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Published: December 9th 2007
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Grasshopper
You'd like this one, Markus! (Found in my room) Background
Shorthand info as to why I want to do this volunteer work at TCP, Sri Lanka, is that when I first heard about the project from a herpetologist (reptile and amphibian expert) working at Chester Zoo I knew that I wanted to be part of such a project at one point in my life. The herpetologist told me this was the best place to go, as this organization works as a model NGO, that many other NGO’s wish to duplicate. The TCP has government contacts/support, conservation research, tourist info, local info, community based alternative sources of income for those who previous gained money from poaching eggs and turtles. The previous poachers are now nest protectors getting a monthly salary. (According to the law, both nest poaching and eating of adults is illegal and fined with approximately nine months worth of wages.) This is the kind of projects that many developing countries need in order to gain control over the worldwide decimating biodiversity. Conservation however cannot be done without the support of the locals. As my main interest within biology is conservation and my target species’ (after the volunteer experience I had with turtles in Greece 2005) the sea turtles, after
Tree frog
Sleeping in my bike some research it felt really good to leave Scandinavia and instead get some sun in Sri Lanka. The decision however was not straight forward mainly because of the unstability of the country.
Arriving
After a beduin photo chase in Doha and only two hours of sleep, I arrived in Colombo, and was picked up by a representative of TCP, the Turtle Conservation Program where I will spend about four months. He told me the ride to Rekawa, where I’ll be situated, was eight hours by car, at this time of day. Daytime, apparently the maximum speed is 60km/h and is monitored by police radar. Night time there are no radars, and the car ride is shortened with at least three hours.
Regularly occurring police controls randomly stop cars to limit the risk of LTTE attacks. The police are wearing brown suits, serious faces and impressive guns. I don’t know how many controls we passed because I dozed off from time to time. What I did see, were a lot of construction and repair work on houses. So, there is hope that LTTE will be calmed and the tourists will return to Sri Lanka. The mayor source of
Daisy's house
My home, 'til april income for Sri Lanka is fishing and tourists, so the few tourists that dare to show up are highly appreciated.
My new home
I live in Rekawa which means “protection” and it takes 15 minutes by bus to get to Tangalle where I can do shopping and internet. Tangalle is the residence town of the president and the huge police escorts will announce his presence, I’m told. Rekawa is a peaceful town on the countryside. There is a rice paddy/wetland opposite our house and wetland fowls and water buffaloes roam around. Luckily the website was not up to date, and there IS electricity and a normal toilet and shower. A slightly unstable power line is better than kerosene lamps, however I am experiencing a ‘dejavu’ from my time in Kenya, because the shower is also cold here. My room has turcoise walls but I share it with no one, not counting the large sample of representatives from the insect kingdom, only slightly decimated by a spider and a gecko.
I call myself Liz here, like I do in all English speaking countries. Liz means “leek” (the onion) in Singhal, I am glad I did not introduce
Me
On the beach of Rekawa myself as Bettan (my Swedish nickname) because apparently is means “big breast”! I share this house with a minimum of four Sri Lankan’s, the sweet 56 year old cook, Daisy and three guys between 20 and 30 years of age, who are either nest protectors or research officers. Their names, I have now finally learned, but the Singhal language will probably, in big part, remain a mystery to me. It is VERY difficult. “Hundai”, like the car brand however, means good. Sometimes we are more people, but people come and go all the time. However I am the only volunteer here so I’m getting a lot of attention, especially from Daisy. I have a personal protector and right hand, Thushare, who goes by the nickname Banda, who is very sweet, calling me "madam" all the time.
My work
Turtle nesting is year round here, but has a peak between February and July. So it seems I have arrived in low season. Fortunately it will pick up while I am still here. Currently only occasional nesting occurs, the majority being from the green turtle. My efforts will because of that, be concentrated on the community projects of the program. That is; fish breeding, English teaching, tourist information and batik making. I will tell you more about that as soon as I have gotten started. There is a lot to do, and everyone is happy to have me here, so I am pretty excited. Next entry I'll tell you about my first turtle experience, that I had yesterday.
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