New Group

Its been a quiet few days,I have been doing my caterpillar feeding etc as well as some painting, path repairing and ditch digging. Yesterday I was asked to hang around base as there was a group coming at some point from Virginia Tech for 3 days. When they arrived with Rudy the Sasquatch(A 6″7 inch beast of a guide who moved to Ecuador from America and is a friend to the Station).I helped them get settled in. In the evening I ended up being a DJ for them. Today I explained to them what I was doing with my work for the Caterpillar Project etc. Tomorrow I’m off to Tena for 2 day break.

Ice Cream Not Really

Sitting having breakfast this morning, my ears pricked up as I heard what I thought was an Ice Cream Van playing a typical tune. Only to be told that its actually an Ecuadorian Garbage Truck, they do this too let you know that they are here arnd will collet your garbage shortly

Oh So Quiet

Its so quiet now without my new friends form Wyoming Uni, but its nice and laid back can get up when I want eat when I want and what I want depending whats availiable too cook. Loren the Volunteer has gone down to Cosanga for the night so its basically me here. Am not reallybothered as just curled up watching movie and blogging on my Samsung Galaxy tablet, too tired to go on a Night Walk myself around my Personal Playground. Its so peacefull here that is what it feels like :),You can really connect with nature all you want and alone here.The only thing worry about is running out of battery power for your head torch at night and failing branches in the forrest you may have to dive out of the way you just never know.

Skills part 2 and Party

Today myself  and Selena  pinned  beetles, it was like doing a model  plane kit. But much more technical, artistic and enjoyable we even lifted up the Elytra (Hard Wing Casing) and outstretched the wings. This is a very tricky and technical thing to do, Selena had not really  done it before so we both learnt. At the end of the class presentation I showed  my pinning  and Professor Scott Shaw said that my pinning is some of  the best amateur pinning he has seen.

This evening  its the leaving party, am going to miss the Wyoming University  guys(New Friends).  Hopefully see them back here next year in the 2013 group. A few of them plan to visit Scotland  so hopefully will be their guide, I’ve also been  invited  to Wyoming which I’d like to do sometime.

Soccer and Skills

Today has been rather wet, but this morning I was able to listen to The Scottish Cup Final(Soccer) via Internet Radio(whenever the signal worked). My team Heart of Midlothian (Hearts) beat our Edinburgh rival team Hibernian(Hibs) 5 -1. It’s the 1st time in 116 years sine our two Edinburgh teams played against each other in The Scottish Cup Final, Hibs still have to win a trophy for 110 years.

Today my new Super Best Friend Selena Bree Hammer (taught by Professors Scott Shaw and David Legg) taught me how to Pin Butterflies, Moths and Beetles. I am a purest and prefer to take photos in the wild, But a skill like this is invaluable in the field of research etc. And is going to increase my geek ness and who knows a dream Emtomology Job

Night Walk And Magic Mushroom, American Horror Story Style

After dinner there was no class and people  wanted to go on a night walk. I joined 5 others, I will set the scene. A deep dark still forest, with just the sounds of water dripping from the trees and a stream flowing through the forest and the occasional sound of an animal. A group of young  Americans consisting of  a few girls, guys and a beer drinking frat boy and for a change 1 token Scottish guy. It could of been right out of an teen horror flick. We walked along the stream trail until we came across a truly Magic Mushroom as due to bio luminance it glowed in the dark, which was  pretty awesome. We continued walking over many slippery narrow rickety rickety bridges(if you  can call them that). Soon we joined the  another trail to take us back too the road, we stopped along the way and stood in silence and darkness to listen and look for signs of life in the dark. At one point Tim and Nick almost had a Ozzy Osbourne experience  with a bat.

New Wasps , Bromeliads and Machete Meg

This afternoon I joined Meg aka Machete Meg (Think Lara Croft with Machetes), Meredith, Rachel, Kate, Christina and Courtney on a hike  up the ridge trail. It was a lovely afternoon with gorgeous views but extremely  muddy. Halfway up Professor Scott Shaw  pointed  out Napo townsendi Wasps living on the Dendrophorbium Plant. This was so cool as they have just recently  been given scientific names. Meg and here trusty machete led us up and onwards through the slippery mud. When we reach the top we had  to turn back as  the mud was really atrocious, the views though were so gorgeous. On the way down the girls skillfully managed to get a Bromeliad  off a branch  that was  slightly  high. I managed  to find some cool specimens.

Yanayacu Views and Wildlife

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Amazing Week

Have had an amazing  1st week involving  trail walks (day and night)  and learning the ropes for  Caterpillar Project I have taken over from the previous volunteers. Over the next 10 days there is a a group of Lecturer’s and Students from Wyoming University led by Professor  Scott  Shaw. So I hope to learn a lot while they are here and who knows maybe teach a few things, like how to sex a Millipede or  a Butterfly. I’ve already  come across many new species of insects etc and even my 1st ever Glow Worm Larvae. Preying  Mantis are a rare sighting  here as the are so small,  yesterday I found  two together so rather happy.

Glow  Worm  Larvae

YANAYACU

Yanayacu  Research  Station  is based in the mountains  about 20 minutes drive from Cosanga. It is a rather unique  area as it is between Cloud forest and Tropical  Rainforest, The scientific name for an area like this is Montane forest. Currently there are only two other American volunteers here including myself, Ellie and Lauren leave this week(they have been here as part of their uni course).
I will be continuing the caterpillar project, it involves collecting specimens from the local Bamboo then cataloging and feeding them. Once they go through metamorphosis stage the butterflies get frozen and pinned.
Also this week an American uni group will be coming to work and study for a few weeks.

Yanayacu is a very peaceful and comfortable place it is run by Hydro Electricity and Gas.

My Morning View