If you think that it is, Lucy Cooke will set you straight. She’s visited many. She’s a zoologist. T at’s a person who studies animals. She loves weird animals and places. It all started when Cooke was a kid.


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She saw a nature program about the waxy monkey frog. To her, the frog looked like an alien. She was hooked. She had to know more about this frog. T e more she learned about it, the more she wanted to know about other frogs. As a grown-up, Cooke still studies frogs


and other amphibians. One of the best ways to see them is to go where they live. Rain forests are oſt en hot, humid, and full of surprises. Aſt er many trips, she’s learned a few good lessons about exploring. Let’s see what she’s learned.


Pack Carefully T ink about what you carry in your school backpack. Now think about what Cooke carries in hers. She has boots, bug spray, a headlamp, and her frog mask and cape. Why the last two items? Cooke says she


needs them to teach people about frogs. Frogs face many dangers in today’s world. For instance, a deadly fungus threatens


many frogs. It invades their skin, but no one knows how it kills them. Others face habitat loss. Human development can crowd frogs out. Some frogs face extinction. In the last 10 years, at least 165 species of frogs have died out. Many more are threatened. Cooke’s frog mask and superhero cape


help her spread her message. T e kids she meets think the mask and cape are funny. Yet they get everyone talking about frogs and the threats against them.


rain forest is not a glamorous place.


Bring What You Need Let’s get back to the more practical items. Rubber boots. “T ey make you invincible,” Cooke says. You can slog through the mud and muck of a jungle with dry feet. T ey protect you from any slithering snakes you might find at your feet. T ey keep leeches from latching on to your feet or ankles. Bug spray is also important. Your bug


spray should be safe for the environment. T at means it keeps the bugs away, but doesn’t harm other wildlife. Cooke says this is important “especially if I’m handling frogs.” Frogs can absorb things through their skin. If you’re wearing a toxic bug spray and you touch a frog, it could be deadly for the frog. Remember that rain forests can be dark


places, so a headlamp is a must. T is not only helps you see where you are going, but it also helps to spot hidden animals. Frogs don’t always want to be found. Cooke has to search for them under plants and tree roots.


Forget Fashion Looking your best may not be an option in the jungle. “Everyone wears the same uniform,” says Cooke. “We’re all in baggy trousers, a long-sleeve shirt, and a T-shirt.” T e long sleeves and pants protect arms


and legs. Some overgrown plants or trees have rough bark. T ey can scratch skin that isn’t covered. Rain forests are also home to a lot of biting insects, like mosquitos. Some carry diseases. So you want to cover yourself as much as possible. Explorers get used to seeing each other


with messy hair and sweaty clothes. Yet nothing really helps with the smell. “We all stink of mold and bug spray,” Cooke says.


12 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER


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