Explorer´s Inn RN Monthly Report: January 2009

RNs: Yasmin Lee, Jack Brodie, Georgia Kirkpatrick

Notes:

• 8th January- Georgia arrived at EI
• 13th January- Yasmin, Jack and Georgia visited Posada Amazonas
• 16th -19th January- Yasmin and Jack in Puerto to speak with Jan and for Vikki and Jaimes’ wedding
• 18th-19th January- Georgia in Puerto
• 19th – 21st January- Georgia at Posada Amazonas for colpita training
• 5th-26th January- Georgia in Puerto

TRAILS AND HIDES

All trails with the exception of Old Colpita have been walked this month, main trail has been completely remarked.  Most have been cleared with machete, however High Forest Loop remains very dense and the trail is almost completely lost due to many treefalls.  More clearing of this trail is definitely an RN priority.  Quebrada would still greatly benefit from a bridge and Swamp has a fallen tree acting as a bridge, which would benefit from a handrail especially as this trail is becoming more popular with guests.  The bridge on La Torre has a missing handrail which could be easily replaced. The ‘birds of Cocococha’ sign has been eaten by termites this has been remade and replaced in the hide.

DISCOVERY CENTER AND SCIENTIFIC LIBRARY

• The Discovery Centre is regularly swept and dusted and the floor has been treated with diesel.   It has been deep cleaned by Yasmin and Jack on the 8th January due to the annual termite mating flight, which so conveniently takes place in the discovery centre.
• The tourists regularly visit the discovery centre and have been encouraged to take out books as have the new practicantes.
• The library would be greatly improved by the addition of more relevant field guides such as insects, mammals, amphibians and reptiles etc.  This has been suggested by both tourists and practicantes.

RN BUNGALOW

The RN bungalow is still being renovated.  After a few items of RN property have gone missing, most RN equipment has been moved to the PUCP.  However the new renovated bungalow would greatly benefit us if it had a lockable area for RN property and a separate RN work space.

LANGUAGE TRAINING

• Basic English classes have continued on a twice weekly basis taught by Yasmin.   
• Topics this month have included: offering and requesting food and drinks in restaurants and bars, daily routine, speaking with tourists at the lodge about rooms and bar tabs, the past, present and future of ‘to do’ and ‘to go’ and speaking to girls in discos.
• Classes have been attended by: Alexis, Raul, Gabriel (who has since revealed that his name is actually Sammy), Fortunato, Filio, Santiago, Valentin and Edil.
• Two attempts at an advanced English class were made by Jack, but the more established guides proved difficult to teach and also intimidated the new practicantes.  It has therefore been decided that the practicantes and guides will receive advanced and intermediate help in the form of a workshop, where RNs will be available on a regular basis to answer their English language questions.

MEDICINAL GARDEN

The Medicinal Garden has been regularly visited by guests and a list of missing plants has been given to Elisban in the hope that he can acquire them for us. The signs have been cleaned and paths have been cleared and weeded, whilst the whole garden has been pruned and raked.

INTERACTION WITH TOURISTS

Yasmin and Jack and Georgia were mixing with tourists regularly during main meals and they provided them information about lodge, nature and RNs work.  The RNs have started to give the welcome talk every time Dustin goes to Puerto, and also take care of some of the guests’ other requirements, such as putting things in the safety deposit box.

RESEARCH ASISTANCE

• 1st January- Yasmin and Jack moved a wasp trap (belonging to the investigators from lima) from big tree trail to terrace to prevent damage by flooding.   
• 5th and 6th of January- Yasmin and Jack collected leaf litter for Filio from Plot 3 (3200 meters on Main Trail) and Plot 4 (La Torre Trail, Capirona Trail, and Sunset Point Trail).
• 6th January- Yasmin and Jack checked on the wasp traps and found that the collection jars were missing – they are presumed to have been stolen.  Three of the jars were replaced on the 25th and the fourth was replaced on the 1st of February.
• 7th January- Yasmin and Jack visited Cocococha to monitor the Agami herons for Vikki.
• 14th January- Yasmin and Georgia assisted Filio measuring trees all day in Plot 4, whilst Jack assisted Vikki monitoring Agami herons.
• 15th January- Yasmin and Jack assisted Filio all day measuring trees in Plot 4.
• 16th January- Georgia assisted Filio measuring trees and lianas in Plot 4.
• 20th and 21st January- Yasmin and Jack assisted Filio all day measuring trees and lianas in Plot 3.
• 26th January- Yasmin and Jack assisted Filio measuring trees with ladders in Plot 3.
• 27th January- Georgia and Jack assisted Filio all day measuring trees with ladders in Plot 4.
• 28th January- Georgia, Yasmin, and Jack assisted Filio all day measuring trees and lianas in Plots 3 and 4.
• Jorge Vivanco has decided to abandon the walking palm experiment.  The RNs will contact him to find out whether they can remove the shade structures from the forest as they are a little unsightly.

OTHER / PERSONAL PROJECTS

• Jack has built a light trap for nocturnal insects, which will be tested next month to see if it can be used to monitor insect diversity.
• Georgia has undergone colpita monitoring training with Alan Lee and has started to monitor the colpita for a longer period of time, which includes red and green macaw behaviour.  She has also passed on the new colpita information to Yasmin and Jack.
• Yasmin and jack have started to collect data for an amphibian identification guide.  They hope to use this eventually to study amphibian diversity.
• Georgia adopted two botfly-infested yellow rumped cacique chicks, which fell from the nest.  They were left with practicante Paul whilst the RNs were in Puerto and were missing when they returned.  It is presumed that Paul did the right thing.

 MONITORING PROJECTS

• Colpita
• The colpita was visited four times this month and Georgia underwent training with Alan Lee at Posada Amazonas, in how to monitor the colpita so the data collected is most concurrent with his research.

Note: BHPA = Blue-headed Parrot (Pionus menstruus), CFMA = Chestnut-fronted Macaw (Ara severa), DHPA = Dusky-headed Parakeet (Aratinga weddellii), MEPA =  Mealy Parrot (Amazona farinosa), OCPA = Orange-cheeked Parrot (Pionopsitta barrabandi), RGMA = Red-and-green Macaw (Ara chloroptera), WBPA = White bellied Parrot (Pionites leucogaster), WEPA = White-eyed Parakeet (Aratinga leucophthalmus), YCPA = Yellow-crowned Parrot (Amazona ochrocephala)

Caimans- Cocococha

The west side of Cocococha was monitored by Yasmin, Jack and guide Alan on 9th December.

Caimans- Tambopata

• Caimans were monitored 4 times on Tambopata during January.

 

Rare species sightings

The following rare species were seen in the month of January:

Date	Species seen	Location
03/01/2009	Tayra	Main Trail 4000m
03/01/2009	Jaguarundi	Main Trail 4700m
05/01/2009	Jaguarundi	Main Trail 4300m
05/01/2009	King Vulture	Cocococha
06/01/2009	Hoffman's two toed Sloth	Sunset point
07/01/2009	Rainbow Boa	Main Trail 250m
09/01/2009	Pale Winged Trumpeter	Swamp
09/01/2009	King Vulture	Laguna Chica
10/01/2009	Collared Peccary	Swamp 2100m
11/01/2009	White Lipped Peccary	Main Trail 3500m
12/01/2009	Giant Armadillo	La Torre
16/01/2009	Fer de Lance	Main Trail 2800m
19/01/2009	Anaconda	Tambopata river
20/01/2009	Anaconda	Cocococha
21/01/2009	Red Brocked Deer	Main Trail 200m
23/01/2009	Tayra	Colpita
23/01/2009	Nine Banded Armadillo	Sunset Point
24/01/2009	Collared Peccary	Tangle
24/01/2009	Fer de Lance	Tapir 2300m
25/01/2009	Tayra	Main Trail
26/01/2009	Jaguar	Tambopata River
26/01/2009	Ornate Hawk Eagle	Lodge Clearing
27/01/2009	Pale Winged Trumpeter	Tapir 700m
27/01/2009	Amazon Pygmy Owl	Laguna Chica
27/01/2009	King Vulture	Cocococha
27/01/2009	Band Tailed Manakin	Tangle
28/01/2009	Hoffman's wo toed Sloth	Plot 3 (Main 3200m)
28/01/2009	Brazillian Porcupine	Main Trail 200m
28/01/2009	White Lipped Peccarry	Tapir 3300m
29/01/2009	Tayra	Terrace

Otters

Cocococha was monitored on 14 separate days in January by guides and RNs. Otters were seen in 7 cases. Otters were also seen on Katicocha by RNs for the first time since last March.

Date	Location	Time	No. otters
31/12/2008	Cocococha	08.30-10.30	4
01/01/2009	Cocococha	9.30-11.00	0
02/01/2009	Cocococha	07.30-08.30	0
03/01/2009	Cocococha	08.00-09.45	4
07/01/2009	Cocococha	05.30-08.30	4
08/01/2009	Cocococha	08.00-08.40	0
09/01/2009	Katicocha	10.00-10.25	3
11/01/2009	Cocococha	07.30-09.30	0
16/01/2009	Cocococha	07.50-09.20	0
21/01/2009	Cocococha	08.30-10.00	0
22/01/2009	Cocococha	09.00-10.00	0
23/01/2009	Cocococha	10.00-10.50	5
25/01/2009	Cocococha	08.30-15.15	4 (am & pm)
26/01/2009	Cocococha	08.10-9.40	5
28/01/2009	Cocococha	07.00-10.40	3

 Weather data- Data were collected for 30 out of 31 days in January


(graphics coming soon)