Entry 1 (Noon on Saturday, June 14th)

Greetings you kind souls who read other peoples blogs,

If you are reading this you have found my blog which I will post to occasionally on my travels back to Thailand. If this is beginning to sound like De-ja-vu then... I apologize. There will be many exciting posts with photos of volunteering plants, animals (i hope), people, places, smiles, etc.

This time IS different, however. My travels have a defined and strong purpose. Not to discount those without purpose - their's is the travel which opens minds and multiplies possibilities. But for me this time I will be taking advantage of opportunities which have developed in front of me.

This last school year I have been very lucky. I have lived in a great house, with fab friends all around. I have worked hard and done well in school. I was offered and accepted a great job working with a grad student who has become both a friend and a role model as well as a boss(but not bossy!). My beautiful sister has just married (see 'Mike & Emily' http://www.blog.lifestagevideography.com/) a funny, classy, calm fireman who brings so much to my family and... The number of blessings that I have been given has been overwhelming and I can only do my very best to accept them thankfully.

This last year I was awarded a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship which will pay for my expenses for my research on the 2004 Tsunami and its effects both long and short term on mangrove plant communities in Southwest Thailand, Phang-Nga province.

As you can see from the photo below I will be working in the same area as I was in 2006-2007.


These mangroves were badly damaged by the Tsunami. Mangrove forests provide a wide variety of ecosystem services which greatly enhance coastlines, including the main source of nursery habitat for fish, eroding sediment fixation, effective diffusers against harsh weather(Hurricanes & Tsunamis), among many others. The main anthropogenic threat to mangrove forests are the construction of shrimp farms and general coastal development.

I will be studying the long term effects of the Tsunami on Mangrove communities looking at salinity spikes which may or may not be a concern this long after the Tsunami. I will be chronicling the status of mangrove communities and species makeup. My field data will be compared with that of a graduate student's field work from 2002. This way we are trying to assess the situation before and after the Tsunami in a way which is new and original.

The Island, called Koh Phra Thong (or island of the golden Buddha), is relatively remote requiring a 2hr boat ride out. There is electricity for only a few hours at night. While on the island I don't expect to keep this blog updated but before arriving I should have adequate internet access.

Whether the project is a success or not, when I step off the plane in Bangkok I will have accomplished a self-designed goal to return to my 2nd home with a purpose for being there. If you read my last blog you should get a sense of the development of this goal. These are very exciting times and I am happy I can share them with you and with myself again in 6months, 2 years, and further.