Three May graduates

So there were three graduates this month, and I had something to do with each one.

First was Miguel Manrique, who looked at two important families of insects, Reduvidae and Pentatomidae. Reduvids are called assassin bugs because they are insane predators, like the Terminator, totally destroying other insects, often pests in our fields. Pentatomids include stink bugs, and can be garden pests. He discovered that there is less diversity in these families than other families, and that there is a gradient of species as one moves from the forest to the forest edge to the field. I was Miguel's research project adviser, and he is now the head of our insect diversity project, which supervises the collection of insects all around the College.




Then came Jorge Apala. Jorge and I started the goat project in Coroico Viejo in 2002. We traveled all over Bolivia in search of goats to populate the project, at one point driving from Santa Cruz to Cochabamba to La Paz with a Land Cruiser full of goats -- 18 goats at once! (It was a smelly ride.) Of the goats we bought and brought to our experiment station in Coroico Viejo, Jorge discovered that the variation between milk production depended more on the individual goat than its purported race. I personally had a special love for the Anglonubians. They were the friendliest...




Last was Edwin Zapata. He researched wasps that live in our forest and fields. His research demonstrated that many wasps are able to survive in different habitats, most of them looking for other insects to scoop up and eat. I was the project adviser for Edwin, too.



It is always hugely gratifying to see these young people take their oath as a new agronomist or veterinarian, and hear their words of thanks to their professors and other mentors. None of them forget to thank Sister Damon for how she touched each of them personally. And now it is their turn to move others.

Lots going on

Things have been so busy this month that I haven't had time to post. So here it goes: a months worth of news.

Early in the month I became a Godfather (again), the son of a friend who lives across the valley in San Juan de la Miel. Here is a guest pinning money to the child's shirt, a tradition to raise money for the child's future.




I was in Michigan and Minnesota for a few days in early May. I spent some time with family. Here is my sister Paula with her horse River.




May 7th was the Fiesta del Ayni, a fund raiser for the College, and a way to get in touch with the huge base of generous people that support us. Here I am with Sister Damon.




And here is Ann Leahy, part of the team that helped Sister Damon start the College back in 1993. Here she stands before a model of the campus, with two cars ready to race up the hill, powered by supporter's donations. One car was Sister Damon, looking for funds for the bootcamp that supports students doing their graduation research projects; the other was Dick Leahy, looking for funds for the student-run food program. The first one to the top of the hill asked our director Father Freddy to call Carmen Pampa Fund director Sue Wheeler to ask for matching funds. (The terrible part about it is that we really just do have one phone, on the upper campus. Ironically, we do have Internet on both campuses.)




My sister Paula came to the event, and to spend a few days with me in Minnesota -- we had a great time walking around the city and spending time with former volunteer Becky. Here is Paula with Becky at the Guthrie Theater.




And we also met up with another former volunteer, Matt.




I also got to see other former volunteers Beth and Ana (with me at a Denny's), and Christine, out for Chinese food in St. Paul.






On May 11th I flew to Chicago and met up with 7 visiting scholars from South Dakota State University. We spent 10 days teaching workshops and working on collaboration plans. Here is the crew on the first day.




Here Agronomy Director José Luis Beltrán gives a talk about quantitative measurements in ecological systems.




We had lunch with different groups of students and faculty every day.




Dr. Brent Turnipseed talked about seed evaluation techniques.




Dr. Paul Johnson talked about insect collecting and diversity.




Dr. K.C. Jensen talked about bird identification and ecology.




On one of our last days, we took an excursion into the Cotapata National Park. Our minibus driver for the week, Nicolás, took us on a hike up the Río Elena to the secret Cock-of-the-Rock feeding grounds.




...and we saw two females and a male, with a bright red crest -- amazing.




Then went to the Nayriri Butterfly House in a small community nearby, Chairo. Here is the technician Guillermina Cos and a consultant, Martín Apaza, along with Paul Johnson.




After the South Dakota folks left, we had a few research project defenses -- but it is getting late, so I will write about that sometime soon. Needless to say, it was a real full month -- and it isn't even over!