Catt-Trax 2 - Amazon Basin

Interview with Krista Adamek

The Catt-Trax2 Team — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 10:50:24 -0700

Danny did this interview with Krista Adamek on January 10th at the headwaters of the Amazon River in Peru.

Listen to find out how Krista ended up in the Amazon. It's really quiet so turn your volume way up and you might even be able to hear the sounds of the Amazon in the background.

Download MP3

Ecuador - the Oriente (aka Ecuadorian Amazon)

Danny Catt — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 23:25:04 -0700

Tree Frog, Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador

It is early afternoon and I am on a private nature reserve adjacent to the Rio Napo in the Ecuadorian Amazon (in Ecuador this region is called the Oriente). It rained much of this morning and so it is cool, fresh and comfortable. It is still cloudy but the clouds are patchy and much higher than they were just a few minutes ago and it is getting brighter.

Squirrel Monkey

There are Squirrel Monkeys bouncing their way through the trees, some chasing each other and others just moving about lazily through the canopy. There are other primates here as well and in the past couple of days I have had a chance to see (or hear) a few of them. Early in the morning you can hear the Red Howler Monkeys ‘howling’ from far off in the forest and while on a walk through the forest yesterday we saw a troop of Brown Capuchins and the tiny Pygmy Marmosets, one of the smallest, if not THE smallest, species of primate in the world.

Poison Dart Frog

There are frogs croaking and calling from the forest and the birdlife is both abundant and diverse. Just a few metres along any of the trails here you can find tree frogs and the small & beautiful, yet toxic, poison dart frogs. Above the forest canopy I can see a dozen or so Yellow-headed Vultures soaring. In a tree to my left half a dozen Toucans were sitting not long ago, and every few minutes it seems a flock of chattering parrots (and/or parakeets) flies overhead. It is truly an amazing place. Every now and then the adult cicadas begin their almost deafening buzzing roar (I don’t how else to describe the sound)… then for some unknown reason they go silent. A large gecko is clicking above my head, virtually hanging upside down from the underside of the thatched palm roof, in about the same spot I saw a large black, fuzzy Tarantula last night.

Tarantula

A beautiful Blue Morphos butterfly just floated by and I have seen dozens of other species of insects, spiders and creepy crawlies on my walks in the forest. There are snakes here too including the world’s largest, the Anaconda! There are other reptiles including tortoises and lizards as well as the Spectacled Caiman, a close relative of crocodiles and alligators!

South American Yellow-footed Tortoise

These creatures, great and small, are just a small sample of the incredible diversity of life found in this part of Ecuador. Yet, in the distance I hear the roar of a chainsaw. I don’t know what trees are being felled or exactly where (it is most likely outside of this private nature reserve - I hope so anyway) yet its echoes through the forest are a reminder of the significant pressures that this rich ecosystem of Ecuador, and the Amazon Basin in general, is facing. As described in earlier blog posts, large expanses of forest are being harvested in the Amazon daily to clear land for the production of crops (primarily soybeans) and for cattle ranching and mining (amongst other economic endeavours). Spending time in these amazing tropical forests increases my resolve to do what I can to ensure their health now and in the future.

Manaus, Brazil - Meeting of the Waters

Danny Catt — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 15:22:56 -0700

The Meeting of the Waters, near Manaus, Brazil

With a population of around 2 million, Manaus is the largest city in the state of Amazonas, Brazil. It is located about 1500 kilometres up the Amazon from the river’s mouth and is situated on the shore of the Rio Negro just a mile or two up river from where the Rio Negro meets the Rio Solimoes.

The waters of the Rio Negro are black coffee coloured and are without sediments whereas the Rio Solimoes is a milky brown colour and is loaded with sediments and associated nutrients. The differences in colour and water characteristics are a function of what part of the basin each river drains.

The Rio Solimoes is a muddy, milky brown because it is loaded with sediments from the Andes (and other sources) while the Rio Negro is black coffee (or weak tea) coloured because it drains the nutrient poor upper Amazon basin (near Colombia & Venezuela) and has virtually no sediment in it.

The river we know as the Amazon actually changes its name a number of times along its route to the sea. It starts as the Acayali River in Peru (when I was in Pucallpa, Peru I was on the Acayali River). The Acayali joins the Rio Maranon near Iquitos, Peru. From Iquitos to the Brazilian border the river is known as the Amazon, but once the river flows into Brazil (from Peru) it is called the Rio Solimoes until it joins the Rio Negro near Manaus. Once they meet, it takes many miles for the waters of the two rivers to mix completely.

Once past Manaus the river is once again referred to as the Amazon, the name it retains for the rest of its journey to the sea. (That may sound a bit confusing but I hope it makes sense).

Belem – near the Mouth of the World’s Greatest River

Danny Catt — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 15:07:13 -0700

The Port of Belem, Brazil

It is hot and sticky today. As I write I am looking out across the brown silt-laden waters of one of the tributaries of the Amazon River. The Amazon is an amazing river. Its basin is the largest of any river on the planet and covers approximately 40% of the continent of South America (and 40% of Brazil).

All of the rivers and streams (big and small) that eventually feed into the Amazon are part of the Amazon basin. There are an estimated 15,000 tributaries (give or take a few) that all contribute to the Amazon and its mind-boggling volume of water. During the wet season (rather than having seasons of hot and cold like we do in the northern hemisphere, in the Amazon the seasons are wet and dry) an estimated 300,000 cubic metres of water per second enters the Atlantic Ocean when the Amazon meets the sea. What is astounding is that 20% of all the fresh water on the planet that enters into the ocean does so via the Amazon River. In fact the area covered by the Amazon River and its tributaries more than triples over the course of a year. In an average dry season 110,000 square km of land are water-covered, while in the wet season the flooded area of the Amazon Basin rises to 350,000 square km.

At approximately 6400 kilometres in length the Amazon is the second longest river in the world. The only river longer is the Nile, in Africa, but when you compare the volume of water of each, the Amazon contributes 60 times more fresh water into the ocean. Thus the Amazon is definitely worthy of the title, the “World’s Greatest River”.

Fruit Vendor, Belem, Brazil

The city that I am in now, Belem, is the capital city of the state of Para in north-east Brazil. With over 2 million inhabitants, it is the largest city along the Amazon River. Belem is one of two key ports along the Brazilian section of river, the other being Manaus, located approximately 1500 kilometres upstream from the river’s mouth.

Belem’s major exports include lumber, fruits, Brazil nuts, and a broad array of other commodities. It also has some eco-tourism activities for those travellers looking to explore a part of the Brazilian Amazon.

Riverboat Near Belem, Brazil

Pucallpa - Frontier Town of the Peruvian Amazon

Danny Catt — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 11:18:56 -0800

Pucallpa, Peru - A Frontier Town

What a treat it is to arrive in a new and unfamiliar city and have an old friend and colleague meet you with open arms and a host of friends. A past instructor and colleague from BCIT, Roald Kley has a long history in Pucallpa, Peru.

Roald Kley

Over 20 years ago he worked for a forestry company here in Pucallpa (while on a break from BCIT) and now (in 2007) he spends part of his year on the coast of British Colombia and part of the year in the Amazon basin. While in Pucallpa, I stayed in the home of one of Roald’s long time friends, Winston Vasquez and his family. I was made to feel right at home. Winston is a member of the local Rotary Club and has extensive experience in the forest industry (in Peru and other parts of the world). It was so nice to be included as part of the family, particularly when you are so far from home (thanks Caricia, Carlos, Winston & Mirtha). I should mention that Winston and his family have started a bed and breakfast (I was the first customer) so if you find yourself in Pucallpa and you would like to stay with a wonderful, generous and knowledgeable family give Winston and Mirtha a call and they will take care of you!

Yarinacocha near Pucallpa, Peru

The town of Pucallpa was described to me as a frontier town, the wild-west so to speak. Along the riverfront boats and their cargo are in constant motion transporting wood, fruit, people (and who knows what else) up and down the river. Pucallpa is along the banks of the Rio Ucayali a major tributary of the Amazon. While the Rio Madre de Dios (where I was a couple of days ago) originates in south-east Peru then cuts through Bolivia before joining the Amazon in Brazil, the Rio Ucayali starts in the Andes, flows north towards Iquitos, near which it joins the Rio Maranon to form the Rio Solimoes. The Ucayali derives its enormous sediment load from the Andes and feeds it to the Solimoes River which eventually joins the Rio Negro near Manaus, Brazil and becomes the Amazon.

The countries of Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil and Venezuela are all part of the Amazon basin, which means they all contribute waters into the worlds mightiest river – the source or headwaters though are considered to be in Peru.

Pucallpa on the Ucayali River

My original plan was to spend only a couple of days in Pucallpa and then head up or down river. But Roald kept coming up with ideas of areas to explore and so I ended up using Pucallpa as a base for a number of days. I was given an excellent introduction to the area (from the waterfront, to the main city plaza, churches and the local nature reserves as well as the Laguna Yarinacocha, a gorgeous lake close to the city). There is a local nature reserve on the outskirts of the city but it is more like a zoo than a reserve. It did though give me a chance to see some of the fauna typical of the region (from primates to wild cats).

Caricia with Constrictor

We also visited a breeding facility for both reptiles and amphibians (from caimans to frogs!) located not far from Laguna Yarinacocha.

White Caiman (or Crocodile)

San Francisco & Santa Clara

Roald also wanted to take me to a local village not far from the city to meet the Shapibo Indians, one of the local indigenous groups. We ended up visiting two villages: San Francisco and Santa Clara. Although the two villages are only a 30 minute walk from one another, for a visitor they can feel quite different. The reason for the differences is related to the level of development of the two. San Francisco is accessible by both boat and road, while Santa Clara can only be reached by boat (or by foot from San Francisco). Residents of San Francisco have road access to the ‘city’ of Pucallpa, they have electricity and even street lights (I am not sure whether they have running water or if they have to use wells). Santa Clara on the other hand relies on solar panels for their electricity, has no road access, no street lights, and they get their water from wells.

Kids Swimming at San Francisco, Peru

Upon arriving at San Francisco we were greeted by a large Crystal Beer billboard sign. If you are keen to shop for local textiles you can go to a special market area built for the tourist industry. Despite being very small, San Francisco has a distinct touristy flavour.

Shapibo Woman

Santa Clara on the other hand has more of an authentic feel to it. When we visited Santa Clara (the day after visiting San Francisco) we arrived by boat, met and chatted with the village leader and his wife and were welcomed to the community. Perhaps it is a bit selfish (on my part) to prefer the less developed community (the whole idea of sustainable development is to ensure that all people have access to resources (food, water, fuel) to improve their standard of living. I am not sure what it is about traditional cultures and lifestyles that we humans (at least some of us) are so keen to see and experience. That said, it was a very valuable experience to visit and enjoy both communities.

Musical Group in Pucallpa

A Musical Evening

On one of my last evenings in Pucallpa Winston invited musicians to his home to play and sing. It was a most enjoyable evening!

Adios Rio Madre de Dios

Danny Catt — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 09:54:26 -0800

Sliding Down the Rio Madre de Dios

We were up early in the morning in order to get down river to Puerto Maldonado in time to catch a flight to Lima. What took nine hours on the way up... took a short 4 hours on the way down and this time it was in a smaller boat from the research station (no competition for space on this sector of the journey). We saw macaws, parrots, and it was a treat to watch the amazing Amazonian landscape slide by.

Along the Rio Madre de Dios, Peru

We also though saw the numerous mining operations along the shores of the river and the small communities of miners and their families going about thier daily business. One cannot blame them for trying to make a living to feed their families. It is just a shame that there is not much restriction on the location, methods and extent of the mining.

We made it to Puerto Maldonado with enough time to board our flights for Lima. Krista had an exam to write (she is planning on graduate school) while I had to catch another flight, this time to Pucallpa also in the Peruvian Amazon. Pucallpa though is situated on another river, the Ucayali, one of the major tributaries of the Amazon River.

I Met the Emperor of the Amazon

Danny Catt — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 20:03:08 -0800

The Emperor Tamarin

There are few things I enjoy more than exploring a new part of the world, listening to new sounds, observing new species of wildlife and just poking around and seeing what I can see in a new place. One region of the world I have long been keen to explore and learn more about is the Amazon basin. Although not a native Peruvian, Krista (the BCIT FWR graduate I am visiting) has been living in the Amazon region of Peru for the past three years and is incredibly knowledgeable about the wildlife and natural history of the area.

Krista Adamek, at the Los Amigos Research Station, Peru

I was keen to explore so we were out walking the trails of the research station fairly early in the morning. It became obvious very quickly how important the trail system is at the station. Without the patchwork pattern of trails it would be virtually impossible to make your way through the thick tropical forest. The trails allow you to travel more easily and help you see where your feet are going to land… as there are snakes and sharp thorny plants to contend with!

For the past three years Krista has been working on a research project for WWF (World Wildlife Fund aka World Wide Fund for Nature) focussing on a variety of wildlife species including high profile carnivores like the Jaguar but also focusing on a range of birds including three different species of Macaw (Scarlet, Red-and-green and Blue-and-yellow). Macaws are the world’s largest parrots and unfortunately many of the world's 17 species are at risk. The illegal international trade of parrots as well as habitat loss are two of the major threats to Macaws. Another threat described by Krista is the loss of one of the Macaws favourite nesting trees and food sources, the Aguaje palm. The problem is that it is not only the Macaws that like the fruits of the Aguaje palm, the local people do too. Due to the size of the trees (some 30 metres or more) the locals are finding it easier to simply cut the tree down than climbing up to pick the fruits.

Blue-and-yellow Macaw

To learn more about these birds, Krista and her colleagues have a large number of Macaws tagged with radio transmitters so she and her team can follow their seasonal movements. In North America (for the most part) we have 4 seasons while in the Amazon there are really only two main seasons, the wet and the dry. One of the tagged Macaws traveled a fair distance over to Bolivia but then made its way back to the area between the Rio Madre de Dios and the Rio Los Amigos.

Wildlife movements never cease to amaze me. You can learn more about the movement patterns of some of our northern species of birds by checking out the Global Connections page of this website. Dr. Sean Boyd, a research scientist with the Canadian Wildlife Service, describes some of the migration patterns of species that he studies, and we will soon have other short essays by other contributors. Bird movement and migration are great examples of global connections. Some species, like the macaws, move short distances, while others, like the neotropical migrants we know so well in North America (warblers, vireos, hummingbirds, etc) may travel many thousands of miles!

Cicada Tubes, Amazon Region, Peru

As we walked through the forest I was quite intrigued by the tall, thin tubes of mud sticking up from the ground (I thought they were small ant hills) but Krista pointed out that they were in fact the above ground part of a cicada burrow. I know we have cicadas in Canada with an amazing life history but I know virtually nothing about these tropical ones. The Amazonian cicadas apparently have a mysterious 17 year life history, but that is about all I could find out. I will need to do some research to learn more.

You want me to go up there?

When wildlife species are tagged with transmitters, the researcher will use a small antenna and a receiver to pick up the frequency of the different tagged individuals. The researcher can then plot the locations on a map to see where the individuals are spending their time. One of the things a researcher must do though is get to a high vantage point to scan as far as possible to try and locate the tagged individuals. The process is called ‘radio-telemetry’and it is used all over the world to learn more about the movement patterns of wildlife. In North America a broad range of wildlife species are ‘collared’ or ‘fitted’ with transmitters and then researchers use radio receivers to track the individuals movements. Bears, deer, wild cats (eg. cougars and lynx), as well as birds such as snow geese, seabirds like albatross and shearwaters and large raptors (eagles and osprey) have all been followed using this technique.

The Tower, Los Amigos Research Station, Peru

In the Los Amigos research area Krista and her colleagues use vantage points as well as small planes and ultralights to follow the movements of their collared animals. In fact, Krista’s brother is a pilot and has worked alongside Krista helping with data collection. If you don’t have a plane though, another way to get the telemetry locations is to climb to the top of towers and use the receiver to get locations. Krista asked if I was open to climbing to the top of one of the towers that she uses and I jumped at the opportunity! But… jimmeny crickets (excuse my language) I didn’t realize how tall the tower actually was!! Yikes…

The climb up was safe as we used a special harness to inch (or metre) our way to the top. There was no chance of actually falling and injuring ourselves but it was just the height of the tower that was the issue. From the bottom it looked like no problem… but jeeshhh it was 60 metres high (I think that is what she said)! As I approached the top I was trying to ensure that Krista didn’t see how pale & wide-eyed I was … but once I got to the top I realized that was not an issue as she was at the bottom waiting for me to reach the upper platform.

The View from the Top

The view from the top of the tower was amazing … and we could hear macaws, falcons, songbirds and other forest creatures and could see for miles in every direction. There was even a rainbow stretched across the sky! Unfortunately though our time at the top was limited as it was late afternoon and we didn’t want to be trekking back to the station in the dark. The trip down was faster and easier than the trip up… but not too fast!

On our way back to the station we met up with a troop of Emperor Tamarins that suddenly appeared and then left as quickly as they came. When we got back to the station we had a very enjoyable dinner chatting with some of the other researchers at the station from different regions of Peru as well as other South American countries.

After dinner I recorded an interview with Krista which you are welcome to listen to:

Download MP3

Up the Rio Madre de Dios, Peru

Danny Catt — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 19:31:49 -0800

Up the Rio Madre de Dios, Peru

Once again I was up at the crack of dawn (another 5am morning!). Krista was originally going to meet me in Puerto Maldonado and join me on the trip up river but her schedule changed unexpectedly and so she set things up to make it as easy as possible (she knows my Spanish is limited) for me to get from town to the Los Amigos research station. The plan was to meet a vehicle outside the ACCA Los Amigos research station office (ACCA = Association for Amazonian Conservation) just down the street from my hotel at 6am for a transfer to a small community about a 45 minute drive from Puerto Maldonado where I would hop on a public boat (a colectivo) heading up river. I was there ready and roaring to go at 5:45am and just after 6am a vehicle pulled up and out hopped a young and enthusiastic driver. He threw some rapid sentences of espagnol at me, but when he saw the blank look on my face he just smiled, threw my bags in the back, and whisked me away.

Before leaving Puerto Maldonado we had to pick another person who worked at the station and who (luckily for me) was also heading up river to Los Amigos. We stopped briefly at the local mercado (market), to load up the taxi with fruits and vegetables for the station. We were heavily loaded as we sped our way down the slick muddy road to Laberinto. The road we were speeding down was in fact a section of the InterOceanica highway, a somewhat controversial road which when completed will connect the forests of Brazil with Peru’s Pacific coast.

There is so much development going on in the Amazon these days. Logging, cattle ranching, mining (mainly for gold) and soybean production are just some of the pressures that are impacting the Amazon, its people and its ecosystems. (Read George Sranko’s short essay on soybeans on the Global Connections page of this website). For further reading check out the most recent issue of National Geographic (January 2007) which has an article by Scott Wallace entitled ‘Last of the Amazon’. In his article Scott describes in detail some of the pressures and challenges that the forests, people and cultures of the Amazon basin face. Scott’s opening line tells the tale of development in the Amazon, ‘In the time it takes to read this article, an area of Brazil’s rain forest larger than 200 football fields will have been destroyed.’ In five years, from 2000 to 2005, Brazil lost 50,000 square miles of rainforest! In Peru, although not as heavily impacted as the forests of Brazil, the pressure is building.

We arrived in Laberinto in time for us to load our things on the collectivo, the public boat heading upriver. Only two of us were heading to the research station, the rest of the passengers (individuals, families and workers) were heading home to their communities along the river. When we got to the river it seemed that the boat was fairly full (with gear and people) but as I soon found out, the loading had only just begun! They piled as much as the boat could hold… bikes, beer, mechanical parts, food, and more people… and then when it seemed the boat could handle nothing more… they added a bit extra for good measure! The passengers were laying head to foot in order to get as many people in the boat as possible. Once all was set… we pulled away from shore and began our journey up the Rio Madre de Dios.

Head to Foot and Foot to Head

Krista had told me to keep my eyes open for mining operations along the river. I was not exactly sure what to expect or what to look for… a big mine? small operations? but it became quite obvious only minutes out of town. Around almost every bend (that is perhaps a slight exaggeration… but not by much) there are either active mining operations or old ones where piles of gravel lay beside the river, or in the river, evidence of the ongoing search for gold. Apparently the active mines are worked 24 hours a day… so in many areas along the gold producing rivers the magical night sounds of the Amazon are now being drowned out by the roar of pumps and generators.

Portable Mining Operation Along the Rio Madre de Dios, Peru

We arrived at the research station about 9 hours after leaving Laberinto. It was a long, hot and sticky day on the river but the time passed quickly. Time always does when you are experiencing new places and new things. How often do you have the opportunity to chug your way up an amazing exotic river, with parrots flying overhead and amazing landscapes sliding by. Not very often!

Evening on the Rio Madre de Dios

Krista welcomed me with a big smile and helped me settle in. It was a real pleasure to chat and catch up with her after almost three years to learn of the work she has been doing and the changes in her life. Teaching is such a great job that way. I often think back to the first days of September each year when new students arrive at BCIT. They are always so keen, eager and to ready to learn. As instructors we are able to follow their skill development and changes in confidence and then to see them one, three or five years after graduation is so very rewarding. Krista is a prime example of a grad who has done extremely well and is living the dream of many young conservation minded folks… working in the Amazon to conserve its wildlife and ecosystems. There are many other grads from our FWR program that we are proud of working in BC, across Canada and internationally. To have a look at what some other grads are doing click on the Global Connections page and read their Conservation in Action profiles.

This region of Peru is not that far south of the equator so sunset was quick and by 7pm or so the blue skies of day turned indigo, then purple then deep, dark black.

What follows is a bit of a description of my first night under a mosquito net in the Peruvian Amazon. (this may take me a bit of time to upload … but stay tuned!)

January 8, En Route to the Peruvian Amazon

Danny Catt — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 16:05:04 -0800

I was up early (5 a.m. is early for me!) in order to make a quick visit to the Cusco Market with my delightful host and friend from Trek Peru (thanks Dafne!) before heading to the airport to start the next leg of my journey.

My brief time spent in the Peruvian Andes was fabulous and there is no doubt that I will return. The region is so rich in culture, with incredible landscape diversity and warm and wonderful people. In mid-morning I boarded an Aero Condor flight in Cusco heading for Puerto Maldonado in the Peruvian Amazon. Peru is so diverse … from beaches along the Pacific coast to lofty 6000 metre peaks, to the dark jungles of the Amazon rainforest.

First views of the Amazon rainforest

I admit it was a bit of a shock to my system as I left the air conditioned plane cabin and entered the hot, sticky and humid world of the Amazon basin. It was even stranger when I checked the weather in Vancouver on the internet to find that snow was in the forecast!
After checking into my hotel I went for a wander around town and down to the river, the Rio Madre de Dios, which runs through the town of about 40,000 inhabitants.

Rio Madre de Dios, Peru

The Rio Madre de Dios is one of the many headwater rivers of the Amazon. It originates in the south-eastern corner of Peru, not far from the Brazil and Bolivian borders, cuts through Bolivia and eventually joins the Amazon in Brazil. One of our Fish, Wildlife & Recreation program grads, Krista Adamek, has been working on a World Wildlife Fund project there for the past three years and it was my plan to get up river to spend a few days with her at the research station she has called home since graduating from BCIT three years ago.

I visited the Research Station office in Puerto Maldonado and filled out the necessary paperwork and also made arrangements for a transfer to the town of Laberinto where the next morning I would join a public boat (a collectivo) that would take me up river to the station.

My Spanish has not been improving as quickly as I would like but I was getting used to the menus in Spanish and I was getting fairly proficient (or so I thought) at ordering the foods I was keen to try (pollo = chicken; pescado = fish; carne = meat) so you can perhaps imagine my surprise when the words on the menu didn’t seem to make any sense at all. Had I suddenly lost all of the little bit of Spanish I had learned? I ended up asking the waitress to come over and I did my best to point out and ask why there was no chicken on the menu (her English was comparable to my Spanish… not very good). No matter where you are in the world though, with a little effort (perhaps some sign language) you can make yourself understood. When she finally understood and looked at my menu, she laughed, ran over and handed me a different one. This time the choices seemed much more understandable, and voila there was my pollo! Because Puerto Maldonado is so close to the Brazilian border, the menu I was reading was in Portugese (the official language of Brazil) not in Spanish!

After my fowlish feast I worked for awhile before calling it a night. Another early morning tomorrow.