Hi everyone! Small intro as I just joined the mailing list: I’m Stéphane De Greef, Environmental Engineer from Belgium, currently working in Cocobolo Nature Reserve, central Panama. Some of you may already know me for my photography work, my few publications the biodiversity of Cambodia (where I lived for 13 years until last December), or my admin job on The Entomology Group on Facebook (www.fb.com/groups/TheEntomologyGroup).
My work in Panama focuses on surveying and documenting insects and other terrestrial arthropods, science communication and coordinating research for the Cocobolo reserve and its field station, where I’m currently based. The diversity of the place is astounding, considering its key location at the narrowest part of the mesoamerican biological bridge. We get South American and Central American species, Caribbean and Pacific influences, and an elevation gradient from rainforests at 200m to cloud forests at 800m. The dry season is from January to March and the rainy season from April to December. I’m happy to inform you that our field station has recently been upgraded and is now fully operational. We will be open all year long, except at the high of the rainy season (usually Oct-Nov) when high river levels make the access difficult. We’re only 2 to 3 hours drive northeast of Panama City and have a capacity of 20+ persons, with comfortable tent accommodation, large working/research/tuition space, kitchen, showers, electricity and broadband internet. We welcome anyone interested in conducting entomology field courses, research and related activities. Having a special interest in Entomology, I welcome any idea, suggestion or proposition of collaboration. Also, from 27 August to 3 September 2017, I’ll be conducting the first BugCamp, a week-long introduction to the diversity of neotropical arthropods for the general public. Not really targeting professional entomologists, it has been developed for people with no specific backgrounding in biology who want to experience the tropics and learn about insects, arachnids and myriapods. I still have a few spots lefts for the camp and will likely conduct more in 2018. For more information and pictures about: - my photography & SciComm work: www.stephanedegreef.com / www.fb.com/stephane.degreef.photography - the reserve: www.crea-panama.org/cocobolo-nature-reserve/ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UzryjjH-6g - the field station: www.crea-panama.org/cocobolo-nature-reserve/field-station/ - the arthropods diversity: www.inaturalist.org/projects/cocobolo-nature-reserve-inventory - the upcoming tropical entomology camp for general public: www.bugcamps.com If you have any question or might be interested in working with us, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly at steph...@stephanedegreef.com. See you soon! Stéphane --- Stéphane De Greef Resident Scientist Cocobolo Nature Reserve, Panama www.Crea-Panama.org • Fb.com/CocoboloNature Skype: stephane_degreef
