7-27-23 Day 9: Reflection blog

I….actually can’t believe it’s over.  What an amazing experience, and such a unique opportunity to be able to not just contribute to a scientific research project, but to actually be the hands that gather the data.  Many shout outs:

The Hotel Bringue:

Big thanks to our hosts at the hotel Bringue in El Serrat, Andorra.  The other Earthwatch trips I have been on have always been at a research station, so you had to be kinda okay with…not exactly tent life, but camp-vibe like:  dorm style rooms, the bathroom is outside, etc.  For this expedition, we are literally in a HOTEL with wonderful staff, a full bar if we need something to take the edge off, and 3 course meals every evening.  I’m already having to adjust my eating because I’m not as active.  Take a look:

the breakfast buffet, every morning (I forgot to take a picture of the toast/yogurt/crepe table)

Wine with every dinner

Sunset view from the dining room

Our hosts/teachers:  Uri and Jana!

We all learned so much from these two, so patient, so knowledgable.  They worked SO hard (which Is kind of the way it is with ecology research – it’s intense during the season).  For example, for the small mammal traps, we would check them every morning, and reset them to trap again, but you have to check them every 12 hours (because 24 hours would be too much suffering for the animals).  So every night we had dinner at 8:00pm (that is when the dinner service starts), and then after dinner, Jana and Uri would go BACK out into the field IN THE DARK and check the traps (and record captures, reset them for the morning, etc). while we all slept…

The team:

And of course, all of my fellow volunteers.  Andorra Team 5, 2023 rules!  So many great moments, so many FUNNY moments (most are attributed to Mike, you can’t take him anywhere):

• on day 1, he lost the pick axe in the forest (and somehow Jana found it).
• After the site 9 hike, when we were waiting in Llorts to get picked up, Mike went to find a bathroom, and walked into a closed restaurant and used their facilities.  As he was exiting, the waiter YELLED at him “WHAT THE F–K” (universal curse word) and then apparently went on a tirade in very angry Catalan…
• This light fixture is in the dining room next to the tables we always sit at:
• 
• and one night Mike got up and ran right into it (much laughter….)

Thank goodness Mike is a keeper!!

And of course, Kevin’s shoes (each had a different issue…):

On a 24/7 trip like this, friends are made fast and we had so many so many good times, even though we were completely exhausted

THE ANIMALS

Interviews:

At the last dinner, I managed to get my entire table to answer some questions, so drum roll please

1.  Favorite animal:
   1. Kevin:  wild boar family on camera
   2. Mike:  the house martin that attacked my head
   3. Candace:  red deer
   4. Ewa:  chamois family
   5. Irene:  marmots
   6. Uri:  bank vole (bahahaha)
2. Least favorite job/thing:
   1. Ewa:  the grass (she had allergies the entire time, and often wore a mask if near the grass)
   2. Uri:  night trap checking
   3. Kevin:  trap cleaning
   4. Candace:  digging up tea bags
   5. Mike:  trap cleaning (that I avoided doing)
   6. Irene:  being off trail
   7. Kevin:  also, all of site 11
3. Favorite job/thing: 
   1. Mike:  using the GPS
   2. Candace:  dendrometer readings
   3. Kevin:  letting the bird fly away after getting to hold him
   4. Irene:  reassembling the traps
   5. Ewa:  using the GPS
   6. Uri:  checking the traps (during the day, but sometimes at night, so he lied…!)
4. Funniest moment:
   1. Kevin:  Mike using the bathroom at the restaurant
   2. Candace:  when you guys were looking at the 2000+ pictures on the SD card, and there were no animals, Ewa shouted: “oh my God, a chamois giving birth!” just to make everyone jealous
   3. Mike:  when we were all at site 11, Candace got up to the rendezvous point and said “are you f—ing kidding me???”  I mean, we were all thinking it….
   4. Irene:  during the hike down from site 9, after about 1.5 miles of downhill, Ewa says “what the f–k is wrong with this place making a trail like this???”
   5. Ewa:  Mike walking into the chandelier

And then, final thoughts:

Ewa:  gourmet food in a magical place doing amazing scientific work

Candace:  all future Earthwatch trips will have a hard time living up to this standard

Mike:  what could be better than doing science in a mountain paradise with cool people

Irene:  amazing way to see science in action, make new friends, and to be the consummate learner

Kevin:  before coming on this trip, when I thought of field work, I thought of it as being physically exhausting, but after doing it, it is also mentally draining.  But the physical and mental exhaustion goes away with the laughter of everyone together

Well, that’s it.  Honestly, I recommend an Earthwatch trip if you are interested in being in nature, contributing to science, and having a bit of an adventure.  Adios!!