NOVIEMBRE 2019
LAS EXPERIENCIAS DE NUESTROS VOLUNTARIOS EN EL CAMPO - 2019
Ya se acerca la fecha para seleccionar voluntarios que trabajen con nosotros en el proyecto Gradientes Colombia. La temporada de campo empezará en febrero o marzo de 2020, y estas son historias de algunos de nuestros voluntarios de la temporada 2019. Si estas interesado en recibir información sobre el voluntariado, escríbenos a colombiagradientes@gmail.com
ANDRES SIERRA, biólogo colombiano y voluntario buscando nidos
Participé como voluntario en el proyecto Gradientes Colombia en el año 2019, en Anchicayá y el PNN Tatamá, y puedo decir que fue una de las mejores experiencias en mi vida tanto académica como personalmente. Fue la oportunidad para aplicar gran parte de los conocimientos que adquirí en la Universidad como biólogo, pero en un contexto geográfico nuevo para mí: la cordillera Occidental. También fue la oportunidad para aprender más sobre aves (hormigueros siguiendo ejércitos de hormigas, tucanes depredando nidos, tinamúes caminando por el bosque, y más), sobre metodologías (especialmente en la búsqueda de nidos) y sobre mi mismo. Buscar nidos no es fácil cuando hay tantos lugares en donde buscar, a veces el sentimiento de frustración se apoderaba de mi mente, pero luego encontraba un nido y todo el esfuerzo de los días pasados se transformaba en emoción y alegría. Como en toda actividad nueva, cometer errores es frecuente. Mi caso no fue la excepción, pero haber cometido esos errores me motivaba a esforzarme más y a realizar con mayor confianza las actividades propias del monitoreo. Le agradezco mucho a Karolina, Mario y Gustavo porque siempre estuvieron motivándonos a todos los voluntarios, explicándonos y enseñándonos todo el tiempo; disfruté mucho de los momentos compartidos (conversaciones, pajareadas y risas) y personalmente puedo decir que han aportado mucho a mi formación como biólogo. Aprendí mucho también de los otros voluntarios, no solo sobre aves y búsqueda de nidos, si no también de su manera de ver las cosas y afrontar los retos como este. Me quedan para mi vida muchas historias emocionantes y a veces hasta graciosas, por esto y más fue un placer participar en Gradientes Colombia 2019.
MARIA BLAZQUEZ, bióloga española y voluntaria con redes de niebla
Joining “Gradientes Colombia” team has been the greatest thing I have done this year. In the moment I had to decide to come, I doubted what to do in my career. Quitting my job was worthy in exchange for everything that I learned and experienced.
First of all, Cali was the place to reach. People are very welcoming! There, I enjoyed dancing salsa and visiting some touristic places. Afterward, for the project, I joined the team in 3 stations among 2 Natural National Parks. I just worked with mist nets doing bird banding. I appreciated learning how to build the nets in the most remote places I have been to and getting to know all the awesome bird species which are settled in this part of the world.
The lifestyle was different in each station. I started at Zygia station for 5 weeks where water and energy were often limited. Located at 2500 m., the climate is humid and it usually rains in the late afternoon. Mosquitoes are everywhere, really! We had nice morning walks to reach the nets under our torches’ lights through narrow “trochas”. On the free days, there was the chance to have nice walks. It was wonderful to be on one side close to the city and on the other away from everything. Amazing!
Afterward we moved to Tatamá, located in another department 5 hours away from Cali more or less. We were divided into two groups flapping every week between a house in the small “vereda” of Montebello and sort of camping tents on the forest 1000 meters above. Up in the hills, the resources are more scarce. Basic stuff as light will be the one you own carry and water the one is offered by a “quebrada” or the sky. Down in the village, there are no worries but the signal (if not having connection concerns you). In Tatamá I felt as proving myself since we took long walks and had to work harder. Anyway, it is a very magical place!
Finally, after resting for one month traveling by myself around Colombia, we moved to Anchicayá. It is a hydro-electrical power station where all the facilities are included. It is the most biodiverse of the stations I met; a dense rainforest where the fauna and flora are outstanding.
In overall, I enjoyed everything and I have met wonderful people on the way. We all shared talks, situations... and I think that was the secret to a very special friendship. I am so glad for that. I encourage to every person interested on fieldwork and research to take part!
LAKESHA SMITH, biologa canadiense y voluntaria buscando nidos
My time working on the Colombian Gradients project mainly involved working as a nest searcher in a place called Anchicaya. I learned so much there since it was my first time working as a nest searcher. Let me tell you, it is HARD! It takes a lot of time and patience on rough terrain and very often when I found a nest it was old. HOWEVER, when you do find a nest it is the best feeling in the world. It was so rewarding and exciting getting to see the nestlings grow up and, hopefully, fledge successfully. I learned so much about bird behavior and the little quirks each species has. For example, the Choco Poorwill (Nyctiphrynus rosenbergi) were by far the most dedicated set of parents I encountered. They protected their egg/chick fiercely and would never be more than a few feet away from the egg/chick even when we were around. I learned how to set up thermal sensors in nests to monitor the incubation rhythm and how to set up camera traps to monitor how often the parent(s) feed their young. In addition, I learned how to candle eggs and measure nestlings. We also got to bird all day every day, and the diversity is astounding. Colombia is the land of birds, friendly people, and dancing if you have the opportunity to go definitely take it!
Ya se acerca la fecha para seleccionar voluntarios que trabajen con nosotros en el proyecto Gradientes Colombia. La temporada de campo empezará en febrero o marzo de 2020, y estas son historias de algunos de nuestros voluntarios de la temporada 2019. Si estas interesado en recibir información sobre el voluntariado, escríbenos a colombiagradientes@gmail.com
ANDRES SIERRA, biólogo colombiano y voluntario buscando nidos
Participé como voluntario en el proyecto Gradientes Colombia en el año 2019, en Anchicayá y el PNN Tatamá, y puedo decir que fue una de las mejores experiencias en mi vida tanto académica como personalmente. Fue la oportunidad para aplicar gran parte de los conocimientos que adquirí en la Universidad como biólogo, pero en un contexto geográfico nuevo para mí: la cordillera Occidental. También fue la oportunidad para aprender más sobre aves (hormigueros siguiendo ejércitos de hormigas, tucanes depredando nidos, tinamúes caminando por el bosque, y más), sobre metodologías (especialmente en la búsqueda de nidos) y sobre mi mismo. Buscar nidos no es fácil cuando hay tantos lugares en donde buscar, a veces el sentimiento de frustración se apoderaba de mi mente, pero luego encontraba un nido y todo el esfuerzo de los días pasados se transformaba en emoción y alegría. Como en toda actividad nueva, cometer errores es frecuente. Mi caso no fue la excepción, pero haber cometido esos errores me motivaba a esforzarme más y a realizar con mayor confianza las actividades propias del monitoreo. Le agradezco mucho a Karolina, Mario y Gustavo porque siempre estuvieron motivándonos a todos los voluntarios, explicándonos y enseñándonos todo el tiempo; disfruté mucho de los momentos compartidos (conversaciones, pajareadas y risas) y personalmente puedo decir que han aportado mucho a mi formación como biólogo. Aprendí mucho también de los otros voluntarios, no solo sobre aves y búsqueda de nidos, si no también de su manera de ver las cosas y afrontar los retos como este. Me quedan para mi vida muchas historias emocionantes y a veces hasta graciosas, por esto y más fue un placer participar en Gradientes Colombia 2019.
MARIA BLAZQUEZ, bióloga española y voluntaria con redes de niebla
Joining “Gradientes Colombia” team has been the greatest thing I have done this year. In the moment I had to decide to come, I doubted what to do in my career. Quitting my job was worthy in exchange for everything that I learned and experienced.
First of all, Cali was the place to reach. People are very welcoming! There, I enjoyed dancing salsa and visiting some touristic places. Afterward, for the project, I joined the team in 3 stations among 2 Natural National Parks. I just worked with mist nets doing bird banding. I appreciated learning how to build the nets in the most remote places I have been to and getting to know all the awesome bird species which are settled in this part of the world.
The lifestyle was different in each station. I started at Zygia station for 5 weeks where water and energy were often limited. Located at 2500 m., the climate is humid and it usually rains in the late afternoon. Mosquitoes are everywhere, really! We had nice morning walks to reach the nets under our torches’ lights through narrow “trochas”. On the free days, there was the chance to have nice walks. It was wonderful to be on one side close to the city and on the other away from everything. Amazing!
Afterward we moved to Tatamá, located in another department 5 hours away from Cali more or less. We were divided into two groups flapping every week between a house in the small “vereda” of Montebello and sort of camping tents on the forest 1000 meters above. Up in the hills, the resources are more scarce. Basic stuff as light will be the one you own carry and water the one is offered by a “quebrada” or the sky. Down in the village, there are no worries but the signal (if not having connection concerns you). In Tatamá I felt as proving myself since we took long walks and had to work harder. Anyway, it is a very magical place!
Finally, after resting for one month traveling by myself around Colombia, we moved to Anchicayá. It is a hydro-electrical power station where all the facilities are included. It is the most biodiverse of the stations I met; a dense rainforest where the fauna and flora are outstanding.
In overall, I enjoyed everything and I have met wonderful people on the way. We all shared talks, situations... and I think that was the secret to a very special friendship. I am so glad for that. I encourage to every person interested on fieldwork and research to take part!
LAKESHA SMITH, biologa canadiense y voluntaria buscando nidos
My time working on the Colombian Gradients project mainly involved working as a nest searcher in a place called Anchicaya. I learned so much there since it was my first time working as a nest searcher. Let me tell you, it is HARD! It takes a lot of time and patience on rough terrain and very often when I found a nest it was old. HOWEVER, when you do find a nest it is the best feeling in the world. It was so rewarding and exciting getting to see the nestlings grow up and, hopefully, fledge successfully. I learned so much about bird behavior and the little quirks each species has. For example, the Choco Poorwill (Nyctiphrynus rosenbergi) were by far the most dedicated set of parents I encountered. They protected their egg/chick fiercely and would never be more than a few feet away from the egg/chick even when we were around. I learned how to set up thermal sensors in nests to monitor the incubation rhythm and how to set up camera traps to monitor how often the parent(s) feed their young. In addition, I learned how to candle eggs and measure nestlings. We also got to bird all day every day, and the diversity is astounding. Colombia is the land of birds, friendly people, and dancing if you have the opportunity to go definitely take it!
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