At the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, researchers track swarms of carnivorous army ants and the birds that follow them. A new documentary reveals a glimpse of life, and research, in the Neotropics. Continue reading to get a behind-the-scenes view at making a nature documentary in the jungle.

For birds in Panama’s tropical forests, finding food is no easy task. Some birds depend on army ants to do their dirty work; they follow army ant swarms, picking off insects as they flee the hungry ants. Researchers from the University of Wyoming study how these army ant-following birds interact with ant swarms, and each other, to better understand how to protect biodiversity in the tropics.

As the sun sets in Gamboa, Panama, bats begin their nightly hunt. Backlit by dusk’s blue-gray glow, they dive and duck, flickering in and out of view among the silhouettes of trees and bushes. When the bats come out, so do a group of researchers who study and love them, to throw a celebration in their honor–Bat Night.

In 1923, Barro Colorado Island (BCI) was declared a tropical forest reserve for scientific study, and in 1924, the new research station was inaugurated. One hundred years later, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute is celebrating the BCI Field Station’s centennial and the fact that it is the most intensively studied tropical forest in the world.

Sea to Trees tells the stories of the science happening in and around Acadia, from the rocky shoreline to the evergreen forests to the granite mountaintops. We explore the field of citizen science–the participation of non-scientists in research at any level–and how it can answer questions about our changing world. Can citizen science shape our relationship with nature?

Green burials — the long-ago practice of laying loved ones to rest in wooden caskets or shrouds, without embalming — are gaining in popularity. The movement is made up of a diverse coalition: environmentalists, historic preservationists, and folks looking to cut costs — all looking for options not offered within the traditional funeral industry.

From May through the end of September, Deb Priest searches for caterpillars. Just off a trail on the Schoodic Peninsula, she gently grabbed a tree branch marked with an Acadia National Park research tag. Priest then searched the underside of fifty leaves for caterpillars, being careful not to knock any off. “One thing I learned is to wear a hat, you don’t want bugs in your hair,” said Priest.

What happens when Acadia has a “bad air” day? The prevailing winds responsible for giving Downeast Maine its nickname have led some to grant the state a less than flattering moniker: “The tailpipe of the United States.” Like exhaust flowing through a tailpipe, clouds of emissions from industrial areas or coal-fired power plants can be blown eastward and up the Atlantic coast.