The April Update
The last few months have been busy for PrimatesPeru. We've worked on increasing our publicity, recruiting new team members and getting training. Here are some recent highlights ...
Field Assistants We'd like to welcome two new members to our team: Karina Klonoski from Bowdoin College and Erin Kane from Washington University in Saint Louis. Our efforts to recruit further field assistants are continuing with phone interviews in April and more results in May.
Grants We have applied to a large number of reputed organisations for help funding this project. All applications have been successfully sent out and all that remains is to wait for the results, which are out from May - June. We hope to be ready to leave in October even with partial funding. Our focus is not just on waiting but on preparing ourselves for round two of grant applications, should they be needed. Some good news on this front: the National Science Foundation received an influx of funds from President Obama's stimulus plan - finally some recognition to science!!
Travel Our summer plans are finalised and we wil be spending June and July in southern India. We will be based in Bangalore in the state of Karnataka but will travel to southern and eastern India as well. The true highlight of our trip is our breif foray into southeast Asia to the grogeous islands of Borneo, Sumatra and Sulawesi. We're looking forward to getting a close look at some pretty amazing primates: tarsiers at Tangkoko National Park and orangutans at Tanjung Puting National Park, to name a few. We will continue to post updates during this adventure...
Website updates Here are some things to keep an eye out for:
- New forms available for registered field assistants to complete before participation begins: The Release, Assumption of Risk, and Waiver of Liability and the Volunteer Participation Contract.
- We have a presence on Facebook: Sign up and become a fan at the PrimatesPeru Facebook Page!
- If you haven't seen it yet, CICRA also has a presence on Facebook and there are weekly updates from the field site on this page: CICRA on Facebook!
- CICRA is not just a place for science: Experience the Los Amigos Art Program!
THE TRAP
We have successfully created the prototype for the traps we will be using in Peru. They are safe, comfortable and sturdy, but best of all, they can be completely dsimantled and assembled as needed! Thank you Robert and Joel Erkenswick for all your time, energy, and box building expertise. Check out these pictures below and let us know what you think!
