And That's A Wrap!

13 - 17 Enero 2021

        These next few entries are going to be pretty short. These last few days were much less field-based. We took the 13th to relax, do laundry, and start reading to get back to our 'normal' lives. I spent some time writing and entering data, while Matt and Becca took some time to read, work on job applications, and bird, while Moises was in class. 

        We did have some visitors! Some howlers decided to stop some trees in front of the bamboo house and lounge around for an hour or so. It made the slow day feel that much more special - even if their occasional howling did disrupt some of our focus.

Photo credit: Matt Parker

        The 14th was our final project day (Moises took care of the four far trees in December). We hiked to WF01 and Matt was up for the challenge of maintenancing the tree himself. It was a proud moment for me, watching Matt walk us through everything that needed to be done, and taking care of the gear himself. Especially since he had to push away a section of bamboo that had gotten stuck on the main branch he was climbing to. 

Matt way up in the tree

        But he got it safely moved away and finished the rest of the task easily, even with Becca and I making dumb jokes on the ground level.

        We had a climbing day on the 15th, which didn't go quite as planned. In October, we set a camera in a tree close to the reserve - not for the project, but because it was a beautiful, emergent tree that likely got lots of animal activity. We planned to change out the SD card and batteries, but the line got so tangled that it snapped when we tried to pull it down.

        This was a great opportunity to teach Moises how to use the big shot and set a line. After a few tries, he got it! But...our aim had been off. When I finally got up, I was not where I wanted to be, so we spent more time fixing up the line position and didn't get around to the camera, but Moises was going to take care of it later. 

        We all got the chance to enjoy the fantastic view from the tree - when you're near the top, you get an amazing view of the bamboo house.

The view from the tree

        The 16th was our last full day in the reserve. It was another 'work' day. We cleaned and packed away all of the climbing gear and our own supplies. I worked on my application essay (which was a bit frustrating because the 'A', 'S', 'D', and 'F' keys didn't work on the field laptop I was using), while Matt worked on applications. Becca went on a hike for a while and came across a three-toed sloth!

Photo credit: Becca Davis

        She all but ran back to the reserve to let us know, and we tried to relocate the sloth, but in the 15 minutes she had left it, the sloth had vanished. Once we were all back, we cleaned around the house and had a peaceful evening, just chatting, joking around, and playing some card games until it was approaching jungle midnight.

Our last sunset in the reserve. Photo credit: Matt Parker

        Getting up this morning was bittersweet. I am ready to return home to see my family, but this is also the first time in a while that I'm leaving Ecuador without knowing when I'll return. 

        In a few hours, we'll arrive in Quito. Tomorrow, I will take Matt and Becca around the city - visit the To'ak headquarters, explore the artisanal market, and enjoy a park until the late hours of our flight roll around. I still have a long journey to defend my thesis this summer, but it feels weird not knowing what's next.

        All I know is, I plan to return to this magical place again if the opportunity is presented.

14 Enero 2021 - Matt

        I woke up this morning to sunshine. Sunny days seem special here. Personally, I'm thrilled to see the sun because it means my freshly laundered socks will dry. 

        We only did one tree today and it felt like a walk in the park compared to the others. I was able to climb this tree on my own and replace all of the gear myself. There's an incredibly satisfying feeling of accomplishment when you've reattached all the gear, turned the camera on, and are allowed to suspend high above the ground. 

        Climbing is becoming easier and more instinctual now. We only have a few trees left and I know that the number of opportunities to be suspended in the canopy is running out. That's okay though. I feel very accomplished at how much I've learned. Now... I think I'm going to jump in a waterfall.

        Update: Jumping in the river felt amazing. However, there were two very large fishing spiders hanging out on the rocks by the falls and their presence made my dip brief.

17 Enero 2021 - Matt

        My bags are packed and the few remaining hours at Jama-Coaque are slipping by. I have enjoyed my time here immensely. The fieldwork never really felt like work since we were constantly hiking in the jungle and climbing trees. To someone like me, that's more like a  vacation. It has been a privilege to have a small role in this project and I look forward to what becomes of the data we collected.

A rainbow on our last morning. Photo credit: Matt Parker

        It's only been two weeks but so much has happened that it feels like much longer. While we were climbing trees, there was an insurrection on the US capitol and the POTUS was impeached for a second time. As a history fan, it was quite something to read about. I can only imagine that if I was home, the insanity in the news would preoccupy my mind all the time. However, I have been more concerned with learning to safely climb trees, photograph birds, and use limited ingredients and the lack of refrigeration to make good food.

Blue-necked Tanager! Photo credit: Matt Parker

        I am excited to get back, kiss my fiance, and love on all of my pets, but I know I'll miss waking up to the birds and howler monkeys each morning. I am not ready for the sounds of a city or to be stuck in traffic in the states, but that is in my future and hopefully returning to Jama-Coaque is too.