Honduras means broken lands

And we think that Honduras was aptly named.  Our first hike into the forest was straight over the top of the Point Trifinio into steep cliffs, loose boulders and vegetation covered suspended tree roots making hiking hazardous.  It was not uncommon on route to our first plot for someone to mistaken leaves on top of tree roots as solid ground and to find themselves up to their chests stuck in a hole between two massive roots.

But we started with the hardest route thank goodness and have since found a cow path changing a 1km hike from 4 hours into 20 minutes!  We have based off the trail and then bush whacked (an understatement for some plots) up to 2 km off the trail to find our randomly placed plots.  We have been fortunate to see wonderful scenes, impressive cliffs and inspiring large trees not to mention the delicate and peaceful parts of nature such as tiny hummingbird nests, salamanders wiggling under leaves and many birds.

From Visit photo gallery with newest pictures

My brother Mark has been a great asset in expertise and man power and with his help and the help of a Honduran botanist, my trusty friend Cosme and the priceless expertise and help of local guide "Chilo" in one month we have completed all 22 of the Honduran plots that were physically accessible (we had to drop plots that fell on the many cliff ridges throughout the forest as we were not equipped with climbing gear to safely reach and survey them).

We are posting some pictures of the Research Cabin in El Salvador which now "feels like home" to us, as many of you have requested photos of our home base.

In the research we have been blessed to meet without a doubt the best plant taxonomist I have ever encountered!  Jose Linares has helped us in plant identification and we have found three new species to science!  Two of which are in the process of being described and one which was discovered  by Linares the week we arrived (we just have to wait to find it in flower so he can describe it!).  It is so inspiring to me in a world filled with news of the loss of biodiversity that we are still finding new species -- and tree species to boot!

Spring Break 2010

With Honduras plots done we are looking forward to the next phase of the research which will be more forest plots intermingled with community interviews and stories.  In the interrum while we waited for permissions to clear and visas to be renewed, we took advantage of the time and had a "spring break" taking in lots of sun on the beach and learning to scuba dive with my father who came for a few days to visit--we are now Advanced Open Water Divers!  Highlights included diving on a shipwreck and diving in the Caribbean with squid, moray eels, an Eagle Ray and thousands of fish of dozens of different species, colors shapes and sizes.  We even did a night dive to see bio-luminescence and toad fish!

It is back to work for us soon and we are missing the mountain and will be glad to go back rested and renewed