Prime Earth: Latest News

Recently Khao Yai was the subject of a popular television show here in Thailand called the "Navigator".  Camera set up. I got to spend a few days tagging along on some of their escapades as they gathered footage for the show. Forest = Check. Looking for the crocodile. Animals = Check. Elephant Night Safari. Cameras = READY! Photographing the gaur. Lots of laughs and awesome adventure!! Nothing beats hanging out with people who love to do, what you love to do! Check back in the upcoming weeks for the Prime Earth "Navigator" special episode when the guys join me for a day of gibbon data collection and we discuss the dangers of tourists feeding monkeys in the park. Show airs December 10th, 2010 & December 31st, 2010 (two part series).

My neighbourhood. My house. My bike. My sweet ride. My work. My girls. The other day I was doing dishes in my outdoor kitchen when this overwhelming feeling of contentment came over me: this is exactly where I'm supposed to be right now. It's been a mentally exhausting and emotionally draining trip since I left comfortable Canada 7 years ago, dealing with the extreme ridiculousness that is "life" in graduate school and my weird semi-existence in Carbondale. But if I had to go through all that in order to get me to one year in rural Thailand, then it was absolutely worth it to be where I am now. Taking it all in everyday. Loving every moment living the good life.

Plugged up the rat hole in the bathroom today... ...I don't know, do you think I got it?

Anyone who knows me, knows I LOVE notebooks. And now anyone who reads my blog also knows. These are my new favourites!!

All too often students begin fieldwork full of anticipation and high hopes for big adventure, only to end up burned out and on their way home within a month. This has inspired me to write a post about what it takes to survive primate behavioural research for people who may be considering taking this "road less traveled by" in the future. I won't water it down for you; primate research is not for everyone. Fieldwork is an uphill road, overloaded with obstacles that will test your personal strength every step of the way. (Perhaps there's a reason we opted to leave the forest and culture up our lives, oh so many years ago :). But if you've got what it takes to push yourself beyond the comforts of the average everyday world, and you're interested in finding out just how strong an individual you really are, then studying primates is one of the most inspirational and rewarding jobs available! Think you've got what it takes? Here are my tips for what it...

Here is what a normal pig-tailed macaque at Khao Yai looks like: Here is what a mysterious pig-tailed macaque, who came out of the forest and jumped onto my car while I was sitting in it half asleep at 6:00am waiting for my assistant, looks like: WHY THE HECK IS HE COMPLETELY BLACK! Really dirty? Half chimpanzee? New species? Genetic Mutant? I have no idea. But he's recently become the talk of the park!

I have NEVER seen a spider like THIS before!