The days are peppered with light showers followed by bright sunshine. The evenings are long and sultry, while the dampened earth waits to dry. The foliage is refreshing, and the sounds of birds and other hidden animals fill the air like songs in praise of nature.

Where is this breathtaking place? It is a rainforest in the southern central highlands of Patillas, Puerto Rico, where seven Carroll Community College students and two faculty advisors traveled to volunteer in a service project. The group stayed in Patillas, in Las Casasde la Selva, from May 23 to May 29, 2009.

Faculty members Sharon Reid and Nate Schell accompanied the students, who were from all age ranges and backgrounds, truly representative of a community college. They worked on a drainage system to divert the flow of rain into lakes and rivers, and to clean and widen the paths through the rainforest.

“We used picks, axes and hoes to do manual labor for hours each day,” said Schell. “Before our departure, we learned about the historical and cultural perspective of the island, in anticipation of interacting with local residents.”

Inspired to write their reflections in journals, some students shared their observations with Today Newsletter. Excerpts from their Rainforest Diaries follow:

Emily Hoffmann’s Rainforest Diary:

Day Four of Six: Vitality comes with no vigor .On the contrary, it comes when allowed by the receiver. I know this now, sitting 1800 feet above sea level, overlooking a view that could come from a postcard. We’ve been here for less than a week, and yet we refer to each other as “newfound family”. And why shouldn’t we? Experiencing the very essence of human existence, waking every morning with a purpose bigger than ourselves, how could we not grow closer than just nine individuals on a trip? Different stories, different backgrounds, different life experiences, we, Nate, Sharon, Reggie, Bob, Danny, Dan, Jason, Erin, and myself depended on one another as we were thrown out of our comfort zones, our everyday elements. Given food, shelter, and security, we owe Las Casas de la Selvaand each other the most sincere gratitude for completing our human hierarchy of needs: friendship, family, confidence, respect, creativity, and morality.

Reggie Greenberg’s Rainforest Diary:

On Sunday, we dug drainage ditches along a road and cleared ferns from a bank. It was hard physical work and the humidity made it seem even more so.That evening we discovered the town of Guavate. Their weekly festival rocked the mountain with a cavalcade of roadside markets offering crafts, local cuisine, music, and dancing. We browsed many shops and stands selling everything from pizza to pork rinds, shoes, bags, and trinkets. There were two bands playing dance music on opposite sides of the street like a battle of the bands. While Dan was filming the festivities one band stopped playing to welcome our group, after which the locals engaged us in conversation and invited us to dance.

On Monday I requested a less physically taxing job and was offered the job of cleaning out the library shelves and wiping down all the books. I had done this job often as a child in our own library so I was delighted to work at that task. When the rest of the group returned that afternoon to go to the beach I stayed to finish the bookcases. Beach excursions in the past have baked me to the color of steamed lobster, so I didn’t mind missing that outing. While I caught up on my journaling, Patty made me a lovely sterling silver ring that she said represented a tree trunk. It rained all that night while we slept.

On Tuesday, we worked on a very muddy ethno-botanical trail clearing overgrown ferns to make way for some native fruit trees. Afterwards we visited the town of Patillas where the local tourism officer took us to a museum where many of the Queens of the Carnival costumes were displayed, along with photos of the Queens. Her daughter was the reigning Queen.We also visited a lovely blue and white church rebuilt in 1938 after a hurricane.

There was a lot of diversity in our team in ages, faiths, backgrounds, habits, experiences, likes, and dislikes. We put all of our differences aside and worked together each day to the point of exhaustion. We recharged with a shower and set off to explore. We compromised on how to spend our free time. Our two chaperones were always accommodating and very entertaining. I can’t remember when I’ve laughed so much or felt so carefree. Puerto Rico is a truly magical place.