Views from the field

Some days I feel really lucky to have this job. We get to hike around in tropical forest and sometimes through creeks and rivers, often with amazing views. When we're really lucky, we get a glimpse of Sangay, the closest volcano to the region.

Work Pals in Ecuador

Having a research team, even a small one, makes all the difference doing fieldwork.  When I did my dissertation fieldwork I had to make all decisions alone, but now we can discuss everything as a group.  In particular I work and live with Diana, who has become a fun pal for work and play.  Last weekend we went to a nearby hotel that charges a $5 entrance fee to use the pool, tennis courts, and soccer fields.  For an additional $10 you can stay for a buffet lunch, in which we decided to endulge.  We had a good time with a new friend that was passing through town, a Swiss-French guy we met at the nearby bar we frequent.  All in all it was a great day.

The locals we work with are also amazing.  Dolores and Gerardo are a local couple from one of the small farming communities where we work, but more recently have moved to the city (Macas) so that their kids have more work/school opportunities.  Dolores is an amazing cook and Gerardo knows everything about the countryside.  We recognize him most for his weather prognostics, but he also knows most of the plants we find out in the countryside and can build things with scraps and string.  He's like an all-around Macgyver type. And he loves nature.  It is really fun to be out with him and he calls us over to look at orchids or special plants that are medicinal.  This is a really special family.  Dolores makes 6-course meals for us at their country house in the community where we work, including soup, rice, meat, salad, juice, and lentils.  She also loves to farm and be outside.  We talk a lot about plants, recipes, natural medicine, and general community gossip.  Good times.


We have a new member of the team, Tuntiak, who is indigenous (Schuar) and is working on our project in a local indigenous community here since they are a little wary of outsiders.  He has studied ecology in Quito and has traveled all over the world because he is one of the few Schuar people to go to university.  The group picture shows me, Diana, Tuntiak, one of the farmers we interviewed (Luis), and Gerardo.  It's a pretty fun group and we are starting to laugh a lot (mostly at me falling or tripping over something).