31 days

Long time no post!

With my exams and 20 page papers finally completed, graded, returned, and finished forever, I am now a free woman with time to blog. The problem is that I am now distracted with my job as a health promoter (along with being a lemur researcher I work with a wellness centre promoting sexual health to anyone who wants to listen), and I have ignored issues in modern primatology and am lacking issues to write about at present. However, with this years field season quickly approaching (in 31 days, hence the title), perhaps now is a good time to make a virtual list of things that need to be done, and things that are good to know about field work in general (for all of you aspiring primatologists out there!).

First up: footwear.

Last season I was warned about the amount of poisonous snakes at the field site. Not many people love snakes more than I, so I was really excited to hear this even if it potentially meant my untimely demise. If someone on the island were to be bitten by a snake it would take at least 5 minutes for a helicopter to come and airlift them to safety, solution? 1) instructional video on what to do in the event of a snake bite, 2) SNAKE BOOTS!
Snake boots are boots that are snake bite proof. I ordered a pair last season made by Redhead and they were great! Not only did they stop a water moccasin from killing me, but they kept the chiggers away from my legs. Problem is that I ordered them too big (everything from the states seems to be bigger) and they're hot. So this year I think I might take the risk (and stop chasing the snakes around) and wear Blundstones instead. I highly recommend Blundstones to everyone: they're not cheap but they are the best boots for walking, winter, running, you name it.

Second: Sunscreen and sunglasses

Third: Good radio equipment, not just for tracking animals but for emergency use. There are wild boars at my site, I feel comfort in knowing that I can use a radio to call the rest of my team to say "uh.. hi guys, I'm being eaten alive by feral pigs, by the time you get here I'll be dead, but could you tell my mom I love her? Thanks, bye!"

Fourth: Make sure your passport does not expire in the time you're out of the country (as mine is about to)

Fifth: Get travelers insurance

Sixth: When working with primates it is possible for them to catch TB from humans (and viceversa) so it's important to get a TB test.

Seventh: Bug spray
Eighth: Bug spray
Ninth: Bug spray
Tenth: Bug spray

You'll also need a deck of cards, a good backpack, movies if you have electricity, and books, lots of books. Doing field work can be very quiet and isolated. If you aren't good with silence for long durations, or in some cases being alone for long durations then this job isn't for you. That being said, if you do like being away from your family and friends for long durations, getting eaten alive by gnats, risking your life in the presence of boars and snakes, being torn apart by saw-palm, and getting peed on by lemurs, then this is your ideal profession!

For those of you who skipped through my text, picture time = now

Field work means leaving your pets with a sitter. In my case, I have to leave my babies Tammy and Stella to my mom for 2 months, sniff sniff...

This is my field sweater complete with lemur ears (soon to have a lemur tail). This is also going to be my Hallowe'en costume, and yes, I am cool enough to wear an ear sweater.

Apparently last year when I checked off "was not on a farm" at the airport, I forgot to mention the lemur poo stuck to the bottom of my boots... so gross.

Blundstones <3

One of the perks of field work is exploring places where not a lot of other humans have been, which for me means finding antlers and shells and making jewelry holders!

Here are my snakeboots, and this is me with a broken nose, double black-eyes and swollen face, testing GPS collars. Why do I have a broken nose, double black-eyes, and a swollen face? Tune in next week for "Carey got attacked by a bear"