30 Days

Today gave me a new outlook at what we will be facing in the Amazon during our stay there. The processing of each sample will be time consuming, but it is the most important step, as it will make or break our efforts in the forest. Doing all of the work in the lab gave me a deep appreciation for having a real lab bench to work at, I know it will not be the same in the middle of the Peruvian wilderness. We also have to be prepared for the unexpected, not even our AA batteries are guaranteed to work, as in the lab we had a mini-explosion and leaking battery acid all over our lab bench. But at the end of the day, our research depends on two things, the weather and our ability to locate the once-flourishing but now scarse Hevea (Rubber Tree). If it rains, we cannot collect samples, since the rain will only amplify our contamination. Worse comes to worst, we'll have to do another trip in the winter!