As a general rule, it’s the fauna that interests me more than flora. But a summer spent in the cloud forests of Monteverde encouraged a deeper appreciation for the little things in life. I am sometimes insecure about my gaps in scientific knowledge — I don’t know all the Latin names and sometimes I confuse one species with another — but my amateur status sometimes comes with benefits. It’s nice, every now and then, to walk the forest trails without the burden of too much knowledge, and to stop every fifty yards or so to say, “Look at that cool mushroom, it’s super weird."