Tambopata Research Center – woman scientist

In 2014 Allison Lee volunteered with the Tambopata Macaw Project lead by Dr. Donald Brightsmith and Rainforest Expeditions at the Tambopata Research Center in Peru.

Almost a year and a half later, she has finally managed to turn some of the video footage she took into time-lapse movies to share with you all. This is a glimpse into how biologists keep tabs on the growth and development of macaw chicks in the wild.

The first time-lapse video (2x-4x speed) shows Allison reaching in to a natural nesting cavity 80 feet off the ground. The 15 day old macaw chick is naked and very unstable. The time-lapse accentuates this motion and makes it look even more so but she swears she was actually slow and gentle with him!
The second time-lapse video shows Allison returning two scarlet macaw chicks, nearly ready to fledge at about 45 days, back to their artificial wooden nest 60 feet off the ground just as a downpour of rain strikes.

Now, some words from Allison:

Long long ago, in 2007 to be exact, I had heard about Tambopata Research Center through a coworker who was obsessed with birds. He had just gone on an eco-tourism trip to the jungle and suggested I do the same. I looked into the pricing and decided that spending $250/night to be whisked away deep into the Amazon Jungle was worth the adventure.

Tambopata Research Center is one of three beautiful lodges managed by Rainforest Expeditions, a Peruvian operated eco-tourism business. It is located along the Tambopata River near Puerto Maldonado in the heart of one of the world’s best ornithological hotspots for viewing macaws, parrots and other animals in the wild.

In 2008, I set off for my first visit into the jungle. It was beautiful. My inner shaman squealed at seeing all the peruvian delights and the sweeping rainforest canopy that you only see in aerial shots on nature TV. Here I was seeing it all live in person.

One evening at the lodge, a biology researcher gave the “tourists” a presentation about the Macaw Project. He explained the importance of these beautiful birds and explained the research led by Dr. Donald Brightsmith. At that moment I knew I had to find a way to come back as a volunteer scientist and get involved in jungle conservation.

…Years passed…

Fast forward five years to 2013. One day an email came to my inbox from the Ornithological Societies of North America (OSNA) listserv that I subscribed to detailing various volunteer positions available at the Tambopata Research Center working with biologists on the Macaw Project.

Macaws at TRC?! This was my long lost desire! No questions. I had to do it. The best part was, that as a volunteer you got to stay in the same lodge interacting with the wildlife at a mere $20 a day! Why did I ever come as a tourist?!

I spent three-awesome-filled weeks during the wet season mucking through flooded jungle trails, carrying a machete, swinging high in the tree tops anywhere from 40-100 feet off the ground, and handling the most gorgeous baby macaws. I also met a great group of people and even met the lovely young lady, Annie Hawkison, a biologist whose interview you can read if you click her name.

I thought the jungle would be a place I could relax and commune with nature. Quite the opposite. I was surrounded by a number of flesh eating bugs, stinging wasps and inch long ants that pack the punch of a bullet shot should you be unlucky enough to get stung. I was on edge the entire time.

Peru was generous enough to send me home with a gift; I managed to come back with parasites! Not just any parasites, but three bot fly larval parasites. You can read about that entire story here.

Bot fly larva head removed from my back. Look at those vicious hooks!

To read more about Allison Lee’s experiences doing research in the jungles of Peru see her website here.

To see more photos click here.

To read more about the project and find out how you can become a volunteer, click here.

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Photo courtesy of Tambopata Macaw Project Facebook Page

I met Annie while volunteering at the Tambopata Research Center in the Amazon jungles of Peru and was to be her roommate for the duration of my stay.

I was worried that I’d be cramping her style by moving in to the room she had enjoyed by herself but she immediately helped get me set up.

Every morning the alarm went off at 4:30am, just before the howler monkeys started up their thunderous wind-storm-like territorial roars.

We would lie motionless in our mosquito-net-enshrouded beds listening for rain. If there was no rain, or just a drizzle, we had to get up and get to the boats to start the days work.

One morning, it had been down pouring on and off up until the alarm. The alarm went off and we listened for the boss, Gustavo’s voice indicating if we had to get up to work or not. We were tired and secretly hoped we could go back to bed and sleep in until 7:30am breakfast.

“Andele!” Gustavo says its a go. Time go get up!

Annie grumbled and started crawling out of her mosquito net.

I didn’t want to get up either, so I put on my sarcastic happy voice and in an overly chipper tone said, “But Annie, isn’t it fun to be out in nature?!”

“I hatechoo…” she sleepy mumbled in an unenthused response.

It was that moment I knew Annie and I would get along great. She is also the perfect young aspiring woman scientist to interview, so let’s begin:

What type of science do you love (if you could categorize the topic e.g., psychology, neurobiology, conservation, wildlife, chemistry, molecular, physiological, etc.)?

I have always loved working with animals and working outside. I really enjoy learning how something fits into it’s environment. Over the years that has lead me to pursue a lot of macrobiology, and I particularly love studying evolution and conservation biology.

Annie Hawkinson: Head full of blonde curls. No shortage of hairdressers here!

What kind of scientist do you consider yourself?

I consider myself to be a field biologist, because the greatest skill I have developed working in the Amazon is how to deal with a demanding environment. The elements have me at their mercy! For example, at 5:00 in the morning I found myself shoveling mud off an observational site that had been buried from the flooding river.

What is your earliest memory of being hooked by science?

I would say when I got to dissect a shark in 4th grade science class. Being from Minnesota, the ocean is pretty far away and as a kid it seems impossibly far. I think my teacher showed me that it was possible to study something foreign at a really close range and it opened my world.

Who inspired you to go down the path of science?

Indirectly, my parents. They have encouraged me to do whatever makes me happy and since I have always been an animal lover I ended up pursuing biology.

What were some preconceived notions about science or scientists and did that change once you explored your career in it?

I sometimes got intimidated by the belief that “real” scientists have some natural ability making them experts in their work. In reality, although having an intrinsic passion for ones field is beneficial, it takes a lot of hard work, sacrifice, and time to be successful in the science community.

What have been some big compromises or struggles you’ve experienced?

The hardest thing I had to do was accept that this once in a lifetime opportunity I was being offered might end my current relationship. Being in such a remote part of the world for months at a time (with slow and unpredictable internet) has often strained my relationship with my boyfriend, and in general I often feel disconnected from the lives of the people I care about. Thankfully those important people in my life are incredibly supportive, and just a month ago my boyfriend and family came to visit me! They were able to see what I do everyday and why it means so much to me- why I left them! I’m grateful for them in so many ways.

What keeps science FUN for you when you’re feeling the drudgery? Do you ever hate it?

There’s no doubt that it’s challenging working at Tambopata Research Center. The team can go for months without any days off, doing physically demanding work, and sometimes it is absolutely exhausting. I have learned the importance of taking breaks, but when a siesta doesn’t do the trick, I have to remind myself where I am- that I live in one of the last untouched environments on earth. It may take a long time before I truly appreciate the significance of that, but while I can, I think it’s crucial to believe that our work is contributing to the conservation of tambopata. No matter what though, if I’m having a bad day, all I need is to see one if the macaw chicks.

Scarlet Macaw Baby

Do you have any advice you’d tell youngsters? Some key points you wish you knew before you set out?

My advice for anyone interested in working in the field is prepare to fail! I found it really stressful not being able to do everything perfectly when I first started facing setbacks from weather and other complications. Those experiences taught me that failure will happen and all you can do when it does is learn and move on.

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