PIIP 2024 NICK TEGEN

 Day 10 in Panama:           Today, we had the honor of presenting our posters to the president of Oteima. I was super nervous, but we did a good job. Thank goodness for Deya, my friend and Spanish-speaking interpreter, she worked so hard to help us convey our message effectively. It was an incredible experience to showcase our work to such an important figure. Our poster was about the diverse species of mammals, birds, and reptiles found in mosaic landscapes. We highlighted the unique interactions and ecological significance of these animals within their fragmented habitats. The president seemed genuinely interested and asked insightful questions. Overall a success!

 Day 9 Panama camera pick up day: Today, we went into various forest areas to retrieve game cameras, visiting the one-year forest, corridor, four-year forest, mountain, nine-year forest, and a nineteen-year forest. After checking the cameras, we were stoked to find footage of a whitetail doe, a peccary pig, and an unidentified species that might be an armadillo. The picture was only the body and not the head.

 Day 8 in Panama beach Day! Today was absolutely amazing and incredibly relaxing. We took a boat to different islands, exploring stunning beaches along the way. The scenery was beautiful. We went tubing, saw bottlenose dolphins, and snorkeled. I took a nap under a tree in the shade it was pure paradise. The feeling of the warm, soft sand between my toes was incredibly therapeutic, melting away all the stress. We had so much fun splashing in the water and enjoying the serene atmosphere. Drinking fresh coconuts added to the tropical vibe I loved it! Overall, it was a perfect day filled with fun, relaxation, and unforgettable memories.

 Day 6 Panama: I saw my first dart frog today! 

 Day 5 in Panama: Deyaneira and I were walking up the mountain trail at around 6 am. As we walked in the dark in root to survey bird sounds, we had a incredible experience that scared us half to death! It is pretty quite just before sunrise it seems. Above us which seemed no less than 10 feet a group of howler monkeys let out there howls and about gave us a heart attack. I looked at Deya with giant owl eyes together we quickly walked away from the howlers afraid to look up the howler monkey's sounded like possessed demons. It was horrifying! Monkeys sometimes if they think you are to close they will throw feces or mangos at you with apparently extreme accuracy lol. We did not want to stick around and find out.

 Day 4 in Panama: Today we went to the 19 year old forest. It was the most active forest I have seen yet. We found a deer bed and according to Celestino was a whitetail deer. There were trails everywhere from wildlife. Jordan found a perfect hoof print in the mud.

 Day 3 in Panamanian jungle: Last night we had a gnarly thunder and lightning storm. Several beds got wet and it was a rush to move beds to try to keep all of are beds, and bedding dry. I really enjoy storms and this did not disappoint.  Today I got switched from my group of plants to the group with mammals. I was very excited! It was very hot and humid today. Bug spray stings like a mother when you wipe your sweat with a towel over and over lol.  In are project we are setting up game cameras to see what area of the forest hold the most animals. We are also setting flagging to mark distances to test bird sounds. I'm not exactly sure how it works I will find out tomorrow. I'm excited to have an adventure tomorrow with my new group!

 Day 2 in the jungle of Panama: We went on a hike today in the wildlife corridor to a pond. I saw a lizard run on top of the water,  it was pretty wild. It was like something you would see in a National Geographic episode on tv. The lizard ran on his back two legs for 20 feet on top of the water before he reached the shore. There were small crocodile also we saw that were on top of the water with just his eyes above water. The water was fairly clear so you could make out the whole body of the reptilian. The crocodile seemed to not have a care in the world. He was very photogenic.  We also so many different plants with medicinal properties. Unfortunately I can not remember the names I wish I would have wrote them down. One plant if you boil and drink it will help with back pain. Another helps with headaches.  I am looking forward to our first full day in the field tomorrow working on research of plants!

 Today was an amazing experience! I saw Howler monkeys for the first time! There was a nice size family with several babies that were super cute. They were eating mangos. If there was a mango they didn't like they would through it on the ground and grab another. I feel like a kid in a candy store, very blessed and humbled to be in this amazing place. I loved hearing the sounds of the howler monkeys at night, which if you didn't know there sound would be a scary sound of a monsterous prehistoric beast. It was music to my ears. I love Panama it is very beautiful. The sunrise the smorning was beautiful.  Are hosts are wonderful people.  Aloha Panama!