Hot, hot, hot! I am living near the southern coast of Ecuador. My host family tells me that the current weather is cool for Guayaquil. To me, it is certainly very toasty. We are also nearing the end of the dry season, so the there has not yet been any rain.
I have not started the field work for my research project yet! So, the animals I saw were all inside the Parque Histórico, a beautiful nature park near where I am living. Many different animal species, including macaws and sloths, can be found in Parque Histórico. The park aims to bromote biodiversity conservation! How does it do this? By spreading environmental awareness through education.
Mangroves! It was amazing to see mangrove trees in Parque Histórico even though this park is located in the middle of a very urban area. Mangroves are a type of tree found in muddy environments along coastlines in the tropics. The purpose of my trip to Ecuador is to study mangrove forests. Seeing the mangroves in the park made me very excited for my research to begin! Have you ever seen a mangrove forest?
