The Leatherback Trust project – June 3, 2022

Yesterday June 2, my class took a field trip to our local biological center with a few exchange students who came to visit us from Boston. Collectively we went to Playa Grande where we planted over 100 endangered tree species for reforestation to aid in leatherback turtle reproduction. During the field trip, I encountered many different challenges. It was extremely hot and humid, there were tons of bugs, and I also just lacked experience. As time progressed I came up with a strategy with my classmates that allowed us to each specialize in a specific task. I ended up digging the holes, Gracie would plant the tree and cover the roots with dirt, while Isa would retrieve the trees to plant. Once all the trees were planted the three of us were tasked with another job, which involved marking the newly planted trees for research. We ended up dividing the work again, to increase productivity. One of us cut the marking tape, another gathered sticks to tie the tape around and the other actually tied the tape around each tree and placed it next to the planted tree. I think next time we plant trees or do something similar we should mark the trees as we bury them. We most likely skipped and missed trees that we had planted because they weren't planted in order or in a specific section rather they were scattered around a large area of forest.