Expedition Leader: Malaysia Tropical Forests Conservation Project
Added to website: 03 September 2004
Tuesday (Day 1): Following 5 days of training we embark on our first full survey of the month either on foot or by boat fully laden with personal kit, science equipment, water containers and enough food (including chocolate) for 4 nights in the forest. It’s always exciting for everyone involved, including staff, to enter the forest here; a place where few researchers have visited. Each trip carries the excitement of finding new species for the island (we’ve found over 50 so far) and of spotting the beautiful Nicobar Pigeon (the closest living relative to the Dodo). Upon reaching our destination - a clearing in the forest next to a stream or close to a beach - we stop for a drink and to catch our breath before setting up camp. Then it’s all hands on deck as we put up a cover for the kitchen area and tie up the food bags to outwit the tree shrews, not always successful, and another tarp (large plastic sheet) over an area to be used for storage or sleeping. This is also the time set aside for putting up the hammocks, which have a flat surface and basher (roof). Add to it the mosquito net and you’ve got the perfect set up for a good nights sleep - off the ground and away from any bugs, protection from rain water but open enough to catch any cooling breeze. Following set up it’s lunch time which is often everyone’s favourite -Maggi noodles and vegetables. Fresh fruit and vegetables are always available each day but limited to what we can carry on our backs. After lunch we set off to mark out ten point count sites (‘points’ where we will sit to record and ‘count’ birds), put out approximately 40 cages and small traps baited with carrots, peanut butter and oats to capture and record mammals, 2 pit fall traps (each wih 4 buckets in the ground and a 10m plastic fence) to capture reptiles, amphibians and small mammals, put up mist nets to catch birds and bats, and make flick nets for catching bats as they fly overhead. After a long day we return to our camp for dinner and then off to the hammocks for an early night.
Day 2: The cock crows at 6.30 am in the forest (a croaky staff member), as it’s dark until 7.00. Our departure time is 7am so there’s enough time to eat a sandwich and have a drink before starting the day. Two teams operate simultaneously and communicate with radios. One team (staff member and volunteers) follows the bird point count route, laid out the previous day, stopping at the point count stations for bird observation while the second team checks the small mammal traps and pit fall traps. The small mammal work allows you a chance to get a close look at tree shrews, squirrels and large spiny rats. The staff member handles the animals while your task is to take the measurements and make notes. Both teams rendezvous around 10.15 back at camp for a more substantial feed. Depending on tastes this is either cornflakes or porridge with fruit and bread and jams - chocolate peanut butter seems popular. Following brunch we set off once more. Once again we have 2 teams in the field to carry out a variety of work which changes each day - monitoring mist nets for birds, herp searches which involves walking slowly through the forest looking for reptiles and amphibians, transect walks to capture and photograph butterflies - not as easy as you might think, and vegetation work - real tree hugging. Lunch is taken at 1 - 1.30. After lunch we enter our mornings’ findings onto data sheets then you have free time - often siesta in the hammock or, if we are close enough, you can relax on the beach. The work kicks off again at 4pm at the latest. The teams swap over and head off for the point count line or to check the pit fall and to re-bait and set the small mammal traps. Both teams return at dusk when 2 volunteers are allocated the task of preparing dinner - al dente pasta in a delicious sauce with crunchy vegetables and fresh tuna or sliced beef served with a fine wine, alternatively you may be served overcooked pasta, veggies, tinned tuna or corned beef and a mug of ribena. This fine fare is often served late (9.00 - 9.30) as staff and the other vols are busy catching bats. Whatever you know, or think you know, about bats be prepared for a change in opinion. All vols have found the bats to be cool, cute, or cute but in an ugly kind of way. The large number of species (did you know a quarter of all mammals are bats?) means there are many different characters to meet each night and you never know who is going to show up. Some of our night time friends have a wingspan over 1 metre.
Day 3 and 4: we follow the same pattern as day 2. On day 4 the nature of the bird work changes as we switch to flush walks - forming a line and walking through the forest in an attempt to ‘flush’ ground living birds, e.g. the Nicobar Pigeon
As a volunteer you will help out with all aspects of the work, including the mundane - cooking etc. All volunteers get a chance do all of the different kinds of research work.
Day 5: Saturday morning involves one final bird walk, checking and bringing back the mammal traps, and breaking camp. We return to our base on the southern point of Besar in time for lunch, usually chicken or fish (not the tinned kind this time). After sorting and cleaning the equipment you can have your mandi (malay for wash or bucket shower) in time for the sunset and an evening to chat about the weeks’ events.
Day 6: In the morning we do chores around base and data entry but then the rest of the day is your freetime to relax, read, snorkel.
Day 7: Apart from a few chores, you will be asked to assist with the education program currently running with the village school. This may involve making posters or even going to the school to give a lecture - don’t worry the children are under 10 years old, so basic biology is the order of the day. We also use this day to plan and prepare for the next trek starting with a look at the map to pinpoint an area never surveyed before. Then it’s get the bags packed before going off to bed and dreams of Nicobars and new species of bats, or something like that I’m sure.
