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GVI - 10 week end of-phase news letter

8th September 2009

Staff Updates
Karina Berg has continued to work hard for the Ecuadorian Amazon Expedition as Country
Director. Ms. Berg’s hard work and sound management has greatly facilitated the flow of the
projects and development not only in the conservation, but also in the community work.

Jon Escolar has completed his final expedition with GVI as Base Manager and is pursuing a
career in conservation in the United Kingdom. While in the UK, Jon plans to continue his
research on the bird and community projects he focused on while at GVI.

Matt Iles has completed his 12 month contract with GVI as a member of the expedition staff team.
Mr. Iles is considering pursuing other job opportunities involving conservation in Ecuador or
other countries. Mr. Iles led the dung beetle project at GVI and will be preparing his conclusions
to his research on dung beetles in a final report.

Leeron Tagger, the new addition to the expedition staff team at GVI Amazon, arrived six weeks
into the expedition phase. In the short amount of time spent in the rainforest, Mr. Tagger, has
immersed himself in all the aspects of work, with particular interest in the ongoing amphibian and
dung beetle research.

Andrew Whitworth and Christopher Beirne continue to push forward the very successful
amphibian research project, whilst Samantha Brimble has made excellent progress with the new
butterfly project.

Intern Ali Quinney teamed up with Samantha Brimble to help push forward the butterfly project
and proved herself as a focused and diligent worker who also contributed to other projects and
work around camp.

Week One
The volunteers’ first week included a basic introduction to the reserve, a summary of GVI’s
scientific work, and a series of training sessions. Throughout the week volunteers were given
introductory talks on birds, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and vegetation mapping. Volunteers
also undertook full camp duty training, which included laundry, cooking, cleaning of the all the
base area, and various maintenance responsibilities around the camp.

A week one special highlight was the

introduction to the TEFL course, where
the basics of teaching English as a
foreign language to the local community
were covered. This involved each
volunteer owning the responsibility of
planning and delivering a brief five
minute lesson to the rest of the volunteer
group, on a topic of their choice by way
of practice for the weeks of TEFL to
ahead.

Volunteers spent time out in the field,

getting involved in both day and night

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walks. The night walks proved to be a highlight for many volunteers as a variety of the Amazon’s
nocturnal inhabitants were observed in their glory, creeping through the jungle.

Another accent of week one was the grand opening of the amphibian and reptile ‘pitfall’ traps. A
large number of volunteers expressed an interest in getting involved in their first taste of
fieldwork. The survey made a promising start, with over 20 specimens recorded on the very first
day of checking the open traps.

Week Two
The first full week of surveying for the volunteers translated into amphibian and reptile pitfalls
being checked daily, as well as the set up and checking of the dung beetle traps. The pitfalls
continued to yield interesting results, in that more reptiles than amphibians were being found in
the traps. Seven lizards of five different species were captured during one pitfall checking event.

The first wave of identification work from the dung beetle traps paid its dividends with the
addition of a new species to the reserve species list. The dung beetle species Eurysternus
Caribaeus was captured and identified.

On the butterfly front this week, volunteers assisted staff in butterfly trap maintenance and
preparation and set up. They were excited to see what effect the new fermented banana bait had
on the survey results.

Throughout the week, volunteers went out to the Laguna satellite camp in small groups. On the
night walk at the lagoon, most were lucky enough to catch sight of caimans silently floating in the
water. The night walk was followed by a roaring campfire set under thousands of stars. Before
heading back to base the following day, there was time for an early morning bird-watching
session at the lookout point nearby. One group managed to spot a pair of King Vultures
(Sarcoramphus papa); although already documented on the species list, they had not been
previously seen on the reserve by any of the current staff team.

Saturday, it was over to the Yachana Lodge for a ‘Minga’, a day of volunteer work to help the
community. The day involved draining a small pond, preparing the new lining, and moving
countless number of sacks packed with fertiliser for use in the on-site butterfly house. It was hard
work spent under the blazing sun, but it was worthwhile and very rewarding.

Week Three
Week three was the week of the insects. The idea to use fermented banana bait in the butterfly
traps proved to be a good choice. On the first day of opening the traps, over 13 specimens were
captured and identified. A special mention has to be given to the butterflies of the tribe Morphini;
they were caught in the traps for the first time (two different species in two days!).

The dung beetle project continued along a similar successful vein as the previous week. Between
eight and 13 species were trapped on three new sites (one in primary forest, and two in
grasslands). Close observation under the microscope permitted the identification of four species
(Canthon luteicollis, Eurysternus plebejus, E. inflexus, E. confusus).

This week also saw the closing of the amphibian and reptile pitfall traps. This allows the
vegetation surrounding the traps to regenerate, after the daily checks for ten days or two weeks
and hopefully encourages the amphibians and reptiles to return to those locations during their rest
period. The pitfalls will be ready to open again during the next five week period.

From Thursday to Sunday, volunteers and staff members went to the island of Sumak Allpa,
located 45 minutes downstream from Coca (also known as Puerto Francisco de Orellana). There

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 they helped build pathways between local
school buildings, using stones collected in the
previous five week phase. Walks through the
forest were guided by the very knowledgeable
owner of the island, Hector Vargas. He
provided GVI volunteers with fascinating
rainforest information, as well as opportunities
to capture, their first glimpses of monkeys
(Golden-mantled Tamarins (Saguinus
tripartitus), and Black-mantled Tamarins
(Saguinus nigricollis), Squirrel Monkeys
(sp.Saimiri), Woolly Monkeys (sp. Lagothrix),
and the popular White-fronted Capuchins (Cebus albifrons).

Week Four
Using their new experiences, some of the volunteers taking their BTEC qualification, were given
an opportunity to lead their fellow volunteers in the field, under the supervision of GVI staff.

Mist-netting (a method that uses nets to capture and help identify birds) was set up for the first
time on the Cascada Trail. Although the new location did not prove to be as successful as hoped
with regards to the numbers caught, the nets did provide the team with a rich variety of species
that included: seven species of hummingbird, three species of manakin and one species of
flycatcher. Much to the mist-netters delight, the nets were successful in capturing a Buff-tailed
Sicklebill (Eutoxeres condamini), a bird which none of the members at camp had seen before.

A great deal of reserve management work was completed in the Yachana Reserve during week
four. A total of four new large brightly coloured signs, that identify the forest as a protected area,
were posted at different locations around the perimeter of the reserve. Also, a lot of sweat was
poured into the construction of a new set of sturdy wooden steps leading up to the
communications hill at base camp.

At the end of a long and eventful week, the staff and volunteers were cordially invited to attend
the Yachana High School graduation, held across the river at the Yachana Lodge. An interesting
presentation was given to all by one of the students, who had previously spent time with GVI.

Week Five
This week both the reptile and amphibian transect locations and butterfly site locations were
subject to vegetation mapping. A new method was trialed at one of the butterfly trap sites. On the
Monday night’s amphibian transect the first Pristimantis variabilis was found and documented
outside of a pitfall trap.

After an exciting walk on the Cascada Trail, most of the group cooled off and enjoyed an
afternoon swim in the waterfall. The night walks were particularly exciting this week, the group
spotted a Fer-de-Lance (sp. B. atrox), (and kept a safe distance from it), and a clever looking Cat-
eyed Snake as well as a Water Snake.

Before packing up on the Wednesday for the mid-phase break, a group of volunteers got up early
for a spot of sunrise birding. The volunteers oo-ed and ahh-ed at the Violaceous Jays
(Cyanocorax violaceus) and Orange-bellied Euphonias (Euphonia xanthogaster) spotted that
morning. Thursday was an early morning, as all volunteers and staff headed off base on a canoe to
Los Rios and then boarded a bus bound for Tena. Everyone enjoyed a final wild night out together
filled with food, drinks and dancing. For some volunteers five weeks had sadly come to an end

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and they were heading home, another handful simply took a long weekend break in Baños before
returning to GVI base camp on the Napo for the second half of their Amazon expedition.

Week Six
A new injection of energy and enthusiasm appeared in the form of eight new five week
volunteers, eager to join the GVI Amazon expedition. They appeared in Tena excited to get their
first glimpse of the rainforest. They were joined a few days later by the four remaining ten
weekers who returned from their break in Baños.

The first week at camp for the new batch of excited five week volunteers consisted of numerous
activities that included practical and theory based presentations. Staff led volunteers into the
rainforest, exploring the reserve’s various trails to familiarise themselves with their new
environment and to learn more about the various delicate habitat types within. Staff organized a
bird watching walk, with the aim of teaching volunteers how to identify the various species
visually and audibly.

Butterfly traps were assembled this week and were

ready to be checked daily over the weeks to come.
Several night walks also took place this week. They
provided a great experience, as well as good practice
for the visual encounter surveys that were part of the
on-going amphibian and reptile research projects.
In addition to the talks about the reserve’s fascinating
wildlife they also had an amusing day learning
‘Emergency First Response’.

Week Seven
This week the dung beetles, vegetation mapping, butterflies, TEFL preparation, and bird transects
projects continued as usual, yielding great results. From Monday to Thursday, the volunteers had
fun on the amphibian night transects and had the opportunity to see some strikingly colourful
poison dart frogs, tree frogs and even a few snakes!

Tuesday the heavens opened up and it rained all day, so all projects were postponed until the
following day. Mist-netting began on Wednesday. Four mist-netting sessions went on during the
week, and allowed the volunteers to see manakins, thrushes, and vibrant hummingbirds up close
and personal. Saturday came, and some of the volunteers went to the local Agua Santa market to
buy some scrumptious snacks. The warm afternoon was spent relaxing (except for the camp
maintenance team who were working hard at improving base little by little). The social evening
saw everyone getting involved with a number of ridiculous comedy games around camp, which
was enjoyed by all and brought much laughter to GVI base camp.

On Sunday, staff and volunteers took a short canoe ride across the river to Mondaña. There they
enjoyed fruity batidos (milk shakes with coconut, banana or other fresh fruits) blended up by the
Yachana Lodge staff. After the batido session, it was off to football against the locals. No
comment on the score.

Week Eight
Week eight arrived and several projects at the GVI base camp drew to a close. This phase’s
successful butterfly project closed after finding a whopping total of 274 butterflies. During the last
week, two new Euptychini species (one identified and one unidentified) and a possible sub-
species of Morphini were found.

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 This week also saw the last bird transect. Although
no major sightings occurred during this particular
transect, a large group of Paradise Tanagers
(Tangara chilensis) and a Honeycreeper (sp.
Cyanerpes) were spotted just after the transect was
completed.

Volunteers and staff were extremely lucky, as they

encountered a Northern Amazonian Red Squirrel
(Sciurus igniventris), a rarely spotted mammal in
these parts. The amphibian and reptile pitfall traps
were still in full flow, with a new addition to the
species list, the Short-nosed Leaf Litter Snake (Taeniophallus brevirostris). The visual encounter
survey transects had also progressed successfully, with the sighting of an Amazon Forest Dragon
(Enyalioides laticeps), a first time encounter in this particular area of the forest.

Moving away from wildlife, Leeron Tagger a new member of staff who hails from the United
States, joined the GVI team at the Yachana Reserve.

Management plans this week involved working on the borders of the reserve. GPS points were
plotted along the border, and coffee plants were being used to define the edges of the reserve.

Week )ine
This week was certainly a busy week for the volunteers. Not only did they have lots of research to
complete but they also had to prepare for the much awaited trip to the Yasuní National Park.
Much vegetation mapping was completed for both butterflies and the amphibian and reptile
projects. Week ten also saw the closure of the pitfall traps for this phase.

Early Thursday morning everyone but a few

staff members set off towards Yasuní National
Park. The trip was amazing, volunteers and staff
had the experience of a life time. Countless
numbers of birds were seen throughout the trip,
swooping over head, resting high in the tree
tops, flying in flocks, and even eating clay. On
a day hike with Hector, the brilliant guide of the
Yasuní trip, the group had an incredible
sighting of a Pygmy Marmoset (Cebuella
pygmaea), clinging to the trunk of a tree, as
well as sightings of two other primate species.
On a night walk, a member of the group made
an exceptional sighting of a Bicolored-spined Porcupine (Coendou bicolor) walking in the
branches high above their heads. A number of the volunteers were lucky enough to get a good
look at it even though it was high up in the canopy.

Week Ten
The final week meant that the volunteers could spend their last few days enjoying the splendours
in the Yachana Reserve’s rainforest before Thursday’s early morning departure to Tena. It was no
surprise that camp members were eager to participate in long walks in the forest, and a swim at
the waterfall on the Cascada Trail to savour their last moments in the Amazon rainforest. On
Wednesday, a delicious dinner was prepared early at camp, and packed up to be eaten out in the
field. A group of volunteers and staff headed out towards the Laguna Trail and tea-time was

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spent watching the glowing sun fall behind the trees. As night crept into the jungle and after
doing a spot of birding at the Laguna lookout point, staff and volunteers wound their way down in
the dark to see what the murky waters of the lagoon had to offer them that night. Everyone was
thrilled to see the red reflected eye shine given off by the floating caiman, lurking ominously in
the darkness. The superb experience was heightened by the orchestra of numerous frog species.
The late night ended back at GVI base camp with a much needed cold shower, and a cup of
delicious hot chocolate, the perfect finish to a hard-working, but most enjoyable ten week
expedition.

Science Updates
Amphibians and reptiles
The amphibian project has continued with great success using both visual encounter surveys and
pitfall traps to survey both amphibians and reptiles. Over 800 individuals have been recorded
since the start of the project at the end of June and hopefully some analysis on the data can begin
shortly. It is also hoped that more work can be carried out in identifying different types of the
Pristimantis ockendeni complex.

Butterflies
A new butterfly project started this phase, examining the impact of trail use and roads on fruit-
feeding nymphalid communities. Forty traps were baited with fermented banana and checked
daily for 14 days. The initial stages of this project were a success with 277 individuals captured
representing over 82 different species. The project will continue using the same methods in the
next expedition.

Birds
The bird road transect came to a close at the end of this expedition and demonstrated which types
of species were more abundant at particular points along the road which cuts through the reserve.
There is some scope to continue this work looking at the distribution of fruiting trees along the
road and comparing this with the species found at these points. Mist-netting also continued but
included netting on the Inca trail which is the first time for mist-netting and saw the capture of
various ant-birds, which prior to this location had not really been common.

Dung Beetles
Throughout this phase, ten dung beetle sites were sampled twice each. Five of these sites were in
the primary forest and five were in the secondary matrix. Four baited traps were in each site and
these were baited and left open for 48 hours at a time, (twice each during the phase). In total 1567
beetles were captured, consisting of 26 species, from nine different genera. Nine of these were
relatively common, whilst five of these species only occurred once. Analysis will take place in
order to determine if there are any patterns between sites and between the primary forest and the
secondary matrix. The following expedition will see each site being surveyed to get an idea of the
vegetation present. Subsequently each site can be exposed for a further 24 hours in order to obtain
more data. Later work can focus on bait preferences and trap attraction distances.

Reserve Management
Lots of work has been done around the reserve as part of the on-going management plan to help
Isaac and Piter, the two Ecuadorians who are currently overseeing the implementation of the
reserve plan. New signs have been painted and erected, defining the borders and borders have
begun to be planted with coffee plants with the aim of marking the border more clearly. There
has also been some re-planting in some grassland areas within the reserve. The work on the
management plan will continue during the following expeditions.

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Community Projects
Community relations are improving incredibly due to the hard work of Jon Escolar. Jon has
completed an excellent project on looking at the history of the reserve, which has allowed GVI to
understand more about how the reserve land was used prior to the purchase of the plots of land by
the Yachana Foundation. This also helped to understand, why all the secondary forest areas are
located where they are. He successfully interviewed a handful of the farmers in the local
community, including the community president, Don Sergio Santana, with regards to the location
of important areas of the reserve for animals and fruiting plants. This work should continue in the
future expeditions with the influence of Chris Beirne.