Earthwatch Diaries - 2009

September 26, 2009: First day on the job

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:23:53 -0500

Our first breakfast all together. It is an opportunity to introduce ourselves and learn more about other Earthwatch fellows. What a great experience to meet people from all around the world in this gorgeous place, all here for the same goal: to make this planet a better place to live. This cranks me up. After breakfast Tim the project leader in the field for the next ten days explains to us, what is the project? What will be our task and duty? What are the safety rules, (yes, just like at work, there are safety rules to follow)? We will learn during the presentation that: The Santa Lucia Reserve is protected cloud forest. The Santa Lucia Reserve is also home to tremendous biodiversity, including mammals such as Andean cats, pumas, coatimundis (similar to raccoons), endangered spectacled bears, and ocelots. We are going to help survey key carnivore and bird species and their associated vegetation types to determine abundance and distribution, which will provide reserve managers with accurate scientific data to create habitat and species action plans. Collecting data is a key because if we know well what going on, it is much easier to predict what is going to happen. On our walking intro tour we learn for example that when a tree falls, making a hole in the canopy, the ground which receives sunlight instantly becomes a war zone for new growth. Sometimes seeds that have been in the ground for many years feel the heat, and then start rapidly to grow. The tour is followed by an international soccer game. Canada, UK, US, India, Hungary, and Netherlands join together to try to defeat the local Ecuadorians, but they are too strong. Dinner time follows, a great time. Agi, Molly and I, the Alcoa team, sit together and enjoy being there. After dinner everybody picks up their task assignment for tomorrow. For me, for the next two days, I will take a long walk to reach the point where we are going to do Habitat assessment. Have a good sleep!

October 2, 2009: More aerial taxonomy

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:05:14 -0500

After breakfast we left for another aerial taxonomy study. We went out to the self guided trail and then down into the forest. It was so steep and slippery that I now understood the need for walking sticks. I had to brace myself with the stick and then find some vines to brace my foot against just to take a step. At one point I slipped down and brushed my arm against a stinging nettle plant. If you feel one it is like brushing up against a cactus with fine needles that sting your skin and cause it to swell up with large blisters. The pain is not bad. It goes away in about 10 minutes and then the blisters start to go away. I just had a line of red dots down my arm from the sting. Martin asked Agi, Bob, and I to go up the hill to see if some trees were marked. It was really hard because we didn’t have a machete to cut our way up the hill. So Bob, who I am now referring to as “Jungle Bob” found a stick and got busy hacking a path for us to go up. We got up to some trees and found that they were not marked. We spent all morning searching for tagged trees. That afternoon, Tim asked me to take a photo and a group of us went back out into another area of the forest to try to match up tagged trees with an aerial photo of the canopies.

October 1, 2009: More Bromeliads…

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:58:01 -0500

I started on the bromeliad after breakfast. I spent the whole morning sorting the leaf matter. While I was doing that, Tony and Tony were working with Matt on transpiration. After lunch I worked with Anne and we finished the Bromeliad work. Santiago arrived at dinner time. He is studying the spectacled bears in the next reserve called Maquipucuna. He is trying to show that the Spectacled Bears are using Santa Lucia as a corridor to the northern territories so it will be protected. It seems like fascinating work. The bears are also ancient relatives of the North American black bears.

September 30, 2009: Bromeliad Queen

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:55:05 -0500

Today after breakfast I started on the bromeliad work. Tasha was out working on the bird survey so she didn’t come back until 10 am. I got out the trays and worked on sorting through the soft matter from between the leaves. I pulled out all of the insects I could find and would put them into the alcohol mixture. It was very tedious work and I did that until lunch. After lunch Tasha and I went to work on the bromeliad in the bag. We had to cut it apart and wash off the leaves. As soon as I opened the bag I spotted a frog in the bottom of the bag. It is tedious work but not hard. We worked on it until dinner time. After dinner we had another presentation: the staff playing the guitar and singing songs. It was great to listen to them.

September 29, 2009: Transpiration and Precipitation

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:23:36 -0500

I am working with Matt and James on the precipitation and transpiration study today. We are taking leaves from trees in the forest and studying how quickly they transpire (lose water vapor from a plant's surface. To accomplish this we have to put the leaves in a bucket of water with a plastic tube and a glass tube. The idea is to get the leaf in one end of the plastic tube and the glass tube in the other end of the plastic tube without getting any bubbles in the two tubes. Then the whole thing gets put in a meter that measures how long it takes 10 cm of water to transpire. It is so hard to get the leaves in the meters without any bubbles in the tubes. We eventually start holding the leaf and tubes under water and using Vaseline to clog the holes. Of course then getting them out of the water and into the meters without dropping them became another issue because of our greasy hands. So once we conquered all of those issues and had the leaf in the meter we would take a light reading, record the start time, and the finish time. After the leaf was finished transpiring we took a tracing of the leaf and noted any damage. We also put the percentage of damage to the leaf on the paper. We managed to get 6 sets of leaves done all day. In the downtime we are just talking about British vs. U.S. culture. After lunch the clouds rolled in and our study really slowed down. We spent the rest of the afternoon watching two leaves because it was taking so long for them to transpire. The presentation after dinner was about camera traps in the reserve. Xavier heads up that program and showed us some great photos of Pumas, Spectacled Bears, and other animals.

September 28, 2009: Aerial Taxonomy…

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:19:42 -0500

After breakfast Agi and I set off with Tim and Martin for the aerial taxonomy study. We walk around the self guided trail until we come to a bit of forest where aerial photos had been taken by a toy helicopter. We are trying to determine which canopies belong to which trees and tag the trees. So this process involved quite a bit of machete work to go off the path into the forest and find the trees. It is my favorite thing I have done so far. Agi is keeping track of the tag numbers and I am marking the GPS positions of the trees. Once we have them all tagged properly the botanist will go back and identify the tree species. The scientists will then be able to teach a computer to look at a photo of the canopy and know what species of trees are in the photo. We spent all morning in the brush and then headed back for lunch. After lunch Agi and I went back out with Martin (Tim was not feeling well) and continued on with our tree tagging. We went into some even steeper areas that were slippery and downhill. I was trying to slide down sideways without losing my footing and falling down the hill. Agi and I were helping each other and Martin was trying to machete us a path. We tagged trees until about 4 pm and then headed back to the lodge. I went down and changed my clothes since I was soaked and completely muddy. After dinner we had a presentation by Miguel on the reason for the biodiversity in Ecuador. It is amazing how many species of plants are here.

September 27, 2009: Waterfalls and Bromeliads

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:15:20 -0500

Today I am helping with the Bromeliad study that Tasha has been leading. We are going to walk down to the waterfalls and check the pipe traps that have been left in the trees. The hope is that insects will treat the pipe traps like a Bromeliad and start to live in them. After breakfast, Agi, Edward, Tasha and I start off down to the two waterfalls. It is so steep on the way down but when we get to the waterfall, it is absolutely amazing. The first waterfall is the largest of the four waterfalls and looks like smooth black rock. It is a quick walk to the second waterfall, which is smaller but just as beautiful, where the pipe traps are located. The pipe traps are up in the trees on pulleys so we have to pull them down without spilling them and dump the contents into a clear jar to see what we find. We find an inch worm and some leaf matter in one pipe. We work on the second pipe trap and find nothing but we did leave data loggers in the pipes before we hoisted them back into the trees. After we are done with the pipe traps we head back up to the lodge. It was a 45 minute walk down and an hour and a half back to the top. After a nice lunch we move on to the second part of the Bromeliad study which is taking a plant apart leaf by leaf. Agi is afraid of spiders so I set about cutting the plant apart in the bag. The plant is filled with spiders, centipedes, a frog (big find), and tiny aphids. After I cut a leaf Agi and Ed clean it off with water and push all the dirt into a sieve. The material from the sieve will be sifted for any insects that were missed while I was cutting it apart. When that is almost done it is close to dinner time.

September 26, 2009: Snakes and the Forest

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:10:23 -0500

After our safety briefing we took a quick (1 ½ hour) walk around the reserve. While we were on our walk we saw the pasture, the secondary, and the primary forests. We learned about the different types of aroids and ferns and saw some bear droppings which, we were told, are quite unusual. Next on our walk we went to the area where they have 7 hammocks set up in the forest. We can go sleep in them one night if we would like…they are trying to talk me into doing this. I don’t think that will ever happen. Finally, we came to a tree nursery where they are trying to grow trees to re-populate some areas of the forest. After lunch we watched a tape on the Earthwatch Program and learned about the different studies. I am going to do the Bromeliad study tomorrow.

September 25, 2009: Santa Lucia

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:04:22 -0500

Today is one more sunny day in Quito. But today is also different. We are going to make the last leg of our trip to Santa Lucia Reserve, base point of our expedition. A bus came to pick up us at 09:00 am. We were driven northwest of Quito, on the amicably named "Superjhighway #1." After one hour of driving in the most polluted town and suburb I have ever seen, we started to see more and more nature. Quito is surrounded by mountains, but we could see very clear indication of human presence, like plenty of radio towers, high voltage electrical poles and lines, etc. The further we went, the more those things disappeared. We turned on a small and tortuous road. Let’s call it road 1. From small road to smaller trail (may be "trail 1"). Yes, there's no more pavement. To cross a little brook, the driver has to go very slowly at some point. Less and less civilization, as we sink deeper into the Andean rainforest. We arrive at the end of this trail. The bus can no longer go forward, but the journey is not over yet. Some Ecuadorian gentlemen with mules are waiting for us and our backpacks. I’m really excited now, for the next ten days I’ll be in this huge natural place with no more noise, no more pollution. I’ll be living with ecological minded people in a gorgeous place. By working with them, I am helping scientist understand climate change and wild life. Isn’t it wonderful? Oh yes, but first let’s climb this mountain. Now the trail is so small and steep, that it can be used by 4X4 trucks, mules, human and others forest mammals. Half an hour later it is now very narrow. One after the other we walk up the trail never wider then 1 meter. We are now surrounded by luxurious nature, thousands of plant species are all around us. The trail is very steep. It is easy to recognise those that are in good shape from those who are not. At the top of the mountain stands the Santa Lucia main lodge. WOW! THE VIEW IS BREATHTAKING! From all directions we see forest and mountain. I really have the sensation of being on the top of the world. This is a great reward for the effort of walking up. After all have arrived, everybody has been assigned to his “cabana”, taken a shower and had a very much appreciated dinner. We talk together after dinner then off to bed to sleep like a baby.

September 24, 2009: View from the top

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:50:25 -0500

A look at Quito from the top! Today at breakfast time we met two more Earthwatch fellows: Anne Maurais and Antony Fisher. While eating we discussed various plans for the day and decided that we would visit the "Cruze Loma" at 4100m altitude, using the "Teleferico" cable car. From the top there's a splendid view of Quito and it is possible to climb the volcano "Rucu Pichincha." We had lunch in a very typical restaurant. My meal was a delicious shrimp soup. In the afternoon we visited some more churches and crowded streets of the old town. Back at the hotel we met Megan from Pennsylvania, one more Earthwatch fellow -- the youngest by far. We had dinner all together in a nearby colorful club.

September 23, 2009: Meetup

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:42:11 -0500

Today Quito welcomed us with good weather, blue sky and warm temperature. While at breakfast I met Molly. It was good to see each order. We talked together, then after a moment a man asked us if we where on the Earthwatch expedition. He was Antony Flint from United Kingdom, an Earthwatch volunteer as well. Discussion continued and we got to know a little more about each other. We agreed to go sightseeing around the old town of Quito. We walked in the old town, visited many churches and one mueseum. At lunch, it was Antony time! First he ordered in Spanish what he thought was a "fruit juice." He received an egg in a cup. Molly and I thought that his Spanish was good, but perhaps his British accent was difficult for the local people to understand. We will never know! Second, something very unpleasant happened. Antony’s bag was stolen. So we went to a police station to report the robbery. The policeman on duty called one of his colleagues on patrol. Soon a five-passenger pickup truck with two people on board arrived. Molly and Antony climbed on board; the policeman suggested that I climb in the trunk, an offer witch I declined because it does not comply with "Alcoa’s safety protocols." Then he took the last available place in the truck. I finally stayed alone at "la Bazilica" police station while Molly and Antony went to the main station to fill out forms. Finally back to the hotel for dinner in a restaurant nearby. After dinner we met Agnes, talked together a little and agreed to meet the next day at breakfast.

September 22, 2009: Equinox

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:32:07 -0500

It is Equinox day today. Indeed day and night will be 12 hours everywhere on the planet today. Isn’t it a great day to fly to Ecuador in other to be part of a scientific project dedicated to: "Climate changes, canopy and wildlife?" Believe me, YES it is. Air Canada Jazz flight 8913 scheduled at 06:55 am took off from Québec city on time, a few minutes after a beautiful sunrise. After five minutes in the air we pass through the clouds. We change planes in Toronto and Miami, and at least we are approaching Quito. Arrival into Quito is quite something. The plane has to fly over the mountains to get to the valleys and the view is incredible. I couldn't get a photo, unfortunately, because of where I was sitting. Once on the ground I head for a shower and a good night's sleep at the guest house in Quito.

September 21, 2009: One more night to go

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:38:53 -0500

Very nice day today, with beautiful weather in the mid 20s C, and sunny! There is still only one day of sleep before getting to Ecuador. I review my checklist for the last time. Everything is well packed, and all OK, except two small items to buy on my way to the airport. For this last evening and night before departure I drove to a restaurant 10 minutes from Québec city airport to have a romantic dinner with my darling Francine. After dinner we watched a movie then went to bed in my camper. Living on the road whenever I get the chance helps me get closer to nature and better appreciate living on, and caring for this planet. I'm grateful that Alcoa's concern about the environment is giving me the opportunity to do something about it. That’s it for today. So see you in the plane tomorrow!

August 7, 2009: We reach the lake

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:25:03 -0500

We finally made it! By the end of the week we reached our final destination on the bog - the glacial lake. Every raised bog typically has a lake in the middle that dates back to the Ice Age. After 2.4 km of walking on the bog, there we were, looking at the cleanest, most beautiful lake I've ever seen. And the sense of accomplishment cannot be underestimated. We also realised how vegetation changed as moved deeper in the bog. In the beginning we mostly enjoyed eating blueberries but closer to the middle we found many more blackberries (which actually also tasted fantastic!) Today I counted small trees with Dima, a Belarussian forestry student, who was so efficient in counting trees that I could only envy him and try to copy his technique! It's Friday today and we wish to have some fun in the evening and celebrate the completion of the first bog but everyone is so exhausted that we decide to stay at home and just chat.

August 6, 2009: Rain

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:18:30 -0500

Today we made it further into the bog. I didn't realize it would be so difficult to move forward. First you have to cut trees along the bog profile (poor guys!), put wooden pickets to mark the distance and then walk along the profile till the next sample plot. Walking on the bog is quite strenuous and requires physical fitness, but the feeling of beeing part of the team and the presence of fellow Earthwatchers ready to help you is amazing! I worked with Fabio today counting small trees, identifying their approximate age and height. Then I proceeded with a different type of work: cutting the grass. Inside a sample plot you mark a 50cm x 50cm area using wooden sticks and cut ALL the plants that are inside this area. Then you classify them: cotton grass, sphagnum moss, blueberry, waterberry, etc. and put them in separate bags. The scientists will use this data to determine the productivity of the bog and the density of different plants in this or that bog area. Work was going on when suddenly it started raining. A new "wet" experience on the bog!

August 14, 2009: Homeward

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:08:47 -0500

On our final day, we get a hearty breakfast of oats, fried field mushrooms, fried potatoes and the ubiquitous pickled cucumber. We head upstairs to pack samples. Even with the whole group involved, it takes us almost an hour to retie all the bags. We collect our socks, pack our bags, the bus and thank our hosts. We get in the bus for the journey back to minsk. We stop for lunch at the defence line near Polatsk. There are remenants of the trenches to be seen. We also stop at Khaytn, a village burned to the ground during World War II and maintained as a peace memorial.

August 13, 2009: Picnic dinner

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:53:46 -0500

Final day on the bog today. Natasha plans to only conduct one plot today, so we start a bit later to compensate for the late finish yesterday. We have breakfast at 9 am. Even though we have all enjoyed our time on the bog, we are also glad this is the final day. As a reward for our hard work, we are taken to a Partisan camp by a lake to enjoy our dinner tonight. The camp was used by local groups providing resistance to the invading Soviet forces. They built underground houses, banyas and kitchens. We explore the dwellings and take photos by the lake before sitting to a traditional dinner. They serve fish soup, and shashlik (kebabs). This is accompanied by rye bread, tomato, cucumber, bilberry juice and the obligatory celebratory vodka!

August 12, 2009: Completing the survey

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:35:10 -0500

Our bog work is nearing the end. Today is our second to last day and I am determined to try the other jobs available to ensure I get a full experience, so I volunteer to go with Oleg and assist in the completion of the profile survey. He carries the heavy tripod viewer and takes measurements whilst I steadily prop the measuring stick beside each profile picket. I had been warned by others that this is an extremely boring job due to its solitary nature. But I relish the time alone to clear the mind. After lunch, I swap the ruler with Peter and join the group to count small trees. This involves identifying small families of trees, counting them, taking an average height, then choosing a representative specimen and noting age by counting the spaces between nodes. As we work, we notice the sky getting quite overcast. The original target of three plots for today is reduced to two. We head back to the bus at 4 pm to avoid inclement weather. We wait patiently for Natasha and Tanya to complete some profile descriptions and water quality measurements. They take water samples to measure pH and mineralisation. On the way back to the bus, we pass Victor the driver, who has spent the whole day collecting bilberries for his wife to make jam. It has been a very productive day for all. We only expected to wait an hour for the rest of the team to reconvene, but Oleg is very keen to complete the profile today so that he can do other studies tomorrow. The rain begins. It pours down, hard and fast! It is really beautiful on the bog, but we do worry about the team getting drenched. We finally pick them up at the end of the profile at 9:30 pm. It is an unexpectedly late day, everyone is tired and hungry, but there has been some great research conducted. It just proves the tough conditions that the researchers go through in order to take advantage of limited summer holidays to collect data in the field. Due to the cost of mounting such expeditions, it is imperative to make the most of the time available.

August 11, 2009: Concert

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:21:58 -0500

We return to the bog to carry on with the study. The group is in high spirits because we know that we only have a short day planned. There will be a concert in town tonight. Everyone is expected to be there to enjoy the music of Irina Dorofeeva. She is a very popular singer, having performed in Eu rovision 2006, and is often referred to as the “Face of Belarus”. After a day on the bog, we head home to a meal of stuffed peppers and a quick walk down to the concert. Although there are police present, the crowd is very civilised. I think they are secretly here for the show too :P

August 10, 2009: An eventful day

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:16:27 -0500

After our usual breakfast at 8 am, we are joined by Dima from the Forestry Commission. He guides us to a very interesting bog. On the way, however, we encounter some low lying ground that is prone to flooding. The boys are called from the bus to help create a bridge for the bus to cross. This requires a chainsaw to cut down a number of small trees and lay them down on the roadway. The bridge will be used on our travels to and from the bog over the next four days. We also pass by a very beautiful lake. We are going to bring our swimming costumes to swim after lunch tomorrow. We get to the bog site at 11 am. The research team get off the bus to inspect the bog. The volunteers are left to explore the area within sight of the bus. We find many varieties of mushrooms, cowberries (similar to cranberries – very tart!) and fields of blueberries. The sweetest ones face the sun. The research team return with long faces. Natalia explains that there are many types of bog in this area, and although this one is very interesting, it falls outside the scope of the Earthwatch briefing. Any results will not be able to be used in the current study. They have collected some plant samples, noted the GPS coordinates and may return at a later date. It is already 1:30 pm and we haven’t started the next profile yet. The research team is disappointed but realise that it is time for lunch. They decide to take us back to the lake for lunch. We admire the view and take many photos. There are a couple of dragonflies, but they do not land close enough for us to take their picture. Natasha and the team have decided that for the next attempt, we will go to the southern region. It is a much longer walk into the second profile through fields of blueberries. We complete one plot. The drive back the the village is late. Everyone is tired and hungry. Victor the driver takes a hairpin turn a little too fast and manages to bog the bus down in l oose sand. Again, we get off the bus and the boys are seconded to do some hard labour. Many attempts to push the bus out are unsuccessful, so more trees are sacrificed for our safe return.

August 9, 2009: Polatsk

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:08:47 -0500

Since it is not a work day, we elect to sleep in before our visit to the oldest city in Belarus, Polatsk. While there, we visit the Russian Orthodox church and monastery started by Euphrosyne of Polatsk, which also houses a replica of the famous Cross of Euphrosyne. We also see the Church of Saint Sophia, make our wish on the Boris Stone by placing all ten digits in a indent in the rock and making a wish. Across the other side of town, we see the monument to a letter – the Short U (Ў, ў) which only appears in the Belarusian alphabet. There is also a monument to the Geographical Centre of Europe.[photo] That evening after our dinner of stuffed chicken wings and buckwheat, half the group make presentations on their country of origin. Lucia starts off by talking about the Czech Republic. She shares cheese [photo: Czech cheese] and Becherovka (a traditional spirit made with 30+ herbs.) Fabio does a presentation on Brazil and the Amazon. In particular, he outlines his job role for Alcoa and the effects not only on the environment but also the local community. He works as a Sustainability Consultant to South America and the Carribean and lives in Juruti, the site for construction of Alcoa’s latest mining development. It has a population of 34,000 inhabitants, of which 60% live in rural communities that largely depend on nature for survival. The challenge is to provide support for these people as the environment around them changes. Fabio shared with us the huge effort that goes into sustainability that includes not only the environment but also safety and social responsibility projects. Mastura speaks about traditional Uzbec culture, shows us photos of her home town, Pushkin and her past volunteering projects. She also shares traditional dried fruits (apricots, figs, currants) and walnuts with us before presenting us with beautiful traditional hand-crafted gifts. I also make a presentation on Australia, share photos of beautiful landscapes, and learn that there are also bogs in Australia (apparently in Tasmania!) before sharing the story of Yennora and the benefits of can recycling.

August 8, 2009: Lake!

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:02:27 -0500

Anticipation is high today as we head for the end of the profile. Oleg promises that there is a beautiful lake. However, we will have to cross some very wet areas. He has placed branches across the wettest ones, but we have to be careful and sometimes deviate from the profile in order to move forward. We complete one plot before lunch, before trekking across the wetlands. We leave the wooded areas to open plains with few trees. The ground is wet and marshy and the going is slow as we spot carefully the best place to step. We reach the final plot and dump out backpacks and equipment to explore the lake while Sasha and Dima create the last 20 square meter plot. Natasha warns us to be careful and not go too close to the edge. It is beautiful and very peaceful here. We take many photos and are tempted to swim. However, we are warned against this by Oleg who says there are many reeds below the surface that would easily entangle our legs and make it difficult to get out. The last four days on the bog have been tiring and repetitive, but the trip to the lake has been well worth the toil. We look forward to our day off tomorrow and our excursion to Polatsk.

August 7, 2009: Banya

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:55:39 -0500

We continue further along the profile and complete another three plots. We are also introduced to Drosera, a carnivorous plant. For the past few evenings, we have been enjoying banya (sauna) after our long days. In the village, every house has a banya in the back yard. It is customary for the family to enjoy banya weekly. It is similar to the western steam sauna. The girls wear chapkas to protect the hair and allow higher temperatures to be endured. Their wooden cabin has a pre-room with benches and refreshements, and the steam room. There is a wood stove in the corner, above which are hot rocks (this is where the water is thrown to create steam) and a water tank, so that one may bathe afterwards. The process of banya involves staying in the steam room for 10-15 minutes, then retiring to the pre-room to cool down and enjoy a beverage. Some of us run outside and are hosed down with cold water to increase the circulation. In winter, it is customary to roll around in the snow, or jump in a nearby lake. This practice is repeated a number of times. After the third repeat, we are patted (not whipped) with venik (bunch of birch tree twigs with leaves (the leaves ensure that there is no pain). This increases the convection and cleanses by steaming the toxins out of the body.

August 6, 2009: Labrador Tea

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:51:17 -0500

After breakfast, we return to the profile. The team splits up. Due to our experience from yesterday, Lucia and I are asked to complete the vegetation study on the second plot with Olga as our guide. It is covered in many grasses and doesn’t contain many trees. We complete all five quadrants while Olga completes the population study. We are also introduced to a new species, Labrador tea. Its structure is similar to bog rosemary, but it has a red stem and distinctive smell. We join the rest of the group for lunch. They too have completed a plot. For the afternoon, we complete a plot together while Fabio and Oleg continue with creating the profile.

August 5, 2009: We go to work

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:45:11 -0500

For breakfast the next morning we have Blinchiki served with sour cream and bilberry jam. We put on our walking shoes for a tour of the village. We stop at a Dacha (summer house) which is decorated in the traditional Belorussian style. The walls are covered in textured wallpaper, there are carpets hung on the walls and plenty of embroidered linen covering the tables and adorning the doorways. We also pass by the local preschool that has very brightly painted outdoor equipment before visiting the local war monument. It lists the names of all the villagers who lost their lives in the war. Above the column, we note a birds nest. It houses a stork which is the symbol of Belarus and thus the nest cannot be removed. We return to the big house, have a cup of tea and a cookie and listen to Natasha's introduction to Belarus, the project that we will be contributing to and the bogs. After lunch, we head out to the 1st bog plot. Oleg and Thanos head off to create a profile. It involves chopping down small trees to create pickets and placing these at 10-15m intervals in a straight line. They place a small bundle of spaghnum moss on top of each of the pickets so that they are easily seen. Each picket is numbered sequentially for identification. Dima and Sasha measure a 20m x 20m plot for us. It is marked by four corner posts and we string tiger tape to ensure that we don’t go out of bounds. Nick and Peter are seconded to count small trees. They note the type and number of trees in each cluster and estimate the age of the average height tree in the group by counting the spaces between nodes/branches. Each tree that is counted is then marked with chalk to indicate completion. Mastura, Alina and Fabio group together and count big trees. They also note the type and diameter of the trunk at chest height. The total height for each diameter group is measured for three trees on the plot. Natasha guides Lucia and me to cut vegetation. It involves creating a quadrant by placing four 50cm sticks down in a square formation. We then cut the vegetation, and sort it into different groupings. These are then identified and placed into labeled sample bags. Common species include cotton grass, cranberry, bilberry, bog myrtle and bog rosemary. Olga is busy doing a detailed study of plant population. She notes percentage ground covered of each species in a 1m square. She repeats this for 25 plots. She works her way across the two diagonals.

August 4, 2009: Road trip

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:01:37 -0500

The team share breakfast together at a nearby café and then we pack our bags, ready to be loaded on the bus. We wait patiently in the lobby for the big red bus to arrive. The bus is exactly as described in the briefing, not luxurious, but hopefully strong and reliable enough. We stop for supplies at a hypermarket on the way out of town. The team buy essentials like tea, coffee, sugar, biscuits, and toilet paper. We get chocolate, lollies, soft drink and chips. Back on the bus for the long drive to the Poozerja region (Land of the Blue Lakes). At some point, a pack of cards is revealed. We share card tricks. It is difficult to play a game that we all know that doesn’t require a table. The ride is extremely bumpy. Most of us sleep for the remainder of the drive. We enter Klyastitsy late in the afternoon. It is a small village with less than 3000 people. There is a bar, supermarket and small post office. The closest large town is Polatsk (approx. 40kms, pop. 79,000). Before we start to unpack the bus, we have to decide on our accommodation. Apparently due to the large group size (we are the biggest team to date -- 8 volunteers and 6 researchers) the team will have to split up. The second house only has beds available for 6 volunteers. The other two will have to remain in the big house (where all the meals will be served) which also has no hot water. It is suggested that two of the boys stay behind in the big house. The trouble is in deciding which two boys. All sorts of suggestions, including the ubiquitous “scissor, paper, rock” and draw a card, come out but the boys can't seem to decide how to decide. The girls are upset the team will be split up at such an early stage. We ask to see the other accommodation conditions to see if there is a way for all of us to stay together. After long rounds of negotiation, it is agreed that we will all stay in the second house. The girls pair off and share the two bedrooms. The boys are to stay in the closed off lounge room containing two sofa beds. They volunteer to sleep on the floor and alternate after a week. Although it will be tough, we agree that this is the best way to keep the team together. After unpacking, we return to the big house for our first Belorussian meal. It is a traditional one, starting with beet soup, and a serving of Kolduni (potato pancakes stuffed with meat). The meal is delicious but oily. We finish the meal with tea, coffee and cookies. We go home and shower after the long journey. We are all glad to be together.

August 3, 2009: Beet soup and Wellingtons!

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:53:52 -0500

The team arranges to meet for breakfast: Mastura (Uzbekistan and perpetual translator), Peter (Canadian living in Amsterdam, Netherlands). Lucia (Slovakian working in Prague, Czech Republic) and Nick (Devon, UK). We go for breakfast at a local “KAФE” They have cold beet soup, a variety of salads and also hot food which consists of fried fish or pork, many topped with cheese. There is also a traditional local drink called kompote made from dried fruit (raisins, prunes, apricots, etc.) boiled in water with sugar and left to cool and infuse. Sightseeing next! We check out the National Library, three churches and the old town. The exploring ends with a stop at the local shopping centre. Lucia and I purchase rubber boots. There are not too many to choose from but at least they have my size. We don’t think they are high enough, definitely not the knee high version recommended in the briefing, but we are hoping they will suffice. We return to the hotel where I meet Alina (a fellow Alcoan from Samara). I have 20 minutes to freshen up before the first team meeting. The team gather in the foyer of the Academicheskaja hotel. For the first time, we are all together.

August 2, 2009: Journey to Minsk

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:47:59 -0500

The man at the hotel gives me the timetable for the train to the airport. Upon arrival the staff tell me that there are no trains running due to track work. Fortunately there is an airport express bus that leaves every 10 minutes for Alexanderplatz. Check-in and customs is a breeze. In the waiting lounge I don’t notice many people; perhaps I might get a spare seat beside me. I hear the boarding call and go downstairs to the waiting bus. We drive across the tarmac to the small plane. It is a 52-seater (13 rows, 4 across). The men have to duck their heads as they walk down the aisle. This is definitely the smallest plane I haven’t jumped out of! The air hostess hands out sweets to combat the air pressure change as we take off. Upon arrival at Minsk I follow the crowd to passport control. I hand over my passport and letter of invitation. She scrutinises my documents and says “visa?” I explain that there is no embassy in my country and that I was told to purchase one at the airport. Mind you, this is all in slow English, my Russian is not nearly good enough and I hope she understands. She points me towards a set of stairs. It is dark upstairs and the door is slightly ajar. I knock and call out “Hello?” A kind man appears and helps me to complete the lengthy 2-page form. I pay my money and head towards the insurance desk. There is no one there. I don’t ask the man because he has disappeared back into the office. Maybe I don’t need to buy insurance any more. I attempt passport control again. “Medical insurance?” She points. I explain in English that there is no one upstairs. I hope she understands me. She shakes her head and continues to point. I have no choice but to leave the line. Fortunately I see the friendly visa man descending the stirs. He ushers me to the insurance lady standing by the immigration counter. I pay my money (€7, hardly worth the effort) and hope that I will be successful on my third attempt. Another plane has arrived and I have to queue behind 20 noisy young schoolchildren. My turn comes and I am ecstatic to finally get through. I pick up my lonely bag from the long still conveyor and head for the bus stop until I realise that I don’t have any local currency. I head down the hall looking for a currency exchange desk of ATM. The CE is already closed and the ATM is upstairs. I am glad I bought a new trolley bag with backpack straps as there is no lift or escalator in sight. I go up two flights of stairs and along the terminal eagerly looking for more signs. The building is empty. There is no one to ask for directions. I appear to be on the departure level. I see the sign for a bar. I make the hand motions for inserting a card into a machine and getting cash. She points to the right. I have no other option but to trust that she has understood. I walk and I walk and I walk. Finally, I see an ATM. It has the ‘blue screen of death’. I am deflated. I look around for another ATM. I walk further up the never-ending terminal. I see a sign for another foreign exchange office. I practically run there. There are already two guys in the queue but I am happy that the office is still open. I try to change my remaining Euros but he refuses because there is a small tear in one of the notes. I am almost ready to cry. I pull myself together and withdraw from my credit card. I ask for the equivalent of US$200 and get BUR600,000 in return. WOOT! I am an instant half millionaire. Finally, I am off to catch the taxi to town ... I don’t think I can stomach the drama of the bus and train. I get a text message from Mastura. They are having dinner. I choose to join them directly rather than stop at the hotel first. It has been 8 hours since my last meal. I am starving. I get them to order first. I hand the phone to the driver so that Mastura can give the driver directions to the restaurant in Russian. I begin to relax a bit. More than an hour after touchdown. I am in Belarus and about to meet some of my fellow bog mates. It is a short subway ride and 3-minute walk back to the hotel. I check in and enter my room. It is clean and sufficient. The walls are covered in textured wallpaper and the bed is covered in jacquard.

July 18th, 2009: Layover

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:36:31 -0500

The announcement comes over the speakers – “passengers transferring to Frankfurt HAVE missed their connection. Please see ground staff on arrival”. Luckily I have landed in Singapore and there are plenty more flights to Frankfurt after midnight. Lufthansa airlines puts me on a flight just 30 minutes after my previous one. I hope my bags follow suit. The transition in Singapore is seamless. I get to Frankfurt at 7am. My flight to Estonia leaves after 2pm. I have 6 hrs to amuse myself. Airport staff advise me to leave the airport and catch the S-Bahn to town. It is after all, only 15 minutes away. I find my way to the train station, buy a ticket with leftover euros from my European adventures last year and look around for a train map. I see a couple of westerners peering over a map and hear Aussie accents. I greet the guys and discover that they are waiting for a 3pm flight to Madrid. We head into the city together and grab breakfast while we wait for the shops to open. They are two guys from Melbourne: Boris (Croatia), lawyer, and Igor (Russia). LOL! I haven’t even reached my destination and I’ve already picked up a Russian. We are lucky to arrive on the weekend of the Italian Festival AND their “Christopher Street Day” Celebrations (gay pride parade.)

July 17, 2009, Checkin

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:21:40 -0500

3pm – I check-in, get through customs and claim the GST back on my recent camera and ipod purchases without drama. I am fearful that my cough will come back and that I’ll have to travel in the cargo hold with a suspected case of swine flu. It doesn’t eventuate. I am thankful. 4pm – the flight was due to leave 30 minutes ago, but we are still on the tarmac. Something about the toilet drain overheating. Hope they sort it out in time for me to catch my connecting flight. 5pm – we finally take off, 1.5hrs later than scheduled. ETA = 9 minutes before my connecting flight is due for takeoff…it is not looking good.

September 25, 2009: We're on our way now....

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:43:44 -0400

We all met for breakfast in the hostel and were very excited to leave. The bus arrived at 9 am and we were met by Tasha and Martin (a married couple working on the project) and Matt (a student at Sussex). We loaded all of our gear onto the bus but had to wait for one more person whose flight was delayed. I bought a little painting from a woman while we waited. Once on the minibus we drove north out of Quito and crossed the Equator on our way. Back in the Northern Hemisphere! A half hour into our ride we stopped at a petrol station and bought some snacks to take with us to the lodge. Then we continued on to the office at Santa Lucia’s base. Once we picked up Noe (he leads the bird survey for Santa Lucia) we went through the town at the base of the lodge to meet the mules and start the climb up the mountain. We have to walk up to 1920 meters to get to the lodge. I seriously underestimated the amount of work this would be! I am walking with Tony, Tasha, Matt, Miguel, and Edison. Miguel and Edison are both botanists in Quito. On the way up to the lodge we passed a farm and had walked for maybe 30 minutes when we came to a store. We stopped for a minute to take a water break. Then Tasha informed me I had just done the easiest part. I was not prepared for that statement! So we rested a while and then off we went to the trail. It was so steep, but gorgeous. It was really hard work. We made our way to the first rest stop (there are three on the way up to the lodge). We had some more water and then continued on to the lodge. While we were walking up, a guy with mules asked if we wanted a ride up to the lodge. I happily took him up on that offer. So I rode up to the lodge on the back of a mule. That was one scary, steep ride but it sure as heck beat walking the rest of that trail. When we all arrived at the lodge we were given fresh juice, legumes, rice and blanched cabbage after a bowl of potato soup. It was a fabulous meal! After that we walked around and learned where everything was located. The lodge (1920 m or 6299 ft) is a three story wooden lodge with showers and compost toilets outside. We are all staying in the new cabanas that they built. There are five cabanas located below the lodge and five of the six women are staying in one of them. So Agi, Jessica, Megan, Daniela, and I are all in the same cabana. After we got settled in we went up to the lodge for dinner. It was fresh pasta with a pesto sauce, fresh cheese, and banana cake. Dinner is at 7:30 pm every night. It is also the only time there is any lighting available that is not a headlamp. They have a solar panel and a generator that they use to power small appliances at dinner time. They also turn on the lighting in the lodge for dinner. All the power is switched off by 9 pm.

September 24, 2009: Holy TeleferiQo!

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:33:14 -0400

I went downstairs for breakfast with Agi, Tony, Denis, and two new friends. We met Anthony Fishers from Holland and Anne Maurais from Canada. We decided to go on the Teleferiqo up to 4100 m altitude (13451 ft). It was fun getting there in the cab. Jorge our cab driver dropped us off at the base and we took the gondola straight up the hill. It was a bit claustrophobic but wonderful views. At the top there was a café with an oxygen bar. We walked to the end of the park and there were people with horses that you could ride. We stayed at the top for about an hour before we went back down. At the bottom we caught a cab to Old Town. We wanted to go to the Plaza Grande but the cab had to drop us off a few blocks away due to a demonstration. We walked down Chile St. toward the Plaza Grande and came to a Cathedral that was having a mass in honor of a Patron Saint. They were setting off bottle rockets outside and throwing rose petals. It must have been standing room only because people just kept coming out of the Cathedral. From the Cathedral we walked to the Plaza Grande were the students were demonstrating and the riot police were out. They had a large tank that was in the middle of the road. We continued up Garcia Moreno Rd. and came to a local restaurant. I ordered a platter with fried fish, fried plantains, cerviche with shrimp and squid, rice, and potatoes in a peanut butter sauce along with a cerveza. I managed to order it all in Spanish this time. So after lunch we continued on to the top of the road and came to the Cathedral by the police station. The same one we had been at the day before. Denis and I took photos in front of the station. When we got back to the Hostel Tony was already back from the Consulate. We sat around and chatted for a while and then everyone went off to dinner. We are all excited about leaving for Santa Lucia tomorrow.

September 23, 2009: ¡Es una emergéncia!

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:30:27 -0400

I went downstairs for the free breakfast at 7:30 am and found Denis having coffee. As I was talking to him we met a fellow Earthwatcher name Anthony (Tony) Flint. Denis is from Quebec, Canada and Tony is from the UK. We all sat together and had breakfast, then decided to go to Old Town Quito. We walked from the hostel to Old Town Quito’s Plaza Grande. On our way to the Plaza Grande we passed a demonstration about potable water. There were lots of people in the march but it was very peaceful. After the demonstration we headed up to a gorgeous Cathedral on the hill by the police station… which will come into play later. The Cathedral was beautiful on the inside. They sell prayer cards and candles on the outside of all the Cathedrals. When you enter you find all of the Patron Saints of the church are displayed behind glass and have candles burning where people have offered prayers and flowers. From the Cathedral we walked into Old Town and found a local café. We ordered coffee and sandwiches. After the sandwich Tony tried to order a glass of fruit juice and ended up with a cup of eggs! Hugo (juice) and Hueves (eggs)! See, my Spanish is getting better. We continued on to the Museo De La Cividad which is the Civic Museum of Quito and has all of the history from the Incas to present day. After the museum we walked up Garcia Moreno Rd. to a restaurant. It was a nice looking local spot for lunch. Once we ordered our Cebiche de Camaron we sat down at a table. Tony sat down and put his backpack on the table when a seemingly nice girl told him to put it on the floor so it wouldn’t be stolen. We all put our backpacks down on the ground. We went along with our lunch when all of the sudden Tony exclaimed “It’s gone”! He was referring to his backpack. The girl who told him to put it on the floor had stolen it when she walked out. Unfortunately he had put his fanny pack with his passport and money in the backpack when we sat down. So he used my phone to call and cancel his bank card and credit cards. Also had to cancel his cell phone and find a police station to report the theft for insurance. So luckily I had noticed the police station by the Cathedral. We headed back up the hill to the police station (those hills are killers at this altitude)! Once we arrived at the police station we had to overcome the language barrier to explain the situation. The police officer told us to wait one moment while he arranged a ride to the tourist police station. After about 20 minutes a truck arrived with three police officers who were going to take us to the tourist police station. Tony and I got in the back with one officer and Denis stayed at the police station. Once we got to the tourist police station Tony had to fill out a form and we were back on our way to Denis. We made one stop with the police for them to work on some business. Once we got back and gathered up Denis we headed back to the hostel. We cleaned up a bit and then headed out to Azuca for dinner. After dinner we came back and found out Agi had arrived so we went and found her and spent some time chatting. Tomorrow we are all going to go on the Teleferiqo which is one of the highest gondola lifts in the world. The gondola takes you up to 4100 meters or 13,451 feet in altitude.

September 22, 2009: I’m leaving on a jet plane…

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:08:36 -0400

I left Lafayette for the Indianapolis Airport at 11:00 am. I parked in the long term parking and had so much to juggle. I had my large backpack that I borrowed from a friend and a duffle bag with my boots and sleeping bag, and a carry-on back pack. When I arrived at the Continental desk to check in for my flight it was not crowded. It took me no time to check in for both flights, check my baggage, and go through security. My plane left Indy at 3:00 pm for the flight to Houston, TX. From Houston I caught the flight to Quito, Ecuador. Both of my flights arrived on schedule. When I go off my flight in Quito I followed the crowd to customs. We had filled out the forms on the plane so when the next window opened up I gave the woman at the counter my form and passport. She stamped my passport and I was on my way to claim my bags. Once I got all of my bags I went through the customs baggage check. It wasn’t as hard as I thought. They just scanned the bags and I was in Quito! Walking out of the customs baggage area was crazy. There were close to a hundred people standing there waiting for people to pickup or yelling that they would give you a cab ride. It was overwhelming and at first I did not see the driver from the hostel. I had made arrangements before I left to be picked up and taken to the hostel. There was one man there in a window who spoke English. He pointed me in the right direction and I found my driver to the Hostel Posada del Maple and we were on our way. He spoke no English and I know little Spanish so it was a quiet ride. Quiet but not slow! I felt like I was in a NASCAR race. It was 11:30 pm Quito time but the only cars on the road were cabs and utility vehicles. We were literally in the middle of the road at times! It took about 10 minutes but we arrived at the hostel to find a policeman out front…comforting! It was $10.00 for the ride and I found out later that was twice what I should have paid but I thought it was a great price. At the entrance to the hostel you had to ring a bell and the innkeeper came and let me in. She spoke no English (boy I wish I had studied more Spanish!) but we managed and I got my key to room. Looking forward to meeting Denis and Agi tomorrow!

July 5-10, 2009: So much to gather up!

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:04:45 -0400

I have spent the whole week gathering up everything I am going to need for my trip. New backpack, new hiking boots, new rubber boots, sleeping bag…who knew it would be such an adventure. The place that I am going to in Ecuador is a lodge in the Santa Lucia Cloud Forest Reserve in the Western Andes. I will have to pack everything in a backpack that will be strapped to a mule and carried up the mountain to the lodge. What have I gotten myself into now…I just hope there are not many snakes!

March 19, 2009: Climate Change, Canopies, and Wildlife!

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:01:48 -0400

When I walked into work this morning I didn’t think about the Alcoa Earthwatch Fellowship that I had applied for at the beginning of the year until I opened up an email congratulating me on being selected as one of the 15 fellowship recipients. I couldn’t even concentrate as I tried to find out which expedition I was going on and when. It turns out I am going to Ecuador at the end of September. Everyone is so excited for me! Now I have tons to do…6 months and counting.

August 5, 2009: Bogs! Bogs!

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 10:23:23 -0400

Pancakes for breakfast were awesome! We couldn’t get enough. Special thanks to our cook Zinaida! After breakfast Natasha gave an introductory presentation about bogs. It was very informative! We found out that bogs cover about 14% of Belarus. There are more than 10,000 bogs in the country, which absorb large volumes of atmospheric CO2. One hectare of bog is 7-15 times more effective than a comparable area of forest for removal of CO2 from the atmosphere. Bogs act as reservoirs of fresh water, which can add to the flowing rivers, and since bogs accumulate water, they modify the climate on surrounding areas. Bogs are habitats for a wide range of both floral and fauna species, and 56% of all berry resources are situated in bogs. It's unbelievable that people drain and destroy bogs! After the presentation we had a tour around Klasticy. It was a long but very informative day. We were surprised to find out that in July of 1812, during Napoleon's invasion of Russia, there was a battle in Klasticy between Russian and French troops. The French, led by Marshal Oudinot, had a plan to take Klasticy on the way to St. Petersburg, but General Wittgenstein decided to hit from the flank and the French were brushed aside, which ruined their plans to attack toward St. Petersburg. In general the village is very picturesque, with nice small houses, the beautiful river Nishcha and cattle here and there. In the afternoon we headed to our first bog. An amazing view! Natasha explained what we had to do and the work started. That day I worked together with Fabio (Alcoa, Brazil) and Mastura from British American Tobacco. The task we were performing was called "Big trees". We had to count all the big trees in the TSP (Typological Sample plot), define their species, measure their diameter and height and mark them after counting. Later on the data will be used by scientists to measure forest productivity on the bog.

August 4, 2009: Road Trip

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:23:36 -0400

It's 6 a.m. I'm too full of excitement to sleep any longer, and really feeling the jet lag. The morning is nice and fresh and I decide to have a little walk along the wide and unbelievably clean streets of Minsk. A couple of hours later we meet in the hall of Academicheskaya for breakfast. After shopping in BigZmart, we jump in our cool red bus and get ready for a 5 hour drive. On the way we stop at Natasha's (our principal investigator) "dacha" where we are treated to sandwiches and tea. Several bus stops and playing card "miracles" later we find ourselves in the final destination - village Klasticy. Victor, our driver, drops us at the house of our host, Alla Nikolaevna, where we find out that there aren't enough sleeping places for everybody! Does it mean that we have to separate? No way!! We decide to have four boys sleeping in one room, two of them on the floor, so we give them all our sleeping bags. A nice belorussian dinner and long talks afterwards.

August 3, 2009: On the way!

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:10:53 -0400

Here we go! It's 5 a.m. The music of my alarm clock is unusually pleasant this morning :) Several hours later I'm on board a Boeing 737 taking me from Samara to Kaliningrad, the western exclave city of Russia, where I spend 6 hours before boarding my connection to Minsk. Luckily my mother's friend is living in Kaliningrad so she can show me around. Kaliningrad is a very nice and clean town. The former Koenigsberg, it was annexed by the Soviet Army in 1945. Koenigsberg was renamed Kaliningrad in 1946 after the death of Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR Mikhail Kalinin, one of the original Bolsheviks. The German population was expelled and the city was repopulated with Russian citizens. German was replaced by Russian as the language of everyday life. The city was rebuilt, and went through industrialisation and modernisation. The appearance of the city changed dramatically over the years but there are still some traces of old East Prussian times. The so-called King's Gates is the only thing that remains from the big tower. Another takeoff and landing, and I'm just in time for the 7 p.m. meeting with other Earthwatch volunteers and project staff in the main hall of Hotel Academicheskaya in Minsk. So, we are a team of 8 volunteers from different parts of the world. I immediately see that this is going to be a very pleasant adventure because we have a very nice company - very interesting people with unique personalities. Let's have fun!

April 20, 2009: New colleagues

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:28:51 -0400

Today I had my first chat with my new friends and fellow Earthwatchers, Ágnes Józsa and Molly Brown, who are going to join me and others in Ecuador for the “Climate Change, Canopies and Wildlife” research project. We share our excitement and enthusiasm about this great project. Ágnes lives in central Europe, in Hungary. Her home town is Székesfehérvár which is near (50km) Budapest, the capital. You can visit her blog here. Molly is from Lafayette, Indiana which is two hours south of Chicago. You can visit Molly's blog here.

March 19, 2009: Selected!

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:19:38 -0400

"Congratulations! You have been selected to be a 2009 Alcoa Earthwatch Fellow." This is the first line of the most anticipated e-mail I've ever received, and it came just three days before World Water Day. I will be in Ecuador on a scientific project to help stop climate change due to human activities. My commitment to this project will be 100% -- I've already made up my mind. I am shouting and waving my arms: “I’m going to Ecuador! I’m going to Ecuador!” My office neighbor looks at me as if I'm an alien, then asks: Are you going crazy? No, I say, but I was so excited that I must have looked like it. I explain the cause of my excitement. Then I walk quickly (and safely) to my boss's office to thank him, because I am sure he'd had to say “yes” to somebody earlier in the process. Second, I make a phone call to Ricardo Montiel, my Icelandic friend and 2008 Earthwatch fellow, who had encouraged me to apply for the program. “Takk ferrir” Ricardo!

August 4, 2009: Saying goodbye

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:25:24 -0400

This morning as we packed our bags, you could feel that this was it. It was time to leave. The plan was to leave a bit early so that we could visit the Colubus Trust in Diani and maybe have a last drink or swim at Diani Beach. But due to having a flat before we left and then a bit of rain we decided it best to head straight for Mombasa; especially since we were not certain of the situation at the ferry and how busy traffic would be. We said our goodbyes to Dr.Kairo’s wife and Mama Niko and her staff and thanked them for having us and for the good time we had. We had a light lunch in Mombasa at the Blueroom, where we chatted up a bit about the past ten days and stuff we were going to do when we get back. Back in Nairobi I said goodbye to Gustavo and Ray who would be staying a few more days in Kenya. They would each be going on a separate safari (one thing I was very sorry not to have experienced). I had a five-hour wait till my flight to Amsterdam so I spent most of the time bored and walking in and out of the taxfree shops. All in all it was a very wonderful experience for me. I did stuff I normally don’t do, I learned a lot about the importance of having a properly functioning ecosystem, especially the mangrove ecosystem, and had fun doing it. After an experience like this you realize how fragile our planet is and how important our role is in maintaining all that God has given us and how we often take things for granted. I had a very good time learning from and working with my team members. Hopefully they learned a few things from me as well. It’s always interesting interacting with people and learning about how they view life. So now on my way back to Holland I just want to say “Tutaonana” to Kenya and “Asante” to everyone who put up with me during these ten days, including Gustavo my roommate, who put up with my snoring, and thanks to Alcoa for providing the chance at such an experience.

August 3, 2009: Last Night

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:07:33 -0400

Next Generation Mangroves, Friendly Soccer Match and Last Night

This morning I woke up thinking, wow has it been 10 daybs already?? The time has really gone by fast. Today we would be heading out to Kinondo B ay and the nursery to plant the next generation mangroves for that plot. The species that we were going to be planting is Avicennia. We would be planting in three plots. As usual we were spilt into groups to have the work done efficiently. I was with the “Transporters”. We transported the young plants from the nursery to the planting site using stretchers, about 40 plants to a stretcher. It was very good feeling of being able to actually have a part in the reforestation efforts. It was important to make sure not to press down too hard on the bulbs when filling the holes, since this could damage the roots; and to make sure that no compression is left around the plants. This would cause the salty seawater which came in with the tide to remain

around the plants and the salinity would kill the young tree. We were fifteen in total and we quickly got two plots finished before our daily madafu break. Today would be the last time. After the break we finished the last plot and took group pictures. Gustavo got the chance to plant a special tree, of which we took the GPS coordinates, so we could track its growth. Today our lunch was a feast of large mud crabs which had been arranged by Dr.Kairo. This was very tasty. After lunch we prepared ourselves for the big football match to come. We would be playing against the Gazi youth soccer team. This was actually a good thing since among all 10 of us we maybe had 3-½ average football players with years of off-the-field playing experience. So yes, we lost the match, but it wasn’t that bad. We actually got a goal in and we only lost by two points. The final score was 3-1. This was thanks to a very good addition we made to the team before the start of the game: he scored our first and only goal. Our performance wasn’t that bad since we managed to keep the goal scoring to a minimum with a lot of defense. There was no way we could keep up with those guys. It’s really a good thing they didn’t let us play against the older guys. The crowd that gathered to support the local team really lit up the air with shouts and yells and laughter -- especially whenever we made blunders. After the game we enjoyed drinks with the team and they told us about what they had accomplished and the plans they had to make the team a better one. One thing that stood out is that discipline, strong good character and brotherhood within the team and the young guys is very important. This was very admirable. After dinner tonight we went to the beach to enjoy a campfire. It was cool sitting around the fire just enjoying the ocean breeze and having the added bonus of sampling some Kenyan wine spirits. It had a real kick to it and helped to feel less of the cool breeze. We chatted up some and Gustavo, Martin and I each sang a song in our own language just to give a little flavor. Thus ended our last night as a group together.

August 2, 2009: More ground truthing, village lunch and dinner

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:21:58 -0400

Today we went out to do some more ground truthing. Our team’s location was more like desert area, since this was closer inland and in the direction of the main road. The temperature was quite hot which made work somewhat stressing, but we managed to find shade here and there to save us from totally feeling the heat. We came across an almost barren patch in the forest which totally gave a dessert appearance. After ground truthing we went back to the village to wash up for the village lunch prepared by the Gazi Women’s Group. We were to have lunch in the old ruins. The ruins are said to be remnants of a castle which belonged to one of the last Omani sultans to rule Kenya from which slaves, products from the plantations and wood from the mangroves were exported, primarily to Zanzibar. The building had been neglected for many years after the war and was used as the location of one of Gazi’s first schools. The Gazi Women’s Group has plans to renovate it and turn it into a museum and to maintain a bit of history within the village. After the lunch we went into the lab to finish up some more data entry and lab work. After the lab work we had some extra time to spare so Ray and myself decided to take a walk down the beach. The local fishermen were coming in with their catch and the villagers were bargaining on prices. At 7 that evening Ray and I gave a short presentation about ourselves. Later, it was time for us to have dinner with members of the village. We were split up into five groups of two each. Dr.Skov, Michael and myself were in one group. We were invited to have dinner at the home of Mama Salim (Salim is the name of her first born son), one of the elderly women in the village. She reminded me of my grandmother somewhat in the way she smiled and talked. Her son and granddaughter were present. Zulekha acted as our interpreter and was the representative on behalf of the Gazi Women’s Group. The meal was prepared by the Gazi Women’s Group and then distributed to the homes we were sent to. We had Pilaf as the main dish and a sweetened treat made of maize flour balls. As is the tradition with guests who come to dinner, the guests have to eat first till full and then the hosts will eat. This was new to me, and only after we pleaded with her for a while did Mama Salim agree to eat. After dinner we talked about village life and she explained that it had not really changed much since she was a girl. I asked her if the village had any ghost stories or legends, she smiled bright and said that there were a few of people not seen but that she wouldn’t go into it now. One remark that was funny was when she said that the kerosene from the lamp would run out because we (especially me) were doing more talking than eating and she would have to go to the store to buy more. After saying our goodnights to the family of Mama Salim we went back to the house and caught up with the others and talked about what it was like at the other houses. It was funny to find out that the others hadn’t ever used their hands to eat before, and hear about the stunts that followed that experience.

August 1, 2009: Back to work

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:44:50 -0400

After having a very good day off we were back to the tasks at hand. Today we went back to Kinondo to finish up on the flora and fauna biomass data collection. The sun seemed to want to show its full glory, so sunscreens and hats and lots of water were a must. Today the teams had somewhat different objectives. We were split into three teams. Two teams finished up the remaining plots, collecting fauna and flora biomass data; the other team went in search of other types of insects in the plots. Sean, Michael and myself were part of this last team. Our task was to record all the insects and nests we came across in the plots. Bronwyn and Sean had already started on this before so they acted as our guides. The Madafu today tasted extra sweet and I asked for a second helping. At 2 pm we were back in Gazi to do data input and continue the lab work on the soil samples we had taken earlier in the week and which had been baked in the oven for 24 hours. Gustavo and myself were on data input duty. At 7 in the evening we had a presentation by Dr. Kairo on the work he has been doing in Gazi with KMFRI and other activities regarding village life over the years. He also spoke a bit about his family and himself -- a very impressive story. He moved to the village in the 90s as a graduate student studying mangroves, and has aided in a number of projects in the village. These projects range from improving sanitation and improving the quality of drinking water to social and educational projects.

Through his involvement with organisations like Earthwatch, Dr. Kairo has been able to organize funding for buildings in the village, including the new building at Gazi primary for the teachers. He has also helped find sponsors for students to achieve higher education and aided the Women’s group of Gazi with their projects. His influence is clearly noticed in the village whenever you hear villagers talking about him. Tonight after dinner we decided to have a night out. Tima and Zulekha had to ask permission to go with us. The trip started out with a flat tire right after we left the village on the main road. We quickly had that changed and continued on our way. After circling around a bit we ended up at a traditional Kenyan bar where there was local music and people dancing. Quite funny to see the women and men dancing separately. After enjoying the show we set off back to Gazi for some shuteye.

July 31, 2009: Day off!

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:01:11 -0400

Today is our official day off. We planned to visit Shimba Hills National Reserve. We left at about 6 o’clock to get an early start for the day. The reserve is a small National Park in the Coast Province of Kenya, 33 km from Mombasa and 15 km from the coast. The reserve is an area of coastal rainforest, woodland and grassland. After a light breakfast at the entrance to the reserve while waiting on the guide (who didn’t show, by the way) we started on our tour through the reserve. After a ten-minute drive we came across three elephants, which was kinda cool, and raised the expectations of having a very good visit to the reserve. The main highlight, however, was the climb down to Sheldrick Falls. It was a 2km hike down the hill. We needed to be medically and physically fit to make the hike, and accompanied by an armed ranger. This was because, as it said on the sign, of the dangerous animals we needed to watch out for. We didn’t come across any, so I guess the ranger did a good job. Getting to the falls was worth the climb down. I had honestly expected to see more wild animals, but I guess given the highly forested area they didn’t really come out a lot into the open. Did get to see a giraffe though and some water buffalo. So all in all it was a good tour for me. After the reserve we concluded our day with a visit to Diani beach. “Ali Barbours and the Forty Thieves” was the location we choose to hang out at. It was a very nice beach establishment with a cave restaurant a few meters further down the road. It was very refreshing to have a swim and relax on the beach after those days in the field. There were a few Maasai tribesmen and women trying to interest anyone in purchasing trinkets on the beach. There was also a guy who had come down with his camels and was offering rides on the beach. At about 6.30 in the evening we said goodbye to the white sands and blue waters of Diani beach and headed back to Gazi for a good night’s rest from a long but enjoyable day.

August 4, 2009: Leaving Gazi

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 08:56:23 -0400

Leaving Gazi in the morning was sad. The wonderful experience had come to an end. We had worked and contributed to the project research. We had also made our small contribution to the welfare of this special community. I think it was a tough but fabulous experience and hope to continue helping the community the way I can. Thanks to all of you for this amazing time in Gazi! I will be back some day.

August 3, 2009: Last day as a volunteer

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 08:54:57 -0400

We started our last day in Gazi planting mangroves in Kinondo. Planting three plots was a new and difficult task, especially carrying the small mangroves from the nursery. I had never planted a tree in my life and was excited with the idea of coming back some day to the region and looking for the trees I had planted. Hopefully they will be grown up and full of leaves the day I return there so that I can proudly show them to my family. Today we had a special lunch, huge and delicious crabs. And after a big meal we had a big event: the football match between volunteers and locals. The local team was formed by young kids but they looked professional and took the game very seriously. We had great fun seeing these kids running very fast and attacking our goal. We had to defend ourselves any way we could, but the biggest fear was the local referee, who clearly supported his team. The final score was 3-1 for them. After the match there was an exchange of speeches and presents between the two teams. It was nice to learn that the village football team is more than that. It is a project where kids learn the importance of health, teamwork and discipline; once more a good example of a well run and helpful project for the community. It was not easy to start packing that night. I gave some presents to our Kenyan colleagues and felt there was a need to do much more for them in the future. The evening finished on the beach around a fire.

August 2, 2009: Food in the village

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 08:54:36 -0400

Today was a mapping day but there was a need for someone to stay in Gazi for data input. I stayed working in the canopy and took it easy. Then I joined the group for the village lunch. The women of the boardwalk project cooked for us very good local dishes and we ate them sitting on the floor of the oldest building in the village. There are many sites of historical interest on the coastline, including this ruin in Gazi that was once used by the Arabs as a concentration center for slaves before they were shipped to Far East countries. Some nicely carved wooden doors remain in the building. The village is thinking on opening a museum there in the future to attract tourism. At the moment the only creatures using it are big bats. I spent the afternoon on the beach where I relaxed and talked to some fishermen who told me that the fishing season had not been good. Nevertheless they have Tanzanian fishermen coming to their bay since apparently it is a rich area compared to others, probably due to the big amount of mangroves. The village dinner took place that day. We were split in groups and were invited to different houses in the village to have dinner with a local family. Robert, Ray and I were invited for dinner at Abdulrahman’s place. He lives with eight other family members in a cement house in the main street. We ate on the floor with our right hand in the traditional way. Other family members were passing by the room all the time and watching with curiosity the new guests at home. We had a lots of food, and enjoyed taking part in the family dinner that night.

August 1, 2009: Back to work

Earthwatch Diaries Editor — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 08:53:45 -0400

The month of August started with a sunny day working on plant biomass in Kinondo. Part of the group started counting weird animals in the plot such as spiders. The day continued with some laboratory work and a deserved nap. In the evening we had Dr. Kairo’s presentation on his work in Kenya Marine and his mangrove project. It was interesting to find out more about his work and his important role in the village. His projects have attracted researchers from many different places and he hires many young people in the village contributing to improving life in Gazi. In the evening we had our night out. Our Kenyan colleagues were very excited about it since there was a concert by a famous Tanzanian singer in Ukunda. We only had some beers on the club terrace and went later to another bar with some traditional music. We ended up going to bed exhausted.