by Meg | Jun 22, 2017 | Science |
Having just returned from my month long stay in China, there seems to be no rest for the weary. With our reintroduction and weaning research opening up in Gengda in August, we are frantically putting together all of the pieces. In order to ensure a smooth transition,...
by Meg | Jun 16, 2017 | Science |
I’ve had a whirlwind of experiences in China and I can’t believe it’s been nearly a month since arriving! From waking up early to study pandas, to flavorful spicy foods, and the scenic view outside my bedroom window, many things are refreshingly different from...
by Meg | Jun 12, 2017 | PDXWildlife |
The cool aspect of traveling to Guiyang by hired car is that my close confidant, Mr. Cheng, offered to drive me in his fancy new Cadillac. I like to joke with him that he looks like a gangster with the oversized rims and blacked out windows. Traveling from Ya’an,...
by Meg | Jun 9, 2017 | PDXWildlife |
Tuesday was silently celebrated as all of the interns hit the benchmark 90% inter-observer reliability required to independently collect behavioral data. This marks a significant “breathing” point, as they can rest with the fact that they have a set...
by Meg | Jun 5, 2017 | Science |
Studying animals and their behavior has come a long way since the pure behaviorism of Skinner and his colleagues. In those darker days, a form of Cartesian thought reigned supreme and non-human animals were basically assumed to operate purely on the basis of...
by Meg | Jun 3, 2017 | Panda |
Having a solid week of sunshine and 80 degree weather kept us spoiled while training on the multiple behavior studies here at Bifengxia. That was, until today. Even though the clouds are taking pity on us with a light drizzle, without an umbrella you would be soaked...
by Meg | Jun 2, 2017 | Internship |
Our first week at Bifengxia has been filled with panda observations, training in the behavioral studies, and meeting the CCRCGP staff. One of the first things you notice about the pandas is the amount of time spent eating—and the amount of feces that surround them. As...
by Meg | May 31, 2017 | Science |
PDXWildlife founders (Nathan & Meghan) first began conducting research in China in 2010. What seems like an eternity ago, we are now quickly approaching a decades worth of data collection. As female pandas are reproductively viable by about 4+ years of age, cubs...
by Meg | May 28, 2017 | Internship |
When the interns first arrive, a laundry list of items have to be taken care of. Police station to register, tour of the city, choosing a bedroom, groceries, ATM, going over apartment rules, base rules, safety, and working together as a team. This usually takes place...
by Meg | May 24, 2017 | Science |
I’m currently in Dujiangyan accompanying Dr. Kersey (pictured above) for training the staff in fecal hormone analysis. We’ve had a productive couple of days, but as part of this trip I was supposed to drop off our male-male competition fecal samples for...
