Volunteers Joins Biophysical Survey in Mts. Irid-Angelo

by Arnel Almazan

The terrestrial faunal group orient and exposed the volunteers, Cristina Vergara, Algert Eric Bedke, and Jonanthan Nepomuceno, about the different methodologies on terrestrial faunal survey designs appropriate for a forested habitats in the Biophysical Survey conducted in General Nakar, Quezon within Mts.Irid-Angelo in 2007.  Accepted methodologies practiced by the team during the faunal surveys includes the 40 hours transects for birds, the use of mist net and traps for birds and small mammals.

The Volunteers assisted in setting up nets and putting up traps at strategic locations in the forest, retrieving captures and proper handling of live specimens during processing.

In addition, volunteers are oriented to some of the birdwatching basics like bird identifications utilizing the sounds coming from bird calls and from afar using a binoculars. Similarly, presentations with topics related to environmental issues are assigned to the volunteers and are presented every night after assessment before we all go to bed.

Besides from the latter surveys, they also did the vegetation survey through measuring and recording the size and type of the species found in the transect line with the help of the technical persons. More importantly, they have learned how to do the vegetation analysis through the experience from actually doing the method of the survey.