Return to Costa Rica - February 2003
Costa Rica
Return to Costa Rica -- February 2003
Overview
Holbrook recently sponsored its third Field-Based
Learning Seminar in Selva Verde, Costa Rica. PASCO was proud to be asked back
again to participate in this 4-day event, assisting educators in hands-on,
inquiry-based learning. For an overview of the two previous events, visit
PASCO's "Across the
Planet" page and scroll down to the "Central America" section.
Teachers' Seminar
Teachers from across the U.S. participated in this Field-Based Learning Seminar.
Our naturalist guide, Ramon, shared the history of his native country as we
explored the incredible biodiversity of its flora and fauna. In addition to
viewing this breathtaking country, we used PASCO's probeware to measure
environmental factors that make this part of the world unique.
The Learning Center
The equipment PASCO donated to the Sarapiqui Conservation Learning Center (SCLC)
will continue to be used throughout the year by visiting teachers, student
groups and local school children. The PASCO probeware activities below are
available at the center for rainforest experiments:
- Cut Humidity with a Knife
- Electrifying Fruit
- Keeping it Natural
- Temperature . . . It's Everywhere
- Under Pressure
- Volcano Vertigo
- Go with the Flow
- Let There Be Light
- Salinity in the Soil
Sarapiqui River
The Sarapiquí River winds through a region known as the land of "Eternal Spring." The rainforest borders its banks, offering a view of Costa Rica's most vibrant and lush tropical scenery. This free-flowing river begins in the clear mountain streams that run down through thick rainforests and finally join the waters of the beautiful Sarapiquí. During the rainy summer season, the river can quickly rise and overflow its banks. Our two-hour boat journey down the river provided us an excellent opportunity to view a variety of wildlife.
Using both a Temperature and pH Sensor, we measured water samples at two
different locations and compared the readings. The first reading was at a garden
pond near the lodge and the second was on the Sarapiqui River: