Study Abroad @ MindSay 
My project proposal, just in case you're interested
Livin’ On the Edge:
Variance in Mammalian Species Richness and Abundance
Between Eucalyptus and Pasture Edges of the Atlantic Forest
Introduction
The Atlantic Forest is one of the most unique environments on the planet—providing hundreds of priceless resources for human beings around the world—but after decades of degradation, pollution, and exploitation, only 7-8% of the original Mata Atlântica ecosystem remains (Galindo-Leal and Câmara 2003). Unfortunately, this small percentage is still threatened by unsustainable human practices and a lack of adequate preservation efforts. One of the most imminent issues jeopardizing the survival of these existing forest remnants is fragmentation, which isolates populations, curtails biodiversity, and exacerbates extinction risks (Chiarello 1999). A vital step in understanding and eliminating the consequences of fragmentation is determining species diversity at the forest edges, and measuring how this diversity varies across different edge types, in order to improve conservation techniques, develop more efficient management strategies, and advance policies regarding forest preservation (Marsden et al. 2001).
In my project, “Variance in mammalian species richness and abundance between eucalyptus and pasture edges of the Atlantic Forest,” I will attempt to evaluate both species richness (number of species) and abundance (number of individuals) at eucalyptus and pasture edges of the Atlantic Forest using baited sand traps to collect mammalian tracks. The results of this project will also be applicable when assessing the Green Hug concept, an important measure being taken to diversify forest edges. Eucalyptus forests are planted at the edge of the Atlantic Forest, in order to create a buffer between the forest and surrounding pastures and human inhabited areas. Theoretically, the presence of this buffer should indicate elevated species presence at this edge because the eucalyptus forest “hugs” the Atlantic Forest and mitigates the division between the two environs (Ferinmore and Cullen 2002).
The neighboring habitats that surround the forest fragment edges—such as eucalyptus stands and pastures—are known as matrixes (Gascon et al. 2000). These buffers are critical for the survival of the forest fragments that they converge with; the harshness of a matrix (how closely the matrix resembles the ecosystem it encircles) can determine whether or not it provides crucial protection for the forest interior because it limits the harmful outside factors—such as pollution—that infiltrate the forest (Umetsu and Pardini 2007). In my project, the forest edges and their corresponding matrixes are the areas that I’m concerned with—through my sand trap experiment, I will attempt to determine the difference between species diversity of edges adjacent to eucalyptus and pasture matrixes.
Question and Hypotheses
In this project, the main question I will be asking is: How does the richness and abundance of mammalian species at Atlantic Forest edges vary according to the presence of eucalyptus and pasture matrixes? Based on research regarding this topic and my own prior knowledge, I have formulated a hypothesis in answer to this question: There will be a difference in species diversity between eucalyptus and pasture edges; there will be more mammalian species richness and abundance present at eucalyptus edges than at pasture edges (Ha).
H0: Peucalyptus edge = Ppasture edge
Ha: Peucalyptus edge ≠ Ppasture edge
Methods
In order to obtain a more accurate measure of species richness and abundance at forest edges in the Mata Atlântica ecosystem, I have chosen three different sites in the Nazaré Paulista region of Brazil where I will lay my sand traps. Each of these selected sites is a forest fragment that has both a eucalyptus edge and a pasture edge, in an attempt to increase the statistical relevance of my results. At each site, I will lay six 50x50cm sand traps (three replicates at each edge) at randomly selected points along a 50m line, for a total of 18 traps. These traps will be baited with bacon and bananas, in order to attract mammals. In a study of Atlantic Forest matrix quality, Umetsu and Pardini (2007) analyze small mammal populations because they are the most diverse genre of mammals present in Neo-tropical regions. If my results are similar to those of previous sand trap projects completed by SEE-U students at IPÊ, most of the wild animal tracks in the traps will belong to small mammal species (Peterson 2006 and Mintz 2007).
After setting and baiting the traps, I will return early the following morning (to avoid disturbances and loss of data) to record the tracks; I will photograph each track and include a scale in each photo, in order to gauge size and aid in identification. In both previous SEE-U sand trap projects, students checked their traps 6-7 times. Neither of these students was able to disprove their null hypothesis (Peterson 2006 and Mintz 2007). I will check my traps a total of ten times; I would like to collect more information and possibly determine if these students were unable to disprove their null hypotheses because they did not gather sufficient data.
When analyzing the results of my experiment, I will use a two-tailed t-test to determine the difference in species diversity between the two matrix types. By including multiple replicates, selecting random trap sites, and checking the traps additional times, I hope to collect statistically viable data that will prove my hypothesis. In previous SEE-U sand trap experiments, students faced two main obstacles when laying their traps: steep inclines and a lack of forest clearings (Peterson 2006 and Mintz 2007). In order to avoid the first issue, I have chosen sites with as little incline as possible, although some was unavoidable. Regarding the latter issue, I may have to adapt the random selection of my trap locations if I am unable to place them in relatively clear areas. Another complication I anticipate is inclement weather, which may disrupt my sand traps (so I will check the traps as early in the day as possible).
A notable limiting factor of my project is the proximity of my sites; I cannot measure the general species diversity of the Atlantic Forest because all of my sites are located in the Bairro do Moinho, but I have chosen three different sites instead of using pseudo-replicates, which will hopefully expand my data and increase their pertinence regarding this specific location.
References Cited
Chiarello, A. G. 1999. Effects of fragmentation of the Atlantic Forest on mammal communities in south-eastern Brazil. Biological Conservation 89 (1): 71-82.
Ferinmore, S. C. and L. Cullen Jr. 2002. Projecto Abraco verde: A practice-based approach to Brazilian Atlantic Forest conservation. (cases). Endangered Species Update 1-10.
Galindo-Leal, C. and I. G. Câmara. 2003. Atlantic Forest hotspot status: An overview. The Atlantic Forest of South America: Biodiversity Status, Threats, and Outlook 3-11.
Gascon, C., G. B. Williamson, and G. A. B. da Fonseca. 2000. Receding forest edges and vanishing reserves. Science 288 (5470): 1356-1358.
Marsden, S. J., Whiffin, M., and M. Galetti. 2001. Bird diversity and abundance in forest fragments and Eucalyptus plantations around an Atlantic Forest reserve, Brazil. Biodiversity and Conservation 10 (5): 737-751.
Mintz, E. 2007. Do small forest fragments lack mammalian diversity? SEE-U Brazil. Session 1. PowerPoint.
Peterson, J. 2006. Are eucalyptus forests devoid of mammals? SEE-U Brazil. Session 1. PowerPoint.
Umetsu, F. and Pardini, R. Small mammals in a mosaic of forest remnants and anthropogenic habitats—evaluating matrix quality in an Atlantic Forest landscape. Landscape Ecol 22: 517-530.
Variance in Mammalian Species Richness and Abundance
Between Eucalyptus and Pasture Edges of the Atlantic Forest
Introduction
The Atlantic Forest is one of the most unique environments on the planet—providing hundreds of priceless resources for human beings around the world—but after decades of degradation, pollution, and exploitation, only 7-8% of the original Mata Atlântica ecosystem remains (Galindo-Leal and Câmara 2003). Unfortunately, this small percentage is still threatened by unsustainable human practices and a lack of adequate preservation efforts. One of the most imminent issues jeopardizing the survival of these existing forest remnants is fragmentation, which isolates populations, curtails biodiversity, and exacerbates extinction risks (Chiarello 1999). A vital step in understanding and eliminating the consequences of fragmentation is determining species diversity at the forest edges, and measuring how this diversity varies across different edge types, in order to improve conservation techniques, develop more efficient management strategies, and advance policies regarding forest preservation (Marsden et al. 2001).
In my project, “Variance in mammalian species richness and abundance between eucalyptus and pasture edges of the Atlantic Forest,” I will attempt to evaluate both species richness (number of species) and abundance (number of individuals) at eucalyptus and pasture edges of the Atlantic Forest using baited sand traps to collect mammalian tracks. The results of this project will also be applicable when assessing the Green Hug concept, an important measure being taken to diversify forest edges. Eucalyptus forests are planted at the edge of the Atlantic Forest, in order to create a buffer between the forest and surrounding pastures and human inhabited areas. Theoretically, the presence of this buffer should indicate elevated species presence at this edge because the eucalyptus forest “hugs” the Atlantic Forest and mitigates the division between the two environs (Ferinmore and Cullen 2002).
The neighboring habitats that surround the forest fragment edges—such as eucalyptus stands and pastures—are known as matrixes (Gascon et al. 2000). These buffers are critical for the survival of the forest fragments that they converge with; the harshness of a matrix (how closely the matrix resembles the ecosystem it encircles) can determine whether or not it provides crucial protection for the forest interior because it limits the harmful outside factors—such as pollution—that infiltrate the forest (Umetsu and Pardini 2007). In my project, the forest edges and their corresponding matrixes are the areas that I’m concerned with—through my sand trap experiment, I will attempt to determine the difference between species diversity of edges adjacent to eucalyptus and pasture matrixes.
Question and Hypotheses
In this project, the main question I will be asking is: How does the richness and abundance of mammalian species at Atlantic Forest edges vary according to the presence of eucalyptus and pasture matrixes? Based on research regarding this topic and my own prior knowledge, I have formulated a hypothesis in answer to this question: There will be a difference in species diversity between eucalyptus and pasture edges; there will be more mammalian species richness and abundance present at eucalyptus edges than at pasture edges (Ha).
H0: Peucalyptus edge = Ppasture edge
Ha: Peucalyptus edge ≠ Ppasture edge
Methods
In order to obtain a more accurate measure of species richness and abundance at forest edges in the Mata Atlântica ecosystem, I have chosen three different sites in the Nazaré Paulista region of Brazil where I will lay my sand traps. Each of these selected sites is a forest fragment that has both a eucalyptus edge and a pasture edge, in an attempt to increase the statistical relevance of my results. At each site, I will lay six 50x50cm sand traps (three replicates at each edge) at randomly selected points along a 50m line, for a total of 18 traps. These traps will be baited with bacon and bananas, in order to attract mammals. In a study of Atlantic Forest matrix quality, Umetsu and Pardini (2007) analyze small mammal populations because they are the most diverse genre of mammals present in Neo-tropical regions. If my results are similar to those of previous sand trap projects completed by SEE-U students at IPÊ, most of the wild animal tracks in the traps will belong to small mammal species (Peterson 2006 and Mintz 2007).
After setting and baiting the traps, I will return early the following morning (to avoid disturbances and loss of data) to record the tracks; I will photograph each track and include a scale in each photo, in order to gauge size and aid in identification. In both previous SEE-U sand trap projects, students checked their traps 6-7 times. Neither of these students was able to disprove their null hypothesis (Peterson 2006 and Mintz 2007). I will check my traps a total of ten times; I would like to collect more information and possibly determine if these students were unable to disprove their null hypotheses because they did not gather sufficient data.
When analyzing the results of my experiment, I will use a two-tailed t-test to determine the difference in species diversity between the two matrix types. By including multiple replicates, selecting random trap sites, and checking the traps additional times, I hope to collect statistically viable data that will prove my hypothesis. In previous SEE-U sand trap experiments, students faced two main obstacles when laying their traps: steep inclines and a lack of forest clearings (Peterson 2006 and Mintz 2007). In order to avoid the first issue, I have chosen sites with as little incline as possible, although some was unavoidable. Regarding the latter issue, I may have to adapt the random selection of my trap locations if I am unable to place them in relatively clear areas. Another complication I anticipate is inclement weather, which may disrupt my sand traps (so I will check the traps as early in the day as possible).
A notable limiting factor of my project is the proximity of my sites; I cannot measure the general species diversity of the Atlantic Forest because all of my sites are located in the Bairro do Moinho, but I have chosen three different sites instead of using pseudo-replicates, which will hopefully expand my data and increase their pertinence regarding this specific location.
References Cited
Chiarello, A. G. 1999. Effects of fragmentation of the Atlantic Forest on mammal communities in south-eastern Brazil. Biological Conservation 89 (1): 71-82.
Ferinmore, S. C. and L. Cullen Jr. 2002. Projecto Abraco verde: A practice-based approach to Brazilian Atlantic Forest conservation. (cases). Endangered Species Update 1-10.
Galindo-Leal, C. and I. G. Câmara. 2003. Atlantic Forest hotspot status: An overview. The Atlantic Forest of South America: Biodiversity Status, Threats, and Outlook 3-11.
Gascon, C., G. B. Williamson, and G. A. B. da Fonseca. 2000. Receding forest edges and vanishing reserves. Science 288 (5470): 1356-1358.
Marsden, S. J., Whiffin, M., and M. Galetti. 2001. Bird diversity and abundance in forest fragments and Eucalyptus plantations around an Atlantic Forest reserve, Brazil. Biodiversity and Conservation 10 (5): 737-751.
Mintz, E. 2007. Do small forest fragments lack mammalian diversity? SEE-U Brazil. Session 1. PowerPoint.
Peterson, J. 2006. Are eucalyptus forests devoid of mammals? SEE-U Brazil. Session 1. PowerPoint.
Umetsu, F. and Pardini, R. Small mammals in a mosaic of forest remnants and anthropogenic habitats—evaluating matrix quality in an Atlantic Forest landscape. Landscape Ecol 22: 517-530.
Photos from Brazil
Sorry these are so small. The Internet is so slow here... it would take days to upload them if I didn't reduce them first.
I'm usually a photo-taking machine, but I haven't been on top of it since I've been here. I think it's because I'm in school-mode rather than vacation-mode. I'm definitely going to get on that. I want to take some pictures of my everyday life activities too, since I eat a lot of interesting foods, learn in a cool classroom, run along a lush jungle path, etc.
:)
Sorry these are so small. The Internet is so slow here... it would take days to upload them if I didn't reduce them first.
I'm usually a photo-taking machine, but I haven't been on top of it since I've been here. I think it's because I'm in school-mode rather than vacation-mode. I'm definitely going to get on that. I want to take some pictures of my everyday life activities too, since I eat a lot of interesting foods, learn in a cool classroom, run along a lush jungle path, etc.
:)
one.
Hello world. Being my first blog since Xanga or OpenDiary (which I suppose aren't real blogs but more online diary keeping) I thought I would open up by saying its been a long time since I've written freestyle and I apologize for any confusing statements I may make however this is pretty informal so I expect not too many people will see this. So here we go.
This past semester has been a hectic one to say the least. I decided to study abroad in Prague this upcoming semester which in order to do so is a class unto itself in paperwork and decisions and preparations. On top of that, the classes I have been taking have pretty much consumed my free time. Being enrolled in two production classes is a lot of work and outside of class work (which is the most time consuming kind). On top of that, I began working as a production assistant at Goddard Space Flight Center (very exciting I might add). All of these things however are not the most exhausting things I've ever done. I can deal with school, paperwork, regular work and anything else that requires exorbitant amounts of energy.
So that being said, this is not what I want to rant or rave about. What I want to rant or rave about is one of my classes in particular in which the content really affected the way that I look at things now. This class is documentary production. Now ordinarily, the class would be taught in a way that teaches you the basics and principles of documentary making, no big deal. The professor that taught it didn't see it that way. This man is a super leftist liberal (bless his heart) and decided to teach the class with an activist edge to it. So he began showing us documentaries of heavy content and readings that supplemented what we were seeing. Still doesn't seem too bad right? I didn't think so either. When he went through our syllabus and discussed the structure of class and some of the content we would be learning about, I thought, "Hmm, perhaps we'll talk about how George Bush is the worst president to ever see inside the Oval Office". No, that was not the case. Although my professor did have his biases against the president, he did not vocalize them. Instead he subverted his views of George Bush's style through material that would truthfully show us the bad in what goes on in the heart of our corrupt society. We were eased into all of this with a few short videos like "The Story of Stuff" and Stephen Colbert's speech at the White House Correspondent's dinner. He then hit us with other liberal sided docs like Sicko, The Corporation, End of Suburbia and What a Way to Go. Being brought up in a highly conservative house and closing my mind to politics yet attending a liberal arts college did not prepare me for all these one sided view points. Most of the opinions in the films we watched maintained that everything it talked about was in fact the truth. Well who knows what the truth is? Its better to keep an open mind and let everything wash over you so you can have a more informed opinion. Me, personally, I like to stay in the middle and try to avoid our bipartisan country's conflicting ideals. I don't usually like discussing the latest controversial issues that I do have opinions about (unless its with my conservative father who I then just take the other side for the sake of pushing his buttons).
Keeping that in mind, I am glad that I took this class before my departure to another country. Before the class, I think I was pretty open minded but my mind was pretty vacant in terms of knowledge of issues. However, now after a semester of learning and gathering opinions (granted they are a little one-sided) I feel a little more prepared for my trip than before this semester. Now I feel motivated to learn and search for all the information I can to broaden my perspective on local, national and worldly views. My anticipation for my trip this fall is that I can add experience to my perspective as opposed to just news print. As much as we rely on news print to retrieve our information on what's going on in the world, I think its just as important to experience these things so we have more passion and conviction in the things we talk about. It is a shame and unfortunate that not everyone is able to travel the world and see different sights and talk to different people and experience a different culture. It is with this idea in my mind that I appreciate this opportunity I've been given and really take full advantage of it as I embark on this adventure this fall.
This past semester has been a hectic one to say the least. I decided to study abroad in Prague this upcoming semester which in order to do so is a class unto itself in paperwork and decisions and preparations. On top of that, the classes I have been taking have pretty much consumed my free time. Being enrolled in two production classes is a lot of work and outside of class work (which is the most time consuming kind). On top of that, I began working as a production assistant at Goddard Space Flight Center (very exciting I might add). All of these things however are not the most exhausting things I've ever done. I can deal with school, paperwork, regular work and anything else that requires exorbitant amounts of energy.
So that being said, this is not what I want to rant or rave about. What I want to rant or rave about is one of my classes in particular in which the content really affected the way that I look at things now. This class is documentary production. Now ordinarily, the class would be taught in a way that teaches you the basics and principles of documentary making, no big deal. The professor that taught it didn't see it that way. This man is a super leftist liberal (bless his heart) and decided to teach the class with an activist edge to it. So he began showing us documentaries of heavy content and readings that supplemented what we were seeing. Still doesn't seem too bad right? I didn't think so either. When he went through our syllabus and discussed the structure of class and some of the content we would be learning about, I thought, "Hmm, perhaps we'll talk about how George Bush is the worst president to ever see inside the Oval Office". No, that was not the case. Although my professor did have his biases against the president, he did not vocalize them. Instead he subverted his views of George Bush's style through material that would truthfully show us the bad in what goes on in the heart of our corrupt society. We were eased into all of this with a few short videos like "The Story of Stuff" and Stephen Colbert's speech at the White House Correspondent's dinner. He then hit us with other liberal sided docs like Sicko, The Corporation, End of Suburbia and What a Way to Go. Being brought up in a highly conservative house and closing my mind to politics yet attending a liberal arts college did not prepare me for all these one sided view points. Most of the opinions in the films we watched maintained that everything it talked about was in fact the truth. Well who knows what the truth is? Its better to keep an open mind and let everything wash over you so you can have a more informed opinion. Me, personally, I like to stay in the middle and try to avoid our bipartisan country's conflicting ideals. I don't usually like discussing the latest controversial issues that I do have opinions about (unless its with my conservative father who I then just take the other side for the sake of pushing his buttons).
Keeping that in mind, I am glad that I took this class before my departure to another country. Before the class, I think I was pretty open minded but my mind was pretty vacant in terms of knowledge of issues. However, now after a semester of learning and gathering opinions (granted they are a little one-sided) I feel a little more prepared for my trip than before this semester. Now I feel motivated to learn and search for all the information I can to broaden my perspective on local, national and worldly views. My anticipation for my trip this fall is that I can add experience to my perspective as opposed to just news print. As much as we rely on news print to retrieve our information on what's going on in the world, I think its just as important to experience these things so we have more passion and conviction in the things we talk about. It is a shame and unfortunate that not everyone is able to travel the world and see different sights and talk to different people and experience a different culture. It is with this idea in my mind that I appreciate this opportunity I've been given and really take full advantage of it as I embark on this adventure this fall.
Loooong hours in the classroom
Today was not the most exciting, but I really can't complain--I am in paradise, after all. I woke up early and went for a run with Julia (my roommate) and Aylesse. We ran for about 40 minutes. I definitely feel better about my performance today; yesterday I could barely make it up the hills (there are many, many hills). Retrospectively, I've decided to attribute my violent wheezing and chest pains yesterday to the higher altitude. Otherwise I would have to acknowledge just how out of shape I have become. No thank you.
Today was lectures and exercises and more lectures. We had a quiz too, but I got a 9/10 so I'm pretty happy with that. I need to get an A in this course since it's 6 credits and will serve as a fairly solid boost to my GPA. I'm at a 3.6 right now and I need to hit 3.7+ by graduation so that I can qualify for a Marshall Scholarship and get my PhD for free in the United Kingdom. It's a lofty goal, but it would be an amazing opportunity. And who knows, it might happen.
We had a lesson today about ecological footprints, a subject I find very interesting. I did two calculations and determined that my footprint in New York is much smaller than in Maryland--no surprise there. (If anyone who knows me, or knows my shoe size, is reading this, I'm sure you're thinking about how big my footprint is anywhere. Har har.) Being a vegetarian really reduces my impact on the planet; being a vegan would reduce it even further. Definitely an option I would consider, but I'd have to give up ice cream. And yogurt. And cheese. That would be rough.
The food here has continued to exceed my expectations. I've been eating yogurt, granola, and bananas for breakfast, followed by lots of vegetables (squash, beets, potatoes, zucchini, etc.) and salads for dinner. Everything smothered in hot sauce, just how I like it. And I've been drinking lots of water, tea, and coffee. I hope the water is negating the dehydrating effects of the caffeine. The only issue is that since I've been eating so many meals per day (breakfast, coffee break, lunch, coffee and cake break, dinner), I haven't been able to measure how much I've been eating. Everything is healthy and incredibly unprocessed (a welcome change from my usual diet), but I just hope that I don't get fat(ter) while I'm here.
This evening we had individual discussions with our professor and TAs to discuss our project topics. I think I'm going to scrap the idea about dogs (I just can't think of a hypothesis or experiment) and study erosion control methods instead. I'm still in the planning stages, but I'll probably spend Friday hashing out the details.
I'd like to reflect more on what I learned today, but my mind is drawing a blank. This entry seems a little vacuous, so hopefully I'll actually be able to express some thoughts tomorrow. I might go to bed soon... Julia, Kaitlyn, and I watched half of Paris, Je T'aime last night (one of my *favorite* films), so we'll probably finish it after our reading is done. The nights here have been very laid back so far, but we're having our first "social" tomorrow night, so things are bound to get a little crazy. I hope.
Today was lectures and exercises and more lectures. We had a quiz too, but I got a 9/10 so I'm pretty happy with that. I need to get an A in this course since it's 6 credits and will serve as a fairly solid boost to my GPA. I'm at a 3.6 right now and I need to hit 3.7+ by graduation so that I can qualify for a Marshall Scholarship and get my PhD for free in the United Kingdom. It's a lofty goal, but it would be an amazing opportunity. And who knows, it might happen.
We had a lesson today about ecological footprints, a subject I find very interesting. I did two calculations and determined that my footprint in New York is much smaller than in Maryland--no surprise there. (If anyone who knows me, or knows my shoe size, is reading this, I'm sure you're thinking about how big my footprint is anywhere. Har har.) Being a vegetarian really reduces my impact on the planet; being a vegan would reduce it even further. Definitely an option I would consider, but I'd have to give up ice cream. And yogurt. And cheese. That would be rough.
The food here has continued to exceed my expectations. I've been eating yogurt, granola, and bananas for breakfast, followed by lots of vegetables (squash, beets, potatoes, zucchini, etc.) and salads for dinner. Everything smothered in hot sauce, just how I like it. And I've been drinking lots of water, tea, and coffee. I hope the water is negating the dehydrating effects of the caffeine. The only issue is that since I've been eating so many meals per day (breakfast, coffee break, lunch, coffee and cake break, dinner), I haven't been able to measure how much I've been eating. Everything is healthy and incredibly unprocessed (a welcome change from my usual diet), but I just hope that I don't get fat(ter) while I'm here.
This evening we had individual discussions with our professor and TAs to discuss our project topics. I think I'm going to scrap the idea about dogs (I just can't think of a hypothesis or experiment) and study erosion control methods instead. I'm still in the planning stages, but I'll probably spend Friday hashing out the details.
I'd like to reflect more on what I learned today, but my mind is drawing a blank. This entry seems a little vacuous, so hopefully I'll actually be able to express some thoughts tomorrow. I might go to bed soon... Julia, Kaitlyn, and I watched half of Paris, Je T'aime last night (one of my *favorite* films), so we'll probably finish it after our reading is done. The nights here have been very laid back so far, but we're having our first "social" tomorrow night, so things are bound to get a little crazy. I hope.
Paradise
This is paradise.
I arrived in Brazil yesterday, after a long flight with a four hour layover at JFK. My mum, being the lovely considerate woman that she is, ordered me a vegetarian meal for the plane. Unfortunately, the vegetarian meal also serves as the diet meal: not only did I miss out on the crackers and brownie, but my breakfast included a mini bagel while everyone else received one of more normal proportions. At least the flight was relatively smooth and the quintessential crying baby fell asleep soon after take-off.
My flight arrived in Sao Paulo at about 10am, but the SEE-U van was not scheduled to leave until 12:30, so I wandered around the airport for a while. I learned that women in Brazil (or at least in the Brazilian airport) are even more inept than American women when buying pants. Lots of muffin tops and bare ankles. Lots of whisker-wash too; I'm not sure which is more abhorrent. By 11:00 I was bored of aimlessly perusing souvenir shops and book stores full of trashy romance novels and maps in Portuguese, so I headed over to the Pizza Hut in terminal 2, the meeting place selected for our group.
There were a few girls waiting around a table; I identified them by the nearby pile of backpacks and suitcases. Oh, and the Columbia t-shirts. Everyone was very friendly and seemed interesting; we went through the standard introductions of what's your name, where are you from, what's your major, etc. Most of the participants hail from Columbia University (although I am the only Barnard student), but one attends NYU and another is from Delaware Valley College.
At 12:30 we loaded our luggage into a large van and drove for about an hour to our site. It was wonderful to step outside the airport after traveling for so long; palm trees planted on the roadside waved in a light, warm breeze, surprisingly warm since this is the Brazilian winter. The drive was beautiful, down a winding gravel road along the side of white cliff faces and through thick woods. Right after leaving GRU we passed through a residential area on the outskirts of Sao Paulo; the brightly painted concrete houses and dark-haired children sitting on the curbs reminded me of the neighborhoods of Belize City.
After driving for about an hour, we reached our destination: the Instituto de Pesquisas Ecologicas (IPE). The location is absolutely breathtaking--it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. The center overlooks a deep blue reservoir; black and brown cows graze peacefully in the foreground, munching on green grass dotted with patches of wildflowers. There are some kayaks that we can rent and I would love to spend some time paddling across the water. The scenery also includes miles of tree-covered mountains stretching into the horizon. The Atlantic Forest isn't jungle-y like the Amazon, but it is amazingly lush.
We're all staying in a two-storey rectangular brick building with red shutters and external stairs; the rooms are small, containing two twin beds with only a few feet between them, but very comfortable. I was afraid we were going to be roughing it, but that's not the case. I think the mattresses may even be Tempur-pedic. (I slept very soundly last night.) There have been no hot showers as of yet, which is marginally disappointing, but it makes it easy to wake up in the morning. A brisk shower never hurt anyone and I'm sure it saves a lot of water overall.
The food has been excellent so far. For lunch yesterday we had green salad, rice, and a meat dish. I'd love to lose a few pounds while I'm here (what a great bonus). For breakfast this morning we had granola, yogurt (delicious!), crusty rolls, cheese, and lots of fruit. A great array of fruits--bananas, apples, oranges, mangoes, papayas, passion fruits, etc. All of the produce is grown in a nearby garden...I'd love to see it.
We had our first class after breakfast and went over some orientation topics: general safety and appropriate behavior, class schedules, grading criteria, etc. I'm really excited to start learning about this beautiful place; I think the educational material will be heavy but not too difficult, and I can't wait to spend time in the field. We each complete individual projects during our five week stay here, but I have no idea what topic I would like to study.
After class we went for a hike around the area, through a wide pasture, over several hills, and down a narrow path veiled by low hanging vines and thick shoots of bamboo. We saw some enormous spiders, lots of pretty flowers, and a sloth. Taking advantage of such a slow-moving organism, I took too many photos (as usual). When I upload them onto the computer I probably won't be able to decipher their subject, since the sloth was quite high up and my camera's zoom is less than ideal. He was very cute though and climbed down a bit to watch us as we watched him.
We have class again tonight until about 6:00. Afterwards, I'm hoping to finish the paper that I still have not turned in from the end of spring semester. I have about 20-pages so far and I just need to do some revision and add some more primary source references. It's by far the lowest quality writing that I've done all year, but I'm so burned out. At least it will be done soon and won't be hanging over my head. Hopefully Professor Rieder (who I hope to coerce into advising my thesis) will forgive me and won't judge my abilities too strongly based on this one assignment. He did tell me at one point during this semester that he thought I was brilliant. (I almost fainted.)
I arrived in Brazil yesterday, after a long flight with a four hour layover at JFK. My mum, being the lovely considerate woman that she is, ordered me a vegetarian meal for the plane. Unfortunately, the vegetarian meal also serves as the diet meal: not only did I miss out on the crackers and brownie, but my breakfast included a mini bagel while everyone else received one of more normal proportions. At least the flight was relatively smooth and the quintessential crying baby fell asleep soon after take-off.
My flight arrived in Sao Paulo at about 10am, but the SEE-U van was not scheduled to leave until 12:30, so I wandered around the airport for a while. I learned that women in Brazil (or at least in the Brazilian airport) are even more inept than American women when buying pants. Lots of muffin tops and bare ankles. Lots of whisker-wash too; I'm not sure which is more abhorrent. By 11:00 I was bored of aimlessly perusing souvenir shops and book stores full of trashy romance novels and maps in Portuguese, so I headed over to the Pizza Hut in terminal 2, the meeting place selected for our group.
There were a few girls waiting around a table; I identified them by the nearby pile of backpacks and suitcases. Oh, and the Columbia t-shirts. Everyone was very friendly and seemed interesting; we went through the standard introductions of what's your name, where are you from, what's your major, etc. Most of the participants hail from Columbia University (although I am the only Barnard student), but one attends NYU and another is from Delaware Valley College.
At 12:30 we loaded our luggage into a large van and drove for about an hour to our site. It was wonderful to step outside the airport after traveling for so long; palm trees planted on the roadside waved in a light, warm breeze, surprisingly warm since this is the Brazilian winter. The drive was beautiful, down a winding gravel road along the side of white cliff faces and through thick woods. Right after leaving GRU we passed through a residential area on the outskirts of Sao Paulo; the brightly painted concrete houses and dark-haired children sitting on the curbs reminded me of the neighborhoods of Belize City.
After driving for about an hour, we reached our destination: the Instituto de Pesquisas Ecologicas (IPE). The location is absolutely breathtaking--it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. The center overlooks a deep blue reservoir; black and brown cows graze peacefully in the foreground, munching on green grass dotted with patches of wildflowers. There are some kayaks that we can rent and I would love to spend some time paddling across the water. The scenery also includes miles of tree-covered mountains stretching into the horizon. The Atlantic Forest isn't jungle-y like the Amazon, but it is amazingly lush.
We're all staying in a two-storey rectangular brick building with red shutters and external stairs; the rooms are small, containing two twin beds with only a few feet between them, but very comfortable. I was afraid we were going to be roughing it, but that's not the case. I think the mattresses may even be Tempur-pedic. (I slept very soundly last night.) There have been no hot showers as of yet, which is marginally disappointing, but it makes it easy to wake up in the morning. A brisk shower never hurt anyone and I'm sure it saves a lot of water overall.
The food has been excellent so far. For lunch yesterday we had green salad, rice, and a meat dish. I'd love to lose a few pounds while I'm here (what a great bonus). For breakfast this morning we had granola, yogurt (delicious!), crusty rolls, cheese, and lots of fruit. A great array of fruits--bananas, apples, oranges, mangoes, papayas, passion fruits, etc. All of the produce is grown in a nearby garden...I'd love to see it.
We had our first class after breakfast and went over some orientation topics: general safety and appropriate behavior, class schedules, grading criteria, etc. I'm really excited to start learning about this beautiful place; I think the educational material will be heavy but not too difficult, and I can't wait to spend time in the field. We each complete individual projects during our five week stay here, but I have no idea what topic I would like to study.
After class we went for a hike around the area, through a wide pasture, over several hills, and down a narrow path veiled by low hanging vines and thick shoots of bamboo. We saw some enormous spiders, lots of pretty flowers, and a sloth. Taking advantage of such a slow-moving organism, I took too many photos (as usual). When I upload them onto the computer I probably won't be able to decipher their subject, since the sloth was quite high up and my camera's zoom is less than ideal. He was very cute though and climbed down a bit to watch us as we watched him.
We have class again tonight until about 6:00. Afterwards, I'm hoping to finish the paper that I still have not turned in from the end of spring semester. I have about 20-pages so far and I just need to do some revision and add some more primary source references. It's by far the lowest quality writing that I've done all year, but I'm so burned out. At least it will be done soon and won't be hanging over my head. Hopefully Professor Rieder (who I hope to coerce into advising my thesis) will forgive me and won't judge my abilities too strongly based on this one assignment. He did tell me at one point during this semester that he thought I was brilliant. (I almost fainted.)
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