Mexico Field Course 2019

The Boom Chachalacas are back on the scene, except this time we aren’t as cheery as usual. Why you might ask? Well, because today is the day we leave Mexico, that’s why! We awoke in the wee hours of the morning with our bags packed and our minds (mostly) prepared for the lengthy day of travel ahead of us. You know it’s an early day when you’re awake and active before the chorus of birds begin to ring in the new day for you. After getting everyone’s belongings sorted out and tied down, we all climbed into the van for the last time and set off towards Guadalajara. Did we say that we all climbed in for the last time? We meant almost the last time, as we inevitably had to make (multiple) stops for everyone to grab food and relieve themselves along the way – it was a five-hour bus ride after all. Mountainous scenery gradually transitioned to flat plains, with numerous agave and banana plantations surrounding the highway. Kettles of vultures were seen circling high above with cows dotting the fields below them. As we made the lengthy journey to Guadalajara International, almost everyone on the bus completely passed out. During our waking moments, snacks which had been purchased prior, such as animal crackers and fruit loops were shared amongst the group. We all knew no one was getting on a plane with a giant bag of animal crackers in their carry-on.

The relatively laid-back drive was interrupted only when Steve exclaimed “volcano!” Just like children at a zoo, we all hugged the windows of the van searching the horizon for any sign of it. Finally, we all spotted it off in the distance: Volcán de Colima (also known as Volcán de Fuego or Volcano of Fire). There it stood, menacingly looming over the lands below with a certain peacefulness. It is only in doing some research now that we realize that it is considered one of the most active volcanos in Mexico and North America, which is slightly unsettling.

Once (finally) arriving to the airport, we began the difficult task of saying goodbye to our new Mexican friends. Javier, Hector, Hera, and Yanet were truly incredible people to meet, and we all became close friends within our short two weeks together. We hope to see them again one day!! We made our way into the airport, and out of the Mexican sun for the last time. Most of made it through security without hassle (Jamie) and onto the plane. Our nearly empty flight to Houston allowed us to spread out, which was ideal for Sean and Evelyn who were transporting their BIG hats on their heads (see picture of Leah below for reference). A short while later, we touched down in Houston, and breezed through customs. Leah and Claire (regrettably) ate their bodyweight in American food, and we all boarded the last flight of our journey. A few hours later we touched down in YYZ, collected our bags, and for those of us headed back to Kingston that night, boarded the van. One Tim’s stop later, we made it back to where it all started two long weeks ago – the street behind BioSci.

After almost exactly 24 hours of travel, our incredible experience came to an end. The two-week trip was filled with learning, fun, and friendship. We had a great time and think we can speak for everyone when we say that this trip won’t be forgotten anytime soon.

Bueno Días from group 3 on our last full day in Mexico!

Today we woke up at sunrise and ate a delicous breakfast of scrambled eggs and hibiscus juice (called Jamaica – this is a beverage made with an infusion of hibiscus flowers) to prepare for the longest hike of the trip. After eating, we hit the Tejón trail from the main roadway and began a very sweaty 5 km hike. The trails were naturally disturbed from a hurricane causing branches and other vegatation to be tossed about the trail making our hike more intense than expected. Along the walk, we noticed the succesion of the clean-up progress on the trails being completed by the excellent field staff and other researchers at Chamela. Along Sendero Tejón, we saw a Mexican Pink Tarantula, Lilac-crowned parrots (Amazoa finschi), a red breasted chat (Granatellus venustus), and a Gray Hawk (Buteo plagiatus). After successfully completing the hike, we all took some much needed showers and headed down to the kitchen to enjoy lunch enchilladas. While eating, we were surprised with plans for a marsh and beach visit as the final outing from the field station. Prior to getting in the van at suited up for the ocean, we completed student evalutations giving positive notes and feedback on the course. Our first stop was at a local wetlands, where we were able to walk along the shoreline as the water was quite receded in the middle of the dry season. The wetlands were teeming with birds such as black-necked stilts (Himantopus mexicanus), willets (Tringa semipalmata), blue-wing teal (Spatula discors) and American avocets (Recurvirostra americana). We also found the bright pink feathers of roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) who previously inhabited the pond, only to see one flying above us a few minutes later! We then loaded back into the vans to make one last trip to the beachfront at Punta Perula. We took a final dip in the Pacific Ocean and ordered some delicious fresh fruit such as coconuts and pinapples from some local vendors (Yum!). Once it was time to go, we loaded into the vans to return to the field station and watch the sunset one more time from the roof of the residence. We then headed down for the last supper of the trip, enjoying some delicious enchilladas and thanking the kitchen staff for all the delicious food they prepared for the week. Just before bed, we gathered in the library to watch a heartwarming slideshow of all our trip highlights. We then finished packing and headed to bed nice  and early, and to prepare for the long journey home back to Canada. What a fantastic day and close to this once in a lifetime experience. We will miss you Mexico – a biodiversity hotspot and so much more!

En Español

Viernes 1 de Marzo

¡Buenos Días del grupo 3 en nuestro último día completo en México!

Hoy nos levantamos al amanecer y comimos un delicioso desayuno de huevos revueltos y jugo de jamaica para prepararnos a la caminata más larga del viaje. Después de comer, llegamos al sendero Tejón desde el camino principal y comenzamos una caminata de 5 km que nos hizo sudar como nunca. Como resultado del huracán, provocó que las ramas y árboles cayeran sobre el sendero, y nuestra caminata fue más intensa de lo esperado. A lo largo de la caminata, notamos el progreso de la limpieza en los senderos realizado de manera excelente por el personal de campo y otros investigadores de Chamela. A lo largo de nuestra caminata por Tejón, vimos una tarántula rosada mexicana, loros de corona lila (Amazoa finschi), un chipe de pecho rojo (Granatellus venustus) y un halcón gris (Buteo plagiatus). Después de completar con éxito la caminata, ya en la estación todos tomamos una ducha muy necesaria y luego nos fuimos a comer y disfrutar de enchilladas. Mientras comíamos, nos sorprendieron con planes de hacer una visita a una marisma y a la playa como salida final del curso de campo. Antes de subir a la camioneta para ir a la playa, hicimos la evaluación del curso llenando notas positivas y comentarios sobre el mismo. Nuestra primera parada fue en una marisma local, donde pudimos caminar por la orilla ya que estaba la laguna seca en gran parte por estar en la estación seca. Los humedales estaban llenos de aves como zancudas de cuello negro (Himantopus mexicanus), los chorlos (Tringa semipalmata), y cercetas de alas azules (Spatula discors) y avocetas americanas (Recurvirostra americana). También encontramos brillantes plumas rosadas de la espátula rosada (Platalea ajaja) que se observó anteriormente en el humedal, pero al fin vimos una volando sobre nosotros unos minutos más tarde! Luego regresamos a las camionetas para hacer nuestra última visita a la playa en Punta Perula. Nos dimos un último chapuzón en el Océano Pacífico y luego pedimos algunas deliciosas frutas frescas como cocos y piñas de vendedores locales (¡Sabroso!). Ya finalmente regresamos a la estación para aprovechar y ver la puesta de sol una vez más desde el techo de los dormitorios. Después bajamos a nuestra última cena del viaje, disfrutando de unas deliciosas enchilladas y agradeciendo al personal de cocina por la deliciosa comida que prepararon toda la semana. Justo antes de acostarnos, nos reunimos en la biblioteca para ver una presentación de diapositivas reconfortante y divertida de todos los puntos destacados de nuestro viaje. Luego terminamos de empacar y nos fuimos a dormir para prepararnos para el largo viaje de regreso a Canadá. Qué fantástico día y cierre de esta experiencia única en la vida. Te extrañaremos México, ¡un punto de acceso a la biodiversidad y mucho más!

Group 3: Sean, Hector, and Chenxi.

Hola!

Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, we had a quick breakfast of nachos at Chamela before making our way to the coast for an island excursion. From the coastal village of Punta Perula, we chartered some locals to bring us to Lougheed Island, where they dropped us on a secluded sandy beach. From the beach we hiked through (or under) thick and brushy species and columnar, and Opuntia (prickly pear) cacti, to the South side of the island, where we observed an abundance of brown-footed boobies (Sula leucogaster), shore crabs, chitins/sea cockroaches, ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis), and American oyster catchers (Haematopus palliatus). We spent some time skipping over rocks, watching boobies, and investigating intertidal pools, before making our way back to the island beach for a swim while we awaited our transport back to Punta Perula.

Back at Punta Perula, we relaxed on the beach and enjoyed the giant frigate birds (Fregata magnificens), brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis), and a few Coronas. We left the beach after having more than our fair share of sun, to make it back to the station for lunch and some afternoon siestas and some much needed individual study time. The sunset was particularly spectacular today!

After dinner, some of us went for an evening walk along El Central, and found a milk snake (Lampropeltis triangulum) and a giant tree frog (Agalychnis dacnicolor)!

Sean, Hector, and Chenxi

En Español

Grupo 3: Sean, Hector y Chenxi.

Con ojos achispados y cuerpo energizado, tomamos un desayuno rápido de chilaquilies en Chamela antes de irnos a la costa para nuestra excursión a la isla. Desde el pueblo costero de Punta Perula, contratamos lanchas de los lugareños para que nos llevaran a la isla, donde nos dejaron en una playa aislada de arena. Desde la playa caminamos a través de un matorral denso con cactus columnares y nopaleras (Opuntia, muy espinoso), llegando hacia el lado sur de la isla, donde observamos una gran cantidad de pájaros bobos (Sula leucogaster), cangrejos costeros , quitones / cucarachas de mar, gaviotas de Herman (Larus hermanii), y ostreros (Haematopus palliatus). Pasamos un rato saltando sobre las rocas, observando a los pájaros e investigando las charcas intermareales, poco después regresamos  a la playa de la isla a nadar mientras esperábamos nuestro transporte de regreso a Punta Perula.

Ya de vuelta en Punta Perula, nos relajamos en la playa y disfrutamos de las fragatas gigantes (Fregata magnificens), los pelícanos cafés (Pelecanus occidentalis) y algunas Coronas. Salimos de la playa y después de disfrutar de un merecido baño de sol nos fuimos de regreso a la estación para comer y tomar una siesta y también para aprovechar para estudiar. ¡La puesta de sol fue particularmente espectacular hoy!

Después de la cena, algunos de nosotros fuimos a dar una caminata nocturna por El eje Central, ¡y encontramos una serpiente falsa coral (Lampropeltis triangulum) y una rana gigante (Agalychnis dacnicolor)!

Hi everyone! This is Jamie, Sydney, and Gerardo with day 12 of the Mexico field course.

Today was our third full day at the Chamela field station. It was a quiet day, waking up to a beautiful orange sunrise and a breakfast of toast with beans, cheese and veggies. We took advantage of the cool temperatures in the morning to gather some data for our research projects. In our case, that involved a stroll down the main road of the station looking for the cactus Opuntia excelsa, our study species. We looked at the orientation, temperature, colour, and light incidence of cacti along the road to look for evidence of phototropism, which is the orientation of a plant during growth to maximize its photosynthetic capacity. As we took measurements, we noticed that the cacti under more intense heat often had smaller/fewer spines, so we decided to make some follow-up measurements on spine length to test this as well. We stayed out until it got too hot before heading back down to the station. On the way, Gerardo spotted some parrots and a gray hawk. We haven’t analyzed any results yet, but we’ll keep you posted!

We staved off the strong midday heat with a well-timed siesta before a lunch of tortillas with potatoes and cheese. The afternoon was dedicated to research projects while the fourth years were diligently working on their thesis posters. During the afternoon, Hector and Gerardo found a pair of Mexican mud turtles. We escaped in the early evening to watch the sun set over the Pacific on the roof over the library.

We had a dinner of fish, rice, and salad with some tortillas and veggies for the vegetarians. After dinner, Hector presented his seminar on habitat use of bird communities in ecological units of a mining district of Mexico. It was a fascinating topic and we learned much about bird surveying methods and how they can be used to determine species richness and diversity. Finally, we spent the rest of the evening relaxing before calling it a night, looking forward for the next exciting day!

Thanks for reading!

J/S/G

En Español

Hola a todos! Les saluda Jamie, Sydney y Gerardo en el día 12 del curso de campo en México.

Hoy fue nuestro tercer día completo en la estación de campo de Chamela. Fue un día tranquilo, despertando con un hermoso amanecer anaranjado y un desayuno de tostadas con frijoles, queso y verduras. Aprovechamos las temperaturas frescas de la mañana para recopilar algunos datos para nuestros proyectos de investigación. En nuestro caso, eso implicó una caminata por el camino principal de la estación en busca del cactus Opuntia excelsa, nuestra especie de estudio. Registramos la orientación, la temperatura, el color y la incidencia de luz de los cactus a lo largo del camino para buscar evidencia de fototropismo, que es la orientación de una planta durante el crecimiento para maximizar su capacidad fotosintética. Cuando tomamos medidas, notamos que los cactus con calor más intenso a menudo tenían menos espinas y más pequeñas, por lo que decidimos realizar medidas adicionales del tamaño de las espinas para probar esta hipótesis también. Nos quedamos trabajando hasta que el calor ya fue demasiado caliente y decidimos regresar a la estación. De regreso, Gerardo vio algunos loros y un aguililla gris. No hemos analizado los datos todavía, ¡pero los mantendremos informados!

Evitamos el calor fuerte del mediodía tomando una siesta antes de la comida donde nos dieron un guiso de papas con queso y tortillas. La tarde la dedicamos a trabajar en nuestros proyectos de investigación, mientras que los estudiantes de cuarto año trabajaron diligentemente en la preparación de sus carteles de tesis. Durante la tarde, Héctor y Gerardo encontraron un par de tortugas terrestres mexicanas. Escapamos a primera hora de la tarde para ver la puesta de sol sobre el Pacífico desde el techo de la biblioteca.

La cena consistió en pescado, arroz y ensalada con algunas tortillas y verduras para los vegetarianos. Después de la cena, Hector presentó su seminario sobre el uso del hábitat de las comunidades de aves en unidades ecológicas de un distrito minero de México. Fue un tema fascinante y aprendimos sobre los métodos de observación de aves y cómo se puede utilizar para determinar la riqueza y diversidad de las especies. Finalmente, pasamos el resto de la tarde relajándonos antes de irnos a dormir, esperando el próximo día igual de emocionante.

¡Gracias por leer!

J / S / G

Another beautiful day in Chamela. We started our day at 7:30am with a hearty breakfast of beans, potatoes, and fresh fruit to fuel our bodies for the day. After breakfast, we were given time to work on our Chamela research projects. Our group, Zumbardor Mehicano (including Kayleigh, Darcey, and Yanet) is recording food preference of leaf cutter ants. We walked around the station and surrounding forest area in search of leaf cutter ants. Once we found the long lines of individuals typical of the species, we followed them back to the tree on which they were feeding. We identified these trees based on their bark and with the help of a new field guide thatcher’s Dr. Lougheed purchased for the course. To determine if the ants were selecting for specific tree species, we set out a 5×5 quadrat and counted up the total number of trees (all barked vegetation) versus the number of those being fed on. Following the ant hunt, our group decided to go for a hike down the main trail. Along the way, we saw a variety of wildlife – many birds, lizards, and insects. We finished our hike and took some time to rest and do school work before lunch. During this time, Steve and Javier were busy looking for snakes and other creatures to show us. They were able to wrangle up a tailless whip scorpion (Acanthophrynus coronatus), a Mexican mouse opossum (Marmosa canescens), and a large blue and yellow centipede (name). Everyone was amazed at the remarkable species that have never been seen by us northerners. We were able to take some ‘snaps’ before releasing them all back into their habitats. As Darcey was trying to get a good portrait shot of the mouse opossum, the little creature leaped onto her camera and we all got a good laugh out of that. At 2:30pm, we were treated to a wonderful lunch of rice, salad, and mole chicken (mole a sauce that contains peppers and chocolate)  or a stuffed pepper for the vegetarians/vegans. Afterwards we were given some much-needed time to do more school work in an air conditioned class room. Some of us choose to go on a walk with Steve, Javier, and Evelyn down the main road to see what we could find. We were able to see some beautifully coloured parrots and parakeets flying through the sky with their vibrant green feathers. We returned from our walk sweaty and ready for some food. We had some time until dinner to wash-up, do more work, and soak in the splendour of Chamela. Dinner was served at 8pm, where we ate crunchy tortilla shells with assorted toppings. Once we were finished dinner, we all headed down to the library to listen to Yanet’s presentation on the effects environmental stress in birds. It was very informative and we learned a lot about studies being conducted in nearby Mexican universities. Having exhausted our bodies and our brain’s now overflowing with information, we were all ready to hit the hay. We are very eager for the remainder of our trip. We have learned a great deal and have had amazing experiences beyond our expectations.

What’s that in the forest making those booming noises? Is it an owl? Is it a hawk? No – it’s the Boom Chachalacas coming back at you for blog entry round two! No wait … there are also owls. We awoke this morning to the sounds of two singing owls roosting right outside our windows! As it was the first morning at the Chamela research station, no one had settled into their routines yet. We were all pretty much zombies from the day of travel before. After the cobwebs were shaken off with some strong coffee and the staple meal of cheese quesadillas and beans, we were all ready to start our day.

We began with a hike along some of the local trails, beginning with the main road, Eje Central, and then down Buho to the arroyo to which it leads. Along the way we were introduced to an interesting insect known as the antlion, which creates a pit-like trap in the substrate of the forest floor and waits at the bottom for unlucky visitors. This pit is reminiscent of the Sarlacc pit from Star Wars (minus the tentacles). As we were walking through the forest, we finally understood why Steve and Javier had been cautious about the conditions of the foliage. Hurricane Patricia, which made landfall in October of 2015, left lasting effects on the flora and fauna of the region. Such damage left some areas almost impassable and entry into the forest rather difficult. On our hike we came across an arroyo, or at least what is usually an arroyo during the wet season. It is currently the dry season and as such we saw no water, just the skeleton of where the arroyo usually runs. Within this area we found considerable biodiversity: birds (e.g. San Blas Jay), multiple butterfly (e.g. Interrupted Longtail) and lizard species, and a female scorpion (unknown species) carrying her offspring on her back. We also found an interesting branch with external sap droplets, on which a local bee was feeding. Over the course of the hike, we listened to a few students teach us about the species in this area. We heard about the Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) from Sean, the Magnificent Frigatebirds (Fregata magnificens) from Chenxi, and the White-nosed Coati (Nausa narica) from Sydney.

When we finally made it back to the station, we all rushed to the air-conditioned library to brainstorm some ideas for group projects that we might be able to conduct in Chamela. You’ll be pleased to hear that the Boom Chachalacas have rebounded from the moisture meter tragedies of Las Joyas and found new inspiration in an unlikely place. We are now looking into the patterns of termite activity with respect to tree habitat and how this may have changed along with the intense ecological shift due to the hurricane. After a delicious lunch consisting of do-it-yourself soft tacos, it was decided a group siesta was necessary before we ventured back out into the wilderness to pilot our new studies.

Following this much needed rest, we set off to get some preliminary data and, to our surprise, this time we had a working study and a pattern that seemed to be interesting! While out in the wilderness collecting this data, Steve caught a Mexican Pink Tarantula (Brachypelma klaasi) back at the station and decided to have a photoshoot. Some brave souls (Darcey and Evelyn) also decided to give it a cuddle, whereas others (Claire) could not have been more delighted to have missed the whole event. Regardless, we got some impressive photos of the rarest species of the Brachypelmagenus! When the groups were all exhausted and ready for dinner, we were greeted with some amazing Mexican burgers. After this, Liam gave a fun and enlighteneing seminar on the topic of coevolution and how it helps to shape the biodiversity we see.

That’s all for the Boom Chachalacas, signing off again, this time with a working project and full bellies.

En Español

Blog day 8- Group 3

After celebrating the first night of the Carnaval in Autlán, we woke up early for complimentary breakfast and packed our bags for the next part of our adventure. We set off at 9 am and began for Chamela, first stopping at a beachfront town called Melaque. Along the drive, we noticed a drastic change in vegetation as we moved closer to the coast. The trees became shorter and thinner in stature, and palm trees and cactus began to dominate the landscape. We parked by the beach and headed down to enjoy a swim in the Pacific Ocean where we greeted by diving brown pelicans (Pelacanus occidentalis), double crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus), common tern (Sterna hirundo), magnificent frigatebirds (Fregata magnificens), and beach venders selling souvenirs. After a very delightful swim and candid photoshoot, we enjoyed a delicious lunch on the beach along with some much-needed cold beverages. We took this opportunity to walk through the streets, talking to locals and testing the large variety of banana species this area has to offer. We did our best to dust off the sand before heading to another small beach town called Manzanilla. Manzanilla hosts a natural mangrove estuary, home to many American crocodiles (Crocodyls acutus)and other species that occupy these brackish waters. Freshwater inlets coming in from higher elevations collide with the salty waters of the Pacific Ocean to create wetlands where Mangrove trees dominate. These trees have unique physiological abilities in order to survive in saline waters where many other plants cannot survive. Here we saw another collection of bird species, such as the great egret (Ardea alba), yellow crowned night heron (Nyctanassa violacea), and great-tailed grackles (Quiscalus mexicanus). We also had the opportunity to hold a baby crocodile (with supervision of course)! Darcy then gave a short presentation on the American Crocodile, noting that these animals have multiple eyelids for hunting underwater, and nostrils that can close in order to remain submerged for long periods of time. After completing the mangrove walk, we grabbed some snacks to fuel us for the week ahead before departing to the Chamela field station. Upon arriving we were delighted with the brightly coloured facilities of the field station that would be our home for the next week. We quickly ran to our rooms to unpack, and began to notice the flora and fauna of this dry forest which had been damaged in years prior during a hurricane. We were immediately greeted by coatis geckos, flocks of parrots, a tarantula (YIKES), a pair of hawks, and armies of army ants. The views of the mountain range and forests surrounding the field station will be something to look forward to every day of our stay. We continued investigating until dinner-time, where we enjoyed a Sunday night dinner of delicious tacos in the cafeteria. After dinner, we headed to the air-conditioned auditorium for the rest of the night to attempt to do some homework and update our families on our adventures as the geckos clicked in the ceiling. We can’t wait to venture around this beautiful station.

En Español

Día 8 – equipo 3

Después de celebrar la primera noche de carnaval en Autlán, nos levantamos temprano a desayunar y empacar para continuar con nuestra siguiente Aventura. Saliendo con rumbo a Chamela a las 9am con el plan de visitar primero un pueblo en la playa llamado Melaque. Los árboles de la zona son más cortos y delgados y se comenzaron a ver palmeras y cactus dominando el paisaje. Una vez que llegamos a la playa, nos fuimos todo el grupo a disfrutar y nadar en el Océano pacífico donde nos dieron la bienvenida un buen número de pelícanos (Pelecanus occidentalis), Cormoranes (Phalacrocorax auratus) Charranes (Sterna hirundo) y Fragatas (Fragata magnificens), ademas de un buen número de vendedores de artesanías en la playa. Después de una rica nadada y sesión de fotos, nos fuimos a comer una deliciosa comida en la playa con unas muy necesitadas bebidas frías. Después nos aventuramos a caminar por las calles del pueblo para conocer la gente y aprovechar para probar todas las variedades de plátanos que encontramos en el pueblo. Hicimos lo mejor posible para sacudirnos la arena antes de irnos a otra playa cercana llamada La Manzanilla donde hay un estero y manglar, hogar de numerosos cocodrilos (Crocodylus acutus) y otras especies que habitan estas aguas salobres. Agua dulce que baja de las montañas, se encuentra con las aguas del océano pacífico para crear aguas salobres donde dominan los manglares. Los árboles tienen habilidades fisiológicas únicas para sobrevivir las condiciones Salinas que otras plantas no pueden soportar. Observamos además otro buen número de especies d aves, incluyendo la Garza nocturna de Cabeza amarilla (Nyctanassa violacea), Zanates (Quiscalus mexicanus) y garzones blancos (Ardea alba). Más Adelante, tuvimos oportunidad de tomar cocodrilos en nuestras manos (supervisados claro está)! Darcy nos habló también sobre las características de los cocodrilos, enfatizando en que estos animales tienen varias adaptaciones para cazar bajo el agua como los nostrilos que se cierran para permanecer mucho tiempo bajo el agua. Después de que terminó nuestra caminata por el manglar, nos fuimos a comprar botanas para tener reservas en nuestro viaja hacia la estación científica de Chamela. A nuestra llegada, nos alegramos de ver los encendidos colores de los edificios que serían nuestro hogar la siguiente semana. Rápidamente nos instalamos en nuestros cuartos y empezamos a observar la característica flora y fauna del lugar de este bosque seco dañado recientemente por un huracán. Nos dieron la bienvenida los Coatis, Geckos, loros y tarantulas (Hayyyy!) un par de Gavilanes y ejércitos de hormigas.

La vista de las montañas y el bosque alrededor de la estación es algo que nos llama a la aventura en los próximos días de nuestra estancia en Chamela. Continuamos investigando los alrededores hasta la hora de la cena, donde nos ofrecieron deliciosos tacos. Después de cenar, nos fuimos al salón de clases con aire acondicionado por el resto de la noche para intentar hacer algún trabajo y tareas y poner al corriente a nuestras familias de nuestras aventuras mientras los Geckos llamaban desde el techo. Estamos ansiosos por iniciar un nuevo día para aventurarnos en este magnifico lugar.

Hola again from Sean, Hector, and Chenxi!

This morning we left Autlán for an early windy mountain drive, a little car sickness, and a wide variety of breakfast tacos in the town of Villa Purification. Jésus (Surname), an agricultural professor at the University of Guadalajara, met us there to speak about the history of the town itself and local crops, as did the former director of the Las Joyas Biological Station. The town was founded in 1530 and was thereafter a node for Spanish trade, with a direct link to the Philippines. Mangoes, oranges, and pineapples, and importantly, a special technique for growing pineapples in the shade, defined this locality for the following centuries.

Pineapples have been cultivated in Mexico for 2-3000 years, but cultivars have been widespread, originating in South America, for around 6000 years. The plantation that we subsequently visited touts a shade cultivar of pineapple that thrives in semi-deciduous forest of large trees, with banana, orange, coffee, and native tree species mixed in (and some HOT chilis, wild vanilla, and starfruits growing among them). These pineapples are adapted to time their flowering with the loss of leaves on the covering trees, and these leaves in turn fertilize the following fruit. Plantations such as these serve as crucial corridors for wildlife, and foraging habitat for others. The importance of such agricultural landscapes in conservation is particularly important in a country with high levels of endemism, and was very evident from our experience at this plantation (we spotted a pygmy owl as we prepared to depart).

We returned to Hotel Autlán to rest, but nothing could have readied us for the spectacle we were privileged to next. Carnival is an especially important festival to this agricultural city of 60 000, but what we witnessed was nothing less than the brilliance, colour, and joy of Latin Mexico in the buskers, tractor-pulled-floats, dancers, bands, and horse-riders that paraded past our hotel and on into town’s core. We were the only gringos, and drew our own stares and questions, as this attraction was never intended for any tourist. The owner of our hotel recognized us as we tried in vain to glimpse the action from the crowded street, inviting us to watch from the roof of the hotel, where we purveyed the succession of performers (some of which had travelled from larger cities to partake) in bewilderment, and the sun sank below the horizon, throwing pink light on the lively revelers. As the parade winded down, we ventured back into the packed streets to continue the festivities in food, drink, dance, and song. It was certainly a time of our lives that, though difficult to describe in words, none will soon forget.

Adios!

Sean, Hector, and Chenxi

Español. 23 de Febrero

Hola de nuevo de Sean, Héctor y Chenxi !

Por la mañana salimos de Autlán en una expedición muy temprano, con viento  y algo mareados por el camino sinuoso recorrido por las montañas, para visitar el poblado de Villa Purificación, donde llegamos a desayunar unos tacos suaves. Jesús, un profesor de agroecología de la Universidad de Guadalajara, nos platicó sobre la historia del pueblo, sus tradiciones y sobre su manejo agrícola, también nos acompaño en anterior encargado de la Estación Científica Las Joyas.

El pueblo se fundó en 1530 y fue un lugar importante para el comercio con España y principalmente con las Islas Filipinas, dando lugar a una mezcla de especies frutales traídas de Asia, que junto con las de América enriquecieron la diversidad agrícola local, particularmente se habló de una técnica especial usada por siglos para el cultivo de piñas bajo sombra.

El cultivo de piña llegó a México entre hace 2 a 3000 años, pero la piña se cree que fue domesticada desde hace 6000 años. La plantación que visitamos se ubica bajo la sombra de grandes árboles nativos de selva mediana subperenifolia, donde además se encentran platanares, naranjales, cafetales, fruta estrella y otras especies de árboles nativos donde también se encuentra vainilla y arbustos de chiles picantes. Las piñas del cultivo de sombra, están adaptadas para florecer cuando se caen las hojas de los árboles, las cuales se convierten en fertilizante para las plantas de piña. La importancia de tales agroecosistemas, es muy relevante para la conservación, ya que sirven de conexión con otros parches de selva, formando corredores biológicos que dan refugio a la vida silvestre, condición muy importante sobre todo en un país con alto grado de endemismo, lo que fue muy evidente por nuestro encuentro con un tecolotito bajeño (Glaucidium brasilianum), justo antes de retirarnos.

Regresamos al hotel en Autlán a descansar, pero nada pudo ser mejor al saber del espectáculo que estábamos por atestiguar. Carnaval es una importante festividad, particularmente para este pueblo dedicado a la agricultura que a pesar de sus 60,000 habitantes demostraron un espectáculo lleno de luces, color y alegría en el desfile de carnaval adornado por múltiples carros alegóricos representados por tractores y caballos muy adornados y sobre los cuáles se realizaban diversos bailes y malabares al son de la música desfilando al frente de nuestro hotel a su destino en el centro de la ciudad.

Éramos los únicos “gringos” y llamamos sin intención la atención de la gente sabiendo que no estaba planeado para turistas. El dueño del Hotel observó que estábamos tratando de darnos paso entre la multitud de gente para observar el desfile y nos invitó a que subiéramos al techo del hotel, donde tuvimos vista privilegiada para ver la variedad de grupos participantes, algunos de ellos llegando de otras ciudades para participar en el carnaval. Al tiempo que desfilaban pudimos ver el atardecer  que con tonos rosas iluminó las danzas de los participantes. Ya para terminar el desfile, bajamos del techo para internarnos entre la multitud de gente para ir a comer, beber, bailar y cantar. Ciertamente fue una experiencia de vida difícil de describir con palabras, pero que ninguno olvidaremos.

Adios!  Sean, Héctor y Chenxi

Hello! Its Jamie, Sydney and Gerardo with day 6 of the Mexico field course.

We started off the day with some bird watching (for those feeling up to the 6.30 morning) and setting up of mist nets to try to catch a few more species. We saw a mountain trogon (Trogon mexicanus) and tufted flycatcher (Trogon mexicanus) before a fantastic breakfast of eggs, pancakes, and bacon. After breakfast we checked the mist nets to find a green-striped brush finch (Arremon virenticeps) and a Golden-brown warbler (Basileuterus belli). As we finished packing, we gathered on the grass for species accounts of some of the wildlife we saw over the past few days, presented by the students. Kayleigh spoke about the Bell’s false brook salamander (Pseudoeurycea bellii), a large lungless salamander endemic to Mexico that uses a lightning-fast projectile tongue to catch insects. Evelyn talked about the Green-striped brush finch, another endemic species to Mexico that we caught in the mist nets earlier in the morning. Finally, Jamie talked about the Crested guan, a large game bird that we just saw the day before!

After the talks we said our goodbyes (and thank you’s) to some of the staff. While it was terribly sad to say goodbye to the station after such an exciting few days, we were looking forward to the next stage of our adventure as we squeezed into the backs of the pickup trucks, beginning our descent to Autlán at around 10.30 am. The highlight of our ride down was a family of peccaries that we glimpsed crossing the road behind us. We also saw a variety of birds including some short-tailed hawks (Buteo brachyurus) and black vultures (Coragyps atratus).

We made it down by about 1.00 pm and moved into our rooms at the Hotel Autlán, went for a refreshing swim to wash off the dust, and took advantage of hotel wifi to catch up on some overdue emails. We had the afternoon to explore the town and get a bite to eat down in the main plaza. Almost every street was full of people setting up stalls, rides, and stages for the upcoming Carnival. We had a much-needed meal and briefly reconvened at 5.30 to discuss the plan for the coming few days and ordered pizza. The evening featured the first rainfall of the trip, so we enjoyed the pizza undercover outside of the hotel restaurant and some students had another evening swim before a relaxing night of indoor work/chatting.

Until next time!

J/S/G

En español

Dia 6

Hola, Nuevamente los saluda Jamie, Sydney y Gerardo en el día 6 del curso en México.

Empezamos el día con observación de aves (para aquellos con ganas de levantarse temprano a las 6:30) y se colocaron además redes trampa para tratar de capturar algunas especies más. Observamos un Trogón de montaña (Trogon mexicanus) y un Mosquero canela copetón (Mitrephanes phaeocercus) antes del fantástico desayuno de huevos, pancakes y tocino. Después del desayuno checamos las redes y encontramos un rascador dorso verde (Arremon virenticeps) y un chipe ceja dorada (Basileuterus belli). Cuando terminamos de empacar para nuestro regreso a Autlán, pasamos un rato antes en el pasto para platicar de algunas de las especies silvestres asignadas para describir y que observamos en los días anteriores, en esta ocasión, presentadas por Kayliegh quien hablo acerca de la salamandra Mexicana de los volcanes (Pseudoeurycea bellii), una gran salamandra sin pulmones endémica de México que usa su lengua como un rápido proyectil para capturar insectos. Evelyn habló acerca del rascador de dorso verde (Arremon virenticeps) y otras especies endémicas de México que capturamos con ayuda de las redes por la mañana. Finalmente, Jaime habló acerca del Choncho (Penelope purpurascens), un agran ave que observamos el día anterior.

Después de las pláticas nos despedimos (y agradecimos) al personal de la estación. Fue terriblemente triste decir adiós a la estación después de increíbles experiencias en pocos días, estábamos mirando el siguiente paso de nuestra aventura cuando acomodábamos nuestras maletas en la camioneta. Comenzamos nuestro descenso a Autlán a las 10:30 am, las luces frontales de la camioneta bajando deslumbraron una familia de pecaríes cruzando la carretera justo frente a nosotros. También observamos una variedad de aves incluyendo aguilillas de cola corta (Buteo brachyurus) y zopilotes negros (Coragyps atratus). 

Llegamos a Autlán a la 1:00 pm y fuimos directo al Hotel para instalarnos en nuestras habitaciones, después fuimos a nadar para refrescarnos y quitarnos el polvo. Tomamos ventaja del Wifi del hotel para descargar los mails atrasados. Después pasamos la tarde para explorar el pueblo y comer algo en la plaza principal. Casi todas las calles estaban llenas de gente sentadas en bancas, coches y gradas preparadas para el carnaval. Luego fuimos a comer antes de una breve reunión a las 5:30pm para discutir el plan de los siguientes días y ordenar pizza. Una tarde destacada con la primer lluvia del viaje, entonces disfrutamos de la pizza en el restaurante del hotel y algunos estudiantes nadaron de nuevo en la tarde antes de una relajante noche de trabajo y platica en el interior.

Hasta la próxima ¡¡

Today was our last full day at the Estación científica Las Joyas. We started off the day like every other- the few early riser when out to bird watch, while others took advantage of the extra few minutes of sleep. At 8am we all gathered in the dining room for some delicious breakfast enchiladas and fruit; coffee included of course. After finishing up our meal, we started preparing our packs to hitch a ride to the top of the mountain in pickup trucks. Throughout the drive up, we observed the flora get more coniferous at higher elevations. There was a variety of flowering plants with unique and beautiful colours that differed from the flora at the lower altitude of Las Joyas. When we arrived at the top, we were amazed with the view. As we gazed out from the mountain we could see for miles. The mountain was so high up that we were virtually level with the clouds. We spent some time here taking photos and basking in the glory of the spectacular view. After a sufficient amount of picturesque views, we rearranged ourselves for the 2 hours trek back to the station. Before leaving the mountain, we were able to see a diverse variety of hummingbirds. On the hike down, we kept our eyes peeled and vigilantly flipped rocks in hopes of finding snakes or salamanders- sadly, we did not find any. We did however get to see a female Guan with a vibrant red throat. She walked in front of us on the trail for quite some time and we were able to get some good snaps. Following the hike, we were given time to complete data collection needed for our final projects. Our group is studying how the location of zea diploperenus correlates to the position of the sun on disrupted man-made paths (west/east and north/south). At 2:30 we returned and washed up before lunch. Lunch was served at 3pm as always. There was a delicious corn stew served to all, with chicken for the omnivores and mushrooms for the herbivores. Following this we had about an hour of repose before we returned to the field to collect our last set of data samples. We returned at 5:30pm for a brief lesson on statistical analysis, then headed up to a cabin for three more seminars presented by Jamie, Leah, and Kayleigh. The seminars sparked some very interesting conversations about ecotourism, agriculture, and the effects of the formation of the isthmus of Panama. We went down to have dinner at 8pm. To our delight, we were treated to a tasty noodle and veggie dish. Then students who wished could join Steve and Javier in the bat hunt. We hiked up into the near forest, where we turned off all our head lamps. Javier used prerecording of owl sounds to summon the owl. We successfully induced a smaller owl to respond (Eastern screech owl). Alas, no larger owls were fooled by our tricks. The long and sensational day warranted for a good night’s sleep. We will be sad to be leaving Las Joyas tomorrow morning, but are excited for the adventure that Autlan and Chamela have in store for us!

En español

Hoy fue nuestro ultimo día complete en la Estación Científica Las Joyas. Comenzamos nuestro día como los anteriores, los tempraneros nos fuimos a observar aves, mientras otros aprovecharon para dormir unos minutos más. A las 8am nos reunimos en el comedor para un delicioso deayuno de enchiladas verdes y fruta, sin faltar el café por supuesto. Después del desayuno, nos fuimos a preparar mochilas para una excursión hacia las montañas en un viaje sinuoso y agitado por las montañas en la camionetas pickup. Durante el viaje observamos que la vegetación dominante a mayor elevación era de bosque de pinos. Observamos una variedad interesante de plantas con flores con colores diversos y únicos, diferente a las plantas observadas a elevaciones más bajas en las Joyas. 

Cuando llegamos a la cima nos sorprendimos con la maravillosa vista desde donde podíamos ver el paisaje por millas. Estábamos a tal Altura que literal, estábamos al nivel de las nubes. Pasamos un buen rato explorando y tomando muchas fotos mientras tomábamos el sol en el sitio con tan gloriosa y espectacular vista. Después de nuestra sesión de fotos, nos reunimos para iniciar nuestro descenso caminando por alrededor de dos horas hacia la Estación Científica. A lo largo de nuestra caminata, nos mantuvimos vigilantes, al mismo tiempo que levantamos piedras y troncos en búsqueda de serpientes, salamandras u otros animales de los cuales tristemente no encontramos ninguno.

No obstante, pudimos observar un Choncho (Penelope purpurascens) con una garganta roja muy brillante. Pudimos observarla por un buen tiempo mientras permanecia el sendero y tomar muchas fotos. Después de nuestra llegada se nos dío tiempo para poder continuar con la toma de datos para los Proyectos. Nuestro equipo decidió analizar como el teozintle (Zea diploperennis) se relaciona a la posición de coordenadas geográficas y la relación con la radación solar sobre caminos y veredas usadas por humanos. Regreamos a las 2:30 para lavarnos antes de comer. Comimos a las 3pm como siempre. Nos sirvieron una sopa de elote con pollo para los omnívoros y con hongos para los herbívoros. Después de la comida tuvimos una hora de Descanso antes de regresar a nuestros sitios de trabajo de campo para colectar más datos. Ya a nuestro regreso a las 5:30pm, tuvimos una pequeña clase sobre análisis estadísticos y luego al salón de clases para escuchar tres seminarios más presentados por Jamie, Leah y Kayleigh. Los seminarios trataron temas muy interesantes sobre el ecoturismo, agricultura y el intercambio de fauna durante la formación del Istmo de Panamá.  A las 8:00pm nos fuimos a cenar un delicioso platillo de fideos con vegetales asados. Mientras unos se quedaron a limpiar la cocina, otros se unieron con Javier y Steve para la captura de murciélagos. Poco después, nos reunimos para ir a buscar tecolotes usando unas grabaciones que Javier usa como señuelo para atraerlos. Tuvimos éxito en atraer a un Búho oriental pequeño (Psiloscops trichopsis). Otros búhos grandes no respondieron a los llamados. El largo día pero sensacional nos garantizó una Buena noche para dormir. Estamos tristes de que nos iremos de las Joyas mañana en la mañana, pero a la vez emocionados de la siguientes aventuras que nos esperan en Autlan y Chamela !