Going to Paradise: March 2013

At the end of last December we did some field work on Tau Island for my mapping project. The field work was hard, some of the most physically demanding hiking I have done. Despite my diligent efforts to return home injury free, I managed to fall on my elbow and developed a severe MRSA infection in my elbow. When we returned from Tau, I had to have surgery to drain the infection and spent a week in the hospital. Barely made it home to spend Christmas with the family. I was released from the hospital on Christmas Eve and thankfully spent a nice Christmas at home. Nothing like a pleasant MRSA infection to remind you how quickly life can change.

Some Samoans believe there are ghosts in the Manua Islands and I was warned not to go there. I am more of a believer now. Or was it my own clumsy tired ass that made me fall? Better for the ego to think it was the ghosts. Regardless, I will leave the ghosts of Tau alone for awhile.

Satellite image of Tau showing spatial data collected during fieldwork.

Hike up Laufuti stream on the south side of Tau

View of the Laufuti terrace from the southeast corner of Tau. One of our survey areas

Always a nice surprise when you unpack the tent and find the poles are missing. Fortunately the guys were able to cut some Hibiscus branches and use them as a substitute.

View from the falls of Laufuti stream, overlooking the Laufuti terrace

Foi recording data

Montane forest along Laufuti stream below the cliffs of Lata. One of my favorite places we visited on Tau

Foi posing on Laufuti stream - 65 years young and still leading the way through the forest.

The Laufuti crew. We hired some local villagers to help Foi and Josh with trail cutting; they did a great job making it easier for us to reach our ground truth points.

Hiking out of Laufuti with a coconut crab one of the crew gave me.

Happy to be hiking out of Laufuti

Josh and Foi

Hike to the top of Mt. Lata, highest point in American Samoa

View from the summit scrub on the hike up Mt. Lata. The start of the hike can be seen down by the airport near the ocean.

oli oli tree fern

views of the summit scrub habitat - unique to Tau Island.

On top of Lata with Foi and Dynamite

Foi, Josh and Dynamite on the top of Lata

Looking over the edge of the cliffs at the top of Lata

Beaches of Tau

painful rain

View of Tau village with Ofu and Olosega islands in the background.

Around the island boat survey

Rain on the around the island boat survey

spinner dolphins

Dynamite in deep reflection with Olosega island in the background.

fishing Samoan style

Recovered from the MRSA infection and made it home from the hospital on Christmas eve to spend a nice Christmas with the family

Happy Birthday Francesca! Frankie has reached double digits - the big 10. We did a small party this year. We swam in the ocean, had pizza, made our own little movie theater, and Frankie had a couple of friends sleep over. Frankie also recently won 1st place in Botany during this year's science fair - I am a very proud and lucky poppy.