to a deep impression (35-40ft) where we found some pretty cool creatures.  Though I only saw two, lionfish were out in numbers; I heard four was the final count.  It was also filled with your typical reef fish and a small nurse shark.  Only a few others and I saw it.  Though I saw the shark, I really wanted to see the pack of squid that a few others did.  But tomorrow is a new day and I am sure it will be just as good as this one.

 

Kyle D

Pittsburg, PA

 

Students 14 years of age or older may now apply for a 2009 Wild Studies adventure!!

Click here for the application  : www.wildstudies.com/sit_contact2.asp