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Belize Day 5: Inspidering and Antastic
It’s pitch black outside. You look up, and the stars illuminate the tree silhouettes and snake-shaped vines surrounding you. You flick on...
Lily H
1 day ago4 min read
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Belize Day 4: Buggin' Around
This morning, Elise and I discovered that there was definitely maybe a jaguar (or some other feline-y mammal) strolling around our cabin....
Lily H
3 days ago4 min read
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1 comment


Belize Day 3: Jungle Explorers or Fruit Ninjas?
Now that we’re all situated in our jungle abode, we are really able to maximize the rainforest surrounding us to do field work. After a...
Lily H
5 days ago3 min read
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Belize Day 2: Epiphytes and Stair Flights
Hi guys! Today felt like 3 crazy, wonderful days in one. Beginning with a nice 5:30 am shower, the day was filled with bird and critter...
Lily H
6 days ago3 min read
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1 comment


Belize Day 1: From the Runway to the Rainforest
(Inside Crystal Lodge - 05/16/25) Here we are, winding down and typing up our day 1 recaps, appreciating the night’s breeze and tuning in...
Lily H
May 163 min read
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Snorkel, Boots, and Bucket Hat in Hand
Hi! I'm Lily, and I'm an Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major at Rice. I'm super excited to be heading out to Belize as a part of...
Lily H
May 153 min read
90 views
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Urban Agriculture 101: Growing Communities (of Plants, People, and Ants)
Hi! It’s been a while; I hope everyone has been finding their way. I sure have, right back to the farm… deep within the city of Houston....
Lily H
Dec 12, 20244 min read
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Week 9: Post-Internship Reflection
I have been home for over a week, but my mind is still returning from Costa Rica. Yesterday I found myself reminiscing to my dog (in...
Lily H
Aug 14, 20243 min read
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Week 8: Adventures Outside of EARTH University
While I have endless memories from EARTH, my blog would be incomplete if I didn’t talk about the equally beautiful and chaotic memories...
Lily H
Aug 13, 20247 min read
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Week 7: Worms should be friends, not food
Did you know - when using a dough press to make empanadas, you need to separate the dough from the press with a plastic covering, or else...
Lily H
Aug 3, 20245 min read
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Week 6: Songs and Sentiments
We bustled into the Spanish room chomping on trail mix and plantain chips and expecting another subjunctive lecture. But instead, the...
Lily H
Jul 15, 20245 min read
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Week 5: Work and Play
I used to think the tree pruning process involved a pair of cute hand-held clippers; baby branches; an oversized gardening hat; colorful...
Lily H
Jul 8, 20245 min read
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2 comments


Week 4: Farm Fiesta
It was just another work experience day. I expected to spend the morning upturning compost piles and measuring the height of my lettuce...
Lily H
Jul 1, 20244 min read
136 views
5 comments


Week 3: Water, Rice, and Everything Nice
Picture this: You are out on the farm (the integrated organic farm). You go to use the bathroom, a little metal shack with the only...
Lily H
Jun 24, 20244 min read
137 views
3 comments


Week 2: From Bacteria to Birdwatching
Wow, this week has been an adventure. It began with the loco-ness of formulating a research project and ended with a bike ride through...
Lily H
Jun 17, 20245 min read
206 views
5 comments


Week 1: Day-to-Day at EARTH University
Saturday: Work Experience Day, or morning (mañana). Every Saturday and Wednesday morning, at 6:30 AM, most EARTH students bike to...
Lily H
Jun 10, 20245 min read
211 views
7 comments


The First Few Days: Finding my Way around EARTH University
(Fio and I - 06/03/34) Hi! My name is Lily Hestjean, and I’m thrilled to call myself the 2024 Borlaug-Ruan Intern at EARTH University...
Lily H
Jun 7, 20245 min read
282 views
7 comments
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