Field Notes

Community Mapping in Gabon
Community Mapping in Gabon

by Nina Hamilton

I came to Gabon to study how communities use and value their forest resources, what they see is threatening their resources and why all of that might differ across the landscape. All of the information…

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- Jul 21, 2016
Studying the Indirect Effects of Wildlife Loss at the Mpala Research Centre in Kenya
Studying the Indirect Effects of Wildlife Loss at the Mpala Research Centre in Kenya

by Elizabeth Forbes

First thing on Monday morning, I get into the driver’s side of the Land Cruiser, grasping the “holy sh*t” handle to hoist myself up into the seat. My field team clambers into the back; the other front…

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- Jul 16, 2016
Nine Pieces of Advice for the Community-based Conservationist
Nine Pieces of Advice for the Community-based Conservationist

by Morrison Mast

A couple of years ago, under a Fulbright U.S. Student full grant, I proposed to live in an indigenous Guna community called Armila in the remote Darien region of Panama. My goal for the year was to set…

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- Jun 04, 2016
Bird Conservation in Colombia’s Andean Forests
Bird Conservation in Colombia’s Andean Forests

by Natalia Ocampo-Peñuela

I wake up at 4:30 a.m. in my tent and go out to admire the dark, cloud-covered forest. I meet with my team of locals to warm up and discuss our plan of action. Over a nice cup of Colombian coffee, we sit…

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- May 08, 2016
Touched by an Elephant, Part 3
Touched by an Elephant, Part 3

by Jonathan Whittle-Utter

Returning to the question at hand—why a massage therapist would be interested in researching human-elephant communication? The answer relates to the primacy of touch. Touch is the primal arena of connection…

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- Sep 21, 2015
Touched by an Elephant, Part 2
Touched by an Elephant, Part 2

by Jonathan Whittle-Utter

The sanctuary rests in an open jungle valley in the remote Mondulkiri province of Northeast Cambodia. Like the rest of the country, Mondulkiri is undergoing rampant deforestation, a tremendous threat to…

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- Sep 12, 2015
Touched by an Elephant, Part 1
Touched by an Elephant, Part 1

by Jonathan Whittle-Utter

About three years ago I decided pursue a PhD in somatic psychology. I'd spent the last few years establishing a healthy massage therapy practice in Los Angeles, and although the bodywork was rewarding…

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- Aug 19, 2015
My life in the Naimina Enkiyio Forest, Part 2
My life in the Naimina Enkiyio Forest, Part 2

by Alfred Mepukori

Continue on the journey through the forests of East Africa with Maasai warrior Alfred Mepukori, who tells readers about growing up Maasai, why elephants matter, and survival in the Naimina Enkiyio Forest.

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- Nov 18, 2013
My life in the Naimina Enkiyio Forest, Part 1
My life in the Naimina Enkiyio Forest, Part 1

by Alfred Mepukori

The area of land popularly known as Loita lies in southern Kenya between the Ngurman-Magadi escarpment and the Maasai Mara National Game Reserve. It covers an area of 1,700 km2 within the Loita Division…

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- Nov 11, 2013
From Bali: Nusa Penida
From Bali: Nusa Penida

by Altaire Cambata

There exists a solemn rite that every Balinese Hindu is expected to complete at least once during this lifetime. They must make a special pilgrimage to “Nusa Penida”, the black magic island, to visit a…

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- Oct 17, 2012
Belonging to the Land, Part 3: We’re Still Here
Belonging to the Land, Part 3: We’re Still Here

by Zoe Krasney

Legal battles among Hopi, Navajo, government and private organizations over fragile natural resources now threaten to completely destroy the traditions of many people still living on the land near Black…

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- Apr 02, 2012
Belonging to the Land, Part 2: Big Mountain
Belonging to the Land, Part 2: Big Mountain

by Zoe Krasney

For hundreds of years, the Navajo and Hopi thrived in the high, arid deserts of Arizona. Throughout recent history, these people have faced numerous assaults on their ways of life: war, forced relocation,…

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- Mar 26, 2012

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