Dispatches From The Field

12 June 2003 -- Chris Golden

Today we ran all of our last minute errands, going to the embassy, going to MICET, going to the camping store, etc. We also went to the American Cultural Center to listen to Dr. Kathy Williams give a presentation. She is a veterinarian from the Duke Primate Center and she spoke about the health status of wild lemur populations. It was a great presentation and brought together the parties interested in conservation in Madagascar.

More importantly, today was the first day I was here that the entire team was united. Martel met up with us this morning and it was great for me to see him again after 4 years. Our team dynamics look as though they will be very successful this summer. The jokes and playfulness have already begun, but behind every great personality is also the dedication and appreciation for a greater cause. Everyone is coming from somewhat different backgrounds, ages and stages of life, and yet, we are all committed to serving the same ultimate purpose.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to talk a little bit about Martel and Pierrot and their importance to the team. Martel and Pierrot both leave their families for months at a time in order to do wildlife research. Although they are making much better salaries than their other friends from the university, it is my firm belief that they are doing what they love and that is the only motivation. Having known them and kept in touch with them for almost 4 years now, I know how dedicated and instrumental they are to the project. They are extremely intelligent and are always helpful in teaching about the local culture or anything related to the Malagasy way of life. They are also excellent representatives of the future of Madagascar. These two will be among the elite core of native conservationists who will hopefully be making the decisions concerning the fate of their country’s environment and biodiversity.