Yellow Shirts

The government is still in the process of negotiations with anti-government protesters ("yellow-shirts") that have shut down the country’s airports.  I was looking forward to a break to the U.S., which is now delayed.

In November we continued to pre-bait our traps with fish heads and any road kill.  On the 6th, a group of 5 dholes was seen by army rangers when the dholes crossed the road near a checkpoint.  We examined the site and found multiple dhole tracks and a bear track.  An individual dhole was also spotted by my field assistant on the 25th.

I attended a Dry Forest Workshop at Kasetsart University which gave me an opportunity to see how different researchers approached the task of delineating reliable maps for use in monitoring these forests.  There was also discussion about the role of fire in these ecosystems.  Most importantly, I used the time to catch-up with other research contacts working in Thailand.

My adviser from the Smithsonian, Dr. Peter Leimgruber, travelled to my study site, Khao Ang Rue Nai, to check out the area and meet the sanctuary chief.  We continue to work together on a manuscript on the importance of long-term monitoring in Khao Yai National Park (camera trap data).

I submitted an NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant through UMass in November; however, the biggest hurdle to my project right now is funding.  My Fulbright grant (starting in January) will cover basic living expenses for me, but has only a $100/month field budget.  I have no grants to cover field equipment for next year.  

My plan is now to travel to the U.S. on Dec. 16th and return to Thailand mid-January. In early December I plan to finalize my dissertation proposal and continue analyzing data and writing two manuscripts from my Khao Yai data.