PIIP 2024

Today’s Adventure Today, we woke up at the same time, 5:30 a.m., to start our day with a traditional pot of coffee for energy. We headed back to the same trail to continue studying the plants. This time, climbing the mountain was much easier since I feel my physical condition has improved after all the hiking and athletic activities we've been doing daily. Halfway up the mountain, we ventured deeper into the jungle. The reason for this was to discover more plants and make better observations for our plant data. After hiking for over an hour and a half on a steep and humid incline, we reached the central part of the mountain. It was a physically demanding day, requiring a lot of effort to get where we were. On our way down, we appreciated some unique flowers, one of which resembled a small melon, something Yeni pointed out. In the afternoon, after returning from the mountain, we took a one-hour break before exploring the lower area of Batipa. We started by walking around and taking ...

 May 22, 2024: We woke up very early to start our day. Around 7:30, my team and I began preparing for our expedition in search of our plants. The weather was cloudy in the morning and very humid. It rained a little for only 30 minutes, and then it was just pure sunshine. Today, we had Victoria as our guide. Victoria is also a local here in Panama and an expert in crafts. Today was a bit different because we explored new paths and observed various types of fauna. I had the opportunity to find around 10 different plant varieties, and my teammates and I found a total of 50 varieties. This time, we were both walking and driving because one of the challenges we faced was being in areas with a lot of leaves, making it difficult to find plants and fruits. Victoria mentioned that the leaves kill all kinds of baby plants, preventing them from growing.We traveled around Batipa in search of more fauna, making a total of six stops for six different observations.

A Productive Day – May 27 On May 27th, we had the chance to work all morning to finish our poster presentation, as we had to present it in the afternoon before our teammate left. After working for over three hours, we finally completed the poster and were ready for the presentation. Around 2:00 p.m., we gave our presentation. It went well, although we had some issues with the projector, which wasn't focusing properly. Despite this minor problem, we managed to demonstrate the plants effectively, and Karolynn was able to participate in one of our activities. In the afternoon, Celestino and I continued practicing with the drone. This time, Celestino had the chance to fly the drone at a higher altitude and rotate the camera in different directions. We also practiced taking off and landing the drone. Before that, we went through the steps to prepare the drone and synchronize it with the internet. We reviewed how to use the app and balance the drone through its rotation axis. We repeated...

A Day of Fun and Relaxation – May 26 After working hard for five consecutive days, May 26th was a day of fun and relaxation. Unlike our usual routine, we went on an exciting adventure to explore the different islands and beaches Panama has to offer. We started our journey early at 6:30 a.m. to make sure we reached our destination on time. We set off in two small boats – one for the students and the other for the teachers. As we sailed, we admired the various houses along the ocean and the many tourist spots around the hotels. Our first stop was at one of the most famous beaches in Panama. The plan was to swim and enjoy the beautiful scenery. We were treated to some delicious traditional snacks, including polvorones (crumbly cookies), dulce de leche (caramel), guava jelly, and sweet coconut treats. We swam and practiced our strokes for about an hour before moving to another location further out in the water to spot fish or any other marine species. When we reached the new spot, we jumpe...

Today was a unique and special day for all of us. On May 25th, we had the opportunity to visit the community of (name) to give a talk and presentation about water conservation. We left at 7:30 a.m., which was quite early, to ensure we arrived on time at (name). We prepared by loading all our posters and materials into the car so that everything was ready for our presentation. After an hour of driving, we arrived, and from the very first moment, the community welcomed us warmly. We participated in a ceremony and also learned about their traditional dances. We learned about the needs and frustrations of the community. Next, we visited some of the medicinal plant gardens of Mr. Rogelio, where we learned about various healing plants and the local fruits of the community. Following this, we proceeded to present our talk on water conservation. My colleagues and I presented different posters and activities. Some of the topics we covered included what contaminated water is, the bacteria found ...

Today, Friday, May 24th, I spent around three hours in the morning helping Selestino, the president of Batipa, to implement and use a CJN drone for his daily activities. We faced some challenges as we had to integrate several installations on the drone and on the user's phone.We learned how to install the battery, insert the chip which is the brain of the drone, attach the antennas correctly, turn on the controls, and position the cameras properly. After completing the external installations, we moved on to connecting the drone.  We synchronized everything through the internet since the drone has a specific WiFi connection. Using the drone's application, we were able to connect the drone and its cameras. Once the app was ready, it was time to calibrate the drone and set the coordinates before taking off. After hours of effort, we successfully managed to get Selestino to fly his drone, and he was very happy. We plan to continue practicing until Selestino feels confident enough t...

Today, Tuesday, May 21, we woke up to a completely humid morning due to the rain from the previous day. The sky was clear, perfect for observing the landscape. The water was clear, and the trees looked incredible with their beautiful green color. It was very humid with a bit of wind, but it started raining again everywhere. Today was the second day of exploration. We began by driving to a new location but encountered some difficulties because a tree blocked part of our path, so we had to walk. On our journey, we found many types of plants, some of which help with headaches and muscle pain. Our good friend Alberto, a local member from Panama, guided us, showing the diverse variety of plants and fauna that this area has. During the day, we had the opportunity to collect around 25 different plant varieties. With the help of our Naturalist app, we documented the location, temperature, zone, and other details. It was super fun, and we enjoyed learning about the plants from experts like our ...

Salvador Ayala My first night in Batipa was a bit different from what I was used to, as there were various factors I wasn't exposed to before, like insects, heat, and humidity. These were things I had imagined before arriving, but they turned out to be completely different from what I expected. At night, we had to use mosquito repellent, and I slept in long pants and a long-sleeved shirt to prevent any bites. There were all sorts of animal noises—monkeys, birds, water—which made it interesting but also hard to sleep because I was constantly thinking about protecting myself from insect bites. In total, I slept around five hours, but I woke up at 2:00 am because I was very thirsty and sweating a lot. I needed to drink a lot of water before going back to sleep. Before fully waking up, I checked to make sure I didn't have any insect bites, and then I started my day by applying insect repellent and sunscreen. I prepared myself with all my work gear: boots, a hat, field pants, a long...