Safari to Tsavo National Park

The safari was amazing! We slept in tents inside of the national park. Baboons slept on the porch to our tent while vervet monkeys slept on the roof! About 75 impala surrounded our tent during the night. I am going to post some of the pictures I took of the many animals we saw while on safari to Tsavo National Park. There is such an amazing diversity of life there.

Two college students came to stay with us at A Rocha. They had spent the last month working at an orphanage in a remote village. Many of the orphans had HIV/AIDS. The living conditions in the orphanage sounded very dire. However, I was inspired by their passion for these "forgotten kids," and it is good to know that there are young people in this world willing to sacrifice to help others. Two of my fellow EarthWatch volunteers are healthcare providers that have volunteered all over the world helping in areas of tremendous need. It is fascinating to hear their stories of providing medical care to refugee camps. With all of the problems in the world it is encouraging to know that there are still many good people working to meet those needs.
We have spent Saturday – Monday in the forest-tracking monkeys. It is sometimes difficult to find them and once we do they are challenging to track. I can identify all five of the adult females in S group. One of our females, Sujaa, has a snare around her left foot. This is probably from nearby fields where farmers are trying to keep the monkeys from foraging amongst their crops. She has some very bad sores on the foot and we are worried it might become infected or that she might lose her foot altogether.
We have also been observing a pair of hornbills. They are very interesting birds. When the couple has an egg, they build a wall out of mud in a hole of a tree. The female hornbill and the egg are "walled in" or trapped inside of the tree and they stay there until the egg hatches. The male brings the female food throughout the day and guards the "nest." What a good husband! They communicate to each other a great deal by squawking. Question – Why does the female bird trap herself inside the hole with the egg?
I attended a bible study with a young adults group Sunday. The topic of the Bible study was what men and women look for in a spouse. The conversation was very interesting and there are clearly some cultural differences in the traits we look for. Being a good cook seemed to be one of the most popular things that guys looks for.
I leave very early Tuesday morning to travel to Tsavo National Park. Question – When was Tsavo National Park set up? I will spend 2 days in the park and we will be tent camping while we are there. Hopefully, we will get to see many of the famous African mammals.
I hope everyone is having a great week. This trip has truly been an adventure of a lifetime, and I am enjoying every moment of it. Someone reminded us today that Christmas was coming up. I had completely forgotten. It is so hot and you don’t see any decorations here. Final exams are also very soon, and I hope people are taking the time to study! I will continue to check in with classes via the satellite/speaker phone. Please ask me then or give Mrs. Parish any questions you might have. 11th grade has their 9 weeks projects due Friday! Remember that these count as 20% of your final grade and my expectations are very high.
Please be on your best behavior for Mrs. Parish. I have asked her to give extra homework to anyone not listening or being disruptive. I trust you all to make good decisions and work diligently while in class. Please have a good week, and I will talk to you soon!

A Sunset on our stretch of beach.

Leslie and David negotiating for a camel ride.

The research team at the Gedi Ruins.

Pictures from the research site

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Another day in paradise. I think I have fully adjusted to not having air conditioning, and I am beginning to enjoy the food more and more.

As you know, I am working with researchers that are studying the Sykes monkeys. These monkeys are subspecies of the blue monkeys. 47% of the blue monkeys are considered threatened or endangered. The research we are helping with will help determine the impact that human interaction has on these monkeys.

We met with the curator of the Gedi National Museum. He was extremely gracious and thanked us numerous times for our help. The monkeys we are studying live amongst the ancient Gedi Ruins. He said that this research is extremely important to the monument, Kenya, Blue monkeys, and the world as a whole. He said that he believes this research will assist in finding ways to help preserve these amazing and important animals.

A Rocha (the organization that runs the research center) is also involved with a program called ASSETS. Many people cut down the trees and bush here for firewood or building materials. A problem that Kenyan people face that seems unrelated is that you have to pay in order to attend middle or high school. With 17 ½ million Kenyans living below the country’s poverty line, having to pay for school is very difficult for many families. ASSETS sponsor students to attend school. In return, the families of the student have to follow strict guidelines concerning how they use the forest (not cutting it down.) The students also receive training in conservation. What a cool idea!!!

I am sending this from an internet café in Malindi. We spent this morning researching the monkeys. A new group of monkeys tried to move into S groups’ territory. There was a great deal of commotion and fighting that lasted about 30 minutes. S group ended up retreating from that particular part of the forest. It was a very interesting interaction.

We had lunch a little while ago at a seafood place right on the beach. During the meal, a woman walked by the restaurant carrying a dead hammerhead shark on her head. Something you don’t see everyday.

Friday, December 7, 2007

Jambo (Swahili for hello)! I have experienced so much over the last three days I can’t decide where to start.

First, I want to tell you about the research center where we are staying. It is called A Rocha. It is a Christian conservation center whose purpose is to help preserve and study God’s Creation. They have research stations in 17 different countries. Our center is situated about 40 yards from the beautiful Indian Ocean. The water is crystal clear and warm. Some publications have rated this stretch of beach as on of the 10 best in the world. The coral reefs are pristine and contain a very large diversity of life. Next week we will go out to the Marine Park by vote to snorkel the reefs there.

I sleep in a very small room with two other researchers. Each bed has a malaria net over it to keep the bugs from biting at night. The room has a small bathroom with running water, but you cannot drink the water and it is not heated. There are several similar rooms for the other researchers. There is a common living/dining room where we eat our meals. The meals consist of traditional Swahili dishes as well as some English inspired food (Kenya was once a colony of Britain.) All of the windows and doors stay open because of the heat and high humidity. However, there is often a breeze and we tend to sit out on a covered porch overlooking the ocean.

Have I mentioned how amazing the beach is? Oh and GREAT NEWS! Some of the researchers staying at A Rocha are working to rehabilitate injured sea turtles and protect turtle nests. Female turtles typically lay 140-170 eggs and they hatch around 50-70 days later. There is a nest on the trail to our beach that is scheduled to hatch any day now. The turtles hatch at night so there is less chance of being captured by predators. Hopefully, we will be able to observe them swim out to sea if they hatch during our time here.

This morning we observed all 5 females in S group and took 30 minute observations on each. The observations consist of writing what they are doing exactly every minute (feeding, moving, grooming, resting, standing, ect…) In addition, we make observations on what social interaction took place in between each minute. Keeping up with these quick and agile monkeys in the jungle can be very challenging. We also collect fecal samples to monitor for parasites.

While tracking the monkeys, I often can’t decide if I should be looking at the trail in front of me for snakes or if I should be looking in the vines and branches for snakes. The very venomous Puff Adder is more likely to be on the ground and the dangerous Green Mamba is more likely to be in the trees/vines. Question – which snake would I have a greater chance of surviving if I were bit by it?

I am nine hours ahead of your time. I will keep trying the satellite phone to check in with each class. Please give Mrs. Parish a written list of any questions you have for me. Remember the semester exams will be here soon so please be studying the exam guides. Mrs. Parish will email me any questions you have and I will get back to you. In addition, you can post a comment on this page by hitting “reply” or “post.”

Kwa Heri (Swahili for goodbye.)

A Sykes Monkey