The trip destination was the Organization for Tropical Studies La Selva Biological Station, where students designed investigative projects to explore diverse aspects of rain forest ecology. This gives students a first-hand opportunity to learn about natural history and the ecology of a rain forest community with a biologically relevant international experience.

This year’s class conducted research projects to determine if rain forest epiphyte communities have the same successional changes in species diversity that would be expected in terrestrial plant communities. Each student devised, planned, and executed their own individual research project. The goal of these projects, according to Armstrong, is to provide students with hands-on learning opportunities that simply cannot be reproduced in the classroom. “You can only learn science by doing science. Everybody else just learns what science has found out,” said Armstrong.

 The Department of Biological Sciences began this course nine years ago and thus far, nearly 150 students have participated. Armstrong reports that although they have not lost a single student yet, awards are given for unintentional close calls with dangerous animals! This year Heather Les and Jason Siegler won awards for best research projects and presentations. Les researched defensive reactions of termites to nest invaders, where she experimentally damaged nests to elicit the reactions of soldiers and workers. Siegler studied mating, mate guarding behavior, and the effect of male size on large centipedes.

 Alumni of Biological Sciences are invited to join the 2005 field trip for an experience of a life time!