EFM Outfitters

Floods, Breakdowns and Bees: Notes from a Suriname Expedition

Krisna Gajapersad — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

In 2010 a team of scientists led by CI conducted a Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) survey in southwestern Suriname, which led to the discovery of more than 40 species new to science. In March of this year, a similar expedition was carried out in the remote region of Grensgebergte in southeastern Suriname. Ecosystem Services Coordinator Krisna Gajapersad reflects on his experience.

Suriname's Grensgebergte mountains, the site of the latest Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) survey in the country. (© CI/Photo by Krisna Gajapersad)

Journeying into one of the world’s last untouched and remote areas of wilderness requires expert planning. For the latest RAP survey, we at CI-Suriname recently faced the daunting task of gathering the large quantities of oil, food and supplies needed for the expedition and setting up camps for the researchers.

During the preparation for the expedition we faced many challenges, including a sick game warden who had to be returned to the village, broken outboard engines, a faulty helicopter and a flooded base camp. We also had to drag boats for over two kilometers on land, and I got sick once after being attacked by bees. Despite these problems, we just had to keep going.

RAP team members pulling boats with supplies on the Palumeu River in Suriname. (© CI/Photo by Krisna Gajapersad)

We spent over a year preparing for the RAP from our offices in the capital Paramaribo. Two weeks before it began, we took a 10-day boat journey from the indigenous village of Palumeu, through multiple rapids. This was done to clear the way for the expedition and prepare the helipad and base camps for the 21 scientists and support staff who would be collecting information on vegetation, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects and water quality.

The expedition also required a lot of logistical coordination. In total, there were 17 plane rides between Paramaribo and the interior, and over 32 hours of helicopter flights. It was such an adventure to be in an area where so few people have ever been. A few of the local helpers had previously traveled through the area, but for most of us it was new and unknown.

A puma in Suriname, caught on film by a camera trap. (© CI/Photo by Krisna Gajapersad)

Besides helping to organize the RAP, I also focused on setting up some camera traps, which use infrared sensors to detect heat and take pictures of large mammals. I found most of the large mammals I expected to occur in this area — such as cats, deer and peccaries — with the help of the camera traps. We also recorded tracks from a jaguar (Panthera onca) and a tapir (Tapirus terrestris), which indicate that the pressure from hunting in this area is minimal.

While we don’t have all the results of the survey yet, the scientists did find a large number of species that were not only intact but abundant. Many of these could be completely new to science. Personally I think we would have found even more if our survey had lasted longer than a few weeks.

Two birds inspect a camera trap in the Surinamese forest. (© CI/Photo by Krisna Gajapersad)

Our goal with the RAP was to collect data on biodiversity in a place that very little is known about. With this data, we will be better informed about how to best protect certain valuable ecosystems. This is a part of CI-Suriname’s South Suriname program, which is also collecting data and doing mapping exercises with indigenous communities and maroon tribes, who are descendants of runaway slaves.

Krisna Gajapersad

Ultimately, we are looking to create a conservation corridor with a total area of 2 million hectares (almost 5 million acres) of unspoiled nature. In about a year’s time when we have the official results of this RAP, we hope that all the challenges and hard work that have gone into the expedition will contribute to the creation of this corridor.

Krisna Gajapersad is the ecosystem services coordinator for CI-Suriname. This RAP was the fourth undertaken in Suriname and the first to have been nationally funded through the Suriname Conservation Foundation.

EPA: Protect Yourself from the Sun this Summer!

David A Gabel, ENN — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:51:00 +0000

The warming temperatures will bring many people out into the sun to get a little color on their skins. The sun, while being the source of all life on Earth, is also quite lethal if exposed for too long. As summer approaches, it is good to remember a few things about protecting your skin from the great ball of fire in the sky. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has teamed up with the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and National Park Service (NPS) in a joint effort to spread the word. They have designated the Friday before Memorial Day as "Don't Fry Day" to highlight the important message.

New Jersey Takes Slow, Steady Approach to Offshore Wind

Peter Asmus — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:21:00 +0000

The international wind power industry is watching Washington, DC to see if lawmakers will extend the federal production tax credit (PTC) for wind power. But their eyes are also focused on Trenton, the state capital of New Jersey, to see if state regulators there will help launch America's long-awaited offshore wind energy industry.

Tropic Atmospheric Circulation

Andy Soos, ENN — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:46:00 +0000

An University of California - Riverside led team has identified black carbon and tropospheric ozone as the most likely drivers of large-scale atmospheric circulation change in the Northern Hemisphere tropics zone. While stratospheric ozone depletion has already been shown to be the primary driver of the expansion of the tropics in the Southern Hemisphere, the researchers are the first to report that black carbon and tropospheric ozone are the most likely primary drivers of the tropical expansion observed in the Northern Hemisphere.

Paper or Plastic?

Lilia Casanova — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:49:00 +0000

Cities in a number of Asian countries, including China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore and Taiwan, are currently on the warpath against plastic shopping bags. The cities have passed local laws that ban such bags, on the basis that they clog sewers and drainage canals, cause street flooding, choke animals and are responsible for other forms of environmental damage. China and Taiwan, for example, impose heavy fines on violators. Other countries are appealing for a switch to the production and use of biodegradable bags. But this misses the point. People do not object to using biodegradable bags, and consider them a welcome return to the traditional practice of using shopping baskets and bags made from locally available materials — such as jute, abaca and cloth — that are less harmful to the environment.

Taste and Temperature

Andy Soos, ENN — Thu, 17 May 2012 18:41:00 +0000

Some people like food or beverages hot and some like them cold. What's the difference? Can the temperature of the food we eat affect the intensity of its taste? It depends on the taste, according to a new study by Dr. Gary Pickering and colleagues from Brock University in Canada. Their work shows that changes in the temperature of foods and drinks have an effect on the intensity of sour, bitter and astringent tastes but not sweetness. Their work is published online in Springer's Chemosensory Perception journal. Humans receive tastes through sensory organs called taste buds concentrated on the top of the tongue. Taste is sensed through taste cells, which are known as taste buds. There are about 100,000 taste buds that are located on the back and front of the tongue. Others are located on the roof, sides and back of the mouth, and in the throat.

Cars That Run on Natural Gas – Alternative Fuels

Dale Cooper — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:34:00 +0000

Find out how an alternative fuel used all over the world may find its way into American vehicles. Natural gas is abundant, clean and already a part of our everyday lives—and it may be the next big alternative fuel. In the world of alternative fuels, electric, hydrogen and even hybrid vehicles get most of the attention. Not many people are aware of another alternative automotive fuel that burns cleaner than gasoline, is found abundantly in the United States and is already in heavy use around the world: natural gas. Natural gas is by no means a new fuel; it’s been used to heat homes and cook food in gas stoves for more than a century. But only recently have automotive technicians begun exploring the possibility of using natural gas as an alternative to gasoline in automobiles here in the United States. When used in automobiles, natural gas comes in two forms: Compressed natural gas (CNG) Liquefied natural gas (LNG) Both forms require storage in cylinders that are often located in the trunk of the vehicle. When being burned by an engine, natural gas works very similarly to gasoline; vehicles that run on natural gas will have spark plug timing and compression optimized for that type of fuel.

Natural sinks still sopping up carbon

Alexandra Witze, Science News — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:12:00 +0000

Earth's ecosystems keep soaking up more carbon as greenhouse gases accumulate in the atmosphere, new measurements find. The research contradicts several recent studies suggesting that "carbon sinks" have reached or passed their capacity. By looking at global measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide, the new work calculates instead that total sinks have increased roughly in line with rising emissions.

Hotels charge you (for free)

Editor, Green Traveler Guides — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:02:00 +0000

Curious about electric cars? On your next vacation, give one a test drive—and instead of paying high gas prices, charge up for free. Major car rental companies, which have been offering hybrid vehicles for years, are now getting into the electric car (EV) market. And an ever-growing number of hotels, resorts, and even B&Bs are adding free electric-car charging stations to entice guests to get off the grid and plug in their cars when they travel.

CI + Botswana Convene First-ever Summit for Sustainability in Africa

Molly Bergen — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Africa is at a crossroads. The continent is currently home to a billion people, most of whom are directly dependent on local ecosystems for their survival. Yet as global demand for food, water and energy continue to surge, much of the pressure to provide these resources rests on Africa, which holds more than half of the planet’s available arable land.

On top of existing challenges, Africa is poised to triple its population by the end of this century. Yet the continent’s rich natural resources present tremendous opportunity for economic growth and poverty alleviation.

In order to stimulate dialogue on these important issues, next week the Government of Botswana and CI are convening the first-ever Summit for Sustainability in Africa in Gaborone, Botswana. The Summit will bring together top African officials — including heads of state from Botswana, Rwanda, Liberia and Namibia and representatives from at least six other African countries — with global leaders from the public and private sector. Working together, these forward-thinking individuals have the power to shape the future of economic development in Africa — and make sure it’s on a sustainable course.

On May 24-25, participants will hold a collaborative discussion on how they can secure the future of their nations through development plans that properly value and account for their considerable “natural capital” — the biological resources and ecosystems that sustain not only human lives, but a healthy global economy.

On the eve of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (often known as Rio+20) next month, the Summit’s goal is to demonstrate that workable models of development already are in practice on the African continent — and that these models can be replicated across the globe.

To learn more about the need for and goals of the Summit, watch this brief interview with Frank Hawkins, senior vice president of CI’s Africa & Madagascar program, who has led CI’s efforts to make this event a success.

Molly Bergen is managing editor on CI’s communications team.