On the Expedition
Identify and monitor the nearly 200 species of colorful butterflies in Tam Dao National Park.
You will rise early to walk a series of transects at an elevation of 900-1250 meters, through different habitats, counting all butterflies you can identify by sight and catching those that you don't recognize to take pictures for later identification. You will learn to recognize butterflies on the wing, from giant birdwings to effervescent whites, and try your hand at identifying more challenging skippers, blues, and coppers. You'll help find eggs, caterpillars, food plants, and raise caterpillars. Vietnam's butterfly fauna is still relatively unknown, so you may make discoveries. In your recreational time, you can hike to nearby peaks, bird watch, visit a spectacular waterfall, mingle with local families, go to an internet café, an open market and temples, a discotheque, and enjoy cultural events.
Meals and Accommodations
Your team will stay two to a room at a hotel in a beautiful site inside Tam Dao National Park with indoor plumbing, hot showers, and electricity. Teams will eat together at the hotel or local restaurants, where a variety of Asian, Vietnamese, and some western-style foods are available. The village is a 15-minute walk from the research site, and close to a variety of diversions.
About the Research Area
Tam Dao was declared a 19,000-hectare protected area in 1977, and in 1996 this area was designated a National Park and was extended to include 36,883 hectares of natural forest and 15,515 hectares of buffer zone. It is located in four districts of three provinces: Tam Dao and Lap Thach districts of Vinh Phuc province, Son Duong district of Tuyen Quang province, and Dai Tu district of Thai Nguyen province. Studies of the park’s biodiversity have been carried out since the 1930s. In recent years, several projects by both Vietnamese and foreigners concentrated mainly on vertebrates and vascular plants. According to data presented in a December 2000 conference on the park’s biodiversity, there are 64 species of mammals, 243 species of birds, 76 species of reptiles, 33 species of amphibians and 52 species of fish.