Updated February 25, 2004 9:10 AM PST
(Newly posted Questions and Answers in blue)
| Dear Research Team, My name is Charles and I am a student at Fuller Middle School in Framingham, Massachusetts. Thank you for answering my questions from my other emails. Do you guys like the climate in the Pantanal? What was the hardest part of the day? Was it fun doing the water chemistry? After I read your Daily Journal, I became interested in learning more about tortoises. Thanks, Charles |
Hi
Charles! Ms. Antunes answering you here. I think most of us like the
climate here, as I haven't heard any complaints. It is awfully hot,though.
The hardest part of the day…. Hmmmm………I think that we all enjoyed all
of the day, every day. Sometimes we did have to get up at 4am and leave
for the “mato”or forest to do work. The waking up early was probably
the hardest part, but we only did that a couple of times. It was fun
doing the water chemistry because you got to cool down, as you had to
walk in the water up to your shoulders sometimes. Yah, I think the job
theses scientists do is really interesting and fun. Maybe you might
like to have a job like theirs…… See you Friday! |
| Dear teachers Has it rained alot? Or was it hot & humid? When do you guys leave Campo Grande? lindsey mancino Allen Elementary Burlington,WA |
It has not rained much here.
The rainy season is actually in the highlands above us. Then
all the water runs into the Pantanal. It rained really hard the
day we arrived and then the second day, but that has been all.
As for heat and humidity there is much of that. Last night and
today it has been really humid. It feels like you haven't dried
off from the shower and your shirt sticks to you. We are leaving
for Campo Grande today. Some teachers are staying an extra day
in Campo and visiting a Brazilian school. Many of us are ready
to go home though. We miss our families. |
| Hi, it sounds like you all are having a great time. You got to track peccaries from the sky, and you get to go somewhere different then washington especially weather wise! I wanted to ask even though you've had to do work have you enjoyed your trip and are you disappointed you have to come back to rainy Washington so soon? Cindy Egbert Allen Elementary Burlington,Wa |
We have enjoyed our trip. Last
night we had a big celebration. They bar bequed beef and pork
and had live Brazilian music playing. I am ready to come home
to rainy Washington (this is Mr. Glick typing). It will be nice
to be home but this has been a great learning experiment. The culture
and area here are just wonderful. See you soon. |
|
Hi, this is Chelsea Billings from Donna Cole's eighth grade science class at Edison Elementary in Bow, WA. First of all I'd just like to say hello to all of you, especially Mrs. Cole. (I am doing my science every day!) :) I think that this whole thing you guys are doing is awesome! I have two question for you. The first one is this: Do you ever get scared while coming in contact with wild animals? And the second one is: Where are you staying? Are you in cabins, houses, bunks, or what? I'm trying to get a visual of what exactly you're doing, and no one in 8C seems to know either! Well I hope you're having a great time! ~Chelsea Billings~ |
Hey Chelsea – Good to hear
from you – I really cannot wait to get home. About being scared
– no. Mainly we are seeing a bazillion beautiful birds and lots
of frogs. The Rheas out in the front yard tend to avoid us, the
capybaras won't let us too close either. Caspar the caiman is
the most we see of a wild animal, and he's quite tame. He just
wants a nummy. We saw 2 foxes today, and almost an ocelot – but the
most important thing is we found a 25 poundish turtle. Check
out the link on the first page to all the photos or http://mrsrogers.boeing747fp.com
We are living in the Fazenda which
is a large, very large house with about 15ish rooms with four beds each.
Each room has a bathroom with shower and thank goodness – air
conditioning. There are fans in the room and big screen windows.
You don't run the air conditioning and fans unless you are in
the room. We all eat dinner in the large dining room in the Fazenda.
The beds are small twin beds but the most comfortable mattress
I've slept in. I'm sharing a room with Duca, Bobbie, and
Neusie.
|
| Dear Research Team, After I read the Daily Journal, I became interested in learning more about birds. I have a few questions for you guys. What color was the Cardinal? What was the hardest part of the day? Where you hiding in the trees watching the birds and recording the data? Thanks, Charles |
It had a red
head, that's all we saw. OK black and white with a red head.
The hardest part was staying awake – we were hiding in the long
grass sitting on uncomfortable stools, we still managed to sleep though.
We have great plans for having all our students practice this
2.5 hours of sitting still without making any noise or moving and observe
frugivores. It will be great fun. We plan to practice
this scientific protocol quite frequently. Look out – we're baaackkk.
|
| Dear Research Team, After I read the " daily journal", I am confused about the cactus I saw... Don't they only survive and exist in very dry places? Does cactus have more then one kind? I'm confused ! Thank you, Lucas |
The Pantanal
is ecologically young so when it was first formed species migrated in
from all around and they haven~~t yet had enough time to duke it out
basically, to find their own niche. Or to be out competed by
better suited species. Look up the word niche to see more about
what we mean. But great question! |
| Dear Brazil Team ( especially Mrs. Cole) There are mixed feelings about this toe-chopping. Many want to know if you ate the toes.... Let us know! Edison Elementary Bow WA 98232 7th grade |
I too,
have mixed feelings about the toe chopping but it is quite tasty in
the stew they make with them. No, the toes are so teeny they
are just gone. It doesn't really hurt the frog as much as writing
on him or applying a little itty bitty radio collar on him. The
frogs we are talking about are no bigger than your pinky nail.
Yes, there are some larger but most of what I have seen are the little
teeny ones. The wall frogs that are everywhere here at the Fazenda
are also teeny, and always in the bathroom. You must remove them
from the shower, and the toilet before use, and you have to check your
bed and nearby wall to clear them out before going to bed.
One morning our bathroom wall frog
kept jumping on the back of my leg. It felt much like, I imagine,
someone flipping a big wet booger on me. It was not a pleasant
feeling at all. It still kind of icks me out. And he did
it over five times! |
I was just wondering what bushwacking was.
-annie
|
Bushwacking
is a very exciting sport here in the Pantanal. They mainly have
Richard doing it. It is where you ride far out into the Pantanal
and find a spot that looks impenetrable and then you make a trail using
machetes. It's also great fun to wack away at what they call
overgrown trails. Funny, we don't see it. Even more fun
is that many times these "trails" are waist deep in water.
Funny people here!
Donna Cole |
I have read through all of your current journals and find them most intriguing. What are your plans for monitering the peccaries? How many different types of strange and mysterious insects have you observed besides the mantids or swarms of mosquitos? I hope you are having a blast! Yours Truly, Theodore, Edison school, Burlington, Washington |
The
peccaries are monitored because they want to study the population ecology
of peccaries. They want to see where they go and when, and what
they eat. Kind of tracking their behavior. |
| Dear Research Team, My name is Lucas and I am a student from Fuller Middle School in Framingham, Massachusetts. Thank you for answering my questions, I was really curious to know why you guys wanted to capture frogs and snakes, and after I read the " Daily journal ", I became more interested about how is it look like to fly without doors? Weren't you ( Cole and Bobbie) affraid? How is the view from up there of the pantanal? Could you see any rare animals? Thank you guys again, Lucas |
Dear
Lucas, My name is Michelle Antunes and I am a teacher at Fuller. I will
try and answer your questions the best that I can. First, I cannot tell
you all the reasons why the scientists want to study frogs and snakes,
but what I I can tell you is that they are trying to determine what
kind of snakes and amphibians are here and how many. Also, they
want to know the health of these animals. Amphibians and reptiles are
generally animals that will get sick or die first if the environment
is damaged, thus, they need to know what kind, how many, and their health
to better understand the environment here. As for flying without doors,
I do not know because I did not do it, but the teachers who did it LOVED
it! They were not afraid. As for which animals that we have seen, the
list is BIG! We have seen giant storks, piranhas, caimans, wild pigs,
lizards, anteaters, capybaras, and so many more! Check the web for the
list of the animals! |
Dear researchers and teachers: Hi! I was reading through the Questions and Answers page when I came across an E-mail that was in Portuguese. I don't know a lot of Portuguese but, I know Spanish and I have been trying to learn Portuguese. I was able to try to understand the basic stuff about not being able see and Anaconda. I know a lot about Anacondas. I'm kind of surprised you didn't see one. What kind of land is around your surrounding? I believe you commonly find anacondas in wet (more like swamps) areas in Brazil and parts of countries in the surroundings. Snakes also only attack when they feel they are being threading. What kind of land are you standing on? If the land is deep enough to for something skinny enough to swim then it would be easy to attack because anacondas are so agile (fast) in water. Also, Have you seen any snakes at all? Thank you for taking time to read my e-mail. Sincerely, Wendy Fuller Middle School Framingham |
Dear Wendy, Michelle here answering your questions. I can only say that this place is PERFECT for anacondas! There are definitely anacondas here but it is hard to see them because they are afraid of people and they take-off when they hear a lot of splashes and noise. We are in a “wetlands” surrounding which is exactly where snakes and amphibians like to be. We haven't seen any snakes in person, but we know that we are all around us…… Keep checking the website! Thanks for watching! Obrigada! |
For
Richard and/or Donna:
Hello to everyone, but especially to Richard and Donna. This is amazing to follow on the Internet. How different is this from our little corner of the world? What surprised you the most? What has amazed you? Has the trip met your expectations so far? How has this affected you personally and professionally? This is so cool - can't wait to hear back from you!s Melissa M. Willard 7/8 Social Studies Teacher Burlington, Washington |
Extremely different!
Hot and humid. Lots of thick vegetation and palm trees.
Lots of water around like home. Everything has amazed us, it is
so hard to narrow it down. We can´t wait to share some of
this information with students and teachers when we get back. |
| Dear
teachers, Burlington - Edison, Washington |
Too long! We left Seattle at 7 am on Thursday
the 12th and arrived in Campo Grande at 5:30am Seattle time the 13th!
Some of this time was spent waiting at the airport though. |
| I hope your all having a great time! So far
what is the coolest thing you've all seen? Melanie Peterson Allen Elementary Burlington, WA |
Melanie, extra credit for you for sending me email
and keeping up on what´s going on! Shade under the tree!
Actually, the caimans and piranha. |
| Hello, We are doing some habitat restoration for migratory birds in New Jersey and we are wondering if you see any of our friends there on winter vacation. Many songbirds stop in New Jersey on their way south. I will send a list of ones that may be in Brazil at this time. Thanks so much and good luck, Kim Yousey, Readington Twp., Hunterdon County, New Jersy |
We´ll look it up for you. We (Richard
and Jeff) spotted an arctic tern on Monday. |
| Dear researchers, My nameis Vinicius De Oliveira I am a student from Fuller Middle School, I want to know what did you learn when you had the ecology lesson? |
We learned about how dredging/channeling the Paraguay River will affect the Patanal as a wetland. It isn`t pretty. We also learned about the different habitats of Pantanal wetlands. Salinas, baias, and cattail baias, and several more. We also talked about what types of fish and critters live in these wetlands. |
Dear Research Team,
My name is Charles and I am a student at Fuller
Middle School in Framingham, Massachusetts. After I read the
Daily Journal, I became interested in learning more about peccaries
and other species you have found in the Pantanal. What was the hardest
part of the day.
Thanks,
Charles |
The hardest part of the day is waking up and the mosquitoes. The heat is also driving us crazy. Those coming from towns with below zero temperatures like it. They are crazy! |
| My name is Vinicius De Oliveira from Framingham Ma. I'm a student from fuller Middle School and i have some questions for you guys.Do you guys like the pantanal? Do you like the climate of the pantanal? I asked you these questions because I lived in Brazil. I lived in a fazenda but not the Rio Negro fazenda. | Yes. I'm from Washington State and it's a whole lot hotter than what I am used to, but I really am getting used to the heat and very thankful for air conditioned buildings...because it is very different from here. I've learned there are many
fazendas and they all kind of work together. |
| Dear
teachers in Brazil. |
Estamos gostando, mas achamos o clima muito quente. É um lugar realmente muito bonito, muito mais do que tínhamos imaginado. Os animais que mais vimos até agora são os mosquitos, mas ficamos mais impressionados com as Capivaras e os Jacarés. Felizmente ainda não tivemos o privilégio de ver uma anaconda. |
| Dear teachers in Brazil, I was wondering, what kind of conditions the land is like in Brazil? what kind of jobs do peopple have there? Are they like the like of jobs we have back in the United States? What do they make big holes to trap the frogs and snakes? Sincerely, Nikki |
We just
learned about this tonight. During the time that the Andes and
the Brazilian Highlands were uplifted, the area of the Pantanal kind
of sunk, so it's basically a big collection bowl for all the runoff.
The ground here is very red, like the color of bricks due to all the
clay - I think. It's very, very flat where we are. The jobs are very similar to what we have, but there is also a much lower class that just seems to subsist. The cities are similar to our cities - but would you believe most of the stores in Sao Paolo don't have front walls? It's so warm, they don't need walls, you just walk in at any point from the sidewalk into the store. Ellen the Frog Lady is doing a project right now where we dig large holes (kind of like the movie?) to put large buckets in. Once there is a set of buckets in a line, she has us make a temporary fence of plastic, so the animals cannot get around, they either end up in the bucket or don't go past the fence. Once the frogs are in the bucket - I'm not sure what she measures or what data she collects because I haven't done that particular research part yet. Keep watching the journals for more info. on that. From Donna Cole |
| How is The Weather Over there? Has it effected youre reasearch? Is It Dry?Cold?Hot?WEt? LiZbeth Fuller Middle School Framingham Masssachussetts |
Right now it is summer in Brazil which is also the rainy season, the dry season is actually the winter here and it stays pretty warm during the day in their winter, but have cold nights. |
When and where do Howler Monkeys Migrate? You can't find that info anywhere but I think you will know. from: bmws,poland |
Gosh, we'll have to check in to that one, but off hand I don't think they migrate? I'll ask the mammal experts here. From Donna Cole |
Hello, What is the weather like? Do they have seasons in this part
of Brazil?
Thanks, Kim Yousey, Holland Brook School, Readington, N.J. |
They do have seasons, but more like two seasons.
Right now it is summer in Brazil which is also the rainy season, the dry
season is actually the winter here and it stays pretty warm during the
day in their winter, but have cold nights. |
| I was wondering where you are, and what is the culture like in this
location. What are the demographics of the area, and the class structure
of the people? I hope you are all safe, and enjoying your trip. Sincerely, Nikki |
From what I've seen and been told there is a very small amount of wealthy people, and a whole lot of people near or below the poverty level. Just recently, the middle class has begun to develop, so there is a small but upcoming middle class. We've talked about the class structure and I have been told that it mostly depends on the color of your skin, the lighter your skin the higher class you are. So there is racism here, but a different kind of racism than what we know. I don't know much more than that. |
| Dear researchers and teachers: I would like to know what is the otters behavior in their natural habitat? Also, What are the land forms like in the Pantanal? (E. X/Mountains, streams, rivers, lakes, deserts, etc.) Sincerely, Wendy Zepeda |
I had the opportunity to see 2 otters which is very rare in the wet season. The behavior the male showed us was to ´´periscope`´ which is just popping up to look at what we were doing, and he also periscoped enough to show us his markings on his chest and snort quite loudly at us. That was his way of telling us we were in his spot and possibly bugging him. The landforms - really just
flat with depressions that fill up with water. If it is freshwater
it's called a baia, and if it's slightly salty - sodium carbonate -
not like an ocean - it's a salina. And other than that - it's
flat except for a few highlands which are quite far from here and we
can't see them. |
Hello teachers,
My name is Mikella. I have a
few questions for you. Has all of of the rain so far been a problem
for you trying to do your reach? Also how many animals have you
senn since you have been on this trip through the Pantanal of Brazil?Thank
you for your time to anwer and read my e-mail,
thank you,
Mikella
Fuller Middle School
Framingham |
Gosh no, it felt good! We've found in our studies
here that it is much easier not to wear a rain coat, and just wear what
you would normally wear into the field. It's so warm here, and we're
so often wet from wading across trails and roads and testing lakes, that
rain just adds a little refreshment. The only problem the rains
have caused is making the water on the trails we walk on deeper, and the
roads can disappear within an hour. Some of the roads we drove on
early in the week are now unable to be used because of one day of rain.
Another problem was the lightning - you kind of need to watch out for
it just like you would in the States. |
| Dear researchers and teachers:
|
Hi Wendy! Michelle Antunes here responding to your e-mail. I am a teacher at Fuller, so be sure to stop by my room after I get back to see my photos! As for your questions, the weather here is very hot. If it rains a lot, which it has done only once, then it stays cool and comfortable although a bit humid. The ground is dry but there are small lakes which are called baias everywhere. The river has also expanded and now there are branches of it everywhere as well. As it is the rainy season, all the water in the river, baias, branches of the river, etc. is much deeper and higher up on the ground than usual. The roads that the jeeps go out on can be pretty muddy when it rains, and getting stuck in the mud is a common occurence. As for the animals....there are caiman (a small alligator- different species) everywhere!! They are pretty small and are not aggressive at all. In fact, we have all gone swimming with them! The other animals include giant storks, red and blue McCaws, capy vara, crab-eating foxes, deer, giant ant-eaters, racoons, howler monkeys, and so, so much more!! You can see a list of them in the daily journals. Their behavior is not aggressive. They either ignore you as you pass by, or they wait until they think you are too close and then they run away into the woods. Most of us have gotten pretty close. There are so many, and they are all beautiful!! I hope this answers your questions, and that you will keep visiting the website. Thank you! So long from the Pantanal ! Michelle Antunes |