Discover, Plan & Go!

The World Resources Institute estimates that each year 13.7 million hectares of tropical forest are cut down, with drastic consequences for biodiversity and local economic sustainability. Sally Silverstone and Dr. Mark Nelson (Institute of Ecotechnics) are testing a new way to harvest rainforest trees by mimicking nature. The project staff cuts long, three-meter-wide slots through the forest, each line separated by ten meters of intact rainforest, as if a canopy tree had fallen in the rainforest. They plant tree seedlings in each line, and then harvest the trees later without disturbing the surrounding forest. Silverstone and Nelson are evaluating their two decades of research to see which planting sites are working best and what their impact is on surrounding forest.

The first thing you will need to learn when you arrive is how to identify and measure certain trees. Project staff will be there to help you. You will then be helping us to locate, measure and plot the progress of some of the thousands of trees that have been planted on the site since 1984. In the process of doing this you will be hiking through beautiful, very old, tropical rainforest areas, sometimes climbing up steep hillsides, sometimes following fast flowing rivers. Some of the trees you will be measuring have already been established in study plots. In other cases you will be establishing new study areas that future teams of scientists will follow up on. You will have the chance to join a night expedition into the forest to help count coquis. In your free time you will be able to enjoy hikes (if you still have the energy), take a dip in one of our rivers, take part in some forest craft activities, use the project library to learn more about the ecology of the area, or just relax and enjoy a piece of rainforest that very few other people have had a chance to visit (our site is well off the beaten track).

The project is, for the most part, physically demanding but we will do our best to accommodate the needs of younger children on this trip. The site is on steep slopes and in some places the undergrowth is thick. Long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and boots with good tread are a must. The forest itself is very safe with no poisonous snakes and very few poisonous insects, and to date we have not sited the legendary Chupacabra.

Be prepared for rain to stop work and play; the weather is totally unpredictable and in very heavy rain, clambering up and down the wet slopes is not only difficult, it is also damaging to the slopes. Also be prepared to exercise not only your body, but your patience as well. In some areas it may take you quite a while to locate a single mahogany tree or you may have to sit and wait out a heavy downpour – welcome to the world of field research!

In the afternoon you will be able to come home to comfortable accommodations, a shower, some fun and games, a good meal, and a magical evening listening to the coqui calling through the night.

As an Eons member, you'll get a free, 1 year membership to Earthwatch — a $35 value — when you sign up on any expedition. And members pay $100 less on their expedition contribution — so you save $135! Just put code EONS2007 in the comment field on the signup form, or, if you call, tell the Expedition Coordinator that you found us on Eons.

Earthwatch expedition-related costs may be tax-deductible in the US as volunteer expenses. Please check with your tax adviser.