Hello All!
If you click on the below link you'll come to a 10 minute feature on the field site where is working. It is all in German but the visuals are great and Heidi makes a brief appearance at the 3:19min mark!
http://www.3sat.de/mediathek/mediathek.php?obj=8445&mode=play
nb
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Hello again! Here are some photograph captions and explanations for you, to help you understand who’s who, and what’s what in my second batch of photos! Hope you enjoy! :o)
#1: The entrance into Luikotale camp
#2: A tree viper (poisonous) snake that two researchers found and brought back to camp!
#3: Fish kiss - a "nina" electric fish
#4: Dr Andrew Fowler, me, and two porters - about to make the 25 km trek to Lompole (nearest village)
#5: Porters posing in a pirogue (dugout canoe)
#6: Ipope villagers crowd around to have their photo taken
#7: Children in Ipope (closest village to the airstrip)
#8: Children gather outside Mara's house in Lompole
#9: Picturesque pirogues (in the “Luikotale port”)
#10: Djaman & Innocent (two superb cooks who work for the project) with a big day’s catch of fish - 10.5 kg!
#11: Female infant bonobo - Olivia
#12: Ndopo (project fisherman)… clowning around
#13: Lots of smoked fish (all caught by Ndopo!) – put out to “sun” to preserve
#14: Photos of the picturesque Lokoro River first thing in the morning
(the other side of the river where we cross/bank to resume the journey to Lompole)
(the other side of the river where we cross/bank to resume the journey to Lompole)
#15: My Valentine’s Day flower :o) - “bototoko”
#16: Djoli (project cook) and I skipping rope together - a little evening exercise
#17: Teaching Djoli some highland stretches and movements
#18: An elephant graveyard in the forest... very neat!
#19: An eagle which landed near camp one afternoon
#20: Ben (male bonobo) HIGH up in a bopfumba tree. (you can spot
him in the very centre of the first picture) Ben is likely the lowest ranking of the 5 adult male bonobos, often stays on the periphery of the group and is most tolerant of my presence.
him in the very centre of the first picture) Ben is likely the lowest ranking of the 5 adult male bonobos, often stays on the periphery of the group and is most tolerant of my presence.
#21: Uma’s swelling. (Uma = adult female bonobo)
This photo captures what the researchers and assistants here spend most of their days looking at --- bonobo swellings and genitals. Funnily enough, it is most easy to differentiate between female bonobos and to identify them by their “swellings”.
This photo captures what the researchers and assistants here spend most of their days looking at --- bonobo swellings and genitals. Funnily enough, it is most easy to differentiate between female bonobos and to identify them by their “swellings”.
#23: Ndopo (with two of the avocados that he picked) & Rashidi
#24: Ditmar, a German cameraman, filming Martin – preparing some bonobo urine and faecal samples that he collected.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Journey into the Forest
At last I have a chance to sit down and write to you about some of my experiences thus far in the Congo! I arrived just three weeks ago in Kinshasa, DRC’s capital, yet I feel as though I could almost write a novel about everything that I've seen, done, and experienced since then!
My first four days were spent in Kinshasa, where I helped Dr. Barbara Fruth (Research Fellow at MPI and co-director of the Lui Kotal project) do last-minute errands, shopping, planning, packing, etc. for our journey into the forest. There was plenty to do, with perhaps the most memorable experience being our afternoon of shopping in the “Grande Marché” - Kinshasa's large uncovered market! Essentially, I had 2 bodyguards as I was led by hand through masses of people and stalls, bordering garbage heaps and closed in by busy streets. A myriad of colours, odours, and noises buzzed around me and became almost too much for me to take in! A new regulation was recently established by the new government that stores and markets in Kinshasa must close by 4:00 pm, so we rushed around during the afternoon hours trying to find everything on our long list.
During my time in Kinshasa, I was also able to meet the Congolese students from Kinshasa University, who occasionally work in the forest and who analyse many of the collected samples. They were a very nice group of people, and it was lovely to be able to share a meal with them one evening.
On Thursday the 13th, Jos (a Danish M.Sc student), Martin (a Swiss PhD student with the bonobo project) and I boarded a Cessna Caravan I, single-engine plane into the forest. The 2.5 hour plane ride was surprisingly smooth and offered incredible views of the changing landscape below. As we flew farther inland towards Salonga National Park, the forest became denser and it soon appeared as though we were looking down upon billions and billions of broccoli heads, all placed side by side. For a long time, the “broccoli” seemed never-ending – stretching as far as the eye could see. It was great to be able to fly in with Martin, as he has already worked in Lui Kotal twice before and could therefore point out several landmarks to us. We were shown one of the savannahs that we would cross on the hike from Lompole (the local village) to Lui Kotal, as well as the village of Ipope, which is the closest village to the airstrip.
At last the airstrip came into view. The airstrip itself was nothing more than a short, dirt runway in the middle of a small savannah. We circled once and began our descent. A small assembly of local villagers who had come out to greet us were congregated on one side of the runway. Moments after our smooth landing, the crowd had quadrupled and there were soon well over a hundred people from the nearby villages gathered around the plane. I was quickly introduced to Mara & Lambert (two of the project “officials” from Lompole) and to Babs – the interim camp manager. It was then my responsibility to assist Mara in arranging for porters to carry our 850 kg of cargo to Lompole. Approximately 30-35 porters – young and old, male and female – were paid a small fee to carry our cargo the 1.5 hour walk to Lompole. Although the terrain was quite easy, the hot African sun was out in full force, and the 15 kg pack on my back gradually became a little uncomfortable. I was therefore very thankful when Djaman, one of the villagers who was accompanying me on the walk, offered to carry my bag. I agreed and explained that I would take it back after 10 or 15 minutes, but after the elapsed time, he insisted in carrying it all the way for me.
We arrived in the village of Lompole just before noon. Babs had set up tents for us on Mara’s front lawn, where we would camp for the next couple nights. Ironically enough, what should be served to me for my first meal in the rainforest but red colobus monkey meat!! I politely refused and instead tried to stomach a small serving of green, mashed up local vegetables with a lump of chikwanga. Chikwanga, the root of the manioc plant, is a very common dish here which the locals eat with every meal. It is rather doughy in texture and has a bland, yet slightly bitter taste that is difficult to describe. I must say that I have not yet developed much of a liking for it :p but perhaps that will come with time!
The remainder of the day and the next day were spent greeting the people of the village of Lompole, sorting out the delivery and onward journey of all our cargo, and paying the salaries of all the camp workers. Men from the village come to the camp (Lui Kotal) for 2 week rotations, filling various roles as cooks, bonobo workers, phenologists, and fishermen. Additionally, workers are occasionally requested by the project for tasks such as clearing the forest trails/transects, cutting down trees, building new structures around the camp, etc. Monthly salaries are also paid to the “Chef du village” and to a few other people who have important administrative roles for the project within the village. The project therefore employs a substantial portion of the village, and since many workers had accumulated debts since their last salary payment, the explaining and negotiating of salaries was a lengthy procedure which required extreme patience. I was at times reminded of my childhood days of playing Monopoly, as some workers spread their money out in little piles all over the table to facilitate counting their bills. I eventually began to offer to slowly count out the money for the workers… otherwise I might still be in Lompole paying salaries!!
Finally, mid-morning on the 15^th , the last salary was paid and Babs and I were able to commence the 5+ hour hike from Lompole to Lui kotal. We were accompanied by only 3 porters this time, as most of the gear and supplies had left the previous day with Martin and Jos. The journey and terrain themselves were not as tiring as the fast pace that was set by our porters! At times, I felt as though I was practically running through the forest as I tripped over tree roots and tried to keep up with the porters. Throughout the 5.5 hour hike, we stopped only once for a 5 minute break. Nonetheless, it actually felt quite nice to be on the move after having sat in Lompole taking care of the administrative duties the previous 2 days. The journey took us across 3 savannahs, 2 rivers, and through 3 forests, and 2 swamps. The landscape was therefore frequently changing and offered much to take in. The hot sun drenched the open savannahs, which were marked with termite mounds that stood as tall as me and long grass which often prevented you from seeing more than a few meters ahead. The path itself must not have been more than 15-20 cm wide, and was carved into the ground from much use. With my turned-out highland dancer feet, it proved to be quite the difficult task for me to place one foot ahead of the other and remain inside the grooved path! :p I was frequently either tripping over my feet or stubbing my turned-out toes against the edge of path and thus had to force myself to concentrate on walking with my feet parallel.
At such a fast pace there was no time to grab a quick drink of water, and I began to thirst for shade from the sun. The hike across the second savannah lasted not more than an hour, but I gladly welcomed the shade of the forest canopy when we at last reached the forest’s edge. Not long after entering the forest, we approached the first swamp which we would cross on foot. Wading through the waist-deep water was wonderfully refreshing after having just crossed the sweltering savannah. The water was clear and cool, yet appeared bright red in colour. Oddly enough, though it looked markedly red under the filtered sunlight, it did not retain its red colour when poured into Babs’ water bottle. I was not given much of a definitive answer when I enquired about, later on in camp, about the colour of the water, but it is believed that the colour is perhaps a result of the reddish soil here in the Congo.
The final leg of our journey brought us to the Lokuru River. We loaded our gear and ourselves into a “pirogue” (dugout canoe) and enjoyed the leisurely ride down the river. One of our porters guided us along using a long, wooden pole, which brought to mind vivid memories of my experiences punting along the River Cherwell in Oxford. J We crossed over to the other side of the river and our “captain” expertly steered us through a narrow, meandering path in the swamp. I was so relaxed during the ride that I almost didn’t want to get out when the pirogue reached its final destination, but I knew that camp was only a 15 minute walk away, which gave me a final adrenaline rush. It was wonderful and exciting to at last enter “Lui kotal”, and I must say that right away I felt strangely at home.
Camp is all I imagined it to be… rustic and simple, yet meeting all of my basic needs and even quite “cosy” in its own unique way. It is set up in the middle of a small forest clearing, somewhat oval in shape, and is thus surrounded by towering trees. The worker’s kitchen is set up near the entrance to the camp, with the workers’ tents on either side. There is then a small common area where our solar panels are positioned, followed by a study space for the researchers and our dining area. Immediately to the left of the dining area are the camp “depot” (storage house) and my desk area. Our tents are positioned in somewhat of a semi-circle around the depot and dining area and all tents, desks, dining areas, and kitchens are covered with palm thatched roofs. The roofs are wonderful for keeping everything shaded, cool, and dry, but have are set at a height where even I feel like a giant! I can’t count the number of times I’ve already smashed my head against the roofs and ceiling beams. This gave the workers a good chuckle at first.
A stream is located a short 5 minute walk away, and is the source of all our water. We filter our drinking water with ceramic filters, and luckily my stomach has been quite content since my arrival here in camp. The showers are “Indonesian-style” here (Nolan will be able to relate to this ;-) and basically consist of a bucket of water, which our workers fetch for each of us during the day, and a plastic cup for pouring. Semi-circle structures, built from vines, palm fronds, and branches, create a privacy shield around each of the two shower areas here in camp. Branches placed side-by-side create a slightly raised floor in the “showers” which allows the water to drain through and run downhill. There is even a laundry line hung in the showers to keep your towel and clothes dry and a small wooden table on which to place your soap and whatnot. It is so refreshing to shower in the outdoors, surrounded by trees, and as you can see, they have thought of everything in setting up the showers! The toilettes (i.e. holes in the ground) aren't quite as elaborate, and thus don't really merit quite as long of a description. ;-)
Well, I know I have not yet mentioned the people, the work, or the food here at camp, but this entry has been a LONG time coming, and is already quite a novel in itself, so I’m afraid I’ll have to save all the rest for my next update! The research team (6 of us, all European except me) is great though, and the locals are also really nice and respectful. The workers either call me “Maman” (which is a term of respect among the Congolese) or “Madame Administratrice”. :o)
I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Christmas (and enjoyed the snow, if you’re in Ontario!) and I wish you all the very best in health and happiness for 2008! The workers here have been shouting “Bonne Annee!” (“Happy New Year!”) for the past week, so I know they’re excited to welcome in the New Year! ;-)
All for now, lots of love to all,
Heidi
My first four days were spent in Kinshasa, where I helped Dr. Barbara Fruth (Research Fellow at MPI and co-director of the Lui Kotal project) do last-minute errands, shopping, planning, packing, etc. for our journey into the forest. There was plenty to do, with perhaps the most memorable experience being our afternoon of shopping in the “Grande Marché” - Kinshasa's large uncovered market! Essentially, I had 2 bodyguards as I was led by hand through masses of people and stalls, bordering garbage heaps and closed in by busy streets. A myriad of colours, odours, and noises buzzed around me and became almost too much for me to take in! A new regulation was recently established by the new government that stores and markets in Kinshasa must close by 4:00 pm, so we rushed around during the afternoon hours trying to find everything on our long list.
During my time in Kinshasa, I was also able to meet the Congolese students from Kinshasa University, who occasionally work in the forest and who analyse many of the collected samples. They were a very nice group of people, and it was lovely to be able to share a meal with them one evening.
On Thursday the 13th, Jos (a Danish M.Sc student), Martin (a Swiss PhD student with the bonobo project) and I boarded a Cessna Caravan I, single-engine plane into the forest. The 2.5 hour plane ride was surprisingly smooth and offered incredible views of the changing landscape below. As we flew farther inland towards Salonga National Park, the forest became denser and it soon appeared as though we were looking down upon billions and billions of broccoli heads, all placed side by side. For a long time, the “broccoli” seemed never-ending – stretching as far as the eye could see. It was great to be able to fly in with Martin, as he has already worked in Lui Kotal twice before and could therefore point out several landmarks to us. We were shown one of the savannahs that we would cross on the hike from Lompole (the local village) to Lui Kotal, as well as the village of Ipope, which is the closest village to the airstrip.
At last the airstrip came into view. The airstrip itself was nothing more than a short, dirt runway in the middle of a small savannah. We circled once and began our descent. A small assembly of local villagers who had come out to greet us were congregated on one side of the runway. Moments after our smooth landing, the crowd had quadrupled and there were soon well over a hundred people from the nearby villages gathered around the plane. I was quickly introduced to Mara & Lambert (two of the project “officials” from Lompole) and to Babs – the interim camp manager. It was then my responsibility to assist Mara in arranging for porters to carry our 850 kg of cargo to Lompole. Approximately 30-35 porters – young and old, male and female – were paid a small fee to carry our cargo the 1.5 hour walk to Lompole. Although the terrain was quite easy, the hot African sun was out in full force, and the 15 kg pack on my back gradually became a little uncomfortable. I was therefore very thankful when Djaman, one of the villagers who was accompanying me on the walk, offered to carry my bag. I agreed and explained that I would take it back after 10 or 15 minutes, but after the elapsed time, he insisted in carrying it all the way for me.
We arrived in the village of Lompole just before noon. Babs had set up tents for us on Mara’s front lawn, where we would camp for the next couple nights. Ironically enough, what should be served to me for my first meal in the rainforest but red colobus monkey meat!! I politely refused and instead tried to stomach a small serving of green, mashed up local vegetables with a lump of chikwanga. Chikwanga, the root of the manioc plant, is a very common dish here which the locals eat with every meal. It is rather doughy in texture and has a bland, yet slightly bitter taste that is difficult to describe. I must say that I have not yet developed much of a liking for it :p but perhaps that will come with time!
The remainder of the day and the next day were spent greeting the people of the village of Lompole, sorting out the delivery and onward journey of all our cargo, and paying the salaries of all the camp workers. Men from the village come to the camp (Lui Kotal) for 2 week rotations, filling various roles as cooks, bonobo workers, phenologists, and fishermen. Additionally, workers are occasionally requested by the project for tasks such as clearing the forest trails/transects, cutting down trees, building new structures around the camp, etc. Monthly salaries are also paid to the “Chef du village” and to a few other people who have important administrative roles for the project within the village. The project therefore employs a substantial portion of the village, and since many workers had accumulated debts since their last salary payment, the explaining and negotiating of salaries was a lengthy procedure which required extreme patience. I was at times reminded of my childhood days of playing Monopoly, as some workers spread their money out in little piles all over the table to facilitate counting their bills. I eventually began to offer to slowly count out the money for the workers… otherwise I might still be in Lompole paying salaries!!
Finally, mid-morning on the 15^th , the last salary was paid and Babs and I were able to commence the 5+ hour hike from Lompole to Lui kotal. We were accompanied by only 3 porters this time, as most of the gear and supplies had left the previous day with Martin and Jos. The journey and terrain themselves were not as tiring as the fast pace that was set by our porters! At times, I felt as though I was practically running through the forest as I tripped over tree roots and tried to keep up with the porters. Throughout the 5.5 hour hike, we stopped only once for a 5 minute break. Nonetheless, it actually felt quite nice to be on the move after having sat in Lompole taking care of the administrative duties the previous 2 days. The journey took us across 3 savannahs, 2 rivers, and through 3 forests, and 2 swamps. The landscape was therefore frequently changing and offered much to take in. The hot sun drenched the open savannahs, which were marked with termite mounds that stood as tall as me and long grass which often prevented you from seeing more than a few meters ahead. The path itself must not have been more than 15-20 cm wide, and was carved into the ground from much use. With my turned-out highland dancer feet, it proved to be quite the difficult task for me to place one foot ahead of the other and remain inside the grooved path! :p I was frequently either tripping over my feet or stubbing my turned-out toes against the edge of path and thus had to force myself to concentrate on walking with my feet parallel.
At such a fast pace there was no time to grab a quick drink of water, and I began to thirst for shade from the sun. The hike across the second savannah lasted not more than an hour, but I gladly welcomed the shade of the forest canopy when we at last reached the forest’s edge. Not long after entering the forest, we approached the first swamp which we would cross on foot. Wading through the waist-deep water was wonderfully refreshing after having just crossed the sweltering savannah. The water was clear and cool, yet appeared bright red in colour. Oddly enough, though it looked markedly red under the filtered sunlight, it did not retain its red colour when poured into Babs’ water bottle. I was not given much of a definitive answer when I enquired about, later on in camp, about the colour of the water, but it is believed that the colour is perhaps a result of the reddish soil here in the Congo.
The final leg of our journey brought us to the Lokuru River. We loaded our gear and ourselves into a “pirogue” (dugout canoe) and enjoyed the leisurely ride down the river. One of our porters guided us along using a long, wooden pole, which brought to mind vivid memories of my experiences punting along the River Cherwell in Oxford. J We crossed over to the other side of the river and our “captain” expertly steered us through a narrow, meandering path in the swamp. I was so relaxed during the ride that I almost didn’t want to get out when the pirogue reached its final destination, but I knew that camp was only a 15 minute walk away, which gave me a final adrenaline rush. It was wonderful and exciting to at last enter “Lui kotal”, and I must say that right away I felt strangely at home.
Camp is all I imagined it to be… rustic and simple, yet meeting all of my basic needs and even quite “cosy” in its own unique way. It is set up in the middle of a small forest clearing, somewhat oval in shape, and is thus surrounded by towering trees. The worker’s kitchen is set up near the entrance to the camp, with the workers’ tents on either side. There is then a small common area where our solar panels are positioned, followed by a study space for the researchers and our dining area. Immediately to the left of the dining area are the camp “depot” (storage house) and my desk area. Our tents are positioned in somewhat of a semi-circle around the depot and dining area and all tents, desks, dining areas, and kitchens are covered with palm thatched roofs. The roofs are wonderful for keeping everything shaded, cool, and dry, but have are set at a height where even I feel like a giant! I can’t count the number of times I’ve already smashed my head against the roofs and ceiling beams. This gave the workers a good chuckle at first.
A stream is located a short 5 minute walk away, and is the source of all our water. We filter our drinking water with ceramic filters, and luckily my stomach has been quite content since my arrival here in camp. The showers are “Indonesian-style” here (Nolan will be able to relate to this ;-) and basically consist of a bucket of water, which our workers fetch for each of us during the day, and a plastic cup for pouring. Semi-circle structures, built from vines, palm fronds, and branches, create a privacy shield around each of the two shower areas here in camp. Branches placed side-by-side create a slightly raised floor in the “showers” which allows the water to drain through and run downhill. There is even a laundry line hung in the showers to keep your towel and clothes dry and a small wooden table on which to place your soap and whatnot. It is so refreshing to shower in the outdoors, surrounded by trees, and as you can see, they have thought of everything in setting up the showers! The toilettes (i.e. holes in the ground) aren't quite as elaborate, and thus don't really merit quite as long of a description. ;-)
Well, I know I have not yet mentioned the people, the work, or the food here at camp, but this entry has been a LONG time coming, and is already quite a novel in itself, so I’m afraid I’ll have to save all the rest for my next update! The research team (6 of us, all European except me) is great though, and the locals are also really nice and respectful. The workers either call me “Maman” (which is a term of respect among the Congolese) or “Madame Administratrice”. :o)
I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Christmas (and enjoyed the snow, if you’re in Ontario!) and I wish you all the very best in health and happiness for 2008! The workers here have been shouting “Bonne Annee!” (“Happy New Year!”) for the past week, so I know they’re excited to welcome in the New Year! ;-)
All for now, lots of love to all,
Heidi
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