Christopher Gurguis: May 2010 Archives

     As Richard reported (much better than I will), we had a small earthquake here this morning.  The cabins wobbled a bit, but otherwise, anyone who even noticed probably asked, "Did anyone else feel that or was it just me?"  I think this little event characterizes the last day of our field season.
     Hector, Dr. Brown and I had many odd tasks to finish for the plant and habitat projects--so many that they took until 3:00ish to finish.  HOBOs and marking tape needed to be collected along with soil samples.
     Tomorrow, we will have the opportunity to volunteer with Proyecto Asis, a small organization dedicated to conservation and Costa Rican culture and community.  I am looking forward to a new experience with a different type of conservation group.

     Two years ago, when I was enrolled in the field ecology course, my favorite place we visited was Orlando's forest.  This year, I was anticipating the same, and that place delivered.  I think this is because for me, Orlando's mentality toward nature seems to lack the sense of entitlement that seems to have lead to today's problems.  His preserve exists at all because he did not completely use his land.
     A good thing to for the mantled black howlers that live there!  I had only heard these monkeys previously, so it was especially exciting for me as an aspiring primatologist to catch a glimpse of some free-ranging primates.  I'll let my photo tell you something about that experience:

     Probably this is one of those times I wouldn't enjoy lazy days.  Luckily, we aren't having any.  Field work started bright and early again today, as usual.  I was happy to hear the sound of howler monkeys in the distance as I shuffled around the Toucan Cabin porch, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.  Their roaring sounded like the herald to a good day for us.
     After this auspicious start and some field work with Hector, we made our way to breakfast when, just before I sat to eat, I was stung by a wasp.  How Nick put up with five stings last year is beyond me, but with some ice and a lime (a Costa Rican trick, I'm assuming), I hardly noticed the itch after a few minutes.  Breakfast was, as always, delicious, and, having some warm coffee in our bellies, we headed off for the even warmer volcano...
     ...and wow! what a visit.  I was equally excited to see this wasp:

     She's a digger wasp, related to the very wasps that curious naturalist, Niko Tinbergen himself would have studied (albeit in Germany).  How exciting to see the same preparation behavior when these wasps were leaving their nests!  I suppose I show my true colors here.

     After deploying the HOBOs this morning with Hector and a small trip to Monterrey, Dr. B, Hector and I were able to spend a few hours sampling plant growth.  Hector's plant project is coming along quite nicely.  We covered three of the plots from 2008.  I can certainly feel the difference when we are out working--two years ago we were under direct sun, and now we are feeling quite cool under the well-grown canopy.  Perhaps the animals share this sentiment as well, since I almost wound up on top of the notorious fer de lance...I'm glad it was only almost.  After that encounter, we weren't quite so brazen moving through the underbrush.

     The insect part of my microhabitat project also got off the ground today quite nicely.  Dr. Brown has been extremely helpful in identifying the Orders of insects.  I can't imagine how long it would take me to sort through a single sample by myself.  Or how many individuals I would lose.

      Anyway, we were able to collect some interesting samples today, that I'll upload here.

First dish--Coleoptera:

The so-called "glasshopper" (Orthoptera):



And finally, a couple of pretty Hemiptera:

     Having returned to Leaves and Lizards two years after last visiting, I was happy to see that the reforestation project had grown up from scrub that looked very like some areas in South Dallas to a true tropical forest.  Really some good work is being done here.

     Hector and I were able to start off running from the gate today, sampling 3/4 the number of quadrats we had sampled in 2008 in just one day.  Our work will be cut out for us still, though, because we are now able to really begin sampling the property.  Same goes for my own little project about biodiversity; after practicing twice today, I am feeling very capable of being able to establish a good baseline upon which further projects can build.  More on this later, as the project really begins.

     For now, it's bedtime for this old man before a long day again tomorrow.

Cheers!
Christopher

     My name is Christopher Gurguis and I am not unfamiliar with Costa Rica and Leaves and Lizards.  Two years ago, I was part of the plant group with Lorea Ormazabal and Mary Boyum.  That Mayterm was to be my last course at the University of Dallas, although I had developed strong connections and friends with whom I kept contact.  Hector Quijada I met first semester of my freshman year in college, for example.

     I have spent the last year-and-a-half at Loyola University Chicago.  There I earned a B.S. in biology (emphasis in ecology) and picked up a minor in anthropology.  But it was the course in 2008 that enkindled my love of field work, and directed my course choices while I was at Loyola.  This process culminated with an acceptance to Columbia University's MA program in Conservation Biology.

     This year, I hope to gain some valuable experience in a teaching element as well as lend my prior experience to this year's plant project.  The biogeography and microhabitat study should prove a good learning experience.  I look forward to getting back to the tropics and the place where I learned to love field biology.