The DP collaborative science trip is a necessary IB requirement that introduces us to the concept of ‘Citizen Science’- the conduction of scientific research by the public. Being in Sri Lanka, the scope for investigation is tremendous, and a variety of factors can be studied all throughout the landscapes of the country thanks to its biodiversity and the variety of climates on the island alone. For this year’s trip, our school chose to take us to the Singharaja rainforest to conduct the data collection and investigate scientific factors like the pH of the soil, humidity, the population of species, etc. We were expected to put the skills we learned in our science classes to use in the real world and do serious fieldwork for the first time, showing us how the concepts we learn in class can be applied in life (very IB, I know).

A big part of this trip is that all the science comes together and works with each other, a pleasant change of pace since usually, we are distinctly separated with very limited room for crossover. On this trip, we were split into interdisciplinary groups that each contained one student from each of the four sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and ESS), and each area of data we needed to collect correlated to one of the four subjects, making sure everyone had a chance to take leadership and put their skills to use. The process of collecting the data was relatively simple, and the group I was in was extremely productive, so we managed to get our work done in a productive manner, making the whole experience a lot more enjoyable for all of us.

This was my second time visiting the rainforest, so I was not surprised at the amount of walking, bugs, or leeches, but I cannot say I was a fan of it either. There are many ways I would spend my time but walking uphill through small muddy passages with blood-sucking creatures conveniently finding their lunch in me is just not one of them, really not my thing. That being said, I do really love the environment of the forest (no pun intended) and how serene it feels once you are actually there. Though I complain about the inconveniences of the forest, the accommodation for the science students (Blue Magpie) was very comfortable (apart from one eventful encounter with a practically immortal spider) and made it much easier to focus on the atmosphere of the forest and admire all that it has to offer. I really appreciate how these trips led to us getting a chance to experience new places and locations that we may not have thought of visiting on our own regard but discovering something new and exploring new interests we didn’t know we had. There was a lot of walking/hiking on this trip, which made it very physically engaging; though it was tiring at points, I enjoyed having a chance to be in the midst of all the fauna and flora because of how unique this experience is when compared to any other city or commercial area. Even though I had to leave the trip a day early, I enjoyed the short trip, and I am glad I was able to explore the forest alongside my friends, making some great (and some traumatic) memories.