tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19126976221055204982024-02-06T18:45:26.187-08:00Notes from the fieldBuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437943935468280942noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1912697622105520498.post-44110928089308535012017-05-26T23:29:00.001-07:002017-05-26T23:29:48.923-07:00CSU-LSAMP Research Expedition 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjrhFD9LS7tIpNtE7tbykPNeGnudcqqJCd3g3VVd13KkRLls7pXufcAtIXmDFPRlkRJV1F8nTD0-FYaf6StUJI7kT5482mHwGujrlxPXSnAQ7tAcY2BLmspvpTLQh4g7Hf6Z2dO9XbQI/s640/blogger-image--81721220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjrhFD9LS7tIpNtE7tbykPNeGnudcqqJCd3g3VVd13KkRLls7pXufcAtIXmDFPRlkRJV1F8nTD0-FYaf6StUJI7kT5482mHwGujrlxPXSnAQ7tAcY2BLmspvpTLQh4g7Hf6Z2dO9XbQI/s640/blogger-image--81721220.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The 2017 CSU-LSAMP research experience starts in less than a month - this year more than a dozen students from eight different CSU campuses will participate in the 34-day program. Stay tuned for updates as we conduct research in tropical rainforests, the coffee highlands, the coast, and cloud forests!</div>Buckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437943935468280942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1912697622105520498.post-7604111446020486072016-09-22T10:00:00.001-07:002016-09-22T10:07:18.935-07:00Expedition Report - Costa Rica 2016<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This year's CSU-LSAMP course wrapped up with a flurry of activity - during their month-long stay in Costa Rica, our students spent time doing research in the coffee-growing highlands, the village of Mastatal in the shadow of La Cangreja National Park, the Pacific coast at Playa Hermosa, the San Luis valley, and the San Gerardo Biological Station. <a href="https://docs.google.com/a/csumb.edu/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=Y3N1bWIuZWR1fGpvaG4tZS1iYW5rcy1waC1kfGd4OjQxODU5N2JiYWYyYmJjNGI" target="_blank">Here</a> is a link to the complete expedition report with pictures and student reflections -- enjoy!<br />
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Buckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437943935468280942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1912697622105520498.post-20339956389806414612016-06-13T15:28:00.001-07:002016-06-13T15:28:57.077-07:00Day one!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHvlt7FQWNAs5oSG9G1u1xRt3uOOKZN-U671Q1i6ooCdrOiZ83zorZHe3G-ligb8kYQEB8sKx1cCt0dEFVZKzHtCFuTUNyEthESBYeIQ-vF5Msir8nwaqWOSYhBlT08a0CpH7uMN0yyyE/s640/blogger-image-1756633190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHvlt7FQWNAs5oSG9G1u1xRt3uOOKZN-U671Q1i6ooCdrOiZ83zorZHe3G-ligb8kYQEB8sKx1cCt0dEFVZKzHtCFuTUNyEthESBYeIQ-vF5Msir8nwaqWOSYhBlT08a0CpH7uMN0yyyE/s640/blogger-image-1756633190.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Our learning adventure in Costa Rica began with all students arriving early this morning and catching a bus across town to the hotel that we're calling home for the next few days. After introductions and some orientation sessions, we enjoyed lunch in our open- air classroom on the roof of the hotel (view out towards the city pictured above). After lunch we enjoyed (yes, enjoyed!) a statistics lesson delivered by Dr. Diana Lieberman -- getting some practice in anticipation of collecting data in many settings this coming month. In the evening we went out on the town in small groups to local restaurants -- a good start!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Q24-EyrmQ9CfYkYe8TYDYwrmhn-WQgKJrMY9UqB_pB4HUwRNOrXs4SrYNpYTlq6qkG_8DjBiw4edn1Yz1Gks_QkIU4OkY-TDDhx-S1Rd66Jn5XWfitmL9ymhCrcjPhjiqNjVR5dR70s/s640/blogger-image-104178152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Q24-EyrmQ9CfYkYe8TYDYwrmhn-WQgKJrMY9UqB_pB4HUwRNOrXs4SrYNpYTlq6qkG_8DjBiw4edn1Yz1Gks_QkIU4OkY-TDDhx-S1Rd66Jn5XWfitmL9ymhCrcjPhjiqNjVR5dR70s/s640/blogger-image-104178152.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZ8d6LGlof-iGLCxYuY3hwUaURb2m82bebPLThWe6d4WhVCmgz9IngLct96hyVBbKD2RjXLp0KzVWdndRii_ROc4emi27HA9KfWZNZX8_hYi3F9GyxaDuA_2k5Yy9qKpoe-ObIRaNGOM/s640/blogger-image-591697482.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZ8d6LGlof-iGLCxYuY3hwUaURb2m82bebPLThWe6d4WhVCmgz9IngLct96hyVBbKD2RjXLp0KzVWdndRii_ROc4emi27HA9KfWZNZX8_hYi3F9GyxaDuA_2k5Yy9qKpoe-ObIRaNGOM/s640/blogger-image-591697482.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaD1DpNMbMSoIOnQEV7sbQDWpQv0rMu9C5TNevhKEikzk0v_lcL9FqnIj2A2J6CbO9j1cY4B5kYMf5dsLWKt1VA_rSZGrmWI3KtVeMOlWrFsyyYu7B2Cb8lha0pKdY5BxzjPOAZTBr74M/s640/blogger-image-612172335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaD1DpNMbMSoIOnQEV7sbQDWpQv0rMu9C5TNevhKEikzk0v_lcL9FqnIj2A2J6CbO9j1cY4B5kYMf5dsLWKt1VA_rSZGrmWI3KtVeMOlWrFsyyYu7B2Cb8lha0pKdY5BxzjPOAZTBr74M/s640/blogger-image-612172335.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div>Buckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437943935468280942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1912697622105520498.post-51769607211798049362016-06-07T10:26:00.001-07:002016-06-07T10:26:30.337-07:00Costa Rica Bound!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Preparations are underway for this year's California State University Costa Rica field course! Thirteen students from different CSU campuses ranging from Sonoma to Monterey Bay to Los Angeles will be converging next week in San Jose (CR), where we'll spend several days discussing local culture, customs, and scientific issues. From there we'll head south to explore sustainability issues in the coffee highlands of Tarrazú, and then on to the small farming village of Mastatal to do fieldwork linking forest condition to biological diversity. After that it's on to the coast, and then the cloud forests of Monteverde -- all in all, a schedule teeming with adventure and learning -- be sure to check back here for updates. Pura Vida!</div>
Buckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437943935468280942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1912697622105520498.post-56374347379927420712015-03-16T21:14:00.000-07:002015-03-16T21:14:57.849-07:00Wrap-up in Mastatal, transitions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last morning in Mastatal</td></tr>
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We wrapped up our month-long stay in Costa Rica in a frenzy: several days of last-minute data collection, statistical analyses (lots of Bonferroni corrections to post-hoc pairwise comparisons!), final presentations, and teary goodbyes! All of the students presented the results of their research projects in the outdoor classroom at Rancho Mastatal on Friday afternoon - followed by a celebratory pizza party at Siempre Verde and some frantic packing Friday night. Then we retreated to the urban bustle of Alajuela Saturday morning before departing Sunday to various destinations in the U.S. and Latin America. This week we reconvened for class sessions to talk more about statistics and data analysis, and create research posters, which were presented by the students at the UW Tacoma Student Showcase on Friday the 13th. As the euphoria of surviving a month in the field fades and everyone transitions back to "real-life", several students are planning to return to Mastatal later this year to pursue a newly created sustainable/organic farming internship at Siempre Verde; others still are focusing on ways to incorporate sustainability techniques they learned in Mastatal to their lives back home in the Pacific Northwest.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Presentations in Mastatal</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farewell to the rainforest</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Student Showcase back at UW Tacoma!</td></tr>
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Buckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437943935468280942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1912697622105520498.post-56696478316590076662015-02-21T18:15:00.001-08:002015-02-21T18:16:27.389-08:00Turtles, cats, and restoration on the Osa peninsula<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-5W3cQ4PQmNKaQHFw87Gk8ZYr92G-Y5DLofB9g6Dva9z2ZOk7wKDqaGg2POetNNg4ikm8oa5tykoUvouR9s7DcGkYl_0_eFlaJpRMeLLZx2UOpTeEjlq95b-ppCNLkt3SHglyauDIYk/s640/blogger-image-1874842808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-5W3cQ4PQmNKaQHFw87Gk8ZYr92G-Y5DLofB9g6Dva9z2ZOk7wKDqaGg2POetNNg4ikm8oa5tykoUvouR9s7DcGkYl_0_eFlaJpRMeLLZx2UOpTeEjlq95b-ppCNLkt3SHglyauDIYk/s640/blogger-image-1874842808.jpg"></div><br></div>We're wrapping up a week-long excursion to the coast, culminating in a four - day stay at the Piro Biological Station on the Osa peninsula. Here we have had a chance to patrol beaches for turtle nests, help gather and analyze motion-sensor camera data for big cats and their prey, and hike in old growth rainforest. Tomorrow we trek back to Mastatal for our last week of the course!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKsipAQ5BADSkwbN8eeu8vFKqJmCG9BtkMnWvlfwIhFjfV_zLUSpxx6jRHTY_WalIW0Lg2jHDq2y7ovph6brqgDzhSeO71HJ7tP9zGEOTN9706gBwjrVL1BK7vXZYubeS5y4KwFc5BqLg/s640/blogger-image-974193626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKsipAQ5BADSkwbN8eeu8vFKqJmCG9BtkMnWvlfwIhFjfV_zLUSpxx6jRHTY_WalIW0Lg2jHDq2y7ovph6brqgDzhSeO71HJ7tP9zGEOTN9706gBwjrVL1BK7vXZYubeS5y4KwFc5BqLg/s640/blogger-image-974193626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqGiEckZslLU1fqvHqmKK5asS5RQzwb76k20lGKrTn3dshE_JWPIoLYjlVL1Tszbtbyn018FEgYNfqbfa-4Mpf5V5yhhgaV0C31XO3pu9GE0Xr_Tp0yDzVdj2vwkhFwVj9gw2eA4hhNPA/s640/blogger-image-1284189929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqGiEckZslLU1fqvHqmKK5asS5RQzwb76k20lGKrTn3dshE_JWPIoLYjlVL1Tszbtbyn018FEgYNfqbfa-4Mpf5V5yhhgaV0C31XO3pu9GE0Xr_Tp0yDzVdj2vwkhFwVj9gw2eA4hhNPA/s640/blogger-image-1284189929.jpg"></a></div><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKsipAQ5BADSkwbN8eeu8vFKqJmCG9BtkMnWvlfwIhFjfV_zLUSpxx6jRHTY_WalIW0Lg2jHDq2y7ovph6brqgDzhSeO71HJ7tP9zGEOTN9706gBwjrVL1BK7vXZYubeS5y4KwFc5BqLg/s640/blogger-image-974193626.jpg"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnKqtAAP6EQWwO_8O2Aijayc3yPIRiKmKLlI8INm7eX980KArrFEOiYbTAtzJ4LzI3AGOGE764x3Yb8JbrMGWOP5-8MJDV9CCgKUzk9ojqrBjRR1tEHXLGlqRx6MGLWTphyphenhyphencOtUiI7ekw/s640/blogger-image--1724617638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnKqtAAP6EQWwO_8O2Aijayc3yPIRiKmKLlI8INm7eX980KArrFEOiYbTAtzJ4LzI3AGOGE764x3Yb8JbrMGWOP5-8MJDV9CCgKUzk9ojqrBjRR1tEHXLGlqRx6MGLWTphyphenhyphencOtUiI7ekw/s640/blogger-image--1724617638.jpg"></a></div></div><br></div>Buckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437943935468280942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1912697622105520498.post-66209417637848000892015-02-10T10:38:00.000-08:002015-02-10T10:38:43.398-08:00Costa Rica Field Studies - Winter 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for adventure in Alajuela</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking in Mastatal</td></tr>
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Off to a good start to our month-long Neotropical field ecology course in Costa Rica! Participating in this year's course are ten students from both the Tacoma and the Seattle campuses; after several days in the highlands in the coffee-growing area of Tarrazu, we are now settled in the farming community of Mastatal, nestled in the rainforest below La Cangreja National Park on the Pacific slope. Students are hard at work on their independent research projects - this year they include studies on frog/toad, spider, and ant diversity, water quality assays of local rivers, and the anti-microbial properties of leaf-cutting ants. We are spending a few weeks here before heading to the coast and then further south to the Osa peninsula, after which we'll spend our final week in late February here wrapping up research projects and giving presentations on results. More updates to follow!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tour of CoopeDota coffee mill</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preparing for tree planting, Los Altos de Copey de Dota </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the "lab", Rancho Mastatal</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rancho Mastatal</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue-crowsned motmot</td></tr>
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Buckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437943935468280942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1912697622105520498.post-63741599398368207582014-11-10T06:31:00.000-08:002014-11-14T23:34:55.465-08:00A call for a more holistic approach to conservation science<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Conducting our fieldwork in the Gede restoration forest this week, we learned that there are large challenges looming for conservation in the vicinity. The Kenyan government has given permission to an energy company to explore for oil & gas in the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, the main site where we have been working the past several years (and just 2km away from where we are doing fieldwork this week). This exploration will entail cutting large (4m-wide) swaths through the three different forest habitat types (<em>Brachystegia </em>woodland, <em>Cynometra </em>thicket, and Mixed forest) in order to sink drills deep into the ground - potentially disastrous for the resident wildlife, not to mention the integrity of the forest reserve. A Chinese company that has been subcontracted to conduct the exploratory drilling has decamped to a (former) corn field just adjacent to our restoration forest plots in Gede. The local newspapers summarized the situation in a <a href="http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/outcry-oil-explorers-now-enter-coasts-biggest-forest" target="_blank">a story they ran late in the week</a>. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of BGP staging area for oil/gas exploration from our study site</td></tr>
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This type of threat to the preservation of forest habitat and rare animals is, sadly, not uncommon - witness the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/may/23/ecuador-amazon-yasuni-national-park-oil-drill" target="_blank">ongoing challenges to conservation and indigenous rights</a> faced in the Yasuni National Park in Ecuador. <a href="http://www.kws.org/parks/parks_reserves/ASNP.html" target="_blank">Arabuko-Sokoke Forest</a> (ASF) is home to a critical mass of endangered/threatened birds and mammals, and, as the last remaining big patch of coastal forest in East Africa, is extremely critical to numerous conservation efforts. For the past five years I've been working with a local NGO that has amassed a ton of data on many of the endangered species in the forest; together we've worked to collect more data and publish scientific papers that try to describe the <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2989/00306525.2012.710271#.VGcBeWd3vIU" target="_blank">habitat needs of threatened bird species</a> as well as the <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2028.2010.01211.x/abstract;jsessionid=D845992348D4365FE4EE61D4DDA1574C.f04t03" target="_blank">complexities of managing for a disparate array of wildlife </a> (including a herd of African elephants) in the confined space of a small forest reserve, among other things. But arguably a much bigger threat to conservation is the fact that ASF is also ringed by 50+ villages of Giriama (one of the nine coastal ethnic groups that comprise the Mijikenda) residents - with a total population of 100,000 or so local residents who have historically relied to varying degrees on forest products (bushmeat, wood for charcoal production & fuelwood, etc.). Reducing some of the pressure on the forest associated with such intense anthropogenic disturbances is key to conserving the Arabuko habitat and the species within, of course. And, as elsewhere in tropical biodiversity hotspots, there have been some well-meaning and effective programs established over the years aimed at providing alternative incoming generating activities for locals, including <a href="http://www.kipepeo.org/index.php" target="_blank">butterfly rearing</a> and bee-keeping programs as well as a terrific <a href="http://www.arocha.org/ke-en/work/communityconservation/assets.html" target="_blank">environmental education scheme</a>. But these can seem woefully inadequate in scale when put in a geopolitical context. <br />
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Of course, apart from the poaching concerns, there is also the ever-present issue of security in this country - as I write this, rioting youth have blocked the streets with coral and burning tires in nearby Timboni village in protest over the inaction of police in response to a killing in the streets of Watamu Saturday night. The ongoing battle with Al-Shabab in neighboring Somalia (a conflict which just marked its fourth year anniversary) and its attendant unrest also continues to threaten stability throughout the country. This ultimately leads to heightened threats to the environment: as tourism has plummeted due to security concerns, many people have been reduced to relying on dwindling forest and marine resources for survival. <br />
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The challenge for conservation science is incorporating all of these issues into cogent, practical, and effective solutions. A scientific approach to the underlying ecological issues is of course absolutely essential -- as is a fierce and passionate dedication to the conservation of biodiversity. At the same time, conservation strategies that willfully ignore the basic needs and misunderstand the culture of local people will never be effective or sustainable. Working together with local communities to solve social, economic, and environmental challenges will be the key here. Several recent articles circulating in the scientific community have argued eloquently for a more holistic, inclusive approach to conservation science - a call that extends to working to ensure an <a href="http://www.nature.com/news/working-together-a-call-for-inclusive-conservation-1.16260" target="_blank">increased diversity of perspectives within the scientific community</a> as well. This approach would be well-suited to situations such as the ones facing many communities here in coastal Kenya. <br />
In the meantime, here on the ground in Kilifi District, a number of local community groups along with concerned NGOs presented the governor with a petition protesting the oil & gas exploration plan a few days ago. Let's hope this diverse array of voices will be heard, and more rationale attitudes prevail -- we already face enough challenges!<br />
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Buckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437943935468280942noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1912697622105520498.post-60756447812808713732014-11-08T23:12:00.000-08:002014-11-08T23:12:16.678-08:00Gede fieldwork underway!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sampling arthropod biodiversity with Kirao and Arnold in Gede restoration forest</td></tr>
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With the help of intrepid field assistants Kirao and Arnold (local residents with the intern/volunteer program at A Rocha Kenya), we have been getting it done in the restoration forest at <a href="http://www.museums.or.ke/content/blogcategory/22/28/" target="_blank">Gede Ruins</a>. Each morning we've been putting out pitfall traps full of soapy water to capture ground-dwelling arthropods (spiders and beetles), and malaise traps designed to capture flying insects (wasps/bees, beetles, flies). I have brought two kinds of malaise traps (visible in above picture) with me for this expedition -- a large white trap that is anchored on the ground and captures insects flying up to a meter or so off the ground, and another smaller gray trap that can be hung from trees used to capture insects flying around two meters above the ground. Each of these traps has a collecting chamber at the top of the netting material; insects flying into the netting make their way upwards (towards the light) and fly into the chamber, falling into alcohol with which we have charged the trap. We also put out yellow bowls full of soapy water, which attracts wasps and bees. Each morning we collect the specimens from all of the traps, and bring them back here to the Mwamba Field Centre , where we transfer them to vials containing 70% alcohol sorted by type (Order) of insect. I will deliver the specimens to a colleague at the National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi before flying back to the U.S. next week. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kirao and Arnold placing scarab (dung) beetles into vials.</td></tr>
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For this expedition, we are exploring the effects that the presence of <a href="http://www.museums.or.ke/content/blogcategory/22/28/" target="_blank">Neem</a> (Azadirachta indica) trees may have on arthropod communities. Neem has insecticidal properties -- the seeds are used to make biorational pesticides -- so it's possible that the mere presence of the tree may deter insects from lingering in plots with high concentrations of Neem. Our traps are designed to measure activity of insects/arthropods in the plots -- because they are "passive traps", they don't measure overall abundance -- so they are well-suited to comparing activity among plots with different concentrations of Neem. Our preliminary results from our last sampling expedition indicate that there may be a pattern, so we're checking to see if any sort of pattern emerges from a larger number of replicated plots. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neem tree in Gede Ruins </td></tr>
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Buckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437943935468280942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1912697622105520498.post-68995378913653931352014-11-06T11:17:00.001-08:002014-11-06T11:45:53.526-08:00Hurry up and wait! or, How I learned to stop worrying and love the journey<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the tarmac in Nairobi</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patience...</td></tr>
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Day three here on the Kenyan coast, and we have finally placed our first arthropod traps in the nearby Gede restoration forest. <br />
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Yesterday was a day spent wrangling with various bureaucratic headaches - replete with frantic phone calls/texts to colleagues back at the Nairobi headquarters of the National Museums of Kenya - the organization that oversees operations of the Gede National Monument here on the coast where we're working. As is often the case here, our dialogue was full of nuance and intimation - eventually it became clear that a sticking point was my lapsed membership as an Affiliate Member of the National Museums of Kenya. <br />
By the end of the day we had resolved that upon my renewal (and accompanying fee payment), we would be allowed access into the forest to do our research. Thus ensued a frantic afternoon rushing into town to take care of transferring money via M-pesa, a cell phone-based service for which Kenya is quite well known (<em>The Economist</em> has highlighted this service several times recently, praising it's simplicity and practicality). Once we were able to load the money onto our phone, we then simply sent it to our colleague's phone in Nairobi, and we were all set. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">M-pesa station, Watamu</td></tr>
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This morning, as promised, we were allowed access to the forest (after another hourlong delay - but who's counting?) - finally putting in traps to capture ground-dwelling and flying insects in the restoration forest. We're looking forward to returning in the morning to see what we've caught!<br />
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Buckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437943935468280942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1912697622105520498.post-79554696878303277362014-10-30T00:30:00.003-07:002014-11-01T06:52:59.568-07:00Restoration fieldwork on the Kenyan coast - Gede Ruins<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Back in coastal Kenya for a few weeks to continue fieldwork in a restored forest in the Gede Ruins National Monument. Continuing a collaboration with David Macfarlane of Michigan State University and Colin Jackson of A Rocha Kenya, I'm here collecting arthropod diversity data in plots within a forest that was restored with native tree species over twenty years ago. I'm focusing this time on plots that contain volunteer Neem trees --- an exotic species from India that has been proposed as a species suitable for timber production in Kenya plantations. Data collected at the site last year suggest that higher percentages of above ground carbon comprised of Neem is correlated with higher ratios of flying to ground-dwelling arthropods. Over the next ten days we'll be collecting more data to see whether or not this pattern holds up with more replication. if it does, it could have important implications for how we view the presence of introduced species in restoration areas.</div>
Buckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437943935468280942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1912697622105520498.post-46203089788031488042014-09-08T06:33:00.000-07:002014-09-08T06:34:28.408-07:00Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Spending a month in Uppsala, Sweden working with colleagues in the Department of Ecology at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, or SLU) as a Guest Researcher in the </span><a href="http://www.slu.se/en/faculties/nj/research/the-august-t-larsson-guest-researcher-programme/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">August T. Larsson Guest Researcher</span></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> program. Over the next three years I'll be working with the </span><a href="http://www2.ekol.slu.se/ecoservices/people.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Ecosystem Services and Conservation Research Team</span></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> on several projects, some short-term, some longer-term. Thematically, these projects are all (more or less) aimed at better understanding the factors that govern the population dynamics of insects important in agricultural production. Topics include modeling the effects of pesticides on bumble bee populations, exploring how parasitoid wasps (important for biological control of insect pests) respond to habitat fragmentation, and (along with colleagues at CSIRO Australia and the University of California) exploring the effects of vegetation diversity on pests and beneficial insects in agroecosystems.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uppsala cathedral (Domkyrka)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Fika" (coffee break) is an all-important Swedish tradition!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stockholm sunset</td></tr>
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Buckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437943935468280942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1912697622105520498.post-23194288330701788892014-08-21T01:49:00.000-07:002014-08-31T23:53:31.148-07:00Voodoo forests of Benin<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside a sacred forest near Allada</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fishing in the bay, Cotonou</td></tr>
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Bonjour! Just wrapped up an exploratory expedition to the West African nations of Benin & Togo, where I have been laying the groundwork for both research and study abroad opportunities with local contacts along with colleagues from Michigan State University. We spent much of our time with local voodoo practitioners learning about the sacred forests spread throughout this part of the world, with a focus on the interactions among their spiritual practices, stewardship of the sacred forests, and the biological diversity within and around the forests. My colleagues and I are especially interested in exploring the social and scientific issues that form the backdrop for these interactions. For my part, I'm interested in how arthropod diversity both within and around sacred forests may play a role in both the spiritual and the scientific (conservation) aspects of this interplay. For instance, forest stewardship may bolster ecosystem services such as pollination and biological control in nearby agricultural fields. I'm looking forward to setting up some experiments with colleagues at the university in Abomey-Calavi (Cotonou) to test some hypotheses related to these and other interchanges - as well as creating opportunities for UW Tacoma students to explore the myriad rich cultural and scientific aspects of life and conservation in West Africa. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mono river, border between Benin & Togo</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Market in Ouidah</td></tr>
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Buckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437943935468280942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1912697622105520498.post-45987809076264733792013-08-13T01:45:00.003-07:002013-08-13T01:53:53.659-07:00Human-forest mutualisms in Kenya<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preparing to enter kaya Kinondo</td></tr>
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I have just wrapped up a two-week expedition in coastal Kenya, where, along with colleagues from Michigan State University, I've been helping lay the groundwork for research that explores the mutualistic relationship between coastal forests and nearby local villagers. Working with local collaborators that include the National Museums of Kenya, A Rocha Kenya, and the Kenya Forestry Research Institute, we have been meeting with members of local Community Forest Associations around Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, Dakatcha Woodlands, Shimba Hills, and a few sacred forests ("<em>kayas</em>") around Mombasa and the South Coast. Many of these villagers (which consist of members of several of the nine tribes that constitute the Mijikenda coastal tribes, who originated from Somalia) rely on forest products such as cut stems/poles for fuelwood, charcoal production, and wood carving - all responsible for negative effects on forest ecosystems that are well-documented in this part of the world. At the same time, many villagers living adjacent to forests also contribute positive benefits to forest ecosystems, including such activities as planting native tree and plant species and beekeeping. Our interest is in documenting such human-forest mutualisms, comparing them with biodiversity metrics in a range of habitats subject to different governance systems. Furthermore, we hope to engage local residents in participatory planning processes to positively increase the scope and impact of these human-forest mutualisms. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wood carvers at Lunga Lunga, Kenya-Tanzanian border</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJyRZSRBZx0O7Cby9I8rvwPubwpME77RI8frANm0ZteWNXhMW2Hu2Uba3dQ_UBj_LnHA63gOpj_Q8hT5U3U8fw8wYYzghvH7cBZ5QJ3PuslPhM97rX-Ss-fBLJQITMhklj8w_ifZ8jIA/s1600/Colobus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJyRZSRBZx0O7Cby9I8rvwPubwpME77RI8frANm0ZteWNXhMW2Hu2Uba3dQ_UBj_LnHA63gOpj_Q8hT5U3U8fw8wYYzghvH7cBZ5QJ3PuslPhM97rX-Ss-fBLJQITMhklj8w_ifZ8jIA/s1600/Colobus.JPG" height="271" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colobus monkey, kaya Kinondo</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGneWP5d84y-sbu7uGarCf2omRiwOg_CiwvPZEHpT1knbLqjlDC3fjFip6CYKMtUt5YX6knMOWnNKxHvNzvaR6FZWTBSLgOim8UERAhytFqcBmtPWZJ30jzSTVBwqoMmxhJXv7T1Ijkw/s1600/P1080427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGneWP5d84y-sbu7uGarCf2omRiwOg_CiwvPZEHpT1knbLqjlDC3fjFip6CYKMtUt5YX6knMOWnNKxHvNzvaR6FZWTBSLgOim8UERAhytFqcBmtPWZJ30jzSTVBwqoMmxhJXv7T1Ijkw/s1600/P1080427.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset, Indian Ocean</td></tr>
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Buckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437943935468280942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1912697622105520498.post-26639445301790105112013-04-03T23:38:00.000-07:002013-04-03T23:38:41.787-07:00The coast!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlr_DqtX3eMVJmuAVpkS20dJf0aX9Ojp8L0YmeplO9NmR9KJJsNKBYGto0IvEr6rDG504xCKyjrtFHRcy1nDZnN7Py6pL2c9Wmny2OSlYJxUeQBVi1mvKAj1xOwbPzscUwh_A5lHAtyvQ/s1600/MastatalSunsetCompressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlr_DqtX3eMVJmuAVpkS20dJf0aX9Ojp8L0YmeplO9NmR9KJJsNKBYGto0IvEr6rDG504xCKyjrtFHRcy1nDZnN7Py6pL2c9Wmny2OSlYJxUeQBVi1mvKAj1xOwbPzscUwh_A5lHAtyvQ/s1600/MastatalSunsetCompressed.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mastatal sunset</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZVYedTPCr_LFK_Vo8NrPgq2iqGgGKuPgW9AMzyf3IDcLpeG7mm7RlndJ2195WlbflY2e_91VPrU5VXBmpt-t-AUXfS4PMWsgDLgRmdVPKK-VLAKiDl8eJmdgmJkI24DYwx8xRW09uzU/s1600/tarantulaCompressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZVYedTPCr_LFK_Vo8NrPgq2iqGgGKuPgW9AMzyf3IDcLpeG7mm7RlndJ2195WlbflY2e_91VPrU5VXBmpt-t-AUXfS4PMWsgDLgRmdVPKK-VLAKiDl8eJmdgmJkI24DYwx8xRW09uzU/s1600/tarantulaCompressed.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tarantula - Mastatal night hike</td></tr>
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Thursday morning we said farewell to Mastatal and headed westward down the road towards Parrita and the coastal plain. Cruising through miles and miles of oil palms (a major crop on the Pacific side of Costa Rica - oil from the fruits are processed at factories along the coast), we entered the more heavily developed Pacific coastal zone and headed south to Quepos and Manuel Antonio. We spent most of the day in Manuel Antonio - Costa Rica's most popular national park - which was indeed very popular as it was filled with both international and domestic visitors taking advantage of the Semana Santa holiday! We had a guided nature hike in the morning, featuring many wildlife sightings (including bats, sloths, and monkeys!) followed by some downtime to enjoy the beach during the afternoon. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUoQMp5TPomHOZdwonqUhspOhzzmx2S6Le9ZCKRTCBLaRvFYcFiWyhTVHH0fZS8OiLNOQl-uprtgHjpDd3gdqHRvv7zJpL9fukdYl4w6_HjnSimGb1WaIxjNmCdpaSsKEqouwsUjZyDjo/s1600/ExpFellowsManAntonCompressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUoQMp5TPomHOZdwonqUhspOhzzmx2S6Le9ZCKRTCBLaRvFYcFiWyhTVHH0fZS8OiLNOQl-uprtgHjpDd3gdqHRvv7zJpL9fukdYl4w6_HjnSimGb1WaIxjNmCdpaSsKEqouwsUjZyDjo/s1600/ExpFellowsManAntonCompressed.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Manuel Antonio National Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0kaxuAMzl11pMuToqWO45ZRXtrEJooVByyliWpzdHtAVOreFlEfgMWcSxbuImPzuhaue_Kf3kTdit1U_XbXhJo02F6GxX0eBZXmc4sGMfHoRB_9ek-VjRZRq41l9gCbIFLa3_hNCfSw/s1600/SmilingSlothCompressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0kaxuAMzl11pMuToqWO45ZRXtrEJooVByyliWpzdHtAVOreFlEfgMWcSxbuImPzuhaue_Kf3kTdit1U_XbXhJo02F6GxX0eBZXmc4sGMfHoRB_9ek-VjRZRq41l9gCbIFLa3_hNCfSw/s1600/SmilingSlothCompressed.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smiling sloth!</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDhwsuhiorhL-hT5QYZDg3R0X8z8ObB8Q-9EEXlaM0HMvEYvv6QKUQRqOTqf1AVWMlnKuDawXP-YvdBMzTmaAVahFvK7fXgH3PYzr5CrQ2RTYS_IWLk0TBCPF0ueP-7J6g39nSiczNSI/s1600/ToucanCompressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDhwsuhiorhL-hT5QYZDg3R0X8z8ObB8Q-9EEXlaM0HMvEYvv6QKUQRqOTqf1AVWMlnKuDawXP-YvdBMzTmaAVahFvK7fXgH3PYzr5CrQ2RTYS_IWLk0TBCPF0ueP-7J6g39nSiczNSI/s1600/ToucanCompressed.jpg" height="253" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chestnut-mandibled toucan</td></tr>
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We spent Thursday and Friday nights at Hacienda Baru, a wildlife refuge about a half hour south of Manuel Antonio; Friday we headed north again for a tour of the mangrove ecosystem on the coast. Boarding a small covered boat, we wended our way through a network of canals lined with several species of mangrove. We wrapped up our stay on the coast Saturday morning with a visit from Jack Ewing, the founder and proprietor of Hacienda Baru before heading north to San Jose and the flight home!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-fMf2-cvO1NCCkf3ldM-p_m8AlTCYHZ3BLvIr-w72Byd3ybG1DWf0AqETVZ73xknOp_GUny5_wx49bOkwN0zY6W3DBdnAbxX95M9XPoKevtlhpxm7ddWPs71GMph0Bf7-jIDoI1AyW2s/s1600/TouringMangrovesCompressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-fMf2-cvO1NCCkf3ldM-p_m8AlTCYHZ3BLvIr-w72Byd3ybG1DWf0AqETVZ73xknOp_GUny5_wx49bOkwN0zY6W3DBdnAbxX95M9XPoKevtlhpxm7ddWPs71GMph0Bf7-jIDoI1AyW2s/s1600/TouringMangrovesCompressed.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mangrove tour</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDEWGgkjEP0lL8_blXn1qg543r549M50EEGUzTXI6MpONuiAOeh9wL8UsdorGO-TU1XpTtpN4ADdjTK4Khg_3cVXXp567NX3XeGUxpHWSKIXcNwgGj1sbZnOU2AdzimuOG08ALWLb05nc/s1600/JackEwingCompressed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDEWGgkjEP0lL8_blXn1qg543r549M50EEGUzTXI6MpONuiAOeh9wL8UsdorGO-TU1XpTtpN4ADdjTK4Khg_3cVXXp567NX3XeGUxpHWSKIXcNwgGj1sbZnOU2AdzimuOG08ALWLb05nc/s1600/JackEwingCompressed.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack Ewing discussing the history of Hacienda Baru</td></tr>
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<span id="goog_1181940913"></span><span id="goog_1181940914"></span><br />Buckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437943935468280942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1912697622105520498.post-54651246638099739472013-03-31T10:37:00.002-07:002013-03-31T10:40:33.442-07:00Life in Mastatal<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kdZ_TdNfUomO_2agzCindp5Ur2C0vtjETeuosDGXNXz7JB7LLQXB9ZQejAWO1Y2yJU_oCTYAX_m7ZYgWrggNx2E2i56KW43T8-VcrumiekVFXVXTFSqLVTm4N3VJO_YU2LsCwZrFBSI/s1600/In+Santa+Maria+de+DotaCompressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kdZ_TdNfUomO_2agzCindp5Ur2C0vtjETeuosDGXNXz7JB7LLQXB9ZQejAWO1Y2yJU_oCTYAX_m7ZYgWrggNx2E2i56KW43T8-VcrumiekVFXVXTFSqLVTm4N3VJO_YU2LsCwZrFBSI/s1600/In+Santa+Maria+de+DotaCompressed.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Santa Maria de Dota</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We are
finishing up our fourth day here in the small rural village of Mastatal – we are now
over halfway through our Costa Rica expedition. We rolled in Saturday evening
after spending the morning in San Marcos visiting a coffee farm way up in the
highlands and stopping for lunch in town…all settled into open-air bunks upon
arrival in Mastatal, and were greeted by a cacophony of bird sounds the next
morning. A tour of the Villas Mastatal, the sustainability center and organic
farm where we are staying, was followed by a hike through the rainforest to a
waterfall – terrific relief from the heat and humidity down here in the
lowlands!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sunday night we all went into
town to have dinner at the community center, followed by a rousing evening of
Bingo (Nicole was our big winter, taking home two different prizes!). Monday
morning we had a tour of another nearby sustainability center (Rancho
Mastatal)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and then took another hike
through tropical forest to a river where we all swam with local Costa Rican
families enjoying the afternoon. This week, the one before Easter, is Semana
Santa – kids are out of school and many families are on holiday. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbkiFaGsNh7ODApluQubW5x00_DT519lfhPnbyklVbrTvJnkhhR3UIOK0Z9d6SKshOVzTI9guKI09y0XGs7Yd9UwhZW3lb1ggQqKF8D6000UiNqWfkv7TAP7uMzcH5y1_TUHXDLRm1erg/s1600/VillasMastatalCompressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbkiFaGsNh7ODApluQubW5x00_DT519lfhPnbyklVbrTvJnkhhR3UIOK0Z9d6SKshOVzTI9guKI09y0XGs7Yd9UwhZW3lb1ggQqKF8D6000UiNqWfkv7TAP7uMzcH5y1_TUHXDLRm1erg/s1600/VillasMastatalCompressed.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Villas Mastatal, with La Cangeja National Park in background</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit1kWnw6PuoBaApboIWA9qrhfPV_hiZnYyYfh2ABAYLSdJj7IDmmvVwoDyffRoqU_ftpGaNzYyxyxU1jl_uCGwime8o4jRSTymY1ira5duQ4qF8yHhMCpI3h5BSuZFr9Eh5rqdQk4il-Q/s1600/VillasDormCompressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit1kWnw6PuoBaApboIWA9qrhfPV_hiZnYyYfh2ABAYLSdJj7IDmmvVwoDyffRoqU_ftpGaNzYyxyxU1jl_uCGwime8o4jRSTymY1ira5duQ4qF8yHhMCpI3h5BSuZFr9Eh5rqdQk4il-Q/s1600/VillasDormCompressed.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying fresh watermelon in the dormatorio, Villas Mastatal</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlF2zDwmg1b6H8_t6EaqBC_V8P3zJOQTjSX28EOBrPp-aRYapFAC0vWoS8z5YC9P_UoT0-vTG1qIW9GwymO_FYa9vvplILT7yDYO4a0Ac7OGREuQgnGoCfTVHGquUJ90BKJwBNBHXegPg/s1600/NicoleBingoCompressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlF2zDwmg1b6H8_t6EaqBC_V8P3zJOQTjSX28EOBrPp-aRYapFAC0vWoS8z5YC9P_UoT0-vTG1qIW9GwymO_FYa9vvplILT7yDYO4a0Ac7OGREuQgnGoCfTVHGquUJ90BKJwBNBHXegPg/s1600/NicoleBingoCompressed.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nicole with a big win at bingo night in Mastatal!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeaoEEQ7Uv7GtKIZ1ANatY_9owftVVn3UwCID3NFw6kVM9r1j7uqKpcBjnyMtu74gUQLoZYavHgSls4-DSz5EPcl6wUPbw5QLPC8gK69Onlt-bGohHCNXBx7OA5I0dGge7-JyDnEPTHIk/s1600/HikingRiversCompressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeaoEEQ7Uv7GtKIZ1ANatY_9owftVVn3UwCID3NFw6kVM9r1j7uqKpcBjnyMtu74gUQLoZYavHgSls4-DSz5EPcl6wUPbw5QLPC8gK69Onlt-bGohHCNXBx7OA5I0dGge7-JyDnEPTHIk/s1600/HikingRiversCompressed.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking the river at Villas Mastatal</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVLbOV1f0vSRGVLjKXmFDUvzLg3KZu-E5EPhHk_mExHxY4-wKwNI3l4ngEd2pAbgQteRbaj1Pur7ESUInh0Ks3rdtjMG4L5ouMrx5I35FDc4Wf0_IqGo6rLb0sTvH62noW05QuLpgdCc/s1600/RiverCompressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVLbOV1f0vSRGVLjKXmFDUvzLg3KZu-E5EPhHk_mExHxY4-wKwNI3l4ngEd2pAbgQteRbaj1Pur7ESUInh0Ks3rdtjMG4L5ouMrx5I35FDc4Wf0_IqGo6rLb0sTvH62noW05QuLpgdCc/s1600/RiverCompressed.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Monday evening everyone had a chance to experience a homestay, pairing up to spend the night with local families. This morning all reunited at the local primary school and did some service work, transplanting some grasses and trees onto a steep slope adjacent to the school. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Yesterday afternoon we were visited by a local “medicine man” from the nearby indigenous village of Zapaton. He described several various local forest plants that are traditionally used for medicinal purposes – a great chance for students to get a glimpse of a different (and fading fast) world! We finished off the afternoon by making straw baskets in the traditional manner of the residents of Zapaton.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwUxtf025hzg2zPc59im54O_WXpSbwioA8KDeB7Xjy0wOL0nc-uWOZICN1eBesecen0qW3SuBNy3ofxjfsNeDanzhlMv45Zs3Ou5-nJdO0URehhVzbBqf4kMAlfZwLnLEQwI3LJ2UEXfg/s1600/GerardoCompressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwUxtf025hzg2zPc59im54O_WXpSbwioA8KDeB7Xjy0wOL0nc-uWOZICN1eBesecen0qW3SuBNy3ofxjfsNeDanzhlMv45Zs3Ou5-nJdO0URehhVzbBqf4kMAlfZwLnLEQwI3LJ2UEXfg/s1600/GerardoCompressed.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visiting with Gerardo from Zapaton</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tree planting in Mastatal</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Today we started off the day by planting native trees around a spring (water source) at Villas Mastatal - in addition to offsetting our carbon footprint stemming from the flights to get to our Costa Rice Expedition, these plantings will help shade the water source and help stabilize the riparian zone. We planted over 45 plants in under two hours - hitting our estimated 2-3 plants per person target to offset the carbon output associated with our trip. In the afternoon we hiked up to see a cacao plantation belonging to local farmer Juan Luis - and then spent a few hours learning about chocolate production - including a hands-on session extracting seeds and grinding them to make chocolate confections (which we also sampled extensively!). We celebrated our time in Mastatal with a big send-off, eating homemade pizzas made in Javier's earth oven. Tomorrow it's off to the coast!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking down from cacao plantation<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Juan Luis in the cacao plantation</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Processing cacao</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing the river during our cacao hike<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying confections at La Iguana Chocoolate!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pizza night farewell to Villas Mastatal!</td></tr>
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<br />Buckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437943935468280942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1912697622105520498.post-86071063783823695242013-03-23T06:10:00.000-07:002013-08-15T09:50:52.525-07:00Tarrazú - coffee, coffee everywhere!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving the Central Valley behind!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We began our first full day in Costa Rica with an open-air
breakfast in the Alajuela hotel, followed by a drive across the Central <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Valley through the old capital city of Cartago,
and up into the highlands to the Tarrazú coffee growing region. In the town of
Santa Maria de Dota, surrounded by hillsides covered with coffee fields, we had
lunch at the home of a local coffee farmer. In the afternoon we had a tour of
the CoopeDota coffee mill and roaster in town (which included lessons in coffee tasting - and the chance to buy coffee directly from the cooperative) followed by a terrific barbecue
dinner this evening. Spirits were high as everyone retired early in anticipation of
a long day tomorrow <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- we’ll get up for
an early breakfast before heading out to explore some more coffee farms en
route to the rainforest.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Checking out Dota coffee varieties</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The group checking out the sun-dried coffee process<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coffee tasting at Dota<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visiting a coffee farm<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch in Santa Maria de Dota<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the bus!<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Expedition Fellows group, consisting of freshmen and
sophomores from UW Tacoma, along with Peer Advisor Gloria Shin, had a chance tonight
to meet a UWT graduate who is living in Costa Rica with his family for the next
few years conducting research for his Ph.D. Levi Keesecker, who was an
Environmental Science major, is now a graduate student at the University of
Idaho in an interdisciplinary program that culminates in a two-year fieldwork
stint in Costa Rica in conjunction with CATIE, a university in Turrialba that
focuses on applied ecology & sustainable agriculture. The students had a
chance to hear about Levi’s pathway to graduate school (including international
experiences doing research in Costa Rica and Yucatan while an undergraduate at
UWT) while enjoying tonight’s barbecue dinner – hopefully an inspiration for
some as they learn more about opportunities available to them!</span><br />
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Buckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437943935468280942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1912697622105520498.post-3562586263355410482013-03-22T07:40:00.001-07:002013-05-18T13:58:27.491-07:00Expedition Fellows 2013 - Costa Rica!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dIuKxB39gN-qsBqHwzSeVkClwJGJ1SX5KKdZaKBfne4_CMZsA-IZmJLTUCAya6I-957WYb6c96LgbOM4LABoLJuuYmcuvOmiv1uftOdFHZRgwgy_W1hedWVPFnR83GeOScBSTUxyrQo/s1600/costa-rica-poster-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dIuKxB39gN-qsBqHwzSeVkClwJGJ1SX5KKdZaKBfne4_CMZsA-IZmJLTUCAya6I-957WYb6c96LgbOM4LABoLJuuYmcuvOmiv1uftOdFHZRgwgy_W1hedWVPFnR83GeOScBSTUxyrQo/s1600/costa-rica-poster-large.jpg" height="193" width="320" /></a><br />
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UW Tacoma Expedition Fellows is underway - we are all settled in Alajuela, Costa Rica, ready for an exciting 10-day adventure. Tomorrow morning we are heading up to the highlands, where we'll spend a few days exploring the process of coffee production, from farm to roasting...then we'll head down into the mountains to spend several days in a small farming community doing some community service, restoration planting, and learning about tropical forests and cacoa plantations....then it's off to the coast for a few days to check out mangrove ecosystems and explore coastal ecotourism development. Stay tuned for more updates on our adventure!Buckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437943935468280942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1912697622105520498.post-85788383428479435052013-02-02T09:46:00.002-08:002013-02-02T09:50:20.809-08:00Sampling wrap-up!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjehcpOQ2a2jd6L4iYGUFnX9XEHrD7dypmIlRi_1h-K4gVU4C7upSm9lqnok-z2yWk2yDWnHwRl4xowdDvS82VQAqc8Yd5rQr491NDdfB6MYNwGz1jw8z-fqEaFoT5pTiKb3nzAZc_2l4M/s1600/LastDayatShambaCompressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjehcpOQ2a2jd6L4iYGUFnX9XEHrD7dypmIlRi_1h-K4gVU4C7upSm9lqnok-z2yWk2yDWnHwRl4xowdDvS82VQAqc8Yd5rQr491NDdfB6MYNwGz1jw8z-fqEaFoT5pTiKb3nzAZc_2l4M/s1600/LastDayatShambaCompressed.jpg" height="272" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wrapping up sampling in the <em>shambas</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orb weaver - one of many beautiful specimens around sampling sites!</td></tr>
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We finished up our sampling of shamba habitat this week, collecting from two more farms on the eastern side of the Gede National Monument. Some anxiety during our last 24hrs of sampling, as the farm in which we set up was full of goats - some of whom seemed to be eyeing our malaise tents with a lean and hungry look (see photo below). Luckily all of our traps survived the night intact - concluding 27 plot samples over the course of the past several weeks. We celebrated with an overnight trip to nearby Tsavo East National Monument and some rugby viewing this weekend - Monday we'll do some gps mapping in the Gede ruins, and then prepare for our long journey back to the U.S.!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLuv7Djbhpn2Dr7EJr4U-Vv8qx3vkVSHZJim9hZetbEzVk5AP6OaY65_skbbTBIon-JosgMfaCtbfEcMbf5JM-CRu96H-KlgYahB1SU-MeYa9hCwS1hj0K7rJX5nyPTC-TT8Buo5EmCE/s1600/GoatMenaceinShamba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLuv7Djbhpn2Dr7EJr4U-Vv8qx3vkVSHZJim9hZetbEzVk5AP6OaY65_skbbTBIon-JosgMfaCtbfEcMbf5JM-CRu96H-KlgYahB1SU-MeYa9hCwS1hj0K7rJX5nyPTC-TT8Buo5EmCE/s1600/GoatMenaceinShamba.jpg" height="228" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The goat menace!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset over Tsavo East National Park, east of Gede research site</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFzf7JHaZCMvqkn1-kggb0OOX6qUmixosC2SCYGX3LLBfvh3cBMsRJUHVPMrqmnpXGyezbVhua8OxN-1SIldg7k4R3z5VvFeojmgVoEV9dStW42XY7Swv9rWL3exEAAd9iKpO-EJBJCas/s1600/UgaliCompressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFzf7JHaZCMvqkn1-kggb0OOX6qUmixosC2SCYGX3LLBfvh3cBMsRJUHVPMrqmnpXGyezbVhua8OxN-1SIldg7k4R3z5VvFeojmgVoEV9dStW42XY7Swv9rWL3exEAAd9iKpO-EJBJCas/s1600/UgaliCompressed.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Staple foods at Mwamba (ugali and sukuma wiki - delish!)</td></tr>
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<img height="74" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqWXttHZ4F9G4aaFWA-mz2ApsptZtGR2Cx12qCgt80974IWf8ex0bR3ov1V3WV361aWhFoqxKjtsxGAzy6BfrpHnupbvM5B_UhYHQ14i4dVvdwC-nCAEq5hm5SX4aG3r52GWzAlwdiuME/s1600/OrbSpiderCompressed.jpg" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 488px; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 761px;" width="96" />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2p7Bc2qKng0S4zKcas_3JgjQuU1J-rlU-qCxLqVtJ1BdV140Qr2mk8DXQpDu8cgJMXvuECxWAWdWTa6aLLM2Ia03bKUPEwzsdQ63qCUwOUMc5qDY61E3JoZ6_wJIDH4-YHnVDAQ1Z_k/s1600/threeatgede.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2p7Bc2qKng0S4zKcas_3JgjQuU1J-rlU-qCxLqVtJ1BdV140Qr2mk8DXQpDu8cgJMXvuECxWAWdWTa6aLLM2Ia03bKUPEwzsdQ63qCUwOUMc5qDY61E3JoZ6_wJIDH4-YHnVDAQ1Z_k/s1600/threeatgede.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sampling for arthropods near the outer wall of the ancient city of <a href="http://www.museums.or.ke/content/blogcategory/22/28/" target="_blank">Gede</a></td></tr>
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After a successful monkey-free sampling round in the forest on the far side of the <a href="http://www.museums.or.ke/content/blogcategory/22/28/" target="_blank">Gede ruins</a>, we decided to take a more practical approach at re-sampling the site where our traps were under siege a few days ago. After much discussion, our field assistant Simon volunteered to hang out at the site all day yesterday in order to deter any monkey mischief. Our primate friends were in full evidence as we arrived at the site in the morning to put up traps; we also saw a few <a href="http://softkenya.com/animal/bush-duiker/" target="_blank">duikers</a> (who apparently have a strong affinity for soapy water - hence posing a continuing threat to our pan and pitfall traps) running about. We set up our traps to the sounds of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadada_Ibis" target="_blank">Hadada Ibis</a> and the near constant (and seemingly mocking) call of the <a href="http://www.biodiversityexplorer.org/birds/bucerotidae/bycanistes_bucinator.htm" target="_blank"> Trumpeter Hornbill</a> (check out its mournful if somewhat annoying call <a href="http://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Bycanistes-bucinator?&view=3" target="_blank">here</a>), and then Simon settled in for the day - with provisions for food & water, of course!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xToGwuI31-TrLiiD-89L3I2PRHxwXyNDBvejI99CaRZRenHpMO7sEDGDoV-G5s35i423IpfygaB6jZ5tvu-s3IN7cqiFnkHsArVA-c3wE_LydnFXplTdbCNaBJE6g2Zw7ElSZZg1_Go/s1600/SimonReadytoGuard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xToGwuI31-TrLiiD-89L3I2PRHxwXyNDBvejI99CaRZRenHpMO7sEDGDoV-G5s35i423IpfygaB6jZ5tvu-s3IN7cqiFnkHsArVA-c3wE_LydnFXplTdbCNaBJE6g2Zw7ElSZZg1_Go/s1600/SimonReadytoGuard.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simon preparing to hunker down for the day on monkey patrol!</td></tr>
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At the end of the day, our scheme paid off - Simon did indeed have to chase off monkey troupes a few times - but our traps held fast and we got some great data this morning! We travelled to a nearby <em>shamba</em> (farmstead) and set up traps there - the first of three days of farm sampling to round out our comparisons (diversity in the regenerated forest vs. established forest vs. farmland). Back on track, we're busy sorting insects this afternoon - and hoping to take in some Saturday night rugby on tv at a local bar this evening!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jake hoisting malaise with Stanley at the <em>shamba</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meg helping with set-up at the <em>shamba</em></td></tr>
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<br />Buckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437943935468280942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1912697622105520498.post-26740716054484146352013-01-22T04:57:00.002-08:002013-01-26T11:46:17.159-08:00Monkey trouble<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Malaise downed by monkeys!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duiker prints by empty pitfall</td></tr>
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Today marks the end of our first week of fieldwork this expedition - to commemorate this milestone, we arrived to the field site this morning to find that monkeys apparently enjoyed themselves last night deconstructing our experimental set up! Malaise traps were knocked over, and pitfall and yellow pan traps were flung about - basically undoing our last 24 hours of sampling work. This comes a day after we found some of our pitfalls and pan traps licked clean by what appeared to be a forest duiker (small antelope in the genus Cephalophus) with a taste for soapy water. This morning we collected what we could, and reset traps in a nearby forest site on the other side of the Gede Ruins archealogical site. We're hoping that this round will go smoothly - it's in the same reference forest, but far enough away that it is ruled by a different (and hopefully less mischievous) monkey troupe (which we saw moving through the trees upon our arrival). Tomorrow we'll know if this incident was a one-off - or if we need to get serious about guarding our experimental set-up from marauding monkeys 24/7!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't be misled by that innocent look!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(and they can also pretty hazardous to scientific research as well!)</td></tr>
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Buckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437943935468280942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1912697622105520498.post-70673360108363403652013-01-20T07:14:00.002-08:002013-01-26T11:45:32.554-08:00Setbacks in the field - get your Sisyphus on!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-FJ9NiOQkbFPkXjP5udjfh0_obh-u1VZRzYnQI-cm2bZgcu3yl7AUzY9LMYqQjvLte4R6tZk-kHgfplfjMqEfaROpQeSFRebU4lcnaj56y2mOOoC34LViZ9xmiO1lreSJdxMm134YX8/s1600/Apiary1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-FJ9NiOQkbFPkXjP5udjfh0_obh-u1VZRzYnQI-cm2bZgcu3yl7AUzY9LMYqQjvLte4R6tZk-kHgfplfjMqEfaROpQeSFRebU4lcnaj56y2mOOoC34LViZ9xmiO1lreSJdxMm134YX8/s320/Apiary1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apiary crops up in the forest</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwXYkPiXGfEKO26scUHuhJJrpNBq58RZv2yoM6ltjdicvGYPDqvmXK6SGp_9ITVc1qGPeVp6ewHXTPkz0iJbKI9kyIInEema5nNA2xIXa1UZsRhvxgwCu0r1lW1Op-m5pBNb3IWTbNiQ/s1600/Apiary2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwXYkPiXGfEKO26scUHuhJJrpNBq58RZv2yoM6ltjdicvGYPDqvmXK6SGp_9ITVc1qGPeVp6ewHXTPkz0iJbKI9kyIInEema5nNA2xIXa1UZsRhvxgwCu0r1lW1Op-m5pBNb3IWTbNiQ/s320/Apiary2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A house fit for bees...in the middle of regen plot!/!</td></tr>
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Fully underway in the field at week's end - our second day in the regenerated forest we were surprised to see that an entire house was being constructed in one of our experimental plots! Apparently this is to be an apiary to replace the managed honeybee colonies scattered about in the regen area - but in order to build it, some clearing of native trees planted 20+ years ago occurred. Luckily we were able to find a suitable replacement plot neraby for our diversity sampling - and fieldwork continues...<br />
This sort of thing is unfortunately not too uncommon in conservation work - despite the best efforts of several local groups to establish and study plots such as the restoration area where we're working, there are constant tensions over land use. Furthermore, it seems that the group that decided to clear the area (without consultation of any of the team working on the restoration) could have easily set up the apiary in a less sensitive area nearby - at best it seems poor communication and coordination were happening here. These types of miscommunications are happening in all conservation realms here on the coast - from the inland dry forest to the marine zone, where poaching continues unabated despite widespread education compaigns aimed at highlighting the short-sightedness of overfishing/overharvesting for short-term gain in areas where many people's livelihoods depend on sustainable resources. Despite all, good work carries on - the spirit of Sisyphus (the Corinthian king from Greek mythology condemned to roll a boulder up a hill, only to have it roll back down - for eternity) is alive and well here on the coast - lots of people working together to tackle complex multi-faceted conservation issues!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Field crew in Gede, undeterred!</td></tr>
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Buckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437943935468280942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1912697622105520498.post-38050137537973089562013-01-17T06:34:00.002-08:002013-01-17T06:34:29.297-08:00Dry season in Gede!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshuv_GVl8WGJZYTjGBWKssvy8qPOb4tlSPrgW0e7ahhH016O7idFawL4VuXp4mBjDFNrgAXDXENWVvBBHPMEbJv8zj0kKAr82xaVI8ln1EFMYqUaMLD5C4TLXEI_v3pYH2pCZ5z-dyjg/s1600/Gede2Compressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshuv_GVl8WGJZYTjGBWKssvy8qPOb4tlSPrgW0e7ahhH016O7idFawL4VuXp4mBjDFNrgAXDXENWVvBBHPMEbJv8zj0kKAr82xaVI8ln1EFMYqUaMLD5C4TLXEI_v3pYH2pCZ5z-dyjg/s320/Gede2Compressed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jake and Simon collecting leaf litter data in restored forest</td></tr>
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Back in Gede (Coast Province, Kenya) doing fieldwork in the dry season...I'm here for the next three weeks sampling for arthropod diversity in the Gede Ruins National Monument - a continuation of work started back in May/June of last year, this is a collaborative effort with local ornithologists from the Mwamba Field Station and Bird Observatory and the National Museums of Kenya to assess the recovery of a plot of land (formerly farmland) that was planted with indigenous trees over twenty years ago. Working with me is Jake Asplund, a recent UWT grad (headed to graduate school in the fall) and Simon Mahaga, a student at Moi University in Nairobi. We're conducting fieldowrk by day and analyzing data from our last expedition in the evenings - a comparison of the diversity in the rainy and dry seasons will help us better understand the annual dynamics of arthropods and birds in these coastal forests as well as document the progress of this restoration project. Because forests represent critical wildlife habitat and supply important supplemental resources for many of the Giriama inhabitats of the 50+ villages in the Watamu area, we're keen to understand how quickly and to what extent the restored areas return to normal ecosystem functioning. We'll be spending the next several weeks setting up traps and rough sorting insects here at Mwamba before heading back to Nairobi and the U.S. - more updates to follow!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Syke's monkeys desperate for a drink at Mwamba in the hot dry season!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise at Mwamba</td></tr>
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Buckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437943935468280942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1912697622105520498.post-21578917552868954562012-06-03T13:18:00.002-07:002012-06-03T13:22:22.175-07:00Week's end in Gede<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Shamba</em> adjacent to Gede National Monument (forest visible in background)</td></tr>
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We've wrapped up another week in the field, and are heading to Nairobi tomorrow to meet with colleagues at the National Museums of Kenya before heading out on an overnight flight to Amsterdam. Our second week of sampling was a great success - we finished arthropod samples in the regeneration plots as well as nearby secondary forest and farmland (<em>shamba</em>) adjacent to the Gede forest. We're looking forward to putting our results together with our colleagues here at the Mwamba Bird Observatory & Field Centre - they are finishing up more bird surveys this coming week, along with more measurements of forest density and growth...together we'll be able to do a nice analysis, comparing levels of biodiversity we've found in the older growth forest with that found in the (newer) regeneration plots - which will help guide plans to restore more degraded land around the Gede Ruins.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meeting with the <em>mzee</em> before sampling on the <em>shamba</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scarab beetles from the Gede forest</td></tr>
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<br />Buckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437943935468280942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1912697622105520498.post-33198710020908761042012-05-25T22:44:00.000-07:002012-06-24T09:29:32.447-07:00Fieldwork in Gede Ruins<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Malaise traps in Gede regeneration plot</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jake and Brenda measuring ground cover characteristics in Gede </td></tr>
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Fieldwork is in full swing here on the Kenyan coast! We have spent this week deploying traps for ground-dwelling and flying insects in several different types of plots established on former farmland inside the Gede Ruins monument. These plots received several different kinds of treatment back in the mid-1990s, including seed enrichment and direct tree planting - and we are now in the process of comparing the arthropod and bird diversity (collaborating with Colin Jackson's ornithology team at A Rocha Kenya). We're also doing some sampling in both old-growth and secondary-growth tropical forest in Gede Ruins to be used as reference sites. This coming week we'll continue to sample in this regeneration plot, sorting insects back at A Rocha in preparation for donating them to colleagues/collaborators at National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi, who are conducting a DNA barcoding project.</div>
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The long-rains are definitely here - several impressive downpours during fieldwork this week - alternated with the usual heat and humidity - couldn't be a better time to be sampling for arthropods!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorting specimens at A Rocha</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Narina trogon (related to the famous Resplendent Quetzal of Costa Rica!) captured in mist nets in Gede </td></tr>
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</div>Buckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437943935468280942noreply@blogger.com0