Day 6: Pura Vida with Purpose

Our second-to-last morning in the land of Pura Vida began as the others had—with warm mugs of tea, coffee, or mushroom coffee (JoAnn’s favorite 😊), shared laughter, and the quiet joy of being together on this unforgettable Earthwatch expedition.

Today we returned to Finca Bella Tica for one final morning of fieldwork, where flowers buzzed with pollinator activity. While some of us continued collecting bees, Evie, Frannie, Sergio, and a few others made an exciting discovery: a ground nest. Right on schedule, around 10:00 AM—just as Evie had predicted—the bees began to emerge. As they observed the nest, the rest of us filmed a short, impromptu video to capture the spirit of the morning—thanks to Danilsa, Errol, and Cesar for the inspiration!




After fieldwork at Bella Tica, we stopped by the Bee Outreach Center and Ivannia Natural Products. Diana A., Errol, and Diana D. couldn’t resist grabbing a few more goodies—warm mango and passion fruit jam fresh from the kitchen, and some fragrant natural seasonings. We took one last stroll around the grounds, nets in hand, searching for a few more bees among the blooms.

Later, we visited Finca Don Simón for a tour of their traditional sugar cane and coffee fields. Surrounded by vibrant green fields, we learned about the farm’s sustainable practices. A highlight was the trapiche—a traditional sugar cane press. We took turns feeding tall stalks into the mill and watched sweet juice pour out, getting a literal taste of Costa Rican heritage.




Back at the lodge, we had time to pack, relax at the popular Colibrí (Hummingbird) Café, and squeeze in some last-minute souvenir shopping. Top finds included cropped T-shirts, plush animals, hats, stickers, and magnets—a colorful mix that captured the spirit of our time in Monteverde.

That evening, we embarked on one of our final team adventures, a night walk through the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Though bees had been the main focus of this trip, this hike opened our eyes to the wider world they inhabit. Under the beam of headlamps, we spotted a giant cockroach on a tree trunk, a well-camouflaged Monteverde Leaf Bug (Katydid), a vivid green pit viper, and a motionless stick bug blending perfectly into its surroundings. The true highlight came when we caught a faint, almost magical glimpse of bioluminescent mushrooms glowing softly on the forest floor—like nature’s own hidden lanterns, quietly illuminating the darkness. We also marveled at the elusive Tink frog, a species known for its unusual life cycle that skips the tadpole stage entirely, developing directly from egg to tiny frog.


The night was a fitting reminder that even as our expedition came to a close, Monteverde’s magic continued to unfold.

As a penultimate reflection, I invited each fellow to share one word that captured their experience as a citizen scientist with Earthwatch. What follows is a simple, powerful collection of words that reflect the heart of our shared time in the field:

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