Ravens and Road Trips

Since the last time I have wrote I have attended a TAFA conference in D.C. (Take Action For the Animals) Andrew and I have travelled to Ocean City where we swam in the Atlantic Ocean, drove to Baltimore Maryland for a Lions vs. Ravens pre-season football game, and most recently- drove to and from Michigan just this last weekend for a friends wedding. There has been a lot of travelling around and seeing even more of the new area we call home. I’d have to say that the waves at the Atlantic Ocean were amazing and powerful and the carnival rides on the boardwalk make for one of the most romantic days you’ve ever had. The TAFA conference was very informative and inspiring- reassuring us animal advocates that we can make a difference and create a voice for the animals we love so very much.

Andrew and I at wedding in Devos Center, downtown MI

Andrew and I travelled to Michigan for his best friends wedding where he was requested in attendance as best man. He looked so unbelievable in a tuxedo and my dress was so tight I actually passed on dessert. We were asked repeatedly when our wedding would be; I guess that’s what happens when your dating and mid 20’s.  It was so great to be in Michigan again, especially in the beautiful summer weather that never seems to hang around long enough. I was able to reconnect with so many great friends and family, some of which I haven’t seen in years. Being out in Lake Michigan again was such a treat- we don’t always realize how lucky we are or were to have freshwater clean, swimmable lakes so close to our home.

It’s been nice to have time off to myself and to relax with friends and family, I am however, ready to get back to work with observations and waiting tables. It has been a long time without the zoo and I am ready to see all of the Great Apes bright and early tomorrow morning. My internship is still going great, I’m now a little more than halfway through my time commitment here and Andrew and I realize that before we know it we will be moving back to Michigan, we will be moving in with his Dad for however long we are in Michigan, we will be arriving back in Michigan from Thanksgiving on (Thanks to Liza, Dad, and Diane all flying in for Thanksgiving; I have changed my plans to come back as well!)

Something new that I’ve done at the Zoo is hand feeding the gorillas or orangutans. So far I have hand fed two sub adult male gorillas, one silverback gorilla, and one subadult organgutan male.  I just stand there and give them handfulls of vegatables or biscuts through the metal mesh which they take from my hand- making sure to not stick any fingers through the bars and rolling my sleeves up. I always get asked “Do you get to go in there with them” the answer is always the same, NO. I, nor should any other sane person, have any desire to be within grabbing distance of a wild dangerous great ape. We are actually required to stand 4 feet away from the cage at all times due to the fact that apes are sneaky, and will always get you when you least expect it.

After visiting Michigan I’ve realized that the end of this internship is not something to necessarily dread (although it will be  very sad). As much as I love being at the zoo, Michigan is my home and an absolutely fabulous place to live. I cannot say that I have much more time left in Michigan for that matter as Andrew and I are staying temporariliy; until our departure for a year abroad in South Korea. Therefore I will take advantage of everyday back; I’m looking forward to getting my time’s worth out of Michigan.

You're Not in Kansas Anymore

Lately I've been missing home and all of my favorite parts about it increasingly over the months. I would do just about anything to be able to go and spend a day out at Lake Michigan with my Mom and my brother, have an overnight Seinfeld party with Liza Petrenko and Stephanie Goorhouse, or play a game of spoons with my Dad and Step Mom Diane, but alas Mom is in Michigan, Lucas is in South Korea teaching enlgish to kindergarterners, Liza is in Arizona with her husband studying to become a dentist, Nate is in Cambodia spreading the word of God and her love, Dad and Diane are permanent resides of Florida, and I am in Maryland studying primate behavior. I have no complaints or regrets, I would not and should not be anywhere else (as neither should any of you) in the world; I just truly love and appreciate the memories and people who have helped shape the person that I am.  As of late I've been reminiscing on those memories and people much more, wishing we could have spent more time with eachother before life pulled us all in such different directions.


Okay, enough of that- the fourth of July in Washington D.C. was unbelievable, seeing the beautiful firework display behind the Washington Monument from my perfect spot on the Capitol buildings lawn with Andrew and my fellow research interns is a moment I will never forget. The week after Andrew and I went back downtown to spend a day at the Air and Space Museum and get a inside tour of the Capitol building. It was amazing seeing the Wright brothers first successful airplane and realizing the relevance and way their inventions shaped our daily life. Kinda creepy seeing the drones and computer operated planes that are more cost efficient and most likely going to replace modern airplanes any year now, Luke would you wanna be flown across the world by a computer? It was beautiful inside of the Capitol building and surreal standing in what used to be the House of Representatives, marked by John Quincy Adams desk.

Research is still going great, at the end of August my two fellow interns will have completed their 6 month commitment and one or two new interns will fill their shoes. This has inspired me to start getting a better foundation for the statistical analysis we have been running and I am hoping to become even more well versed in this area to better carry out the remainder of my research here. It's crazy and a little bit depressing how much you forget once you graduate, I took an entire year of Biological Statistics and remember virtually nothing and yet passed the class. You can learn everything under the sun but if you are never asked to apply it, where does that knowledge go? So far it has been out the window in my terms and I am slowly trying to change this theme but re-learning the basics and foundations of biology and anthropology. I also have begun to learn basic Korean words and I am getting increasingly excited to move there with Andrew in January. Until then we will keep slaving away with our food service jobs and me with my research ;) Love you all!!!!

Mandara was born at the Lincoln Park Zoo in April 1982, and came to the National Zoo in October 1985. Often referred to as “super-mom,” Mandara has had six offspring: Kejana (now at Disney), Kigali, Ktembe (now at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo), Kwame, Kojo, and a baby born on January 10, 2009. She is also the adoptive mother of silverback Baraka. Mandara is an extremely intelligent gorilla. She is a master of communicating her wants and needs to her caregivers. She has a strong personality, which aids her in her position as the group’s dominant female. She is named after a mountain range in Cameroon.

Distinguishing features:
Mandara is the smaller adult female group and can often be seen spending time near her kids, especially Kibibi. She has a notch in her left ear, and she has large breasts. When she is indoors, her favorite resting spot is one of the big hammocks.

A Life Worth Living

      We have lived in Maryland for over a month now and I must say it is beginning to feel alot more like home! I have been doing research for 3 weeks, that means over 40 hours of primate behavior observations! My day at the zoo starts at 7:00 am and goes until 3:30 pm, everyday I do 3, 90 minute observations after 3 meals are fed. At 7:00 am my first 90 minute session begins while the gorillas are fed 100% of their chow . For those of you who don't know, Primate Chow is equivalent to a power bar for the apes, its a starchy dose of vitamins and other elements that a primate's body requires. All of their chow is being fed before any other meal items, in order to isolate this item and see if trends in regurgitation show anything significant.
        Other studies have shown that starchy foods, along with sweet foods have increased regurgitation but no one has offered a solution for how to fix this, other than an unrealistic all greens diet that all zoos aside from the North Carolina zoo have abandoned since initiating the diet change. Our focus is to not only isolate and define regurgitation factors, but to offer a solution to zoos across the U.S. so they may alter their diet in a more realistic manner. This project will most likely not be completed at the end of my 6 months here, but we will be that much closer to having a solution and that makes me very proud, excited, and passionate about the work that I am doing.

Furthermore, I recently took a "reliability observation test" with the Orangutans where I observed the most subtle regurger, a 39 year old female named Lucy- I passed and have gotten started with baseline data collection with the Orangutans this week as well!
             On a different note I am done training and now serving tables at Olive Garden. I am making great money and really enjoy this job because it is challenging, fast paced and allows me to go out of my way to meet, connect, and give love to strangers. Andrew got a job as well! He is training currently for a managing position at Pizza Hut, so proud of him- his hard work of relentless job searching resulted in a position better than we could have imagined.
             So between 3 days of research and 4 days of waiting tables my weeks are booked. I thankfully have one day off a week (Wednesdays...today hehe) and have found ways to do things I love. I have joined a church which I look forward all week to attending, they even have a group called "Creature Connections" that I am joining, it is focused on animal's rights and making a voice for those who do not have one. Tonight I am attending a group meditation that they have arranged, I am so thankful for this way to connect with myself, God and others in my community. Have a great month of June you all, stay cool and get yourself out to somewhere beautiful :)

Meet Kibibi aka Bebes was born at the Zoo on January 10, 2009. This little lady always finds a way to make me smile as she is the youngest and smallest member of the gorilla group aka she is the goofiest, most rambunctious and the biggest pest to the adults. Her name means “little lady” in Swahili. She loves to climb and play and spend time with her brother Kojo.

Subways and Silverbacks

        
          The first week of my great ape internship has commenced! After figuring out a very intimidating bus/metro subway route I finally feel confident in and much appreciative of the public transportation that gets me to and from my internship in D.C.. I still have a never ending list of things to learn and become acquainted with but I have packed so much information into my skull this week its incredible. After getting my ID picture taken, finger prints scanned and filling out mounds of paperwork I was put on as a keepers aide with the Gorillas for the next two days. I spent my time with the gorillas behind the scenes, cleaning their enclosures, preparing their enrichment, chopping up browse (bamboo, sycamore etc;), and laying out their breakfast and dinner.
          Although I am now trained to assist the keepers when they need some extra help, it is rumored that between the R & R research (regurgitation & reingestation), data entry, and O-line monitoring I will have no time for extra duties. The Orangutan Transport System, or O Line, consists of eight 50-foot-high towers connected by plastic-coated, steel cables which gives the Orangs freedom of movement and choice of where they would prefer to spend their time at the zoo.
         My favorite part of each day was spent observing the gorillas with my fellow researchers in the afternoon. I assumed that my time spent studying the gorillas names and faces before the internship would put me ahead of the game when it came to identification, howver it can be quite difficult to tell Mandara from Kigali or Kojo from Kwame when all you have is a large black back or slightly reddish back to look at. Regardless I am feeling more confident with each day spent with the gorillas that I will not only be able to pick out the individuals but I will be able to accurately record all instances of R & R even when all that is seen as an awkward movement of the head and chewing.
       Next week I am getting started with Orangutan husbandry, at the end of the week I will get my feet wet with observations with the gorillas for 90 minute sessions. At the end of my sessions I will compare notes with my fellow intern and if all data aligns I will be starting full time with observations the following week. I am thankful to spend this introductory time getting to know the animals, their personalities and their schedules but I am so eager to begin research!
      Another blessing has been the amazing personalities that I get to work with, the conversations that we have during lunch time make me feel like I've been plucked out of reality and into a parallel universe where all that we talk about is on the topic of conservation, wildlife, or primate behavior. I have without question found my niche at the Smithsonian Zoo and I hold nothing but the utmost excitement for my future weeks spent with some very worthwhile human and nonhuman primates :)

Here is the groups largest 375 lb silverback gorilla named Baraka (which means blessing of light).     Baraka was born at the Zoo in April 1992. Despite his laid-back personality, still commands respect from all of his groupmates and maintains a good balance of keeping the gorillas in line. His large head has a pronounced crest, and like all adult males he has a saddle of silver hair covering his back. Baraka is often centrally located in the group, and likes to maintain a position where he can see and keep tabs on all of the other gorillas.

New Beginnings

    
          After all of the planning, packing, cleaning, and tearful goodbye's we have finally arrived to our new home for the next 6+ months. The apartment is better than anything we had imagined- we have so much room for activities now that we don't have furniture to clutter up our living room ;) It's interesting adjusting to life without cable, internet access (we frequent the buisiness center where internet is provided), microwaves, couches, tables or chairs. It's sort of fun seeing what we are able to live without - liberating is the word I am looking for.
             I will have orientation at the zoo this Thursday where after filling out piles of paper work I will be shown around the unit I will be interning in which consists of the Ape House (gorillas and orangutans), Think Tank (orangutans, Sulawesi macaque, and mangabey), Gibbon Ridge (white-cheeked gibbons and siamangs) and Lemur Island (ring-tailed lemurs and red-fronted lemurs). The Think Tank looks at cognition in three areas: tools, language, and society. I watched a youtube video of the Orangs playing a memory game in the Think Tank where they are shown images on the screen and will tap the images to confirm that it has been seen. Then they are presented with a pool of many images and need to recall and select via tapping only the images they were shown. The exhibit goals are to educate visitors about the field and the scientific process, and to build a conservation ethic through the understanding of animals as complex cognitive beings. I am SO excited to watch my first Think Tank demonstration- I am sure it will be a moment I never forget!
           To be quite honest I am just as nervous as I am excited for this internship to begin. Being the "new girl" can be trying especially when you are hundreds of miles away from everything you've ever known. But hey, how could we ever evolve as individuals if life did not present with obstacles. The nerves will wear off but my fufilliment from time spent at the Smithsonian Zoo will not.

Iris was born at the Zoo on April 15, 1987, and was named after IRS (Internal Revenue Service) because of her birth date.

Iris is a very charismatic orangutan who can be quite silly and playful, but also quite stubborn at times, especially when asked to come inside. She is the star of several research programs and loves to participate in our daily research demonstrations at Think Tank. Iris has been instrumental in developing new training procedures and goals because of how quick and eager she is to learn new things. Some of her favorite activities include playing in boxes or under sheets, and painting.

Bonnie is a female hybrid orangutan born in 1976 at the Rio Grande Zoo. She arrived at the National Zoo in 1980, soon after the Great Ape House was built. She has had one offspring, Kiko.

Bonnie is a particularly intelligent orangutan, constantly observing her environment and the orangutans and keepers around her. She made national news in 2008 for teaching herself how to whistle, without any human coaching. Bonnie travels the O Line frequently, but unlike most of the other orangutans, she usually does not choose to quickly cross from one end to the other, but instead likes to sit on top of one of the towers and watch the crowds down below.

Rounding Third

          In less than 2 weeks Andy and I will pack up our car, leave Mount Pleasant, MI and drive to our new home in Laurel, Maryland. We have not had the chance to visit this apartment, the closest we have gotten to a tour was the online video tour of the business area and pool ;). Life will be flip turned upside down different in 2 short weeks....we will not have a dining room table, or chairs for that matter- we are simplifying, my Chrysler Concorde does not have the space to allow us to bask in our luxuries (however in this process I think we will be amplifying life's natural pleasures).  

            For the following 6 months Andrew will work full time and support me as I embark on a new journey that I have been fantasizing about since 2008: being a part of Primate behavior research that will make a positive difference.  I, and 3 interns will be monitoring 7 Gorillas and 6 Orangutans behavior as we alter their diet in order to prevent undesirable behavior. I have begun to get acquainted with the apes names, faces, and stories. Blogspot certainly cannot begin to express my excitement to meet these new groups of Great Apes! Anyone who has worked with animals knows how unique every single personality is- meeting the Chimps and Monkeys at the Primate Rescue Center in KY was like being the new girl at school (not all animals take kindly to strangers- some love the attention), can't wait to have all new faces to know and love at the Smithsonian Zoo! 

          I know that myself and Andrew and fully prepared for this next chapter- but there is something inevitably sad about leaving what you have known as home for 4+ years. I'm thankful for every connection I have made in Mount Pleasant and through CMU <3 Thank you for your continual love and support.

P.S. Will post again once we are settled into new home...we will have our new adopted kitty to get comfy as well ;)