Earthwatch staff member Jessi Flynn went on Conserving the Pantanal in
Brazil in July. Together with fellow staff member Malene Christensen,
we held a teleconference for people interested in the project. The
following is a transcript of that session.
Conserving the Pantanal
Other teleconference Q&A's
Q: What was your favorite thing about the Pantanal?
A: The sunrise, the sunset, and the tons and tons of animals. The sunrise is so amazing, I think it has to do with the humidity; it was so intense! The sunrise should be filmed and used as a screensaver. There are so many birds, and hyacinth macaws just fly around everywhere. This is really the Serengeti of South America. The animals-you see so many of everything! The caimans just hang around on shore, they don't even bother you. I saw anteaters, otters, crab-eating foxes, an endangered tapir, a cormorant catching a fish, an ocelot, and a jaribu. The jaribu has a huge wingspan. When they start to take off, it looks like they flap their wings in slow motion. You can't NOT see an animal on this expedition!
Q: How does one get to the Pantanal?
A: I flew into Sao Paulo International (GRU), and took a shuttle bus to the domestic airport, Congonhas (CGH), to make the flight from Congonhas to Campo Grande. The bus between the two airports is really easy, and I think they run every 45 minutes to an hour. You should leave enough time between flights to get your luggage and make a shuttle, probably a few hours. While you're waiting for your flight, there are plenty of places to shop and eat. I think the price of the shuttle was included in the ticket to fly out of Congonhas. In Campo Grande, I took a taxi to the hotel. I don't speak Portuguese, but I got along fine. What's weird is that the cab drivers know the hotel by its former name and not it's new one.
Q: Are there a lot of bugs?
A: In July, it's pretty dry, and the bugs weren't a big deal. There were some mosquitoes present at dusk, but that's it. In the wet season, there are more bugs.
Q: What are some activities on this project?
A: You can sit on the banks of the river with binoculars and look for otters. There's so much wildlife it's almost distracting: sitting on the riverbank, you hear things in the bushes behind you and birds in the trees. I also trekked through the dry jungle on the amphibian and reptile portion of the trip, looking for frogs. We found a tree with jaguar marks on it, which is how they mark their territory. The claw marks were bigger than my hand! I saw parasitic trees winding themselves around other trees. The trees were also interesting because there were so many, like the animals.
Q: Was the fly-over really amazing?
A: Totally. We drove into the Pantanal, and I kept asking, "Are we in the Pantanal yet?" because there was a gradual difference, going down into the basin. When we flew out of it, I realized how huge and flat it is. Eventually, there is a cliff that goes up and the topography totally changes, and you just left the Pantanal. You can envision the old ocean in that basin. The cliff is a neat geological structure, Grand Canyon-like, and it's a very clear marker of where the Pantanal starts.
Please note: At this time, all volunteers fly in and out of the Pantanal.
Q: Did you get to interact with the local community?
A: We did a ride around the property with the cowboys; they've got their chaps and their horses. They keep to themselves, but they're super nice. They knew what everything was, all the animals, and they were ho-hum about it! We thought we saw a lot of animals, but who knows how many more you'd see with their trained eye pointing them out.
Q: Will we get a chance to go horseback riding?
A: I think it is an option for the volunteers, but they do charge for it. You can also visit the baby crocodile farm, where you can hear their little baby croc noises! They're so cute. The farm keeps these special lights over the babies at night, to attract mosquitoes just above the water, so they can eat.
Q: Is the Pantanal a national park?
A: The Pantanal is 90% privately owned, mostly by individual farms. The research sites are farms, and people are researching the impact of cattle on the ecosystem. For instance, they found that when cattle is kept near a pond, the pond absorbs their waste. This causes more algae and other microscopic things to thrive, so actually there is more bird diversity and abundance by that pond because of the extra food. Also, the hyacinth macaws have evolved with the cattle industry too. These macaws like a certain seed whose shell is very difficult to break. The cattle like the fruit, eat it up, digest it, and that softens the shell enough for the macaws to get the seed! When the cows come in for the night, you'll see hyacinth macaws following after them, eating the seeds.
Q: What packing tips do you have?
A: I wish I brought a watch with an alarm, so I could set it to get up before dawn to see the sunrise. Bring tall socks: you'll roll them up over your pants and duct tape them there to keep out ticks while walking transects. Quick-drying clothes are great, and you should bring a baggie of laundry detergent. You can hand-wash your clothes in the sinks. Bring a good camera with a telephoto lens. You don't need a fast shutter like in Africa, because the animals move slower, but you'll really want to zoom in. The boat wake scares animals away, and you can't always go near some of the animals. Binoculars are provided by the research team, but if you're a bird-watcher, you will want to bring your own. A hat is good to ward off the sun and keep you dry when it rains. Bring sunscreen.
Q: Will I be able to exchange money on the site?
A: There are HSBC banks everywhere in the cities. Get money in Campo Grande before you leave for the Pantanal, because there are no ATMS out there. I had trouble getting money out at night in Campo Grande because the "connection" wasn't good, but during the day I could get money fine. Rio Negro has a gift shop with souvenirs. You may be able to buy batteries and film in the Pantanal, but it's going to be a lot more expensive, because it costs a lot to get things into the Pantanal. You can recharge your camera and batteries at the camp, you just need an adaptor for the voltage.
Q: Is there anything else I should know?
A: The Pantanal is a truly amazing place. In Rio de Janeiro, even with its amazing beaches, they sell photography books of the Pantanal in the tourist shops. Even Brazilians are impressed by it. Also, the river is like any other river, except you get to see more wildlife. Don't be afraid of getting into the water. The caimans leave you alone, they eat fish. I had my own concerns about the river, but it was nothing like I expected. The Pantanal is so amazing, you can't miss the opportunity to fully experience it.