On the Expedition
Explore the fascinating world of caterpillars to see how they protect themselves and respond to changes in their habitats.
Come work in ecosystems damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita by helping Dr. Lee Dyer collect and “raise” caterpillars and other insects to restore a crucial greenhouse collection used in scientific studies. By measuring the prevalence of parasitoids (insects that lay their eggs inside other species) like wasps and flies in the caterpillar hosts, you’ll determine not only how caterpillars defend themselves, but also how all these species have been affected by recent extreme weather conditions that have been linked to global warming. You’ll also have a chance to help restore the greenhouse, do some simple chemical analysis, and help researchers update the Forest Caterpillar database, a vital tool for tracking biodiversity in the region and how it has been affected by disruptive events like Katrina.
Meals and Accommodations
You’ll stay at a hotel in New Orleans for 3 nights, and for the rest of the expedition you’ll be lodged at a research station in the wild forest ecosystem you’re studying. Accommodations in the Pearl River Wildlife Management Area are basic but comfortable. Thanks to the generosity of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Department, your team will have access to a one-room air conditioned building, equipped with eight bunk beds, a full kitchen and dining area, a bathroom, and a shower. When in the field, you’ll prepare simple meals such as cereals, sandwiches, fruit dishes, pastas, burritos, and basic snacks with help from the research staff.
While in New Orleans at the beginning and end of the expedition, you'll stay at the Parkview Guesthouse. Conveniently located on the St. Charles streetcar line across from Tulane University and beautiful Audubon Park, the Parkview provides luxuries such as showers and air conditioning, as well as the chance to try some of the many local restaurants for dinner. For more information about the Parkview, visit their website.
About the Research Area
Pearl River Wildlife Management Area (PRWMA) is located approximately six miles east of Slidell, LA and approximately one mile east of the town of Pearl River. PRWMA totals 35,031 acres and is owned by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. The terrain is flat, drainage is poor, and the area is subject to annual flooding. The forest cover varies from hardwood to cypress tupelo to an intermediate type marsh. Numerous streams and bayous on the area provide fishing, canoeing, boating, craw fishing, and waterfowl hunting opportunities.
New Orleans itself is unlike any other city in America—or the world. Nestled in the crescent between the Mississippi river to the south and Lake Pontchartrain to the north, New Orleans continues to rebuild from the destruction of Hurricane Katrina with the same joyous determination it’s always brought to its famous Mardi Gras celebrations. New Orleans is known as the birthplace of jazz and for its great food, both of which can be found in abundance in and around the French Quarter and nearby Marigny neighborhoods, as well as in the less touristy Uptown neighborhood of Tulane University.
In addition to its remarkable mixture of Cajun, Creole, French, and Afro-Caribbean cultures, “NOLA” hosts a number of premiere museums. Tulane has an extensive jazz archive as well as displays of 1920s Newcomb pottery, the Amistad Research Center, and a Museum of Natural History. City Park (the third largest park in the country) is home to the New Orleans’ Museum of Art and a newly installed five-acre outdoor sculpture garden. The French Quarter offers the New Orleans History Museum, a Mardi Gras museum at Jackson Square, and a jazz museum in the old US Mint. For the more adventurous there are voodoo and witchcraft museums throughout the city, but watch out for wandering ghosts and vampires.