First Day (Dec 12)

Wednesday was my first day actually getting to business. I woke up on schedule and excited to learn the routine at the Las Cruces station. The sound of everyone's rushed footsteps in the cabin reminded me that breakfast was at 6:30 am.

After the (btw very nutritious) breakfast, our group was escorted to the station library to meet with Rodo, the head honcho of the Las Cruces station. Rodo was a short, stout man with a humble manner of speaking that also, somehow, reflected just how educated he was. He showed our group his research on a ginger plant that was similar to what our group would be looking for in the forest. His research, which was in a textbook that he pulled from a large shelf of other books, was my first real exposure to any sort of biological science research. It really was a moment to appreciate being in a library room with educated leaders willing to help us students understand that there is a world around us that we ought to learn about and take care of.

Knowing that our group was lucky to have Rodo lead us on the trail, even if it was just for an hour, to show us the shampoo ginger, I did my best to not let this opportunity slip. When it was my turn to identify the shampoo ginger in the forest on my own under Rodo's supervision, I put forth my full mind and body effort to pass this mini-test. I did well. My chest filled up with a pride that brought a huge smile to my face.

The rest of the day was walking the trail, pointing out shampoo ginger, getting to know my group members, and enjoying the amazing dinner.