DKP Suriname

Dirk in his element

2006-08-21T06:44:00.000-07:00

2006-08-20T23:33:00.000-07:00

Phil and Frits discussing plans for research and education on Tonka Island

Kelly reviewing the day's list of plants by lantern light

2006-08-20T22:29:00.000-07:00

Frits demonstrates how to make a thatched roof

2006-08-20T22:17:00.000-07:00

2006-08-20T21:26:00.000-07:00

Phil makes friends with a peccary

Home Sweet Hut

This frigid waterfall was a refreshing reprieve from the tropical heat

Plants thirst for light - not water - deep in the rainforest. A opening like this is a lush oasis on a forest floor that is less vegetated under the full canopy.

Howler monkeys are more often heard than seen. We were fortunate to have this troupe of about 15 individuals pass right over head with little regard for our cameras.

Frits van Troon gathering a medicinal liana

2006-08-14T22:18:00.000-07:00

Trip to Afobaka

2006-08-14T22:10:00.000-07:00

Typical fruit stand

Kelly, Frits, and Phil

Henk - Director of the Rainforest Medical Foundation
Lenny and another guide / boatman behind Hank

Rainforest along the Suriname River

2006-08-14T22:01:00.000-07:00

Phil listening to Medicine Man Mike with Fredo interpreting

2006-08-14T21:53:00.000-07:00

Kelly studying medicinal plants in Dr. Hanny van de Lande's Garden

2006-08-14T21:46:00.000-07:00

A view from Brownsburg

2006-08-14T21:35:00.000-07:00

Out and About

2006-08-02T10:01:00.000-07:00

Hi all!
Sorry it is so long between posts. Internet access here is sparse and slow. But, we have gotten a lot accomplished since the last time I wrote you.
We have completed our workshop. The teachers seem to have taken to the concept very well. They were very enthusiastic. We are now working with the director of the teacher's college and with a woman who helps design the national curriculum about a follow-up workshop and about trying to include Investigating Environmental Issues in the school system here.
This past weekend we visited the village of Nickerie. It's in northeastern Suriname. We talked with a few classes of teachers about our workshop and about our research: how the people of Suriname use and value their local plant knowledge.
Since then, we have been in Domburg--Dirk's home village. It's very peaceful, very quiet, and right on the edge of the bush. So, we have been able to talk with many people, including the local medicine man. We have been travelling to nearby markets and villages to conduct interviews, and we have been hiking and looking for wildlife. Yesterday, we biked to Jakin, about 10 kilometers away, and spoke with several people. In the evening we biked back to the bush and saw a whole troop of monkeys! Very cool.
I'm sorry I cannot really condense 2 weeks into a few paragraphs - but this is at least a summary and some highlights. This weekend, we will be back in the jungle with Frits van Troon, a very well-known botanist and shaman. I am very excited about it; he is very wise and very kind.
I hope everything is going well for all of you. Hope to talk with you soon. Peace,
Kelly

Domburg

2006-08-02T07:34:00.000-07:00

Odi fa waka

We are in the village of Domburg now and spending lots of time traveling by bikes to interview some wise elders. Yesterday, Kelly and I biked about 10 kilometers to the village of Jakin. The morning ride wasn't too bad, and we obtained some useful data while in the village. However, we weren't too bright and biked backed around 2 p.m. in the heat of the day when everyone else is taking their siesta. That was draining, but we survived. I saw my first green viper while biking on a path near dark last evening. My first instinct to jump off the bike, catch the snake, and "then" identify it was overridden (fortunately) by Kelly's better sense and a sharp, "Phil, what are doing? You're in the tropics and don't know anything about what crawls here! For goodness sakes, stay on your bike!!" Some people just take away all my fun. The access to computers and the sluggish speed of the internet has not improved; therefore, I cannot post any pictures yet.

We will be in the interior again in about a day working with Frits von Troon. He's invited us to come help because the government of Holland has sent 15-20 Dutch teenagers (born to Maroon parents that moved to Holland) to discover their roots. So, Kelly and I are joining this group of kids, a TV crew, and probably some government folks to head into the bush. I think Frits wants us to help them with plant I.D. and keep them from wandering into some dangerous situation. I guess Frits still has a bit to learn about me, eh? :-) I may be out of touch till next week. Hope all is well with everyone. I look forward to sharing pictures and stories. Take care!

Phil
August 2

Here but gone again

2006-07-28T08:33:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

This website will have to be updated when I return to the states. We have many great pictures. Really ... we do! In spite of Joe's comment, they are not doctored with photoshop either. We've been spending a lot of time with Fritz (the Maroon botanist / shaman). He's taken quite an interest in us and finds us whenever he can to share stories over dinner. I have the bug (and a couple of pirannah) bites to prove it. We finished the training at the university yesterday (Thursday) and we are leaving in a few minutes for a Carib (Amer-Indian) village. I'll be gone again for the next several days. The internet connection is extremely slow and the opportunities to even be near a computer are few. My best wishes to you all. It's a great experience, but I do miss my family. Know that I'm thinking of you all. I'll try to update you next week.

Phil
July 28, 2006

Back in Paramaribo

2006-07-25T08:10:00.000-07:00

Hi all

We returned from the rainforest and are continuing the IEEIA workshop at the university. We have many pictures but the web connection here is very slow and times out before we get the pics uploaded. We will keep trying and hopefully have something to show you before long. Thanks for your patience. It has been quite an experience to spend several days on the heels of Frits von Troon - noted by some as the worlds greatest native botanist in the tropics. Having lived in the jungle nearly all of his life, he has an amazing global vision and is very pleasant to work with. More to come ....

Phil

More pics from Trinidad

2006-07-20T08:48:00.000-07:00

Pictures from Trinidad

2006-07-20T08:30:00.000-07:00

Phil, Kelly, and Dirk in Trinidad

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2006-07-20T06:51:00.000-07:00

We have been in Suriname for some six days now, and it has turned out to be very interesting and very enlightening. This is a very diverse country. Trinidad, where we stayed on the way here, is only 2000 sq. miles, but has more plant diversity than all of north america. Just imagine--Suriname is the size of Georgia--the diversity and wealth of knowledge here is invaluable. Jerry and Phil have also been amazed at the number and variety of birds here. Perhaps the most interesting aspect, however, is the diversity of people. Just in Paramaribo, the main city, there are African, Chinese, Indonesian, Javanese, Indian, Dutch, and many others--not to mention the various cultures of the interior. There are Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Jews, and still others; the mosque and the synagogue are literally side-by-side. And, there is very little conflict. The people here are exceptionally tolerant. It is very encouraging to see that when children grow up in a diverse environment there truly can be harmony.
Not that Suriname is idyllic or perfect--there are many problems here. There is poverty, and as a result there is crime. Every building in the city is caged in rebar and padlocked.
The situation outside the city, in smaller villages such as Domberg (Dirk's home) is again very different. There the houses are all open; some do not even have windows or doors, much less locked gates. The people share what they have. It is interesting that these people, who arugably have less in terms of material goods, seem to be more willing to give. As renowned botanist and shaman Fritz van Troon told us, they "have good memory." They recognize that life is non-zero-sum, that by giving a little now, they can gain overall.
Unfortunately, it is very difficult in a third-world, hand-to-mouth culture to work on such seemingly esoteric goals as environmental quality and education reform. Maslow's priority of needs applies; if people's basic physical needs are not met, they simply cannot ignore those needs to focus on the environment. My concern, and the paradox, is that if they cannot find a way to educate their people and preserve the environment, in the long term their poverty will only increase.
On a lighter note--we have been conducting our Investigating Environmental Issues workshop with about 20 teachers here in the city, and it is going very well. I have been meeting w/ other botanists--Dr. Hanny van de Lande, Dr. Dorothy Traag, and shaman Fritz van Troon (Uncle Fritz)--and they have all been very knowledgable and very helpful. We have been twice to Dirk's village and had huge dinners with his family and their friends; last night we even attended his sister Bridget's birthday party. And, this weekend we will be edging into the interior to visit Tonka Island and the Brownberg nature reserve. Those that know me know that I am very excited to be getting out of the city and into the jungle!
Hope this message finds you all doing well. Please feel free to send your messages and comments our way! Peace.
--Kelly

Blog Barriers

2006-07-20T04:35:00.000-07:00

I was hoping to keep everyone updated on this blog with a journal and pictures of this trip. Internet access has been very limited though, and it is virtually impossible to get our pictures to upload. We will keep trying though whenever possible; however, we will be in the jungle from Friday till Monday. Hope to contact you all soon.

Phil

Trinidad

2006-07-17T12:48:00.000-07:00

St. Louis to Trinidad
Thursday - July 13, 2006

If I had another three months to prepare, I suspect I would find myself in the same state the night before departure. The past year has been an eventful one. This wording is my desperate attempt to avoid placing value on the whole experience. In spite of overcommitment, unexpected problems with my parents health and passing of my mother, and the normal course of my life in recent years, I still should have been thoroughly packed and ready to depart for a month-long trip to the tropics at least several days prior to departure. I should have been. As it turned out, Dirk, Kelly, and I were still adjusting the weight of our suitcases and discussing plans for the trip until about 10 p.m. last night. I realized that I still had some online banking to complete, and there were several projects that were largely finished but not polished. These matters needed my attention at least several days before departure. Having given myself false assurance that every event that could possibly occur had been foreseen and adequately addressed, I climbed into bed around 1:30 a.m. Even in the midst of my son, Logan, and three of his friends clamoring into the house after midnight, Dirk had drifted off to sleep some time earlier. We were to meet at the SWIC metro-link station at 5:00, so it seemed that a couple of hours of sleep would suffice until I reached the airport at which point I would be able to sleep for hours on a long set of flights to Trinidad.

Having addressed thoroughly all of those last minute particulars the night before, I was certain to be prepared for this trip. Certain but incorrect as I discovered, at the metro-link station shortly before our train would arrive, that I did not have my passport with me. Perhaps I could have left that extra pair of underwear I packed and the international communication card (the one with pictures of important things to point at such as pigs, condoms, and backgammon boards) that I made sure was in the money belt, but the leaving the passport behind would have started a long chain of inconveniences and embarrassments. Fortunately, Logan – who had no more sleep than myself – was coherent enough to remember that I had placed in on the scanner at home and likely forgot to take it off after making copies. With a speedy trip home, I returned (with passport in hand) just in time to meet the Zalocuskys and catch the train. Goodbyes are never easy, but I sensed that Donna, Carly and Logan were genuinely excited for my opportunities on this trip and were able and willing to put the goals of the work in Suriname above their emotions for seeing my leave. I thank them dearly for that.

After an airport breakfast and a nice conversation with Mike and Chris Zalocusky, we said a second round of goodbyes and headed through security. Feeling comfortable that I had made through the detector with no beeps, I was alarmed when security pulled me to the side with my carry-on which I soon discovered had a set of clippers, scissors, file, etc. I could have sworn that was in my check-in bag. Nevertheless, security removed a benign-looking instrument, left the clippers, scissors, and sharp-point file … and then I was sent on my way to the airplane. Ay Baja! The nation’s security rules continue to perplex me.

The flight to Houston was relatively short and uneventful … other than the fact that I, once again, had to sit in the single row of seats which gave Dirk and Kelly a chance to remind me that that this row was reserved for bigger middle-aged men to help balance out the plane. Flying to Trinidad was took a while longer but allowed for more sleep. Not exactly like being on a posturepedic mattress, but it was sleep nonetheless.

My image of Trinidad as quite, relatively uninhabited island nation was shattered upon arrival. Airport chaos is expected everywhere, but passing through customs was not too painful here. However, after meeting Dirk’s friend, Noryan, we piled into a taxi van and departed for the Pax Guest House on Mt. St. Benedict. I will simply say that I may never complain about traffic again. Narrow streets, left-side driving, pedestrians, bicycles, and dogs would be one set of concerns, but the speed at which the van maneuvered around all these obstacles – even when going up winding roads on the mountain – left us slightly nauseous.

The roller coaster ride was worth it, however, as the Pax House is in a beautiful setting with an amazing diversity of plants and birds. Avocados and mangos hanging right outside the window were clear reminders that I had entered into a tropical zone. The night temperature is surprisingly pleasant and I think I will sleep well tonight. I certainly miss my family, but I look forward to bringing new stories home to them. I retire now with gratitude for all those who have been supportive in various ways in the preparation for this experience.

2006-07-17T12:46:00.000-07:00

Possible Delayed Postings
Thursday – July 13, 2006

Due to lack of internet accessibility, we may have delays in posting to this web journal. We will try to write about our experiences every day, but readers may not see the update until a few days later. Thank you for your patience.

Tomorrow

2006-07-12T12:56:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning, we leave St. Louis for Houston and then Trinidad. After a night in Trinidad and a day exploring the forests and/or beaches surrounding Port of Spain, we'll leave Trinidad Friday night and arrive in Paramaribo, Suriname early in the morning Saturday.

Time has always been an annoying human contrivance in my mind. It has distorted reality for me the past month or so (another unavoidable and hypocritical reference to time - I know), and it has me in an incoherent state of thought at the moment. I shall see if, as I've long suspected, time presents itself differently at different locations on earth and in different cultural settings. More on this to come, I predict.

For now, I say a temporary goodbye to friends and family. I wish you well for the next month, and I hope to see or talk you again soon.

Phil

Two Week Tango

2006-06-30T19:36:00.000-07:00

We (Dirk, Kelly, and I) are now two weeks from Suriname and seem to be dancing around each other trying to finalize workshop plans, research strategies, and other logistical matters. Overall, everything is moving in a good direction and much of the apprehension mentioned in the previous piece has subsided, been rationalized, or converted to determined ambition. I still reflect deeply on the wake my pebble in the stream may make - either postitive or negative. At this point, it is apparent that this pebble will be tossed. Moreover, the uncertainty of the reciprocity between pebble and stream is certain.

Phil

Apprehension

2006-05-27T15:28:00.000-07:00

My life experience has been rich. I would be reluctant to use that adjective if were not for so many that apparently view me as an interesting piece of African art - or something. Suffice it to say, I've lived as an individual and have had a zest for adventure and for the unusual. Nevertheless, I have not travelled globally despite incredible urges to do so. At the top of my list of places to visit before I die (a list started around age 7) has been the Amazonian rainforest. I wish I was able to visit it as it was when I was 7, but - as they say - it's better late than never. I could wax philosophical about that colloquillism but will refrain at the present. Now, as I prepare for a trip to the one place I've longed to visit for many years, a certain degree of apprehension has a grip on my thought processes. Naturally, there are practical challenges that deserve healthy respect ... spiders that could cover the top of my head, snakes that might consider me to be a light snack, irritating plants, freshwater stingrays, malaria, parasites, and - my favorite - the candiru, a tiny catfish known to wiggle its way into one's urethra while bathing. The cultures of Suriname are as varied as can be found in any one country on earth, and moving from village to village will certainly present some challenges with language and traditions. However, I believe my presence itself is what's giving me the greatest sense of apprehension. Had I known when I was seven what was to happen to the Amazon Rainforest in the intervening 40 years, I would undoubtedly had chosen some other destination for the top of my list and preferred to leave the tropical wilds untouched by the likes of me. Since I am going (and I very much do want to immerse myself into the interior), I can only hope that efforts there will assist the people in resisting destructive habits of the lifestyle I temporarily leave behind. Hypocrisy, internal moral conflicts, and harm to others on any level have always been an anathema I try to avoid. This avoidance will be a tall order for me while visiting the tropics. Perhaps, this is .... hopefully, this is .... just the typical apprehensive jitters before a trip to a new area, and the contribution will outweigh any possible detriment from this well-intentioned and curious outsider.

~ Phil

2006-05-27T14:19:00.000-07:00