18th June- 16th July
...one of the most intact forests on earth...
Guyana is situated in the the North-East of South America and 85% of it is tropical forest.
Guyana is one of the most intact forests on earth making it a biodiversity hotspot.
Iwokrama reserve, 'The Green Heart of Guyana,' is a protected area (371,000 hectares), set aside by the government for conservation. It is split into two areas: an area of untouched forest and an area where sustainable logging takes place.
Operation Wallacea (opwall) is a conservation and research organisation that is funded by students to help collect research whilst educating them and providing experience in field research. Long-term data sets have been carried out in Guyana since 2014, identifying the biodiversity and impacts of the sustainable logging.
The first few days were spent at Iwokrama River Lodge and Research Centre, this is off the Essequibo River. Here we met our local guides and had lectures from all the staff scientists. This informed us which surveys we were carrying out, how we were doing them and most importantly why they are so important and beneficial to Iwokrama, Guyana.
We were also lucky enough to have a lecture from Dr Raquel Thomas-Cesar, who is the Director of Resource Management and Training for Iwokrama. She discussed the research and monitoring that takes place in the reserve and sustainable logging. She is truly inspiring and had us all captivated, making us realise how lucky we were to be in such an amazing country and why we were there as conservationist.
https://iwokrama.org
Mammal Survey
...strongest bite of any cat in the world...
Guyana forest has both grazers and predators and is home to the largest cat in the Americas; jaguars. It is simply the king of the jungle and and has the strongest bite of any cat in the world (twice as strong as a lion) and can even pierce through turtle shells. They are extremely illusive and incredibly hard to spot, so if you manage to get a glimpse of one in the wild you are incredibly lucky.
Surveys were carried out by scientist Sateesh Venkatesh and a local guide along transects looking for tracks, signs (scat, scratches) and sightings of mammals. Camera traps were also set up throughout the duration of the expedition.
Boat surveys were also carried out where research sites were adjacent to the river and all target species were recorded, which also included birds species such as kingfishers and parrots.
(Photos credit to Molly Crookshank)
Bat Survey
"...highest species diversity of bats out of any protected area in the world."
In the rainforest bats play a vital role in pollination and seed dispersal, to the extent that canopy plant species depend on them. They are also a good indicator species for disturbance such as logging.
There are 86 species of bats found in Iwokrama forest which is the highest species diversity of bats out of any protected area in the world [2].
Surveys were done each night using mist nets which opened at 5pm and were checked every hour until 11/12pm. Measurements were taken from each bat (weight, sex, wing size etc...). We caught a huge number of different species and the first night at Sandstone we beat the most number of species in one night in opwall's history in Guyana (15 species). That night we even had a new species to that season which was really exciting; heller's broad-nosed bat.
Herp Survey
" Amphibians are also facing extinction due to the spread of the chytrid fungus..."
Amphibians are key indicator species showing how an ecosystem its doing and play a crucial role in the food chain. However due to being ectotherms they are very sensitive to climate change. Amphibians are also facing extinction due to the spread of the chytrid fungus and only some are starting to become resistant, such as the cane toad which is now widely spread. Therefore it is vital for Operation Wallace to collect data on species abundance and distribution.
The surveys taken by herpetologist Hannah O'Sullivan, took place each night and where research sites were adjacent to the river, night boat surveys were also carried out alongside terrestrial surveys. Sound recorders were also put out at each research site and set to start at 1800.
It was always exciting to see a caiman, their eye shine is something else and you know you just do not want to mess with them!
Insect Survey
"...the world's strongest known animal in the world in relation to its weight."
Dung beetles are not only important for nutrient cycling but are also incredible indicators as they are very sensitive to environmental changes. They also eat rotten fruit and feaces from wildlife. This makes them perfect for monitoring the biodiversity within an area. Dung beetles are found on every continent except Antarctica, making their taxonomy well known. They are also easy to capture therefore ideal to study for research [1]. They are best known for rolling up dung into a ball. This impressive behaviour makes them not only the strongest insect but also the world's strongest known animal in the world in relation to its weight.
We set out beetle traps along a transect at each research site containing human poo and they were left for 72 hours. After this duration the traps were collected and the beetles were identified and counted.
Bird Survey
Guyana holds 820 bird species
Birds are crucial for the recovery of any deforestation whether that's man-made or natural, as they are key pollinators, seed dispersers, and they control the numbers of plant-eating insects. Therefore a high biodiversity indicates a healthy forest, which therefore will regenerate at a quicker rate.
Guyana holds 820 bird species which is nearly three times the amount than the UK despite being the same size.
Bird surveys were taken by Brian O'Shea and started at 5am everyday using mist nets and depending if it was raining or not they were checked every 45 minutes. Birds were then ringed and measurements were taken (weight/wing size/age/sex/blood samples etc).
The screaming Piha has a very distinct call which we heard pretty much 24/7 and were a good alarm call. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW6Ly7fSKTQ
It made the forest feel alive with wildlife.
(Photos credit to Molly Crookshank and Tabitha Gibbons)
Forestry Survey
There are over 1500 species of plants in Iwokrama forest...
Possibly the most important survey is habitat. It can tell you a huge amount of information and indicate, the forest health, which fauna species might be present and the surrounding environment including the abiotic factors (rain, pollution, nutrients, sunlight etc). There are over 1500 species of plants in Iwokrama forest and 40% are endemic to Guyana.
Opwall's research sites cover areas of forest with logging and untouched areas. There was a clear difference of types of species and sizes of trees.
In logging areas such as Mill Site there was more understory vegetation due to the forest regenerating.
Forestry surveys were lead by expedition manager and scientist Scott Sveiven. Habitat plots were carried out along each transect and also where sound recorders were put out for herps.
On a clear night the stars were stunning and most nights we were lucky enough to see the Milky Way. With the full moon it was just something which a camera would never do justice. Time off was spent either playing frisbee (which just catching it made you sweat), playing cards, washing clothes, writing our diaries, or just having a general laugh with everyone there and when jungle fever hit hard the conversations were something else!
Turtle Mountain
...jaguar tracks (adult female and cub) just a five minute walk away from our hammocks.
Turtle Mountain was our first camp which we took a half hour boat ride to get to. When we arrived at the camp it was very hot and we were all very excited to get our hammocks up in the forest. We were all put in groups and allocated which surveys we were doing throughout the week. I was ecstatic to see we were the group doing TWO DAYS of mammal surveys! The local guide taking our mammal survey was called Mica who knew so much and could see tracks and signs instantly.
The first survey we saw so much disturbance from about 60 peccaries which was insane, they looked like they were having a field day. We even got to see jaguar scat which had bones in and an armadillo claw in (for a biologist that is very exciting!).
The walk itself was just amazing and the trees had incredible vines coming down and it just reminded me of the Jungle Book. We were lucky enough that this survey was going up Turtle Mountain so we were the first group to go up and get the breathtaking view over the rainforest and even saw three howler moneys with a baby on the way up on survey. Howler monkeys make this incredible noise that can be heard kilometres away, its always pretty special when you can hear them. When it's not raining it is so hot you sweat just by blinking let alone going up a mountain so you can imagine the state of us when we got back to camp.
(Photos credit to Molly Crookshank)
The highlights from Turtle Mountain were not only the view but also the fact we had jaguar tracks (adult female and cub) just a five minute walk away from our hammocks so she was obviously curious (shown in photo above). We also got to see a Crested Eagle chick which was amazing.
Mill Site
...'shape up'...
Mill Site was our next research site which is a sustainable logging site so it was interesting to see how different the forest structure would be. To get there we drove from Iwokrama research lodge. We obviously had to have a singing session on route during, which we found out the Pina Colada Song is the Opwall's Guyana song.
The main highlight from Mill Site was not only the incredible wildlife but also hearing the local's knowledge of the rainforest and getting to know them as true friends. I even got to know their Creole lingo from Julian and Mica including 'shape up' which basically means 'come here/show your face' and 'Wam Budday' meaning 'whatsup?'. Knowing this I was able to build friendships and gain a deeper understanding of their culture.
Millsite also had the best mammal tracks due to the sandy surface. Mica spotted tyra tracks which are like an otter crossed with a bear that loves honeycomb. We saw signs of them when I was tracking large mammals in the Mayan Forest, Mexico so I was very excited to see more of these tracks.
The main road to Georgetown was closed due to the weather and a bridge had collapsed from a lorry which was stuck. So back at camp the cooks have been using the supplies they have had since Turtle Mountain. And to feed 40-50 people with few supplies is pretty impressive. In Guyana they refer to the elders as Auntie and Uncle. Auntie Annie was the main cook and was a grandma figure to us all and treated us to pancakes for breakfast. This always put us in the best mood especially with the homemade peanut butter (the sugar rush was pretty good too).
We were getting different guides at Surama so we had a farewell party, one of the cooks Alicia, made us homemade wine from egg-plant. We had a dance with the locals to their music which was great fun. Saying goodbye to the locals was really sad and I just hope one day I can see them all again.
Photos of tracks include Ocolot, Paca and Black Curassow
Photos all taken at Mill Site and credit to Molly Crookshank
Rock Landing
You realised just how important local engagement is to conservation...
The journey to Rock Landing was some adventure and within half an hour of driving we saw four lorries stationary. The road had completely fallen away and the locals were making a bridge from scratch.
The delay in getting to Surama was well worth the wait, it was complete paradise and very quickly felt like home.
https://suramaecolodge.com
The next day we headed to Rock Landing and the boat journey was absolutely stunning with lots of bird life including king fishers flying alongside the boat. This camp was more remote and had less of a clearing than the other sites, with such basic facilities you felt even more like Mowgli! We put our hammocks up in the forest right alongside the river bank which was beautiful and met the new guides from Surama who were from the local tribe Makushi. It took no time to realise that Gary, the local guide, had inspiring knowledge of the rainforest and was a true expert in the field. He even told us historic tales of Guyana and his tribe, which was one of my favourite parts of the day. You realised just how important local engagement is to conservation and how amazing Operation Wallacea is to have these bonds with the locals.
We ate so well and had the most amazing fruit especially the mango. Getting to know the research assistants more and more was also incredible and I knew I had friends for life. My highlight from this camp was the incredible mammal boat survey as we saw a huge variety of different bird species and it was stunning weather and scenery.
Photos from boat survey, credit to Molly Crookshank
Sandstone
...carrying a 400lb cow over its shoulder in its mouth.
Sandstone was our most remote camp and we had to sling our hammocks up in the structures the local guides had made as it was too dangerous in the forest due to snakes and tree fall. It was a five hour boat ride from rock landing and we were lucky enough to pass a Harpy eagle's nest. Little did we know we would actually see one! Seeing the reaction from the bird scientists, whose dream it was to see one, was pretty special and actually one of the highlights of the trip.
Photos credit to Molly Crookshank
The vines dropping from the massive trees looked like monkey heaven and the trees had different shades of colour including orange, pink, yellow and reds. The red leaves are special delicacy for the howler monkeys.
The most memorable aspect of this research site was the transects. The 3km transect was incredible especially on the mammal survey. A huge amount of tracks and signs were found including a sighting of a paca. On this transect we also had to go (swim) through a pretty decent swamp which was really fun. There was a moment tipping out my wellies I was thinking this is madness but when it comes to data collection...anything goes.
The locals went fishing daily and caught catfish and piranha, which we had for dinner and it was delicious. They took us out on the river and Uncle Dan was telling me stories about encounters he has had with harpy eagles and jaguars. The most amazing story was that of a jaguar seen on a camera trap carrying a 400lb cow over its shoulder in its mouth. This just makes me want to see one even more, they are a truly remarkable specie.
The last night at Sandstone was pretty sad as it was the end of such an amazing trip. I have gained so much and been inspired in so many ways to conserve our environment and animal species. We went back to Surama by boat and staying at this village for a night was a perfect way to end the trip being in everyones company. We found out that the road back to Georgetown was closed so we were flying out of the rainforest. Meeting such inspiring locals and being in the most amazing pristine rainforest with the incredible species, I knew one thing for sure, I would have to return.
Until next time...
Thank you
Just want to say a huge thank you to Operation Wallacea who gave me this opportunity and to Edinburgh Napier University and The Matthew Trust Fund who helped fund this trip to make everything possible. I would also like to say a big thank you to Water-to-go who sponsored me their bottle which kept me fit and healthy throughout Guyana. And finally a huge thank you to my uncle Alexander Reading, who's generous donation enabled me to continue to Ecuador as a volunteer to help collect data for a Phd on Bromeliads.
REFERENCES
[1] Audino, L., Louzada, J., & Comita, L. (2014). Dung beetles as indicators of tropical forest restoration success: Is it possible to recover species and functional diversity?. Biological Conservation, 169, 248-257. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2013.11.023
[2] LIM, B., & ENGSTROM, M. (2001). Bat community structure at Iwokrama Forest, Guyana. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 17(5), 647-665. doi:10.1017/S0266467401001481