Party Preparations

Sea creatures will resume shortly, but tomorrow is PICRC's annual anniversary fundraising dinner so today was consumed with preparations. After several multi-hour meetings throughout the week to discuss the decorations, today we were assigned various types of foliage and flowers to collect for garlands and centerpieces. I was on a team with PICRC employees Uly and Joy, and we set out, armed with garbage bags, knives, and machetes (I was issued a pair of scissors) to rob the roadsides of their vegetation. As if the situation weren't bizarre enough, "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" played on the only functioning radio station for the entire ride down. 

Uly, incognito, hacks down some banana plants

First we snipped from a lushly ferned hillside, then moved on to brightly colored flowers and leaves. We would yell out whenever we glimpsed a target plant and Uly would abruptly pull over so we could tumble out, bags and knives (scissors) in hand. From what I could gather (no pun intended), this is standard practice for collecting decorations and perfectly legal, but all the darting across the street and stuffing plants into the trunk lent a faux surreptitious air to our activities, and we started theatrically ducking behind bushes each time a car approached, then collapsing into giggles. 

At one point we lurched toward a row of beautiful pink birds of paradise lining the street, which, on closer inspection, seemed to host more insect than plant life. "Um, there are an awful lot of ants in these," I pointed out, eyeing the flowers dubiously. "Shake 'em off!" shouted Uly, gleefully waving her machete. She was already clutching a leafy handful and running full tilt toward the next bush. 

Uly is fine with a few ants; she doesn't share the back seat with them. 

Joy looks around furtively before snatching more birds of paradise. 

Scampering across the street

Back at PICRC, which now more resembled a jungle than an aquarium, we braided fern garlands, wove palm baskets, and assembled flower and leaf arrangements. I learned to craft a bird from a palm frond, a skill I wasn't expecting to gain here but am glad to now have. Tomorrow we'll spend the whole day setting up tents and tables, and will hopefully host a successful dinner that funds another year of research!

Arius directs plant placement

Put a bird on it.