An Amazing Experience!

Wow. The last two months here have been absolutely amazing. I came to IPBio eight weeks ago from the United States as a "lab assistant" to do research on one of the rare frogs here and track the progression of one of the most devastating fungal diseases affecting amphibians world-wide. I helped to design experiments with the Leptodactylus flavopictus frog to determine its activity periods and food preference because IPBio is, as far as we know, the only place in the world that has managed to raise one in captivity. A professor from UNICAMPI, Brazil asked us to start an ongoing project monitoring the progression of Bd in a population of tadpoles, so I have been helping with that as well. I picked up a couple more duties including taking care of the animals that we have on the reserve (turtles, fish, frogs, tadpoles, and lizards), hiking in the woods to collect data on bio acoustics, and sampling and testing the water quality of the aquarium. Work really doesn't feel like work most of the time - I got to take care of animals and walk through the jungle every day. The staff here are such wonderful people. Although I only speak limited Portuguese, their hospitality and kindness make working on the reserve one of my favorite parts of the day. After work, there is always something to do on the reserve. On clear nights, you can walk out to the vegetable garden and stare up at the brightest stars you have ever seen, then look over at the pond where you will see hundreds of glowing larva. It is such a surreal experience to travel from Sao Paulo, the massive city filled with lights, people, and sounds, to the middle of the Atlantic Forest where you can walk 100 meters from the house and be completely alone, surrounded by nature. On the weekends, there are literally hundreds of caves and waterfalls within driving distance which are mind-blowingly beautiful.

My time here has been truly transformative. The relationships that I have made, the science that I have done, and the awareness of the natural world that I have gained will stay with me forever. I hope to build on my experience here and become a biologist working in the same kind of environment eventually. I would recommend this experience to anyone who loves science, conservation, nature, and is ready for a stay full of adventures!