October in Rwanda

I am back at Uwinka in Nyungwe for the last of my more prolonged field research. I spent the last few days deploying camera traps to my last field site (Yay!). Below are pictures of Emmanuel (my intern) and our awesome porter (Jean Paul). We deployed camera traps at the largest marsh in the forest. A really beautiful place that looks like a marsh filling a volcanic crater.

 Seven staff from the National University of Rwanda also came up to get trained by me in how to do a camera trapping survey. We spent about 10 hours hiking to different sites yesterday and deploying camera traps. 

 Most of the staff seemed to enjoy the experience, although 2-3 of them were clearly not prepared to do so much physical activity. I tried not to get irritated but they did slow us down. They sat at the back of the group chatting and walking slowly. Normally I wouldn’t care, but I really needed to get the traps deployed that day because they have to be up for 3 weeks before I take them down. And I have a flight to catch in early November already booked so every day from here on accounted for. Luckily all my worrying was for nothing and we got the cameras deployed.

The other three days I’ve been training my Masters student and intern in small mammal trapping. Below are some of the furry friends we captured.

We deployed 60 traps at three different sites, a cumulative 5km distance from camp (one way) that we have to check for animals twice daily. It was really exhausting but in the end I felt good about their training and felt comfortable leaving them to do the work on their own.  Luckily, the weather was quite nice while I was in the field. It rained every day, but only for an hour here or there. And the other nice part of being in the field was that the chimpanzees are back closer to camp now so we can hear them talking and making noise at night. There are also lots of blue monkeys nearby along the trails and I always enjoy seeing them.  The next trip to Nyungwe to retrieve my camera traps will be my last. I’ve been taking lots of extra pictures in the forest and around Rwanda since my time here is coming to an end. Here are a few of the families and children living just outside the park.

It is hard to imagine that I am leaving in 3 weeks. I feel like I still have a lot I’d like to do. Mostly, I’m stressed because I know that after I leave it will be hard for me to do any work for the month of November because of the move so I feel pressured to tie up a lot of loose ends before the end of this month.  I was very surprised today when I was invited by RDB (the regulatory agency of the park) to attend a meeting on Nyungwe research and management initiatives next week. I have felt fairly disheartened with my research in Nyungwe for several reasons so it was a surprise that they thought to include me. 

I’ve been thinking of the things that I will miss from Rwanda when I leave. Here are a few of them:

1)   Fresh tropical fruit for breakfast every morning

2)   Eating meals in the tropical sun on our porch

3)   The beautiful lush greenness of Rwanda

4)   The vervet monkeys that come to campus (and the other animals of the forest)

5)   Swimming outside

6)   Daily trips to the local ice cream shop here in Butare

7)   Living in a house with someone to cook, clean and do the shopping for me

8)   Walking in the forest

9)   The friends I have made here in Rwanda

10)The isolation away from the US media and the Presidential campaign which I have been able to completely avoid!