Earthwatch Day 10

I can’t believe it’s over. Suddenly, I am all alone, flying away from a place I grew to love. It’s funny how you start out so independent. Then you are joined by a group of people you’ve never met before. And before you know it, you become part of a unit. You come to know these people as friends, and you find something in each one of them that you adore. And as you experience Earthwatch together, you become a family without even realizing it.

I fully expected to enjoy this Earthwatch expedition. But I never expected to enjoy it as much as I did. When I reflect on the week, I see it as a science adventure as well as a human adventure. It was an integration of the natural history of the Chiracahua Mountains, and the people who shared the experience of exploring it. It's kind of like an ecosystem - interactions are the dynamic force. The trip would have meant nothing without the interactions and experiences shared with these people. I learned so much science. But I also learned a lot about people. And the two combined is what made this trip so memorable.

.....So now I'm off to Jackson, Wyoming. My husband will meet me there to spend a few days with our son. I will be back with my "real" family soon, but I will never forget my Earthwatch family.

Earthwatch Day 9

Our Last Day

John, Jared, and Nat patiently waited on line for their last breakfast in the dining hall of the research station. It was yummy - blueberry pancakes, sausage, fruit and yogurt. I think I’m spoiled. Will someone make all my meals for me back home?

After breakfast, we went back to Cave Creek Ranch to pack up and check out. Once again, as we waited for our last ride back to the research station, we spotted another cool creature. This small praying mantis was watching me as closely as I was watching him.

Our ride came, and it was sad leaving Cave Creek, our home, for the last time.

Back at the station, we were all assigned jobs in the laboratory. Everyone pitched in to finish the zoo before we left. This giant dude was one of the last specimen bags I cleaned out. It was pretty

easy to find him among the foliage! I completed one more caterpillar dissection for Angela, and found five beads inside that indicated some defensive change by the caterpillar. It was a good way to end my work – feeling like I’ve helped in some real research.

After lunch it was time to leave for Tucson. The van was a bit quieter that usual. Halfway back, Prof Lee decided we needed a break and stopped at the “Thing” rest stop. Even though it was only a dollar to find out what “the thing” was, no one ventured. Some got ice cream, some toured the souvenir shop, and Sawako came out with a gorgeous cowboy hat

for her dad – who, she explained, loves the old western movies. For the last time, we piled back into the van.

For our last dinner together, we went to a Mexican restaurant claimed to be Bill Clinton’s favorite. After some time waiting, all 17 of us sat down - the Earthwatch teacher members, and all the research professors and assistants that were involved. After dinner, we sang happy birthday to Sawako, and she was so touched. She later gave us each a little card with little descriptive names of us written in Japanese. So sweet.

Some of us said goodbye that night, some waited till the next morning. Either way, it was hard to do. I couldn’t imagine not being together anymore. We had worked together for nine days as a cohesive unit, like a family. Suddenly, we wouldn’t be seeing the same faces again.

Earthwatch Day 8

As we sat outside waiting for our morning ride and enjoying the birds, I realized this would be our last full day here. Time was going fast, and I (we all) had gotten very comfortable here. As Junko wandered around the wildlife feeding area, her keen eyes spotted this awesome caterpillar. In true caterpillar hunter fashion, she noticed lots of frass (caterpillar droppings) on the ground under a bush, and then looked for the source. Of course Prof Lee wanted to take it back to the lab with us.

Today I would be working in the “zoo”. The zoo was set up in the

Technical Equipment Laboratory which made us proud to work because the door said “researchers only”. There were racks set up on which we hung all the caterpillar specimen bags. To rear them properly, you had to clean the frass out of each bag and add more food if necessary. Our job was to check all of the caterpillars in each collection bag to see if any had died, pupated, or showed evidence of a parasitoid. It was important to not mix the bags up, and to record any important observations for Prof Lee to check. Sawako was so good at this. Her keen eyes and careful hands made it look easy. Whenever I couldn’t find the caterpillar(s) in the bag, she’d be right there to spot them.

At one point we ran out of a couple of different types of host plants to feed some of the caterpillars. Mike Singer directed me where to find them on the premises. As I was collecting some branches just outside the lab, I found this amazing caterpillar! After showing everyone my proud find, I released him back to his home.

While we were working in the lab, some of us had a chance to help Angela (Postdoctoral research associate) with her research. She is studying how caterpillars defend themselves against parasitoids by implanting indicator beads in the caterpillar to mimic parasitoid eggs. She then dissects the caterpillar to see how its body reacted to the foreign substance. A few of us were able to use the dissection tools and microscopes to dissect some caterpillars and search for the indicator beads. After getting over my empathy for the caterpillars, I tried it out and found it to be quite amazing. To see all the intricate parts of the insect laid out in such a beautiful pattern reaffirmed my appreciation for these tiny creatures. Whatever Angela learns from her research may someday help humans in combating foreign substances.

For our last night, we decided to go into the town of Rodeo, New Mexico to hang out with the locals and play some pool. Junko and Sawako especially liked the juke box. We watched Prof Lee, Mike Singer, Dave Wagner (Wags) and his friend Mike, play some great games of pool. As always, someone in the group was looking around for nighttime creatures outside and spotted another Vinegaroon! As it climbed up Wag’s leg, we were informed that it gets its name from the acetic acid mist it can spray to defend itself. And it really smells like vinegar! On the way

home, Wags and Mike fixed their eyes on the road searching for rattlesnakes. They often feed at night, and the warmth of the road draws them out. Score! We spotted one and all jumped out of

the car. It was a young Mojave rattlesnake. When we heard that its toxin is much more potent than others, we backed up, and I used the zoom lens for the photo!

Earthwatch Day 7

This morning I was teamed up with John and Jared to do some more plots. We drove up to Rustler Park in the Coronado National Forest of the Chiracahua Mountains. The views below were stunning as we zigzagged our way up to 8,000 ft in elevation. Angela Smilanich, Postdoc Associate at Wesleyan University, led us to the plotting sites after a short hike further up the mountain. (More about Angela’s research later.) Though the low oxygen level was a challenge, it was a beautiful walk through the stands of Douglas-fir and Ponderosa pine, interspersed with wildflower meadows where the sunlight could reach. The smell was fresh, clean and “piney”, and we all wished we could keep on hiking. But we had to get to work – oh what an environment to work in!

After lunch, we had the afternoon off. Five of us decided to hike a

trail that headed up to Silver Peak, a mountain that we drove by every day on the way to the Research Station. It was a four-

mile hike with a change in elevation from ~5,000 ft to 8,000 ft. By the time we got started, we knew we would not have time to reach the top, but we planned to go as far as possible.

We didn’t get too far on the road to the trailhead before we had to stop. I spotted a bush on the side of the road that was covered with clumps of these giant beetles. But when we got a closer look, we noticed a slew of different kinds of insects! We must have stayed there 20 minutes, observing in awe and taking pictures. There had to be 15 different kinds of critters that were visible, probably more that were too tiny to see. It was just another example of nature’s diversity and interwoven relationships. The best part was that no one was in a rush; we all shared the desire to stop and take it all in. I couldn’t fit all of the pictures here, but there were different kinds of beetles, grasshoppers, and even a few walking sticks. Just amazing!

Just a bit further down the road, Prof Lee passed by in the car and told us to hop in. He had seen a bobcat up the road (near the trailhead), and thought it might still be there. But by the time we got there, it was headed into the woods. Jenny ran after it, and saw a glimpse of its ears and profile before it vanished. Rats, I missed it.

Finally, we got to the trailhead (later than expected) and started up the trail. Some of the clouds overhead were ominous, but it never did rain on us. It was pretty hot despite the lack of full sun, and climbing uphill drew the usual sweat. Of course we had learned to drink frequently from our Camelback waterpaks. The views of the valley below were superb. We got to just below the peak, and wished we could go further, but we had to turn around to get back in time for dinner.

After dinner we got a ride to the Portal store, the closest (and tiniest) little store around. After buying a few snacks and souvenirs, we headed back to Cave Creek Ranch to relax at the cabins together. Outside one of the cabin doors we noticed a very interesting critter on the ground! It looked like a scorpion, but we found out later it was a harmless “Vinegaroon”.

Earthwatch Day 6

Every morning we sit by the wildlife feeding station at Cave Creek Ranch until our ride comes to take us to the research center. Today we were treated by a visit by a coatamundi at the bird feeder site! He/she kept on eating while we all took pictures, not in the least bit worried about us. The hummingbirds were plentiful as always. Their wings flap so fast, you can't see them in the picture!

After breakfast, groups got their assignments for the day – my group (Kathy, Amy & I) were assigned to collect and record data using the “plot” method. This method is used to collect quantitative data from several elevations to compare caterpillar populations.

Using 2 ten-meter lengths of rope tied together at center, we created 4 quadrants of a circle by extending each leg of the rope. We placed the center knot at the “focus” tree. Then we used a PDA/GPS to determine elevation, lat/long, and to mark the exact location on a map. Next we “beat” all the species of herbaceous plants that we would focus on within the plot. Any caterpillars found were collected and bagged.

One of the hardest things to do was to estimate a count of the leaves on every plant within the quadrant. This gives Dr. Dyer a way to estimate populations and have a standard to work from. He explained to us that he has collected data from different locations with different elevations in five places for the last 15 years or so. This same method is used at each research site. The whole process makes you realize how labor intensive it is to gather accurate data!

My team completed 4 plots by the end of the day. In the afternoon we had some time to check out the nature shop. I think it’s very cool that this research center is run by the American Museum of Natural History! The office staff explained that researchers from universities all over the country reserve time in their labs to do research. When we left, there was a resident kitty that was hanging around out front. I wonder what research project (s)he’s working on?

After dinner, we listened to an interesting talk by a fellow caterpillar researcher from Wesleyan University, Michael Singer. Using slides, Mike described two research projects he has been working on. In one, he questions whether it is beneficial for caterpillars to be specialists rather than generalists in terms of food/plant host. Specialists seem to be better adapted to avoid predators (such as birds). Often this is by visual crypsis (looking just like host plant) or chemical toxicity acquired from their host plant. In the second, he investigates “self-medication” in caterpillars. Caterpillars can sequester chemicals from some host plants that actually prevent or help stop parasitoids! They may change their diet because of this, but is it learned or instinctual behavior? You might think…who cares? But could there be a connection to why humans sometimes like the flavor of spices, bitter herbs, garlic, etc? Could there be medicinal properties in some plants? It’s all very interesting to ponder.

Earthwatch Day 5

Today I was assigned to work in the lab with John to take pictures of the caterpillars we’ve collected. We were able to use a great camera that focuses very close up. The hardest part is that some of the caterpillars just won’t stop and pose! Some of them keep tooling around, so you have to be ready fast to get the right position and focus. Some of the pictures came out awesome.

Here are two of the critters I photographed with my camera!

While in the lab, fellow members were entering all the information about each bag of collected specimens. Of course, Lee is on hand to help and check over all the information. It’s amazing how much work goes into this research. So much depends on lots of people carefully recording the data. We were told that Earthwatch members have made a real difference in Lee’s work because of all the data that volunteers have provided over the years.

In the afternoon, a bunch of us went on a hike to see the rare Trogan bird. This bird comes across the border of Mexico, and this is the only area in the U.S. that it can be seen. Regretfully, we never spotted one. (Can’t add it to my "life list.") But we did enjoy the rest of the natural habitat.

Back at the research station, some of the group played a game of soccer on the field before dinner. After a 4 mile hike, I decided to just watch!

Earthwatch Day 4

Cave Creek Ranch is a beautiful place to stay. The owner, Reed Peters, provides a wildlife feeding station in the center of the cabin grounds. Songbird and hummingbird feeders are set up everywhere. Everywhere you look, there are tons of hummingbirds, woodpeckers, and finches. Deer and other special guests appear frequently. At night, bats soar through the air as we sit under the stars trying to identify the constellations. The tricky part is getting back and forth to the Research station four miles away.

We were soon off to the Southwestern Research Station run by the American Museum of Natural History. All our meals would be there, and we would either be working in the lab or collecting specimens in the area nearby. Here are two of the members of our team - Sawaco and Junco from Japan.

We waited anxiously outside the lab for our first assignment.

In the morning, my group set out with Dr. Dave to a trailhead to do some collecting. The collection method that Dr. Lee had explained the previous day involved hitting branches of the vegetation while holding a “beat sheet” underneath. The caterpillars often fall off the branches easily as a defense against predators (quick getaway). But the first hit should always be a surprise, quick and firm enough to dislodge the caterpillars that hang on the branches. The critters fall onto a square white sheet that you scan to see what fell off. Any caterpillars found are put into a plastic bag with some of the host plant and labeled with the date, location, and total number of specimens, then put in a cooler so they don’t overheat.

This spiny fellow was one of my finds of the day!

In the afternoon, our mission was to collect at a campsite up the road. After spying a bunch of caterpillars on some high branches, Jenny decided she needed to climb the tree. Sometimes visual collections work the best!

That evening after dinner, Dr. Wag gave a great slide presentation to the team. He told us a bit about his book, and with some awesome photographs on the screen, launched into a discussion of why the Lepidopteran are so important. Is it their beauty? Their place in a myriad of food webs across the world? Their demonstration of a successful lineage as an order? Their role in pollination? Making silk for us? Or is it the fact that in terms of biomass they make up the highest percentage of herbivores? Pick any explanation, but you don't need to convince me how special these critters are. After some discussion of survival strategies, from mimicry, to toxicity, to behavioral habits, we were all "lepidopteraholics". What an awesome treat to be among these specialists in the field.

After Wag's talk, Jen, Sawako, Junco and I walked back the four miles to Cave Creek instead of taking the ride with the crew. It was a beautiful and peaceful walk, and by the time we got back it was dark. We passed this unusual sign. I forgot how close we were to the border!