This morning, I joined Warren and our new guide, Ramon, for a paddle in search of animals. At Lake El Dorado, you do not have to go far to find animals. It seemed like everywhere we looked we found something new to look at.

A Pink River Dolphin surfaced to get a closer look at us. It almost scared me our of the boat when it took a loud breath only 10 feet behind out boat. A few more paddle strokes down a narrow canal revealed a sloth eating breakfast in the tree tops, while a troop of Saddle Backed Tamarinds chirped loudly to let the other animals know that we had arrived.

Around the next bend, we saw sidenecked turtles basking on a log. Giant turkey-like birds, called horned screamers, sat in the trees. Hoatzins, Macaws, and turkey vultures circled over head.

We are surrounded by so much life here in the rainforest. I began to wonder what allows so many different plants and animals to survive here.

It was almost 1:00 PM when we returned to the ranger station. It felt like the sun's rays were burning right through the sunscreen that I constantly slather all over my body. "That's it!" I yelled toward the sun. Warren and Ramon looked at me blankly. But then it dawned on me that the sun is one of the main reasons all of these plants and animals can live in the rainforest.

The sun provides light that the thousands of species of plants use for Photosynthesis. In turn, many animals find food and shelter in the plants that grow. Plus, because the Amazon is so close to the Equator, the sun keeps the Amazon rainforest warm throughout the year, perfect for growing and surviving.

Keep Exploring!

Dave

There were some awesome responses to Wednesday's Daily Dilemma about our rocky quinoa (KEEN wah). Some student explorers suggested that we sift it using our bug nets. Some suggested we sift it after its been cooked (great idea!). Other students thought that we should trade it or sell it for better food. We're going to keep trying to eat our quinoa, but sifting it thoroughly before and after cooking it. Great work, Student Explorers!

Please join us in our chatroom on Wednesday May 3rd from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM Central Standard Time, and on Friday May 5th from 1 PM to 2:30 PM Central Standard Time. Remember to log your class in as a single user.