Real Research That Matters by Mikala Skelton

            In San Vito, at the Las Cruces Biological Station, we spent three weeks conducting research for our final projects. Every semester since my freshman year of college I have had at least one class that involved a laboratory section. I feel that have been doing research for a long time. But, with the research I was doing in San Vito, I felt that, even though my research was still for me to learn, finally I was doing something of importance that could end up benefitting other people and not just my own academics.

            For my independent project I worked with Sarah Nuss and Keaton Stoner to try and identify a more accessible and affordable insecticide that would help control the mosquito population and lower the risk of mosquito borne diseases in rural areas of Costa Rica. We looked at three tropical plants that are commonly found in living fences and, therefore, most people will have easy access to. Our results, although not entirely conclusive, showed promise of insecticidal potential for all of the plants we chose. This was an amazing research opportunity and I am sad that I will not be able to follow up my results with additional testing. I hope that, maybe one day I can continue this research as it could benefit the health of the population of Costa Rica.

            At the end of the three weeks, the four different research groups presented posters about their research and what they did or did not find. The audience was larger than I had expected and people were very interested in our projects and happy to interact. It was also really good practice for me to give the presentation in both Spanish and English. Overall, the final research projects were a great experience for me.

Home by Addie Cady

            Sitting here next to the fire in the high mountain Paraiso Quetzal lodge, feeling the first cold air I’ve experienced in Costa Rica and hearing the now so familiar laughter of twelve people whom I’ve come to love, I finally realize that things are coming to an end. It’s a bittersweet sentiment. I’m excited to go home, but as cliché as it may sound, home is where the heart is, and part of my heart is now here with my OTS family.

            This last block has been the culmination of so much promise. Everything seems to have come together, from the people to the projects, to sound a perfect note on which to end the semester. Friendships have become sisterhoods. We blast music and yelp loudly along, borrow each others’ clothes, snap at each other when we’re grumpy, and curl up, four or more girls spooning in a twin bed, to share our laughter and our tears. From times of exasperation to elation, we hold each other together. It has been the greatest gift I could imagine to be a part of such a wonderful community.

            Yet the community here stretches beyond just the people. Part of the wonder of being here is the raw beauty we experience: the way the moon laces its light through moss laden trees at night, the misty glow of morning sun through dense canopy, the fresh scent of rain and wood and life. I’ve covered every trail now in the Wilson Botanical Garden’s forest, hiking day and night, downpour and shine, at times very sure of where I am and at others very lost. It has brought a magic to the way I see the world. Three days ago I found myself ahead of my companions on a walk down to the river and I sat for a few minutes alone on its bank. The sun was setting and the light gleamed into my eyes and brought me to tears. I began to sing. The river hummed along and a bird called out in the distance, and I felt so at peace, one with the moment, one with myself. The other girls caught up then and for a minute we stood there together basking in the beauty of being in that place, and in the beauty of having each other.

            I’ve learned so much on this trip. When I sat down to write this I thought I would share the joy of feeling competent in Spanish, a funny anecdote or two about people sharing overly detailed stories about their sex lives during my week surveying parents on whether they had talked to their adolescents about contraceptives, the pride I experienced presenting our results in our poster session. But instead what came pouring out of me were memories of the moments that truly made this trip meaningful—being in one of the most beautiful places in the world, sharing moments of pure human compassion with some of its most beautiful people.

Lab Rats at Las Cruces by Amanda Strong

           

            We have come to the end of the semester here at the Las Cruces Biological Station. The last week has been primarily centered on the research of all the different groups. Due to the slowing down of the semester, the only reasonable topic to bring up is the research itself! Our group was tasked with the topic of “plant-based soaps.” Our instructions were to find local plants that contain chemicals called saponins, and see if they could be used to replace typical soap. Saponins are thought to be the main ingredient that allows the dirt and bacteria to be swept off of your skin. Learning the fact that saponins did not kill bacteria, but lifted and dragged the bacteria off the skin, is what encouraged us to go with the technique of handwashing in the lab.

The portions of each treatment used in our experiment. In order from top to bottom: PF, Clidemia hirta, Yucca elephantipes, and Phytolacca Rivinoides. *the species name for PF is undisclosed due to privacy rights.

            On the same night we were assigned our task, we all sat together hypothesizing about how we would test our new ideas. We concluded that we would use the plants to wash our hands – the same way we would with soap. How would we check to see if this worked? We would check bacterial growth on our hands from before washing and after washing. We also wanted to use two controls to see how effective our plants really were: Protex© antibacterial soap and plain tap water. Our plan worked out well. We researched four plants: Phytolacca rivinoides, Clidemia hirta, Yucca elephantipes, and PF (shown in the photo above) that are known to have high saponin content and did exactly what we had planned (well… more or less). We washed our hands with these plants and with the controls (sounds a lot simpler than it actually was) and watched the bacteria grow…or not grow.

            Our results were surprising! None of the treatments worked better than any of the others – meaning that none of the plants worked better than water, and neither did the Protex© antibacterial soap (see chart below). The good thing is that each of them did, indeed, decrease the bacterial load on our hands. The group had to chalk-up our results to good handwashing technique and clean water as the fundamental necessities when it comes to handwashing! Of course, there are many implications in the lab that could have skewed our results and we have plenty of ideas for future research.

            It is a bittersweet moment, because a part of me is relieved the semester is over, but another part of me would have really liked to continue the research and answer the questions we now have. Perhaps, next semester, a different group will pick up where we left off!

Grey bars = bacterial load before handwashing. Black bars = bacterial load after washing. Each treatment shows a decrease in bacteria overall, but there is no significant difference between how well each treatment worked. In order from left to right: PF, Phytolacca rivinoides, Clidemia hirta, Yucca elephantipes, Protex© soap, and water.

Unplugged by Sarah French

On Monday, November 9^th, we visited Las Alturas for three days.  OTS owns a small cabin in Las Alturas, which is a large area of private, protected land.  The owner of the land maintains a small dairy farm and greenhouses to supply food to the community, but it is mainly conserved land.  The plants grown in the greenhouse are experimental; here, the most common and highest yield crops we are used to seeing elsewhere cannot be found, but rather the agriculturists and resident agronomist try to grow plants from different regions, ones that need lower levels of pesticides, and see what works best.

            We had spent the past week in San Jose and were all pretty fed up with the traffic, air pollution, and noise.  There could not have been a more perfect place for us to visit and unwind.  We did not have Internet, electricity, or any assignments looming over our heads. We were completely unplugged.  We hiked, ran, and learned from the farmers and gardeners working the land.  During the nights we all spent time together playing card games, talking, singing, and reading.  It was a much-needed break from technology and reintroduction to being together again, as we did not have the chance to see one another as often in San Jose.

            Our time in Las Alturas felt like summer camp. The wooden building smelled just like the cabins at my camp. We were unplugged, 100% present in the moment. That is one of the most special things about summer camp, there are no distractions; friendships kindle in a heartbeat.  Though we had already spent three months together in nature, in Las Alturas it felt different.  It was truly just us, and we were really out in the middle of nowhere.  I felt a true sense of contentment.  Looking back on this semester, I know that sitting on the porch that first day at Las Alturas singing along to Keaton playing the guitar is a moment that will stick with me forever.