Yep, its work I want to do here. When Jameson and I were in South America several months ago, we were always on the lookout for resources to help us understand more about the flora and fauna we were experiencing. When traveling to new places, some people collect shot glasses, others collect t-shirts or mugs. I collect field guides. I love them. Some are insightful, others are mediocre, but they are my way of staying in touch with a place.
Throughout our travels it became increasingly evident how difficult these are to find, and progressively more so as we ventured into ever more biodiverse areas. This makes complete sense, in a way: there are so many things to describe, and discoveries of new species in these areas are not surprising, either. With this in mind, I decided to follow an ambitious dream to develop locally-to-regionally based guidebooks, starting with the most recent place I spent time volunteering: Reserva Cerro Seco, on the Ecuadorian coast, in the ‘eco-ciudad’ of Bahia de Caraquez, 1 degree south of the Equator in dry tropical forest.
I chose this area for several reasons a) there is a huge amount of deforestation going on in the region and I believe that generating energy and stimulating education around biodiversity and the importance of the forest as a living entity will be one way to help counter that, b) the rate of endemic species is something like 23%, c) though there is a high number of species it is less than something in the rainforest, therefore more manageable, d) I made friends there who are excited to have me and want to support this project, e) I’ll be helping them with other projects such as reforestation, environmental ed, and bringing other volunteers to work with them, f) the ocean will be a 10 minute walk from my home and warm enough to swim in.
There will be a number of opportunities for me to get involved with on-the-ground work and play an integral role in what is going on to build sustainability and conservation programs in the area. After volunteering for month-long stints last year, I'm hoping that this extended stay will provide me with the chance to do some more meaningful work in protecting an area that is subject to a number of human threats (especially deforestation), contribute to the body of scientific knowledge, and connect people more strongly to the land.
Several months ago I began to solicit contacts and initiate some background work on this endeavor; however, I was a bit too busy experiencing life in all of its wondrous glory as I explored the vast West while I conducted fieldwork, and I had to set aside some of my intentions for preparation temporarily in order to properly take advantage of the present. I’m now throwing myself full-heartedly into this work (ok, after 2 weeks in Colombia!), and ready as I’ll ever be. Whatever happens, i.e., whether or not the project is successful, I hope and believe that something will come out of it and I will learn a lot through the process.
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