Making the unpredictable predictable

Hi! Still the same team: Sonia and I are continuing our work on the project STOP Predators, which is a crucial initiative that could serve as a model for protecting other endangered species in the future.

One important thing to understand about working in ecology is that the real skill lies in problem-solving. It’s something we don’t really learn at school, but in reality, when you work with living species and in the field, not everything can be predicted. No matter how much you plan, things rarely go exactly as expected, and even when you think you’ve anticipated every possible issue, something new always comes up.

Some challenges can be anticipated, like the weather. Unfortunately, conditions were not on our side last month, which limited our ability to carry out fieldwork.

But other challenges are more surprising. Biological variability can completely change your expectations. We were targeting specific species like mice or rats, but in the field, things don’t always go according to plan, and we didn’t catch a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g. At that moment, it can be frustrating, especially after hours of preparation and effort in the field. Coming back empty-handed can be quite humbling. This raises two key questions: why does this happen, and how do we account for it in our calculations for the thesis? 

There are also moments when solutions are simple in theory,
but not so much in practice. For example, when our study site became inaccessible with the car due to a slippery slope, the “easy solution” was simply to walk one hour back and forth with a significant elevation gain and full bag. Not exactly easy… but I guess that’s what we call a “simple solution” in fieldwork.

On paper, protocols are clear and controlled. In reality, the field constantly reminds us that nature doesn’t follow our expectations and that variability and interactions are part of the process. It’s probably one of the biggest gaps between studying ecology and actually practicing it.

In the end, working in ecology is not just about knowledge, it’s about adapting, adjusting, and constantly finding solutions in unpredictable conditions.

But working in the field is definitely worth it.

Also, I did found the Madeira firecrest, so happy about that :)

Kusjes, 
Kath

Chasing data in wild places

 Portugues

Olá!

Nestas últimas semanas tive a oportunidade de iniciar outra parte do trabalho de campo para recolher dados sobre predadores no meu lugar favorito, Pico do Facho. Infelizmente, nem tudo correu como planeado, mas estamos a trabalhar numa estratégia para resolver o problema 😊. Além disso, uma das melhores partes do trabalho de campo é estar em lugares incríveis, com uma vista muito bonita, geralmente rodeada apenas pela natureza e longe dos ruídos intensos da cidade.

Além disso, a minha colega e eu terminámos a identificação dos animais nos vídeos das câmaras de armadilhagem, o que significa que finalmente podemos começar a trabalhar na nossa tese e analisar os dados recolhidos nos últimos anos, entrando assim no coração do projeto. Temos muitos dados para gerir e compreender, mas, felizmente, vamos trabalhar nisso juntas.

Esta semana também vou participar em algumas atividades de trabalho de campo do projeto LIFE Nature@Night com o Fernando, o que tenho a certeza de que será uma experiência única e me ajudará a compreender melhor o tema dos fatores de stress abióticos nas aves.

Beijinhos,
SD

English

Òla!
in these last few weeks I had the opportunity to start another part of the field work to collect data about predators in my favorite place, Pico do Facho. Unfortunately, everything didn’t go as planned, but we are working on a strategy to resolve the problem 😊. Also, one of the best part of fieldwork is being in super cool places with a very nice view, usually with only nature around and not hearing the loud noises of the city.

Moreover, my colleague and I finished identifying the animals in the videos in the camera traps, that means that we can finally start working on our thesis and analyze the data that were collected in the last years and enter in the heart of the project. We have a lot of data to manage and understand, but luckily, we will work on it together.

This week I will also participate in some field work of the LIFE Nature@Night project with Fernando, which I am sure will be a unique experience, and will help me understand better the topic of abiotic stress factors on birds.

Baci,

SD