What's a Prairie Girl like You Doing in a Rainforest like This?

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Author: Bull, Ruth Short1

LAS CRUCES BIOLOGICAL STATION, Costa Rica. Slurp, slurp. A pipette sucks water and loose contents from the heliconia bract. Mosquitoes and other tiny bugs buzz around my head. Covered in OFF insect repellent, I am standing in a colony of 6-foot tall heliconia plants trying to keep my balance so I do not bump any stalks and knock the water out of them. I glance down every once in awhile, keeping watch for snakes or tarantulas, while I listen keenly for a hummingbird or the crack of thunder announcing a downpour of rain.

All this is going on as I gather my samples to take back to the lab and count the organisms under the microscope. This will put me very close to the water sample that smells similar to old-fashioned outhouses.

This was part of a typical day of my summer experience in Costa Rica. I was chosen to participate in a Research Experience for Faculty through the Organization of Tropical Studies (OTS). This particular program was funded through the National Science Foundation and targeted faculty at minority-serving institutions.

My research was conducted at the Las Cruces Biological Station and Wilson Botanical Garden in the southern Pacific slopes of Costa Rica. My mentor for my research project, Dr. Ray Petersen from Howard University, and two undergraduate students were conducting a related research project on bromeliads, a tropical American plant with fleshy leaves.

Every morning I awoke to the loud chorus of birds that began as the sun peeked over the horizon at about five o'clock. Growing up on the prairies I had often been awakened by the sweet songs of meadowlarks, but this was much different and much louder. To some, it sounded like a zoo.

I spent the remainder of the daylight collecting my samples from the various heliconia colonies, counting microscopic aquatic critters, and evaluating the water chemistry of the samples.

The Heliconia caribea is related to bananas and ginger that grow in Central and South America. Heliconia are phytotelmatal plants, which means they hold water. This water hosts a unique ecosystem of aquatic organisms and larvae. I observed the biodiversity and water chemistry of the phytotelmata.

Previous research addressed the total biodiversity and some water chemistry. Through my research, we learned new insights on pH and the relationship of mosquito larvae and a kind of crustacean called copepod.

As with most research, my findings provided some answers to our original questions but also created more questions. Previous research led by Dr. Ray Petersen on other pbytotelmata investigated water molds and aquatic fungi. Through radish seed biological assays, I tried to grow water molds from the Heliconia, and we couldn't figure out why they would not grow.

Of over 200 bio-assays, only 16 had positive results for water molds or aquatic fungi. This low incidence starkly contrasted with the incidence in bromeliads and purple pitcher plants. Through further observation and experiments, we found the copepods were eating the water molds and zoospores. Thus we contributed to the understanding of this mini-ecosystem.

It was exciting that my research had actually "discovered" something new. However, the things that touched my life and that were true lessons for me had little to do with my research project and "'hard science."

I was blessed to have my life touched by some very strong and powerful women who are true leaders for their people and communities. Women from my own home community supported me and helped make this entire experience a reality. Some of the women who worked with OTS had strong drives to "get the job done" and make sure it was done well.

Other women who touched my life were cooks and housekeepers at the botanical garden. Maria, an indigenous, Guaymi woman who lived near the botanical garden, served as a consultant for OTS's ethno-biology course and other cultural courses.

Each of these women exuded strength, love, and tenacity, making me proud to be a woman and want to strive to do more with my life. I also had the privilege of working with some extremely intelligent men who made science and research a big part of their lives but who had warm, caring spirits.

It was tough being so far from home and the culture and life I was used to. I could take my two preschool sons with me because my mother, Nellie Boyd, was able to come with me. This was a luxury I knew most interns in other programs did not have.

Nevertheless, I was a prairie girl who lived 8 weeks in the tropical rainforest of a Hispanic third-world country. I cannot explain my elation upon my return, flying over the patchwork fields of the Northern Plains.

Through my experience I shed many tears, tested my own strength, made some wonderful friends, shared much laughter, and grew as a person. I went into this adventure not knowing how far I would make it on this journey, but I did it. I made it all the way through.

Would I recommend this program or other OTS programs to others? Yes, I would. Even though it can be a real test of tenacity, the experience can impact the rest of their lives and change the way they see the world. This experience was hard, but it enriched my life more than I could imagine. It also helped build a greater appreciation for what we have at home.

My findings provided some answers to our original questions but also created more questions.

PHOTO (COLOR): MARIA, MY MENTOR. Maria, a Guaymi woman, lives near the botanical garden with her husbad, Alejandro.

MINI ECOSYSTEM. I collected water samples full of organismas from the heliconia.

PHOTO (COLOR): MAMA'S HELPER. While I collected samples, my youngest son, Francis, undid my measuing tape.

PHOTO (COLOR)

PHOTO (COLOR)

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By Ruth Short Bull

Ruth Short Bull (Hidatsa and Assiniboine) resides in New Town with two sons, Michael (age 5) and Francis (age 3), and their dog, Piggy. Although she has traveled throughout the United States and briefly in Canada and Mexico, this was the first time she traveled abroad. She was raised in the rolling prairies and rugged badlands of Mandaree, ND. For information about the OTS Research Experience for Faculty, email ots@duke.edu.