The time is drawing nearer for departure to Manu and I am starting to get really excited to go back. You never realize how much you miss a place until you get ready to return to it once again. My crew for the season is all arranged and eagerly awaiting our departure. I've been fielding emails filled with eager questions on what to bring and vaccinations. It has reminded me that I too need to re-up on my influenza vaccine before it becomes difficult and more expensive to find. This year I have decided to get the rabies vaccinations since we always have quite a few bats show up in the nets. I haven't been bitten yet, but probability dictates it is quite likely I will.
Crochet hooks are good for more than just crocheting! A fish bat getting untangled in the Amazon last season.
I've started to unpack my field equipment from my field closet storage, and the list-making has begun. There is so much to plan for! The video monitoring plan is giving me a headache thinking about how I will power the system and keep it from overheating. We also have to worry about the data collection and making sure we have enough memory to store all the footage. Times like this make me think maybe I should have done work in the US- at least I wouldn't be worrying about solar power systems and inverters. With all this learned knowledge I can sell my skills as a budding electrical engineer if this gig as an ecologist doesn't pan out.
But still... I love my birds too much to stay away for too long.
