Field research in paradise
Maya Arun - 28 September 2025
Makayla Haag in the rainforest of Costa Rica
Rainforest and ocean view
Ferns
Waterfall
Costa Rica is a conservationist’s dream. The tropical island country is home to an abundance of flora and fauna — with over half a million species, it's the perfect destination for students to conduct field research on tropical biodiversity. Makayla Haag was one of twelve Augustana students who went on the Costa Rica Field Studies trip. For two weeks, they worked in Corcovado National Park with a local organization, .
They were split up into three groups of four each, and were set to work on their own research projects. Makayla and a few others did research on the biodiversity of moths. A canopy tower became their second home, where they would spend their nights draping cotton sheets over the railing and placing a white light on the ground, about three feet below the sheet. Every two hours, they would photograph the moths before hanging the sheet at another level.
Costa Rica’s perpetual warmth and humidity meant that its insect life extended beyond just moths — there were plenty of spiders as well. Makayla’s nocturnal schedule forced her to overcome her fear of them.
Behind the scenes, a lot of thought went into setting everything up. They had to think about what light to use, at what intensity and where to place it to yield the best results. The planning, for both the trip and the research, started in the program’s course component the semester prior, where Makayla and her peers learned about the history of the tropics, conservation biology and biodiversity methodology. This gave them the background they needed to jump into their research as soon as they arrived in Costa Rica.
Once Makayla’s group had collected enough samples, they observed a control group out in the forest. Their findings showed ground levels had a high level of moth family diversity, while canopy levels had a low level of family diversity.
Although the trip was centred around research, Makayla was able to venture outside of the canopy tower. In the park, they became familiar with the trails, reviewing camera footage, doing bird tours and even taking part in early morning turtle patrols to safeguard eggs from predators by relocating them to a hatchery.
Outside of the park, Makayla describes her interactions with the locals, “We got to do volunteer work and help out in the community. We got most of our food from the farm. When we visited the farm, the farmer gave us a tour. We helped plant papaya trees and we got to see some of the livestock.”
Makayla’s time in Costa Rica and her course learnings have inspired a desire to travel more. On a family trip to Mexico, she found herself noticing urbanization and its effect on the natural vegetation.
“I definitely have a greater appreciation for diversity. I just thought that it was really interesting and I just have so much appreciation for the diversity that I didn't even know existed.”
As a biology major, field research allowed Makayla to apply everything she learned over the course of her degree in the real world. Her most valuable takeaway from the experience was being able to adapt in the field and think on her feet.
“Even though not everything went as planned, we were able to get a finished product that we were proud of.”