gvi patagonia newsletter end of summer expedition 091

8/14/2019 GVI Patagonia Newsletter end of Summer Expedition 091

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GVI Patagonia, March 2009 1

GVI PATAGONIA NEWSLETTERSummer Expedition January-March 2009 (091)

Expedition Training

Once again we made our way to La Lipela for 8 days of expedition training, 4 ten-weekers, 5first five-weekers and 7 staff. With the name change to Patagonia Research and Wilderness

Training, the training classes were emphasized even more this expedition.Apart from the wellestablished training lessons from the past 9 expeditions, the following lessons were added this

expedition: physical geography of the research areas, useful knots and lashings, local myths &legends, and Argentine history.

For the two night training trek, we headed out into

the hills in the back of La Lipela into Nahuel HuapiNational Park (N.P.). Finally, this time we managed

to find the well hidden Laguna La Lagunita! On thesecond day, after a very hot 4 hours hike up rubbly

slopes, we were rewarded with a swim in veryrefreshing water and a great lunch spot under shady

trees. The laguna is quite small, but very remote and

pretty. The last night of this trek was spent sleepingunder the stars high up close to one of the ridges,

with spectacular views over La Lipela.The second training of this expedition was also held

at La Lipela and followed the same schedule. Thepractice trek this time took the group over the Photo: Medical training

ridges behind the laguna into the Cuyin Manzano valley,where the group then completed a condorera characterization of

Cuyin Manzano and the surrounding cliffs.

Photo: High bivi camp on training trek

Condor Census

As usual, we did two regional condor censuses this

expedition. For the first time, we extended the censusto two nights, allowing us a little more time to get the

newly trained EMs ready for monitoring birds. We

managed to send teams out to 5 condoreras in thegreater Bariloche area. Additional Condoreras weresurveyed by Sergios teams (Sergio is our condor

partner).

As expected for the summer months, the numbers ofcondors counted these two nights was quite small.

With good weather conditions, they tend to spend theirtime more to the west in the Andes. During the census

at the end of the expedition, about 18 birds werecounted (compared to over 200 we have counted in Photo: Collecting samples below a condorerabad weather conditions)


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The end of the first census and the training period was celebrated with an assado at La Lipela.With the traditional preparation of a live goat, wine, open fire and tasty meat on the assado

cross, the night passed quickly.

Lolog area - Valley of Doom (Lanin N .P.)

After a short break, the expedition headed north to the Lolog area of Lanin National Park tocomplete some red deer transects. Having worked

on this project in this area last expedition, logisticswere a lot easier and the group found a good camp

in the valley. After the devastating fire, the parkbiologists are now closely monitoring the area for

sign of returning red deer etc.

The data of all of the red deer work that we areinvolved in goes towards establishing and adjusting

a management plan for this species, trying to controlthe damage by these invasive animals.

Photo: Camp in the Lolog valley

Tronador (Nahuel Huapi N.P.)

Wild boar transects in the Tronador area a trial phase for Hernan (project partner) to see ifthis could be a control group for his data collected in the Tromen area of Lanin N.P. The ten-

weekers of the expedition and some staff workedabout ten days in the area, surveying different

habitats for signs of wild boar around the base ofCerro Tronador the same mountain we do the

GVI Snow School on. Hernan joined the group forthese days, laying out the start- and end-points for

these new transects. Due to the difficult and dense

vegetation, mixed with swamp, this wasnt an easytask at times

Photo: On the way to the wild boar survey

Condorera Characterization (Mala Espina)

While part of the expedition surveyed in Tronador, the five-weekers

and the rest of the staff headed into the steppe to the east ofBariloche, to complete a condorera characterization. The trek to the

cliffs was long and hot, but after some 6 hours, they found a suitable

area and set camp. The next days were spent surveying andcharacterizing the condorera and some of the surrounding cliffs. This

data will add to the data set of Sergio (University of Comahue,Bariloche), our condor partner.

After the second training week, the four ten-weekers joined the fournewly trained five-weekers on their training trek to the Cuyin

Manzano condorera. The Condorera and surrounding cliffs weresurveyed and after four days, the groups transferred to the Arroyo

Blanco condorera where they completed the same data collection.

Photo: Surveying Condoreras Apart from a communication problem between local farmers (whowere not happy about us being on their land) and our condor partners, all went well.


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Lanin N.P. Projects

Back in the Tromen area of Lanin, the expedition continued with the usual data collection onred deer, cachana and wild boar. During parts of these two weeks, the group split into smaller

groups, working in different areas, as well as camping at

different camps. With some hot summer weather, everybodyenjoyed the lakes and streams, having a chance to wash off

the dust after the days work was finished. In Tromen, thegroup used an old wooden house of the park rangers to store

their equipment in. With the good weather, everybodycamped out under the surrounding trees.

Photo: Cooking at camp in Tromen

Duck Trek - Waterfow l Survey, Lanin N.P.

Up north again the northern lakes of Lanin national park were once again the area for us to

survey lakes and lagunas for waterfowl. Contributing to a data set for the University of

Salamanca (Spain), the expedition split in two survey groups. Starting at opposite ends of thesurvey lakes, they worked their way towards Lago Ruccachoroi, their central meeting place.

Numbers of waterfowl were high in these summer months, everybody had a great time. Thehikes proved to be quite challenging and hard to find at times, but both teams completed their

workload and met up for some cool baths in Ruccachoroi lake.During their time on the duck trek, a forest fire started a few meters away from our previous

camp in Tromen. Said to be caused by human error, the fire has caused a lot of damage in the

area we are working in. After almost 14 days, thefire is still burning and is believed to have burnt

close to 2000 hectares of forest to date. Hoping

for cooler temperatures and rain, the firemen arestill trying to get the fire under control. Luckilywe were finally able to pick up our trailer that

was parked meters from where the fire started, afew days ago.

The damage in the area could be quite big,

luckily the data sets we have been working on forthe last 3 years have been completed pretty

much. Fire is a natural part of this kind of forest,but according to biologists, this area of forest

should not have had any fire for at least another80 years. Photo: On the way to a survey, Lanin

Overview

Expedition number 10 has been completed! All went well, there were no serious injuries, the

data we had planned to collect was collected. All the EMs and staff had a great time living and

working in the forest and steppe areas of Patagonia.With an incredible hot and long summer here in Argentina, it is hard to believe that we are

about to be heading back into a certainly more wet and colder winter season.


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Staff UpdateThe staff team has done a great job this expedition! All the planned data was collected, all was

safe and everybody learnt a lot and had a great time.

A quick rundown:-Rich (base manager) is on his way to Australia to find some other work in the other world

-Tom is on his way back to Cornwall

-Emma is also on her way back to the UK (but might be returning for the spring)

-Katy will once again take care of the science and logistics next expedition (her 7th expeditioncoming up)-Ian (3rd) and Debbie (2ndexpedition) will be back as field staff next expedition

-Jenny and Sam, two EMs of this expedition will also return to do a scholarship this nextexpedition

-Ill be back as well, for my 9th expedition

Muchas gracias to everyone who helped make this expedition another

great success!

Thanks to all the Expedition members who dedicated their time to

come to Patagonia and work w ith us!

Thanks a lot to you guys in the UK, the US and the AUS office - and ofcourse also the guys that are in between!

Well be back for the winter expedition, starting w ith staff trainingon April 9th!

Stephen Meyer, Country Director Patagonia

gvi patagonia newsletter end of summer expedition 091

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