If you were asked to imagine a scientist, what image would come to your mind? The idea that most of the kids have is a man wearing a white lab coat with messy hair, big glasses, and cups of colorful liquids giving off clouds of smoke. As for adults, the majority regard scientists as strange people who spend a lot of time working in a lonely lab. However, the reality is quite different.
Recently I've had a chance
to take part in a scientific experience far from my lab and into Costa Rica. It
has a large amount of wildlife due to its geographical placement between North
and South America. It is home to more than 500 
000 species (物种), which represents nearly 4% of the species worldwide!
First we worked to protect wildlife at a leatherback turtle (棱皮龟) protection center. We helped the volunteers to remove rubbish from the beach to create a safe environment for turtle eggs to come out. After that we stayed at Mount Arenal where we studied seismic (地壳的) activity relating to earthquakes. During our stay at Arenal, we rode over the mountainous areas and took a long walk through the rainforest. On the last day we got a professional introduction of rocket (火箭) science and learned about new rocket technology that will be used on the international space station.
During my Costa Rica experience, I know that being a scientist doesn't mean working in a lab all day and night. A scientist is the one who loves learning and getting a better understanding of the world from helping protect wildlife, learning about earthquakes or inventing rockets. I think that science is so much more than wearing a lab coat and mixing chemicals. Kids need to be aware of the excitement and adventures science can bring!
