6 days, 7 bullet ant stings, 13 missing equipment boxes, 1 bad LiCor fuse, 2 non-functional keys, blisters and spliters

"As disasters go, its relatively minimal", Nicole Trahan said as we discussed all the mishaps that have occurred in the first week of setting up our new project at La Selva, Costa Rica. Turns out, getting an NSF research proposal funded in the current funding climate is a challenge, but getting this huge project off the ground can be downright treacherous. 

7 bullet ant stings, 2 stung researchers, 13 equipment boxes held hostage in customs, 1 equipment box that arrived with the wrong equipment, 1 LiCOR gas analyzer with a bad fuse that decided to blow after it had been hauled out to the field site, 2 dead drill bits, 

Starting an amazing project that will help us understand the world better = Priceless

Bringing together 9 scientists and 4 students in one place for 4 days start this amazing project = Priceless^2