Comments

Student Comments from Previous Trips

Jim Dunford
Venezuelan Allure: Exploring Henri Pittier National Park
Tropical entomology is alive in Venezuela’s oldest national park, Parque Nacional Henri Pittier. The journey begins as soon as you exit the airport in Valencia, and new experiences await you through the mountain pass on the trek to Maracay and your final destination, Rancho Grande, a biological research station in the heart of the park. People and business bustle in Maracay, and a new perspective on life is televised through your vehicle’s windows. Neighbors gather on sidewalks, vendors chat with customers, and drivers honk to say hello. Maracay is truly a place to experience in itself, but the anticipation of the park and the nature above the city is overwhelming.
The ascent to the station follows a winding road with breathtaking vistas around every corner. As Maracay fades into the valley below, keen eyes will spot arboreal termite nests and leaf cutter ant mounds, and if the sun shines, butterflies will dance along the road’s edge. There is one more sharp turn as you enter the path to the station; an opening in the forest canopy reveals a castle--the ominous structure before you: Rancho Grande. With walls covered in lichen carpets and rust colored cascades, a long rope dangling from the top balcony awaits your week’s worth of necessities. A smile and a handshake welcomes you, and the station’s eerie presence soon subsides as you meet the faces of Venezuela. The park rangers and staff at the station are most friendly, and the dense foliage and screams of wildlife begin to take you far away from home--paradise at last! A tour of the station’s interior reveals decades of cultural history and architectural intrigue, and an expansive balcony above elevates you into the surrounding trees, and occasionally, a passing cloud.
Rest is calling, but so is adventure. Trails radiate out into the surrounding forest, and prospective projects abound both in the trees above and on the ground below. Army ants march on their own trails while insects scatter to safe havens; odd-looking treehoppers, caterpillars, and beetles are sprinkled in the dense foliage along the paths. Gaps in the canopy allow the sun to sprout new growth, and many plants bare spines and large leaves, while trees stand tall on giant trunks. Nightfall at the station awakens legions of nocturnal insects and the bats that find them tasty. A flashlight or a headlamp tour of the area surrounding the building will reveal flying walkingsticks, glowing beetles, giant millipedes, and curious spiders. The park rangers may give you a tour to look for bats, and if you’re lucky, poisonous snakes. Do inquire about setting up a mercury vapor light, the moths and beetles invited to the station arrive in all sizes, shapes, and colors.
Morning at the station brings the call of howler monkeys, and occasionally the infrequent movement of a sloth. Breakfast, as well as lunch and dinner, are prepared for you, and a true taste of local cuisine is provided during your stay. Just up the road there is an opening in the forest, a bird and insect flyway that overlooks Maracay and the dense greenery below--a spectacular site to watch the aerobatics of flight. There are many side trips to be taken, ones that will introduce you to banana, sugarcane, and cacao plantations, tangled mangroves in the Caribbean, and Colonia Tovar, a German settled city 6,000 feet above sea level. Parks near Colonia Tovar welcome giant scarab beetles to their bamboo forests, and strange bromeliads grow in the short trees scattered about the mountainside.
Visitation of the University in Maracay will give you a chance to meet the entomologists working there and students busy about campus. The insect collection has species that you have viewed only in museum displays until now, and interest in our insect fauna leads to much discussion. As if there has not been enough to see, the cars that pass the station on the weekend remind you that you are near some of the most spectacular beaches in the world--the last day’s reward for a weeks worth of exploration. Dr. Frank organizes and leads a once in a lifetime adventure, and experiences with exotic nature, as well as culture, are rewarding.

Jennifer Simpson
The mountain views really grabbed me. The landscape is gorgeous! The insect diversity was incredible, not to mention the many other forms of wildlife we encountered. While hiking, our conversations were often dappled with outbreaks of "Come here guys, check this one out!"
The people are unforgettable. And if you want to, you can learn as much Spanish during these ten days than you could get in a Semester of class. So bring a dictionary and take advantage of the extra learning opportunity. You will find that if you are open and friendly --no matter how horrible your Spanish! --Venezuelans will return that friendliness ten-fold.
This really is one great learning experience. Don't waste any time or you'll be crunched when it comes time to finish your projects. Pick a project that won't be too complicated or too time consuming. Don't be nervous about presenting your projects, it is actually kind of fun to talk and hear about what everyone has been working on.
You will need a lot of energy! You get up early and go, go, go till late. It's work and learning but it can be fun and exciting. Anyone who is thinking of pursuing a career involving travel to South America, or any tropical country, should take this trip. (Have a blast at the beach, and bring a watermelon, for luck.)

Karen McKenzie
Rancho Grande is a very old hotel that is now a research station. It was beautiful! Like looking out over a castle sitting in the middle of a rain forest. Okay, it may not have actually been a rain forest, but it was moist enough to make it seem that way.
A good idea would be to waterproof all of your luggage and the outside of your sleeping bag with scotchgard or some other waterproofer. When you go to sleep make sure all of your clean clothes are nicely tucked inside your luggage and zipped up. If not, your fresh clothes, the next morning, will be fresh and damp. When you get up in the morning (7:00 am) tuck your pillow inside your sleeping bag so that it won't be damp when you go to sleep that night. Be prepared to hike and see beautiful sites, but be aware these are all a part of a schedule that was set up long before you arrived and needs to be kept. It is not a vacation (although it’s a lot of fun) it is a class. You are given a basic schedule before you leave you should arrange things around that schedule. For example, there will be a scheduled day for you to make phone calls and send postcards, so let your friends and family know ahead of time that you won’t be contacting them before that time, it makes the trip a lot more enjoyable for the rest of the class if one person isn’t constantly trying to change the schedule.
Things to pack:

A hat (there is not a lot of hot shower water flowing, so washing hair will probably not be a priority)

Toilet paper (Rancho Grande’s…. well…)
Extra shoes (Hiking in the mud is fun until you need your shoes the next day)
Warm clothes (South American mountain tops are still cold)
Most importantly take a camera and plenty of film, there is so much beauty surrounding Venezuela and Rancho Grande that you won’t want to forget anything
Remember to listen to Dr Frank, he knows the language and he’s not adverse to having a lot of fun

Richard Pluke
The trip to Venezuela was the highlight of the Tropical Entomology course. Rancho Grande is a unique place, perched on a mountain ridge above the city of Maracay. The study center is in the middle of the Henri Pittier National Park, a park of enormous biological diversity and natural beauty. Apart from the riches of the park itself, there is also easy access to the coast on one side of the mountain range and to the University (UCV), city of Maracay, Lake Valencia and the farmlands on the other.
The people we met at Rancho Grande and at the University were exceptionally friendly. They made our group feel comfortable from Day 1 and over the course of the trip we became good friends with many of them. This was particularly true of the ladies who were in charge of keeping us fed and watered. Having great food goes a long way to making a successful trip. Another important aspect of being in Venezuela was the language. Knowing a little bit of Spanish really does help. In our experience there were some people that knew English but the majority of people that we met did not. Even if you don't know that much, people really appreciate it if you give it a go. You will be surprised at how much you will learn in that short time!

So apart from that, here are a few tips on making sure you have the best time possible:

Take warm clothes - it can get really cold at Rancho Grande. Expect to get wet - waterproofs are important. Have more than one change of shoes.

Take a good flashlight

Take a Spanish dictionary

Take Spanish lessons beforehand

If you are prone to car sickness make sure you have tablets for it

When planning your individual project, make sure that it is not too involved or complicated. Flexibility is the key.

Make sure that Dr Frank gets his morning coffee, he will be much more amenable to being the group's translator after that!

Enjoy the trip! You will be seeing and doing stuff that, as Master Card puts it, is priceless.

Accept everything for what it is (there will be things not as you would expect) and make the most of every situation. A definite recipe for having an amazing time

Leah Ayn Koch
Tropical Entomology in Venezuela....from the perspective of a entomology minor.

Unlike the others on the trip, I was not a graduate student but the only undergraduate in the group. An undergraduate not even majoring in Entomology! However, I am extremely interested in the tropics (and entomology). I found out about the class through the Undergraduate Catalog for the University as I was choosing the classes for my minor. I knew I had to take this class...after speaking with Dr Frank who ran through the costs and expectations... I was hooked. How else could I get tropical field experience at such a bargain price - room, board, and transportation included. This has probably been the best decision I have ever made and the most pleasing.
Venezuela is such a beautiful land. Yes, there is quite a bit of poverty, but nothing that I didn't expect and this still all depends on your standards. I actually liked it. I can say I felt very much at home there, language barrier and all. I loved the feel of the mountains, especially the cloud forest surrounding Rancho Grande. Rancho Grande...now that is a sight! A very large, partially built mansion. With some very exciting exploration, we even found a spiral staircase. The view from Rancho Grande encompasses all of Valencia, including lake Valencia. If you like tropical climate and sights you won't be disappointed.
During the trip we got a chance to meet and speak with many natives. Although none of us spoke Spanish fluently, we seemed to manage communication. There were lots of pantomiming and use of facial expression to get points across. Many other groups visited Rancho Grande while we were there, each lending a new twist to the experience.
Overall this is a very insightful class full of experience. Personally, I had no complaints about Venezuela - the people nor the lands. This class is a very intense class not to be mistaken for a tourist-attraction-vacation. Don't expect to experience the night-life nor tropical shopping sprees. I would suggest using this time to take advantage of the days you have in the field. Get a head start on each day and keep moving, you won't miss a beat or lose any spare time at the end of the evenings this way. Most of all be open to the culture, have fun, explore, relax, listen...oh, and keep up with your projects.

Phillip Lake
I thoroughly enjoyed the Tropical Entomology Lecture and Lab. I enjoyed it so much that eventually I became a graduate student under Dr Frank. I could pontificate endlessly about the merits of the trip and what I experienced. But I think I should use this space to talk about what NOT to do or expect out of the trip to Venezuela. It is NOT a vacation. You will have a great time, Dr Frank has quite a lot of interesting and fun things for you to see while you are there. Be conscious of the needs of the group. It is very important that the group gets along for everyone to have an enjoyable experience. Besides that, everything should be fine. If you have lived in Florida you will find that the mosquitoes and heat are not as bad in Venezuela as they are in Florida. It is a beautiful site where you will stay. Finally, keep your eyes open for all the amazing wildlife (iridescent hummingbirds, leaf cutting ants, Howler monkeys, earthworms that climb trees, etc.)

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Jim Dunford	Venezuelan Allure: Exploring Henri Pittier National Park Tropical entomology is alive in Venezuela’s oldest national park, Parque Nacional Henri Pittier. The journey begins as soon as you exit the airport in Valencia, and new experiences await you through the mountain pass on the trek to Maracay and your final destination, Rancho Grande, a biological research station in the heart of the park. People and business bustle in Maracay, and a new perspective on life is televised through your vehicle’s windows. Neighbors gather on sidewalks, vendors chat with customers, and drivers honk to say hello. Maracay is truly a place to experience in itself, but the anticipation of the park and the nature above the city is overwhelming. The ascent to the station follows a winding road with breathtaking vistas around every corner. As Maracay fades into the valley below, keen eyes will spot arboreal termite nests and leaf cutter ant mounds, and if the sun shines, butterflies will dance along the road’s edge. There is one more sharp turn as you enter the path to the station; an opening in the forest canopy reveals a castle--the ominous structure before you: Rancho Grande. With walls covered in lichen carpets and rust colored cascades, a long rope dangling from the top balcony awaits your week’s worth of necessities. A smile and a handshake welcomes you, and the station’s eerie presence soon subsides as you meet the faces of Venezuela. The park rangers and staff at the station are most friendly, and the dense foliage and screams of wildlife begin to take you far away from home--paradise at last! A tour of the station’s interior reveals decades of cultural history and architectural intrigue, and an expansive balcony above elevates you into the surrounding trees, and occasionally, a passing cloud. Rest is calling, but so is adventure. Trails radiate out into the surrounding forest, and prospective projects abound both in the trees above and on the ground below. Army ants march on their own trails while insects scatter to safe havens; odd-looking treehoppers, caterpillars, and beetles are sprinkled in the dense foliage along the paths. Gaps in the canopy allow the sun to sprout new growth, and many plants bare spines and large leaves, while trees stand tall on giant trunks. Nightfall at the station awakens legions of nocturnal insects and the bats that find them tasty. A flashlight or a headlamp tour of the area surrounding the building will reveal flying walkingsticks, glowing beetles, giant millipedes, and curious spiders. The park rangers may give you a tour to look for bats, and if you’re lucky, poisonous snakes. Do inquire about setting up a mercury vapor light, the moths and beetles invited to the station arrive in all sizes, shapes, and colors. Morning at the station brings the call of howler monkeys, and occasionally the infrequent movement of a sloth. Breakfast, as well as lunch and dinner, are prepared for you, and a true taste of local cuisine is provided during your stay. Just up the road there is an opening in the forest, a bird and insect flyway that overlooks Maracay and the dense greenery below--a spectacular site to watch the aerobatics of flight. There are many side trips to be taken, ones that will introduce you to banana, sugarcane, and cacao plantations, tangled mangroves in the Caribbean, and Colonia Tovar, a German settled city 6,000 feet above sea level. Parks near Colonia Tovar welcome giant scarab beetles to their bamboo forests, and strange bromeliads grow in the short trees scattered about the mountainside. Visitation of the University in Maracay will give you a chance to meet the entomologists working there and students busy about campus. The insect collection has species that you have viewed only in museum displays until now, and interest in our insect fauna leads to much discussion. As if there has not been enough to see, the cars that pass the station on the weekend remind you that you are near some of the most spectacular beaches in the world--the last day’s reward for a weeks worth of exploration. Dr. Frank organizes and leads a once in a lifetime adventure, and experiences with exotic nature, as well as culture, are rewarding.
Jennifer Simpson	The mountain views really grabbed me. The landscape is gorgeous! The insect diversity was incredible, not to mention the many other forms of wildlife we encountered. While hiking, our conversations were often dappled with outbreaks of "Come here guys, check this one out!" The people are unforgettable. And if you want to, you can learn as much Spanish during these ten days than you could get in a Semester of class. So bring a dictionary and take advantage of the extra learning opportunity. You will find that if you are open and friendly --no matter how horrible your Spanish! --Venezuelans will return that friendliness ten-fold. This really is one great learning experience. Don't waste any time or you'll be crunched when it comes time to finish your projects. Pick a project that won't be too complicated or too time consuming. Don't be nervous about presenting your projects, it is actually kind of fun to talk and hear about what everyone has been working on. You will need a lot of energy! You get up early and go, go, go till late. It's work and learning but it can be fun and exciting. Anyone who is thinking of pursuing a career involving travel to South America, or any tropical country, should take this trip. (Have a blast at the beach, and bring a watermelon, for luck.)
Karen McKenzie	Rancho Grande is a very old hotel that is now a research station. It was beautiful! Like looking out over a castle sitting in the middle of a rain forest. Okay, it may not have actually been a rain forest, but it was moist enough to make it seem that way. A good idea would be to waterproof all of your luggage and the outside of your sleeping bag with scotchgard or some other waterproofer. When you go to sleep make sure all of your clean clothes are nicely tucked inside your luggage and zipped up. If not, your fresh clothes, the next morning, will be fresh and damp. When you get up in the morning (7:00 am) tuck your pillow inside your sleeping bag so that it won't be damp when you go to sleep that night. Be prepared to hike and see beautiful sites, but be aware these are all a part of a schedule that was set up long before you arrived and needs to be kept. It is not a vacation (although it’s a lot of fun) it is a class. You are given a basic schedule before you leave you should arrange things around that schedule. For example, there will be a scheduled day for you to make phone calls and send postcards, so let your friends and family know ahead of time that you won’t be contacting them before that time, it makes the trip a lot more enjoyable for the rest of the class if one person isn’t constantly trying to change the schedule. Things to pack: A hat (there is not a lot of hot shower water flowing, so washing hair will probably not be a priority) Toilet paper (Rancho Grande’s…. well…) Extra shoes (Hiking in the mud is fun until you need your shoes the next day) Warm clothes (South American mountain tops are still cold) Most importantly take a camera and plenty of film, there is so much beauty surrounding Venezuela and Rancho Grande that you won’t want to forget anything Remember to listen to Dr Frank, he knows the language and he’s not adverse to having a lot of fun
Richard Pluke	The trip to Venezuela was the highlight of the Tropical Entomology course. Rancho Grande is a unique place, perched on a mountain ridge above the city of Maracay. The study center is in the middle of the Henri Pittier National Park, a park of enormous biological diversity and natural beauty. Apart from the riches of the park itself, there is also easy access to the coast on one side of the mountain range and to the University (UCV), city of Maracay, Lake Valencia and the farmlands on the other. The people we met at Rancho Grande and at the University were exceptionally friendly. They made our group feel comfortable from Day 1 and over the course of the trip we became good friends with many of them. This was particularly true of the ladies who were in charge of keeping us fed and watered. Having great food goes a long way to making a successful trip. Another important aspect of being in Venezuela was the language. Knowing a little bit of Spanish really does help. In our experience there were some people that knew English but the majority of people that we met did not. Even if you don't know that much, people really appreciate it if you give it a go. You will be surprised at how much you will learn in that short time! So apart from that, here are a few tips on making sure you have the best time possible: Take warm clothes - it can get really cold at Rancho Grande. Expect to get wet - waterproofs are important. Have more than one change of shoes. Take a good flashlight Take a Spanish dictionary Take Spanish lessons beforehand If you are prone to car sickness make sure you have tablets for it When planning your individual project, make sure that it is not too involved or complicated. Flexibility is the key. Make sure that Dr Frank gets his morning coffee, he will be much more amenable to being the group's translator after that! Enjoy the trip! You will be seeing and doing stuff that, as Master Card puts it, is priceless. Accept everything for what it is (there will be things not as you would expect) and make the most of every situation. A definite recipe for having an amazing time
Leah Ayn Koch	Tropical Entomology in Venezuela....from the perspective of a entomology minor. Unlike the others on the trip, I was not a graduate student but the only undergraduate in the group. An undergraduate not even majoring in Entomology! However, I am extremely interested in the tropics (and entomology). I found out about the class through the Undergraduate Catalog for the University as I was choosing the classes for my minor. I knew I had to take this class...after speaking with Dr Frank who ran through the costs and expectations... I was hooked. How else could I get tropical field experience at such a bargain price - room, board, and transportation included. This has probably been the best decision I have ever made and the most pleasing. Venezuela is such a beautiful land. Yes, there is quite a bit of poverty, but nothing that I didn't expect and this still all depends on your standards. I actually liked it. I can say I felt very much at home there, language barrier and all. I loved the feel of the mountains, especially the cloud forest surrounding Rancho Grande. Rancho Grande...now that is a sight! A very large, partially built mansion. With some very exciting exploration, we even found a spiral staircase. The view from Rancho Grande encompasses all of Valencia, including lake Valencia. If you like tropical climate and sights you won't be disappointed. During the trip we got a chance to meet and speak with many natives. Although none of us spoke Spanish fluently, we seemed to manage communication. There were lots of pantomiming and use of facial expression to get points across. Many other groups visited Rancho Grande while we were there, each lending a new twist to the experience. Overall this is a very insightful class full of experience. Personally, I had no complaints about Venezuela - the people nor the lands. This class is a very intense class not to be mistaken for a tourist-attraction-vacation. Don't expect to experience the night-life nor tropical shopping sprees. I would suggest using this time to take advantage of the days you have in the field. Get a head start on each day and keep moving, you won't miss a beat or lose any spare time at the end of the evenings this way. Most of all be open to the culture, have fun, explore, relax, listen...oh, and keep up with your projects.
Phillip Lake	I thoroughly enjoyed the Tropical Entomology Lecture and Lab. I enjoyed it so much that eventually I became a graduate student under Dr Frank. I could pontificate endlessly about the merits of the trip and what I experienced. But I think I should use this space to talk about what NOT to do or expect out of the trip to Venezuela. It is NOT a vacation. You will have a great time, Dr Frank has quite a lot of interesting and fun things for you to see while you are there. Be conscious of the needs of the group. It is very important that the group gets along for everyone to have an enjoyable experience. Besides that, everything should be fine. If you have lived in Florida you will find that the mosquitoes and heat are not as bad in Venezuela as they are in Florida. It is a beautiful site where you will stay. Finally, keep your eyes open for all the amazing wildlife (iridescent hummingbirds, leaf cutting ants, Howler monkeys, earthworms that climb trees, etc.)