Am full of self-pity today, my first year wedding anniversary. This entry could be regarded as an abuse of blogging protocol - no wildlife and no bush but perhaps writing into the blog abyss might make me feel a little better.
I arrived in Nairobi early yesterday and then after some waiting discovered my connecting flight was cancelled, no explanation just not going. Feeling already rather feeble after 3 weeks of illness and ladened with all sorts of packing, in 4 cumbersome bags together weighting 40 kg, I just melted. It was all so carefully planned I would arrive the night before our wedding anniversary having not seen each other (or had the benefit of his nursing skills) for nearly a month. There was nothing to do but cry publicly and unreservedly. Everything went pop - like a water balloon, me and my plans.
Chris a friend very kindly offered me a bed. Today he has had to go and now here I am alone in Nairobi with the thick air of traffic fumes and the sound of cars and children playing. Sometimes days just have to pass.
Tomorrow I should be off - now that two days have been lost, rather alarmingly I will have to go more or less straight into the bush. I usually find the intensity of Mozambique overwhelming and need to acclimatise before facing nature in the raw.
Our guests Peter and Galen will arrive before me, the scientists leading operation Elephant Shrew. Ha, there we go, not quite as I had planned. Hope to be full of renewed energy when I next put finger to keypad.
Friday, 10 June 2011
Monday, 30 May 2011
WARNING HEALTH NOTE: Tropical Medicine Unit...in Oxford
The papers are full of discussions about the NHS - and the great variety of performance across the hospital landscape against the decision to freeze funding. I can't begin to offer you a rounded view but I do have a small insight from my own recent experience.
My health has been boringly overwhelming and after recovering from pleurisy I suddenly had an excruciating headache and very high temperature that resulted in being sent to the Tropical Medicine Unit in Oxford. (And I have now had to postpone my flight again to Moz.)
We were greeted by sweet but distracted nurses, the usual morass of grey corridors, strip lighting and that all consuming smell of cheap disinfectant - and when we arrived at 10 am on Friday all the doctors were in a meeting. So despite having been prepared for my arrival, the greatest concern being cerebral malaria, I had to wait.
Then an hour later large quantities of tests taken and much examination by two nice doctors and I felt monitored. I explain that I would rather go home to wait for the results - which have been marked 'urgent', sent to the lab and should take no more than 2 hours.
At home I wait and no call, we ring and are told the doctor will ring us if there is anything to report. I am battling with such a bad headache and temp just below 39C, my really wonderful GP Dr Curtis comes round and gives me a prescription for stronger pain killers, codeine/paracetamol.
The next day we ring again, and are told once again that the doc will ring us. Eventually he does ring, a different doctor, and says quite calmly...the malaria results were not processed.
There is one comfort, I couldn't have cerebral malaria and survive this, so by default it is not that! My great dislike of hospitals is being tested (re-tested).
In Mozambique health care is basic to an alarming degree, unless you have malaria and pay to go to the small private clinic in Pemba, where you have a blood test and a result in 30 minutes (and Cuban doctors prescribe the most appropriate antibiotic.)
On this point we may be worlds apart. In the British National Health System 'loosing' seems to be a greater crime than just 'not processing'! Two days later I was processed and I don't have malaria (although they did add that I should have three consecutive tests to be 95% sure). But next time I or those around me have suspected Malaria lets hope it is in Mozambique!
PS - just to reinforce the varied health 'landscape' here, my GP is quite exceptional. The landscape analogy is proving problematic I don't like a flat landscape (e..g Norfolk) - better stop my wonderings, blogging with a temp may not be a good thing.
My health has been boringly overwhelming and after recovering from pleurisy I suddenly had an excruciating headache and very high temperature that resulted in being sent to the Tropical Medicine Unit in Oxford. (And I have now had to postpone my flight again to Moz.)
We were greeted by sweet but distracted nurses, the usual morass of grey corridors, strip lighting and that all consuming smell of cheap disinfectant - and when we arrived at 10 am on Friday all the doctors were in a meeting. So despite having been prepared for my arrival, the greatest concern being cerebral malaria, I had to wait.
Then an hour later large quantities of tests taken and much examination by two nice doctors and I felt monitored. I explain that I would rather go home to wait for the results - which have been marked 'urgent', sent to the lab and should take no more than 2 hours.
At home I wait and no call, we ring and are told the doctor will ring us if there is anything to report. I am battling with such a bad headache and temp just below 39C, my really wonderful GP Dr Curtis comes round and gives me a prescription for stronger pain killers, codeine/paracetamol.
The next day we ring again, and are told once again that the doc will ring us. Eventually he does ring, a different doctor, and says quite calmly...the malaria results were not processed.
Arh what does that mean? You lost them?
No, no absolutely not they were just not processed? And they expire after 24 hours, so you need to come back for more tests.
There is one comfort, I couldn't have cerebral malaria and survive this, so by default it is not that! My great dislike of hospitals is being tested (re-tested).
In Mozambique health care is basic to an alarming degree, unless you have malaria and pay to go to the small private clinic in Pemba, where you have a blood test and a result in 30 minutes (and Cuban doctors prescribe the most appropriate antibiotic.)
On this point we may be worlds apart. In the British National Health System 'loosing' seems to be a greater crime than just 'not processing'! Two days later I was processed and I don't have malaria (although they did add that I should have three consecutive tests to be 95% sure). But next time I or those around me have suspected Malaria lets hope it is in Mozambique!
PS - just to reinforce the varied health 'landscape' here, my GP is quite exceptional. The landscape analogy is proving problematic I don't like a flat landscape (e..g Norfolk) - better stop my wonderings, blogging with a temp may not be a good thing.
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
SUCCESS - permit issued and small mammal research can commence
That little paperclip symbol attached to an email can offer such joy. Today it was an attached collecting and export license for small mammal research at Mareja. Authorised nationally by Universidade Eduardo Mondlane and the Natural History Museum issued by their Director. Many thanks to Snr Guissamulo for facilitating this process. Now we can forge ahead with this planned research and welcome Peter and Galen on to the reserve in June. Very happy day.
Sunday, 15 May 2011
News flash: Hasso's babies are dug out by Constantin!
Here they are, four in all and rather like over fed velvet-clad slugs.
Constantin couldn't bear the suspense any longer and dug them out of the fox den Hasso had created.
So Anne wins but I learn more about running a betting 'book'...there should be no room for interpretation. Are they black or do they have a brown hue?...if so Manuel also wins. (If you haven't read the earlier entry none of this will make any sense.)
Sunday, 1 May 2011
THANK YOU to my new Followers on May Day
...a full 20 (including myself and one hidden profile!) Thank you so much.
on May Day, as bluebells appear in carpets, white hawthorn replaces pink cherry blossom and nightingales begin to sing, for me nothing compares to the green and intricate beauty of our isle. And it makes me want to watch Morris dancers and drink yet more tea.
I discovered at the weekend that my love of Morris dancing may be genetic, they originated over 500 years ago from the Cotswolds and reach their peak of skipping, whooping and jangling around whitsun - so May is their busiest month. Sadly they are a male phenomena, so I can only watch.
HAPPY May Day.
Thursday, 21 April 2011
INSECT journey: Mariel's progress from remote beginnings
In the Summer one of the Oxford University Expedition objectives was to begin to develop INSECT TRANSETS and long-term monitoring at Mareja. This requires the Rangers and hopefully our new connection with Unilurio (the University in Pemba) to follow up and collect twice a year. And potentially we could even involve interested visitors in the project.
But information gathered will open up the world of insects for us and help build a picture of: habitat diversity, species composition, and highlight changes and impacts from pressures such as hunting to climate change. Vital data that will support our actions, build awareness and direct our management.
It is a many staged process and it is very hard to imagine that from sunny days collecting in the field that these steps will progress smoothly or at all ...and result in identification at Oxford Natural History Museum... and recording in an esteemed data base or publication for all to access and disseminate.
The two greatest hurdles where finding the right alcohol mix to preserve the insects and getting export licenses. In the end small bottles of 90% medical alcohol and toxic cheap vodka (pineapple flavour!) were located in Pemba and mixed up to make enough preservative. Then gettinng the export license was a whole other saga.
But the many bags of insects ARRIVED in Oxford and Mariel has been volunteering for over 6 months to begin the sorting process and here are the results
But the many bags of insects ARRIVED in Oxford and Mariel has been volunteering for over 6 months to begin the sorting process and here are the results
Sitting in Mareja in such remote surroundings I wish the Rangers could feel the full weight of this small but significant contribution towards science. But I will greatly enjoy showing them these photos.
Saturday, 16 April 2011
Mareja LOGO, website and on going research permit anxieties
The Mareja website is nearly 10 years old and as the main tool for attracting visitors it needs attention - some would say urgently. (Containing a very vague map and old email address for Sonya, Dominik's previous girlfriend, poor thing probably gets much unwanted correspondence.)
So at last I am doing it and enjoying the challenge of presenting the project and its many facets in an simple but evocative way -with the superb design aid of Jamie Middleton of WAI.
We have a logo challenge, Dominik is very attached to the existing one that is figurative with many references - sable, mountain, palms to denote the fragment that was saved, river. I think it looks like a sand dune in a very different setting, perhaps Eygpt? He disagrees heartedly and understandably, it is a central part of the history and development of the project. Here it is.
The question is how much does a brand matter in these settings? One day when we have many partners, sell products for the community and are a research centre, it may be important. Or not, the modes of operation are so different. Would love your thoughts if you have any on the subject.
But throughout this the ongoing concern of the last two months (and indeed much of last year) has been and is...research permits. Last year we required two, one for plants and one for insects, for the Oxford University Students and we finally discovered that although a research license must be issued by Quirimbas National Park the research and export permits must come from the national museum in Maputo.
We are now preparing for a visiting scientist Dr Galen Rathbun (California Academy of Science) and Peter Coals (leader of the Ox expedition) and they have been sending requests and reminders to our contact in Maputo since November...as yet to no avail. They will be coming to Mareja in June to do some exteremely exciting small mammal research but the whole trip depends on gathering these vital official permits.
To Dominik's frustration we may have to reroot our trip to Pemba via Maputo to try to gather the documents in person. He is very keen to get back to the reserve (Jasper went on holiday a few days ago and the rains are stopping, so the season for poaching will soon begin again). Although there are other jobs that could be usefully done...such as buy a 4x4, ours had to be handed back before we left at Christmas due to an interesting complexity with its paperwork, and mattresses for the new guest rooms etc....
Or perhaps I will go alone to Maputo. Plans will evolve, dictated by flight prices and other such practicalities. I have never been to the capital and hear they have rather a good collection in the museum - it could be a fascinating trip.
So at last I am doing it and enjoying the challenge of presenting the project and its many facets in an simple but evocative way -with the superb design aid of Jamie Middleton of WAI.
We have a logo challenge, Dominik is very attached to the existing one that is figurative with many references - sable, mountain, palms to denote the fragment that was saved, river. I think it looks like a sand dune in a very different setting, perhaps Eygpt? He disagrees heartedly and understandably, it is a central part of the history and development of the project. Here it is.
The question is how much does a brand matter in these settings? One day when we have many partners, sell products for the community and are a research centre, it may be important. Or not, the modes of operation are so different. Would love your thoughts if you have any on the subject.
But throughout this the ongoing concern of the last two months (and indeed much of last year) has been and is...research permits. Last year we required two, one for plants and one for insects, for the Oxford University Students and we finally discovered that although a research license must be issued by Quirimbas National Park the research and export permits must come from the national museum in Maputo.
We are now preparing for a visiting scientist Dr Galen Rathbun (California Academy of Science) and Peter Coals (leader of the Ox expedition) and they have been sending requests and reminders to our contact in Maputo since November...as yet to no avail. They will be coming to Mareja in June to do some exteremely exciting small mammal research but the whole trip depends on gathering these vital official permits.
To Dominik's frustration we may have to reroot our trip to Pemba via Maputo to try to gather the documents in person. He is very keen to get back to the reserve (Jasper went on holiday a few days ago and the rains are stopping, so the season for poaching will soon begin again). Although there are other jobs that could be usefully done...such as buy a 4x4, ours had to be handed back before we left at Christmas due to an interesting complexity with its paperwork, and mattresses for the new guest rooms etc....
Or perhaps I will go alone to Maputo. Plans will evolve, dictated by flight prices and other such practicalities. I have never been to the capital and hear they have rather a good collection in the museum - it could be a fascinating trip.
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