Blog from MBP Volunteer, Olivia
Photo courtesy of Dr. Edward Louis, Jr.
I’ve been here a month, but it feels like only a week. Time is flying by! I’ve gotten to understand the ins and outs of the Varecia research and it is going pretty well. I run through the forest, following my guide and writing down data, while trying to flag and GPS trees and not trip over vines. Wow! The heat and humidity make even standing still feel like being in a nice hot bath. It’s hard to imagine that back in the U.S. there is snow on the ground and Christmas is coming.
Tropical living is suiting me well; a 90% fruit diet and a constant river of sweat down my back seem normal now. I can’t stop eating lychee and I don’t think I’ve tried nearly enough varieties of banana. The storms are beautiful and refreshing, and will hopefully water our garden without knocking down the tender sprouts. Growing peppers in Madagascar, who knew! The storms settle in sometime after noon usually. I’m not sure when the rainy season really starts, but I don’t think this is it, the weather is much too benevolent. We’ll see how I feel after a few real storms! I’m kind of looking forward to them.
Flowers are beginning to bloom and the reptiles are coming out. Like them, I’m preparing for some favoured months in the rainforest.
-Olivia
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