Scientist Alvaro del Campo describes a common hazard of field life—botfly parasites—and duly records team members as they remove one of these pesky critters from the head of its host, botanist Jill López. This is the final installment in a five-part series of video journals documenting the daily life and field work of conservation biologist Dr. Corine Vriesendorp and her colleagues during their expedition to the Amazon wilderness. As a plant ecologist and conservation biologist, Dr. Vriesendorp directs The Field Museum’s Rapid Inventory program, which brings together biological and social information to create a roadmap for practical, long-lasting, and locally-supported conservation. During October of 2008, Dr. Vriesendorp’s international team of scientists surveyed the Cuyabeno-Güeppí region where Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia meet. Be sure to check out Video Report #1 “Rapid Inventory Program”. Want to learn more about Field Museum scientific expeditions around the world? Please visit www.fieldmuseum.org/expeditions. For more about The Field Museum’s Rapid Inventory Program, please visit www.fieldmuseum.org/research_collections/ecco.htm.
