Mrs. Renz's 4th Grade Class JASON XV Expedition Panama Field Notes

Real Science. Real Time. Real Learning.

Mrs. Renz was selected to join the JASON XV Project expedition team, traveling with the scientists and production team to the remote locations of Panama including Barro Colorado Island and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in the middle of the Panama Canal Zone. This opportunity allowed the student and teacher Argonauts joining Dr. Robert Ballard, world class scientists, and guest researchers at the expedition site. Mrs. Renz was in Panama two weeks. Her fourth graders followed her journey each day as she updated her website with her daily journals and photos.

Mrs. Renz's Field Journal

Today we left the hotel at 7 a.m. headed for the Metropolitan Park in Panama City to film an episode about the canopy crane. Click here to control the camera in the crane and to look around. We picked up Stephanie Bohlman, a NASA scientist, along the way. Stephanie took Student Argo Lisa up in the crane and filmed the episode. After a long day of waiting on the ground, the Teacher Argos got to take a ride in the rectangular steel gondola high above the treetops of the canopy. The diversity of trees was amazing and the view of the Panama City skyline was gorgeous. You could also see the Bridge of the Americas and the Pacific Ocean entrance to the Panama Canal in the distance. The crane took up us over 100 feet in the air. What amazed me was how different trees are being eaten by insects at vastly different rates. One tree had lots of fresh new leaves and seemed untouched by the herbivory taking place in other trees. Stephanie Bohlman confirmed that the reason what that the tree has a white, sticky sap which insects do not like, so they leave it alone (for the most part). The weather was hot and it was very humid in the forest. So far I feel very lucky because I have not had one bug bite in the five days I have been in the rainforest. Maybe the DEET I am spraying on my pant cuffs and socks is helping after all! I feel so lucky to have this experience in this beautiful country of Panama and hope you are learning something, too. Stay tuned for tomorrow's adventures.

Mrs. Renz's Photos from Panama
Stephanie Bohlman, NASA scientist	View from high atop the canopy
Looking down upon the tree tops
Hi from Mrs. Renz from the treetops of Metropolitan Park in Panama City
Panama City skyline
Panama City skyline
Looking straight down from the crane basket at the tree tops
View of the canopy crane from the ground (my zoom lens was on)
Looking through the floor of the canopy crane basket to the treetops below
Canopy crane operator, Edwin, controls the crane's movements
This leaf was 100 feet above the ground. It was two-colored.
An example of a tree's chemical defense - look closely at the white sap where the leaf was taken off. The sap was very sticky and repels insects from eating it. Notice the leaves look untouched by insects.
An interesting caterpillar with black suction cup feet.

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Feb. 1

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