The ‘dark earth horizon’ and onions: Manaus Day 4 a team forged by the heat of the sun

Posted on 23 April 2015 by Pete

Wake up call at 6.00 am and everyone has tasks to do before we hit the road. The idea is to beat the Manaus rush hour at 7.00am – it makes sense to work early when the heat is not that oppressive, but it makes for very sleepy people trying to remember what they need
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‘Earthwormers Assemble’: Day 3 Manaus – into the forest.

Posted on 22 April 2015 by Pete

So, early start with a 8 am briefing by George – 14 Earthwormers joined by experts in ants, termites, soil microbiology and a terra preta archeologist. Coordination in the field is everything, and the amount of work and tough conditions mean these 18 people have to work together like a well oiled machine…… So you
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Preparations for Jungle – ‘Hazardous Environment Training’ and big needles

Posted on 4 March 2015 by Pete

Preparations for Jungle – ‘Hazardous Environment Training’ and big needles Having been born and living most of my formative years in Africa I know that it’s the noise that greats you in the Jungle far before the sights and smells assail your senses. Lying in bed this morning listening to the garbage truck I new
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The Great Amazon Adventure Starts: Hook a Worm to Catch a Man

Posted on 2 March 2015 by Pete

Great ideas are what drives science forward and finding those great ideas is like finding a seam of gold, it takes perseverance, skill but more than a little bit of luck. Less than a year ago I decided to send my post-doc, Luis Cunha, who had brought the team ‘Stress in a Hot Place’ a
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Thanks for all the ‘worms’

Posted on 31 January 2015 by Pete

I have tried to document our field work in the Azores in an attempt to give people an insight into what it is like to do field science, explain a little of the reason why we do our research and also to give to show off one of the most beautiful and pristine series of
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Pico to Terceira: A new population of ‘volcanic’ worms

Posted on 29 January 2015 by Pete

So a few hours to kill – before our 20 minute flight to Terceira. This staggered return was initially a necessity of flight connections than a planned excursion but thanks to some great connections made by Archepeliogo Choice we had arranged to sample in Terceira. So with all our samples packed up we had an
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Discover the volcanic ‘edge’ of Pico

Posted on 28 January 2015 by Pete

Well with the major sample completion complete it was time to see thank the ‘boss’ and find out a little bit more about the Island. Pico is a world heritage site and much of the island is a national park and it is only with the permission of the Parks’s director, Manuel Paulino Costa, that
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Bagging and Tagging

Posted on 27 January 2015 by Pete

The field work is great but you must always remember that you almost need an equal time to bag and tag your samples than it takes to collect them. Luis had made a great start but the next morning there was still another 7 sites to process. Now this is when you find out what
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Four earthworm hunters go up a mountain

Posted on 26 January 2015 by Pete

Well the morning of a major field expedition is always special – especially as you get to help yourself to buffet breakfast without any guilt as you know you will need the calories. Serious, up at 6 am to try and get a few emails dealt with before big breakfast to put us all on
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