Scientists Identify Ecuador's Yasuni National Park as One of Most Biodiverse Places on Earth

Researchers with the TADPOLE Organization contributed to a new study published this week in the journal PLoS ONE. The study finds that Yasuni National Park in Ecuador is home to the most diverse array of plants and animals in South America and possibly the planet.

- "The 150 amphibian species documented to date throughout Yasuni; is a world record for an area of this size," said Shawn McCracken of TADPOLE and Texas State University. "There are more species of frogs and toads within Yasuni; than are native to the United States and Canada combined."

Please take a look at the article or some of the press:

PLoS ONE Article

New York Times

Mongabay News

The Tigres that work at TBS.

Posted by Bejat

Only a few days left in Ecuador. Shawn and I leave TBS on Monday, the 15th, and it is a painful thought, yet we are happy to go home and see our friends and family in time for the holidays. This field season has been full of challenges. We have learned more about ourselves, each other and the forest as the direct result of isolation, determination and passionate learning. Without a TV, radio, phone or car alarm blaring at all hours of the day, our minds have been at peace allowing us to dream, think and develop ideas that are unique and without barriers.

This year has been arduous at times, yet we have persevered, and thanks to all of Shawn's fine field assistants, this year has been a success. Kenny (as seen climbing in the photo to the left) and Colin (as in the photo to the right with a giant walking stick) left TBS in the beginning of December. They took with them a life changing experience that will shape their future. While Shawn and I were in Quito, they worked like a well oiled machine, running the project as a team. They finished their work in the plot and mapped several trails with GPS coordinates every 50 meters. Kenny and Colin are goal oriented and driven and plan to continue their education upon return to the States.

Shawn has been working on his species lists for his permits. He has two forms to compile, one for Ecuador and the other for the States. Unfortunately, they do not use the same form and he has somewhere around 2,ooo samples (this includes all the insects). These are all in separate containers, full of ETOH for preservation. Some specimens, like the tarantulas, have been pinned and dried by Kenny (as seen in the photo to the right). It should be interesting going through customs. Needless to say we are leaving as much as we possibly can here in storage.
We have been incredibly fortunate over the years and have met marvelous people, like Dr. Kelly Swing and Jaime Guerra. Kelly is pictured to the left and he is a professor at Boston University and USFQ, the director or TBS and board member of TADPOLE. Next to him is Jaime Guerra, the previous manager of TBS for 7 years, who now works with Kelly teaching his Ecology class that travels around Ecuador to the Galapogos, Cloud Forest and TBS. Jaime's specialty is bats. He has allowed me to assist this year with netting for bats at the clay licks along the Rio Tiputini.

Such an enormous project, yielding data untold, is providing us with more information to protect this fragile environment. Most certainly there are new species to describe and scientific papers to write, which will further the efforts of TADPOLE. I have taken somewhere around 35,000 photos, those which I have saved. I plan to have exhibitions, enter contests and place them on photo stock websites. Returning to the States Shawn will begin to unfold the truth and reveal the secrets of these magnificent mini-ecosystems of Aechmea zebrina bromeliads, that Shawn has coined "wetlands in the sky".

"Each blade of grass has its spot on earth whence it draws its life,
its strength;
and so is man rooted to the land from which he draws his faith together with his life."
- Joseph Conrad

The Mapadores at the Catolica Station.

Posted by Bejat

Over the past month we have been at the Catolica Station. Shawn climbed his absolute final trees for the year, one of which was next to Repsol YPF, directly behind and above the security entrance (photo to left). It was a hush-hush operation, so we went incognito into the forest and used our walkie talkies, minimizing movement and talk. Strangly enough, this tree yeilded the highest number of frogs, however they were species that prefer areas of high disturbance like Ranitomeya duellmani and Scinax ruber.

It was difficult leaving Omaka (photo to right). She greeted me this time by rolling over and allowing me to pet her belly. She stepped on my foot this visit and I recommend not letting a Tapir step on your foot that weighs as much as a small truck. She is stout.

There was a camera crew visiting the station filming a membracid movie called Mini Monsters, due to debut next year. Animal Planet will be featuring the flick. The crew consisted of about 15 people and they were recording the songs and behavior of Membracids, which are more commonly known as tree-hoppers. Minuscule creatures that have the most brilliant colors and forms. We were only at Catolica for about a month and Shawn climbed 4 trees, mapped trails, documented bromeliad growth. We went out herping every possible night, yeilding new species to the ever growing hertofauna list for Yasuni National Park.

Alvaro identified all our trees, except for a few, in just one evening. He is brilliant. I also took DNA samples of the trees Shawn climbed for further genetic work. At some point in the future comparison genetic work will be done on the various species within this canopy environment to determine their relationship to one another.

Shawn submitted his DIGG proposal after over a month of painstakingly writing. He also took a flight over the Via Auca, provided by PetroEcuador, looking for Achmea zebrina bromeliads. He did find a few patches in a few last remaining chunks of primary forest (photo to right). He believes he found approximately 15 trees. Most of the area consited of cleared forest as seen in the photo to the left. The plane flew low and they opened the door so he could look directly down. The flight lasted about an hour and he said he is now hooked. He wants to fly an ultra-light plane. Until that time comes, I think he will be purchasing a remote control helicopter with a camera mounted to the base so that we may find the trees containing Achmea zebrina.

Shawn and I left for Quito at the end of the month for Shawn's presentation at the Universidad de San Fransisco de Quito. He had about 100 students for his presentation and everyone was impressed. His slide presentation is fantastic, describing his work and the history of Yasuni in relation to oil and colonization.

As we say goodbye to all our friends at Catolica, this field season rapidly approaches the end, like our good friend Rosa (seen in the photo to left with Bejat), who owns the Wao tienda in Timpoca on the Rio TIputini. Walking away is always hard and looking back can be even harder, but knowing you will be returning makes it bearable. So you say your goodbyes, give the kisses and hugs, and wave until your arm feels as if it may fall off.

Posted by Bejat

Photographic documentation of our previous month at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station (TBS):
Click photo for larger image

Sunset from Tower I

Shawn after final tree climb at TBS

Shawn working 40 meters high Parkea multijuga tree

Shawn ascending Parkea multijuga

Alfredo, Shawn, Kenny and Bejat

Vampyrodes caraccioli

Vampyrodes caraccioli

Vampyrodes caraccioli

Unidentified bat

Saccopterys bileneata with juvenile on Ficus tree

Fungus eating beetle

Dwarf Caiman, Paleosuchus palpebrosus, awaiting prey in small stream

Pristimantis paululus on Heliconia

Glasswing butterfly pollinating

Small bloom of Wandering jude

Cochranella midas in amplexus

Imantodes cenchoa

Saccopterys leptura with juvenile nursing in canopy

Sunset over the canopy

Black Caimen, Melanosuchus niger, in Lagoon

Piping guan, Pipile cumanensis cumanensis, on forest floor

Spider monkey, Ateles belzebuth belzebuth, hanging from Cecropia

Cryptic moth

Three second spider, Phoneutria keyserlingi, eating prey

Juvenile Howler monkey, Alouatta seniculus seniculus, watching me

Bigonaceae blooming along Lagoon

Curious Hoatzin, Opisthocomus hoazin, on Lagoon

Tree buttress

Ants tending aphids

Photo taken in order to complete painting

Ant

Oreobates quixensis hiding in fungus

Pristimantis aureolineatus on Aechmea zebrina bloom

Hoatzins, Opisthocomus hoazin, along Lagoon

Endemic tiny Golden-mantled tamarin, Saguinus tripartitus, marking a young tree

Irridescent Horned beetle

Hyla bifurca

Hyla lanciformus in Mauratia swamp

Tarantula protecting protecting lair

Fading light of day from Tower II at TBS

Sunset from Tower II at TBS

Tiny Orchidacea bloom

Leptodactylus ventral photograph for specimen identification

Palm towering over the canopy in the last moments of light

Passifloriaceae (Passion flower)

Passifloriaceae (Passion flower)

Passifloriaceae (Passion flower)

Passifloriaceae (Passion flower)

Katydid resting in Heliconia swamp

Fungus emerging from cricket

Glasswing butterfly resting at night

Long-billed Woodcreeper, Nasica longirostris

Long-billed Woodcreeper, Nasica longirostris

Single bloom

Hoatzins, Opisthocomus hoazin, along Lagoon

Great Potoo, Nyctibius grandis, resting on Spiney palm during day on Lagoon

Great Potoo, Nyctibius grandis, resting on Spiney palm during day on Lagoon

Vibrant beetle on Agaric fungus

Salvins curasow aware of my presence

Passifloraceae (Passion flower)

Capuchin monkey, Cebus albifins aequatorialis, in sub-canopy

Capuchin monkey, Cebus albifins aequatorialis, alarm calling in sub-canopy

Mantid on tree bloom

Costaceae blooms

Interior of Costaceae bloom

The king of Katidids

Female Wolley monkey, Lagothrix lagotricha poeppigii, with infant

Scorpion under ultra-violet light

Membracid

Antherium overlooking canopy

Rio Tiputini

Posted by Bejat


Alfredo (in the photo to the left with Kenny and Shawn) spent his final weeks here at TBS looking for the elusive Emerald Tree Boa in his spare time. He spent every evening out in the forest searching, but to his dismay he did not find any Boa. After all this time searching at the Catolica Station and here at TBS, it can lead one to believe that it is illusive rather than elusive. That is how it is though, no guarantees. That’s what makes it both challenging and that much more exhilarating when, whatever your elusive may be, is encountered. He did find many other snakes and had incredible sightings. Alfredo left about 2 weeks ago and is traveling around Ecuador before he returns to his home in Puebla, Mexico.

Colin, Shawn’s final assistant for the 2008 Canopy Amphibian Project, has arrived from the US. He is from Maine, a recent graduate of Carleton College in Minnesota. Kenny has recently graduated from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, but grew up in Sebastian. Both assistants are brilliant, striving for excellence, yet starkly different in character.

Colin (seen to the right in the lower left photo) is kind and sincere, pushing to do more and be more. Kenny (seen to the left in the lower left photo) is spirited, expedient and full of ideas, exceeding our expectations daily. When working with insects you can see Kenny’s true passion shine, especially with tarantulas (as depicted in the undescribed species in the lower left photo). He has identified many insects in the bromeliads for Shawn, teaching us more about Entomology daily. Colin has only just arrived, so it’s hard to say exactly where his true interests lie, but he seems to love it all with incredible enthusiasm.

Life in the forest is different from life in the city. Seclusion and isolation are one in the same as you find yourself alone in the forest day in and day out. Sometimes researchers become hermits, unusually unsocial. There hair becomes long and wild, they grow beards if they are men and body hair becomes naturally long if they are females while their bodies become more and more emaciated. Running through the forest in the heat keeps the body fit, yet in time the mind looses it’s western world tuning. Upon return culture shock is eminent.

Shawn climbed his final tree to extract bromeliads here at TBS (refer to photo on the right side). He climbed a total of four more trees during our brief reprieve and on Monday, November 10th, we will return to the Catolica Station (YSS) to climb four more trees. We will be rushed to climb these trees since Shawn has a presentation at the University of San Francisco de Quito, located in the suburbs of Quito, at the end of November.

Kenny and Colin are surveying the Puma plot once more, correcting points and taking heights of trees with the Nikon Laser Range Finder. Every other day they are in the lab, sorting insects to order, which will be sent to Terry Erwin at the Smithsonian when we return to the States. Remarkably they only have 10 more trees to sort. They have been working diligently and may have all the insects sorted before we leave Ecuador. In the evenings they have been doing transects on the canopy walkway and we have been working the trails looking for new species. We have found several species that have not been found here before, as well as several we have never found here in the past. This is great news and I now have more photographs for the TADPOLE publication of Yasuni Herpetofauna color plates, book and website.

Shawn has been working day and night on his DIGG grant proposal, Doctoral Improvement Grant, so that we can return next year to finish the 3rd field site where he will climb 18 more trees. I will be continuing the work for TADPOLE and working as Shawn’s primary research assistant, so I will need to generate funds to continue the efforts of TADPOLE. My efforts will be through my paintings, photographic work and fundraising.

I have also been practicing and climbing several trees in preparation to climb one of the next trees to video and photograph Shawn while working in the tree. It will be nice to get a better vantage point than from what I always get on the ground. As long as Shawn is able to find a crouch to work in while strapped to his lanyard, he can get off the rope and I can then climb up and capture his work.

Since things have slowed down over the past several days I have been traipsing around the forest videoing and photographing. I have spent many days at the lake rowing around in a dugout canoe to find the enormous Black Caiman, Spectacled Caiman, Sungrebe, Great Potoo, Hoatzins, Pitche, Tanagers, Cocoi Heron, Striated Heron (pic to right) and the list is infinite. Tracking the Black Caiman (depicted in photo on upper left side) around the lake is energizing. The lake is simply spectacular.

Went out netting bats at a luscious clay lick on the Yasuni side of the Rio Tiputini. Located about 15 minutes down stream from the station and about 1 1/2 kilometers into the park, it was laden with animal and Waorani hunting trails all leading to this one location. It was GREAT! WOW! We caught 48 bats! I must have taken out about 15 or possibly even more by myself. It was so amazing. They are gorgeous. There were small ones, big ones and monstrous ones. I got bit by one of the small leafed-nose fruit bats and my finger is still throbbing, but it was well worth it. I have my rabies shot, so all is well, but hot damn it hurts. That little guy bit clear through to the other side of my index finger on my left hand. He did this chomp, grip and rip technique similar to a dog playing tug-o-war. He was thrashing his little head back and forth, making the most of his efforts and doing a fair amount of damage that was quite painful. Ouch! All I could do was be patient and calmly try to pry his little jaw apart. What a little macho. Bats are so full of character with faces like angels, devils, dogs, cats and other indescribable creatures. The services they provide to this forest are remarkable. The evening ended about 11pm and we hiked back out to the river and saw a large red brocket deer. What a stellar night.

The rainforest is a mystery and the story unfolds daily before my own eyes. Take a seat anywhere in the forest and you will find the secret bounty of life. Amazingly enough the observations become clearer in minute detail. If the eye of the beholder is where the beauty lies, then my eyes must be rose tinted because everything is beautiful here.

View of Dayuma from the Via Auca

Posted by Bejat

We are back in the primary rainforest here at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station (TBS). The forest is like a magnificent dream and the camp has this romantically rustic feel. It is magically enchanting, like I have entered a fairy tale passing thru a secret porthole known as the Rio Tiputini.

Our trip to Dayuma on the Via Auca was cut short due to the lack of Aechmea zebrina bromeliads. What is left of the forest there is mostly secondary growth with small patches of primary growth. It appears that nearly all of the emergent trees have been excavated. Shawn and I agree that all hardwood trees were removed years ago as we witnessed their enormous trunks bundled high on large semi trucks.

This area is only 20 miles from a tree Shawn climbed at the Catolica Research Station, yet there were no Aechmea zebrina bromeliads. Shawn has found a previous project where scientists pinpointed the occurrence of Aechmea zebrina and they exist all around the Via Auca in a continuous circle, but not along this road or any adjacent roads. We can only assume that the lack of habitat, whether it be the lack of trees for growth and/or humidity due to transpiration (process by which water that is absorbed by plants, usually through the roots, is evaporated into the atmosphere from the plant surface - Riverweb Glossary) of a healthy forest has caused their extermination. Contamination, less rainfall and hotter temperatures could also potentially be at cause. The dust from the roads rises up into the existing vegetation and coats it with the fine particulates of dust choking their ability to breath, which we believe is another contributing factor.

We were witness to what one often only reads about, like excessive oil spills, rivers coated with black sludge with years of oil running through them, miles of trees fallen to the ground and burning forests. We were living in modest conditions with the colonists in Dayuma, a growing community due to the influx of oil. The people of Dayuma are extremely kind, however poor they may be, they are rich in love. They are non-judgmental and open their hearts and doors to complete strangers. Although I was shocked by our living conditions, the people inspired me to look beyond and into the lives of their existence. Our host family was welcoming, making our experience lovely. However, I must mention the slight misfortune of my sleeping conditions. When it would rain my bed would become saturated. Luckily we experience within the first few days that we could not unpack anything, that it should remain in plastic bags since half of our room leaked heavily.

Our days consisted of walking along the Via Auca and dirt roads to oil wells for 50 kilometers in the blistering heat looking for Aechemea zebrina bromeliads. We did not find even one! We found other types of bromeliads and epiphytes, but not the abundance one would find in a pristine or even disturbed forest. I did not see an abundance of orchids either. I did see a few populations of the hearty Maxillaria and Oncidium in less disturbed areas. We saw one forest mammal, an Agouti, on the road to Pindo. Otherwise it was dogs, cats, chickens, cows, horses, mules, pigs and cock-fighting roosters. Roosters so large that I feared for my safety at times when walking alone. The dogs were no better chasing us down the roads barking. We would pretend to pick up a rock or act as if we were throwing a rock at the vicious dogs and this would send them running, or at least stop the attack. Our observation of children using this technique provided the idea to adopt it as a ritual-like motion when passing the farms along these roads.

The dust rising from the roads with each passing truck, semi, bus or rancherra rose high into the air, clogging our noses and pores. The sun was so blazing hot that even with 30 plus sunscreen, hats and umbrellas we all received red skin. At the end of the day all we wanted was a cold shower at the restaurant on the other side of town. We would walk back to our rooms retrieving an ice cold coke along the way and sit on the porch watching the pigs below in the chancerra (pig pen). The wafting smell of the pigs was something less to be desired, but at least better than the bathroom. I preferred to use the forest honestly. We would then walk to the other side of town to use the shower that was shared with all the petroleras and family. Fortunately, there was a door on the shower. Then we would dress in the shower and return to our rooms. Shawn would evaluate his saved Google Earth imagery that he has over-layed with other satellite imagery to determine where we would survey the next day.

We would eat at 7pm and return to our rooms to watch season 3 and 4 of Lost on DVDs that we borrowed from fellow researchers at TBS. We would watch a few episodes and get to bed a decent hour for an early rise. In the morning we ate our breakfast at D'Davids and visited the Pandaria to pick up some bread for lunch. On our way out of town we bought fruit at a small fruit stand. Bread and fruit was our daily lunch.

Shawn's new assistant Kenny arrived from Florida. He is a riot, I can tell already that we are all going to have a wonderful adventure together. Although he does not speak Spanish, he gets by and managed to get himself to Coca. Shawn took a day and traveled to Coca to retrieve him from the airport. Alfredo and I went out looking for bromeliads on the road to Pindo. We made it to a town called Santa Rosa where we turned off the main road onto a muddy less traveled road leading us to the Rio Tiputini. We climbed up muddy hillsides looking far beyond the reaches of our binoculars across the Rio Tiputini. Even using our cameras to photograph trees, zooming in on the photos to determine the species of bromeliads. Unbelievably no Achemea zebrina. We were quite far out on this road and it was getting late so we had to walk as quickly as possible to catch transportation back to town. If not we would be returning shortly before midnight without any light. I think we caught the last ride possible with a petrolera that was exceptionally talkative. He told us about his family, his experience traveling in Spain and his work. He spoke so quickly it was very difficult to understand him and all I could do was listen intently and ask Alfredo for some translation every so often when he took a moment to breath.

After nearly being abducted by the Waorani inside the park boundaries of Dabo’s community, we felt we had the sign we needed to just move on to our next location. The oil company representative and some quick thinking on my part saved us from Waorani incarceration. This kind gentleman was from the Chinese company that is in charge of relations. We had this great idea that we would go directly to the end of the Pindo Road and access Yasuni National Park. We had hoped that we would be successful but only found that the Waorani were displeased by our entry and set a roadblock. As we were walking a representative from the oil company drove by and said that we were trespassing and the Waorani were furious We did not know about these “rules”, so the representative picked us up in the bed of his truck taking us around the corner where the roadblock was in place just for us. Wow, now we felt special. This was Kenny’s first day of work. I spoke with the Waorani and told them how Bolivar said it would be okay to visit this region and that we were friends with him, Tihue, Nambi and others along the Via Maxis. After we discussed the matter everything seemed to be okay as long as we agreed not to return. So we left.

On our final day we hiked the Puma Road where the pipelines have been removed because the wells have become unproductive. As usual I was running behind, taking photos and wandering about looking into the farms, into the lives of the people along the Via Auca. The farms along the Puma Road have been in existence for many more years than the other roads; therefore they were larger and more defined in their space. The homes were painted and landscaped, surrounded by pasture or fields. Some of these fields were on fire, burning along the landscape, filling the sky in eminent darkness. My heart sank at the sight of it and the heat rising from the fire was edging on my ebbing anger.

For lunch Alfredo picked fruit, Guayabas, along the road for us to eat. As we ate without care, Kenny noticed they were infested with worms. We immediately looked at Alfredo and remarked, "THANKS Alfredo!" I was especially pleased with my worm fruit and proceeded to give him a hard time about it. Poor Shawn probably ate about 3 or 4 of them. Ewwww, worm protein. Shawn and I ,at that point, had intestinal worms again and had to take the de-wormer once again. So the worm fruit did not go over well. Granted it’s not the same type of worms, but the thought of it was just too much.

We spent about 8 or 9 hours a day walking the road for a few weeks until Shawn said that it was hopeless and we should return to TBS. All we wanted was to find one Aechmea zebrina. It just did not seem possible that we could not find at least one. Baffling. We were uncertain at times if we were living in reality, maybe due to the sun, but also due to this inconceivable truth. We packed up or gear and returned to TBS.

Days of walking, hitch hiking and looking for the infamous bromeliads left us all dazed and confused. I had people yelling at me from afar “Hola Gringa!” This persisted day and night. A child tried to sell me his Yellow-Footed Amazon Tortoise. I explained that I was not interested that I only wanted to see them in the wild and documented the scene sneakily by taking a photo without their knowledge. I was offered beer, rides within the cabs of trucks in the air conditioning, while the guys sat in the tailgate with other hitch hikers, sometimes in the pouring rain. I appreciated riding in the cab, because the river rock roads are incredibly hard on the body.

People along the road were very kind and offered advice, directions and friendly discussion. There was no sense of urgency, only the sense of self. After 50 kilometers, which is equivalent to 31 miles, I had taken 6,000 plus photos and found the truth behind rainforest destruction, human survival.

This is the story of living along the Via AUCA:

Pipelines along the Via Auca

Pipelines leading to the PetroEcuador
central processing facility on the Via Auca.

Old pipeline capped along the Via Auca.

Horse grazing on what once was rainforest along the Via Auca.

Old pipelines along the Via Auca.

Pipelines that runs from the multitude of wells
along the Via Auca.

Shawn and Bejat take a cold beverage break
after hiking for many hours on the Via Auca.

Oil spill in front of this families home along the Via Auca.

Sign stating that it is dangerous to use or drink the water
nearby due to a reinjection well.

Alfredo and Shawn looking for
Aechmea zebrina on the Via Auca.

Contaminated ground and water
due to a previous oil spill.

Oil spill cleanup efforts have these men hard at work turning
the soil by hand to remove the contaminated dirt.

Yellow-footed Tortoise found within primary rainforest
is for sale along the Via Auca.

Billboard stating that trafficking of any species is illegal,
that the province of Orellana without Yasuni is not Orellana.

Pipelines running over a small contaminated stream
along the Via Auca.

Dust and heat rising from a gravel road leading to Pindo.

Semi truck passing Alfredo and Shawn on the road to Pindo.

Dust rising from the public transportation
bus on the road to Pindo.

Pipeline leading from a well over a small shallow stream
exhibiting the oil coated rocks beneath.

AUC well #13 leaking on the road to Pindo.

We found many other species of bromeliads,
but no Aechmea zebrina.

Pipeline running a few feet in front of this family's
home on the road to Pindo.

Cleared and recently burned pasture land
that was once rainforest as little as 30 years ago.

Oropendola nests in an open pasture along the road to Pindo.

Deforestation for bananas, coffee, yucca, guabana
and corn on the road to Pindo.

Deforestation for pastures on the Pindo Road.

Dust and emissions from this gas filled semi truck
chokes the vegetation.

Multi-directional well site on the road to Pindo.

The sun was setting as we race to get back before nightfall.

Neighbor across from our rented room looking out her kitchen window.

Summer Institute of Linguistics Evangelical missionary church in Dayuma.

Pandaria that we visited daily in Dayuma.

Our daily lunch is being delivered from the owner.

Fruit stand where we bought our lunch in Dayuma.

Argentinean owned processing facility in Pindo.

Flares burning excess natural gas and waste
from processing the heavy crude oil.

Coffee beans drying in the sun in the small town of Pindo.

Unfinished and abandoned home along the Pindo Road.

Detail of unfinished and abandoned home.

Unusual observation on the Pindo Road.

MAS? (click to enlarge any of the photos)

Pipeline, bridge and the Rio Tiputini on the Pindo Road.

Shawn looking for Aechmea zebrina.

Slash and burned rainforest on the Pindo Road near Santa Rosa.

The ground was still hot after being recently slashed and burned.

Sun setting on Dayuma.

The watermelon man gives us directions.

Oil tank rumbles through the center of Dayuma,
towering above the rooftops.

"Yes, There are cold oranges" states the sign
of the orange and juice vendor.

P29 INY/08 well leaking on an unnamed road leading to several wells.

Shawn working on his computer in our humble abode
looking for possible Aechmea zebrina locations.

Alfredo relaxing in his room after a long day.

Stairs leading to the second floor of our accommodations.

View from our balcony.

Children playing in the dirt along the Via Auca in Dayuma.

Fallen trees fronted by hybrid bananas
before entering Yasuni National Park.

Bee nest constructed of dead leaves.

Bat hanging on a barbwire fence overlooking a large Chinese oil well
inside Yasuni National Park, within Waorani territory.

Fallen tree over several pipelines
that has been planked for use by chainsaws.

Waorani clearing land within the National Park.

New house on the Pindo Road.

Sweat Bee Nest.

Children transporting produce.

Children transporting produce over a bridge with pipeline.

Emergent tree that has been taken and planked out for use.

Planked wood waiting for transport to town where it will be sold.

Several large emergent trees have been taken and planked with chainsaws.

Mule dung is a fresh commodity.

A new well is excavated at this drilling platform.

Walking through the site of the drilling platform.

The butcher, Antony, in Dayuma.

Butchering a cow for a local farmer.

Weighing each cut.

Neighbors to the right of our accommodations.

Kitchen sink.

Shawn McCracken.

Eduardo feeds his pigs below our living accommodations.

Neighbor across from us rinses her dishes.

Fresh cut bananas resting over the pipeline along the Via Auca.

Tar tank and structure for paving the Via Auca.

Runoff from the road provides water
used to wash clothes along the Via Auca.

Play set on school grounds on the Puma Road.

Established farm house surrounded by aloe vera on the Puma Road.

Boots place out to dry on the Puma Road.

Piglets nursing on the Puma Road.

Structure left from the pipeline that has been removed.

Burning fields for cow pasture.

Replenishing the soil with nutrients can only do so much
for this nutrient poor soil.

This fire will burn without limitations if left unattended.

Our shared shower.

View of our accommodations from the backside.

Diego and Alfredo.

D'David's Resturant and Hostal.

Our living accommodations from the front (street side).

Our toilet.

Tank of water used with gallon jugs to flush the toilet.

Kenny, Shawn, Eduardo, Margarita, Alfredo and Diego in front of D' David 2.

Oil spill directly behind the community of Dayuma.

Closeup of Oil spill that is floating in a swamp
visable from the road that runs through the middle of town.

Posted by Bejat

We are leaving this part of the Yasuni Rainforest tomorrow for the oil town of Coca. We will then move to the Via Auca. We will be inaccessible for the next several months, however, I will be updating the blog when it becomes possible once more with entries I compile while in the field.

Shawn's work is incredibly difficult and time consuming. His work is labeled as ground breaking, being the first person to do such research with amphibians within the canopy. His research is vitally important. The disturbance of roads has already proven to be a factor in not only frog populations, but also insects and bromeliads.

TADPOLE would greatly appreciate your donations to assist in funding all other aspects of our project like the photographic work, documentary, recordings, gps and the finding of new species. Equipment failure is always a factor in this harsh environment and we are in need of replacing several GPS units, antennas and ring flash. This equipment provides the proof necessary to save the most biological diverse place on Earth, Yasuni National Park, located within the Ecuadorian Amazon.

With even a $5 tax deductible donation you can help save this pristine rainforest. Not only is Yasuni National Park a Biosphere Reserve, but it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Therefor it is imperative that we must save this magical rainforest for future generations. You can make your donations online at www.tadpoleorg.org and select the DONATE NOW. The TADPOLE website also contains a wonderful montage of music and ambient recordings from TBS, titled Amazonal. If you are able to make a larger donation you can receive photographic gifts (once we return to the States).

Thank you,
Bejat McCracken
TADPOLE artist/photographer/secretary/treasurer

www.tadpoleorg.org
www.bejat.com
bejat@bejat.com

Keep faith in yourself and others and anything is possible - B