Earthwatch Expeditions 2000

Churchill, Manitoba, Canada  Climate Change on the Edge of the Arctic - The last week in July, we headed north to do our first non-animal focused Earthwatch.  We had appreciated the Churchill landscape, people and animals on our visit  in October 1998 , when the polar bears were preparing to go out on the pack ice. We looked forward to seeing Churchill in the summer, and also to seeing the beluga whales congregate at the Churchill River with their  babies. We spent the first 4 days at the Seal River Lodge. We got there by seaplane after a day's delay from thick pea-soup fog. We had 2 wonderful zodiac  rides with the beluga whales who came so close to the zodiac that you could almost touch them. We took a helicopter ride to a point where we saw 2 polar bear families in the distance, coming in from the ice flows. We  saw lots of birds and several sik sik (a very cute, round,  furry ground squirrel). We then joined Peter Scott to help him study the effects of global warming on the tundra, and vice versa - the effect of the tundra on slowing global  warming.  We helped dig pits in the peat to see how much carbon is taken up by the peat. We also collected all of the plant material on a gravel site to provide data to see how quickly even a gravel site is converted to a productive peat site, and how much carbon this site is currently converting. These activities permitted us to go to one of the reindeer moss sites that are unbelievably beautiful.   We entered the data we collected each day, and we also dried and burned the peat and plants to find the amount of carbon in them.  In the evening we went for drives to census birds and to see the area. We had to have a bear watcher every time we worked in the field as the polar bears were moving in from the ice and could wander through our work area. They are the 3rd fastest land mammal, unpredictable, and can be vicious. One evening we were looking at Hudson Bay and the pretty scenery when someone saw a polar bear in the near distance, and we all had to quickly pile into the car.  Pretty scary, and we were much more careful after that. We stayed up to midnight a couple of nights and saw the aurora borealis. It was many streaks of light green and it rolled and swayed.  The sun didn't set until 11PM, so we had to stay up pretty late for it to get dark.  The weather in Churchill is very changeable, and we were lucky to have picked a warm time. Earlier teams will see cooler weather and will also see the sea ice which we hear is spectacular. This project really lets you see the affects of global warming. The polar bears may have been saved from hunting and habitat destruction, but the early melting and late freezing of Hudson Bay may mean they have too little time to make a living catching seals to remain healthy and continue to survive from year to year.  To learn more see A Warmer World on the Earthwatch website.

  Shenandoah Valley, Virginia - Shenandoah Wildlife - Bill McShea leads this expedition that is based in the Smithsonian's National Zoo Conservation Research Center about 90 miles outside Washington, DC on the Appalachian Trail.  First thing in the morning, we processed trapped deer in the Center. We helped hold them so that Bill could give them big yellow ear tags,  weigh and measure them.  This study helps to determine what action should be taken to control the deer that are in the Center where they carry diseases to the endangered hoof stock that are being bred there for the National Zoo. They house and breed Przlowski horses, Oryx, bearded deer from Burma, and pudu, a deer from South America that is the smallest in the world.  They also successfully  breed red crowned cranes, white napped cranes, and the endangered Bali Myna. Later, each day, pairs of us headed out to trails on the Conservation Center or in the Appalachian  trail system to do 3 - 7 mile hikes up and down the beautiful hills to count the deer we could see.  We measured how far they are from the path and how many we saw, which was quite a few. How many deer are too many, or enough? This is not so easy to decide. Fewer deer mean a more dense under story and more of the special birds, like the indigo bunting.  More deer mean more blue jays and the like, as well as more hunting. This project was great exercise and fun. But sadly, this is the last year this Earthwatch expedition will be run. Bill is changing his focus to studying the browed deer in Myanmar (formerly Burma), and his descriptions of the need for armed guards, and hiring private trains to get to the study site did not sound to me like an EW expedition I would like to do.  EW has so far not agreed that it would be a good idea either.

Earthwatch Expeditions 1999

Maui, Hawaii - Humpback Whales - In March, we went to Maui to help with an on-going study of humpback whales.  We learned that it took 10 years after whale hunting was banned in the sixties for the whales to not flee from boats when approached.  Now they go about their business undisturbed by the research and tourist boats that are fascinated by the most surface active whale species.  The humpbacks sometimes even investigate the boats and their occupants.  One that we were following went under our boat, came up within five feet, looked us in the eye and then went on his way, apparently satisfied with what he had seen.  Even the researchers were impressed with this close encounter. We were in a 17 foot boat following these 45 foot wonders to get fluke (tail) pictures to id  them and determine who came back, how often, how long they stayed, who they associated with, and where they went in the  bay.  We didn't get in the water with the whales, but the researchers did.  They went in the water to record the whale songs, determine the sex, and to take videos that recorded underwater behavior and allowed them to determine sizes.  In addition to going out in the boats all day long, we spent several days observing whale activity from a hill overlooking the bay.  This work helped determine overall whale populations and allowed us to help the scientists on the boat find pods to follow.  We also spent 2 days back in the modern, well equipped house matching fluke photos.  We found several matches that proved that  individuals had been in Maui waters as  much as 12 years ago.  We were lucky that one  of the PIs was there for a week.  Often the project is run by the students and there is either no PI there, or there is one there for about half the time.  If having a PI involved is important to you, be sure to check with Earthwatch about the plans for the PI for your team.  

We got in 3 days of golf beforehand at Makena and stayed at the Maui Prince.  It was fun playing where the scenery is volcanic hills and ocean.  We really enjoyed the holes that faced the ocean.  On our day off from the whale project we played at the highest golf course in Hawaii, Pukalani.  We were lucky that it wasn't windy that day.  Pukalani is known for its wind as well as its beautiful mountain scenery.

Lake Naivasha - Saving Kenya's Wild Heritage - In October, we worked with various scientists, led by Phil Hickley,  to help understand and improve the future of one of the 2 freshwater lakes in the Rift valley in Kenya. We put out nets to see the sizes of fish in the lake.  There were 2 species of tilapia and the large mouth bass, all introduced species.  There are more small fish, so the prognosis for the fisheries appears good.  We did a census of fish eagles (they look a lot like our bald eagle).  They were at record high numbers because El Nino flooded Kenya in 1997 and both the lake level and fish levels rose.  We even netted and filtered tiny zooplankton and looked at these tiny animals in a microscope so we could determine the age composition. They looked like tiny schmoos. They appeared to be reproducing and so are a potential food source for fish in the lake.  Some people also looked at the Louisiana crayfish that were introduced in the 50's.  They were also doing frightfully well. I say frightfully because they are hard on the fish, and the water lilies. For a study of the nearby Hellsgate National Park we also trapped rats in the nearby national park.  These rats are prey for the endangered raptors that make the cliffs of Hellsgate their home.  Hellsgate was the inspiration for the settings of the Disney movie Lion King.  One of the scientists told us about her studies that indicate the lake is on a slow but steady course to becoming saline like the other nearby lakes.  It seems that the people don't understand the situation well enough to take measures that could significantly slow the deterioration - or they lack the will to do so.  They would probably have to build wells or some other way to get water to the livestock of the nomadic Masai in the region for instance.  So this is really a tough one.  Anyway, it was a good time and we learned a lot.  All in all, it was a wonderful project.

 Then we went on a 6 day luxury safari to places we had been in 1977 and 1979.  We stayed at the Ark, an overnight salt lick lodge in the mountains. We watched a family of hyenas hang around.  The 3 youngsters hassled a big Cape buffalo by trying to "tag" it from behind, but it wasn't really threatened.   In Samburu, we saw many more ungulates than we had in the past, especially the little dik-diks.  However, the rhinos we had seen in the 1970's were completely gone - victims of poachers.  But we were very lucky here and saw a leopard sitting on a log.  In the Masai Mara we stayed at a tented camp.  This was a tent with a nice white throne, and a stall shower as well as a poster bed, carpets, nice wood chests, etc.  Here we saw a family of 20 lions cavorting in the morning and evening.  And we saw a 3 week old cheetah cub with its mother.  Definitely a cutie.  Also, a tiny, miniature (baby) wart hog that just mimicked what its mother did.

Australia's Forest Marsupials - Melbourne, Australia - In December, we went to Australia to help with a study of forest marsupials, mainly Leadbeater’s and mountain brushtail possums, but also cute little marsupial mice.  We worked in a temperate rainforest outside Melbourne.  We have never seen so many tall, straight trees or such lush undergrowth.  The forest floor is amazing with beautiful moss and ferns, but also many mosquitoes, leeches, and fallen logs.  Principal Investigator Dr. David Lindenmayer is trying to find a way to both save the possum and sustainably log the forest. As part of the project we spent the mornings in small groups checking nest boxes, doing small mammal trapping, or checking large traps for the spectacular mountain brushtail.  At dusk we went into the forest to census animals as they emerged from their sleeping trees. Teamwork is critical here, for possums readily swap den holes. Simultaneous observations are the only way to accurately census them. Night work among the world’s tallest flowering trees was very special.

Before the project we spent some time in Tasmania.  We saw koalas, kangaroos, wombats, echidnas, and of course Tasmanian devils.  We even got to hold a cute little baby devil named Lucifer.  We also went to the historical penal colonies in Fort Arthur and experienced Melbourne, especially the zoo and a three course lunch on a moving tram.

Earthwatch Expeditions 1998

Black Howlers, Argentina   Mary started out with a preconceived notion that Howler Monkeys are slow and not very "bright" as primates go. Her experience in Argentina did nothing to dispel that notion, but she did learn that they are very sociable and adorable creatures. The males are black, and the females are all ravishing blondes.. The work was like what we have done before with primate studies. Follow a focal female and record what she is doing, who she is close to, where they are, and any exciting interactions with other groups. Then there is the new part. When they pee, use a small bucket to collect as much pee as possible. It is a bit easier than it sounds, because usually they sit on a branch, stick out their tail and pee in a nice stream. Sometimes the branch is over a river, or over bushes with leaves - and then it is more challenging. Just remember that urine does not carry any danger of causing illness. You thought that was challenging. We also collected poop. We would watch where it fell on the ground, pick it up with rubber gloves and then stuff it in a small vial. Both the pee and poop were labeled and put in the freezer for analysis back in Germany by the PI. The reason for the follow and the collection of pee and poop (or for the prudish urine and feces) was to study how stress levels of females were affected by being a lone female, a single female in a group with one or more other howlers, one of 2 females in a group, or one of 3 or more females. The pee and poop were to be analyzed for hormone levels that indicate stress and readiness to breed. And behavior is another indicator of stress and harmony. Argentina was another bird watchers paradise - toucans, humming birds and many other colorful birds were around for viewing.

Polar Bears, Churchill, Canada with Brookfield Zoo and Natural Habitat Adventures   We were lucky to join the Brookfield Zoo group with Mary's mother to see the gathering of Polar Bears in Churchill, Canada. If you have seen nature programs where they show Polar bears in town it was probably in Churchill. The weather was very warm (40s) and there was no snow on the ground. Churchill is on the southwest edge of Hudson Bay. Two rivers feed the bay there, and they freeze first. The ice flows into the bay, the polar bears go out on the ice flows and catch and eat seals. This is their major food source, so it is important for the bears to get to Churchill early after a summer with nothing but kelp and food they can scavenge. It is a walking hibernation as the bears are alert and walking, but have shut down their digestive system (little or no peeing and pooping for these guys all summer long). So the polar bears catch and eat seals all the cold blustery winter out on the pack ice. They drift to the south and east, so that they have to walk back to Churchill for the next freeze. There were fewer bears near Churchill than usual for the time of year, and we could walk on the soft tundra. Our pictures were of polar bears on the tundra, no snow and ice. We saw six polar bears, some several times, over 2 full and 2 part days out in the Polar Bear reserve area. There were no bears in town - or in the garbage dump. They are more careful about monitoring the bears now that tourism is such a big part of the town's livelihood. This was not an Earthwatch Expedition, but it got us to do the wonderful Churchill Climate Change on the Arctic.  I would recommend doing the Earthwatch Polar Bear Expedition to have an even better Polar Bear experience.

Costa Rica - Dancing Birds    For the second time, we went to Monteverde, Costa Rica, to help Rob Clay with an ongoing study of the long-tailed manakin birds. We also went to the Tortuguera Canal on the Pacific Coast. We saw poison arrow frogs, Jesus Christ lizards, howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys, a couple of sloths, and a banana processing facility. Yup, the bananas we get in the store really come from banana trees and a person actually sticks all those little labels on. The Monteverde area and cloud forest are beautiful and bird life abounds. We were very lucky to see the resplendent quetzal again and this year we even managed to get video and pictures. It was dazzling, even the second time. The picture (right) doesn't do it justice, but proves we really saw a quetzal.

 Earthwatch Expeditions 1997

Costa Rica - Dancing Birds   We went to Monterverde, Costa Rica, to help David McDonald and Rob Clay with an ongoing study of the long-tailed manakin birds.  We had 3 additional days, so we made some day trips out of San Jose.  We went to Carara National Park, the Arenal Volcano and Rio Sarapiqui. At Carara we were lucky to see Capuchin monkeys and also to hear howler monkeys.  We saw our first Trogan there also. Unfortunately, the Arenal Volcano might just as well not have been there as the rain was so heavy we could hardly see the road.  We took a boat ride down the Sarapiqui River that was about 40 feet higher than normal; you guessed it, from the rain when we went to see the volcano.  As a result, we were up level with the crowns of the trees, and could see the iguanas, woodpeckers, howlers, and many other birds, even better than usual.  

The long-tail manakins use a lek mating system and use a vine as a dancing and mating perch.  The alpha and beta male manakins form a partnership and sing "toledo" in unison for many minutes.  If a nearby female is impressed she comes to the pair's perch.  The males do a leapfrog dance and then popcorn (just popping up and down in one spot). Then the beta flies off and the alpha does a butterfly (flying out in both directions).  If the alpha and beta have sung and danced well, she may stick around for a quick copulation. You have to see it to believe it (or come see our video). The big question is why the beta, who very rarely gets a mating, invests so much effort in dancing for no likely payoff.  They looked at DNA and the males are less related than random.  So far, our understanding is that the beta really hopes for a promotion to alpha, even though history says it is not likely.  What would Dilbert say about this?  The Monteverde area and cloud forest are beautiful and bird life abounds.  We were very lucky to see the resplendent quetzal. It was dazzling - we hadn't realized how much we really wanted to see this magnificent bird.  We are currently planning to go back in 1998, although there are so many new, exciting expeditions; we may transfer to another one.

  Ellensburg, Washington - Caring for Chimps  Yes, we actually went to the home of the Washington apples to see our closest relatives - the Chimps.  We worked with the staff at the Chimpanzee & Human Communication Institute to help care for and learn about these wonderful people.  The chimps all speak American Sign Language.  Washoe was the first chimp to be taught to communicate using the same language that deaf people use. The first week we spent learning to identify the chimps and how to collect data.  The chimps have a new, quite large habitat (oh well, it is really a cage).  The purpose of the study that we were helping with is to determine how the chimps use their space.  What has been learned is that they do not particularly like or use the dirt parts and that they like to climb and use the ledges that are there just because of the way the walls, windows and fences come together.  This can help zoos and other sanctuaries design new habitats.  Other important activities were helping with enrichment so the chimps aren't too bored.  We put out different clothes, masks, magazines, toys, hoses, and even rubber piping insulation.  Mary especially enjoyed the time that Moja wanted toothpaste on her toothbrush, and had to put it down because toothpaste requires 2 hands to sign. She signed properly and got more toothpaste.  We also enjoyed watching Dar read a catalog turning each page with his lips until he read himself to sleep.  Loulis preferred to watch us watching him, but he also nodded off after lunch during this activity. We enjoyed Moja putting on clothes, Tatu wearing her masks, and Washoe taking charge of events and seeing that it all ran smoothly.  While we learned only a little bit of sign language, it was clear that the chimps were effectively using sign language to ask for what they want, and usually they got what they asked for.  For example, Washoe asked to go out even though it was drizzling.  The door was opened and she went out, even though that wasn't the original plan for the day.  It was very exciting and inspiring to meet the Principal Investigators, Debbi and Roger Fouts, now famous authors of Next of Kin.  You can read more about this in an upcoming Travel and Leisure magazine as we were lucky to have Gini Sikes, author of 8 Ball Chicks (A Year in the Violent World of Girl Gangsters) there to do an article on Earthwatch for the magazine. We recommend this EW expedition to people who want to see wildlife, but prefer the comforts of a dorm to the wilds of a rainforest and to anyone interested in our next of kin.

Earthwatch Expeditions 1996

Zimbabwe - The Elephant factor

Continuing the elephant theme, we went to Zimbabwe to help an Earthwatch study on the impact of elephants on the ecology.  We took the opportunity to be "tourists" and did a 10-day photo safari in Zimbabwe and Botswana before we did our EW expedition. We spent 2 days on Lake Kariba, a man-made lake, viewing birds and wildlife from a boat, on foot and from a jeep. Highlights included following a mated pair of lions strolling across the plan. We followed on foot, escorted by a black guide with a loaded rifle. We also approached a herd of 200-300 cape buffalo - again on foot with a guide and loaded rifle close by. We then spent a day at the famous Victoria Falls Hotel, visiting the falls on foot and flying over in a helicopter. Awesome, fantastic, misty.

We then flew to the Okavanga Delta in Botswana and the Moremi Camp to stay 2 days in a luxury tent. We saw a large gamut of animals here from open game viewing trucks. Elephants, giraffe, cape buffalo, tsebe (topi), zebra, vervet monkeys, lions, a cheetah, and a rarely seen cerval cat. Next we took a motor boat through the Okavanga Delta to our next tented camp - Camp Okavanga.  Here boats were the only means of getting from a place to place. So we took a boat to get to our first game walk. We saw vultures in the distance. We approached and saw the ribs of a buffalo carcass and a male lion slinking off. We stood back and watched the carcass for 5-10 minutes, wondering why we didn't go closer as we had other times we had seen a carcass from a vehicle. Then the male lion came back, chased the vultures away and munched leisurely on the remains. The guide whispered to us that there are 4 how in the pride. Now, should we watch the lion we could see - or watch over our shoulder for the other 3 lions. While we were deciding one by one the other 3 now drifted into sight and lazily joined the group to rest and eat. Oh, I didn't mention that none of the guides in Botswana have guns - we were told to stand totally still if the lions approached and that as long as we didn't move they would not be interested in us. It was all very exciting and yes, a little scary. We also raw reedbock, giraffes, buffalo, but it was hard to beat the experience with the lions. Next we went to Chobe Lodge where we went on game runs by boat and a large open vehicle. The Chobe River causes a congregation of game. We saw lots of hippos in and out of the water, crocodiles, elephants, buffalo, kudo, another mating lion pair, and hunting wild dogs. We were driven back to Victoria Falls and flew to Hwange where we would do our Earthwatch work. 

Joe, Gigi and Micajah (age 4) Dudley met us and explained that the purpose of the project is to determine what the impact of elephants is on the park - both positive and negative. We observed the activities at both a natural and a pumped waterhole to see the numbers of all types of wildlife, including elephants who came to drink. We noted who came, how long they stayed, and if they drank water. When water is scarce, as it was last year, the elephants could exclude other animals from the water hole rather than the pumped water hole. This year the drought had broken and there were more natural waterholes available so the competition was much less. Last year there was no natural waterhole to observe. This year the big family groups came to the little natural waterhole. It was a real thrill to be sitting there and see 1 elephant, and then 2 or 3 more come, until finally there was a family of 34 elephants, including 9 babies of various sizes. They came quietly and left just as quietly after drinking, bathing and taking a mud bath. The thought provoking part came when you looked around and realized that in many places the large numbers of elephants have reduced the forest to little stubby bushes and dusty fields. The elephants are successful in spite of droughts because they can push their way in. A park ranger gave a talk and said that the carrying capacity of Huange park is about 15,000 elephants - and them are currently about 30,000 elephants. The result is a decrease in the numbers and diversity of the other game in the park, like roan antelope. He made a very convincing argument that neither birth control nor translocations are economically viable and that culling is really needed yesterday to save both the park and the elephants in the long run. Not an easy thing to do with public opinion believing that poaching is still endangering elephants. Even Kenya has been doing well enough with their elephant population now that they have controlled poaching that they are asking about culling. Anyway, the data that we collected about activity at the water holes will help to decide what really is the best course of action. And the Zimbabweans will make the decisions.

In addition to the huge resource demands that elephants make on the food, water and land they also provide a very important resource - dung. The other half of our efforts was to study the elephants dung. We looked to see what seeds might be benefiting from a ride through the animal's guts to a nice fertilized planting, what bugs or even frogs might be taking up residence in a pile of dung. These required lots of driving around (felt like a game run to me). Once while we were sitting by a water hole sorting through the dung, we were approached by a herd of 17 elephants and the biggest one decided he wanted our the shade we were under, so we had to leave and take our dung with us. While we were in Huange, in addition the elephants, kudo, giraffe, impala, hippo, crocodiles, ostriches, jackals, wildebeest, and zebras that we saw at the water hole, we also saw 10 lions on a giraffe kill, a leopard in the sun, and a bat-eared fox (this on a walk). 

Costa Rica - Costa Rican Leatherback Turtles

In September, Mary was signed up to go to China to study languor monkeys, but that was canceled when a cholera epidemic hit the area. So instead she went to Costa Rica to help with a leatherback turtle project. This one was similar to the leatherback turtle project that she did in St. Croix, Virgin Islands. Pacific leatherback turtles are a little smaller - 4.5 feet instead of 5-6 feet, and they are apparently more endangered because of the fishing practices in the Pacific. Each night the teams would go out for 2 hours before and 2 hours after high tide to get data on the females coming to lay eggs. However, because of the success of turning poachers into tour guides, there is tension between the scientists and the tour guides about who "gets" to observe the turtles. So, the arrangement is that the tour guides and tourists get the turtle until she finishes laying her eggs, then the scientists get her. So that means we could not get egg counts and it was much harder to get the tag data and measurements while she is very energetically burying her eggs. Also, there seemed to be many fewer turtles on the beach than were expected for this time of year. It will be interesting to see if the data far the year shows the number of turtles down alarmingly. But they really need data over 3 years because of the 2 or 3 year egg laying cycle.  Since there wasn't much to do during the day, she got lots of books read.

Earthwatch Expeditions 1995

KANGAROO ISLAND, AUSTRALIA - Echidnas   In April, Mary went to Australia, one of her very favorite places. Her first stop was Lady Elliot Island, a coral atoll formed island at the southern end for the Great Barrier reef. She met Sandy Briel there and they spent a delightful 3 days, seeing sea birds, snorkeling, reef  walking, releasing baby green turtles, relaxing and eating. The manta rays are a special treat in this area. We saw them from the plane, and from a glass bottom boat in the distance. They are about 9  feet across and very shy. Mary had the opportunity to visit with Libby and Col James whom she had met thru Pam Parker when she was on her first visit to Australia to study wombats and kangaroos.  We flew to Kangaroo Island and drove to the home of Peggy Rismiller and Mike  McKelvey. This research center is a sustainable, environmentally friendly oasis. The 8 volunteers  were welcomed and well trained to the task of radio tracking and finding and even picking up echidnas. Echidnas are monotremes (egg-laying mammals) that  have spines that look like porcupines. Our job was to find them and map where they were so that Peggy can figure out how much they move during various seasons. Each one was weighed and measured each month. This was a prickly business as you can imagine. It was pretty easy to find the radio collared echidnas, but they are  very astute and would hide either in a burrow in the ground, under a bush or in the leaf litter. If none of these were available, they would just dig into the ground with their powerful little legs. We also saw goannas which are now included in the Earthwatch studies. On our day off we were able to get a nice tour of Kangaroo island. We saw seals, koalas, many birds, and a highlight for Mary, the smallest penguin, the Blue Fairy Penguin.

Earthwatch Expeditions 1994

POLANARUA, SRI LANKA - Toque macaques  In January, we both went to Sri Lanka, Mary returning there for the second time. We helped continue the 20+ year study of the toque macaque monkeys that is lead by Wolf Dittus. This year he was back home in Washington DC attending to his heath (prostate cancer, successfully operated on). So we worked with Dr. Sabine Leow. She has been collaborating with Wolf to determine more about paternal behavior. In particular, she wants to determine if fathers treat their offspring or possible offspring differently from others in confrontations or collaborations. This is possible only because of DNA fingerprinting. We spent most of our efforts following a troop of 9 monkeys, and we learned to identify them all. It was like a very slow soap opera. This troop was a new splinter group and they ran away from any other troop that they encountered, so we had a chance to get exercise. The other major activity was helping to process monkeys that were trapped so that we could get blood samples for DNA fingerprinting. Each of the troops is captured just once so that all the monkeys DNA can be analyzed (to figure out the fathers - they know the mothers the obvious way.) Once they have the monkeys asleep (they use Ketamine, same as is used on infants and children) they weigh, measure, take hair samples, teeth casts, even milk the mothers to determine their health, and tattoo them for a positive ID. Wolf knows each of the 800+ monkeys in the 28 troops and when they were born. The purpose of the research is to determine answers to basic questions like how family relationships evolve, and how territorial conflicts like war evolved. Of course, the work also helps to understand how to preserve an environment for the monkeys to continue to live in the wild.

BERENTY, MADAGASCAR - Lemurs In October, we both returned to Madagascar for the fourth time to work with Alison Jolly on the lemur project. This year our task was to complete a census of the ring tail troops in the Berenty Reserve. This involved figuring out where the troops were and then going out to find them first thing in the morning. The team then split up the job of counting all members of the troop, getting age class and gender for each member of the troop and getting their day range by mapping where they go for the day. We also did day range maps of several of the well-studied, close in troops. Bruce followed the ringtail troop A2 which he had followed the 3 previous years. A2 was the result of a split of troop A between the 1st and second years we were there. This year they continued their dominance over the other nearby troops that they had established last year. The sad news was that Sly, the dominant female who helped lead the split away from A1 died while we were there. She leaves Sylvester, a 3-year-old male, and Sylvia, a 1-year-old female, to carry on her family lines. This census was very successful; altogether, we found 70 infant ringtails and 261 non-infant ringtails in 20 troops. This was a record number of animals and troops, so at least these ringtails seem to be doing well. The problem is that it is not known how many other areas are still home to ringtails, or how much danger they are in due to destruction of their habitat.

Costa Rica - Capuchin Monkeys In February, we went to Costa Rica together to study Capuchin Monkeys. We were on a private reserve that is also a cattle ranch and mango plantation. It also is an eco-tourist destination for "lonely planet" and camper type eco-tourists. We studied an experiment in combining ecological preservation with agricultural development. It appeared to be working fairly well, for both the monkeys and the ranching. The difficulties seemed to be in the relations between the people involved in the various aspects, especially in providing for the eco-tourists. We did focal animal studies, which means that every minute for 20 minutes one person observed and the other recorded the activity of 1 monkey, noting what it was doing (eating, moving, sleeping, grooming), who its nearest neighbor was, where it was (ground, 0-10, 10-20, 20+ feet). This was very interesting as the capuchin monkeys have a well-developed social structure and are very intelligent interesting animals. For instance, they have discovered medicinal properties in some leaves and use sour oranges to bathe themselves, to keep mosquitoes away, and to treat minor cuts.

Zimbabwe - Pangolins In July, Mary went to Zimbabwe just north of South Africa to study pangolins. A pangolin is an armored anteater very much like our armadillo. The objective here was to study the thermal energetics of a pangolin. In other words, where does a pangolin need to go and how many ants does it need to eat to live? The work involved getting the sun and shade temperatures and recording number of clicks from a transmitter on a pangolin to tell if it was in its burrow (constant temperature), or out foraging for ants. The principal investigator injected water doubly labeled with O18 and deuterium. Then she took blood samples so she could determine the rate of metabolism of water. From that she could calculate calories expended and then the number of ants eaten. I guess this could help us to preserve the pangolins which are a ceremonial animal. Historically, they have been eaten after being presented to a chief or president. Now they are released in 1 park. That raises 2 questions - "can pangolins survive away from their home range?" and "can 1 park support a continuous flow of pangolins being released?" Now for the really good part. Every commute to work was an hour or more and was a game run. We saw elephant, greater kudo, zebra, impala, cape buffalo, water buck and even 3 lions. We had the opportunity to walk in the jungle (it really looks a lot like regular old woods, except for the beasts) and to see animals in their own element. We had rangers with guns and walkie-talkies at all times, so it was pretty safe. I also got a chance to see Victoria Falls. It is very, very wide and the water creates a continual rain shower. Spectacular!

Madagascar Lemurs In October, we both returned to Madagascar to work with Alison Jolly on the lemur project for the third time. Bruce followed the ringtail troop A2. A2 was the result of a split of troop A that he had followed the first year we went and also last year. They had expanded their territory and troop A1, with the previously dominant females, were letting A2 have the favorite spots and deferring to A1 in all the battles. Mary opted to follow the Rufous or brown lemurs. They were introduced into the Berenty Reserve about 30 years ago. One of the interesting questions is how they find and develop a niche for themselves in the forest with the ringtails and shifakas which are native to the area. It was interesting to observe that they could just push into feeding trees and water troughs and usually displace the ringtail lemurs. We were there 2 weeks later than last year and so we had a chance to observe the transition from dry winter to flowering and budding spring vegetation. We even had a violent windy rain storm that created lakes and rivers around the reserve. The lemurs and locals were very happy that the rain came about 1 month early. This year we came straight back to Chicago, but we plan to go back again next October. Next year the project will be to help find and census all the ringtail troops in the reserve.

Happy Holidays - 1993

Zimbabwe - Pangolins In July, Mary went to Zimbabwe just north of South Africa to study pangolins. A pangolin is an armored anteater very much like our armadillo. The objective here was to study the thermal energetics of a pangolin. In other words, where does a pangolin need to go and how many ants does it need to eat to live? The work involved getting the sun and shade temperatures and recording number of clicks from a transmitter on a pangolin to tell if it was in its burrow (constant temperature), or out foraging for ants. The principal investigator injected water doubly labeled with O18 and deuterium. Then she took blood samples so she could determine the rate of metabolism of water. From that she could calculate calories expended and then the number of ants eaten. I guess this could help us to preserve the pangolins which are a ceremonial animal. Historically, they have been eaten after being presented to a chief or president. Now they are released in 1 park. That raises 2 questions - "can pangolins survive away from their home range?" and "can 1 park support a continuous flow of pangolins being released?" Now for the really good part. Every commute to work was an hour or more and was a game run. We saw elephant, greater kudo, zebra, impala, cape buffalo, water buck and even 3 lions. We had the opportunity to walk in the jungle (it really looks a lot like regular old woods, except for the beasts) and to see animals in their own element. We had rangers with guns and walkie-talkies at all times, so it was pretty safe. I also got a chance to see Victoria Falls. It is very, very wide and the water creates a continual rain shower. Spectacular!

Madagascar Lemurs In October, we both returned to Madagascar to work with Alison Jolly on the lemur project for the third time. Bruce followed the ringtail troop A2. A2 was the result of a split of troop A that he had followed the first year we went and also last year. They had expanded their territory and troop A1, with the previously dominant females, were letting A2 have the favorite spots and deferring to A1 in all the battles. Mary opted to follow the Rufous or brown lemurs. They were introduced into the Berenty Reserve about 30 years ago. One of the interesting questions is how they find and develop a niche for themselves in the forest with the ringtails and shifakas which are native to the area. It was interesting to observe that they could just push into feeding trees and water troughs and usually displace the ringtail lemurs. We were there 2 weeks later than last year and so we had a chance to observe the transition from dry winter to flowering and budding spring vegetation. We even had a violent windy rain storm that created lakes and rivers around the reserve. The lemurs and locals were very happy that the rain came about 1 month early. This year we came straight back to Chicago, but we plan to go back again next October. Next year the project will be to help find and census all the ringtail troops in the reserve.

Earthwatch 1992

In January, Mary went to Sri Lanka to help on a project with Toque Macaques. They are a species of monkey that are distinguished by the little wig each has. The objective was to follow a troop of toque macaques to help map their home range. There were 4 wild life specialists who did the more technical work that required knowing each individual by name. There were only 3 volunteers, so my ability to work independently and confidently with following primates was very important. The research area is a 12th century ruin of a Sri Lankan capital city, so it was very interesting to see and also to observe the tourists visit and interact with the monkeys.

Then Mary went to St. Croix in May to prove to herself that she could get in good enough shape to keep up with the Leatherback Turtle watchers. In 1991, I had not been able to keep up and got horrible blisters. In 1992, I got more pads for my feet and exercised more. It may also have helped that we divided into 2 permanent teams - the turtles and (the hares. Needless to say, I joined the turtle group. We observed a record number of individual turtles and counted a record number of eggs. Many of the females had apparently not been observed at the beach before and were on the small side. Those of us who don't need a lot of scientific proof are convinced that this was the result of (the increased hatch success of the first EW expedition 10 years earlier. The Principal Investigators say it needs to be observed at least 1 more year to prove that it was not just a chance spike in numbers.

In October, we both returned to Madagascar to work with Alison Jolly on the lemur project. Mary's niece, Lisa, joined us. It started out to be a high school senior project, but it ended up being an experience and opportunity for her. This year me project included following the 3 species of diurnal (day-time) lemurs - the ring-tail lemur, the shifaka, and the brown lemur. Bruce followed the ring-tail troop A2 dial was the result of a split of troop A that he had followed the previous year. It was very exciting because everyday, the A2 troop which was composed of the subordinate females, would take on troop Al and were winning more and more of the battles for territory. In the end, they were expanding their territory and troop Al, with the dominant females was apparently losing more battles. Lisa followed the ring-tail C troop which is very large with 26 lemurs. This is the troop that Mary had followed the previous year. They kept Lisa and her team moving a lot, but they were often by the bar so the team could get refreshments and sit in the shade. Mary opted to follow the shifaka lemurs. They are the ones that leap on their hind legs when they need to move on the ground. She followed Bigtroop, so called because it had 13 members which is large for shifaka who usually are in groups of 4-8. We also all had a chance to see the brown lemurs. They were introduced into the Berenty reserve about 30 years ago. One of the interesting questions is how they find and develop a niche for themselves in the forest with the ring-tails and shifakas which are native to the area. Lisa also worked on her Calculus, with enthusiastic help from Mary, and especially Bruce. We even have pictures to prove it.

Earthwatch Expeditions 1985 Our First

The highlight was a trip to Borneo (get out your globe - it is just south of Vietnam across the South China Sea).  We went with a group of 10 Earthwatch volunteers to assist a Harvard research team headed by Mark Leighton, that was studying the relationship between plants and animals in tropical rainforests.  Our trip started by flying to Jakarta by way of San Francisco, Honolulu, Hong Kong, and Singapore.  We stayed there two days with a friend of Mark Leighton and had a wonderful visit to the Jakarta Zoo and a cultural center called Tamun Mini.  Then we met the other Earthwatch volunteers at the airport and flew to Pontianak, Borneo.  There we were met by Mark Leighton and our adventure began. 

It was planned to leave the next day for the rainforest, but a "surprise" local holiday closed the government offices so we couldn't get our park permits until the next day.  We spent the extra day going to the local zoo and visiting the market.  Pontianak has a population of about 230000, but it is really a giant village with no buildings above two stories and without a single traffic light. Still being a port city it is very prosperous with a large merchant trade.  We had a chance to visit with some people. Many were eager to have their picture taken and to practice their English.  We were able to practice our Indonesian.

 The next day we were finally able to start our trip to the research site in the Gunang Palang Reserve.  We boarded the first of four boats we would be taking and began the slow, winding 3aurney into the jungle.  We traveled from 5 pm to 9pm and stopped at a decrepit inn for dinner.  The next boat didn't leave until 3am, so we rested until then in some small, dingy, roams with no ventilation. We then headed out in a driving rainstorm across a corner of the South China Sea to the town of Teluk Melano.  The rain slowed us considerably and we arrived too late to make the next stage of our journey before dark.  So we spent the afternoon and night there.  Again we, visited with the local people.  The children loved to follow us around and enjoyed joining us in singing row, row, row your boat.  At 7am the next morning we left on a small 8hp powered boat for a fascinating ride up the Red river as we watched the scenery change from palm trees to dense jungle. We saw proboscis monkeys and macaques as well as large hornbills and several other birds.  At about noon we stopped at a small dock and transferred to the fourth boat, a small canoe needed for the last part of the trip.  It held four of us and two Indonesians who paddled and poled.  Working against a very strong current caused by the recent rains, we finally reached the research site at 6pm. 

We spent 13 days in camp, living in shelters that were like giant, unscreened porches and sleeping on a wooden floor with foam mattresses and mosquito netting, On a typical day we would get up at 5:45am, grab a bite to eat, and put on our jungle clothes (basically Vietnam army surplus) to keep off the leeches.  We would walk a set route of cut trails looking for primates, squirrels, and hornbills and writing field notes on what they were eating and what direction they were traveling.  We generally returned about 10:30am, sweaty but not too hot. We would bathe in the river and then wash and hang out clothes in the slim hope they would dry before it rained.  Following a leisurely lunch, we would return to the trail about 2:30pm.  The animals are most active near dawn and dusk, but even then they are very scarce and hard to find.  They are very sensitive to your presence and can hide very easily in the canopy of tall trees.  We considered ourselves very lucky -to see one animal during a walk.  However, the wide diversity of new sights and the intense hope of finding something very unusual kept us going. 

One very special day we sat all morning at a fig tree and watched a large male orangutan stuff his face with a hoard of ripe, red figs.  He didn't see us for over an hour.  When he finally did notice, he gave a long look and then went back to eating.  He would occasionally rest a bit or try to scare away a pesky hornbill, but mostly he ate and ate.  That morning we also saw a red leaf monkey and several squirrels. - One variety of squirrel, the retufa, has an extremely long red tail that hangs down whenever he stops.  The only problem that day was it very cloudy and misty so the pictures did not come out as well as we had hoped. 

Our return journey took: "only" two days.  We got back to Teluk Melano without any trouble, but no boat there was willing to venture into the South China Sea with a south wind blowing,  So we spent another night in the town that was beginning to feel like home.  Early the next morning we bearded a freighter loaded with  copra bound for Pontianak.  It seems that you need to be flexible with travel plans in Borneo.  We spent the next 27 hours packed in the hold with 50 other people and no chairs, benches or beds.  Having survived that, we should be able to handle just about any travel inconvenience in the future.  We made a much needed R and R stop in Bali before heading home.  The 18 hour flight in comfortable seats seemed like nothing at all.  However we did get home a day early because,  like Phineus Phog, our travel agent had forgotten about the international date line.