Final week in Kenya

I am in my final week, here, at Mpala Research Center in Kenya.  Time has seemed to go by quickly and at the same time, I have the familiar feeling of being here a long time.  Its been a great opportunity to observe and be a part of a research station, to see some of the beautiful landscape and exotic wildlife of Kenya, and to get a peek into the Kenyan life and culture. 

I've decided that being a researcher probably isn't for me (not that I was anywhere near that path anyway).  It is hard and tedious work for the most part. Unless one is passionate about his/her area of research, I, personally, would get bored with a lot of it in the long-term.  Of course, there are the really interesting projects dealing with larger animals (leopards, lions, elephants etc) and such that would be pretty exciting, but a lot of what goes on, research wise, is the smaller things;  plants, insects, soil, water, climate etc. that haven't been studied much yet.  So, my hat is off to these people that spend years in their work and research here and around the world!  Their work is important, as contributors, to the overall advancement and discoveries of science, each a piece of the larger puzzle.  We need these researchers, who are uncovering all these questions and mysteries of this crazy and intricately designed planet.  We need them!

My experience, working in the "field" collecting data was good.  It caused me to look a little closer, or caused to me to HAVE to look to look closer at some things I don't really ever think much about: pollination, pollinators, flowers, plants, rainfall, weather... It is easy to live never really thinking about some of these things; never taking a closer look. But having to sit and watch certain flower species all day for 30 minute increments and try to collect or identify all the insects that visit or don't visit, causes some thoughts about such subjects.  For one thing, I was forced to stop and notice some of the incredible beauties found in some of the smallest flowers and even in the insects. Some of the smallest were the most beautiful. Each is so rare in its design and beauty, most of which go unnoticed by anyone.  Each design and color serve some purpose in nature, to attract, to facilitate, to survive, to be most productive, and sometimes, I personally think, to just to display the creative beauty of the Creator.

Another thing that I was forced to think about was that all these things in the natural world are connected.  It isn't that bees do their thing, flowers do their thing, animals do their thing, humans do their thing, etc.  All of these "things" interact and affect one another in some way, even if on some small/indirect level.  It is kind of a trickle down affect.  You know the law of physics that says,"for each action there is an equal and opposite reaction?"  Well that is true.  Some actions end with a negative reaction and some with a positive reaction. For our pollination study, we were trying to see if large herbivores had a positive or negative impact overall on pollination, directly or indirectly.  We haven't analyzed all the data yet to draw any final conclusions but the experience was a positive one for me. Not that every day was relavatory or mind blowing by any means, but did cause some thoughts that may have otherwise not been thought about....so that is good, right?

As I said before, kudos to all these researchers that are here asking all these ecological questions of nature and spending long, sometimes hot (cold, wet, dry) days/months/years in the field doing their best to bring more knowledge to the world in all these various areas.  Most is being done in the end in an effort to conserve what we have and best facilitate how it is meant to function. Losing, for example, a species of animal or plant or overuse of resources has more repercussions than just that isolated thing "being," the effects trickle down to affect other things.  So, it is our job as citizens of this earth to manage what we have... sometimes even down to the smallest things and to make decisions based on the greater good rather than temporary monetary/material gains that in the bigger/longer scope of life will do far more damage and cause more loss than good in the end.  I haven't become one of those weirdos who is going to go tie myself to some tree to save it but I am realizing that we can't just ignore these kinds of environmental issues (or social or political or what have you).  It is our JOB, our mandate to care and to think of future generations and the future of our planet.  I have no idea what this fully looks like  and I realize the vast complexity of it all but it takes people like the researchers here (and social justice workers, aid workers, politicians, and "regular/untitled" people), to care and to try to bring insight and attention to their areas of work/study in effort to better our world. Because we first need to know about the problems or possible problems to be able to attempt to "fix" them....following?

Wow, I didn't really intend to get on a soapbox there!  I didn't even start out intending to write anything in particular but to give a sort of update or summary of my time here.  But the words happened and so I will leave them lie.

Here are some of the pictures of the beautiful and interesting flowers we came across working out in the field.  Amazing...but easily unnoticed!

Unknown name

unknown name

Emilia discifolia...with a visitor:) 

Delasperma nakurense

Crassula volkensi

Hibiscus calyphyllus

Comelina  benghalensis blue

Cyamnchum gerradii

Euphorbia magnicapsula

Chlorophyta sp. 2

Ceropegia sp2

Comelina reptans

Grewia tenax

Becium
(we had named it dragons tongue before 
finding out its real name)

Hibiscus mayerei

Ceropegia

unknown name

Justicia 

Hibiscus vitifolius

East African Safari

We finished up the field work portion of Travis' project a few weeks back.  The field work went much faster than originally estimated so we were unexpectedly left with some time that we could use to explore more of Kenya.  Travis decided to book us a SAFARI ADVENTURE to celebrate finishing the field work. It is actually most economical and logistically easy to book trips through a tour company, so that is what we did.  It was so awesome to be able to see more of the country and its beloved and amazing national parks.  We also went into, neighboring,Tanzania to some national parks there.  We went with a group tour as private tours are way more costly compared to sharing a vehicle and guide with a few other people.  The guides know the parks well and communicate with other guides so your chances of seeing the cool stuff increases compared to trying to do it on your own (plus a couple parks require a guide).  The parks we visited in Kenya were the Masai Mara, Nakuru, and Amboselli.  The parks we visited in Tanzania were Lake Manyara, NgoroNgoro Crater, Serengeti, and Tarengeri.

On a safari you drive around in a van or land cruiser that has a pop up roof and drive around looking for wildlife. All the roads are dirt roads and a lot of them are very bumpy so having a tough vehicle is essential.  Usually when people come to Africa on safari they are usually interested in seeing what is called the BIG FIVE.  The big five are as follows: Rhino, Elephant, Cape Buffalo, Lion and Leopard.  I guess these animals are the top 5 most dangerous animals in Africa. Many of the locals would say that the cape buffalo were the most dangerous of all, which seems surprising.  If I were to pick the big 5, I would swap the cape buffalo for a cheetah and it would be more based on being interesting vs dangerous.  And then I would add an honorary spot for the giraffe because they are so cute and so tall!

I enjoyed seeing the cats the most, I think.  Its probably because they are usually the more challenging ones to see. We actually saw so many lions that they began to feel almost common. But each time we saw some it was exciting.  We saw a fair amount of cheetahs and only a couple leopards.  I feel like the leopard sightings were my favorite...but a very close/equal toss up with the lion cubs...so stinkin cute! The cats are all so majestic and regal.  It was amazing to see them!

A lot of people hope to see a kill by one of the cats.  I must admit we were sort of hoping for that too.  We saw a few hunts but none ended successful.  One lioness came very close to taking down one of a group of 3 zebras.  When she got close and it was apparent that it was probably going to be the baby zebra, I sort had a change of heart and was sort of rooting for the zebra to get away, and it did.  My heart was pounding so hard watching the whole thing.  It was really cool to witness!  Another time we just missed a couple of lions taking down a wildebeest... by a few minutes, I would guess.  The two lions were feasting on their fresh kill.  Then upon the scene came a few hyenas who must have caught the smell of blood in the air.  Then a few more came, then a few more, and more and more and more till about 50 hyenas were yapping with watering mouths as they watched the lions feast.  As a group the, the hyenas were getting more and more brave closing in on the lions until they pretty much ran the lions off of the kill and then proceeded to fight among themselves for a bite.  I actually think the lions had pretty much eaten their fill and left more out of annoyance than anything.  We did see one of the lions take an aggressive swipe and then bite into one hyena before laying down a few feet away to snooze off a overly full tummy.  It was really cool to watch that whole scene.  I couldn't believe how many hyenas showed up!

Each park we went to sort of had its special or unique thing about it.  The Masai Mara is not only a beautiful savannah land but also is part of the great migration of wildebeest and zebra. We happened to be visiting during the time were these millions of animals migrate into the Masai Mara.  It was unfathomable how many there were and so cool that we got to experience this thing that is considered one of the wonders of the world!  While we were there we saw so many fat and snoozing lions who were gorging themselves, probably daily, on this smorgasbord of easy food that had migrated into their area.

Nakuru has a big lake that is usually home to a whole ton of flamingos.  Its biggest claim to fame is probably that it is home to the most rhinos of any other park.

Amboselli is famous for the copious amounts of dust that it holds and is kicked up by the vehicles that drive its roads....ha ha!  Actually we were told in the Masai language that the world "amboselli" means dust.  Amboselli boasts of a beautiful Mount Kilimanjaro backdrop.  Unlucky for us, the mountain was covered in clouds the main day we were there.  We caught a brief hazy view of it the morning we left.

Lake Manyara was nice but it probably a park that attracts "birders."  It was a little too dense and bushy to see any animals.  There are supposedly tree climbing lions there but we did not see any.  It did host  millions and millions of pink flamingos that we could only see from a far distance but it made part of the lake appear pink.

The Serengeti is HUGE!!!  It also is part of the great migration but it is where the wildebeest and zebras go back to after the Masai Mara.  The two parks are essentially connected but are separated by a river boarder between Kenya and Tanzania.  This park is vast and would take quite a long time to fully explore.  It is also mostly open savannah lands with the occasional picture-perfect "African tree" popping up here and there.

The NgoroNgoro crater is actually an extinct volcano.  It is a very small area for the amount of animals that call it home.  The majority don't leave the crater, though they probably could climb the 1000 meters to get out.  It has the highest animal population densities by area of any of the parks.  

Tarengeri is home to the baobab tree....which is the tree Rafiki on the Lion King lived in.  It is nicknamed the "upside down" tree because it looks like the root system is sticking up in the air. It is super cool looking!   This park also has one of the highest elephant densities of all the parks. We saw TONS of elephants and lots of little babies ones....awe:)

In all, it was a great safari trip and we got to see a lot of beautiful landscape and wildlife!

I hope you enjoy some of the pictures!

Lion cub: Masai Mara

Black mane male Lion: Masai Mara

Leopard: Masai Mara

Cheetah: Masai Mara

A view of the great migration (wildebeest and zebra): Maasai Mara

Young male lion: Maasi Mara

Male lion: Masai Mara

A view into NgoroNgoro Crater

Motherly Love: Serengeti

Serengeti

A Serengeti Sunset

Baboon: Amboselli

Big Tusk Elephant: Amboselli

Oryx: Amboselli

Gerenuk: Amboselli

Baby Baboon: Tarengeri

Our safari mobile in Tanzania

Flamingos: Lake Manyara

Baobab tree: Tarengeri

Mother and baby zebra: Tarengeri

Rhinos: Nakuru

Rhino: Nakuru

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Meet the Fleet

Meet the rough, tough vehicles of Mpala....

The Palmer Lab Trio: Kermit, Betsy, and Zoey (left to right).  Todd Palmer, head of the Palmer Lab,
had his vehicles all painted bright colors for a reason.  He said when you are in the field
and being chased by and elephant or buffalo it is important to know where your vehicle is!
 Bright colors help to locate it quickly. Good thinking, Todd!

KERMIT
After driving around in all the the Palmer Lab Vehicles I have decided I like
Kermit the best.  He is the smoothest ride, spacious, and comfy.  Travis finds him
the best to drive too.  Kermit has been rolled a couple of times and sunk into the river in his
lifetime and still has the spark of life in him.  His current downfalls are: windows don't roll
up all the way, back door sometimes doesn't close letting in copious amounts of dust, and
the 4WD is broken.  

ZOEY
Zoey is my second favorite Palmer Lab Vehicle.  She is the newest and Todd's "precious."
  She drives a tad bit rougher than Kermit and is geared a little lower in shifting.  I like her bc
she is new and nice and looks really good.  She is a little less roomy than Kermit,
 but everything works.  Driving her comes with a little added pressure of not
"hurting her or else" from Todd.  We are always just as happy to drive Zoey as Kermit.
Did I mention she looks so cool?

BETSY

Betsy is my least favorite of the Palmer Lab Trio.  She has quite the story

of survival on numerous occasions (rolling and drowning) but has resurrected in

a rough condition.  She is by far the roughest ride and has the most quirks.  I feel 

sometimes that I might get physically injured (like a compressed spine) because 

she takes the bumps so hard.  She is also hard to steer because the alignment 

is so incredibly off. But, with all the negatives said, I am thankful to have her when

we need a vehicle to drive.  I do think she looks pretty cool with her racing stripes!

BANGED UP RASUL
This is a picture of the van AFTER it had been tipped on its side, hence the
busted out back window.  Luckily it happened at a slow speed and only crunched it
a little (doesn't look too bad).  It was drivable a few days after the incident.
These vans have a narrow wheel base they tip more easily.  A good reminder to
drive CAREFULLY out here!  Two out of the three of Todd's vehicles have been wrecked!

To make the rest of these pictures a little more interesting, I hid Mr. Gnome, my world- travelling companion, on each of the vehicles for you to find as you check them out.  Here is a picture of what he looks like!

Meet Mr Gnome! Yes, he really likes cookies:)

.

KAL
Kal is an old, old beast.  This vehicle has seen so much, I am sure.  He was donated
by the Denver Zoo who used to sponsor a project here (notice the very faded sticker
on the side).  Kal, in old man fashion, doesn't get up and go very fast.  Sometimes he requires
a good push-start or battery cable wiggle.  And often he seems to need assistance to get
home (a tow).

TIMONE

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HEDGE HOG
This beauty shares my birth year, 1981!

EAGLE SCOUT

BORN FREE
This is Travis' dream car....for real!

GODFREY
I would like to have one of these little green machines!  They are cute!
They are much smaller than the land rovers and land cruisers and yet roomy.

POSHIE
This is the newest, shiniest, and most posh land rover on station....the owner is a
 PI (principle investigator) from Princeton...no more to be said:)  I would be afraid
to drive this around here on the dusty, rough roads.

SCUBA STEVE
This is one of the security (ascari) patrol trucks.

TOWNIE
A subaru!!  Travis said if he could he would like to ship his subaru over here...
he thinks it would do well in the African bush lands and get better fuel
economy than the land rovers and such. This car is mainly for driving
 to town and back.

OL' RED

SUNSHINE
 Someone else believe in the bright-color theory!

MAGGIE
This is the director of Mpala's vehicle.  Probably the smoothest ride on station.

These are the vehicles that get the researchers out to the field everyday to do what they do.  They are all abused as a result of this wild place and have to visit the on-station clinic (mechanic shop) on a regular basis. It is quite amazing that some are still running:)

Were you able to find Mr. Gnome?