Adios Panama - We will return

This will be the last blog post from OIMB Goes To Panama 2013.What a lot we have seen, done and learned in these past two weeks.  We have worked hard, snorkeled miles, taken thousands of photos, eaten well, stretched our minds, and had a wonderful experience. Our explorations of the Caribbean Sea’s reefs, mangroves and sea grass beds have provided us a window on a world that few get to experience in the way we have been so fortunate to do.  

As one of the assignments for this course students wrote a daily journal.  With their permission I have included some notable entries as a way to share some thoughts of our experiences.

“I had an amazing day, it honestly felt like a dream, snorkeling on a coral reef with colorful fish.  I spent time on a Caribbean island and saw a nurse shark in the wild.  It was a great combination of biology, fun and relaxation.  It was a bucket list day.”

“This trip has been a growing experience for me in so many ways.  I now consider myself a brave and experienced snorkeler and my ability to recognize reef creatures and components has advanced beyond measure.”

“I wish people could hear us when we snorkel at night.  We are always seeing cool things so we shriek at each other through our snorkels.”

“Day one breakfast was prepared by our native born Boca del Torrosian chef, Gustavo.  He is friendly and has a warm laugh.  It makes me feel more comfortable and happy being here.”

"It is one thing to read about tropical ecosystems, but now that I have seen them up close it really makes you appreciate them and understand the weight of environmental issues they face.”

“We had a very productive morning.  We set up three transect lines, but it is much more challenging to measure out 15m, and wrap tape around a mangrove branch while snorkeling, than you would think.”

“The Zapatillas were awesome, we saw all kinds of corals.  I really enjoyed everyone’s attitude, everyone was calm and relaxed while snorkeling.”

 There is a lot I have leaned in the past week and a half, but I have to say I have definitely learned more about myself than about the biology of the organisms.”

“Sometimes ignorance is bliss.  I will never look at a banana in the same way again.”

“This was my first time using a quadrat underwater while snorkeling and it was difficult to write on the slate but it was a great way for us to learn new species.  At the start of the snorkel I was unsure about if something was a coral, alga, or a sponge but by the end I was much more confident in my ability to identify what I was seeing.”

“While I learned an incredible amount of information about tropical marine biology and environmental issues I feel the real life learning comes from being in a new place and pushing your comfort zone.  I may not be a fully fledged citizen of the world yet, but Panama has definitely helped me level up.”

We have many people to thank for this remarkable two weeks. Our gratitude goes to the Smithsonian Institution and the staff at the Bocas lab for hosting us so graciously in their fabulous facility.  The UO’s Williams Council was instrumental in providing the seed money that allowed us to set up this program. The UO Global Studies staff did all of the behind the scenes work to get the program up and running. A final thanks goes to our students; they bravely decided it was worth a gamble to sign up for a newly designed program, in a place they had never been.  It proved to be a good choice and it has given Richard and me the opportunity to get to know nine fine young men and women.  We have enjoyed almost every minute of living and working with them and we look forward to seeing them go out into the world and do well.

Jan Hodder