tropical field station La Gamba Costa Rica

Transcription

1 tropical field station La Gamba Costa Rica basic information

2 INDEX WELCOME...2 STAFF...2 OPENING HOURS OF THE STATION...3 BUILDINGS AND AREA...3 SECURITY...5 EQUIPMENT...5 CATERING...7 WASTE...7 FINANCIAL MATTERS...7 IMPORTANT GENERAL RULES...8 TRIPS AND ACTIVITIES...8 FURTHER SERVICES OF THE STATION...10 DANGERS AND TROUBLE...10 MEMBERSHIP...11 RAINFOREST DONATIONS...11 RESEARCH...12 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE USE OF THE SAFE...12 ATTACHMENTS

3 WELCOME to the Tropical Field Station La Gamba! We are glad to welcome you at the Tropical Field Station La Gamba. The Station is a scientific facility cooperating with the University of Vienna. To make your stay in the Tropical Station as smooth as possible we created this information folder. We kindly ask you to read the content carefully and follow the few rules which make life in the Station easier. Thanks! STAFF Dr. Werner Huber and Dr. Anton Weissenhofer are the coordinators of the Tropical Field Station La Gamba. Together they are responsible for the overall organisation of the Station. They operate in Costa Rica as well as in Austria. Mari Sanchez Porras is the manager of the Station and is usually present between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. You can reach her under the number (00506) (cell phone of the Station). In the event of an emergency, you can call her under (00506) (private home number). Roy Sanchez Jimenez is the right hand of Mari and carries out administrative tasks. Social Servant: Since September 1 st 2007 the Station is supported by Austrian Social Servants (Austrian Service Abroad) who are assisting in coordinative and organisational work. Eduardo Arauz Suárez and Luis Sanchez Jimenez work in the garden from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. 2

4 Beatriz Madriz Villatoro and Eduvijes Cerdas Reyez are the cooks in the Station. Lizbeth Quiroz Ramirez is Cleaning lady. Vanessa Chacon Sanchez & Elisabeth Castro Moya help them if necessary. All of them live in La Gamba! Employees of projects: Daniel Jenking Aguilera stays around 15 days per month in the Station. He is responsible for the Reforestation Project respectively the Permaculture Project. Jose Rodolfo Fernandez Duran is assisting in these projects. OPENING HOURS OF THE STATION Monday Saturday: 8:00 a.m. to 08:00 p.m. (Roy, Mari or the Social Servant) Telephone number of the station: / Homepage:. If you have questions, requests or complaints, please contact Mari, Roy or the Social Servant. BUILDINGS AND AREA The Casa Principal consists of the rooms E1 (2 persons), E2 (4 persons), E3 (3 persons) and E4 (4 persons). In this first and oldest building of the Station, you can also find the reception and the office of Mari and Roy. On the back of the building, there is a plant dryer. The Cabina Matula is a sleeping complex and consists of 5 rooms M1 and M2 (3 persons each), M3, M4 and M5 (4 persons each). 3

5 The Casa Nueva has 2 rooms, each with a bunk bed and a double bed. The Comedor is the kitchen, eating- and common area. In the Comedor s back you can find the Bodega, in which different tools and instruments are stored (If you wish to use them please contact the La Gerencia). The laundry is situated in the back of the Comedor as well. The dryer and the washing machine are only operated by Lizbeth. The fully air-conditioned laboratory can be used by everybody living in the Station. Beside scientific devices and accessories, there are a library and computers in the lab. The computer facilities in the lab can be used by all guests of the Station. If you wish to store data on a Station computer, we ask you to create a folder with your full name and to delete it before you leave! The library is a reference library it is not allowed to take books out of the lab area. Please return books always to their right place on the shelf. Over night, books must always be returned onto the shelf. Internet access is available on the two guest computers. In specific areas around the station (Comedor, Lab, Casa Principal and Casa Nueva) W-lan connection exists. The garden of the Station is home of many different species of plants, trees and animals. For better orientation you can buy a written garden guide at the reception. There are some natural pools in the garden area. The main natural pool and the Rancho are situated in the back of the garden area the place of silence in the Station. The Quebrada Negra, the house stream, is perfectly suited for riverbed hikes. Here in particular at night - you can see a lot of snakes (Fer-de- Lance)! 4

6 SECURITY Each room is equipped with a safe which can be opened with the respective code or key (Only Mari guards the keys). At the end of this information folder you will find a manual for the safe usage. For bigger objects, you can use the Caja Fuerte (vault) in the main building. Mari and Roy are guarding the key. To prevent loss of valuables, we recommend you to store all your valuables in the safe. The Station does not accept liability for loss or theft! We ask you to lock the door of your room with the key. If you are the only one in the station and want to go somewhere else at night, please turn on some of the lights before you leave. The entrance gate should always be locked with the (symbolic) chain we have a bell for all who wish to enter. Please keep all other entrance gates closed as well. The entrance door of the laboratory has to remain closed at all times because the lab is air-conditioned. As we store items of high value in the interior, the door must be locked with key when there is nobody inside. Moreover, we ask you to follow the lab rules which you can find inside the lab, for example on the wall right to the computers. EQUIPMENT Drinking water: The water from all taps in the Station is drinkable. It comes from a spring just up the hill. Rubber boots: For hikes in the wood and streams, we offer a couple of rubber boots in different sizes. They are located next to the bikes. Please clean them after use! Bikes: You can borrow bikes. Please return them onto the bicycle rack after use! Due to bad streets and the extreme weather conditions, the bikes are 5

7 particularly stressed. We kindly ask you to treat them with special care and to report damages to Roy, Luis, Eduardo or the Social Servant. Sports and Games: Beside a range of games, we have a table tennis area and Botcha Balls. You can play soccer in La Gamba. Hammocks: There are many hammocks in the Station. If you need more, feel free to ask the La Gerencia. Multimedia: Beside DVD player and TV, we are in possession of a Video Projector and a white screen for presentations. Other Equipment to lend: Biology Science Plant dryer and Herbarium Please contact the La Gerencia before use. Climbing equipment for tree climbing Terrarium and Aquarium Butterfly nets Collecting bars (max. 8 meters) Photo herbarium Laboratory Equipment Precession scale Optical instruments (binoculars, microscopes, stereoscopes) Spective with tripod Thermometer All mentioned items can be used by all guests. We kindly ask you to take care of our equipment so that further users can use them as well. Repairs are expensive and spare parts are difficult to get in Costa Rica (especially in the Zona Sur)! 6

8 CATERING The Station provides full catering! There is a cook who prepares your breakfast, lunch and dinner. For breakfast (07:00 a.m. until 07:30 a.m.) and dinner (06:00 p.m.) the cook will call you by GONG. The dishes after breakfast and dinner will be washed by the cook. Your Lunch is prepared by the cook in the morning and can be found on a plate in the kitchen. You can heat and eat it whenever you want! Please wash your plate directly after lunch. When many people are living in the station and/or most of all when groups are present, the cooks serve lunch at a fixed time as well. You can consume all edible fruits of the garden. If you feel that something is missing or if you have special wishes, please contact Mari, Roy or the Social Servant! Drinks: You can find beer and soft drinks in the fridge in the kitchen please make a line in the drink list under your name! WASTE In the Comedor you can find our waste disposal place for glass, metal, paper, general waste and organic waste. We ask you to take your old batteries with you in Costa Rica there is no proper disposal. FINANCIAL MATTERS Mari is responsible for the whole settlement. We ask you to pay your bill every 28 th of a month respectively the evening before your departure. As currency we accept Colones as well as US$. In the banks of Golfito and Rio Claro you can withdraw cash with credit cards (VISA is more widespread than MasterCard in Costa Rica). You might be asked for your passport. EC-Cards (Maestro, Cirrus, Visa Electronics ) are not accepted by all ATM machines. 7

9 Summary and Extension: IMPORTANT GENERAL RULES Do not enter buildings with boots or dirty shoes. Clean the rubber boots after use and put them back on their place. Never enter the Casa Nueva with shoes. Put off your shoes on the stairs. Keep the entrance door always closed. The last one who leaves the Comedor switches off the lights! Silence at night: After 11:00 p.m. we ask you to stop all noise so that colleagues can sleep. There is a bar in La Gamba! Bikes: Please treat the bikes and all other items of the Station with care. Beer and soft drinks: You can find beer and soft drinks in the fridges. If you consume these drinks, you have to make a line on the list under your name. This system is based on confidence we ask you for cooperation! Waste: We divide glass, metal, paper, plastic and organic waste. In the Comedor and at other places you can find diverse containers for dividing. Please don t bring any canned food or drinks in tins to the station! Consider the difficult disposal! Please put used toilet paper in the prepared trash bins. Paying: You pay your bill always on the 28 th of a month respectively the evening before your departure. Respect each other and be nice! The Station has few rules and has been running for years based on trust. TRIPS AND ACTIVITIES Hiking: There are various hiking trails directly starting from the Station. For orientation, you can consult the map at the end of this information folder. Furthermore, you can borrow a small map at the reception which you can take with you into the forest. The Tropical Station and the Esquinas Lodge offer guided tours through the forest in Spanish, English and in German. 8

10 The Ranger Station of the Piedras Blancas National Park is situated in La Gamba (Entrance fee: $10). You can walk to the sea as well (Playa San Josecito / 6-8 hours, with Orchid Garden). For this hike you need a guide. Horseback riding: The La Gerencia can organise horse tours. The price of this tour is approximately $30 per person, however depends on the size of the group and the destination. Boat trip: La Gerencia can organise boat trips into the Mangroves and to beaches in the Golfo Dulce region. These tours are mostly day trips, for example to Playa Zancudo (also in addition to Mangrove tour) or Playa San Josecito (also reachable on foot). Transport: There are buses connecting the most important cities of the Zona Sur. These buses operate with an acceptable frequency, however not always follow a timetable. From Km. 37, the local buses operate with a very low frequency and without timetable. As an alternative, the La Gerencia can organise Taxis for you if you inform us one day in advance. Approximate taxi prices: Km 37 : approx. Col Golfito: approx. Col / Col (depending on weather conditions) Río Claro: approx. Col Paso Canoas (Panamanian boarder): approx. Col You may as well go by colectivo, which means with a usual taxi, but with more people. A trip with a colectivo usually takes a little longer, however is a lot cheaper. The trip from Km. 37 to Río Claro costs for example 1000 colones. Just look around for a colectivo at the spot. If you want to go to San José or another destination further away, we recommend you to go by bus. Long-distance-buses leave at a fixed time, however for some bus rides you have to buy a ticket in advance. La Gerencia can organise you most of these bus tickets if you inform us two days in advance. 9

11 IMPORTANT: If you leave La Gamba, always take a copy of your passport with you as the police sometimes make routine controls! FURTHER SERVICES OF THE STATION In the reception you can buy books (published by the Station), DVD s and pieces of art from La Gamba. Laundry: The Station can wash your dirty rope. Hand over your dirty rope in a bag marked with your name and room number to Lizbeth or put it behind the Comedor. For each kilo of dried and washed rope we charge $2. Scientific assistants: The Station can organise assistants or guides. Price: $3 / hour. DANGERS AND TROUBLE Climate: We are in the tropics and it is warm! Temperatures are pending between 24 C and 36 C. In La Gamba the average precipitation is around 6000mm per year. In January, February and March it is raining very little. The humidity is high during the whole year, always over 80 %. Biting and stitching insects: Mosquitoes are basically active in dusk and dawn respectively at night. Particularly in the rainy season you will encounter a lot of Mosquitos! We do not have Malaria in La Gamba. Coloradillas (Eutrombicula): These, with bare eye not visible mites, put themselves into the lymph glands of their victim. They are harmless, but can cause extreme itching. After a couple of days the body produces anti bodies which kill the parasite. These animals are living mainly in the grass therefore we recommend you not to walk bare foot. Snakes: You can find snakes everywhere, also in the garden of the Station. Some of them are poisonous. Therefore you should always watch your steps and watch out where you put your hands! Since the existence of the 10

12 Tropical Field Station La Gamba there has only been one accident Roy stepped on a Fer-de-Lance. If you are bitten, follow the following instructions: Try to keep cool. Try not to boost your circulation, so walk slowly and avoid running otherwise your blood circulates faster. If you cannot identify the snake, memorize the looks of the snake and take a photo if possible! Inform a staff member of the Field Station La Gamba and go to the nearest hospital as quickly as possible (Golfito or Ciudad Neilly). The doctors in the hospitals perfectly know how to cure snakebites. If there is no car available in the Station, please contact the Esquinas Lodge. MEMBERSHIP To keep the Station running, we need extern financial funds. The association for the promotion of the Tropical Field Station La Gamba takes care of these funds. The more members this association counts, the easier it is to raise funds. Mari, Roy or the Social Servant will be happy to give you a form for the membership of the Association for the promotion of the Tropical Field Station La Gamba, Cost Rica. RAINFOREST DONATIONS You can always buy a symbolic part of the rainforest, respectively support the establishment of biological corridors. The association Rainforest of the Austrians uses your donation to buy rainforest for the extension of the National Park Piedras Blancas, to pay the park rangers and to establish a biological corridor. You can place your donation directly at the office of the Esquinas Rainforest Lodge and receive a certification or write a mail to: verein@regenwald.at 11

13 RESEARCH All those who are living in the Station and working for scientific projects must have an official permission. This permission is issued by MINAET (Ministerio del Ambiente, Energía y Telecomunicaciones). Doing research at the Tropical Field Station without this permission is not permitted. The contact person is: Ing. Javier Guevara Sequeiro Autoridad Administrativa CITES-Costa Rica Investigaciones-OFAU-SIANC Apt. Postal: Calle 1, Avenida 11, San José (300m norte de Radiográfica Costarricense) Telefax: (00506) Tel: (00506) Ext. 274 Cell: (00506) INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE USE OF THE SAFE When the safe is shut: Enter 111 and confirm with *. If the safe does not open, please contact the La Gerencia. When you open the safe, you will find a red button (reset) on the inside of the safe door. Please press this button and enter any number with 3 or 4 numbers, afterwards cofirm with *. Please leave the safe open before you leave the Station. 12

14 ATTACHMENTS Trailmap 13