Dispatches From The Field

31 July, 2003 -- Shaun Dunn

High Tech At Camp

Well by now you might be asking yourself: How does the fossa team send all these pictures and reports back to ‘civilization’? Luckily we can answer that question, even from the field. We have a small number of computers that we use to type our daily adventures and mishaps. We also have volunteers and staff with digital cameras that are outstanding in sharing their pictures with us so we may in turn share them with you and the rest of the world.

Everyday we take lots of pictures and talk amongst each other deciding the highlights of the day. These experiences are then typed out by staff and volunteers and pictures are downloaded to compliment the story. All these electronic gadgets are kept powered by our little generator that gives us light each night. At dusk we “crank the genny” and plug in all our battery rechargers and computers to maximize the generator’s output and make sure no energy goes to waste.

Then the next time a staff member goes to Mahajunga or Tana we collect all the stories and updates, with pictures, and send them along to the city. In the city where internet access in available, all is sent via email to our webmaster at Duke University who then adds them to this website for all to see.