So, 2X, what is new with the mangrove research?! Let's learn more!
The Good:
I now have a large pile of leaves, from various sites in Ecuador, stacked in the laboratory at my university (and I still need to go out and collect more!). I have started the task of leaf processing: weighing, measuring, drying, and weighing again. It is fun to work with all the different leaves and try to learn something from them!
Recently, I went to a big conference (a meeting for people who all are interested in a special topic) on mangroves. I got to meet scientists from many different countries in America. This event, the first American Mangrove Congress, was organized by my mentor here at the university.
It was amazing to spend three full days listening to mangrove-related presentations and connecting with fellow scientists. There were even a couple of mangrove documentaries! One of my favorite parts of this meeting was that there were a lot of scientists but also people from local mangrove communities.
Also, I had the opportunity to present at the conference. Although I was a bit nervous to give a presentation in Spanish, the talk went well. Sometimes it can be really good to do things that make you nervous because then you can learn from the experience!
The Bad:
