This summer I participated in the Wired Amazon Program at the Tambopata Research Center from June third to July eighteenth. During my stay at TRC, I worked closely with on-site coordinators Hugo Cliff and Gabriel Serrano on the following projects: AmazonCam Tambopata, Discovering New Species, 8 Primates, and the Macaw Project. I also assisted Gabriel Serrano with his thesis project regarding local plant-animal interactions and fruit consumption. During my stay, my volunteer responsibilities for the Wired Amazon projects were as follows:
● Escorted ecolodge guests to mammal trails in order to explain the goals of the project and
place camera traps for the citizen science activity
● Tested camera trapping equipment and organized SD card image data
● Took measurements of jaguar paw prints when mating behavior was observed near the TRC
lodge in order to keep track of their movements and behaviors
● Gave recurring lectures to guests about the AmazonCam project
● Walked trails to incidentally find primates and record high-quality audio of primate
vocalizations for later sound wave analysis in Kaleidoscope software
● Helped create and organize the 8 Primates data spreadsheet
● Logged primate call data into the 8 Primates spreadsheet
● Observed newly-installed macaw nests to monitor macaw interaction and nest use
● Tested video cameras in preparation for new nest installation
● Collected moth samples at the light trap using jars containing butyl acetate
● Learned how to identify moth families: erebidae, sphingidae, apateloidae, saturnidae, etc.
● Organized moth samples according to family in order to send documentation to Juan Grados,
the specialist in charge of the DNS project
● Packaged and documented moth samples, including preparing barcode samples separately
and preparing DNA samples in alcohol
● Logging spreadsheet data regarding amount and family ID for each night’s moth collection
● Gave recurring lectures to guests about the Discovering New Species project
● Was left in charge of the Discovering New Species project while Gabriel Serrano, the
on-sight coordinator of the DNS project, was at the Refugio Amazonas lodge
Overall, my experience at TRC was a positive one. The pristine condition of the forest and biodiverse wildlife around the lodge was incredible and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to engage in field work inside of such a well-protected forest. I learned a lot about the local ecosystem and gained valuable new skills in field research, data collection, etc. Furthermore, everyone I met at TRC—staff, coordinators, volunteers, guests, etc.—were absolutely wonderful. Hugo and Gabriel were knowledgeable, kind, and willing to help and answer any questions I had about the projects. I really appreciated the enthusiastic spirit Hugo brought to the workplace and to his conservation efforts, as well as the knowledge of wildlife and experience in research Gabriel passed onto me.
