We woke up to a cloudy morning sky in the highlands of yanayacu. We were prompted to meet a little earlier than usual for breakfast because we planned to head out to the lowlands by 7:30am to meet with our PI, Dr. Lee Dyer. Our facilitators Dani and Santiago arranged a taxi to come pick up half of our group that did not fit in the truck in order to ensure the safety of our members during the 2 hour drive.
During our ride we made a quick stop to buy markers to properly label our samples. Meanwhile, the group I was in (truck) took a bathroom break and got a quick look of the city. While waiting for people to come out, Santiago shared with us a common dish in Ecuador. He grabbed a yellow worm-looking beetle larvae that was 2 inches long and 1 inch thick. Santiago has been supporting me through my journey of getting over the fear of grabbing bugs and insects so he asked me to grab it. Without hesitation I grabbed the larvae with two fingers as I felt it’s core contract and stretch. Apparently these beetle larvae are fetched from a palm tree in Ecuador and are grilled to give it a crunchy exterior but mushy interior.
Promptly we arrived to our destination at Iyarina. Dr. Dyer was finishing up his lecture with some undergraduate students from University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) and Colorado Mesa University. We were scheduled to go out searching for a new species of plants called Melastomataceae. Dr. Dyer wanted us to teach 3 of his students the methodology of our research so they rode with us to the Iyarina Reserve. As soon as we walked into the rainforest it was evident that the lowlands were extremely different than the highlands. Due to the 5,000ft+ difference in elevation, we were now experiencing a complete opposite climate at an 80F weather and 90% humidity. The vegetation in this area was definitely unique. Unlike the Piper Kelleyi species plant from the prior day, the Melastomataceae plant was relatively easier to spot. We were able to collect data from about 18 of 30 sets of plants.
Eventually we headed back to the Iyarina Station where we ate lunch. Some of us walked down stairs to eat our lunch near the shore of the river but it started to rain. Once the rain died out and we finished lunch we headed back to the Iyarina Reserve to finish our work. By then it felt so much more humid and most of us were sweating just searching for herbivores at our designated plant. Once we finished some of us took the opportunity to walk 1/8 of a mile to see a small natural pool despite of the rainfall. Santiago decided to use nature to fight nature and cut a couple big leaves to use as an umbrella. We arrived at the the pool and it was so beautiful! We took a group picture with the part of the group that was there.
Eventually Dr. Dyer somehow found us to inform us that we needed to head back to our station in Yanayacu in the highlands soon because officials close roads during storms due to the dangers of mudslides. We had already seen some railing being knocked over from the storm a couple weeks ago so we took no chances and heading back to our station.
When we arrived at our station, we arrived to a small 4th of July U.S. Independence Day celebration set up by the station hosts Jose and Maria. I thought it was a kind gesture given we were in Ecuador. After dinner many of us gathered around the campfire to bond. I shared with a couple of my team members that I was very happy with the level of comfort and unity our group was at. Usually it takes a whole trip to open up to a group and then regret that it didn’t happen sooner. However, I felt our Earthwatch team broke the pattern from my previous experiences because we got close very early in our expedition with love and respect for one another. I am grateful to be where I am right now, to take part in a program that has been very fruitful for me professionally and personally.
Climate Change and Caterpillars in Ecuador 2019 