Andy's first day on the forest project
My first day on the forest program was an exciting day. After a filling
breakfast of porridge and a nice cup of tea, we set off into the wilderness.
The forest itself was not how I had expected. Instead of there being clear
paths to walk along, I found myself weaving through the dense undergrowth as if
on an army assault course... Ducking under branches, jumping over logs and
scrabbling along the rough terrain. By the end of it I was covered in scratches
and mud, but I discovered this was all part of the fun!
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| Stacey, Andy, Lisa, Alex and Kevin - forest ninjas! |
Whilst walking, we came across an amazing sighting of both the Colobus
and Sykes monkeys, together in one tree. We were so lucky to see two little
Sykes monkey babies, which were adorable enough even to rival the newborn
dolphin’s I’d seen the previous week on marine!
The Sykes monkeys were so funny to watch, their cheeky faces leaped
around the tree, playing with and annoying one another. Whilst the Colobus sat
there looking wise and superior, seeming annoyed at the immature Sykes, and
occasionally giving them a little shove if they got too close. It was
spectacular to see this scene, especially up so close! We stood there watching
in awe for a good 15 minutes, everyone squealing at how cute they all were.
After a while of conducting a survey looking at the canopy coverage and
height, we stopped for lunch. It was a nice picnic spot, in the heart of the
forest, sitting surrounded by nature, and after navigating through the forest I
had worked up an appetite. The delicious pasta and sauce we had prepared, was
more than welcome.
On the way back home we spotted several very interesting birds,
including a Silvery Cheeked Hornbill, which looked like something back from the
dinosaur ages, as well as vibrant yellow birds known as Black headed Weavers.
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| Black headed weavers |
I wonder what else I will get to see in the next two weeks ahead of me.
Andrea Hinson – Combination expedition volunteer
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