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Staff updates

A new Ecuador Country Director waBerg. Having lived and worked in La period working for GVI back in theJon Escolar kicks off as the base caand knows the ins and outs pretty wresearch on dung beetles. Three inter EMs from the previous expedition,weeks) and Andrew Mercer. The thir amphibians. He picked everything proved to be a great asset to the sta post. Four weeks into the expedition,stuck into all aspects of the work Christ to develop this research for th

Week One

January. The Yachana Reserve basesilence sweeps through the comedor.followed by the stomping of heavysevere physical strain. A loud thuddays. The EMs got a taste for rice astream wash and mastered the art of the sounds of the surrounding jungle18 EMs in their communal dorms.The day after arrival they took their overall feeling of excitement. It wasdense greens of the overhead canooccurred. The falls and occasional br jungle life but the resulting laughter (two bird enthusiast interns) broughtout points in the reserve.The following night the group set ouhow the jungle changed at night. Smany different leaves, the soundsnatural light and the forest floor wasMauro, Flavio, Juan Carlos and Fra

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17 March 2009

s welcomed to camp at the very start of phase in thtin America for seven years prior to this position aUK was eager to get stuck back into Latin America p manager having worked on two previous expeditell. Matt Illes also returns to bring in some new exns joined at the beginning of the ten week block, tannah Urpeth (who will be staying on as an internd intern, Chris Beirne, flew out from the UK to shaup extremely quickly and with an abundance of f team so has been offered (and accepted) a full tia new staff member Andrew Whitworth arrived anith particular focus on the amphibian research afuture.camp is still. The dorms are empty, the steps un-sJust then a string of swearing floats up from the stefeet and the loud puffing and panting of a groupreaks the silence as a backpack is flung down ontocomedor. “

Welcome to your new home

”, sais a resounding sigh of relief. The EMs hadThe new year kicked off with a group of 18England, Ireland, Germany, the US and Amelting pot of different backgrounds but thfor the same reasons. The group was eagenew environment and willing to throw thewould be a unique and unforgettable experieThere were major adjustments within thed beans which is the staple to any jungle diet. The bathing in three inch deep water. At night they hadalthough the volume couldn’t compare with the comfirst walk along one of the many trails in the reser their first glimpse of the rustic browns of the for y. Some struggled to find their jungle legs andeaching of the wellies were an unpleasant and unavand hilarity made it all worthwhile. That eveningthe EMs out on a bird survey upon one the manyinto the darkness to partake in a night walk. It wasiders as big as your hand could be found sittingf the surrounding frogs and birds seemed amplieven trickier to tread. Luckily the group had the conklyn, the Ecuadorian students from the Yachanae

form of Karinad then spendinglife and lingo.ions at the campiting but smellyo of which werefor a further tene his passion for enthusiasm ande staff member d has tried to getd working withept and an eeries to port. This isof people under the floor of thes John and thererrived.

volunteers fromstralia. It was aey had all cometo embrace theselves into whatnce.first couple of y took their firstto contend with bined snoring of e. There was anest floor and thespectacular fallsidable aspect of Andy and Chris picturesque look incredible to seeandomly on theied without anystant support of Technical High

School who came for work experienout of the mud with one hand whileand brilliant sighting of a boa constand the weeks ahead would bring maan introduction to TEFL teaching ancovered during their time here, the gr

Week Two

Having completed their first week oready to take on a new challenge…storrential rain forcing the campers tothe first group finally set off into thskills. Arriving with just enough timinto a tasty dinner before headingarrived back at base camp to enjoy agood old chinwag around the fire cafor frogs everyone headed to bed fowere not so lucky and found their

Week Three

This week started off with some mistusing suspended nets from the fores birds up close and to take some val birdlife. On the Wednesday the EMsfarm. Piter is a graduate of the Yach Napo with his family and spends afarm. Upon arrival Piter roasted f delicious hot chocolate that tasted before. He then took them on a tour a birds for watching along the way. Bincredible dinner made by Piter’s m bellies and a longing for more traditiOn Friday the group took a canoeIsland. The island is owned by Hectodays touring the island and listeningmaintained there. Hector also impartand everyone had a go a blowing the post (not any wildlife!). Some of tmaintenance and was well rewardeweekend was brief but highly memBlack-banded Owl and a game of fooce at the reserve. These boys have the amazing abiielding a machete effortlessly in the other. That nigictor on the stream bank. It was an excellent startny new experiences. After a couple of days trainingnumerous introductions to the various different scoup was ready and raring to go.f training and introductory walks, the staff decideatellite camp. This was going to be no easy feat hmake several rearrangements. Eventually the sun be wilderness to test their newly acquired jungle hato set up camp just before nightfall the group of adut to survey the area for amphibians in the nearbfew of the home comforts such as a pot of tea and a p. Exhausted from the night’s adventures after trawhat they assumed would be a good night’s sleepammock hanging skills were somewhat lacking,they plummeted three feet to the damp anAnother challenge faced by our EMs onnavigating their way in pitch black night, haunyet unknown wildlife to use the jungle facmorning the EMs (some more refreshed thanon granola and set off on the long hike back Cascada where they enjoyed a refreshing diThat week the EMs also took a trip down to thPuerto Rico to teach a few TEFL classes. That first but the infectious enthusiasm of the k craving for more TEFL time.netting. This is a method of catching birdst floor. It’s a great opportunity to see theable data at close quarters about the localleft the reserve and took a canoe to Piter’sna technical High School. He lives on thel his time out of college working on theesh cocoa beans and his mum made anlike anything the EMs had ever drank round the farm and pointed out some greatefore leaving the group was treated to anther. They left the farm that day with fullnal Ecuadorian cooking.rom Coca to Allpa Sumak or more commonly knr Vargas and is put to use as a monkey reserve. Theto Hector talk about all the fascinating plant life ae

d some of his cultural heritage and got the EMs mm through the long blow pipe – at the static target oe EMs were a pretty good shot! The group partod with a hearty chicken soup cooked up by Hecrable with sightings of Capuchins, Woolly Monk ty on a nearby beach at sunset.lity to pull EMsht brought a rareo the expeditionin First Aid andence areas to bethe EM’s werewever, with theoke through andmmock hangingventurers tuckedy stream. Theyfew biscuits andling the stream. Some however aking at 3am assoggy ground.sat camp wasted by sounds of lities. The nextothers) filled upto camp via Laand mud bath.e local school iney were nervousids left the EMsown as Hector’sEMs spent threed animal life heking blow datesf an orange on aok in some trailor himself. Theys, Tamarins, a

Week Four

After a long but surprisingly comfor relax before the week ahead. Tuesdadung beetle pitfall traps in the forest.in entomology. One of the aims of tthe reserve because the beetles that f Three weeks of laborious studyinleading their BTEC field surveys. Tand amphibian surveys and needlessflying colours and had a lot of laughsThe EMs were finally rewarded at ttheir hard work with the unforgettablocal shaman, Curandero. The hedisplay of tobacco and leaves to clmay have been experienced so far on

Week Five

It was the final week at the Yachanonly opted for the five week expeditithe group something to remember iHowever, three days of hard rain hmornings in a row to set out, butDespite this people kept themselvelessons after dinner. On the final d aEM’s were eager to get out and streenergetic walk to the Laguna and stovanilla biscuits. The walk turned outway to say goodbye to the jungle.the group at the town square and engeating candy floss. It was a night thearted goodbyes to the five weekershappiness and they were wished well

Week Six

On Saturday the new five-week EM bus ride, motorized canoe trip and aunpacking all their gear and were weable ranchero ride back from Coca the EMs had ay saw various activities get underway, one of whicThis project was set up by Matt Iles, a staff membeis work is to show the presence of a healthy mamed on the faeces can act as an indicator species.finally saw some EMshey involved dung beetlet

o say they all passed withalong the way.e end of the week for allle experience of visiting aling process involved aeanse any impurities thatthe expedition.Reserve base camp before the mid-phase break aon, it was their last few days in the jungle. The stathis last week and so a long walk to the Lagunaad scuppered their plans. A group of hopefuls gonded up sitting in the comedor looking out at ths entertained with their BTEC work, yoga sessiy the weather took a turn for the better and the skytch the legs after two days of cabin fever. They to pped for the occasional bird watching while snackito be one of the best they had in the five weeks andOn Thursday the entire camp headed off to Tena f together. A meal was planned for that evening anthe effort to scrub up for the event. It was strangecleanly shaven and wearing fresh shirts while theglad rags and indulged in a bit of makeup. The mchicken and steak and all the luxuries the jungthem of. After a slice of cake and a rare sightinlived in the restaurant, the group took to the streethe local festivities. Luckily for the EMs they haone night Tena was holding a huge festival. Theyaged in some dodgy dancing to the live music whilehat ended too soon and the following morning br . Although it was sad to send them off the overall feon their journey home.arrived at base camp. They were tired after a longike up the mountains of steps to camp from port. Tcomed to the comedor by a huge wandering spider.free afternoon toh was setting upwho specialisesal population ind for those whof wanted to givewas scheduled.up at 5am twoe torrential rain.ns and Spanishopened up. Theok off on a longg on apples andwas an excellentor the final nightthe group madeto see the boys’girls put on their al was a feast of le had deprivedg of a sloth thats to join in withd arrived on the blended in withsipping beer andought the heavyeling was one of day on a bumpyey spent the day