Arenal Volcano Field Trip pt. 1

This past weekend, we took our second big field trip to the Arenal Volcano. The volcano actually ended up being only a small part of the field trip. Before we even got to the volcano we stopped at Eco Centro Danaus (danaus refers to the scientific name for a butterfly - www.ecocentrodanaus.com). At Eco Centro Danaus we took a short tour of the property and got to see tons of animals in their natural environments.

Butterflies in a small butterfly house

Red-eyed tree frog!

Our guide said this is called a basilisk (yes, like in Harry Potter), but according to Wikipedia they are mythical creatures... not sure what to make of that. **According to a different wikipedia page, The Common Basilisk (Basiliscus basiliscus) is a lizard found in Central and South American rainforests near rivers and streams. Thanks for the help, Grandpa!** It's also sometimes called a Jesus Christ lizard because it can run across water.

A mama and baby caiman sunbathing

Some sensi-plant! Caitlin, I hope you're reading this!!! There is an UNBELIEVABLE amount of sensi-plant in Costa Rica. Thankfully I've shared the joy of sensi-plants with some of my classmates, so now I'm not the only one getting excited. For those of you who have not yet experienced the joy of sensi-plants, please click here and prepare to be amazed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLTcVNyOhUc

Upside down sloth munching on some tree

There are also Heliconias all over Costa Rica! They collect water and attract hummingbirds.

I forget what this was called, but it was adorable. When it stands up it sort of looks like a teeny tiny pig. Possibly a relative of the tapir?

After lunch we went to the nearby Maleku House to learn about the religious ceremonies of the Maleku people (an indigenous group in Costa Rica).

Megan even got to be a part of the ceremony!

The house was full of beautiful wooden masks, rain sticks, and drums.

After our time at Eco Centro Danaus and the Maleku House, we headed on toward the Arenal Volcano...