Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
  • Rutgers
  • Rutgers–New Brunswick
  • New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station
  • myRutgers
  • Search Rutgers
  • International Programs

Science Abroad

  1. Home
  2. Winter 2020
  3. Summer 2019
  4. Winter 2018
  5. Summer 2018
  6. Winter 2017
  7. Summer 2016
  8. Programs

Last day at camp 7/26/16

August 17, 2016 by Emily Hunziker Leave a Comment

I can’t believe our stay at Tuanan is over! It seems like we finally grew accustomed to life in the forest and we are leaving tomorrow morning. I’ve grown so comfortable here, and become close with all of the Rutgers and UNAS students. My sleep schedule has changed drastically, since we wake up every day by 5 AM. I even somewhat got the hang of the Mandi – the Indonesian version of the bathroom. I learned so much about the ecology of the forest, especially about the orangutans. Turns out, most people pronounce ‘orangutan’ incorrectly, even though the proper way sounds quite silly. We hiked a few times, unfortunately most of mine were along the same transect (trail) because of our research project. I chose to study an area of the forest that had been burned in recent months, in comparison with an unburned area. We presented on our findings tonight after our day in the village, probably my favorite day so far.

GOPR0756 GOPR0758

The education specialist in Tuanan (the village), Maya, came up with the idea for us to build water filters for the village people. We spent the day teaching them how it works, and helping them build their own filters so they can rid the river water of the chemicals that pollute it. I personally loved this project, as the right to safe drinking water is something I spent much time studying last semester. It was amazing for me to be a part of something like this, to personally affect the lives of people who live thousands of miles from me, and in such an important way.

IMG_20160726_115829               IMG-20160729-WA0004

After the water filters were completed, the villagers provided lunch for us, along with songs and dances and henna tattoos. We even played volleyball with them, a pastime which is apparently common considering their skill level. The little girls enjoyed braiding Meg and Michelle’s hair, another thing they were remarkably good at. It was nice to spend time with them after building the water filters, and it was unfortunate that we only enjoyed their company on the last day.

IMG_20160726_112020           IMG_20160726_123034

Tomorrow we take will ride down the river again, and spend the day in Palangka raya, as our flight back to Jakarta is not until the following morning.

Filed Under: Rutgers-Primates, Ecology, and Conservation in Indonesia

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Emily Hunziker's Posts

  • Aftermath 8/19/16
  • The Finale 8/7/16
  • Excursionsss 8/2/16
  • Adjustments 7/30/16
  • Last day at camp 7/26/16

International Programs
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
65 Dudley Rd., New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8520
Food Science Bldg. | 848-932-5487
Webmaster: sebsglobal@sebs.rutgers.edu

Copyright © 2020 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution.

  • Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
  • Rutgers-New Brunswick
  • myRutgers
  • Search Rutgers
  • School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
  • New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station
  • SEBS and NJAES Newsroom

Copyright © 2021 · eleven40 Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in