Public Presentation Scheduled

Join Zoo student volunteer Diana Campos and Zoo Magnet School graduate Ahmed Johnson for a free presentation on September 30 at 5 p.m. in the Zoo Education Center's Grand Room as they lead you on a beautiful photo journey of the Brazilian cerrado. Learn about the important research and conservation projects they participated in through a special partenrship between Earthwatch and the Los Angeles Zoo.

The Team Members Journals Are Now Posted

You can read all about it here

The Expedition Photo Gallery Is Now Online

Audio posts are nice, but nothing beats pictures — and Tammy, Diana, and Ahmed certainly took a lot. To see how fantastic their journey with Earthwatch to the Cerrado of Brazil's Emas National Park was, check out the photo gallery by clicking here.

Final Day In The Field

On their last full day in the Cerrado of Emas National Park, Tammy reports the trapping and collaring of a new, never-before-seen maned wolf, and talks about the L.A. Zoo team being given the privilege of naming two of the animals they caught. They dub the pampas cat "Tammiana" (a combination of Tammy's and Diana's names), whereas the giant armadillo is now called "QuasiAhmed" in honor of Ahmed's enthusiastic efforts to apprehend it (and the fact that its curved back reminded them a bit of Quasimodo, the hunchback of Notre Dame). Tammy also announced the cool news that some pictures of their participation are already posted here on the Jaguar Conservation Fund website. Look for for many more pictures of their journey once Tammy, Diana, and Ahmed return next week.

The Morning Off

Tammy calls in during some much-deserved time off with the exciting news that they caught a jaguar the night before in one of the small traps for the "first time ever!" She tells how Ahmed was also "up to the task" of chasing down a giant armadillo, and that they also captured a crab-eating fox. Tonight, she says, they'll be donning headlamps and spotlights again to head out after dark and check traps. Wonder what they'll find?

Best Day Ever!

Though the transmission is a bit jumbled, the excitement Diana and Ahmed are experiencing comes through loud and clear when they recount Ahmed wrestling with a giant armadillo.

Before Sunrise To After Sunset

With a flock of parrots flying over her head, Tammy finds a few minutes from their busy schedule for an update. So far she says they radio tracked 15 maned wolves and two jaguars, captured a pampas cat , and more.

Tapirs and Maned Wolves and Anteaters Oh My!

From all the good-natured giggling it's clear Diana, Ahmed, and Tammy are having a great time as they get more involved with the Earthwatch carnivore conservation expedition in Emas National Park.

They're There!

Tammy calls in to report they've arrived at their Earthwatch expedition campsite in Brazil and on the way there have already seen a bunch of wildlife!

The Journey Begins

On August 6, 2004, Tammy Rach, an L.A. Zoo Education Division staff member, Ahmed Johnson, a Zoo Magnet School student, and Diana Campos, a Zoo student volunteer will depart Los Angeles via Varig Airlines for Brazil where they will then journey into the Cerrado-Pantanal Corridor as part of an Earthwatch Institute expedition to investigate carnivore ecology in the Brazilian grasslands.

Equipped with satellite mobile phone technology courtesy of Remote Satellite Systems International and airtime supplied by Xantic Communications this audio blog is the place to come to hear real-time audio posts from them direct from the field during their two-week trip.