The Amazon Rainforest

Hello friends from all over! It’s been a while, but I hope the ending of the summer and changing into fall has been beautiful and relaxing. This is my favorite season with all the wonderful colors and crisp air surrounding you.

I haven’t been very creative lately, which is why I haven’t posted anything regarding a summary of my research this past summer. You know, sometimes life just doesn’t go your way and it kinda hurts where it means the most, though the best thing is to keep pushing forward and not give up. Taking the first step in a new direction is a way to find new paths and discover more about yourself. Remember that the journey is a work of art.

Here we are 3 months later finally getting down to business telling some fun stories and sharing some stunning once-in-a-lifetime pictures and memories.

The remainder of my time in the rainforest flew by! Before I knew it it was my birthday (August 1st) which meant I had 1 more week in the field. I got to experience all the different teams that we had which included; birds, bats, small/large mammals, and primates. Each had their own cool ways of doing things, and you had to learn new procedures, work with new veterinarians, and adapt to new sleep schedules haha.

I met some of the coolest and most passionate people here in Peru and made a handful of life-long friends that made my experience there so well worth it. Putting in 12+ hours a day working out in the field isn’t easy, but having people around you that are just as passionate and willing to learn what it’s like to be a field biologist/researcher is really an amazing opportunity! Some of my best memories come from what we called “staking out”. This consisted of waking up very early, grabbing yourself a bag of bananas, and heading to a few different trap sites to bait them before the monkeys woke up and the sun rose. You would then stake out at that location under a mosquito net on top of a tarp watching and waiting for the monkeys (usually Tamarins) to come have a little breakfast snack. You had your binoculars and notebook, and whenever they showed up, you would try to identify the individuals in the group and write down any observations (behaviors, mating practices, how comfortable they were around the trap and you, how much they ate, and which direction they came from and which direction they left). During the 5 hours you were scheduled to be there you had a lot of time on your hands to just sit there, eat your breakfast, and just think…. and sometimes take a really good nap. You would lay your head back on your backpack and just listen to the rainforest wake up. The birds. The bugs. The monkeys. Everything. All of this life just coming alive around you as you lay quietly on the forest floor observing it all. It was so crazy to think that you were alone, in the middle of the rainforest, waiting for monkeys to show up, and being one with the ecosystem. It made me think that we as humans are always so busy and in the go, go, go mindset that we forget to look around and just take in the moments and life that happens all around us. There is so much happening all the time and usually all it takes to recognize that is to be still, be quiet and just listen. I describe it like a breath of fresh air, like when you find a new passion that you absolutely love and can’t get enough of. That feeling when you’re going to see that person that means so much to you and you can’t wait to just spend time with them. It’s a warm feeling of excitement/joy. To be alive. To feel like you are apart of something bigger than yourself. To connect.

We didn’t get much time off throughout the week and it basically came down to having a Friday night off and 3/4 of a day on Saturday. We all took advantage of these times to do the things we loved or the things we really needed to do. For me, sleeping in was essential, and for others getting up early to wash clothes and hang them up to dry so the sun would hit them by mid-day was more important. Though, something we all did was go on group hikes. Around 8/9ish we would all set out to different trails we have been wanting to adventure that week and pack your water, Deet, and some cookies to hold you over until lunch. These were some of the best memories with friends as you connected in a non-work kind of way. It was usually pretty sunny and nice on our days off so that would set the mood to make everyone already feel charged and ready to explore. Groups went to the swamp, others went to try and track down river otters, some of us would use the canoe/boat to paddle down a small river, and the ones left around camp would chill in their hammocks, call their family, and use the wifi because less people means a better signal.

The pictures of the monkeys below were taken by my good friends Sierra and Greg. These two had amazing cameras and took some excellent shots of all the primates jumping from tree-to-tree.

As many of you know, I love my naps and try to take one whenever I get the chance. Well those times doing fieldwork are few and far between, BUT possible. Here are a few images to show you how one takes a nap in the jungle.

Living at a small field station with many other zoologists/biologists/ecologists/researchers was a once in a lifetime opportunity. With as much hard work as we put in, I feel like the rewards far outweighed the sacrifices made. I loved the long days, the countless times slipping and falling into thorns, eating basically only rice, beans and quinoa, and meeting all the new friends I made this past summer. I miss them greatly, and I have to remember that the people you come into contact with make up who you are. Sharing experiences and connecting with people across the country and the world really opens up your eyes to things you didn’t realize you could even see.

To all my friends and animal lovers, I can’t wait to see you guys soon and you truly are some of the best people I know! Keep working at what you want to do and go where your heart takes you. My one piece of advice to literality anyone is to follow what you love, and the rest falls into place.

Like always, keep it fun and keep on adventuring!

-Luke