Category Archives: Callan

(Water) striding towards the finish line

March 20, 2015 rchock

Callan and Vivien measuring fish by a stream impacted by the tourist lodge

According to the World Health Organization, 4% of global diseases are caused by contaminated water. At Refugio Bartola, Nicaragua, humans frequently interact with water sources, both as a washing or drainage system. Therefore, we took special interest in how water quality affects species richness and abundance in the rainforest streams. We compared pools located upstream and downstream from a lodge generator and a kitchen waste pipe. We tested the water quality by examining coli bacteria presence, amount of dissolved oxygen, and creating a visual assessment of impact score (presence of bubbles, foam, oil, and murkiness) for each examined pool. Our hypothesis is that anthropogenic impacts will affect species richness and species abundance in rainforest streams, due to differences in water quality. We predict an overall decrease in species richness and abundance in pools affected by anthropogenic disturbances. Furthermore, we predict the water quality will decrease in sites affected by anthropogenic disturbances.

We found that there was no difference in species richness, species abundance, total number of fish, total number of dragonflies, and coli bacteria presence between pools above and below anthropogenic disturbances. The highest amount of coli bacteria was present in the pool downstream from the kitchen waste pipe where large quantities of food waste were transported. The pH and dissolved oxygen content was the same in all pools we tested. We did find a difference in the amount of water striders and the visual assessment of impact in pools above and below anthropogenic disturbances. A larger water strider abundance and less visual disturbance existed in undisturbed pools. Therefore, as the visual assessment of impact increased, the amount of water striders decreased.

Even though we did not seem to find a significant difference in species richness and abundance between disturbed and undisturbed pools, we did find that water striders were affected by the present anthropogenic disturbances. Since water striders were affected by the presence of a generator and food residue from a kitchen waste pipe, it is not difficult to imagine what would happen to this species or any other aquatic species if they were exposed to more serious forms of pollution, such as an oil spill or toxic waste. In addition, large groups of tourists only come to this ecotourism lodge every couple of months, or in our case, every two years. If the disturbance levels increase, then species richness and abundance will most likely decrease. However, we might not have reached the threshold of disturbance yet to detect a distinct difference between impacted and non-impacted pools. Moreover, our experiment provides a good baseline for future projects that could examine the effects of large-scale anthropogenic disturbances on animal species.

Blog, Callan, Final Thoughts

Weather vs. Callan

March 6, 2015 rchock

Callan studies the behavior of a frog on her head

Hot. Wet. Sweat.
Dripping down with each incline.
From merely breathing.
From merely moving.
From merely being still.

In retrospect, the climate never really crossed my mind before coming to Nicaragua, however big it may have influenced my daily schedule in the rainforest. Yes, I did not believe the weather would remain at a constant fixture (because it is the Neotropics); but, the impact of an ever-changing environment was not evident until data collection was crucial.

I remember waking up around 2:30 am to the heavy pitter patter of rain on the metal roof and thinking, “The rain will stop around 5:30 am; enough time for our dragonflies to readjust to their habitat.” But the rain did not stop. It did not stop for three days. What was even more frustrating was that we could not collect data for our water quality project since the usually clear water was too murky and full of soot to count animal abundance.

Eventually, the rain did stop. But my partner and I were on hyper drive, anxious to recover the bits of data we failed to collect. So we became more flexible with our schedule in order to complete more dragonfly trials.

The humidity…now that was something else entirely. You could walk for less than 2 minutes and feel as if you jumped head first into a river. Once or twice I would joke and dramatically tell Vivien to “go on without me” as I wiped the sweat from my face whenever we started hiking up a trail.

But the humidity did not affect me until stress affected me. Until I worried about making a mistake. Until I feared that I was not respected. Until I felt somewhat homesick. Until I wanted to know how my mom, dad, and brother’s day went. Until I questioned my life goals.

So I would close my eyes when I was in the rainforest and breathe in deeply. Taking in the sounds and smells, remembering that this is exactly where I want to be. Where I am destined to be. Working. Right. Here.

There will be high stress events involved in science. It is just how you adapt to those situations that either make or break you. I believe Vivien and I were capable of handling ourselves well when the weather was not optimal. I even believe Vivien and I were very compatible partners, so I am grateful for that. This experience will definitely be one I will not forget. It will always be the first of many: research projects, rare animal sightings (!!!), and true independent range on what scientifically interested me.

On the last day, my friend Brigit and I walked the length of the Rio Gaitan. This was perhaps my most favorite memory. I have never seen such untouched beauty and peace. It looked like a dream. And when I felt the humidity and the sweat, I welcomed it with open arms for I was saying goodbye to an old friend.

Callan, from the field, Week 3

Poems from the Rainforest

February 23, 2015 rchock

Sitting on a damp tree trunk in the middle of the rainforest at 6 am or closing my eyes on a night canoe ride, life is around me. Stargazing with my peers on a wooden platform (without light pollution), magic is above me. Fluttering or clashing wings, crashing cascade of falling fruit, scampering of feet, leaf hitting leaf, the flowing rush of creek water as it mulls around the rocks, and water splashing against boots or fish slashing up and out to eat the dirt off said boots. Birds, monkeys, amphibians, and insects of all species competing for sound, but remaining in rhythm as if the jungle is one giant never-ending orchestra. I fall asleep to this lullaby and wake up to a new, yet familiar song.

From a distance, the rainforest appears a consistent shade of green and brown. The decomposing leaves on the ground, the moss, the canopy, and every tree. Getting lost literally in the forest is easy with this mentality. But only when you relax and fully look around do you see the vibrant colors of birds, butterflies, bees, frogs, and flowers hidden within.

I think that is what I had been missing in my life back home: honest music and color. Pausing to stop and listen. Pausing to look around. To see what I was previously ignorant of. To be distracted. To actually enjoy and appreciate beauty. And believing it is completely valid to run away screaming from the sight of an enormous bee the size of my palm.

Dragonfly hunter by trade

Marching into battle, boots sinking in mud

Net hung over right shoulder, body heavy with sleep, sweat, and blood

Time is of essence and weather must be optimal not crud

For The dragons do not come out unless provoked by promising safety and dry perch sites

The dragons fly solo but in large congregations of clashing wings

We watch behind tree trunks, palms, and other tall things

Crouched beside a perched foul beast, I throw myself into a full swift swing

For

The dragons will not stay and will flee faster than the speed of light

Empty net, yet again, at least that is until I hear a slight buzz resisting the material

Captured the prisoner in my hand, ready to be marked, but then it bites my finger…unbelievable

This beast may have escaped, but it will be hunted again so I can mark its abdomen whole

For

The dragons remain in select areas and can be found at dawn or right before night

Holding the net high above my head with steady determination

Eyes scanning, searching, zoning in on a lone dragon in a rather stationary position

I swing and almost miss, but fortunately the creature has the right motivation

For

The dragons sometimes simply do not resist and behave just right

This being, with its black bar colored wings and striped abdomen tail,

Does not bite and allows me to paint it combos of purple, blue, green, orange, or yellow without a fail

A bright vibrant dragon looks like a brand new species among its fellow males and females

For

The marked dragons are easy to spot and could possibly be eaten faster later on in life

Callan, from the field, Week 2

Research is Exhausting, But Worthwhile

February 12, 2015 rchock

Vivien and Callan are serious about data collection!

Sloshing through different textures of mud from 6 am to 5:30 pm is beginning to take its toll on me. The hiking in jungle terrain portion is easy and exciting; however, it is the wet uphill and downhill knee-deep mud that literally drags me down. Despite this, I am definitely still enjoying myself. The sounds of toucans and parrots usually carry me along. Daily I am surprised by how much hard work my partner, Vivien, and I accomplish.

We have two projects: one about behavior and the other, conservation. The process for our behavior project took almost six days to develop, mostly because we were overwhelmed with every sound and feeling the jungle emitted. Animals we had hoped to research were not in abundance (Orb spiders for me), so we thought fast on our feet. Dragonflies. Dragonflies were in abundance. But, we knew absolutely nothing about the specific species on the property or basic dragonfly information in general.

Reading through the books provided, we found the species’ name. Without internet, though, we had difficulty developing a research project that was original. But then I came up with a perching site height concept that we evolved into perch site choice in regard to visual cues. We have fixed the methods and are currently in the process with completing trials. This experience has been exceedingly stressful, but I am glad that I am not the only group that feels this way. All groups have feared their projects would fail in some way, but the flexibility with shifting research focus has gotten us over a huge dismal hump.

Our conservation research project is definitely taking off; we are almost finished. We are comparing the water quality of the creeks disturbed by the field school against the undisturbed creeks throughout the forest. We want to see how animals (mostly aquatic) are affected by disturbed areas, especially with regard to human manipulation to the environment like dredging. We simply collect water samples from various portions of creeks and test them. We have seen significant differences in some! It is all very fascinating.

Even though we are all exhausted, working through the night on data entry and planning for the next day, my partner and I have high hopes. We know that we are pursuing our dreams of ecology fieldwork. And I will not stop pursuing it.

Callan, from the field, Week 1

New environment, new habits

February 3, 2015 rchock

Howler monkeys were outside my window this morning, growling deeply in response to the heavy downpour, which had began four hours prior around 2 am. These monkeys are usually my 5 am alarm clock; however, they were never as close as today—no echo was heard.

In general, it’s surprising, really, that I start my day at 5:30 am (3:30 am, California time), considering the fact that I actively choose 11 am-12 pm as my desired wake up time back home.

Here, I actually want to wake up early. I want to see the birds and the beautiful forest and sky waking up. To see the nocturnal animals retreating back to their secret burrows. To see the agoutis sneakily forage underneath fruit trees for fallen treats. To follow groups of spider monkeys to their destined location. Seeing all of these things makes the hard work worth it.

Another reason for waking up at this obscene hour is my new addiction to 6 am canoe trips. Going down the Rio Bartola my first morning trip, I spotted a rare sight: a river otter was riding alongside my boat! These animals have very little papers on them, besides dietary background. At first I thought it was a mutant anaconda from the critically acclaimed film, Anaconda, which religiously reruns on the Syfy channel. Oops.

But the downside is that my clothes get wet and nothing truly dries here. Wearing semi-wet mud crusted shirts and pants consecutively, in addition to my wet mud crusted boots, has really transformed and expanded my boundaries on hygiene. Cleanliness from showering (a very cold shower, I might add) lasts for a total of 2 hours, maybe. I do not really know if I will ever look at mud in the same light after this. Or showers. Or rubber boots, the most grateful and useful piece of gear.

In terms of my research project, my partner and I have finally got it down! At least, we think. But the good news is that this uncertainty is a well-known trend among my peers. No one here truly knows what he or she is doing. However, they are very humble because they are all unbelievably brilliant and hilarious, creatively modifying experiments quickly. Or simply helping one another out on furthering experiment ideas. In this upcoming week we will finally implement both of our behavior and conservation projects, so I am very excited.

By the way, Mom and Dad, there is a never-ending supply of fresh fruit juice at all three meals every single day. I may not leave.

Callan, Starting Out

Looking for Inspiration

January 18, 2015 rchock

My name is Callan Porter-Romero, and I am a third year Ecology, Behavior and Evolution major. In a couple weeks, I will be embarking on a journey to Nicaragua to research an animal of my choice. It will most likely be a bird because, let’s face it, I am an up and coming bird lady. I got my start recently when I began to take care of zebra finches, which are positively the most adorable and ridiculous creatures I have come to love. However, I have never designed or implemented a research project before, so this will be an exciting and new experience. I will also finally know after this trip if a career in animal research is a path worth continuing.

When I was five years old I dreamed of becoming an alchemist or a witch so I could make potions. Usually that entailed grinding random plants together that would then sit in a jar for months on end. My parents were obviously thrilled when I stopped doing that and decided to pursue ethnobotany instead. My experience in the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest during junior year in high school solidified my interest in working in a rainforest environment. Additionally, taking an ecology class at UCLA made me realize that studying animals is very important to me. I intend to eventually return to Ecuador and accurately research medicinal plants and/or animals using the knowledge gained from the field quarter in Nicaragua.

Ideally, if I do come back from this trip in one piece, I will be comfortable knowing that I am following the right path and that I now have a community of people who share similar passions as myself. This concept of wholeness is refreshing and frustrating, especially for a college student who is always hunting down their “one true identity.” And to find not one new potential friend, but thirteen others who I know will help improve one another’s characters? Impossible.

We will all go through a similar experience in Nicaragua with it meaning various things to us. We will be enchanted, haunted, and inspired. Enchanted because the beauty of life in the rainforest makes you captive. Haunted because other people who do not share this raw feeling and knowledge may not understand. Inspired because there are now many people who do understand and will provide positive encouragement for pursuing your goals.