July 19- Canopy Crane

I typically work 6-day weeks here, with Tuesdays off.  The late afternoon on Tuesdays is for the weekly STRI seminar lectures, and we typically have professional development workshops for the REU program in the morning/early afternoon.  But last Tuesday we had a special treat- the REU interns all got to visit one of the Smithsonian's canopy cranes in Panama City!  A canopy crane is pretty much exactly what it sounds like- a huge crane that attaches to a small metal basket and lifts it 40 meters into and above the treetops.  The crane we visited is in a park near Panama City, so we got some really stunning views of the forest and the city.  It was a bit nerve-wracking at first (the basket can really sway as it's moved), but the view made it more than worth it.

Only five people could go on the crane at once, so we went hiking through the park while waiting for our turn.  We saw toucans, hawks, and monkeys.  The hike took us up a steep hill to a cool overlook, with great views of the city skyline.

And there was one more exciting sighting back near the canopy crane- a sloth!