Photos!!

Executive Summary =D

I sent out a note to my colleagues a few days ago to let them know I had returned, and though it might be interesting to post here a part of that note:

As many of you know, this year I had the great opportunity of being sponsored to participate in an Earthwatch expedition through Project Better World. Earthwatch is a non-profit organisation that facilitates groups of volunteers (not necessarily scientists) to work with researchers doing environmental field work throughout the world. Shell supports Earthwatch by sponsoring its employees to participate as volunteers.

I was selected to participate in a forestry study in the Puerto Rican Rain forest at the end of November 2010.

The research was conducted by Tropic Ventures, an organisation aiming to demonstrate that it is possible to do sustainable forestry in the tropical rainforest. Puerto Rico’s rainforest is mainly secondary forest, as most of the primary one was cut down in the 19030-50’s to make space for sugar cane and coffee plantations. After the 1950’s these industries collapsed and people moved to the cities, leaving the forest to re-grow. Tropic Ventures has been planting valuable wood trees (Mahogany and Blue Mahoe) for the last 30 years in between the native trees (it’s not a real plantation, if you’re a non-expert like me you need to look hard to know which ones are the planted trees!), in part to stabilise the soil and protect the watersheds, but also with the intention of harvesting some of these trees in order to allow the people working in the project to make a living out of it.  The specific objective of the Earthwatch sponsored project is to make sure that the planting and harvesting of the Mahoe and Mahogani trees is not having a negative impact on the biodiversity of the forest. We helped with field research in the following topics:

·         Census of the planted trees: measure high, diameter and surrounding forest basal area. This sounds easy, but it’s less so when the trees are located in muddy 30 degrees slopes full of other vegetation!

·         Herpetology study: Study the population of frogs and lizards in the forest and compare planted plots to untouched ones. This involved spending lots of time on our hands and knees looking for the little things, who of course where perfectly camouflaged in the leaf litter or the tree trunks!

·         Fungal study: Understand the main fungus present in different parts of the forest. And you needed good vision to see the tiny fungus happily eating away at fallen trees.

I'm Back!

I'm back! =D I arrived back yesterday 16 Dec 2010 from my 23 day adventure: Firstly on the Earthwatch expedition to Puerto Rico, followed by a holiday to visit a friend in Costa Rica. 


Both were extremely rich experiences, totally exceeding my expectations.  Since this blog is about my Earthwatch expedition I will leave my impressions of Costa Rica to Facebook, and focus on Puerto Rico here.

So yes, the Earthwatch Expedition was ALL that I had hoped for and more!! 

Simply a WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE!!! 

I would go back in a heartbeat if I had the chance - I recommend anyone who wants to go, to GO.   Apply NOW and GO!!!

When I left I thought I had done too much preparation as to ruin the 'wow' factor, but I was proved wrong. Being there in the forest, getting down and doing the research work was not only fun and enjoyable, but also educational and meaningful. I learnt so much about the local ecology, and feel more enlightened about the real challenges the environment and researchers face. I have a renewed respect and appreciation for the Scientists who dedicate their time to this work.


On the social side, the four permanent staff members that we were working with were great, so down-to-earth and knowledgeable, evoking enthusiasm about their area of study (yes, I have actually become excited about fungi, lizards, trees and of course frogs!).  The team of 6 others volunteers was a smaller group than usual but we formed a great team, really focused on working hard and being diligent, and also enjoying our free time. One of the volunteers (Karina) was from the same company as myself, although working in a completely different department, we only met once we had arrived.


The activities were not as strenuous as I had initially expected, and were in fact quite relaxed and manageable most of the time. But there were moments when I looked at the river we had to jump across or the steep muddy bank we had to climb, and wondered to myself how it would turn out :-). However every time we made the leap and survived. And at those times we didn't quite manage to stay on our feet, sitting down and sliding down in the mud was good fun too. :-)


So yes we did work hard, but got time to relax and enjoy our surroundings too. One day we went into Old San Juan for some sight seeing, and another day we went to the Botanical Gardens to listen to a well respected Forester talk about his lifetime of work. One evening we also ventured into the nearby town to take to the streets our newly learnt Salsa dancing skills that we had aquired the night before at a private Salsa class.

And then there was the food!  We were fed well, spoilt in fact with the great food. It just kept on coming, and all so yummy it was so hard to resist.  We joked that they were trying to fatten us up for the kill at the end of the trip ;-) Of course no one forced you to eat the brownies or cakes, so the real problem was my lack of will power. :-)


We were very lucky with the weather, mostly dry (about 1h of rain in one day and just 1 rainy night) and not too hot, about 25C during the day. Actually the researchers kept saying it was "unseasonably cool". I did need a light sweater and long trousers at night. But even with the dry weather, we did get very muddy, but after the first day, it doesn't matter anymore!


But instead of just telling you about it, let me show you! In the next posts I will publish pictures and more detailed about the activities 

Landed!

Well after 27 hours of travelling I finally have arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico. We are due to meet the rest of the Earthwatch group in one hour, so the assignment activities have yet to begin. In the mean time I've had a great opportunity to soak in some sunshine, the big white sandy beaches and great hospitality that Puerto Rico has to offer. Another day in paradise kinda feeling :-)

Preparations, and what YOU can do!

In my first blog entry I promised to write about what I have done, and still doing, to prepare for the trip, and what YOU can do to get involved.  With only 21 days left, let's get going!!!

So what have I done to prepare for this trip? 

The Application: Well if I go back to the beginning, I have had this kind of activity at the back of my mind for a long time, since my first job interview. In my interview I wanted to know what activities there were outside of work that could contribute to improving our world, and the company's support for these type of projects was mentioned as an option once employees had 4 years work experience. At the beginning of this year I had the 4 years, so it was time to apply...

The application process itself was tough, there were several essays that needed to be written that required some self reflection on why I wanted to go on this trip, what I hoped to gain, and then how I planned to use my new insight. Many good candidates apply each year, so I feel privileged to have been selected.

After the company' confirmation to support the trip, I then needed to complete the Earthwatch application process which also required some thought, and included a fitness and health check.

Preparations: So like preparing to go on any long distance trip to an unknown place, there always comes research and reading of the place you are going to. NO exception with this trip :-) Lonely Planet and Rough Guides purchased; Air Flights researched and purchased; and the usual inoculations and visa applications. 

However what is special with this trip is the need to be in shape and fit for climbing through a rain forest every day for two weeks in high humidity conditions and in hiking boots.  

First Task - get proper hiking boots! My usual trekking shoes were not going to cut it. After three pairs of boots purchased and returned the perfect pair was found. It is really worth putting effort into getting the best shoe, no lifting at the back of the heel and some room in the front.

And then the fitness preparations began with the boots, to ensure they are well worn in before I leave.  Of course living in Holland presented its own challenges - no hills or mountains to train on. :-) So trips to Ardennen in South of Belgium were arranged, and even this past weekend included a full day trip to dunes, all very enjoyable and relaxing and something I will definitely continue doing after the trip. In between the hiking trips I ran somewhat and generally tried to get in shape.

Because the climate is so humid (98%) special quick drying clothing is advisable, so some shopping trips were part of the mix to buy long sleeve breathable quick drying clothing.

Also writing this blog is part of the preparations, and doing research on the work we will be doing.  Finally getting a general awareness of what sustainable development is and what does it mean in general for me in my own community. 

Which leads me onto second part of this blog - what can YOU as an individual do?

Well I have signed up for No Impact Week and I challenge you to do something similar.


For 1-week from 7-14 November 2010 people from all over The Netherlands will be finding out what a difference living lightly on the planet can have on their quality of life. It’s not about giving up creature comforts but an opportunity for you to test whether the modern ‘conveniences’ you take for granted are actually making you happier or just eating away at your time and money.


No Impact Week is based on the experiences of New Yorker Colin Beavan during a year-long project he undertook with his family, you can read about it on the main US pages.  

During No Impact Week we will be taken step-by-step towards a no impact lifestyle with the No Impact Week Manual. We will be challenged to minimise waste generation, minimise shopping, maximise low-energy transport and take a critical look at your water and energy. Compensate the impact that we do have by doing something good for the environment. The manual is full of interesting tips to help during this week. Who knows what other benefits we will gain in return for creativity, new ideas and fun conversations?!


For more information check out the NL website.

No Impact Week is a personal challenge, but is the most fun if you take it with a group of friends, colleagues or family members with whom you share experiences, tips and ideas.  No Impact Week focuses on individuals, but the awareness it brings schools and organisations can certainly help.

How about getting a group of friends together and trying it for yourselves?

Frog Counting: Objective 5 & 6

Hello again!

This entry I'll explain more about the frog counting (as I promised in my first entry), one of the activities I'll be doing on the expedition to Puerto Rico.

You might remember that I will be a volunteer on this expedition. That means the Researchers who will be leading the expedition have all the knowledge and technical expertise, the volunteers will just be following orders and learning as we go. :-) But we have been given a good briefing pack as an introduction, and I've been doing my own research on the topics, so what I write is my understanding on what I have learnt so far.

There are 7 objectives of this expedition.  Since the frog counting seems to be the most intriguing, lets start with Objective 5 & 6:

 Continued monitoring of the frog population

and Complete a Herpetological* Survey the forest area and collect a baseline data set

* Any guesses what Herpetological means?? Its not that hard I promise!

Frogs are very important and special animals when it comes to monitoring the stability of an ecosystem.  They are considered 'bioindicators' as they have complex life cycles and their skin is permeable to gases and liquids.  A decline in the frog population will tell if the ecosystem is out of balance and give a signal of general environmental problems. Also it will have an impact on other insects and plants populations.

The frog population in the forest follows the 80/20 rule, meaning the amphibian diversity tends to be high in species, but low in genus, ie many of one type of frog. For example, of the 170 species of frogs found in the Caribbean islands, 80% of them are the Coqui frog, Eleutherodactylus.

Out of interest, the species that have been observed at Las Casas de la Selva:

• Leptodactylus albilabris             Common Name: White Frog, White Lipped Frog
• Elutherodactylus coqui               Common Name: Coqui frog, Common Coqui
• Elutherodactylus wittmanae       Common Name: Coqui, Coqui Wittmanae
• Anolis pulchellus                        Common Name: Grass Anole  
• Anolis christatellus christatellus  Common Name: Puerto Rican Crested Anole, Garden Lizard
• Anolis krugi                               Common Name: Krug’s Anole, Olive Bush Anole
• Anolis gundlachi                        Common Name: Yellow Chinned Anole
• Anolis evermanni                      Common Name: Emerald Anole
• Anolis stratulus                         Common Name: St. Thomas Anole
• Arrhyton exiguum                    Common Name: Puerto Rican Racer 
• Sphaerodactylus nicholsi           Common Name: N/A (gecko)

The picture above is of the white frog, their croak sounds like this.
A picture of the coqui frog and its croak can be found in my previous blog entry.

The questions I received about the frog counting is:  We would like to know how you are going to find and count all the frogs, they are tiny and jump around so much? 

Good question!   Well the method that we will do is the following:

Step 1: Preparation of plot

10 areas will be selected for the study. In each area six 10m x 10m (100m2) quadrants (plots) will be established. Plots will be marked off using PVC piping for plot corners and florescent plastic flagging tape for plot borders. 

Step 2: Observing the environment

Before the study begins, the following information will be collected for each plot:

• Elevation 
• General Habitat description (What kind of forest, open, with or without streams, topography, etc) 
• All species of trees in each plot 
• All species of undergrowth shrubs in each plot
• Start/End time 
• Start/End temperature 
• Start/End humidity

Step 3: Moving through the forest and counting

The volunteer team will be divided into two groups. 

a) The first group will advance through the plot, focusing on the ground level and inspecting all leaf litter on the floor in order to observe the species (Coqui, Sphereodactylus, etc).  So literally we will be on our hands and knees, crawling through the forest during the night.

b) The second group will advance behind the first, focusing on the understory and canopy trees in order to observe arboreal species (anoles). 

For each observation the following will be noted:

• Species that has been seen
• Gender (for reptiles) 
• Total Length Snout to vent (SV) length (for reptiles) 
• Phenotypes (observable characteristics)
• Behavior 
• Microhabitat (must be descriptive enough to include the species of tree/plant, if applicable) 
• Insolation 
• Interaction with other species (if applicable)
• Position 

Some of the frogs will be as small as the one above!

Step 4: Estimating Totals

Using the data collected the population sizes and densities will be estimated using scientific methods, specifically those of Heckel, and Roughgarden & Schnabel.

The sites are not closed population size (ie the frogs can jump around!!) and density may be high so it will no doubt be challenging to count them all. :-)  But the research methods will be applied consistently so the resultant data will be valid for comparative purposes. 

The research methods can generate reasonably accurate estimates based on data collected in short periods of time, and the Heckel and Roughgarden method was designed explicitly for this purpose. 

Step 5: Finally, calculating the Biodiversity Levels

The total biodiversity of each plot, ie the range and variation with regards to reptile and amphibian populations, will be determined using a special formula called the Simpson’s Diversity Index. 

The Simpson’s index uses the number of species present, as well as the relative abundance of each species, to quantify the level of biodiversity of a given area. The final number ranges from 0 to 1, where 0 means no diversity and 1 means infinite diversity.

So there we have it, a little insight into how Frog Counting will be done!

The Location: Puerto Rico Rainforest

So with 64 days to go this entry is to give you an overview into the destination and the location of the "Las Casas de la Selva" project

 The project research is being done in Puerto Rico. So where in the world is that? Well firstly lets zoom on Central America and the Caribbean islands:

Then zoom in a little more and you can see Puerto Rico is an island in the Caribbean, South East of Florida.  Puerto Rico is a part of the USA, and contains the only tropical rain forest in the United States National Forest System.

What is a rainforest? What makes it different to a normal forest?  Generally a tropical rain forests is located around the equator where temperatures are around 27 degrees C and it receives 400-1000 cm of rain each year.


Well the Puerto Rico Rainforest has more than 100 billion gallons (yes, billion) of rain fall each year, creating a lush forest with plants of incredible proportions and variety. 

The total area is 11,270 ha and contains over 240 species (26 species are found nowhere else) of trees and plants, which explains why there is a lot of energy given to preserve floral species and animals that are on the verge of extinction. 


Living in the forest is the tiny coquí frog. The name is derived from his cricket like ko-kee chirp, this tiny creature is considered to be the national mascot.

Which one of these is not true if I say you'll find it in the forest?


a) 50 species of birds
b) 11 species of bats
c)  1 species of alligator
d)  8 species of lizards
e) 13 species of coquí 

For thousands of years tropical rainforests have been managed to sustain productive agriculture and at times to sustain dense human populations. It is estimated according to this website that more land was under cultivation in the Amazon on the eve of the arrival of Columbus than is today.  

But have we now gone to far?  This is the subject for the next entry... What activities are we going to do on the expedition to access the status of the rain forest' sustainability

First Pondering about Puerto Rico

Hello, my name is Bronwyn and welcome to Puerto Rico Ponderings!

I am going on an expedition to Puerto Rico 22 November - 2 December 2010 as a volunteer on an Earthwatch research assignment.  The assignment is to study the impacts of industry on the local rainforest, and to access if it's sustainable.  This research will be done in different ways but primarily by counting frogs (more of this later I promise!) and measuring trees.  I have no background in biodiversity or rainforests, but already I have learnt a lot through my preparation and hope to learn even more when I am there.

How did I get to go you may wonder? Yes, good question especially since I am relatively an IT geek who loves my PC and works for an Oil Company.  Well I have been involved with various volunteer programmes over the years, so getting involved is not something new to me, but all of them have been related to children and their well being.  This definitely is my first environmental expedition, and a big step for me in a totally new direction.

Why did I want to do this then? I decided that only reading about sustainable development was not enough. I wanted to know more through experiencing it, but also get my hands dirty at making a difference.  And it was about taking an opportunity - I am fortunate that my company sponsors a small amount of candidates for such projects, so I applied for this assignment through my company and was accepted as a volunteer on my first choice - Puerto Rico.

I am super excited about this adventure, and I hope through this blog to share some of the adventure with you! :-)  I hope you will join me and provide some of your thoughts and feedback.  If you have any comments or questions please drop me a note in the comments section below.

Topics I plan to cover in future blog entries:
 * More about the Puerto Rico rain forest I'll be visiting
 * Preparations and the practical details of what I'm doing
 * Things I have learnt so far
 * What can you do in your area to support sustainable development - if you have anything you would like to share please do let me know!!

You can read more about the details of the assignment on the Earthwatch website.