The halfway point (for installation)

23 Diciembre 2019

Day nine; perhaps the most difficult day we've had thus far.

We journeyed along the Tree Forests Trail once again.

Trying to hype ourselves up to hike that trail again

Along the way, we ran into a few people that appeared to be illegally logging one of the reserve's partner's properties. As a precaution, we took a video so the rangers at the reserve can identify the offenders later. From that point, things were a little weird. There was no concern about our own safety. There was frustration at the situation - seeing illegal extraction first hand and not being able to do something at the moment because we were not in the position to. As well as frustration with other people not seeing the value of the beauty of the forest around them (especially given we also had seen illegal shrimpers a few nights before). We really are on the front lines of conservation out here.

Please check out this post Shawn made about the situation.

Shortly after passing them (they ended up leaving for the day after we passed by), we had to start bushwhacking our way. Becca and I were still carrying those huge packs as we navigated through and around patches of heavy bamboo. Bamboo, aka glorified grass, can have spines on their stalks and have spines on their shoots, and getting through it is a pain. At one point, Shawn declared that we had to get through more bamboo and I buried my face into the pack on my front, quietly screamed, then kept going.

We did not make it to our climbing tree until 3 pm. Honestly, we all began accepting that there may not be a camera going up that day.

I was determined though. For once, I managed a CAIP installation rather quickly even though I had an issue with my lanyard getting tangled in my ankle ascender.

The view from our new location

The hike back started with getting lost near immediately. We were far down the Three Forests Trail and tried a new way to get back instead of the difficult path we hacked earlier. But it seemed every half hour we were lost again. Becca and I were also running out of light. My headlamp had turned on in my pack and drained, my phone was out of juice, so I was relying on a small flashlight. Becca's headlamp was low, too. Both of us wondered if we'd make it back to the house with any light and mentally compared the benefits of simply curling up on the forest floor and waiting for daylight.

We both made it back with light. And at one point when we made it back on the trail, we witnessed a pair of Crested Owls mating! The second we made it onto the patio, we all began singing 'We Are the Champions'. In the end, the day had been 13 hours long. Although thoroughly worn out, all of us were proud of what we did.

Miles hiked: 7.93
PB&J count: 47

Day ten was our last day with Shawn in the field until after the holidays. We hiked the entirety of the Three Forests Trail. Getting into Bosque Seco Lalo Loor (BSLL) was like heaven. The trails were so clearly marked - every 25 m there was flagging indicating how far along the trail we were.

All of the signage in BSLL is a welcome sight

Fortunately, we also had a ride arranged to pick us up at the gates that evening.

Unfortunately, we were running low on time when we arrived in the reserve. All we ended up accomplishing was locating a few potential trees for CAIP installation. As we speed hiked out of BSLL, we encountered a Little Tinamou. We caught the bird off guard because the second it noticed us, the tinamou sort of tripped down the hillside.

Miles hiked: 6.66
PB&J count: 53

Day eleven - the first day of just Becca and me in the field. We now have a ride arranged to and from BSLL to save hiking time. When we arrived, the guard from the reserve was curious about our work and tagged along to see what we were doing. I love talking about my project, but I am still learning and felt more pressured having unfamiliar eyes on what I was doing. He was very kind though - he had worked in Coca with Woolly monkeys so he had a lot of questions about this project and my specific research questions.

While we did get a line in a tree and I did safely climb, a camera was not installed. Despite how many times I rerouted my lanyard, I could not navigate to where I wanted in the tree. The line was just too far.

With time running out, we cut our losses and decided to move to a more straightforward tree.

Miles hiked: 6.44
PB&J count: 55

Day twelve, on the hike to the tree, we encountered a Paca having a meal. We saw it as a sign that things would go our way today.

Wild Paca traipsing around

Fate had other plans. We moved on to a new tree, fired the line, and on the third attempt, the bag got caught up down a cliffside. No matter how much we tried to tug the bag free, we couldn't get the bag to move. I made the choice to cut the line. Not the greatest idea. Apparently, the shot had taken a lot of fishing line with it and in the next shot we fired, the weight bag took off and took the end of the line with it.

Two weight bags were gone. All the fishing line off the reel was gone.

All we could do at that point is to look for the missing weight bags. We searched along a steep slope and into a gully without much hope of finding one. I was considering calling it a day at the one hour mark until Becca yelled out that she'd found one. A few tears of relief were shed.

Miles hiked: 6.77
PB&J count: 57

Day thirteen, we return to BSLL with an extra reel and extra fishing line. Both of us are determined that we will get a CAIP installed. And we did! After the second shot, we had a reliable line. I even found the missing weight bag from yesterday on my way to find the one we'd just fired.

The two retrieved weight bags

We even had the time to go to the next tree and set another line. I was beyond thrilled with our perseverance.


Miles hiked: 7.53
PB&J count: 59

Day fourteen, finally our day! Our plan was to leave for the holidays on the 24th, so even if we didn't get two done today, we would be leaving for break. BUT, Becca and I both wanted to get the two cameras installed. Neither of us verbally said it aloud to keep from jinxing ourselves. We just kept a positive and goofy attitude about the day (soundtrack = Queen), and it all went according to plan (for once)! I was up in the tree by 10:30 am and back on the ground before noon. There was plenty of time to get another done, and we were hopeful.

The last tree of BSLL was challenging to find. In the midst of the dry season of the dry forests, the trees looked worse for wear. Most were in senescence (no leaves on the branches) and had termites in some capacity. After a lot of searching, we found a tree fit for climbing and Becca climbed our second tree of the day.

Day fourteen marked the first time getting two CAIPs installed in one day, which is something we had hoped to get accomplish several times before. I was speechless and immensely proud of what we had accomplished.

Now we can enjoy our holidays on the beach in peace.

Miles hiked: 5.45
PB&J count: 61
Total mileage: 80.78
CAIPs Installed: 11

Incio de el sendero Tres Bosques

17 Diciembre 2019

All of the days are now days, more or less. I am still loving what I am doing, but the long hours of hiking are physically exhausting.

On day five, we returned to Friday the 13th (as the tree the Big Shot broke at was dubbed). That climb was something else. The climbing line went through some pretty spindly branches, but all seemed fine when we loaded weight on it. Not the case.

As I climbed higher into the canopy, several branches snapped, the slack created pulled through the tree, and I dropped many feet. I am totally fine. The gear is meant to safeguard when drops happen (which they do), but I was shaken, and installing the camera in this tree was a slower than usual process.

On the bright side, I learned to trust my gear and when I reached the branch for installation, I noticed the telltale smell of monkey (some howlers urinated on the trail in front of us the day before, so I learned the smell quickly). I have high hopes that we'll get some awesome pictures in that tree.

Miles hiked: 4.24

Day 6 was Becca's first solo climb and she did great despite the fact that her line was through several small branches - meaning she had to lanyard several times to get to her final destination.  Alongside that, Shawn and I took turns 'taking out our aggression' on some bamboo that was interfering with our camera location. After that, we grabbed our 60 lb bags and made our way up to the Three Forests Trail (we also decided to start keeping track of our peanut butter and jelly sandwich intake). The Three Forests Trail runs along the conservation corridor connecting Jama-Coaque Reserve and Bosque Seco Lalo Loor. As we approached the 'trail', we were greeted with a thick layer of Selaginella covering what we suspected to be the trail. It was clear that no one had been down this way in quite some time, so remaking the trail as we go is going to be a task.

Trail covered by Selaginella ferns

On the hike home, we disturbed a bullet ant nest. If you don't know anything about bullet ants, all you need to know is they are noted to have the most painful sting of any insect in the world. It supposedly feels like getting shot. After navigating around the horrifying sight of inch-long ants swarming aggressively, Becca and I were very on edge about our every move. All was fine, but that instant did fuel a few nightmares.

Miles hiked: 6.47
PB&J count: 28

Day seven started with a nice, straightforward climb. I feel more confident in my abilities as a climber now. A great bonus - the climbing tree of the day was located on a ridgeline so our view was stunning.

The hike after was anything but straightforward.

A lack of trail continues to be the trend moving forward (or rather, sideways trying to move forward). Every turn seemed to be the wrong turn and we got more lost with every step. Thankfully we had a track on GaiaGPS made years ago that showed where the trail should be and where we could potentially find the trail again.

Finding flagging was so exciting 

This wasn't always the best option considering the fact that we created a small landslide to get back on the trail.

If you look closely, you can see the landslide

We tried to hike our packs all the way to the next tree, but it was getting dark fast. Instead, we made it to a point we now call Satan's Peak (there are plans pending to leave a small sign so everyone knows) and had to call it a day. After all, if we were easily getting lost in daylight, it would only become more difficult with nightfall.

Miles hiked: 6.83
PB&J count: 33
Random Quote: "Shade-grown, hand-picked, organic, sun-kissed, yada yada yada yada bullshit coffee."

Day eight took us further into the Three Forests Trail (which we have renamed that freaking trail). For the first time, the tree we climbed was right in the middle of the trail, it was like destiny. Subsequently, we named this tree 'Destiny'. As Becca was beginning to climb 'Destiny', a farmer rode by on his horse and appeared quite amused at the sight of Becca struggling vertically through lower branches, and Shawn and I standing among our gear strewn across the trail. We were thoroughly confused and entertained by Becca's exclamations at the birds around her. We didn't know if she was in awe or pain.

The night ended with a haircut. Despite the exhaustion, Becca decided that she was done with long hair. It was time for a utility cut. I took the scissors out of our repair kit and chopped off ~6 inches of her hair. Surprisingly, it wasn't a bad cut.

Jungle haircut!

Miles hiked: 6.8
Total mileage: 40
PB&J count: 39
Random Quote: "There's always stuff, just like there's always things."
CAIPs Installed: 7

And so it begins

13 Diciembre 2019

It's day four of tree climbing (as of the day this is being written). Day one was utterly terrifying. Being me - a try-hard who likes to dive headfirst into work - I decided to skip practice climbs and begin installing cameras...despite having only climbed once before. And we had a late start because we inventoried all of our gear before heading out into the field.

All the gear

Gotta get that angle

Due to the late start, the sun was beginning to go down as I climb. Shawn was up in the canopy to guide me through the climbing process, and we did get our first camera installed (bonus, we even heard Kinkajous yipping on the tree as we left). But I would be lying if I said that descending a tree into what appeared to be the darkness of the abyss didn't put me on edge.

Miles hiked: 2.81

Day two was a huge improvement as far as nerves go. We found a lovely Mata Palo to place the mount on. It was my first day using my lanyard (another set of ropes attached to my harness that allows for side to side movement in the canopy - sometimes off the mainline) and although I was nervous, everything went well. Given how well things went, my nerves were put at ease. Plus, since we climbed during the day, I was able to enjoy the view.

On the hike up, we were scoping out a king vulture nest. Becca did spot one near the suspected site of the nest. This nest may be the only known active king vulture nest in Ecuador, so we are keeping an eye on it.

Miles hiked: 3.45

Day three...you could say it was a day. In total, we hiked nearly 7 miles up a 300 m elevational gradient. For the most part, Becca and I were each carrying bags that weighed about 60 lbs. The location of our tree was along a ridgeline. Regardless of the exhaustion we felt, the view from the point was stunning. No one has hiked the area in a while, so there was some overgrowth along the trail. To me, it looked unreal. Climbing feels less terrifying each time. And at the top, I removed myself from the climbing line once I was attached via my lanyard so Becca could join me in the tree.

As she climbed up to join, a swallow-tailed kite flew eye level not far from me. Any nerves that I had were replaced by awe. Seeing wildlife from this perspective is utterly amazing.

Once Becca was up in the canopy, Shawn made a comment about feeling lonely on the ground. I couldn't resist joking around so I yelled down to him; "you ever hear the one about the two biologists in the tree?"

His response, "no, I haven't".

"That's cause it's above your reach." I think I'm hilarious.

Miles hiked: 6.92

Today, day four, was another day. We found a beautiful tree for the camera - well connected to the surrounding canopy, structurally sound, we were excited about it. I went to grab the Big Shot (a giant slingshot), and it broke as I fired it off. Becca made the trek back to the bamboo house to grab a replacement head for the Big Shot.

When she returned, we replaced the head, went to fire, and that replacement broke, too.

Talk about a Friday the 13th.

Eventually, we replaced the head again back at the bamboo house (with a ridiculous amount of effort, seriously it took all three of us). Fingers crossed this one works.

Miles hiked: 2.88
Total mileage: 16
Canopy Acoustic and Imaging Project (CAIP) stations installed: 3

Bienvenidos a Ecuador

Dear readers,

About a week has passed since I've arrived back in Ecuador. In that time, I've picked up many new skills. At first, I was hesitant to post about the work that's been done over the past week since it isn't very exciting, but it's a part of the research that every researcher does: the field prep.

Working outside means the weather is a huge factor with any equipment you use. In the tropics, moisture is one of the biggest factors for concern. For the project, we'll be placing both motion-sensitive cameras and audio recorders in the camera for months at a time, so it's critical that the gear is able to withstand extreme weather conditions.

The cameras come in weatherproof cases, the acoustic devices, not so much.

Over the past week, Becca (my field technician) and I have learned how to desolder, solder, use a Dremel tool and heat gun, and perfect drilling skills. To be honest, power tools have always made me incredibly nervous,  so kudos to Shawn McCracken for teaching in a way that I didn't feel terrified of the tools in hand.

On top of that, we build the mounts that will hold the camera and recorder up in the tree.

Seeing it all laid out has been very rewarding and has helped build up the anticipation of what's to come.

As I'm writing this, we are en route to Jama-Coaque to begin the field season. I find myself in awe of the surrounding vegetation as we drive through the Andes mountains and down to the coast.

Next time I update, I'll have tales of canopy adventures to share, so stay tuned!

Introductions

Welcome readers,

I've created this website in hopes that you all can follow along my research journey. First, I wanted to point you to the few pages already existing; a bio which gives a few details about me, and 'the journey thus far' which I think of as a narrative CV (an academic resume).

Why create this blog?

Well, my hope to share with you all what it is like to be in the tropics to do research, through narrative storytelling. And through these stories, I  hope to express to you all why I've fallen so head over heels in love with this ecosystem and all the inhabitants and teach all who will listen about the threats to these ecosystems, along with what is being done to protect them!

Now let's get started with what I am doing.

For my thesis research, I am studying two primate species, the Ecuadorian Mantled Howler and the Ecuadorian White-fronted Capuchin (one of the most threatened primates in the world!).

A few Ecuadorian Mantled Howlers - notice the juvenile!

Primates can be difficult to study because they spend most of their days up in the canopy. I could almost break my neck and observe them through binoculars day in and out, but instead, I'll be going up to their level. Using tree climbing gear, I'll be able to get high up in the trees and place trail cameras and acoustic devices to passively monitor their presence.

A view from up above

Trail cameras have a motion sensor, so when some unsuspecting animal walks past, it snaps a picture. Using cameras doesn't bother the animal, so I'll get a lot of cool information about these animals without bothering them/influencing their behavior. Similarly, the acoustic devices record the soundscape of the forest for a few minutes every hour. I'll go back through the audio files and be able to pick up the presence of the primates that weren't on camera before. Trust me when I say, those primates like to make their presence known!

Trail camera mounted on a tree. Photo courtesy of Shawn McCracken

I'll be conducting this research at Jama Coaque Reserve. This reserve is run by the Third Millennium Alliance. This organization has a holistic approach to conservation that I hugely admire. They focus their attention on incorporating the local community (Camarones) into their work through employment and education. You can read more about the organization I'm collaborating with here.

Stay tuned for more updates and details on the project!