Ecotourism and Volunteer Works

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."Smile, you are at the Chapada!"
Photo: © Daniel De Granville, 2009

For the second time since the program was created ( first time was in January 2007), I have just returned from the field trip with students of Austin College (TX) during their Jan Term named “Brazilian Ecosystems”.

We spent almost three weeks visiting the Brazilian Savannas of Chapada dos Veadeiros, the Atlantic Rainforest of The Ribeira Valley and Lagamar and the city of São Paulo. Besides in-depth views of each environment, at the Chapada dos Veadeiros we developed socioenvironmental works with students from the “Escola do Sertão de Alto Paraíso”, resulting in a series of banners in English aimed at informing tourists who come to the National Park. A relatively simple task, but whose results are extremely important to grant proper orientation and safety for foreign visitors that come to the region in increasing numbers.

Among other institutions, the initiative was planned and supported by the board of Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park, Ambiental Expedições and Travessia Ecoturismo.

My first Month’s Gallery of 2009 brings a selection of the best images captured during these works with the students.

To see the images, please click on the "MONTH'S GALLERY" icon, located on the right-side column of Fotograma’s main page. If you experience any problems, please try this alternative link.


A cicada has its body covered by fungi at the Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil.
Photo: © Daniel De Granville, 2009
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Spiders in my Backyard: Part 3

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.This spider uses its web to build a kind of tent under the leaf,
where it remains protected together with its egg sac.
Photo: © Daniel De Granville, 2009

Parts 1 and 2 of this story took place some months ago at the Japi Mountains, where I was living until recently.

This time both scenes were registered on the same day at our new home in Bonito, one effectively in the backyard and the other inside the house. These are my first shots of 2009!

This one has just found dinner
in my living room!
Photo: © Daniel De Granville, 2009
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... And Two Potoo Too

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. The image of a Common Potoo with its chick
was my best Christmas present!
Photo: © Daniel De Granville, 2008

After leaving the Japi Mountains and driving for 15 hours, we arrived at our new home in Bonito early evening, right after sunset. Besides the heat, the first and most remarkable impression was the soundscape, dominated by the nearly deafening call of cicadas. Up on the tree by the porch, a tropical screech-owl was also welcoming us.

The next morning came to show that I had to find my cameras and lenses ASAP, among piles and more piles of cardboard boxes that brought our belongings in a truck. The bird songs, mainly jays, wake us up early. During the first day, at least three tegu lizards – one of them over three feet long – took calm strolls across our garden, not caring about our presence. More things came as the week went by, including a family of coatis in our backyard and a harmless vine snake who decided to check out our toilet bowl (!).

The present post brings two of the first photos that I took during this new phase, in the hope that much more will come. One of them (shiny cowbird) was taken from our porch; the other (potoo) at a friends’ house less than two miles away. I could only register the scene thanks to the kindness of these friends, who told me about the birds in their garden and opened the doors so that I could photograph. A great Christmas present!

If our porch at the Japi Mountains offered countless photo opportunities for my moments of lazy photographer, I bet that Bonito will be no different! :-)

Shiny cowbird feeding on a Marmelo fruit
by our porch, the first picture
that I took after arriving here.
Photo: © Daniel De Granville, 2008
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