Things I’ve learned on Rota

Below is a short list of life truths that have been reinforced during my time on Rota.

1.)    Convertible pants are an extremely versatile invention

First of all, they convert between pants, shorts, and even capris, which just oozes practicality. Also, the zip off portion (between pants and shorts) proves very good for removing large, biting ants from your pants without needlessly exposing yourself to co-workers

2.)    GPS units do not lie, nor do they fully tell the truth

This is fairly self-explanatory – while these (and maps in general) do not outright lie, they often tend to withhold vital bits of information concerning your location

3.)    Your first instinct about a bird’s location is either going to be spot-on, or it will be so horribly wrong that you will be embarrassed to admit it to anyone else

Soooo many examples of this – today, I heard a bird and estimated it’s location to within 5 meters (wow!). The other day, I heard a bird, confidently strode off in the appropriate direction, only to realize that I walked 180^o in the wrong direction. Sigh.

4.)    A surprisingly large number of trees are capable of sounding like crows

Reading this, it sounds like I have a severe auditory issue. But seriously, trees creaking in the wind/rubbing branches can sound like crow. Especially when you’ve been looking for 1 bird for FOUR days and haven’t seen/heard a single peep.

5.)    Boony bees show no mercy

This is the colloquial name for the local wasps – they are extremely aggressive and will sting you repeatedly if you move the branch they are on. Supposedly you should stay still, since movement pisses them off. I’ve also heard that you should run like hell. Mike really epitomized this one the other day, coming home with 19 stings L

6.)    When you have a flat tire, you should stop and fix it immediately. Also, your car owner’s manual is full of wise words of wisdom.

 Now I don’t know a lot about cars, but I can change a tire, and have done so on many previous occasions. Today, I was driving and heard a strange noise that sounded like something in the muffler – like I had hit a rock, which knocked a small hole in the exhaust system.

I kept driving (20 mph on a dirt road) about a min later, I noticed the car was pulling to the right, hmmmm

 Ok, definitely a flat tire – look! The car park I was heading toward anyways!

This is a photo of my tire after this thought process.

In total, I drove 100 m (MAYBE 150 m, tops) during this thought process. By the time it dawned on me that I had an actual flat, I drove maybe 30m to the flat, shaded car park, which I thought was a great spot for tire changing. Obviously (judging by the poor tire), this was a very poor decision. As I was looking at the owner’s manual to figure out how to lower the spare, there was a warning that if a flat occurs, you should pull over immediately, or you risk damaging your tire beyond repair. I have indeed confirmed that this is the case.

2 month Rota-versary!

First off – let me sincerely apologize for the lack of updates. I did vow to try and keep everyone updated on my life, and in that regard I’ve been slacking thus far. Allow me to try and summarize the past two months in this one post.

Let me begin by saying that these past months have been a bit of a roller coaster – with a lot more downs than ups. By about week 3 or 4, we were seriously considering leaving and finding another position. Here we are, a month later, and I’m still here. What was so bad? Why have I chosen to stay?

I suppose my main issue was with the project itself; it’s a long term study, and I approached it thinking that there were active conservation measures in place (or at least plans for them). Coming from NZ, I think I’ve become a bit jaded, but we’re dealing with a population of less than 100

breeding pairs, and there are no plans for captive breeding, relocations, or any other ‘drastic’ measures. Hell, we can’t even put more radio-tags on current birds! So I began this project wondering ‘what the hell am I doing here? Are we just supposed to monitor these birds as they slowly go extinct?’ All we can do (since the batteries in our last two tagged birds died) is 1.) look for active nests (which is great, but the nesting season is winding down, so we’re not finding much) and 2.) resight banded birds (which helps with the survivorship estimates; important, yes, but it’s usually opportunistic, and a bit hard to get psyched about in the morning).

Exacerbating this, we’ve been really struggling with our superiors (in the government) who are supposed to do things like release the funds we’ve been allocated (more on this later), and keep our banding permits up to date (which they don’t do). Following a disastrous meeting where they asked us ‘aren’t we done yet?’ it turns out that no one on-island is on the banding permit, because they are refusing to put anyone but “permanent staff” on the permit, notwithstanding the fact that there are no permanent staff with this project. Due to this (and now that the permit has expired, which also prevents us from doing our surveys…) we’ve missed the opportunity to band 4, potentially 6 fledglings. Here I should say that the only way we’ve found to catch the birds and band them, is when they are fledglings. For a population of ~100, this is extremely frustrating, especially considering that 1^st year survival is exceptionally low, and since this year is the first year for cat control, 1^st year survival would be really really important to look at (but we can only do this if birds are banded).

This highlights the first two issues – problems higher up, and lack of project direction. Snowballing all of this together into a lovely ball would be the extremely awkward social situation, and the lack of communication/unification. Because they haven’t had a postdoc here for a while, it’s been a series of part time people, staying 6-9 months and running the show. Consequently, it’s been a game of Chinese whispers – everyone is just conveying what they heard, and nothing is written down. Our direct bosses at UW are really good about answering questions, but for day-to-day field protocol, it’s not feasible to email about every question. As Mike and I got trained at the same time, we’re realizing now that we were told different things, which are slight variations as to the ‘standard protocol’ anyways. Gah!! So frustrating! Just to add insult to injury, there were some people (who have since left) here that were not helping – no communication, not answering questions, lying (? Still trying to work that out), and making us feel very unwelcome.

 Ok. So that’s my bitch section. Now it’s time for the good part.

I sat down and wrote out a list – pros and cons – about staying, going, other opportunities, money, etc. And the surprising thing I found is that I didn’t really want to leave, not really anyways. Despite all the bullshit, I was (am) determined that while I am here, I’ll do the best job I can. And there is a lot to do. We cleaned 7 years of crap out of the house. We bought a mop and cleaning supplies. Started up a ‘Sunday brunch’. Started re-writing protocol. Began organizing 20 year old datasets. Spent time clearing/flagging tracks. Made track/area descriptions for crow territories. Getting the flat tire fixed (after 2 months without a spare). Buying first aid kits for the trucks (because they didn’t have any!!). Little things that all add up. Our direct boss is super supportive which has been a real asset, and has encouraged Mike and myself to start up our own research initiative with estimating rat abundance (cool!).

The mojo was starting to come back. Sure, we may not be organizing predator eradications or translocations to other islands, but we are doing what we can, with what we have.

That was the attitude as of last week, when we got the email saying we may not have funding, and the entire project could be shut down by the end of April. Hmmm. We started spending our days scrambling for jobs, realizing that between flights and visas, it was going to cost money to accept a position. Mike and I were debating taking up a position in Mass that we were offered, when our boss got back to us, saying that funding was sorted for the next year.

So down, then up, then waaay down, only to try and drag ourselves up again. This is why I haven’t been writing – too much drama and angst. This will be my only bitchy post – if nothing else, I’ve learned heaps about attitude and exactly how to make the best of any situation. When life gives you lemons……..

One week on the Job

In my renewed attempt to keep everyone updated, I thought I would post again since I've completed my first full week on the job.

Thus far it has been hot, humid, and sunny, which is not too surprising considering our location. I've been handing the heat fairly well (even turning the fan off some nights!) although steep climbs through the jungle can be fairly epic depending on the time of day.

Although I am still quite new at this, the job is starting to make a bit of sense; we have two birds who still have radio-transmitters, and both birds need to be seen each day. Depending on where the birds are, this can either be really straightforward, or needlessly complecicated. The two birds have been pretty cooperative, although for a moment we thought the battery had died in one. Turns out she was hiding behind a rock off the edge of  a cliff. Silly birds.

The other main portion of the job is nest searching - this is conducted in predetermined territories and seems a bit hit or miss. Generally we hang out around old nest sites, as birds will often re-nest nearby, sometimes using materials from old nests. Other times we wander slowly through the jungle, trying to annoy nesting pairs into giving up their location. The nesting season is winding down, but Mike and I managed to find an active nest our very first afternoon nest searching on our own! We also (potentially) found an incubating nest yesterday, although that remains to be confirmed. That brings our total number of nests up to four, plenty to keep us busy until we learn the ropes.

Free time has been spent exploring the remaining bits of the island, snorkeling, reading (a lot), perusing the grocery stores, and getting a garden started. Not sure how to grow things in the tropics, but we have a lot of seeds started and about 25 cabbage seedlings - hopefully some other stuff will sprout soon. If not I will get tired of cabbage quickly. More photos to come - stay tuned!

Life in the Tropics

For those of you who don’t yet know, Mike and I accepted positions as Field Technicians for a study on an endangered, endemic crow species, on Rota. Rota is a tiny island in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (think right near Guam), which is situated smack-dab in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Japan and New Guinea. 

Now that you know where we are, a bit about what we’re doing. This particular project has been running for a few years, and has been concerning with finding the birds, banding the fledglings, and generally trying to keep them alive. Current estimates show that there are ~ 100 breeding pairs left, which isn’t very many.

Even though we’ve been here since Saturday, we’ve only done two ‘official’ days at work. So far we’ve been using telemetry to find the two birds who still have radio backpacks on (which usually takes a good deal of the morning), and using the afternoon to search for nests in the other parts of the island. These birds will breed year round, and a lot of nests have recently failed, so there is a chance that some birds are starting to re-nest. That being said, they are very hard to find if they don’t want to be found. Often birds will re-nest near old nest sites, so our approach is to go to an old nest, and listen for crows. So far I haven’t been too successful – heard nothing yesterday while in two separate territories. Today was much more successful – we found a banded bird (randomly), hung out with Red (who we were looking for), and heard one bird off in the distance while nest searching.  Furthermore, I completed a rite of passage – getting stung by my first (and second) wasp. They were not as awful as I expected, but I plan on being super-cautious in the future.

A few photos are below. More will trickle in.

Mike makes a critical addition to United Airline's map

View from the Bird Sanctuary - all the white dots are red-footed boobies nesting

This is a blurry photo of a Mariana Crow - apologies until I get a nicer camera

I will (sincerely) try and keep this updated a bit more than previously (i.e. more than once every two years), so check back to see how life in the jungle is progressing!

6 months in NZ (nearly)

Seeing that almost six months have elapsed since I've moved country, I thought it would be a fitting time to update this blog. Once every six months seems like a schedule I could keep. So how to summarize six months of my life? I'm not quite sure, but I think I'll bullet point the highlights for you.
In the last six months I've....

• moved to New Zealand; that was pretty cool
• bought two little budgies, smudgie and pudgie and they're awesome
• been holding down a steady job as a crepe maker at the farmers market
• finished the first semester of my masters degree
• got started on my fieldwork
• sort of learned what I'm supposed to do in the lab
• helped build a rabbit fence dangling off a cliff
• killed african boxthorn
• learned about kea
• tried to learn about NZ birds
• tutored geography
• eaten chocolate

Those are the highlights I can think of now. I was keep to update photos but I've forgotten and am leaving town for a week to go bushwalking (!!!!) so I'll have to keep you all in suspense until then.

Probably the one that requires a bit of explination would be the bit about my masters degree. So I'm still in the first year, where I have to take classes. But I'm halfway though, so I'm on the midsemester break right now. Classes start up again on the 11th, and I probably won't have nearly as much time to puruse the internet. Theoretically then, I have all next year to do field work and work on my thesis. Naturally, I've already started both my field and lab work so I can slack off next year.

My project involves walking along the beach and picking up kelp of a specific species. I have 18 sites along the EC of NZ, and potentially will add more. I bring the kelp back here, dry it out and then do some fancy genetic hocus pocus in the lab. Once I've gotten the genetic stuff to work, I can tell where said beach-washed kelp originated (ie. the sub-anatarctic, Northern NZ, Southern NZ etc). This tells us stuff about dispersal potential and inter-connectiveness of the populations. Neat huh?

I've gone out once and found some kelp, now I'm trying to figure out what to do with it. My lab results have been really mixed, but I'm excited because I just got a batch that worked awesomely this morning!! Usually about 50-60% of the samples will amplify, and out of those, some might be the wrong species. So it's a bit hit or miss to say the least.

Anyways, I should go do lab stuff again, then go home and pack for my bushwalk tomorrow! Photos will come soon!

A quick and simple guide to moving countries.

Thinking about moving country? Is it to simply uproot yourself and start fresh in a new location? Did you get deported out of your home country? Are you looking for a way to challenge yourself and stand on your own two feet? Do you love paperwork more than life itself?

Follow this easy guide to decide if moving country is right for you!

Which one accurately describes your daily sentiments?

a.) What a nice place! I’m so glad I live in this fantastic country! Woe is everyone who ever had to live anywhere else! (1 point)

b.) Another country could be cool, but it’s so scary and hard! I’ll just stay here thanks; sure, it gets on my nerves sometimes, but the positives outweigh the negatives for me (5 points)

c.) Get me out. Now. (10 points)

Your view on paperwork: it’s….

a.) Boring and I wish I never had to do it again (1 point)

b.) Not awful; I get tired of writing my name and address 700 times but I like ticking boxes (5 points)

c.) I’m a fan; I like seeing how my signature changes from form to form; ticking boxes is awesome and I never tire of writing my address (10 points)

What are your thoughts on making all your personal, financial and medical information available to strangers?

a.) No way! Those are private documents and you have no business with them! (1 point)

b.) Um…. I guess you can see them; you’d best have a good reason though! (5 points)

c.) What else do you need? Deceased pet names? A full inventory of my underwear collection? Would you like my footprints as well? (10 points)

How attached are you to your current belongings? (Furniture, home, pets etc)

a.) My things define me! That’s a vintage 1973 Louis Prada designer coat hanger! And don’t even get me started on my lightswitch covers….. (1 point)

b.) They’re just things; I mean I like them, but other places have things too, right? Wait, I would need to buy things AGAIN?! That changes things…(5 points)

c.) I don’t own anything I don’t think…. (10 points)

My life is…

a.) …chockfull of stress and anxiety; xanax…. need xanax…. (1 point)

b.) …up and down in terms of stress levels; average I guess (5 points)

c.) …more stress please!! (10 points)

Your results:

0-15 points: Probably best to stay home; moving country isn’t for you.

16-35 points: You could move country, but maybe try moving state first, as practice

36-50 points: If you’re willing and able, you could be a candidate for a potential an inter-country move. Whether or not another country wants you is another matter of course…