Madagascar's Lemurs

More documents

Recommendations

Info

While every sunny day is a “laundry day,” it is good to plan to have enough clothing to get through two weeks without doing laundry. As far as clothes go, it is suggested that you bring three of everything (excluding underwear): one wet/dirty, one clean/dry, and one to put on. Plan on wearing the same clothes for multiple days. Lightweight trousers and long-sleeved shirts are best for working. Please don’t bring camouflage patterned clothes as they are viewed with suspicion by the local police. Make sure to bring a sufficient quantity of any prescription medicine, as it may be very hard to find what you need in Madagascar. Note that while there is a First Aid kit onsite, you should bring additional items for personal use, particularly if you might use some regularly or would like to have supplies on hand (e.g. Advil, Tylenol, Band-aids, etc.). A personal First Aid kit is also recommended if you are traveling before or after the project. Be aware that the ride from the rendezvous site to the research site is long and bumpy, so be sure to bring motion sickness medication (e.g. Dramamine) and a good support bra if you think that you might need them! Please make sure that your toiletries are environmentally friendly. Biodegradable soap, shampoo, etc. are commercially available and should be easy to find. Weather Considerations Please take weather conditions into consideration when packing for your expedition. Climate information can be found in Section 10 ‘Project Conditions.’ All volunteers are advised to bring waterproof hiking boots and rain suits. You can layer field clothes with long underwear and t- shirts to keep yourself warm in the cool season (Teams II and III) and cool in the warm season (Teams I and IV). This also allows for effective temperature regulation according to activity level and time of day (it is often cool in the mornings when the team sets off from camp but then warms up throughout the day). Stay away from 100-percent cotton clothing. Synthetics and blends dry more quickly and are better for your skin. If you will be on Teams II or III, you should also bring a warm sweater, and consider bringing a lightweight hat and gloves (the fingerless ones are great for writing). Cultural Considerations Local dress is fairly relaxed, but on the conservative side. In town, a nice blouse or shirt and trousers are appropriate attire. At the field site, remember the local customs are conservative. Please don’t dress in a manner that could be viewed as provocative, as it reflects poorly on the research team. If you have questions regarding protocol, ask one of the project staff. Staff and volunteers are guests of the country and as such are obligated to conduct the research in harmony with the local people and with minimum disturbance to their daily routine. Essential Items Make sure to bring your Earthwatch Expedition Briefing with you! It includes important information to which you may need to refer during your expedition, as well as during your journey to and from the rendezvous site. Other essential items include lightweight field clothes, raingear, waterproof hiking boots, and camping equipment (e.g. sleeping bag, pad, tent, etc.). Please see the Expedition Packing Checklist for a complete list of suggested items. You are encouraged to go through the list and mark off each required item before you leave for your expedition. Note that the items listed are only suggestions. Try to think about everything you touch on an average day and decide if you will need it in the forest. Keep in mind that you will only be in the field for two weeks and there are probably a lot of comforts you can do without during this time. 18
13. RECOMMENDED READING Please read Madagascar’s Lemurs: The Research in the appendix of this briefing. This document was prepared by the Principal Investigator and Earthwatch and explains the research conducted through this project as well as some results to date. Below are additional recommended materials for those interested in further preparing for the expedition. They can be found in libraries, bookstores, and online through popular vendors. See Section 15 ‘Helpful Resources’ for suggested vendor websites. Information on Traveling in the Tropics and to/in Madagascar • Guide to Madagascar, 8th Edition by Hilary Bradt, 2005, Globe Pequot Press, Old Saybrook, CT (an excellent introduction to the country, its culture, and its resources) • Lonely Planet Travel Guide: Madagascar & Comoros, 5 th Edition by Gemma Pitcher and Patricia C. Wright, 2004, Lonely Planet Publications • Health Hints for the Tropics in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene News, Washington, DC (for a copy, write to Karl A. Western, MD, editor, Tropical Medicine and Hygiene News, 6436 31 st Street, Washington, DC 20015-2342 – single copies are approximately US$4 each) Information on Malagasy Culture • Over the Lip of the World: Among the Storytellers of Madagascar by Colleen J. McElroy, 1999, University of Washington Press Background Information on Madagascar’s Biodiversity • Lemurs of Madagascar by Russell Mittermeier, Ian Tattersall, William Konstant, David Meyers, and Roderic Mast, 1994, Conservation International, Washington, DC (the most comprehensive overview of the 50 species and subspecies of primates inhabiting Madagascar, including their distribution and conservation status) • Mammals of Madagascar by Nick Garbutt, 1999, Yale University Press, New Haven (comprehensive with beautiful photography) • Madagascar Wildlife, 2 nd Edition by Nick Garbutt and Hilary Bradt, 2001, Bradt Travel Guides • Birds of the Indian Ocean Islands by Olivier Langrand, 1998, Yale University Press, New Haven • Birds of Madagascar: A Photographic Guide by Peter Morris and Frank Hawkins, 1998, Yale University Press, New Haven Stories of the Researchers Working in Madagascar • The Aye Aye and I; A Rescue Mission in Madagascar by Gerald Durrell, 1992, Arcade Publishing, New York (an enjoyable, easy to read book) • The Eighth Continent by Peter Tyson, 2000, Perennial Press, Harper Collins, New York • For the Wild Places; Profiles in Conservation by Janet Trowbridge Bohlen, 1993, Island Press, Washington, DC (profiles the lives and work of a handful of leaders in conservation, including Dr. Wright) • Lords and Lemurs: Mad Scientists, Kings with Spears, and the Survival of Diversity in Madagascar by Alison Jolly, 2004, Houghton Mifflin • The Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinctions by David Quammen, 1997, New York, Schribner 19
Page 1 and 2: ‘08 AFRICA Earthwatch. Madagascar
Page 3 and 4: Welcome to Earthwatch Institute! Yo
Page 5 and 6: Institute for the Conservation of T
Page 7 and 8: GENERAL INFORMATION PRINCIPAL INVES
Page 9 and 10: analyses showed that the Milne-Edwa
Page 11 and 12: Co-Principal Investigator Dr. Summe
Page 13 and 14: 5. TEAM ITINERARY Generally data co
Page 15 and 16: 8. FOOD Food will be prepared by th
Page 17 and 18: Visa Agencies In the United States
Page 19 and 20: specialists. The following is a loc
Page 21 and 22: Potential Hazards Hazard Type Trans
Page 23: hallucinations while taking it and
Page 27 and 28: 15. HELPFUL RESOURCES Project Infor
Page 29 and 30: APPENDIX MADAGASCAR’S LEMURS: THE
Page 31 and 32: selectivity values (percent feeding
Page 33 and 34: Hayes, R. A. Morelli, T. L., and Wr
Page 35 and 36: EXPEDITION PACKING CHECKLIST This E
Page 37 and 38: Personal Supplies Kleenex Lip balm

Madagascar's Lemurs

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?