Mrs. Coleman Teaches Live from Vietnam

Student Connections

2007-04-05T20:20:00.000-07:00

Throughout my trip to Vietnam I made connections with students in any possible way; satellite telephone, Skype, chat and email. After my return, these classroom connections continue, through video conference and live visits.

Students are the most important factor in projects like TeachLive. When I do a project like this one I try to visit the participating classrooms. Relationships with the students help to make the project more meaningful to all of us.

When I am in CA, the New York students only get to see me on a TV screen; when I am in New York, the California students get to see what that is like.

Location: Viet Nam ~ Northern Forest

2006-11-21T20:19:00.000-08:00

Where is Viet Nam?
Vietnam is in Asia, west of Japan, south of China, and east of India and Thailand (see the map in an earlier post). The word Viet is the name of the ethnic group originating from what is now northern Vietnam and southern China. The word Nam means "south of China."

Where in Vietnam is this research taking place?
The project site is north of Hanoi in the Tam Dao mountains, specifically Tam Dao National Park. The words 'Tam Dao' mean 'three mountains' and have that name because of their three mountain peaks.

Why do research in Vietnam?
Forests all over the world are being destroyed. Vietnam is only one place this is happening. Destruction is due mainly to illegal logging and population increase. The forest in Vietnam is just as important as any other forest - a healthy forest helps local people as well as people around the world. Forests help humans by providing protection from erosion as well as improved air quality around the world.

Why are butterflies important to the forest?
Butterflies are an inexpensive and natural way to monitor the health of a forest. Butterflies need a forest to survive.

What type of forests are there in Vietnam?
The geographic location makes its forest system unique. It spans both the tropical and sub-tropical regions, biomes - plus - it also falls within the Indo-Burma Biodiversity hodgepodge - which has a wide diversity of ecosystems within, including mixed wet evergreen, dry evergreen, deciduous, and montane forests.

What is the condition of the forest?
Vietnam has lost most of its natural forest. According to the World Wildlife Organization, less than 10 percent of the native vegetation in the region remains. This has been due to a combination of things; population increase, illegal logging, illegal burnoff (for farming), and of course, war. Loss of forest means loss of wildlife, because of the loss of their habitats. Remaining areas of forest in the northern region exist in small patches, scattered throughout.

Classic Farewell, and Thanks

2006-11-21T13:04:00.000-08:00

Pages on this blog are now archived weekly - which means that the entire project is available through the links listed under the "Archives" section on the lower right side of the page. If you want to see the entries at the very beginning, click October 01, 2006, then read up. Since all blogs read from the bottom up, you can follow the project by doing the same, and by using the Archive dated links.

The TeachLive feature of this project is coming to an end. Many thanks to all the teachers and classrooms that participated; Valley Christian Elementary, Ms. Leestma's class and Mr. Vander Dussen's class; Harry Eichler School, Ms. Alperstein's class, Mullica Township Middle School, Ms. Rheault's class; and finally Boston Evening Academy, Ms. Mills class. I have enjoyed our conferences (and the challenges they brought). I have also enjoyed bringing this chronicle. I hope you enjoyed both avenues explored here - field research and classic Vietnam.

This blog now serves as a record of field research, from the perspective of one volunteer. All content within this blog is available for use by any teacher or classroom. If you need worksheets to use to study this topic, they can be found at the Butterflies of Vietnam Classroom page. If you are visiting for the first time, be sure to see the pictures and movies linked on these pages.

Thanks for joining me, see you next time - from somewhere in this wonderful world.

Reality

2006-11-18T15:54:00.000-08:00

In contrast to the lovely Hoan Kiem, this is what an average day in the life of a farmer might look like. They have little time to walk the city and enjoy the scenery or notice the butterflies. They are hardworking people accustomed to doing most of the labor on their farms by hand. These farmers are cleaning corn, a newly popular crop in Vietnam. Corn and rice are rotated in the fields in an attempt to keep more nutrients in the soil.

Strolling at Hoan Kiem

2006-11-16T21:33:00.000-08:00

Hanoi has its own beauty. Before I came here I read as much as I could about the culture and about the place, but reading is nothing like seeing it firsthand.

Every city seems to try and create an area of beauty for its residents and tourists and Hanoi is no different. Huc Bridge, the circular walk and the temple on the lake were all made as a place to find peace.

I can't seem to get enough of walking around Hoan Kiem Lake. Right in the center of a frantic, bustling city, this serene place reminds me that people everywhere are no different - we all want some place to go to escape the hustle and bustle of life.

The weather could not have been better - and I should remember this if I ever want to visit again - November is the dry season when the sun shines in Hanoi. Studying butterflies in Vietnam has been a great experience. I have learned a lot about them and about this country. The world is full of interesting things to study and wonderful places to study them. So where to go next? It's always so hard to decide!

Ha Long - So Long

2006-11-16T21:11:00.000-08:00

I made myself take a tour of Ha Long Bay, a famous World Heritage site - a bay filled with over 3000 islands. I was actually surprised by 2 things here; the first, and I couldn't get over this, was the butterflies! How does a butterfly survive on the water here - maybe on the boats, I am not sure, but there were so many butterflies flying over the water.

The other thing was the floating village on the water. This is a traditional village built of houses that float on what look like tubs or kegs. The people in this village have lived here for hundreds of years and continue to live here, partly tradition, partly not knowing another way of life. This photo is of the school and a couple of houses. We stopped at one to purchase some seafood - of course it was alive and in caged areas, then the local people here prepared it. Notice, they even have television antennae (you have to look closely). This is a close-up of one of the houses.

Imagine living in a village with only water, no grass to run around on. The children here do not go to school outside the area until they reach the third grade! No soccer - no frisby golf - nothing on land, not even a lawn - until age 9. Just imagine it!

Visiting Ha Long Bay from Hanoi takes all day. It is about a 3 hour drive, then you have to take the boat out on the bay. We also visited the caves inside the large stone areas. I am glad I went, it gave me another new appreciation of some of the Vietnamese cultures that live within this amazing country.

Traditional Stories & Folk Tales

2006-11-15T21:05:00.001-08:00

Much of Vietnamese culture is made up of folk tales - old stories about the origination of things. Even the songs of Vietnam come from the old stories - and people here have a special emotional connection to them. There is a story in Vietnam for everything; such as the legend of Hoan Kiem Lake (a magic turtle gives the king a sword to conquer his northern enemies). I find the stories entertaining, and after talking with a number of locals in Hanoi I have discovered that they tell them mostly for entertainment value - they don't really believe that the stories were true. I visited a temple that is called the "ladies' temple" because it was founded on one of these stories, "100 Eggs, 100 Children."

So I can't help wonder, did anyone ever believe them? If so, it would sort of be like us believing that the "Three Little Pigs" story really happened. But then, maybe that is taking things a little too far. You decide.

If you want to read some of the folk tales you might want to visit a website called "Kid's Corner." It has a lot of stories that you can read through quickly and get a sense of how the people view tragedy and happy endings. Make sure you click on the English version.
Artwork and stories from 1996-98, Kicon, Inc.

Hanoi - Average Day in Motion

2006-11-15T21:01:00.000-08:00

Traffic in Hanoi is definitely something worth seeing. What seems entertaining to me is a way of life to everyone else. Motorbikes line every street and are intermingled with bicycles and SUVs . Traffic lights exist but merely as a suggestion. To walk across one of these busy streets you just sort of start walking - and don't look! If you look you are likely to walk too fast and cause an accident. I crossed several streets in my daily travels, and this is the only way to go. Slow and steady walking make it easy for motorbikes to go around you. No one drives faster than 25 or 30 miles per hour, most are slower, even on the double highway (something we might call the freeway). I loved it, especially how comfortable everyone is - and how patient. I think I said it before - this is the most patient society I have ever seen - we could learn something. If you want to see a video of daily traffic, click the photo - it is about a minute long, but it is amazing. No sound, just video.

Citizen science

2006-11-15T11:22:00.000-08:00

Educating the general population about conservation is a long and difficult process in countries like Vietnam. Programs like those started by Smithsonian Institute are effective in the United States - and many people express an interest. But in Vietnam, where the main concern has been survival, conservation has had few supporters.

If you would like to try a butterfly project, visit the Smithsonian Butterfly Watch website - or start a project of your own. By trying this you will get a better sense of what it takes to research butterflies - and educate yourself about conservation.

Water Puppet Show, Hanoi

2006-11-14T20:33:00.000-08:00

When we reach Hanoi we are taken to the Hanoi Water Puppet Show. Lien has purchased tickets for all of us in advance. The Water Puppet Show is a unique experience. I have never seen another performance like it.

Invented during the Ly Dynasty (1009-1225), the water puppet show is unique to Vietnam. Rice fields during growing season are submerged in water. At some point someone had the idea that the pools of water on the fields would be a great place for a show. The ponds and lakes of the northern plains, where crowds gathered during festivals, become the lively stages for the water puppet shows. Puppets are made of wood and coated with waterproof paint. Each puppet is handmade, has its own posture, and expresses a certain character.

The stage is beautiful. It stands in a small pool of water to represent the fields where it was born. Everything is handled with bamboo sticks beneath the water. Singers sit on the side and do all the spoken parts while traditional Vietnamese music plays. Performers hide behind the main curtain and manipulate the puppets, then come out for a bow at the end

Today the Puppet show is a reflection of the past. It shows stories of farmers, of religion and of folk stories. Music in the show is played and sung by a live traditional Vietnamese orchestra. Everything is in Vietnamese, but it is still wonderful.

Market Day

2006-11-14T20:25:00.000-08:00

We are heading back toward Hanoi. Many people in our group want to stop and get some things; we have run out of supplies, some people in our party have souvenirs to purchase, we all want to get some coffee.

The market is very crowded. It is difficult to walk in the crowd without breathing in someone's ear. I notice at one point that someone has grabbed me around the middle - a woman in the market. Apparently she wants to see just how affluent I am; my midsection is squeezed a bit - then let go. I suppose she has found out what she wanted to know. I am not insulted or even bothered. I know the culture is curious about foreigners, I can't blame them.

Sunrise, Sunset

2006-11-14T20:16:00.000-08:00

Did you ever notice how much lovelier the sunrise and sunset are in a place you are visiting? It seems our surroundings want to wish us 'good travels' and so offer us the best view of the skies. We couldn't ask for things to be lovelier this last day.

And so we must say goodbye to the butterflies, to Tam Dao and to our friends here at the MiMi Hotel. This is a simple reminder of how lovely our time here has been.

Final Meeting

2006-11-14T10:05:00.000-08:00

In our final official meeting with Lien was spent reviewing all the data. This is when he presented us with the conclusions and summaries of all we collected and observed.

Afterward he gave us each a gift - which was a huge surprise to all of us. One of the traditional forms of art here is called lacquer painting. I had seen it before but didn't really know what it was. It is a specialized art form of painting made from the sap of the lacquer tree.

The painting is done on wood. It is covered with a piece of cloth glued to it using the sap of the lacquer tree and then coated with a layer of the sap mixed with earth. The board is then sand papered and recoated with a layer of hot sap. After polishing, the smooth black surface shines with a brilliant luster.

This picture does not do justice to how lovely the picture really is - but hopefully you can get the idea. What you may not be able to see is that there is an inscription on the painting in the lower left hand corner - is says "Butterflies of Vietnam 2006." What a lovely gift.

Celebration

2006-11-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

(click each picture to see the movie and hear the song). To learn more about traditional Vietnamese music visit the Be Hat Dan Ca Website.

Our final evening at the MiMi Hotel was a huge celebration. The cooks made a feast then joined us for green tea and songs. Vietnamese people love music - folk music, traditional, rock-and-roll, Karaoke and American pop.

As we gathered after our meal to sing and listen, we were honored to have our hosts join us and share their music. They wanted us to share some, too, but since our culture is so mixed up, it was difficult for us to think of any folk or traditional songs that we all knew. Two people in our group are from the UK - we just didn't know all the same songs. But we tried. Pathetically.

The first song here is a traditional Vietnamese folk song, "Trống cơm," a tragic story of a boy and the "rice drum.' The second is an American pop song, "Seasons in the Sun" and it sounds so lovely in Vietnamese. If you want to see the words and hear the tune, click the song title. (a poor copy of the song with words can be heard here). Viet joins in for the final lines in English. Viet often uses American songs to teach English to his classes, so he knows the words to a lot of American style music. Do you recognize this song?

Indicator Species Tally

2006-11-14T08:39:00.000-08:00

This is a summary of the species used as forest indicators.
You can see from this summary that the species used to monitor forest health has declined signficantly over the last four years.

This is primarily do to forest destruction, not only from general population and uncontrolled logging, but also to road construction. Indicator species are more sensitive to forest health, which is why they are being monitored. There are four listed.

Transects

2006-11-14T08:28:00.000-08:00

In case you were wondering what all the transects were where we monitored the species, they are as follow:

--Transects 1, 2 and 3 are all along the new road. This is a very long new road and it leads up to the mountain, where we climbed to the top.
--Transect 4 (TR4) is the old road, very close to the edge of town. This runs all the way back to the chayote field.
--Transect 5 (TR5) is the road to the TV tower where we climbed all the steps.
--Transect 6 (TR6) is the bamboo forest. This is where the least species is always observed, because butterflies like open areas.

Summarizing the Research

2006-11-14T08:02:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, while we were out each day it is difficult to get a sense of the "bigger picture" concerning all the data involved. It is sometimes a little boring looking for, say, caterpillars. You just have to walk around turning over leaves until you see something, then when you do, you have to write it on the data sheet.

But now that all our information has been compiled it looks impressive and it means something. According to the data collected from this session, compared to previous ones, you can see that the number of overall species observed is higher as compared to this time last year.

These numbers reflect total individuals (not species) sighted in each transect. This chart demonstrates how the numbers are compiled in a spreadsheet.

New Discovery

2006-11-13T16:32:00.000-08:00

According to Lien's research, we identified a new Papilio caterpillar on Zanthoxylum avicennia (Rutaceae) for the first time. This long name is the name of a native plant in the Tam Dao area and in many other Indochina regions. He blends in very well with the foliage, don't you think?

Indicator Species

2006-11-13T10:58:00.000-08:00

The first photo here is one of the species that are sensitive to the forest health, and are not considered common to other areas of Vietnam. Its name is Ragadia Crisilda, the common name is Striped Ringlet. Notice how its colors and spots are prominent. The spots can be used as camouflage as the spots resemble eyes of other large insect or even small mammals.

The second photo is Neope Muirheadi. We have had a lot of success during the observation time of the project. We have observed a total of 83 species - actually more than this time last year.

The third photo pictured is Stichophthalm howqua, another indicator species.

Dr. Vu (Lien) presented his material for publication in the Biodiversity and Conservation journal - in it he describes the research and the transects involved in data collection. Two years have passed since this publication and much more data has been collected to support the theories Dr. Vu proposed in the project. You may view photos of Lien's butterflies on his website.

The four species specific as indicators for this study are
1. Ragadia crisilda (pictured)
2. Neope muirheadi (pictured)
3. Stichophthalm howqua (pictured)
4. Mycalesis misensus (NOT pictured)

Dong

2006-11-12T13:49:00.000-08:00

The monetary exchange confused me at first but I find that after a while I have gotten the hang of it. If I memorize that 50,000 dong (pronounced dohm) is approximately $6, I can get around town with little difficulty.

One US dollar is equivalent to 16,000 dong - pictured here. The easiest way to figure out how much something costs is to use a calculator - and multiply any US dollar amount by the number 16,000; that is close enough to the daily exchange rate, and they way most every vendor does it. My supper one day came to 135,000 - so how much do you think I spent? (divide that number by 16,000). A tour I took of the city cost me over a million dong! exactly 1,120,000 - what a shock that was, since I wasn't yet comfortable with the conversion. How much was my tour?

All the money has a picture of Ho Chi Minh, the beloved (and now deceased) leader of the country, who really was a pretty amazing person. Most citizens refer to him as "Uncle Ho," giving him an honored place in their memory as a revered ancestor.

50,000 dong is $3, an acceptable amount for a tip - or for a day's worth of Internet at the computer shack.

In ter net

2006-11-12T13:41:00.000-08:00

Vietnamese is a monosyllabic language - that means that every word they use only has one syllable - unlike ours. So when they say the word Internet - they say it as three words, each one with its own meaning.

This is the outside of the Internet shack where I spend so much of my time getting stuff online for you to view and read. The room where the computers are located is way in the back of this photo, behind the first building. There are 15 computers crammed into this one little room, and they each share the same dialup connection.

Internet gaming is popular, as I said in an earlier post. Empire is the most common game, but if I get to the computers before the end of the school day, or after supper it isn't so crowded. We have stayed quite late, and are often the last to leave, especially if we get there when students are there, making things much slower. It costs me an average of about $3 a day - if I stay 4 hours. Not too bad, and at least I can get stuff online. I do like staying connected....

Local entertainment

2006-11-06T10:48:00.000-08:00

Part of working on a project like this in another country is becoming familiar with other cultures. It is very important to understand the similarities and differences people have - we all have much to learn from one another. Music is one thing people of all cultures share.

Vietnamese people love music - not just popular music but traditional folk music. This young girl and her mother sang for us one evening - after we asked them about their folk music.

Traditional folk music is one way the people here remember the past - and remember its lessons. They believe that the past is given to improve the future - they prefer to look ahead toward things to come by remembering lessons of their ancestors.

To see a short video of the songs, choose one of the selections below:
1. Nhac Rung (Forest Music) - words to Nhạc Rừng
2. Cay dan sinh vien (Students' Guitar) - words to Cây Đàn Sinh Viên

Caterpillar search

2006-11-06T10:02:00.000-08:00

We have had several days of looking for caterpillars - it is difficult to find them, they hide under leaves and are camouflaged by their colors.

Some caterpillars we found were hairy - these are moth caterpillars. The hairs are used as a method of protection - the hairs are like tiny stingers and make a rash if you touch them.

Other caterpillars were smooth and very camouflaged, distinct characteristics of a butterfly caterpillar. When a caterpillar is found on a leaf it is probable that it is a food source as well as a home.

We did finally find a few - and some eggs, too. When eggs are found it is very exciting, because the scientist can see what the food plant is that the caterpillar larvae eat.

This batch of eggs was collected, along with some of the plant on which it was found. They will keep them until they hatch to determine the species, and make a notation in the research notes. The caterpillar and leaves were collected for the same reasons - to identify the butterfly it will produce.

Moths, not Butterflies

2006-11-06T08:34:00.000-08:00

Moths differ from butterflies in several ways. Most moths have feathery antennae. At rest, their wings are often folded flat across their backs. Their bodies tend to be plumper and sometimes look furry. Moths fly at night and during twilight hours. In general they are very short-lived, with some only lasting a few days.

We have come across a number of moths (to my pleasure) and been able to compare them. The one pictured here is my all time favorite. One of the scientists on this study actually loves moths - and collects them. He hadn't seen this one before and was terribly excited to find it.

Moths tend to be slightly larger than butterflies - and moth's colors aren't as bright. Moths may also be indicators of forest health but are not currently being studied as such.

This is a snapshot of a moth who joined us one evening in the internet hut - you can see the size compared to my hand. You can also see from these photos how the colors of moths are not as vibrant.

This last photo shows how a moth might mimic another insect in order to ward off predators - this one shows a moth that largely resembles a wasp or bee. Notice the transparency of the wings - pretty awesome, huh?

Peak view

2006-11-06T07:51:00.000-08:00

The three peaks of Tam Dao are Thien The, Thach Ban and Phu Nghia. We climbed the first peak - Thien The, which stands 1592 meters high (one meter = 3.281 feet). This is much taller than the television tower peak that we climbed a few days ago.

Granted, we did start out at 870 meters - but it was still a lot of work - especially because of how steep the climb was. We had no steps here, just a lot of rocks and bamboo - but we finally made it to the top.

Going down was another matter - and once again, more strenuous, I think because I was so tired - I had gotten so little sleep the night before. This photo doesn't do justice to how steep it was, but it does show that I was behind most everyone - and taking my time looking for stable footing. My guides were patient with me - I think.

The Bamboo Forest

2006-11-06T07:22:00.000-08:00

The bamboo forest is one of the six transects, and one that has the fewest butterfly populations. Butterflies are rarely seen under the canopy of the bamboo forest. Two separate days were spent in the forest looking for butterflies but the numbers we saw were low.

You can see from the first photo that there is little sunlight in the forest. Butterflies congregate more on the edges of the forest and in open areas. They do need nectar so look for flowers - which are not seen as much deep inside the dense bamboo.

Trekking in the bamboo forest is difficult and in this situation it is extra strenuous because of the steep grade. This day we climbed the first of the three peaks in Tam Dao, which is also the highest and covered in dense bamboo forest, which I came to be grateful for - it provided things to hang on to when the climbing got tough.

Good Evening, Vietnam

2006-11-05T17:08:00.000-08:00

The night sky is incredible in the north, away from the city. This week's night sky and moon have been very lovely. Lien took this photo - what a talent to capture the night sky on film!

If you want to see what the night sky looks like in different parts of the world, look at the NightSky website. There is no night-cam in Vietnam, the closest is in India, but it would be the same since the latittude is very close. The India star cam is the dark blue star on the map.

Local hospitality

2006-11-02T03:30:00.000-08:00

We pass a lot of the same village homes every day - and many of the people are curious. This day we stopped and said hello - and were greeted warmly. This lady is farming chayote (Sechium edule) - the most popular crop in this area because of the price it brings. Notice how the home is built on bamboo stilts in the back. Much of her crop is along some of the villa ruins I spoke of earlier. All the planting is done by hand - and with the use of simple bamboo shovels. Water is carried on bamboo rods and poured with a dipper.

We were served tea and then asked if we could take a photo of our hostess. At first she whined and said no, then agreed when we said we would be in it with her. This woman is 50 years old. The hard work she does and exposure to the sun makes her look a bit older.

Road Construction

2006-11-01T03:15:00.001-08:00

One of the main things that harms the forest and the butterfly population is the road construction in the area. Tam Dao is a bit remote - like most National Parks tend to be. People in Vietnam are always trying to find ways to make money and tourism is more popular now that it was in the past. Above Tam Dao Hill Station there are bamboo forests and evergreen deciduous forests - the sort of trees that don't lose their leaves in winter. The hills are what attract local tourists (mostly not international ones), so in order to increase popularity to tourists and give them better access to the mountains, new roads are being constructed. Notice the 'three peaks' of Tam Dao in the photo. You can see why tourists would want to come here - it is a lovely, peaceful place.

It takes a very long time to construct roads - so long that workers commit to a job for 2 years and live on site - in this type of housing. This is a residence for road workers - they have hose that siphons water from a mountain stream and runs to a large concrete barrel (in the front of the photo) where they get water to wash themselves and their clothing. It wasn't clear if they also drink this water but I wouldn't be surprised. Workers like these jobs because they are able to work for 31 days a month and make $100 a month - a good wage in Vietnam. They also gain skills like driving a front loader and back hoe, steam roller and other heavy machinery - which is not good for the forest or butterflies.

Butterfly defense

2006-11-01T03:00:00.000-08:00

Some butterflies and moths have a defense system where they are able to excrete a poisonous gel when a predator attacks. Natural predators of butterflies are wasps, spiders, lizards, birds - and of course man.

The gel is sort of a yellow goo. It is not too harmful to humans, it only burns a little, but to another insect or even a bird or lizard, it might be enough to ward them off without too much bodily damage. This is a moth. To see a movie of this, click the butterfly photo (the one with the goo).

Another form of defense is to protrude the genitals toward a predator - it has no harmful effect but instead serves as something that might frighten a predator because it would be unexpected. This is a male Euploea Mulciber trying to ward off the human hand by exploding its hind quarters.

One other method of warding off predators is mimicry. Both caterpillars and butterflies use mimicry - and they usually try to imitate mammals - such as snakes. This butterfly is called 'snake eyes' as a common name.

This caterpillar also uses mimicry to look like a snake. Notice that the large section that looks like a head is actually the lower portion of the body beneath the head. Its color also serves as a camouflage, like many insects and animals.

Photos by Alan Wright - fellow volunteer 2006

Monarchs

2006-11-01T02:27:00.000-08:00

One of the students in the VC 2nd grade asked me if there were Monarch butterflies. When I arrived I asked that question and was told that the Monarch was a butterfly rarely found. There are relatives of the Monarch seen more commonly, but not the one like in the U.S.

Today we saw several Monarchs on the transect we walked. These are very like the ones we find in the U.S.

There are over 300 species of butterflies in Vietnam - we have seen about 170. The ones used as indicators of forest health are only those that are found in the forests - not the common ones found throughout Vietnam.

Taking inventory

2006-11-01T02:19:00.000-08:00

Part of the daily routine of butterfly watching for this project is logging each sighting on a data sheet. This sheet lists all the species that have been seen on a particular transect in the past - and there are also blanks for ones that we need to add, which we do from time to time. We have had to write in several new species for a transect.

Today we walked transect 4. It had nine sections. For the entire transect we saw a total of 39 species and 189 individual butterflies.

Sometimes we need to look in our butterfly guide to determine the species - we are not using common names of butterflies - but Latin. Viet and Lien both know most of them but sometimes even they have to look.

When we begin a transect (a trail, defined by our research scientist) we first must log our name, the time, the temperature and humidity - both of which are read using a digital meter.

Straw hats and Chayote

2006-11-01T02:12:00.000-08:00

The cone hats that are associated with Vietnam are a multipurpose implement - they serve as hats, mainly for farmers (and mostly women, but some men do use them). The farmers use them for shelter from the sun, for a basket to carry things from the field, for a sieve (to scoop rice out of the water), to keep the head cool (the cone shape lets air in to the top of the head) and for sitting on when they are wearing nicer clothing - they lay them down, cone first then sit on the inside of the brim. They are made by hand and have pretty ribbons attached to the inside of the hat - the ribbons don't tie but are fitted according to the wearer so that it sits snuggly on the chin.

Chayote is grown only in the mountains, so this is a cash crop that can be sold all over Viet Nam - and it is in great demand. Chayote is grown on simple supports - a sort of raised fence that reminds me of grape vineyards - the vines live about 5 or 6 years and produce vegetables for about 8 months. Local people go to the bamboo forests nearby and cut bamboo to use as supports for the chayote. This is a multipurpose vegetable - the young, green shoots are sauteed with garlic (like green beans), the fruit is grated and sauteed - the meat is white, it is sort of like squash. It is high in protein and other nutrients, a nice addition to a diet that consists mainly of white rice.

The farmers work hard. Men and women both do the farming. The hills of Tam Dao are rocky and steep but they plant their chayote everyplace there is a small patch of ground. It is amazing that they can even get it to grow - it is so rocky that it looked like it was more rock than dirt. Then tend the fields daily, cutting young shoots and picking ripe fruit.

Lunch

2006-11-01T01:33:00.000-08:00

Lunchtime is amazing, actually every meal is. Our host hotel is run by a family that work together to prepare the meals. This is what a typical meal looks like - this was spring rolls, pork, white rice (the main staple food), chayote - a vegetable grown only in the mountain regions and today it is fixed 2 different ways; the stalks and leaves are sauted with garlic, and the fruit is grated and steamed with garlic and dill. This was lunch yesterday.

Today we had a soup made of green bananas and snails with tofu (tofu is used a lot), sauteed beef, white rice, cucumbers and tomato salad, white carp (fish), sticky rice with shredded pork (a special dish) and sauteed bean sprouts. There were even small birds (local stock) that are supposed to be eaten bones and all. Of course it tasted like chicken - what else. This is Viet, one of our guides, sampling the bird dish.
It might sound funny but it was really very good, and I ate a little of everything.
Lovely meals, and they always end a meal with small cups of green tea.

Internet café - Internet shack

2006-11-01T01:26:00.000-08:00

This is where we use the Internet in Tam Dao Hill Station. It is about a half mile from our hotel. Last year they only had 5 old computers, but now there are 15 computers, most of them very old (like 10 years) and some more recent, maybe 3 or so years old. The one I am using has USB - that is how I am getting my photos uploaded. It costs 20,000 dong - (pronounced dohm - about $1.50) for 2 hours of use. It is a dialup connection shared by all 15 computers - but it is Internet - and I am grateful to have it. When students get out of school late in the day it is a popular hang out - it is the only place in Tam Dao where there are computers - and these kids seem to really love Empire!

Telling them Apart

2006-11-01T01:06:00.000-08:00

Telling two butterfies apart can be difficult while in flight – so it was necessary to catch a few in our nets. Notice the similarities and differences in these two specimens.

One is a Ideopsis similis. The other is a Parantica melaleus. Same family, different species. There is no way we would have seen the single difference between the two if they had not been caught.

Can you see the difference?

Oh Pooh!

2006-11-01T00:58:00.000-08:00

Jen is my room mate and a High School teacher in Boston, the only other participant that was awarded a fellowship for this project. Jen is really funny – and sometimes a bit…well, ditzy. On our first day we were all walking along watching for butterflies while Jennifer was taking pictures. As she aimed her camera at a lovely lepidoptera, she said, “Oh, something smells really bad, I hope it isn’t me.” She stepped back, looked around, and yelled, “It is me! I stepped in a pile of dog pooh!”
I guess you just had to be there.

Catching Butterflies

2006-11-01T00:51:00.000-08:00

There is a special technique to catching a butterfly so that you do not injure it. You wait for the butterfly to land, and if he does, you swish toward it sideways, the flick the net over the hoop. It is not very easy – and if the butterfly doesn’t land, then it is even harder. Handling a butterfly also takes special skill. The safest way to do it is to not touch the wings, because it removes their scales, weaking them. Holding a butterfly gently on the thorax (head/upper body) is the only way to do it without causing damage, and the best way to get a good photograph, too.
The reason to catch a butterly is for identification. Because so many species are similar it is often necessary to catch one to see it up close. Since this was our first day out none of us felt very confident about the identification accuracy – so we let our PI confirm our judgements and he often corrected us, showing us the difference.

Going to Class

2006-11-01T00:42:00.000-08:00

The first day of our training session we sat as students, learning from our Project Investigator (PI) about the Tam Dao National Park region, its size, condition and issues, and the studying the butterflies can give them a quick indication of the imbalance in natural forest habitat. There is a lot to learn - and our PI knows quite a bit. The hardest part is learning about all the different species and how to identify them. I am recording the lecture on my laptop - that is why it is open on the table next to me.

Since there is no projector at the site, we all gathered around and looked at the screen on Lien's laptop - he had some great photos of butterflies we would meet - which we hope will help us identify them.

Facilities

2006-11-01T00:25:00.000-08:00

Facilities and conditions are very different in Vietnam. Western toilets are commonplace, not only for tourists but also for citizens. This is different from other Asian countries where the only toilets used are Asian style. Other things are a bit different - for instance – in Vietnam (and many other nations in Asia) it is not customary to use toilet paper when using the toilet. Can you guess what they do use instead? Of course, our hosts supplied what is customary for Americans, which makes things nice. There are just some things an American does not want to do without.

Third Floor View

2006-11-01T00:17:00.000-08:00

The Tam Dao Hotel is where we sleep and eat. The building is old and very quaint. I have a room on the 3rd floor (no elevator) which I share with another teacher. There are two beds that have hanging mosquito netting around them (which we do not use), decorated with Merry Christmas blankets and pillows – but no sheets (not sure what happened there) and an old wardrobe with double doors. Our room is charming, but the best part was the window – there is no glass or screen and only has wooden shutters (to keep out the bats-they only work if you close them I found out). The fresh air is magnificent – and I love the window because when I am finished with my tea I can just dump the leftover water and tea leaves out the window! Even good for spitting when brushing your teeth!! Nothing like living in Los Angeles!

Looking out our window I noticed a farmer collecting chayote - he also noticed me. One thing I do love about the people here is their warmth - in seeing me he didn't pretend he hadn't noticed, but waved and yelled "Chao" which is a generic "hello."

MiMi Hotel and the Tower

2006-11-01T00:15:00.000-08:00

This is the hotel where I am staying. It is on the edge of Tam Dao Hill Station, the town above Tam Dao Village. If you look closely at the photo you can see a television tower on a hill in the background - that is the tower where we climbed the 1200 steps. Somehow it looks much higher when you see it this way. This photo was taken from a trail above the village where we walk daily.

Tam Dao Hill Station Village

2006-11-01T00:12:00.000-08:00

Tam Dao was discovered by the French in the late 1800's. Because Viet Nam was under French rule, wealthy French officials looked for a place to escape the heat of the lower elevation areas - like Hanoi, which is the closest city.

The French built extravagant villas - over 100 of them. They ruled Viet Nam until 1945. The Vietnamese people were angry at the French because they had been very cruel, so began destroying the villas. When officials in Hanoi heard of it they sent word for the people to stop the destruction, but there were no telephones, no scooters and no way of getting the information to the mountains. As a result there are many ruins of French villas in Tam Dao.

Today the local people reuse the old ruins, they plant chayote on the terraces and build fences with much of the stone. This picture shows a small sample of the ruins - the walls were 12 inches thick, stone steps led up every hillside. Stone arches decorated each entry. It must have been an amazing place. Other ruins still exist farther north in Viet Nam, only in Tam Dao were the villas completely destroyed.

Today life in Tam Dao is nothing like it is in the U.S. anywhere, and is also very different from life in Hanoi. The people here have even less than city dwellers – small shanties that are constructed out of whatever material can be found. Yet they also have some of the modern conveniences – like TV (local free stations), motorbikes (instead of cars) and cellphonaces. Life here is simple but cell phones motor bikes are a must. Oh yes, and karaoke.

The city is located in the mountains - Tam Dao acutally means three peaks. This is a view of the village of Tam Dao from above - me and Viet, our guide. We have just finished a transect and logging butterfly sightings for the day, and were taking a short rest.

City Life - Hanoi

2006-11-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Driving to Tam Dao took about 2 1/2 hours. We left the city of Hanoi and drove north. Tam Dao is only about 50 miles from Hanoi but because of the poor road conditions (not just potholes but motorbikes and bicycles on the highway) everyone drives less than 30 miles per hour; there really is no other choice. This is a typical city street, full of motorbikes and other assorted moving things. Although it is not visible in this photo, there are also many cars, SUVs and delivery trucks sharing this same space. Very hectic. But the most striking thing about this situation is the level of tolerance to this sort of thing – they simply don’t mind. They know there are a lot of people and everyone has to get somewhere. No one drives fast, and many many people cross the street right in the middle of it all – no traffic lights or crossing lanes. People just go around. Horns blow constantly– but only to tell other traffic that you are coming from behind or crossing an intersection. No one calls one another names, makes faces or uses obscene hand signals. They are very patient. This is just the way of life.

What is the forecast?

2006-10-27T16:51:00.000-07:00

One of the things I find challenging as a U.S. citizen is, of course, the temperature conversion. The United States is apparently the only country that uses Fahrenheit for temperature, the rest of the world prefers Celsius, which is a system that really makes more sense. But growing up in the U.S. I don't think in Celsius. So I have to think hard to figure out what the temperature is, or what the weather report says it will be on a given day.

You decide. Which formula is easier for you - I have my favorite but each person is different. Both work. Either way, if I want to know without asking, I have to use one of these. Remember, I have no Internet when I am in the forest, or even at the research station, so I can't just run to my computer and look it up. Try them both - then try them without pencil and paper.

1st Method: To convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, you must multiply the current temperature by 9, divide that number by 5, and add 32. Ex. We have a current temperature of 35 degrees Celsius. Multiplied by 9 it equals 315, divided b y 5 equals 63, and add 32, which equals 95 degrees Fahrenheit

2nd Method: Another alternative to the above temperature conversion is to follow this sequence:
1) Double the number 2) Deduct 10% and 3) Add 32 to get the Fahrenheit figure. Ex. We have a current temperature of 35 degrees Celsius. Double it which equals 70, deduct 10% (7) equaling 63, and add 32, which equals 95 degrees Fahrenheit

Post your replies here and later I will post one that tells you which method my mind can do with NO pencil and paper.

Folk Art - Made by Hand

2006-10-26T05:58:00.000-07:00

My first full day in Vietnam was in the city of Hanoi - and although I liked seeing all the city sights, I enjoyed most visiting a local embroidery school. The school teaches students to paint with string, by sewing the threads onto the fabric. Students take a photograph or painting, sketch it, then begin stitching. The photos shows the skeins of thread and a girl sewing her lovely work.

Losing a day

2006-10-25T06:29:00.000-07:00

The one thing I didn't calculate in planning my trip was crossing the International Date line. I don't know why I didn't think of it, I had crossed it before when I went to New Zealand, but somehow that little fact escaped me this time.

The International Date line is the imaginary line on the globe that separates two consecutive calendar days. On one side of the line it is one day, and when you cross it, the day immediately becomes the next.

So, I got in the plane in Los Angeles on Monday, October 23, and 17 hours later I arrived in Hanoi, on Wednesday, October 25! Tuesday just sort of fell off the calendar for me. I won't ever get that particular day back again. Bizarre!!

Classroom Intro

2006-10-21T19:55:00.000-07:00

This was the first official day of the project - when I talked with 2nd and 6th grade students about how to use the blog, how to ask questions and how I will communicate with them while in Vietnam. I brought the satellite phone and compared it to a regular cell phone. Then we did a test run using Skype - the program we will use when I call the classroom. They were able to see how it will work - how we will talk to one another.

Introduction Audio

2006-10-05T16:01:00.000-07:00

--------> To see daily audio posts, use this link

About Vietnam

2006-10-01T15:12:00.000-07:00

Vietnam is a tiny country in Asia, east of India and directly south of China. In fact, for many years, Vietnam was controlled by China until the 19th Century (1887), when it became a colony of France known as French Indochina.

At the end of World War II Vietnam declared its independence. France was not too happy about this and continued to struggle for control of the country until 1954, when Ho Chi Minh's forces defeated the French army.

Vietnam is only 16º00´ north of the equator (see map). That means it is quite hot in most of the country - hot and humid. Temperatures in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon - in the far south). For instance, on August 18, 2006, the temperature was 28º Celsius (convert to Fahrenheit here) and the humidity was 84%. That isn't really horrible - nor is it much different than the U.S. south or the midwest.

Time is also something to consider. Vietnam is in the timezone UTC+7 (also known as GMT+7) - that is a complicated way of saying that Vietnam is seven hours ahead of the Greenwich Mean Time. They have no daylight savings time.

In simpler terms, when it is 4:30 PM in California, it is 6:30 AM in Vietnam. And when it is 7:30 PM in New York, it is 6:30 AM in Vietnam.

Vietnam is smaller than California and slightly larger than New Mexico. Compare the size of California to the size of Vietnam - which is 128,000 square miles.
Map courtesy of WorldAtlas.com
--------> See more about the language and the culture of Vietnam