It’s pitch black outside. You look up, and the stars illuminate the tree silhouettes and snake-shaped vines surrounding you. You flick on...

This morning, Elise and I discovered that there was definitely maybe a jaguar (or some other feline-y mammal) strolling around our cabin....

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...

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...

(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...

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...

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....

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...

While I have endless memories from EARTH, my blog would be incomplete if I didn’t talk about the equally beautiful and chaotic memories...

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...

We bustled into the Spanish room chomping on trail mix and plantain chips and expecting another subjunctive lecture. But instead, the...

I used to think the tree pruning process involved a pair of cute hand-held clippers; baby branches; an oversized gardening hat; colorful...

It was just another work experience day. I expected to spend the morning upturning compost piles and measuring the height of my lettuce...

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...

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...

Saturday: Work Experience Day, or morning (mañana). Every Saturday and Wednesday morning, at 6:30 AM, most EARTH students bike to...

(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...