News That Stays News

Back at Palo Verde June 23, 2013

June 4, 2013

Palo Verde Biological Station

After another long day of travel (9:30: taxi ride to the bus terminal; 10:30: bus ride to Bagaces; 3:00 car ride to the field station; 4:00 arrive at the\station), I’m back at Palo Verde. The most obvious difference from last time is that the last half of the trip is accomplished under a steady rain. Unlike the dry season, when every afternoon seems to promise rain, the wet season actually follows through. This results in the second difference: everything is lush and green. If a tree looks dead, it probably is.

The third difference is the super-abundance of arthropods winging, crawling, and hopping about their business. I got the first hint of this back at the bus depot in San José, when I spotted a dark brown moth with discreet silver accents in broad daylight. The next was when I discovered a scorpion curled up on the shower curtain. (I decided we’d both be happier if I used the other shower.) The final hint (or straw) was when I woke up this morning and discovered that four or five cockroaches had cozied up to my shower loofah in an open plastic bag.