(Sin)haraja 🔬🍀

Not only was this my first science trip, but it was also my first school trip with OSC. Our destination was the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Sri Lanka, chosen by our teachers for our Group 4 trip from December 11th to 13th. This vibrant rainforest, teeming with biodiversity and unique ecosystems, provided the perfect setting for our interdisciplinary scientific exploration. Group 4—comprising biology, chemistry, physics, and environmental systems and societies—benefited greatly from the diverse research opportunities Sinharaja offered.

Day 1

the first day began with a 3-and-a-half-hour bus ride to Sinharaja along with a 4o-minute hike in the rainforest reserve to Martin Lodge which was located in the reserve and only the ESS kids were staying. I wasn’t mentally prepared for a hike that came with the challenge of dealing with leeches, however, my friend Hadiya made it better, she and I enjoyed a slow walk in the rain sharing an umbrella, and finding pretty flowers I could post on my INaturalist. it’s an app in which people share biodiversity information to help each other learn about nature.

the bright side of hiking in a rainforest full of leeches is that we still had to bring our phones since there was no signal most of us had a great time taking pictures of everything and turning Inaturalist into a game like Pokemon Go where you try to find the most species.

After a break from traveling and a quick lunch (I was more concerned with avoiding leech bites), we finally met the guides and Professor Gunaratne, who specializes in biodiversity. With their guidance, we began plotting and observing species development. The whole grade was divided into groups of five, each with members from different sciences. My group included Ben, Nayara, Dimath, Mali, and me. Since we were just getting started, this was a practice trial for plotting and observing species development. We used apps like Canopeo, which measures the percent canopy cover of live green vegetation for various environments.

Our advisors showed us how to create a quadrat—a 2-meter by 2-meter square for observation. From there, we started counting the different species within the quadrat, as well as their leaves, branches, and other aspects. Measuring each plant’s diameter and identifying them proved to be quite detailed work, especially since they were relatively small. It wasn’t the smoothest process on the first day, and we encountered some bumps while trying to record all the data accurately.

Physics, bio, and chem students stayed at a fancy lodge outside the reserve (they wouldn’t stop gloating about it), but I preferred Martin’s Lodge, especially since it meant not having to hike 40 minutes each time I entered the reserve. I guess it was a win-win situation.

day 2

Although we ESS kids had it rougher than the other students on the trip, we had the opportunity to wake up to pretty birds and a beautiful morning because of the mist from the heavy rain on our first night. The morning consisted of sitting in the common area surrounded by the rainforest and bright-colored birds. Mr. Lockwood would tell us all about each species that sat at the railing of the lodge.

Afterward, we met with our groups and walked down to the plotting area to collect data. Our first quadrant went smoothly, but we switched from using Survey123 to writing down our data on paper. Our group struggled with plotting and collecting data without slipping since our plot was set on a steep hill, and the rain made it more slippery. Things went much better and faster than the first for our second and third quadrats. Assigning each person in the group a specific role made the process quicker, and we finished it in no time. We gained more experience and developed a system where everyone had a job, making things more efficient. However, we had to end early due to the heavy rain making it hard to stay out for longer. Despite this, my favorite part of the trip was hiking in the rain and capturing plenty of pictures and videos of the rainforest at its best during that moment. Unfortunately, the rain continued later on, preventing us from visiting the nearby stream. Instead, we attended a lecture about the development of the Sinharaja Rainforest, from logging to becoming bio-rich. The highlights of day two included Ben falling into a spiky tree, Darya humorously turning the leeches into sushi, and the girls having yet another debrief session before going to bed.

day 3

I remember absolutely dreading this day. I’m not much of a hiker or a morning person. However, the past two days changed my mind about mornings—I now prefer waking up to the sunrise, so I usually keep the blinds in my room open. I hoped my thoughts about hiking would change as well. The last day was supposed to involve a steep hike up the forest, encountering large boulders, uneven paths, and a lot of rain. What was said to be five kilometers ended up being twelve kilometers. I even considered turning back and heading to the lodge, if it wasn’t for Dimath, who kept telling me it’s the journey that matters, not the destination. Despite my initial disinterest in that phrase, I somehow made it to the top. I think Mr. Lockwood’s encouraging “challo,” which means ‘go’ in Hindi, also helped.

This also happened to be the only time it didn’t rain. Instead, the weather was very hot but clear, allowing us to see Adam’s Peak in the far distance.

To be completely honest, I have to agree with Dimath—it really was the journey that mattered, not the destination. I wasn’t half as impressed by the view from the peak as I was by the things I came across during the hike back down. Maybe it was because I was going at my own pace with some really good company. I don’t think most would agree with me, but I found the stream we saw much prettier than the view at the end of that hike.

Looking back, Sinharaja was truly an incredible experience, and I think I should find a better title for this post.