Beginning Directed Research (DR)

So DR data collection is just one huge cluster fuck.  It’s kind of comical how horribly operated this is despite the excessive planning and hours put in by our professors.  They should be asking us for input to improve the process but it seems, and understandably, that they’re just so overworked and flustered that no constructive commentary will help the situation.  They’re impenetrable.

For six days five different cars will be completing wildlife count, vigilence, sign, and association transects in three different protected areas with varying conservation statuses.  Each transect will be completed on two different days.  My project has nothing to do with these but everyone is participating because then for three days everyone will be walking community transects and asking people about their bushmeat activities.  It’s like a you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours scenario.  However, everyone will be exhausted by the time they get to my data collection and will not care and do a shitty job.  Why? I’ll tell you.  We haven’t had a day off for nearly two weeks before starting DR.  We were very active in Serengeti.  Then back to Moyo Hill and jump right into DR and writing our proposals.  Then we’re up and out the door every morning between 7 and 7:30am, out in the hot sun all day straining to count hundreds of animals, and then aren’t back until around 4:30.  Actually, my group doesn’t make it back until about 6pm because the professor driving my vehicle is a little overzealous with the transects.  For example, on the first day we did eighteen of them whereas the next greatest number of transects done by another group was twelve.  They all get to finish early and then go in to Mto wa Mbu and eat pizza and drink beer.  We show up just for a meeting and then have to, or more like want to come home directly after because we’re so exhausted. 

I’m sorry, I’m bitching and complaining and I shouldn’t be but I am.  I’m done.  Pity time for Jenny is done.  Besides all of this DR BS (DR should stand for darn rotten), running the transects has its perks.  I got to see a lesser kudu for the first time, which is an amazing species of antelope.  I wish I could have snapped a picture of him for you but I’ve also noticed without any statistical analyses particular patterns in animal vigilence between the different conservation areas and thus in areas differing in their level of poaching.  I’m really excited to do my DR work and learn more about it here in the Tarangire-Manyara area.  Very excited!  Tomorrow we go to Lake Manyara National Park to do transects too.  I guess I can’t complain much if I’m getting to go to a National Park in Tanzania in Africa for school.  I need to keep things in perspective and keep reminding myself that I am pathetically lucky.  HOLY SMOKES am I LUCKY! 

Oh, and I also skyped Chelsea for the first time this morning and it was wonderful to hear her voice.  I need to start using sype more often.