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My time in the Amazon, by Ian Rowbotham (FFT Volunteer)

My time in the Amazon solidified a life-long passion for conservation, and serves as a foundational experience that I can draw from for energy and direction in the future. On lighter terms, it was also an absolute blast and although the time flew by faster than I would have hoped, I could spend days reflecting on the memories from Peru. From waking up to the sound of howler monkeys overhead while sleeping in a hammock at an oxbow lake to chasing a giant anteater through the jungle, they’re difficult to put into words and impossible to think of without smiling.

            Beyond the pure epic-ness of the Amazon, volunteering with FFT gave a first-hand view of the application of conservation. While studying it in a classroom and postulating about its dire need and potential across the globe, actually seeing the obstacles, hurdles, and tribulations involved with its implementation puts it in an entirely different light. The ruthless power of the gold miners and the infuriating complacency of the corrupt officials turns even the most well meaning projects into battles, while poverty forces local populations into putting up with dangerous, destructive, and often avoidable activities. Uniting the desires of conservationists with the needs of the inhabitants is essential, and experiencing this war of trade-offs where entire ecosystems are at stake up close will drive me in pursuit of future solutions. The work of FFT is a necessity in the path to sustainable conservation, and offers an invaluable opportunity for those planning a future in the field.

Only 984 hours to remember the rest of my life, by Madison Wise (FFT Volunteer)

The Amazon region of Madre de Dios is home to a little over a hundred different species of amphibians, so for me, coming here and being a part of this program has been a life-long dream finally birthed into fruition. If there was a way of putting into words the ecstaticm I feel every day, having a chance to participate in the workings, co-habitat in the same environments, and actually witness the presence of some of the most captivating animals is a jaw dropping, awe-inspiring experience that I am hoping to remember every moment of.

My education has been primarily focused on herpetofauna with a Bachelors of Science in Biology and Chemistry, and having a strong interest in amphibians since I was seven years old motivated me strongly to come to this region with one of the highest biodiversity of amphibians and reptiles.  The FFT program gives people access to these areas and gives everyone a chance to manifest a similar love and appreciation for the fauna with or without similar interests and drives.

My interests being so strong were well met with the friendly froggy faces I so dearly adore. Even in the dry season I have been witness to some of the species I dared to dream meeting in the wild, among them, the Yellow-footed tortoise (Chelonoidis denticulate), Coral Pipesnake (Anilius scytale scytale) (shown above), Crested forest toad (Bufo margaritifer complex), Pale striped poison frog (Epipedobates hahneli), Three-stripped poison frog (Epipedobates trivittatus), Short nosed treefrog (Hyla brevifrons), Convict tree frog (Hyla calcarata), my personal favourite the Clown tree frog (Hyla leucophyllata), and a Barred monkey frog (Phyllomedusa tomopterna) (shown below), also worth mentioning, I stumbled across a never before seen red phased Atractus flammigerus and laid witness to a Common Mussurana (Clelia clelia clelia) eating an Amazon blunt headed tree snake (Imantodes lentiferus) only feet away from an on-looking Amazon egg-eating snake (Drepanoids anomalus)!

The people of Fauna Forever are equally captivating with their cooperative leadership, accommodating guidance and enthusiastic companionship. There are still 14 more days left in the phase, and I look forward to every minute that I can share this environment with these beloved creatures and will be returning with a new found enthusiasm, direction and motivation to continue making efforts of conservation and preservation because as it is possible to see firsthand, one person really can make a difference.

Peru 2010, by William Howell (Phase 10.4 volunteer)

The Amazon rainforest, a place shrouded in mystery and darkness.

My experience here is tale of many emotions, many strange encounters and many bitter struggles brought about by the conditions of living in such an unrelenting and unforgiving environment.

Since a young age I had learned about the Amazon, it had always seemed a fairytale-like place to me and caused much intrigue and desire to learn as much as I could about it. I had developed a vision of what it would be like in my mind and when I arrived I found it truly amazing to behold the majestic beauty of this immense forest.

The living conditions here are in stark contrast to anything I have experienced before, but are still impressive given the challenges presented in this remote location. The food is basic but for the most part sufficient and satisfying, this is often aided by the appetite worked by the labours of the day. Although there is the loss of many modern conveniences such as 24hour electricity and hot running water, these are small sacrifices to make when presented with the undeniable wonder and joy brought about by the diversity of the beautiful animals found in the forest.

Perhaps the hardest and most enduring part of my journey here was to consume rice with almost every meal, a feat I thought that I may never accomplish and would surely drive me to insanity.

As for the forest itself it is filled with many wondrous and truly agitating creatures, from beautiful frogs and snakes that captivate you with their vivid colours and transfixing eyes to relentless mosquitoes and scheming ants that seek out your belongings should you set them down for one second. None of this however compares with the shear diversity of plants and animals that can be found in this place and the tremendous noise that they together produce, it is both evocative and overwhelming to say the least.

The moment that I will remember most vividly from my time here is the night I saw the infamous bushmaster, a true leviathan, its bold black diamonds darker than the night’s sky, and its deep burning stare almost locking my mind with titanium chains. Words cannot describe the disturbing beauty this fatal creature possessed; it bore a feeling of shear malevolence I feel will remain with me for some time.

Of all the animals I have seen here, the one that holds the most awe and that I picture immediately when I think of the Amazon is the tree frog. For me it is the most striking animal to see, particularly at night when its colours are at their brightest. The finest example of this animal is the tomopterna or monkey tree frog, its name applies to the way in which it moves which is simply a joy to watch as it reveals its brilliant orange flanks broken by dark purple stripes.

 

For this remarkable experience I am truly indebted to FFT, a top group of researchers who have been a delight to volunteer for and who I have learned so much from over my time in Peru, so I would like to end by thanking them for making this a truly unique experience and certainly one I would like to repeat in the future.

More week 3, by Sofia Prado (18yo volunteer from Mexico)

What an outstanding day for the bird team today! As usual it started out at 5 am and into the forest we tromped. Like every other day we opened up our mist nets at 6 am sharp. Then, as usual we wait and have our breakfast sitting on the leaf litter of the forest. I find it impressive that our coordinator Naun has so much patience with us! We have a lot of fun as a group.

Tom, a volunteer is constantly joking back and forth with Naun while I listen and laugh. There is never a dull day in birding. We have adopted a new member today, Ian. He learns very fast and while Naun taught him the basics I listened in to refresh my memory. I love my team, we have a lot of fun together and work very efficiently.

So today we caught a total of 6 birds and though it seemed like an ordinary catch, it was far from it. The first bird we caught was a Ant Wren, then we caught a Puff Bird and lastly 4 Band Tailed Manakins. I´d never seen a Puff Bird except for in the book we have and I was so excited as Naun reached into the bag to grab him.

What reappeared in his hand was something that looked nothing like the birds we usually caught. It was chunky with a big bright beak; he had very bright eyes and was dappled with black spots. But, what set this bird apart from all the others were the proportions of its build. His head was almost half the size of his body. He was so cute! A Semi-collared Puff Bird, he was a very exciting catch which could only be compared to a bobble head doll.

Then the Manakins. One, the male always calls out to me. No matter how many times we´ve seen these guys they are truly a sight. Black with bright orange, red, yellow and white lines of feathers on the inside of their wings, shiny beady eyes and one of the most beautiful birds I´ve ever seen. Then we caught a female, or was she? Her plumage coloring matched a female mostly, but then she had red spots or patches of red feathers around her crown and what looked like the beginnings of male white wing stripes. Even Naun couldn´t tell us what was going on with this bird, we took a few pictures to investigate further.

Then the most amazing find yet: the last bird we found was another female Manakin. The 1^st strange thing was that she had the same red marks and beginnings of white lines on her wings. But as Naun reached in to free her from the net he stood back looking puzzled. He looked at us, smiled and said: “this bird is already banded”. I was very excited to hear we had recaptured a bird that had been banded at least a month ago, but that wasn’t all. Naun showed us the small plastic ring the bird already sported, that wasn’t one of the rings we were using. We usually used plain metal ones, not colored plastics. Naun was in a bit of a shock; he examined the ring carefully but only confirmed his suspicions. In 2004 Naun had been a volunteer for FFT, 6 years ago. Back then, he told us, they used black plastic rings. This means we had just recaptured a bird that had been banded 6 years ago. Naun told us he didn’t know how long these birds lived for: “no one really does” he added, “that´s why this study is so important”. Oh and the icing on the cake was that when examining the bird more closely, she was covered in fat. I´d never seen a bird with so much fat! This just made that day all the more exciting.

Diary Excerpts, by Melissa Chang (22yo volunteer from Lima)

Day 1 – 07/06/10

So travelling started by being late to the airport. My dad said he’ll take me but as usual we ended up having a super long breakfast and left late, went through Lima’s gross streets which are all blocked by either cars or constructions that make you want to walk the distance but finally made it on time due to several infractions… which nobody saw luckily.

I feel like there is no better way than learning by experience, I’m thrilled to go back to Tambopata, especially for more time as last time was really short.  Also, I really want to go out of the city and do something related to what i see all the time in class because let’s just say there isn’t much ecofriendliness in Lima. Anyways the trip started, I got to the airport and both my Cuzco and Puerto Maldonado flights were delayed. I really didn’t mind because a) I got all three seats for myself the entire way and b) I love Cuzco, and seeing it from the window was so worth it. I hope I can manage to change my ticket on the way back, maybe if I meet someone to come with I will. Also they gave us some yummy snacks as an apology for the delay, so I got an alfajor Tinkay for sitting quietly

While in the plane I started wondering about something really odd, so just bear with me. Have you noticed those odd plane videos for when the plane is Taxiing? The ones that have pictures of one thing accompanied by relaxing music, I always feel I’m watching flowers with elevator music. I wonder if there is a job that is based entirely on that, as in what did you do? Well I design the minivideos for when the plane isn’t moving.

So I finally got to Puerto Maldonado airport and my bags came out surprisingly fast, so I went out and this super smiley boy with a sign that said ‘Melissa Chang FFT’ was standing there, and that’s how I first met Dave. Then we rode to the FFT house in mototaxi and I met Chris who’s awesomely funny, Sofia from Puerto who directs the Mammals team, and Brian, the Herps team guy (a.k.a. the Terminator). So as soon as I got there they gave me food J and then they told me the other kids wouldn’t come until the following day… small confusion but i wrote and read my book and got a really good bed

After lunch we walked around Puerto and I went shopping with Brian for buckets and fabric for pitfall traps. I got to haggle for buckets, felt very Peruvian.

Later that day I got to know more all of the guys and Naun from the Bird team came over, he’s also from Puerto so he doesn’t exactly live in the house but he’s pretty funny.  All the guys and Sofia are really funny, loads of British accents everywhere and so far all is well. The project seems like it’ll be fun so cool. Tomorrow the first bunch comes at 8:30, I think its Sofia who I was emailing for a little to get to know each other and Ashley, the insect team coordinator.

That’s all for tonight, plan to read a little and sleep

Day 2/Day 3 – 08/06/10

So I forgot to write yesterday (oops) but we have 3 hours in the boat so I can write what happened in the meantime. I woke up to welcome Sofia and Ashley but apparently their flight was changed so they lost it. So at 11:30 Sofia from Mexico and Will and Tom from England arrived. Sofia is really funny, she’s 18 and LOVES animals, especially dogs. I learnt she has a shelter, which is pretty cool for someone of any age. The two new guys I didn’t get to know that well because they seemed super tired, granted the route from England to Puerto Maldonado is not a short one. At 12:45 Max from the US got here and that now makes all 5 of us volunteers.

So Dave gave a small welcome speech and then we had lunch (tequenos). Then we got ice cream (brazil nut ice cream!), went to the bank and to the market for supplies (food and boxes) and finally home to chill before dinner and collapsing in bed. We all woke up at 6 a.m. for the 7 a.m. bus which didn’t get there until way after. But after calling home and saying bye to friends we left for Infierno (not hell, a town). I bought more brazil nuts, this time covered in chocolate and sugar and set off into a two hour and a half journey where we saw turtles, a tayra on the banks (sort of a small nutriaish looking thing) and a white cayman. Then I got my passport stamped with a Jaguar to indicate I was in Tambopata and got to Explorer’s Inn.

We carried all of our stuff up (HOT) and got fed (woop). I got to know Will and Max better as well as Naun and Sofia (coordinators). After that we got a little tour of the lodge and then we saw 2 Tamarins grooming and 7 Howler monkets (including  a baby!), too cute. Then at 4 we had a meeting in La Catolica (which is a classroom) and after that went out Herping and found frogs! One of them Travittata (poisonus frog!)

Day  7 – 13/06/10

SO i missed a whole bunch of days, oops again. Well basically after getting to know each other better, training (classes, etc), loads of games (whichever we could think of), being introduced to settlers of Catan (so cool) and seeing tons of animals (Ocelot and bunny on camera trap – not together – and various birds) we got to work in what we’ll be doing for the rest of the phase. We learned a whole bunch of techniques such as how to spot certain animals (where to look), speeds to walk in mammal transects, how to make footprint traps, how to make pitfall traps, how to catch butterflies and identify them, etc.

And today was an awesome day.  We ate and applied everything we’d learnt in a scavengers hunt. First we were given a GPS mark that led us to catch some butterflies and identify them, then we were given another and went to Naun to identify a cassick, then we ran around like crazy following tons of GPS marks to find the ribbons for the next place, jumped on boats, swam in the river (me vs Sofia ) and finally got to the end where we got treats Then of course it was shower and washing time.

Then i sat with the boys to play Settlers and drink beer. It feels very old tabern-like with the rustic wooden tables and chairs, dice games, beers and candlelight… and Will and I won with 11 points! Now Herp walk and sleep!

Also I thought about doing a project with beetles, I talked to Ashley but now I have to talk to Chris and Dave.

Day 8 – 14/06/10

Actually writing on the 15^th, but yesterday was both brutal and fun. We woke up for breakfast and made 4 transects, then we had lunch and made pitfall traps. After that we had a small walk where we saw a Travittata which was HUGE and according to our leader it could kill someone, if you lick it, though i´m not sure why we would lick a frog but anyways, we´ve been warned on which frogs not to lick. Then we had dinner and everyone crashed.

Day 9 – 15/06/10

Today I woke up to Howler monkeys, packed, had breakfast, packed some more, and napped a little in the boat on our way to Baltimore. Then we got there, swam near the waterfall, had a mud fight and chilled

Day 10 – 16/06/10

Dreams while in the jungle seem to be different than anywhere else. They really go to extremes, I had a dream about monsters (yes, monsters) and this weird magical land and then yesterday night I had a dream about settlers of Catan. Well we had breakfast and then proceeded to marking the 1500m control transect which involved getting lost twice (hehe) but we found a cool colpa.

We then went to the mirador to see guacamayos, there were so many! And then we crossed the river on a bridge made by a fallen tree. This was a huge tree to cross a huge river and Max made the funniest old man dwidle to cross. Then we came back, had lunch and napped. This place is so pretty, there are tons of mosquitoes but tons of hammocks too which kinda make up for it

Then Victor (from El Gato), Tom, Naun and Me left to go fishing. I caught two at this little puddle we used them as bait though, it is so sad to see them die. I had a thought though. While I was fishing it was SO similar to fishing in Wii play that it was kind of scary. Must tell Tali because she always beats me at that game.

So then we moved to this area that had that ‘very few people have been here’ feel to it. Basically it was opening trail to go through these tree arches and get to this little beach where we caught 5 fish and saw 2 tayras cross the river over a fallen log! One was whitish, Dave says that means it’s a juvenile. We then came back, chilled at the hammocks and had a few beers, dinner and then to bed.

Wow apparently Will almost stepped on a Fer de Lance… :/ bad day to skip herping!

Day 11 – 17/06/10

So we spent the morning marking transects and setting up beetle traps for our new volunteer Marshorie. Then we had lunch and took pics of the frogs trapped. Then it started raining so we were chilling for a really long time until at 5 we left for herping. In the attacks list: Brian was stung on the lip by a wasp L it’s cruel to say so but he looks kind of funny. In the saw list: We also saw an anole (!) and a whipping scorpion. In the felts list: A frog jumped on my leg and a bat flew over my head, following a moth hehe talk about learning in action. Then we had dinner and off to bed! It’s really funny how our new setup for going to sleep/waking up is in a 9pm-6am format…  I wonder how this will work when we’re back in town??

Day 12 – 18/06/10

SO apparently Brian’s wasp sting kind of opened a door for accidents. We were going along as usual with our breakfast and then off to herps transects. BUT then Ashley got stung on the eye by a wasp when she was cutting a transect and then I feel into a hole and twisted my ankle, so I spent the rest of the day resting, sleeping, playing, finishing my book (Cronicas de San Gabriel = awesome though sad), talking to Sofi and getting a faux tattoo with natural colours. Then while we were having dinner Will and Brian came back from herping and apparently Will was sting by a bullet ant L So now pain killers and off to bed, I hope everyone is better tomorrow.

Day 13 – 19/06/10

So still hurting so I stayed in doing some butterfly identifying and a little bit of cooking (condensed milk and vanilla cracker balls with coconut!) Then the rest of the day was pretty chill overall, I was stretching my foot to see if it gets better for tomorrow because we can play volleyball! And I want to play

Day 14 – 20/06/10: Funday Sunday

It’s 4:57 am and today the plan is go to the Collpa, Baltimore community and Wasai lodge.

So in the collpa we saw tons and tons of parrots and a Macaw. My ankle hurt so that kind of ruined it for me, but it was still intense to see how many birds congregated at such a small area turning all the brown into a mesh of green, yellow, red and blue. Then we came back, had breakfast and chilled until 11:30am when we went to Baltimore community to have juane for lunch and watch a football (soccer) match, Baltimore vs La Torre. Again fun though mosquitoes actually harass you there. It was really funny though because they needed a referee and Will volunteered, in Spanish. Then we were off to Wasai lodge which is BEAUTIFUL and had some drinks and chat. Then we headed back to El Gato for showers, dinner and a couple rounds of cards and settlers of Catan Then off to bed, tomorrow back to research!

Day 15 – 21/06/10

So yesterday Dave said I can only do half a day because of my foot, which means I only got to go herping in the morning and then basically spent the rest of the day being lazy, but i missed the cool herping at night where they found a land crab and a coral snake!!!

But well it was still good to rest because due to massive dream scratching I made big wounds on my feet and walking burned them (I know ew?!) Plus I keep on seeing the dynamic of this little group, its fun Also in El Gato, ironically we found a little kitty pet which people call Margay, though his real name is Michifuso, he’s super cute though has an odd meow.

Today at dinner we discussed what animal we would be and I got spider monkey haha not sure how to feel about that?? Then we player settlers of Catan for 2^nd and 3^rd time today and i won the 1^st and 3^rd time! Anyways tomorrow we are odd to Puerto, i’m excited to call my mum and friends, and get some new pants because for some reason I keep on ripping mine!

Alright long trip tomorrow, and maybe some dancing woop! And from now on I am referring to Sofi as Pochi, because apparently people who talk in spanglish are called that way in Mexico!

Day 16 – 22/06/10

Today we woke up, packed, have breakfast (found out France is out of the World Cup so I lost the bet!), play settlers and chilled waiting for the boat. Some of the boys went swimming in the river one last time but one of them got some sort of allergic reaction and two hit rocks :/ so slightly bad day for swimming but still that water is super refreshing.

Then we got to Infierno, attacked the store for soda and went to Puerto with AC in the bus (woop)! Then we got to the house and started doing a thousand things. Call mum, send things to laundry (finally, socks), go buy stuff that was missing (a.k.a. hair stuff and cards), get some pizza and prepare for dancing. We went to the plaza for internet and Sofia and I decided to go souvenir shopping and I got a bag and she got some cute pants My clothes weren’t done with the rest of the batch so initially I thought I would be dancing in my gym shorts but Ashley lent me some clothes so yay! Also we got new necklaces FFT gave us though I lost mine while dancing (pout).

Anyways, so we all got changed and when the pizza arrived we ate, chilled with a crate of beer and played some cards. Then we went to Plaza Bar for some drinks and then to Vikingo to dance. The entire night was awesome, teaching some to dance, others to drink, learning awesome semi disco steps and basically just chilling with everyone After some World Cup talking (as always) home and bed!

Day 17 – 23/06/10

SO even though we went to sleep at like 2 (which is a record for everyone for the past 2 weeks given our 9pm to 6am schedule) Sofia and I woke up at 7:30am and decided to go shopping with Ashley for some more stuff that was missing. Then we had brunch at Gustitos where we met up with everyone, chilled and then had early lunch at Asadazo because we weren’t going to have food until dinner in Sachavacayoc.

We then went back into the jungle and up to Sachavacayoc (a.k.a. Sacha) which is SO pretty. We divided into girl/boy dorms and our room is for 17 people even when we are 5, so each of us has like 2 beds (bedding and lounging areas) and a shower each. We then had dinner and went to sleep

Day 18 – 24/06/10

So this is going to be short because i’m pretty tired. Today most of the morning afternoon was all about herp, walking, cutting down wood for pitfall traps and looking for a place so we can build it tomorrow. Then Ashley taught us this really cool card game we never actually finished haha. Then after dinner herps went out, saw a gecko and a HUGE frog and many many ants then back home and pass out.

Day 19 – 25/06/10

So today we had breakfast and then watched the first half of the Brazil – Portugal game which ended up being 0-0 and filled with yellow cards :/ Then I helped cook a little (actually peeled potatoes so really little) and watched the rest of the game.

Then I met a guy from Lima who works in tourism who I actually thought was the new volunteer so it was awkward for the first few minutes. Ian, the actual volunteer came over during lunch and he came with us to set up pitfall traps

Then we had some dinner, some settlers and night transects and went off to bed.

Day 20 – 26/06/10

So today we were doing quadrats with Max as they require 4 people and one of the tangaranas came down from its tree and nibbled my finger. We did however find a snake and then  things got even better by the fact that I got awesome mashed potatoes for lunch (mashed potatoes = <3) then we played settlers and Ian won which means he’s picking up his game… must destroy hehe

Then at night we took Sofia for quadrats and found two frogs and two anoles we then walked around for a little longer and went to sleep.

Day 21 – 27/06/10

Today is my friend’s birthday, so given that I have no way of sending this: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Now to the actual day today we processed all the animals caught yesterday and the snake bit Brian several times but its non venomous so it was just obnoxious. Then we watched the England-Germany game (4-1 ouch) and at 1:30 saw the Argentina – Mexico games to see that the next match is Argentina – Germany, that should be interesting. I hope we had the list of the dates and stuff to keep up.

Workwise today was transects day and butterfly mounting day. I am practicing and finally got the butterflies straight! At night we went out for a walk and to check the pitfall traps and I saw a wipping snake! It was sleeping right on top of us :/ now we are off to bed because tomorrow is camping day!

Day 22 – 28/06/10

So in the morning we went transecting and found a couple of lizards and then we checked the pitfall traps. There was nothing in but right next to the trap there was a HUGE whip snake that Brian chased and caught. Again it bit him but still it was awesome. Then John (a guy staying at Sacha who is doing fly taxonomy) brought a bushmasters skin so we were taking loads of pictures of both the snake (which was vicious) and the skin (which was super soft!)

Then we hiked to this BEAUTIFUL lake, set up our beds and went rowing at sunset, so we got to see the from the middle of the lake. While at the city you kind of forget there are so many of them.

Then we had Juane for dinner which the Sacha people made for us and a little herp hike in which Max found a really cool frog, saw a bridge made out of ants for more ants and we saw a baby black caiman! Then back to the camp, played boggle and went to sleep

Day 23 – 29/06/10

I can’t believe it’s been so long since I left Lima, it’s been more than 3 weeks but I am totally used to the place. So we went camping yesterday so today we had a hike back. But before, we woke up and I went to the lake and Tom and Ian were preparing to go out on a boat so I decided to join them, but then Tom didn’t feel so well so Ian and I rowed to were the girls were on another boat and turns out they were chasing some monkeys! There were so many of them! And we chased them for quite a while and then Ian saw a baby monkey on its mum’s back and 6 ft away a rusty whip snake! Then we rowed a bit more to the other shore and came back to pack and hike back.

On our way Max, Ian and I played around the trees and saw some very colourful butterflies and then when we got back there was food Then all of the girls kind of passed out, loads of moving today!

After waking up we watched Alice in Wonderland and then danced some salsa and then we ate and played settlers. Later the girls talked for a bit and then everyone to bed!

Day 24 – 30/06/10

Today was a quadrats day. We woke up, had breakfast and went to Control area to do three quadrats with this guy from the Chicago Herp Society called Jason. Then we came back to devour everything on the table and chill for the afternoon to prepare for the night quadrat. I talked to Sofi for basically the entire afternoon, even when the plan was napping

Then before dinner we played with this awesome little snake and later on the night did two quadrats and walked for a really long time because Jason kept on finding snakes! We ended up with 6 snakes and 2 lizards. Tomorrow there is going to be loads of processing but one of them was so small and cute!

Day 25 – 01/07/10

Today was a rather chill day. I had a good night rest but for some reason was in some odd mood, kind of remembering my uni friends and being weirdly nostalgic, so i was basically chilling because we didn’t have to go out until 4:30. In the morning after breakfast though we did process all of the snakes and lizards caught yesterday and when I was taking pictures my camera died! I guess it couldn’t take the excitement I did grasp a whole new concept on how cute snakes can be specially the little baby snake we couldn’t figure out and one whose eyes looked extremely pug-like.

Then after lunch I started feeling horrible to my stomach and told Brian who said I didn’t have to go, so I stayed chilling with Ashley and Sofi, processing butterflies (mounting and identifying), plan

Week 3, by Sofia Prado (18yo volunteer from Mexico)

Everyday just gets better and better here. We came back to Puerto Maldonado today, back to civilization, back to everyone wearing clean clothes that don’t smell like wild creatures. Although it is a treat to be here I’m not so sure I like it. I already miss the jungle. Don’t get me wrong, Puerto is a great place but my heart lies in the forest. But, really I don’t care where we are, as long as it’s working with Fauna Forever. Tomorrow we return to the jungle, to a whole new lodge just waiting to be explored. I can barely wait. I have yet to grasp the idea that all of this, all these animals, places, adventures and people will soon be miles away from me while we once shared everything at FFT. One of the things I like the most about FFT is that this is not just an organization, this is a group of talented and tireless people who walk the walk 100% of the time. For example everyone here lives with only the bare minimum. Although I have been learning so much here that has been one of the most important reminders or wake up calls of my life. Men have created a world that caters to their every whim, we’ve  been so selfish, not only with the living creatures we share the planet with but among our own species. Why would you take a 20 minute shower when you can take a shorter 5 minute one? Why would you leave the lights on when you can simply switch them off? Why is it so hard for us to grasp the concept of empathy? It’s not like it hasn’t been repeated over and over again, even now, still, in 11^th grade I hear every other day. The problem is we need to be shocked into realization. Realizations we don’t know exist or choose to ignore. I mean, take me for instance. I thought I was pretty eco friendly before I came here. I recycle, I was the president of the “green club” at my school, I remind my parents not to buy those dreaded straws or anything else that seems to be a completely stupid and useless waste in the world. It is not enough. I have been living a totally new life these past weeks. I have been showering with cold water, I haven’t seen a plug in quite some time, I have been introduced to an outhouse. I realize what life can be like without all of our comforts and I find I quite like it. I would really love to live a completely eco friendly lifestyle and here it seems is the closest I’ve ever gotten. Why is man plotting against his own species, why is it always every man for himself? It is not just about buying organic cotton shirts or planting one tree. It is ALL about choices. Do you really need that overly packaged new product? Do you really want to watch that show on TV? What is the difference between needs and wants these days? To change, we need to rethink our own lifestyle and also help others with understanding the impact of theirs. If we all make small changes we can make a big difference in the world. We can conserve our resources and wild places like the Tambopata National Reserve, which if I haven’t already mentioned, is a jewel.  I can’t really put all my feelings into words because they are so vibrant and alive, its unbelievable. The only thing I can say is that my cheeks ache from smiling and laughing so much during my stay here.

Week 2, by Sofia Prado (18yo volunteer from Mexico)

Every morning I wake up at 6 am if not before then by my own tummy. My body has set time to my new environment. The Tambopata area is breathtaking. Frankly the only reason I would leave is to bring my family and pets here to settle. It is the most magical place I have ever been to and you become completely disconnected from the outside world, so much so that you might find yourself going a little insane. Insane is good here though and you need every day to get by. I actually found myself becoming a little crazier at every lodge. No phones, no computers, I can deal without that, but no lights? There are no switches anywhere but at the end of each day you get a full11 person table or more to talk in the candlelight. To exchange stories, ideas, sightings, news, languages and ways of life – it’s like Christmas where everyone sits and talks for hours. Sometimes though, here at least, you’re so hungry after the day’s work all you can hear are forks clinging on the plates. This is a place for friendships; everyone knows your secrets and sees your undies! There are things I have seen that I could only dream I would have. I’ve seen a hummingbird hovering mere inches from my face, I’ve seen caiman swimming in the most serene location I’ve ever been to, I’ve seen tamarins flinging themselves over my head and across my path. You learn about everything here; animals, culture, the forest and get hands-on training, and work to do. I helped catch and mount butterflies, wallowed in waist-deep mud to get a flag in a game, woken up at 5 am to help out with bird ringing. I’ve even learned how to use a machete! Do you realize how cool that is? Although I wasn’t very good at it, I feel like an awkward ‘Jane in the Jungle’, but the experience and story are there to tell. You take everything to the limit here, if you don’t you won’t get the full experience. I can’t say enough wonderful things about my time here and it’s only been a little over a week. There is so much more to tell, this organization is incredible, the place is amazing and the experience unforgettable. The only downfall is preparing yourself for the sudden realization that after the phase is up you will have to go home. You’re going to miss it, my heart aches every time I remember that every day spent full of wonder means quickly and surely will move onto the next. The howler monkey calls, the twinkles from the stars, the constant sweat on my brow will suddenly be no more. So experience it all and try it all. Smell the poop (when tracking animals), wade in the mud, whack the machete, catch the butterfly, connect with the others so that when you go home you can tell everyone about your adventure and you will have no regrets. You will remember the forest and the family that will stay with you forever.

Good morning and welcome to The Amazon

Welcome to a new platform for discussing the Amazon rainforest.  In particular, we will be talking much about the region in Peru called Tambopata. Why Tambopata? Because this is arguably the most biologically diverse area on our planet and a good example of the ‘ups and downs’ of a typical Amazon rainforest region.

We are a registered charity in Peru; a group of dedicated scientists, artists, communication specialists, anthropologists, researchers, volunteers, writers, photographers, teachers and businessmen from many different continents, working with many organisations, working with local people, with one common goal.

Together, we want to learn about this invaluable resource and pass on the information we gather to the rest of the World in a way which is easy and interesting enough to digest happily over a morning coffee. The more minds we can put together on this platform, the more chance we will have to bring change. Together, let’s discover new ways of protecting and replanting the Amazon.

We believe that if you are reading this you will likely know the importance of the rainforest. But perhaps, you won’t feel the importance until it’s too late… or will you?

Welcome to Fauna Forever.