The Big Field Trip

Our planet has lots of different biomes, the fresh water biome, marine biome, desert biome, tundra biome, forest biome and grassland biome. A biome is an area with similar climate and species. For instance, both the Sahara desert and the Gobi desert are part of the desert biome. They are different continents and some different species, but similar climate. The living species in both deserts are well adapted to dry climate.  On my trip around the world, I have been to many of these different biomes, and my study is centered on the three that I find the most interesting. I have visited the blistering winds of the Sahara desert in Tunisia (the desert biome), the fish filled ocean of the tropical Atlantic in Brazil (the marine biome) and the mighty tree filled South American cloud forest in Peru (the forest biome). I have also studied the animals in these different biomes and the ways they have adapted to their habitat. Many species are competing against each other, and the species that is better adapted to their habitat will rise and the other will fall. In my studies, I also unexpectedly found that some species have found a way to cooperate with other species in order to have a better chance of survival.

I explored the marine biome in Brazil, snorkeling in coral reefs along the beach. Coral reefs are packed with fish, which makes them some of the most important marine habitat. Only 8% of our planet’s waters are sustainable for coral reefs, but most of earth’s fish thrive there. Coral reefs can only be found in shallow waters, usually near the equator in tropical regions of the world (Hawaii, Brazil, Indonesia, etc.).

 Coral reefs are usually found between 10° and 25°C (50° to 77°F). According to the dictionary, a coral reef is a formation, at or near the surface of tropical waters, formed by skeletal deposits of corals. The creatures that live among the coral reefs can range from sharks to microscopic plankton to whales.  

 Coral reefs are usually found between 10° and 25°C (50° to 77°F). According to the dictionary, a coral reef is a formation, at or near the surface of tropical waters, formed by skeletal deposits of corals. The creatures that live among the coral reefs can range from sharks to microscopic plankton to whales.  

Our planet has lots of different biomes, the fresh water biome, marine biome, desert biome, tundra biome, forest biome and grassland biome. A biome is an area with similar climate and species. For instance, both the Sahara desert and the Gobi desert are part of the desert biome. They are different continents and some different species, but similar climate. The living species in both deserts are well adapted to dry climate.  On my trip around the world, I have been to many of these different biomes, and my study is centered on the three that I find the most interesting. I have visited the blistering winds of the Sahara desert in Tunisia (the desert biome), the fish filled ocean of the tropical Atlantic in Brazil (the marine biome) and the mighty tree filled South American cloud forest in Peru (the forest biome). I have also studied the animals in these different biomes and the ways they have adapted to their habitat. Many species are competing against each other, and the species that is better adapted to their habitat will rise and the other will fall. In my studies, I also unexpectedly found that some species have found a way to cooperate with other species in order to have a better chance of survival.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

From The Big Field Trip - Brazil, December, 2008

Corals are “polyps.”  The first Polyp is a small, 1 cm circumference animal. But it multiplies. Soon one polyp is two, and then two become four. The only problem is that polyps grow slowly, so it could take 30 years for the circumference of a coral to grow over a foot. They get carbon dioxide and calcium that is dissolved in the water, and absorb them to make a shell-like cup that they can retreat into. When the polyps die, they leave behind their shells, and other polyps grow over them, making a living skin around the dead coral or limestone. Polyps eat algae by shooting a harpoon-like spear to grab the algae. Then, like a fishing pole, they reel the algae in by a fiber that in connected to the “harpoon.” They reel it into a small chamber, their stomach, to eat the algae.

From The Big Field Trip - Brazil, December, 2008

Coral offers protection to small fish from bigger fish, although some predators have a very good strategy for getting the small fish out of the cracks and crevices of the coral. In Indonesia there are sea snakes that are too slow to catch the fish while they are swimming, but they can wiggle into the coral to corner the fish and eat them. The big fish and the sea snakes work together. First the big fish scare the smaller fish into the coral. Then the snakes can capture the small fish in the cracks of the coral. If any fish escape unnoticed from the sea snakes, they run (more like swim) right into the waiting big fish. I think that it is amazing that the fish and sea snakes work together that way.

From The Big Field Trip - Brazil, December, 2008

Shrimp and gobies in Red Sea coral reefs also cooperate. While the gobies (small fish) watch for predators, the shrimp shovel sand out of the tunnel they share. The shrimp are mostly blind so they can’t see the predators. The shrimp keep track of the gobies by periodically putting antennae on them to make sure they are there. When the gobies dive into the tunnel, they warn the shrimp that predators are coming. The gobies are glad to have a tunnel for protection that they don’t have to dig themselves, so it works out for the two of them.

From The Big Field Trip - Brazil, December, 2008

Some interesting adaptations of coral reef species include the squirrel fish that is nocturnal and has big eyes to see better in the dark. There are also some lobsters and crabs that are nocturnal. Not many sea creatures are nocturnal so this is an advantage because there are both less competition and fewer predators. The flounder, a flat fish, is camouflaged to blend into the sand. Limpets, oysters, barnacles etc. are armored against the waves and are anchored to rocks and coral as to not be swept away by the waves. They also can be in the sunshine and out of the water for long periods of time when it is low tide. Gobies (fish) can jump from pool to pool until they reach the ocean.

From The Big Field Trip - Brazil, December, 2008

My favorite sea creature is the radical mimic octopus. The mimic octopus “mimics” sea predators such as the sea snake and the lionfish by changing its attitude and shape.  This scares other predators away.

Some types of urchin bunch together to avoid predators that don’t mind the urchin’s spikes.  The blue triggerfish blows urchins over so they can eat the softer part inside.

From The Big Field Trip - Brazil, January/February, 2009

The bright colors of coral reef fish seems more like a curse than an adaptation. Wouldn’t you want to bring the least amount of attention to yourself as possible? Actually, the bright fish blend into the type of coral their species lives in. The saw-tooth blennies and other species of fish attack the eyes of their prey, so some fish have stripes over their eyes and dots to trick those predators. Some fish change color to communicate with other fish.

Anemones are poisonous, so not many fish can get near their tentacles without getting hurt, although the anemone fish can. Anemone fish live in anemones and clean the anemones off. In turn, the anemones protect the fish. Anemone fish also scare the anemone’s predators away.

Some coral reef fish store an oil inside of themselves as to not sink into the depths of the ocean and can float without swimming. All species of coral reef creatures have adaptations to their unique habitat.

Did you know that without parrot fish many coral reefs would be dead? The parrot fish eats seaweed like a cow in a field of grass, and if there is too much seaweed in a coral reef ecosystem the seaweed would suffocate the coral  (although too little seaweed is bad also because seaweed is one of the main producers in the coral reef biome). Coral reefs depend on parrot fish the same way sea snakes depend on big fish, and big fish depend on the sea snakes, and shrimp depend on gobies, and gobies depend on shrimp. All coral reef species are interdependent.

From The Big Field Trip - Brazil, December, 2008

When we went to Brazil, we had snorkeling gear and snorkeled in the Atlantic Ocean a lot. There was a great variety of tropical fish there. There were lots of different species of coral and sea creatures. I saw puffer fish, colorful eels, octopi and even a four foot long sea turtle. When I first went snorkeling, it was very cloudy and I couldn’t see very well, but when the sun came out, it was like someone opened a curtain. It was very clear, just like above water. There was a whole world under water at this crowded beach and no one knew it except me.

Sadly, coral reefs are being destroyed worldwide. Some scientists believe that in 2050, only 1% of coral reefs will be in good condition. This is because oil, gas and pesticides are being spilled into the oceans and killing the corals and sea creatures. Also, people are over-collecting coral and many corals are extinct or endangered. Parrot fish are also endangered because their habitat is disappearing and lion fish are coming into their habitat. Lion fish eat lots of other fish, including parrot fish. Without parrot fish, many reefs will be destroyed. Erosion is also bad for coral reefs because it can bury coral and suffocate it. Mangroves are good for coral reefs because they hold back erosion. Sadly, mangroves are being cut down all over the world. Boats are also destroying coral reefs because coral is very sensitive and if you drop an anchor on coral, you will destroy it.  It could take a hundred years for the coral to grow back. Propellers can also harm coral. Global sea temperatures are increasing due to global warming, and coral is very temperature sensitive. As temperatures are increasing, corals are dying. Some coral reef areas are being protected. I hope that they are saved in time so other people can enjoy my colorful experience.

From The Big Field Trip - Brazil, December, 2008

The desert is one of the harshest biomes in the world.  Deserts can be hot, sunny and dry like the Sahara desert or cold and icy like Antarctica. That’s right, Antarctica is a desert. In fact, it is the biggest desert in the world, and is also the continent that receives the least amount of precipitation (snow, rain, hail, sleet) in the world.  The sun melts the ice, so Antarctica is only seven million square miles in the summer, but it stretches about fourteen million square miles in the winter. The Sahara is the 2^nd largest desert in the world. It stretches all across northern Africa, over three million, two hundred fifty thousand square miles.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

The temperature in the Sahara desert can be as high as one hundred thirty-six degrees Fahrenheit in the day and as low as thirteen degrees at night. Despite the harsh conditions of the Sahara (sand storms, drought, extreme heat etc.), it houses over two million people.

Ten thousand five hundred years ago the Sahara was just as hot and dry as today but from then to five thousand five hundred years ago it was green and populated.  Ten thousand five hundred years ago rains turned the Sahara into a livable place for humans, elephants, rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, giraffes and thirty different species of fish more than 6 feet long. People from the crammed Nile valley populated the area which is now the Sahara. They lived there for five hundred years until it stopped raining so much. As it turned back into a desert, many people went back to the Nile valley, but some stayed there and their decedents still live there today. They are known as Berbers. They are well adapted to the conditions of the Sahara.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

Plants in the Sahara also have to be very well adapted to the heat and drought. Euphorbia is the Saharan equivalent to cacti. They save water they get from rare rainstorms in their stems or leaves that have evolved into spines to retain moisture. They aren’t really cacti. The only true cacti are found in the Americas. Euphorbia is more like ice plant or aloe. Saharan grasses have shallow roots, so when rain comes they can absorb as much water as possible. Drought is the number one problem for plants in the Sahara because it only gets about four inches of rain per year, about the same amount the southern U.S. gets in one thunderstorm.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

The animals in the Sahara also have to be well adapted to the heat, sun and dryness. The sand cat has wide paws to keep it from sinking into the sand and also has fur to keep it warm on the cold nights. The long tailed scorpion lives in the south of the Sahara and is eight inches long, making it the largest scorpion in the world. It hides under rocks in the day to escape the heat and hunts in the night. The myth that the ostrich buries its head in the sand comes from the fact that when it hides it puts it’s head on the sand as to avoid being seen from predators. The ostrich lives in the Sahara and is 2^nd fastest animal in the world after the cheetah, which also can be found in the Sahara desert.

The camel stores fat in its hump, not water, and is the only animal that can turn fat into water. Camels can drink 30 gallons of water in 10 minutes! This is important because there might be competition in between the animals of the desert and an animal needs to drink lots of water before other animals arrive. We rode camels in the Northern Sahara, and when we came to some water for them to drink, boy were they thirsty! They slurped thirstily for a few minutes and then didn’t drink again after that.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

When we went to the Sahara desert in Tunisia, we once came to a concrete tub filled with water and from it lead a plastic pipe. When our guide turned a valve on the pipe, water came gushing out. The camels drank and the tub filled up and overflowed. Soon the water made a small ravine, (which shows how well the sand resists erosion), and all of a sudden, two toads came out of the sand and got swept away in the water. These toads bury themselves in the sand, and when water comes they have a drink and a swim.

Sadly, the Saharan animals are dying because of humans.  Tortoises are being killed for their shells and snakes and scorpions to be sold to tourists. Roads are bad for the animals because they get run over, especially tortoises. It is bad when people bring their livestock to a certain area to graze and stay there because the animals can wipe out all the plants there. When the goats and camels take too many leaves off one plant the plant dies. If plants in an area it is hard for plants to start growing there again because plants hold back wind erosion. If farmers keep moving with their herd, it is better for the plants.

People are also using a lot of water and are making it a lot harder for aquatic animals in the desert. The Saharan gazelle is being hunted and only a dozen or so remain in the wild in the northern Sahara.

The Saharan animals are dying but the Sahara is growing. Scientists believe this desert is moving north toward Europe. In 2003 a massive heat wave took fifteen thousand lives in France and three thousand in Italy with temperatures over 100° F. The temperature of the hottest two weeks in Europe could become the coldest and the highest temperature would be unbearable. If the Sahara does move to Europe, many people will have to travel to other parts of the world because of water loss like the people five thousand five hundred years ago moved to the Nile valley.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

Cloud forests are one of the liveliest ecosystems in the world. They are also one of the most threatened.

The last biome that I will tell you about is the Peruvian cloud forest. The elevation where a cloud forest is usually situated is between two thousand and three thousand meters (six thousand six hundred to nine thousand nine hundred feet) above sea level. They are in the clouds, which is why they are called “cloud” forests and they get most of their water from the clouds and the rest from the rain. There are over seven hundred different species of trees in the cloud forest, several hundred species of ferns (some large enough to be considered trees) and thousands of different types of other plants.

From The Big Field Trip - Peru, October 2008

Enormous numbers of epiphytes (moss, orchids, ferns, bromeliads etc.) live on the trunks and branches of trees in the cloud forest. Epiphytes are plants that live on other plants, normally trees although some plants have ways of keeping them off. Epiphytes get their nutrients from grabbing water drops from the clouds.

From The Big Field Trip - Peru, October 2008

            There are many animals and insects in the cloud forest such as the cock of the rock, a rare, beautiful, endangered bird. The cock of the rock is also the national bird of Peru. There were also many types of shiny, colorful beetles. The monkeys that live in the rain forest swing and leap through the trees to avoid predators that may be on the ground.

Hummingbirds migrate to the cloud forests and rain forests part of each year.  They are the only birds that can hover, like a helicopter, and fly backwards so they can stay in the air when drinking nectar from flowers. Their beaks are shaped long and thin so that they can insert them into trumpet shaped flowers to lick the nectar with their long tongues. Hummingbirds are also the smallest birds discovered.

From The Big Field Trip - Peru, October 2008

            Species of insects in the cloud forest are camouflaged like the fish in coral reefs, but color is not the only way camouflage is used. Many insects look like leaves and plants, in color, shape and texture. The most dangerous thing for one of these insects to do is move. If they do, they will probably be detected and eaten. If one of these insects moves, they will probably do it avoiding attention. The stick bug would do so as if moving in the wind. A moth that looks like a leaf will fall off a tree like a leaf getting blown off a tree in the wind.

            The spectacled bear is the largest native bear and carnivore in South America. They can grow over five feet in length and can weigh up to three hundred pounds. They are omnivorous, so they can eat both meat and plants. These bears are called “spectacled” bears because the fur around their eyes looks like glasses or spectacles. Spectacled bears are black with light brown fur around their eyes. When we were in an eco lodge in the cloud forest, our guide Hector told us that two police men shot a bear not knowing it was endangered and ate it! Hector has the bear paw claws and all hanging on his wall.

From The Big Field Trip - Peru, October 2008

These bears are mostly vegetarian, eating fruit, orchid bulbs, cacti and honey. Being great climbers, spectacled bears sit for sometimes days in trees waiting for fruit to ripen. Spectacled bears also might eat small rodents, birds, insects and, if hunger drives them, small cows. Farmers shoot them when they get close to their animals, which is one reason why they are endangered. Logging and clearing land for cattle grazing, destroys their habitat and food source/s.

From The Big Field Trip - Peru, October 2008

The cloud forests and rain forests are being destroyed for cattle grazing and coca plantations. They are logged to provide fuel for both heating and cooking and paved over for roads. Forest covered mountain sides are blown up to get at precious metals. Only three percent of cloud forests remain, and some scientists believe that in ten years from now, all the cloud forests will be utterly destroyed. Only time will tell.

            I have enjoyed all of the natural wonders of the places that I have been to. Some of the most ecosystems are the most threatened or disappearing off the face of the earth. Many species of animals and plants are extinct. In the cloud forest and rain forest, there have been many cures found in plants for human diseases. A plant that was the cure for some incurable disease might be extinct or maybe it is still out there. Most of our commercial fish (tuna, salmon etc.) have spent the young years of their life in coral reefs and mangrove swamps. Without them, there would be a low drop in the amount of fish in the world’s oceans and a high raise in the price of fish. Some of these places are being protected by governments and non-profit groups like Ecoan, but there are some things you can do to help.

From The Big Field Trip - Peru, October 2008

Finally, a list of things YOU can do to save these biomes:

v When driving in any desert, don’t drive to fast or you might hit an animal.

v NEVER think dumping waste in the desert is a good idea, there are animals out there too.

v Buy organic fruits and vegetables. Pesticides can be harmful to you and can get to the ocean, harming sea life.

v NEVER take plants from any desert.

v Never buy a pet that is caught from the wild including cloud forest and rain forest birds and tropical fish.

v Try to buy “Huatusco” coffee or another brand of coffee that is shade grown coffee and grown in the cloud forest. Shade grown means that they

planted the coffee under the trees and did not cut them down.

v If you go to any beach for vacation, be aware! Don’t touch any coral and be careful! Remember how long it took it to grow. Don’t take any animals from tide pools or coral reefs.

v Last but not least, control what you buy. Stay local. Goods produced in other countries may be cheap, but they cause lots of international damage. Don’t buy beef from Peru.  Buy local fast food. International fast food companies buy cheap beef from South America, usually raised on cleared land that used to be rain forest or cloud forest. Don’t buy endangered fish.

Websites about the cloud forest:

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/spectacled-bear.html

http://www.earthwatch.org/europe/downloads/Get_Involved/Ecuador_casestudy.pdf

Websites about coral reefs:

http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=260

http://inchinapinch.com/hab_pgs/marine/coral_%20reef/index.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral

http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/planet-earth/planet-earth.html

http://www.marinereef.org/reports.php?reportid=4

http://books.google.com/books?id=jp4uAYEx_goC&pg=PA190&lpg=PA190&dq=coral+reef+fish+bright+colors+adaptation&source=bl&ots=YPSqOzefkx&sig=8wCLHwS5R02LP3WXctOi9su9odg&hl=en&ei=Wck7SpO7DdKZjAfy-4UY&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2

http://library.thinkquest.org/17456/camouflage3.html

Websites about the Sahara desert:

http://articles.glenns-garden.com/Art/1655/93/Plant-Life-of-the-Sahara.html

http://www.livescience.com/history/060720_sahara_rains.html

http://inchinapinch.com/hab_pgs/terres/desert/desert.htm

http://www.africanculturalcenter.org/3_2_1endangered_detail.html

Tags:   adaptation · Brazil · Cloud Forest · Coral · Coral reef · Peru · TunisiaNo Comments.

From The Big Field Trip - Spain, May, 2009

We have been living in a once Moorish town of Alhama de Granada, Andalucia, Spain for the past few weeks. Andelucia was once a Muslim country ruled by Moors, but it was taken over by the Christians in 1492. Alhama de Granada is a very nice mountain town and has a population of around 5,000 people. Alhama is a one hour drive away from Granada, the closest city. Spain has lots of nice people. Rat-tails are in style here and lots of young people have them. In Spain Jason, Angela, Cruz, Bella, uncle Spencer and I have been having fun eating tapas, hiking in the mountains, and playing on the Mediterranean beaches.

From The Big Field Trip - Spain, May, 2009

We live in a five story house in a town called Alhama de Granada. We have two English boys as our neighbors named Clement and Luca. Clement is three and Luca is five, so Cruz is right in between. The school hours here are nine a.m. to two p.m., so Luca gets home at two-fifteen. On weekends(when we aren’t doing something) Cruz plays from sun up to sun down. Superman (Clement) does also. Their parents are James and Lisa. They also have a gigantic dog named Sasan. Our house is about 15 yards away from the church so we can hear the church bells ringing every half hour. A few blocks away from our house is a nice park with a kids playground and a few restaurants close by. For some reason, old men wearing dress pants, long sleeved shirts, vests, dress shoes and hats sit there every day, even when it’s super hot outside. Bella likes to feed the dogs around the restaurants.

From The Big Field Trip - Spain, May, 2009

                                                                                                                    <—- Sasan and Bella

From The Big Field Trip - Spain, May, 2009

The Alhambra, a palace in Granada, is one of the most beautiful structures in the world and Alhama is only a one hour drive away. We went there a week ago. It was brilliant. This Arabic palace was built by the Moors then taken over by the Christians. The plaster moldings on the ceilings and walls were very intricate. They were made by first carving designs into wood, and then pouring plaster into it to make a tessellating design. They would put the plaster pieces on the wall. There were fountains with water piped from miles uphill and in the pools were goldfish. There was a cat that was trying to catch a fish in the palace garden, but Bella scared it off when she tried to pet it. It would have been a great photo. We had to get our tickets in advance because about 6,500 people go there each day!

From The Big Field Trip - Spain, May, 2009

We have been on quite a few hikes in Spain. On my favorite hike, near both the Mediterranean and the Sierra Nevadas, I saw a very small deer, many lizards, including a lizard with a green and black pattern on its back, birds and other wildlife. There was some sort of spiky plant that stung for about ten minutes if you brushed against it. Pretty soon, Cruz was looking at each plant to see what kind of plant it was. The Sierra Nevadas are the tallest mountain range in Spain and Spain is the second most mountainous country in Europe. We have a deep canyon a few blocks from our house. Sometimes we go on hikes or walks with our neighbors and Sasan. The canyon has a small river with fish and lots of birds. It also has a trail called “the path of angels.” It is a great walk.

From The Big Field Trip - Spain, May, 2009

The food in Spain is very good. There are snacks called tapas, which means “lids”. This comes from when the King came to a town in Southern Spain. A villager was afraid that some dust would get in the King’s wine, so he put a slice of cheese and ham over it to block the dust. After that the King asked for another glass of wine and another tapa. The Tapas are lots of small snacks that can be put together into one big meal. Tapas can range from a slice of cheese to grilled asparagus wrapped in ham. Olive oil is served with almost every meal, mostly with bread. The Spanish have a small breakfast, large lunch, and a small, late dinner.

From The Big Field Trip - Spain, May, 2009

Spain is on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. We played football on the Mediterranean beaches a few times. We also did in Tunisia, but without the football. The water here is cold, but in Brazil it is warmer and houses tropical fish which you will learn about in my next report.

Until then,

Cyrus

From The Big Field Trip - Spain, May, 2009

Tags:   Andalucia · Europe · Olive Oil · Olives · Spain3 Comments

When I went to southern Tunisia, I saw how much the environment affected the people and the way they lived. For example, the people (nomads) traveled for great distances in the Sahara with there flocks of goats and/or camels. They did this because there is only a little bit of nutrients in every acre in the Sahara, so the flocks have to keep moving. Every few days, the “desert wanderers” stop at an oasis to fill up on water. These nomads are away from home for about 6 months. I wonder how they find things out like who was voted for as the President. When we crossed a nomad camel herder on the road far from any town he asked us for a newspaper. Or maybe they could stop at a local Saharan news stand! (Just kidding).

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

You would think that in the Sahara the nomads would wear short sleeve clothing too keep cool, but they actually wear long clothes (and turbans).  They do this to protect themselves from the sun sand and wind. The cloth they use as clothing is light-weight, so it is not too hot. The clothes also prevent water from evaporating from their skin, so they do not have to drink so much water.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

When we were driving in the Sahara desert we saw peas! In southern Tunisia it does not rain very much so when it does, the rain water rushes off the mesas and it makes small riverbeds. The people here build large, dirt barriers where the rain flows in the dry riverbed to capture the water. They also dig trenches to their wheat fields. The people mostly plant plants such as date palms and olive trees.  The date palms and olive trees can grow in the south unlike many other plants because they can grow with out much water.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

Some Berber farmers make their homes underground (like in Bula Regia) or into hillsides to keep cool. On the outside these houses look like a door put into a hillside . When you go into one of these houses, you usually go into a small, dark corridor then come into an open courtyard with doors all around you leading into small, underground rooms. The underground rooms feel very comfortable and safe. The farmers divert the little rain water they get into large, underground cisterns to use later. They may also have wells.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

When we went to Tozeur we met Yousef’s friend, Souffien.  Souffien owns two hectares of land in a large palmeraie in an oasis. In the shade of his date palms, he also plants grapes, figs, pomegranates, bananas, and in the summer a vegetable garden.  He gets 6 hours of water from the oasis per week per hectare. This seems a like small amount, but when you hear how much water comes out of the pipe it seems like too much. Twenty to thirty liters per second! If the people use 15 minutes over their time they get thrown in jail! The watering times are one after the other, and everyone uses the same pipe. So if someone’s water pressure is too low, they call the police and the police go over to the house of the person before the caller’s and take them to jail. 

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

Souffien hires two people to help him. Their job (when we were there) was to pollinate the dates. Virtually all of the palms in the palmeraie are female because these are the ones that make dates. Farmers like Souffien take the pollen part (the part that creates the dusty pollen) from a male date palm, climb up into a few female trees with the male part of branch and leave it there for the wind to spread the pollen. These few female trees are playing the part of males. The people Souffien hired get 7 dinar (about 5 dollars) per day. When I saw a sixty year old man climb up a twenty foot tall palm tree with his bare hands (and feet) I was amazed!

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

People have been living in Southern Tunisia for over ten thousand years. They are influenced by all of the people that have come there over time, from the Carthaginians to the Arabs. But the most important thing that has influenced the way they live is their climate.

Tags:   adaptation · Desert · Sahara · Tunisia2 Comments

My family and I went to Douz to arrange a camel trek. We were planning on going into the Sahara Desert for two days. We planned on camping in the Sahara for a night. I was really excited, but I was worried. I even had a nightmare that I was riding on my two humped camel and I fell off. I burned myself on the hot, hot sand. Scorpions came and stung me. I was dying of thirst. I shouldn’t have been worried. Even though a camel kicked my head and I saw a scorpion, I had a really, really fun time.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

We started at nine in the morning. My family went with our guide Youssef, and two other guides to guide the camels. My camel was a cute, brown haired, furry baby camel. (Even though it was only three years old, it was taller than me!)  Youssef (our guide) had a camel that had a bubble of cheek at the right side of his mouth that filled up with air and bubbled out every few minutes. It looked like a bubble of blood.  Every times it did it while I was walking it I would say “duck!” or “You have such an ugly tone that sometimes you sound like a pigeon”.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

Papa’s camel was about like Youssef’s camel, except he didn’t have a bubble of blood in his mouth. Mama’s camel was just like that except he was nicer than papa’s camel. He had a big cut on his face and a nose ring on his soft nose. Cy’s camel was not like our camels, but he was goldish brownish and he had a whole lot of rope burns on his face. When we got on the camels, Youssef said, “You guys can choose your camels and I’ll have the one let with Cruz”. I decided to pick out my baby camel and everybody chose their camels that were not babies.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

When we were starting our camel trek, we were on our own camels except for Cruz. Cruz was pretending that the camel was very, very bumpy. He was bouncing up and down and up and down again, like a horse was bucking him up and down. It made him dizzy, so he stopped after some time.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

When we were riding on our camels we passed through some sand dunes! We saw some camel bones and Cruz said. “Did somebody here eat a camel puke the bones out?”

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

I said “No, the camel probably died by natural causes.” I saw some small tracks in the sand, and I thought they were scorpion tracks. I said, “Papa! Look there is a scorpion nearby.”

And he said, “They’re beetle tracks.” I said nothing because I did not believe him.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

As the camels walked I saw more desert creatures. As the camels walked I saw lizards, beetles, and ants stuck in big huge dunes. There were also fox tracks. After awhile of being on the camels, our butts got sore and our camels were not walking on sand. They were walking on dirt and salt!

After four hours of being on the camels, the guides, Papa, Mama, Youssef, Cy, and Cruz got our lunch ready and sat under a tree while I herded the camels. Whenever I wanted to sit on a camel, I made a hissing sound like a wild cat to make the camel kneel. I rode on mine for a few, and then everyone called, “Bella! Where are you?”

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

I said, “I am over here, herding the camels.”

They said, “Come on! We’re going to show you how to make bread.” So I came over and saw a heap of ashes and sand.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

 I said “Where is the bread?”

“Under the heap of ashes and sand,” they said. I said “How can that pile of sand and ashes be bread?”

They said, “First we put the flour and water into a big bowl, next we mixed it around ‘til it turns into dough. Then we put sand and ashes on top of it.”

When I heard that, I was amazed at that activity of making the bread that way. With sand and ashes, I was double amazed. When I ate the bread, I was triple amazed that it did not taste like sand and ashes. It was actually really delicious, and I ate some and gobbled it up.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

When I was done with my lunch, I went back to herding the camels, but the camels were not in sight, so I was so freaked out.  When I looked around for the second time, my camel came to me and sniffed my fingers for leftovers. I asked him where the rest of the camels were, and he moaned and groaned for food, so I gave him some crust and the other camels came sniffed my fingers for food too. I said “Where were you, camels?” And then they moaned and groaned, I said, “I don’t have any more, but I will get some if you let me pull you by your leashes.”

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

I pulled them along until we got back under the tree, and I gave them some crust, including my camel, which already ate a lot of crust. When I brought them back to the group, we rode on them. When my butt got sore, I jumped off and walked. When we were all tired out, we stopped to camp for the night and I had to write in my journal while everyone else played in the Sahara sand (dunes). When I finished my journal we went out to watch the sunset. When we watched the sunset, I fell down a dune by accident, and Cy said, “Cruz, come on! Let’s see what Bella is up to now.”

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

And Cruz said, “OK.” And Cruz and Cy tumbled down after me down the dune.

When we went too far, my parents would say, “Kids, come back, because you went too far!” So we went back and tumbled down a dune closer to Mama and Papa.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

When we had to go, I found a bottle to kick, Mama said I would have to pick it up and put it in a trash can. When I came back to the tent it was all set up. We wanted to make the night like camping in Kansas instead of in the middle of the Sahara Desert, so we made a campfire to heat up our food. When they made the fire, Cy tried to make a small fire, and the other one died out. Cy’s turned out to be the main fire to heat up the couscous. Cy was very proud of himself, but he almost burned his hand on the fire.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

After we ate the couscous, we sang some songs. We sang songs like “On the Road Again” in English, and then Youseff played drums (on the empty water bottles) while the camel guides sang songs in Arabic. I thought the songs were really cool, but they were strange. After eating couscous and singing, we realized that the camels were gone, so we hiked to another person’s camp and they had three camels. We went to talk to them. We sat by their fire, and they gave us some strong mint tea. (The closer we get to the Sahara Desert, the stronger the tea is.) After that I was tired so the camel guide said that I could sleep inside his jacket and I did.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

Sooner or later I fell asleep. When we were walking back to our camp (I was on Papa’s shoulders and Cy was riding bareback on his camel) I thought there were scorpions, and I told Papa that I thought there were scorpions.

He said, “Possible.”

When we went back to the camp to go to sleep for the night I didn’t fuss about going in any certain type of bed. (We actually didn’t have beds; we had mats on the sand to sleep on and, fortunately, blankets.) Papa laid me on a mat and I fell back to sleep.

In the morning we ate sand bread and date jelly for breakfast. After that our guide named Laminne showed us a scorpion, and he was charming it. When he was charming it, it crawled all over his bare hand and it never stinged him. Eventually it jumped off his hand and ran back to his scorpion home. And after that we got back on the camels again. When we stopped for lunch we had macaroni soup and sand bread. The soup was spicy, the macaroni was hot, and the sand bread was just perfect for me. When the camels went too far, I herded them back. Cy and I rolled down the sand dunes again.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

After lunch we got back on our camels and less than ten minutes later we reached an oasis for the camels to drink from. When the oasis overflowed, toads jumped out from under the sand, and I caught two. After that we went on our camels again. When my butt got sore, I walked leading my camel.  I wasn’t looking where I was going and it trampled me. It stepped on my heel and I fell down on the rocks, then it kicked my head. I was really lucky that I wasn’t 100% hurt.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

Then we came back and returned the camels. That was the end of our two day journey in the Sahara Desert. After my experience in the desert I was really, really good at making the camels do my commands and making them kneel. It was a really fun experience in the desert. I miss my camel.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

Tags:   Desert · Sahara · Tunisia2 Comments

Ancient Roman amphitheaters are stair like stone benches built around arena to form an oval. The Roman Empire built around 230 amphitheaters. The largest one, called the Coliseum, is in Rome and the 3^rd largest is in El Jem, Tunisia. The shows in these amphitheaters were put on by rich people. There were gladiator fights, horse races, executions, plays, and in the great Coliseum of Rome, sea battles. They flooded the underground chambers and the water flooded the arena. In the Coliseum of Rome, over 1 million animals and one hundred ten thousand people were killed. The animals were rhinoceros, elephants, ostriches, giant ox, tigers, lions, and many other great cats imported from all over the Mediterranean (including Tunisia). Sometimes in the Coliseum people put animals and planted plants in the arena and had plays. The people who were sentenced to death had a part in the play and died heroically. When we went to Europe three years ago we saw the Roman Coliseum.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

The amphitheater in El Jem is the largest in Africa. We went there on the third of April, 2009. There were many sandstone archways and benches. There was a large arena in the middle, like a football stadium except it was elliptical. In the middle of the oval there was a small opening, about ten by five feet. This was for the gladiators and animals to rise unexpectedly out of. The circumference of this coliseum was 427 meters and seated 6,000 – 7,000 people. It was built in the Third Century AD. El Jem was first built into a hillside and seated 3,000 – 4,000 people, but it grew. It was also the third largest coliseum in the Roman Empire. People who were rich through olive oil trade funded the shows in the amphitheater of El Jem. The senators were seated in the front, equestrians (the people rich enough to own war horses – like knights) came next, then the poor people and women stood in the back.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

I gaze at the many large ancient sandstone arches of the amphitheater of El Jem. As I step inside, my sight becomes dim. I am in one of many vaulted hallways. I squint as I come into the arena. I can imagine people in the sandstone benches 25 feet in front of me cheering. Cruz jumps up and down in the middle of the dirt field, screaming happily. I go over to him and see that he is on a grate. I look down and see a hallway below me. I spy a staircase leading down. I run down to find a large vault. I walk one way to find the tunnel barricaded. Then I walk the other way. There are rooms both on my left and on my right. I can almost see the animals that were kept there 1700 years ago (I sure can smell them – or it might be cat urine). I reach the middle where the grate is. I wave up at Cruz, who laughs happily. I climb up one of many staircases, up to the arena. I reach more sandstone steps leading upward. I run up them and walk up the stair-like benches. At the top I walk on the top bench and look down on the city of El Jem. I run down to the arena, then run to the opposite wall. I go in a vault and climb up the steps, less than half a dozen flights. As I reach the top, the wind blows. I look out at the amphitheater, the city of El Jem, and the olive fields beyond…

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

The stone in the coliseum in El Jem and Rome were quarried from the high sea cliffs of El Houaria. Today you can still see the marks where the Romans took out the rock. The Romans did not like the hard top layer of stone; they liked the softer under layer. Only the top of the sea cliffs remain forming an overhang. Some of these have collapsed into the sea. As I walked along the sea cliffs of El Houaria I saw fossilized shells. I remember seeing fossils in the stone of the amphitheater of El Jem.  It amazes me that the Romans could bring stone all the way from Tunisia to Rome and construct an amphitheater that tall, wide and long with the tools of that time.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

Tags:   Romans · Tunisia2 Comments

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

Ksar Hadada is a large granary (a ksar is a Berber granary) that was used for hundreds of years, but is now a tourist site. It is a few miles northwest of the town Tatouine. This ksar was used as a hotel that was closed in 1998. It was also used as a movie set for Star Wars 1 - The Phantom Menace. It was built to store and protect barley, wheat, and olive oil. The ksar is made of stone, gypsum, and mud. The ksar is built of overlapping vaults stacked on top of each other, so it looks like the scales of a fish. It reminded me of New Mexican adobe houses.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

When Hadada was used as a ksar, their were soldiers patrolling at all times. There was also a high wall that protected the ksar. There was a trusted holy man whose job was to make sure that no one took too much wheat or barley out of their savings. This made something like a bank. Each vault was called a garfa. Each family owned a garfa. The people stored there grain here so it would be safe from lootings.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

Only a small part of Ksar Hadada was used to film Star Wars. That part was rebuilt, but in about 20 steps from the set was the part that was in ruins. When we got to Ksar Hadada, we first went through the large high walls surrounding Hadada. The place that we first came to was where Star Wars was filmed. We ran through the arches, vaults and rooms. In about 20 steps from the entrance, we came to the three story high buildings. They each had two or three garfas stacked on top of each other. There were steps usually on the outside of the buildings. The farther we went in, the more ruined it became. It was very fun (and dangerous) to play hide-and-seek among the rubble.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, April, 2009

Hadada is being made into a hotel, like many ancient ruins in the area. Hopefully other tourists will come and share my great experience.

Tags:   Berber · Tunisia1 Comment

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, March, 2009

I am writing about the Tunisian market. We go to the market every few days to buy food. Friday is the biggest market day. The market is less than a mile from our home. Sometimes we walk there and sometimes we take a taxi. Sometimes we go with our guide or language teacher. People in the market speak Arabic and French.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, March, 2009

Thunk! A butcher wearing a bloody apron hits a rabbit with a knife. Hungry cats, skinny as sticks, meow because they smell fresh fish. Rats scurry under feet looking for green olives that have rolled on to the ground. People yell out what they are selling.  “Potatoes!” “Tomatoes!” they yell in Arabic. Juicy oranges are handed out and silver Dinars are taken in. People lower their price to make a good deal. A little boy looks at a toy bus that is on a table covered with stuffed animals and plastic trucks. His sister stares at a little doll. Clothes are piled on tables. In front of a pet store birds chirp and puppies howl from behind metal bars. Horses pull carts filled with fennel. Ladies look through a pile of leather purses. Men look at a load of clean and new pairs of black and blue jeans. An old woman carries groceries home, helped by her grandson.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, March, 2009

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, March, 2009

Tags:   market · Tunisia2 Comments

Beni Khiar is a small town in Tunisia near Nabuel, the town were we live. There is a small weaving cooperative in Beni Khiar. Men operate looms by hand. They make fabric which is cut and sewn into jackets and rugs. We went there on Sunday to see them weave.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, March, 2009

Whirr! A man spins thread through a spool as we enter the building. Shec, Shec, Shec. Someone cuts cloth into clothing. Crash, crash, crash! A noise comes from upstairs. Clump, clump, clump. We walk upstairs. The smell of lambs wool and tobacco hangs in the air. Swish, a spool of yarn skates across a loom leaving some thread behind. Thump, the weaver pulls back part of the loom to make the thread and cloth one. Stomp. the weaver steps on one of four pedals with his bare feet. Ssshhhe, ssshhhe, ssshhhe, the weaver combs the finished cloth. Snip, snip, snip, scissors trim the rough edges of the cloth. The coals shine in a clay pot, orange shining out from the grey ash like the sun emerging on a sunny day. The coals heat a bronze pot of sweet, mint tea, rewarding the weaver.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, March, 2009

Tags:   clothing · nabuel · Tunisia · weaving2 Comments

We drove to Bula Regia on the morning of Sunday, March 15^th. Bula Regia was built by the Romans.  When the Romans defeated the Phoenicians in the 3^rd Punic War, they took over this part of Africa. The people who lived here were people from Rome, Romanized Berbers, and Berber slaves. The Berbers were the people who lived in Northern Africa before the Romans and the Phoenicians.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, March, 2009

Romans built there houses underground to escape the burning summer heat of 120° F! Only the dinning room and the bedrooms were underground. The homes had columns and arches to hold the roof up. In one house there were cleverly placed hexagonal windows to reduce weight upon the columns. Hexagonal windows and building underground are Berber ideas. There were high steps leading down to the underground rooms. This is a sign that Berbers lived there because Berbers were taller than the Romans.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, March, 2009

There were different mosaics in each household.  Each house was named after its mosaic. The mosaics were made of tiny colored stones and sometimes expensive glass imported from Rome. From faraway these mosaics looked like paintings, but up close you could see that they were stones that were arranged very closely together. The mosaics were pictures of daily life like hunting and farming, the people who lived in the household, the Roman gods, sea creatures, or geometric designs. One mosaic of a woman who lived in a household used blue diamonds for her eyes. Unfortunately these diamonds were yanked out and stolen, and were replaced by blue glass.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, March, 2009

But if it was so hot and dry, why did people live here? There was plenty of space and good soil to plant wheat. This area supplied 80% of the wheat for Rome. Mountains surrounded this valley. In the winter they capture a lot of snow and rain, which would stay in the soil. The roofs of the homes were slanted so that when it rained, the rain would wash into ceramic pipes which would lead to an underground cistern. It would provide drinking water for the household for the rest of the year. There was also warm spring nearby. The spring fed the large bathhouse. The Romans bathed once a day. The Romans in Bula Regia also had a sewer system which was advance for that time. The bathrooms were located on the ground floor and sewer pipes were underneath the road.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, March, 2009

One of the things that made the Roman army so successful was the roads that they built. The roads were maintained and soldiers and traders were able to travel quickly. In addition to wheat, People here also traded large wild cats like lions and panthers to bring to the Coliseum in Rome. Now large cats are extinct in Northern Africa. Bula Regia is by yellow marble cliffs. Yellow marble was highly valued in Rome, so the people traded yellow marble as well. Bula Regia was destroyed when the Roman Empire fell. It was also damaged by a series of earthquakes. Even though Bula Regia was mostly destroyed, and most of the mosaics were taken to the Bardo Museum in the capital, Tunis, Bula Regia is still a very interesting place.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, March, 2009

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Our family has been in Tunisia for two weeks. We have a house in Nabeul. It is three blocks from the Mediterranean Sea. Nabeul is a small city – a bit smaller than Santa Fe, NM. Unfortunately we are not in the desert, but we are planning a trip to the Sahara for next week. When we walk on the beach we often see people fishing.  Once we saw a man in a wetsuit who was spear-fishing. When he came to shore we saw he had two octopi, a cuttlefish, and several other small fish skewered on a spear.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, March, 2009

Tunisians love fresh fish. When you go to a restaurant, they will often bring a tray of whole fresh fish (clear eyes indicate freshness) right to your table to choose from. You can order them prepared any way you want. Couscous is the national dish. It is a small grain (semolina) that is steamed and served with meat (usually chicken) and vegetables. Tunisians practice Islam, a different religion from Christianity. In this religion, eating pork and drinking alcohol is not allowed. However there are some bars, and Tunisia makes a lot of wine. Unlike other Muslim countries, religious rules are not the law.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, March, 2009

From our home we can hear the Muslim call to prayer each day. Five times a day - at sunrise, noon, afternoon, sunset and night – we hear prayers being sung from towers (minarets), which are scattered throughout town. The prayers are verses from the Quran, the Holy book of Islam. When stores open in the morning, they may play a cd that has Muslim prayers being sung. This is like a blessing to begin the business day.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, March, 2009

We have been to Tunis, the capital, to Northern Tunisia, and to the Cap Bon peninsula. The markets, called souqs, are interesting. They sell stuffed camels and lots of souvenirs for tourists. We bought two small tortoises in the Nabeul’s craft souq. In the food market they sell lots of fruits and vegetables like fennel, olives, oranges, tomatoes, and yellow carrots. The oranges are tart and make great orange juice – for just 1 Dinar (about 70 cents) per glass. We have had lots of good food. Some of it reminds us of home. Harissa is a paste made out of red chiles and spices. Tunisians eat it with olive oil and baguettes (French bread). Mechouia salad is made with roasted green chiles. It is served with hard-boiled eggs, olives, and tuna. It is also eaten with French bread. The chiles taste just like New Mexico chiles. Besides the great bread, the Tunisians also make delicious pastries and sweets. Food – especially bread – is cheap here. Today we loaded up a bag with 4 baguettes, 5 sweet pastries, 6 cinnamon twists, and 2 giant scones. It cost less than 3 dinar (about 2 dollars).

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, March, 2009

We went on a trip this weekend to a town called Kelibia on the Cap Bon Peninsula. It was very cold and windy – it is spring here, like in Santa Fe. We took a loage (a small bus) through the countryside and saw lots of agriculture. There were olive trees, orange trees, wheat, wine grapes, people harvesting fennel, people planting tomato seedlings, and small flocks of sheep and goats. There were many small lagoons by the sea. There were flamingos, ducks, and other waterfowl. Falcons circled overhead searching for food. Kelibia has an old fort that has been used since the time of Carthage. The wind almost blew us over the ramparts. Despite the cold, it was an awesome place to play hide-and-seek. Cyrus freaked Angela out when he jumped out from a shuttered window in a chamber under the wall.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, March, 2009

People are very helpful and nice here. We have a guide named Yussef. Yussef speaks English, Italian, French, and Arabic. He took us to a crazy soccer game. When the other visiting team scored, the fans threw water bottles and flaming flares onto the field.  We left before the fans tore out the seats. Luckily, there were armored police below – to act as targets. Yussef took us on a trip to northern Tunisia. He is planning on taking us on a week-long trip to the desert. He is from a desert town called Tatouine (yes, it where Luke Skywalker was from too). We will ride into the desert on camels and camp in a Berber tent for the night. Hopefully Yussef will bring an oud (an Oriental guitar). He plays and sings very well. Yussef is also trying to set up an interview with the newspaper. It would be cool to have our family’s story written in Arabic and French. We’ll get a copy scanned for the website if this happens.

From The Big Field Trip - Tunisia, March, 2009

In Tunisia they speak French and Arabic. We are taking French lessons and are picking up a little Arabic here and there. The Tunisian Arabic is a little different from standard Arabic. For instance, “thank you” in Standard Arabic is pronounced “shook-ran” and is pronounced “eye-shack” in Tunisian Arabic. We can’t read Arabic yet – they use a different alphabet, and they write from right to left instead of left to right. Fortunately they use the same number system – in fact, the Arabs invented the number system we used. They even invented algebra and were the first to use a symbol for zero.

We hope to get back to you soon,

   Jason, Cyrus and Bella

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