Foreword

"Lake Como, it seems to me, touches on the limit of permissibly picturesque, but Atitlán is Como with additional embellishments of several immense volcanoes. It really is too much of a good thing." Aldous Huxley

Aldous was right when he said this. There is no doubt, Atitlan is beatiful. And it’s nice to be able to appreciate it’s beauty. But that isn’t all we’ve got to see. There is a natural value on lake Atitlan that is as intrinsec to it’s beauty as the gorgeous colors of a butterfly are needed for it’s species to survive.

Understanding the synchronies of our planet – in which as knowledgeable beings we are, we are to play a vital role – is a privilege. What a joy!

Yet, the path of knowledge isn’t always a straight-forward path. “If we can see far into the horizon, it’s because we walk over the shoulders of giants” – Bernard de Chatres. Each true member of the science community has granted us his’ or her’s legacy. We may talk of a knowledge-base legacy in some cases, while in other cases we might be talking of tools.

Tools, previous developed tools, can lead us to be more precise and efficient on our distinct projects and works. In that sense, this is an effort to provide a framework where any limnologist can record it’s data and analyze patterns and simils with other works around the world. Cor Lacus is being born.

Gratitude

I'ts been a week since we came back to Guatemala, a full week with all the duties that it can represent at home, at the university, at the office and some other personal ones. Despite that fact, the emotional influence of those days at the lake, endures. And it most endure, not only through a first week or a month. This scientific expedition can be a true benchmark in one's professional life.

Gratitude is the title of my post because I think that was the general feeling amongst the students. It's always encouraging to see people work for what you love, like Lake Atitlan. But how often do you get to live with a team built from three different universities for 2 weeks? When you get an idea of the magnitude of the event, you can only be grateful.

I'll be posting more in the days to come, briefing my days with Ati. Just wanted to start by saying Thank you.

VIDEOS 2012 & 2010

Here it's a video from the 2012 expedition made by Rana Braeuner & Isa Arriola.
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Aquí está un vídeo de la expedición 2012 hecho por Rana Braeuner e Isa Arriola.



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...And here it's a video from the 2010 expedition made by Hugo Villavicencio.
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...Y aquí está un vídeo de la expedición del 2010 hecho por Hugo Villavicencio.

The 2012 Expedition its over... Now there's a lot to do! --- Hugo Villavicencio

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(Descripción en español al final)

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This May 13^th the 2012 Atitlan Scientific Expedition came to its end. I think that for the new generation, both for foreign scientists who had not come before, as for national students, it’s been a unique and very exciting experience. This time, however, I had a different feeling from that of 2010. This time my feeling is satisfaction that everything went very well and that I was able to work again with many friends I met in 2010. I don’t feel sad this time, as probably the new generation feels. The reason, well, I’m confident that we will continue working together, both in Guatemala and the U.S. or Czech Republic, as we have done since 2010. Sudeep Chandra, one of the leaders of the expedition, once said: "Goodbyes are overrated". And he was right. After the first scientific expedition, I`ve worked with them in June, August, December, I saw them in February 2011, and worked with many of them again at the Castle Lake limnological station in California. This will continue, and gradually, we will ensure the future of Lake Atitlan, and many of Guatemala’s inland waters.

As a sports fan, when choosing someone, I think of it in sports terms ... So in this 2012 season, I’m happy about the 'signings' I made. I felt like Phil Jackson or Guardiola when suggesting them ... LOL. The key is to look for people who have ability and are excited by the subjects of these investigations, who are also willing to work and are not negative or problematic people. The latter is critical for the team’s harmony to be maintained. It is not enough just to know a lot when working on these projects. Personally, I recommended Rana and Isa, my university colleagues, who meet the above key conditions. Both were very helpful to this project. They like fish and aquatic invertebrates, which they identified and counted by hundreds. Isa helped to deploy bioessays when the lake was choppy, thanks to her pentathlon skills, she had no problems while doing so. Rana contributed greatly to its chemical analysis. In general, the new generation worked very well. And of course, the foreign team was great as usual. None of them were arrogant despite their scientific level, they all remained positive, and were always willing to answer and explain in detail any of the questions we had.

I want to mention again that this expedition was more efficient than the one in 2010. We achieved more with the same effort, and achieved all the goals we had. There was even time for personal projects that were presented by students at the end. But of course, the past experience was the key in all this, so everything was more focused now, everyone was aware of the potential problems and the new generation had a week of training before going to the field.

What I liked more about this expedition, from my perspective as a TA - Teacher Assistant, was to be in a unique situation, a intermediate between students and foreign scientists. I remembered how I felt in 2010 when helping the new students. This time, the pressure of foreign scientists extended to me. I had to do many unscientific work so investigations worked well; eg blacksmith, purchase of materials, preparation and solicitation for ships and boats, to contact many people and make sure that the limnological equipment worked well. The latter included reading guides to calibrate the new physicochemical parameters readers, repair and / or improve various mechanical pieces and also check my photos and information from past expeditions to properly place and secure the pulley systems for sampling. The good thing about Guatemala is that blacksmiths are very skillful and charge cheap prices. This facilitated the development of key tools to take samples from 315 m deep with a drill. Otherwise they would have been done manually, which is not only very tiring, but slow, and as of lake Atitlan where Xocomil hits hard at midday, makes work almost impossible due to the strings moving and generating an unwanted non-vertical angle. All the limnological equipment; from the simple secchi disk to the Eckman traps and the YSI; are very tricky and if a small piece of metal as of 5 cm fails, it can mean a mediocre or lost workday, which translates into wasted money. The strong wind blowing in Atitlán makes everything into a greater challenge and a race against time. In this expedition I was in charge of monitoring the big boat, and I did it 'like a boss' LOL.

Finally, I want to thank our financers, the scientists (foreign and guatemalan) that worked and put their energy and time in our lake, and everyone who’s willing to support the conservation of Atitlán.

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Este domingo 13 de Mayo finalizó la expedición científica de Atitlán 2012. Puedo afirmar que para la nueva generación presente, tanto de científicos extranjeros que no habían venido, como de estudiantes nacionales, ha sido una experiencia única y bastante emocionante. En esta ocasión tuve un sentimiento diferente al del 2010. Esta vez el sentimiento es de satisfacción de que todo resultó muy bien y de poder haber trabajado y convivido de nuevo con varios amigos que hice en las expediciones pasadas. No siento tristeza al despedirme como en el 2010. Esto es porque tengo la confianza en que seguiremos trabajando juntos, tanto en Guatemala como en EEUU o bien República Checa, como lo hemos hecho desde que esto inicio.  Sudeep Chandra, uno de los líderes de la Expedición dijo una vez: “Goodbyes are overrated” (las despedidas están sobreestimadas). Y ha tenido razón. Luego de la Expedición de Abril de 2010 trabajé con ellos en Junio, Agosto, Diciembre, los vi en Febrero de 2011, y volví a trabajar con ellos en la estación de Castle Lake, California. Esto continuará, y poco a poco se asegurará el futuro del Lago de Atitlán, y de los cuerpos de agua continentales del país.

Como fanático de los deportes, al momento de seleccionar a alguien lo pienso en términos deportivos… Así que en esta temporada 2012, tengo que aceptar que estoy contento por los ‘fichajes’ realizados. Me sentí como Phil Jackson o Guardiola al momento de sugerirlos… JAJA. La clave es buscar a gente que tenga habilidad y se emocione por los temas de estas investigaciones, que esté dispuesta a trabajar y que no sean personas negativas o problemáticas. Esto último es crítico para que la armonía del equipo se mantenga. No es suficiente el solo saber mucho del tema al momento de trabajar en estos proyectos.  En lo personal, recomendé a Rana e Isa, colegas de mi universidad, quienes cumplen lo mencionado, y ambas fueron de gran ayuda al proyecto. A las 2 les gustan los peces e invertebrados acuáticos, los cuales identificaron y contaron por cientos. Isa ayudó a colocar y retirar bioensayos cuando al lago estaba picado, gracias a sus habilidades de pentatlón no tuvo problemas. Rana contribuyó bastante al análisis químico del mismo.  En general, el resto de estudiantes de la nueva generación convocados trabajaron muy bien.  Y por supuesto, el equipo de extranjeros también tenía las características que mencioné. Ninguno de ellos fue prepotente a pesar de sus títulos y nivel científico. Ellos siempre se mantenían positivos y estaban dispuestos a responder y explicar a detalle cualquier duda que tuviésemos.

Vuelvo a mencionar que esta expedición fue más eficiente que la del 2010. Se logró más con el mismo esfuerzo y se alcanzaron todas las metas establecidas. Incluso hubo tiempo para proyectos personales y que fueran presentados por los estudiantes. Claro, la experiencia pasada fue clave en todo esto, de manera que ahora todo iba más enfocado, se tenía conocimiento de los posibles problemas y la nueva generación tuvo una semana de capacitación teórica antes de ir al campo.

Entre lo que más me gustó de esta expedición, desde mi punto de vista como T.A – Teacher Assistant o auxiliar, fue el estar en una situación única; intermedia entre los estudiantes y los científicos extranjeros. Me recordé de cuando esto inició en el 2010 al ayudar a la nueva generación. Al mismo tiempo, la presión de los científicos extranjeros se extendía a mí y tenía que hacer bastante trabajo no científico para que las investigaciones funcionaran; ej: herrería, compra de materiales, preparar y solicitar los barcos y lanchas, contactar a xyz personas y velar por el equipo de muestreo y su buen funcionamiento. Esto último incluía leer guías para calibrar los nuevos lectores de parámetros fisicoquímicos, reparar y/o mejorar varias piezas y al mismo tiempo chequear mis fotos e información de expediciones pasadas para poder colocar de forma correcta y segura los sistemas de poleas para el muestreo. Lo bueno en Guatemala, es que los herreros son muy ingeniosos y cobran barato sus servicios. Esto facilitó la creación de herramientas clave para poder sacar las muestras de más de 315 m de profundidad con un taladro. De lo contrario se tendría que haber hecho manualmente, lo cual no solo es muy cansado, sino tardado, y en un lago como Atitlán donde el Xocomil golpea fuerte al medio día, hace que el trabajo sea casi imposible al mover las cuerdas y generar un ángulo no vertical indeseado. Todo el equipo limnológico, desde el más simple como el disco secchi, hasta las trampas Eckman y el YSI conllevan mucho tecnicismo y el que no funcione una pequeña pieza de metal de 5 cm puede significar un día de trabajo perdido o mediocre que se traduce a dinero malgastado. Y el viento fuerte en Atitlán hace todo un desafío mayor y una carrera contra el tiempo.  Estuve a cargo del monitoreo en el barco grande, y lo hice ‘like a boss’ JAJA.

Finalmente quiero agradecer a quienes financiaron todo esto, a los científicos (nacionales y extranjeros) que se interesan y dedican su energía y tiempo en trabajar en nuestro lago y a todo aquel que aprecia nuestro Atitlán y está en pro de su mejora y conservación.

We are a big family :)

Well yesterday i returned to my home and i have many memories about this three weeks because we work together for lake Atitlán. All the lessons, experiences, laughs, efforts ans hugs at the end means so much for me! I just want to say thanks guys for everythingwas done here, all expedition was incredible!
But the most important thing is: I understood better the situation of the lake and we have to do many things to preserve it because is wonderful and has a natura beauty!
Now we have the bases to star working and do it with such enthusiams and energy as you :)
I have to say yesterday it was very difficult say "bye" or "i hope see you again" in such a short time, is truth but each person has a space in my heart! We are a big family for Lake Atitlán!
So, this is just the beginnning..

A big family

We are a incredible group!

-Luisa Donis-

HASTA LUEGO JOVENES INVESTIGADORES

Bueno.. Ayer termino la expedición científica a el lago Atitlan.. En lo personal estoy muy agradecido con todos mis compañeros que fueron mi familia por dos semanas, y por supuesto a mis profesores que dedicaron su tiempo para explicarme cosas nuevas que no sabía. Estoy escribiendo estas líneas en el comedor de mi casa, pero aun llevo conmigo el humor de la expedición, la risa de cada uno, las frases y apodos de cada uno. Mi apodo “Reciclaje”.. el mejor apodo que me  han puesto (me identifico con el apodo ), jajajaja… pero todo estuvo muy divertido… Quiero aprovechar para felicitar a cada uno de mis compañeros por las excelentes exposiciones que dieron, resultado de su proyecto de investigación, cada uno aporto algo especial, dio su toque y expuso de la mejor manera. Ojala nos volvamos a ver y compartir un poco de nuestras vidas. Gracias por dejarme esta experiencia inolvidable, pues cada uno marco un pedacito de mi vida. Gracias expedición, Todos Unidos por un Lago Atitlan Vivo!!! Pilas mucha

Ricardo Molina

Back into reality

It was sad to return to the city after three weeks of such a intense and interesting training with such a great group. I think we all learned a lot from each other and specially from all the investigators! I think we all felt very honored to be part of the expedition and personally it has been one of the best experiences i´ve ever had. It was amazing how all the group worked together and how everyone helped in all the tasks even if it was optional. Another thing that I liked is how in such a short time we got to know and like each other, at the end it was like a big family.

Having said all this I think it is very inspiring for me to have participated in such a big proyect that certainly will influence the way many people see the lake and its problematic. Personally i´m planning to take more interest in the lake and to encourage other people to care more about it so we can do something together to save it. I hope this program is going to be continued because it really influences the chances the lakes in Guatemala have to be studied and managed properly.

Isabel Herrarte

Gerson Ochaeta

La suma de lo Aprendido

Un día después de regresar a casa y finalizar esta gran experiencia de mi vida, no queda mas que agradecer a las instituciones organizadores y financistas de este evento, la presentación de los proyectos fue todo un éxito, me regreso contento con muchas ideas en la mente y proyectos por realizar en mi querido lago. Petén Itzá.

Gracias por todo el apoyo para la realización de nuestro bio ensayo, en especial a Lidia Tanaka, Alecia Brantley y Sudeep Chandra.

Dentro de las cosas interesantes que encontramos fue que la comunidad de fitoplancton en el epilimnio esta siendo limitada (en su crecimiento) por los nutrientes N y P (co-limitación) mientras que en el metalimnio la el nutriente limitante es el N. Por su parte los tratamientos que mas potencializaron el crecimiento del fitoplancton fueron las aguas residuales en el metalimnio, probablemente con altos niveles de N y el maizal (corn field) en el epilimnio muy probablemente debido a grandes cantidades de N y P que posee el suelo debido a los agroquimicos que se le agregan por los agricultores. En el segundo ensayo se obtuvo que las bacterias heterotroficas no son limitadas por ninguno de los macronutrientes, ya que no presentaron cambios en relación con el control, mientras que en los tratamientos que tenian una alta concentración de materia organica el crecimiento se incremento, de lo que podemos decir que la materia orgánica u algun micronutriente es el que limita el crecimiento de la comunidad de bacterias heterotroficas en el lago de Atitlan.

Por último les dejo una panorámica del Lago Petén Itzá, para que algún día lo puedan visitar.

"I´m not leaving!" (E.R.)

When I asked: where are you going now? She said: I´m not leaving!

By Doris Vega

This simple but accurate phrase made ​​me think about the stay in Panajachel. Near the lake, without being able to see it every day, but being in love all the time of his wonderful beauty.


Is it over? The real action, the source of knowledge and social commitment began today. I'm back in my home near my family, with a darker sky, with a different atmosphere. But the needs of our country are still latent.

This will be a different week, surrounded by countless activities, work, family, academy, etc.  The real challenge is to assume the commitment, to continue the work, devotion and gratitude even when we don´t be on board the Tel'Aviv or near the lake.

For that reason I want to do a retrospective of  the learning developed in this expedition, 13 days of exciting adventures, cultural fusions and bilingual dialectiques.

Language is limited to express the deep gratitude and happiness of my COR LACUS!

Thanks everybody for giving me the most awesome experience of my life.

Thankfulness (By Alberto Franco)

Hi everybody! We're glad you're interested to know more about how the Scientific Expedition Atitlán 2012 experience has been for each participant. I'm sure each person will be able to enrich the details of this wonderful time, full science, laughter, hugs, hard work and friends. Keep close to this blog because I'm sure that as this experience is being digested by each individual at it's own time, you may read comments that bring to surface the greatest emotions and that show the final impressions for the last two weeks at the Lake.

The great presentations from yesterday are a great proof that this project has a multidisciplinary approach for our overwhelmingly beautiful Lake Atitlán and the problematic it is currently facing. I believe that at one point on this expedition, every participant was able to feel within how the Lake is quietly sobbing and trying to help us work towards making it healthy again. This is a feeling that glued all of us into an experimental, analyzing, questioning and creative state that shall last very much longer than the two weeks spent at Panajachel. 

It is like if seeds were planted to save Lake Atitlan. Seeds for plants that will produce concise actions and that will help us take better decisions when it comes to define how the environmental management at the Atitlán  Watershed should and will be. These seeds have been gently planted by all of the investigators and assistants, which I'm honored to have met. You have all been wonderful and have shown such a commitment and energy level for this project, that all students wanted was to do our very best every time, everywhere.

I'm sure I talk in behalf of every participant when I say that we're grateful to every person and institution that made this unique experience possible. It is definitely life changing and fills our hearts with hope balanced with scientific facts that lead to clarity and effectiveness. Not to mention the new friends we've made. 

And its amazing how every time I start identifying all of my feelings on this experience, and as I go deeper and deeper, every time I realize that thankfulness is what resonates in my heart.

The end is only the beginning (By Rana Braeuner)

The expedition is over and I'm back in the city at home...it's sad =(...I miss everyone already! I could be counting invertebrates right now...hahaha =)

This has been one of the best experiences of my life so far and I'm amazed with how much we learned in this 19 days!!! Meeting all of you and having this experience reminded me why I'm here and why I decided to study biology in the first place, I also have this new feeling now of joy and satisfaction, like everything's possible, and it all just depends on each one of us taking the right choices and making the right moves =).

Thank you all =)

Here's the link to de video Isabel A. and I made for you yesterday after the presentations, I don't know why I couldn't upload it directly to the blog so I uploaded it to youtube and here it is =)!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rxA2dLiPC8&feature=youtu.be 

Also if someone wants to look up the songs in the video they're:

"Guatemaya" by Barrio Candela

"Verde, Amarillo y Rojo" by Gondwana

"Vibra positiva" by Zona Ganjah

I hope now we can all keep in touch, organize more projects and work together and keep on feeding this new friendships =)!!!!!!!

I wanted to share an anecdote of two nights ago...maybe some of you so us (Annie, Isa H., Luisa and I) having a laugh attack while you were all stressed out about your projects and presentations =p...well, maybe it's not THAT funny, it's a "you had to be there" moment, but I'll say it anyway maybe you do laugh =) hahaha. Annie was explaining to us how to make the density calculations for the invertebrates and, since in some sites we took two samples with dredges of different volumes, we had to use a conversion factor to use the data as just one site...Annie couldn't remember the exact number of the conversion factor so she asked me to google it and put her name, since it was of a paper she and Sudeep published. We found her paper online and when I clicked "download pdf" it turned out that it's not free, so we just started laughing because Isa told Annie she had tu buy her own paper...:p of course she didn't do it, but I don't know why it was hilarious at the time!!! n_n

Reflexiones....






Mi breve visita a Guate estuvo cargada de emociones, y cada dia que pasa, mantengo presente la imagen del lago bajo esa bruma que nos acompañó durante la primera semana de actividades.  Imagino que los estudiantes estarán trabajando arduamente estos últimos días de la Expedición.  No dudo que harán un excelente trabajo y todos darán lo mejor de sí en la presentación final de sus proyectos. 


Gocé mucho la salidas al campo con el grupo de cuencas y también la visita que se hizo en San Lucas Tolimán.  La metodología que aplicamos en esta actividad de diálogo comunitario se denomina consulta o análisis apreciativo (appreciative inquiry).   La intención de esta actividad era promover un diálogo participativo de los diferentes sectores de la comunidad y también se consideró el factor transgeneracional.   Fue muy intersante ver la interacción entre los alumnos de secundaria, maestros, líderes comunitarios, médicos y otros asistentes.   En particular, me llamó mucho la atención ver cómo los estudiantes ofrecían sin timidez sus comentarios y sugerencias respecto a ideas de cómo contribuir a mejorar la situación en el lago y la cuenca.   Hubo muy buenas ideas y los participantes concordaron en muchos aspectos.  Creo que fue una actividad muy enriquecedora para todos y esto nos permitió un compartir muy balanceado.  En mi grupo todos fueron muy respetuosos y estuvieron dispuestos a escuchar a los demás; seguramente fue el mismo caso en otros grupos.  Fue una experiencia muy agradable y me llenó de esperanza.


Gracias nuevamente por la cena de despedida del sábado pasado!  Fue una sorpresa innolvidable y cargada de detalles.  A todos, muchas gracias por el tiempo que compartimos y la linda experiencia de este año.  Sigan adelante con sus iniciativas y profesionalismo.  Espero que surjan muchas ideas de colaboración y que nuestros caminos se crucen de nuevo y muy pronto.


Exitos en las presentaciones y a gozar los últimos días !!! 
Saquenle el mayor provecho a su tiempo, unidos por el Lago Atitlan !!!


- Nancy Giron

Long Nights



Stephanie Castle
UC Davis
Graduate Group of Ecology 

We are coming to the end of our time here in Guatemala. We have packed SO MUCH science into the last three weeks. In addition to daily workshops/trainings in limnology, phytoplankton ecology, zooplankton, chemistry, and wetland ecology, the students have also been working in groups on one of seven research projects. Today, the students are compiling and analyzing their data, and I have to tell you, they are such hard workers. Normally, you would have months to put together a research project, months to analyze data and to formulate a meaningful synthesis or results, and  months to prepare a professional presentation for your scientific peers. These students have had just short of two weeks! They may be up for a very long night of working on their presentations, but I can't wait for our conference tomorrow. Our students are so smart, so hardworking, so invested in this opportunity, I just know they will blow us away tomorrow!

Last days at Pana!!!!! :(

This week has been amazing.!!!! On monday we had our free day.... First, we (students) went to a museum in one of the hotels here in Panajachel. It was a really amazing museum, because first there was an exposition of all the Mayan artifacts and sculptures. When we were there, we realize thant some of this vessels had a cross. So we were wondering, that all this sculptures were done after the Conquest time, so they shouldn't, because Christianism came with the Spaniards. But then, they told us, that Mayan people used the cross to symbolize the 4 cardinals points!!!!... Then, in the same museum, was a lounge with all the diving process to explore submerse cities and Mayan monuments. That was really amazing, because they have really great pictures!!!!....
After visiting the museum, we went to this main street in Panajachel, called "Santander", and then we went to take lunch at a famous pizza restaurant: "Circus Bar". We had great time there, just relaxing ourselves and having fun!!!!!....
On tuesday, was the rotating day, so my group and I went to wetlands with Eliska and Stephanie.By the way, my training group is Alberto, Estuardo and I. We went in the boat, to San Lucas, to visit some pilas were women here go to wash their clothes.

After that, we went to "Isla de los Gatos", and we saw a really amazing ecosystem. There were like three o four different species of macrophytes... but I think, images can say more than words!!!!

To finish our day, we went to visit "Jim's house" where he is using macrophytes for horse's food!!!!

This will be a really great week... it's the last one, but we will be working hard in our projects and enjoying our last days here!!!!! ;)



Leaving Atitlan…

As a child I always resisted going to bed and waking up in the morning.  Something about the transition between those realities or different states of being felt so destabilizing, traumatizing…  I still experience those sensations as an adult, but have come to appreciate the way they keep me on the edge, ground me in the moment, and open up possibilities.  Transition and change are always occurring; it is the illusion of stasis that creates the trauma, inviting attachment, habituation, entrenchment…  At least this is what I kept telling myself on my bus ride to the airport, opened up and raw as I watched an inspiring two weeks of research, creativity, and new friendships fade into the haze of distant slash burning.  So much to think about…  What to make of it all?

In many ways Atitlan functions as the heart of its region.  Its tributaries like so many arteries, running to its deep blue center.  And the heart is suffering, but it’s detectable ailments are symptoms indicative of  a deeper wound; a cultural pathogen that the human community in the watershed is struggling with.  The pathogen manifests itself in trash filled streams, rapidly eroding hillsides, and untreated sewage in the waterways -- all striking to my western restorationist’s eye and yet in some sense a distraction..  The symptoms are what drew our attention, but it is not enough to treat them.  The human cells surrounding and supported by the heart are also in need of nurture, healing, reconnection.  Without these measures the symptoms will persist. 

Fortunately, the fertility and potential for resilience in the system is as striking as the degradation: vegetation rapidly recolonizes eroded banks, large woody debris (when not collected for firewood) rapidly traps the finer volcanic soils to provide new structure for vegetation to come in after a large event; smiling faces, color, tears and laughter adorn the people, and thoughtful, inquisitive and devoted young minds are investing their intelligence and vitality in bridging difference, innovating solutions, and visioning change.  The cultural disturbance events enmeshed with the revolution, subsequent rapid growth within the region, and the present disturbance state, all underscored by intercultural conflict, only recently became acute and can be mended.  The system remains vibrant, thriving, and bursting with potential to heal.

My hope is that the inspired and talented young researchers participating in the program will leave activated, prepared like so many red and white blood cells, to confront the challenges ahead and apply themselves towards the health of the others, the heart, and the whole.  Certainly, my time with them has re-activated me, reminding me why I dedicate myself to learning, teaching, the science of watersheds, and the pursuit of landscape restoration.  Perhaps even more resonant, however, was the experience of humans, like all other species, invariably coupled with our environment, reflecting its state as it reflects ours; one unable to grow, change or heal without the other. 

-Rene Henery

And the days continue :)

We had a good week because i learn about the chemical analysis and as it's  important, at the beginning i thought it was difficult but Emily make it easier. I understood if we don't have this analysis all efforts in the field are in vain. So guys, have to do this part and don't forget be patient!

The instruments we use in the chemical analysis

And also i worked with Eliska and Stephanie in the wetlans, collecting differents plants and making calculations for biomass per area, this plants have a function very important because fixing the nutrients of the lake and are habitat for others organisms

My group with Stephanie working hard!

And with miy project with invertabrates i learned too much with Annie, to be honest i didn't know about any of this, but now i really like it. Well guys i 'll tell you later what happens!

Luisa Donis!

Expedición Atitlán 2012: First week is over =(!!! (By: Rana Braeuner)

We students were in a "meeting" to plan yesterdays surprise dinner just when everyone thought it was the perfect time for a group picture =)

 So the first week of this scientific expedition is over and it feels as if we arrived in Panajachel yesterday!! Time has gone by SO fast...
We've been learning A LOT from everyone that's here, the PI's, the TA's and from each other among us students. I wanted to share some pictures as a brief summary of what we've been doing so far =).

On our way to Panajachel on Monday March 30th

Arriving at the hotel

The most efficient work group ;) !! (JK)

The first activity my group and I were assigned to for Tuesday and Wednesday was to work with Emily in the Chemistry lab up in Solola, at the campus of UVG Altiplano. The group I'm in includes Gerson, Hilda, Mireli and I. We shared those two days with Emily and Melisa.

Emily enjoying the "frijolitos" =)

Testing Lake water samples for presence of ammonia in the spectrophotometer

micropipeting n_n

Emily taught us many things in those two days, from the correct way of working with chemicals to the analysis that must be done afterwards with the data obtained in the lab. I also learned what a spike is!!!!!

Annie teaching us the way to work with the invertebrates

For Thursday and Friday we got to work with Eliska, Stephanie and Dr.Komarek in the wetlands. A LOT of information for two days!!! But it was AWESOME! (We forgot to take our group picture with them!!!!!)

Taking quadrat samples of Schoenoplectus californicus (tul).

We used this "rake" to take plant samples from the bottom of the wetlands and to measure depth. 

Dr.Komarek

Cladophora sp

   HereDr.Komarek was talking to us about this algae, Cladophora, and saying how this can be an indicator since they are very sensitive to chemicals like those present in detergents; however, it is not necessarily an indicator of good water quality.

Taking Hydrilla samples

On our way with the Wetlands group

Stephanie taught us the mathematical analysis of biomass and  its importance.

 In the afternoons we've been working on our projects. My group is Luisa (Wicha), Isa and I, and Annie is our instructor =). She's really nice and funny, and definitely knows A LOT. Our project's objective is to compare the invertebrates of this 2012 expedition to those found on 2010.

Annie, me, Isa, Luisa

Working hard!

Chironomidae in the benthic samples from 300 m DEEP!!!!

I find this awesome, so simple and awesome!! I had worked with benthic invertebrates a couple of times in my  University and something like this would've been VERY helpful!

Luisa working with the invertebrates

They took our cups to submerge in the lake to 300 m deep and this is what the pressure did!! It is now about half its original size!!

 For Saturday and today our group got to work in the watershed; we went to a river that's in Sololá, near the UVG campus. We learned how to do a river profile and to open more our minds and eyes for a complete analysis of the site. We also need our group picture with Angela, Nancy, Rene and Dr.Dix!!!! =(

Taking water samples from the spring!!

Angela and I taking river measurements

I had never used a flow-meter!!!

Every two days after dinner we've been giving 5 minute presentations about what we did in the past two days, what we learned and our impressions in general.

 And last but definitely NOT least, yesterday was a special day, since today Sophie, Rene and Nancy leaved =(. We prepared a surprise dinner for the PI's and got to share some more time with them in the night. It's not even been one day and their absence is very evident =(. We miss you guys and hope to see you again!!!

I'm amazed of how much we've done and learned in this past days...I'm loving it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh and I don't have a picture of it but some of us have also learned to filter water, and I DON'T KNOW WHY but I love it, so if anyone needs some filtering, here I am ;)!! \m/