Fungal and Plant Diversity of Central French Guiana

Instructions for Expedition Members

Scott Mori
The New York Botanical Garden
Bronx, New York 10458-5126
Tel.: (718) 817-8629
Fax: (718) 562-6780
E-mail: smori@nybg.org

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As part of a long-term study of the botany of lowland, moist forest in French Guiana, The New York Botanical Garden directs a series of expeditions to this department of France located in northeastern South America. The expeditions are led by Scott Mori and are done in collaboration with the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD).

The official currency is the euro (the symbol for the euro is €) which is about equal to the dollar in value. For example, in January 2003, the Euro purchased 1.075 dollars. Dollars can be exchanged easily in Cayenne, but, if expedition members will not be in Cayenne before going into the field, dollars or other currencies should be exchanged for euros in their home countries. This can be done at nearly the same rate as in French Guiana. Exchange rates in airports are lower than can be obtained elsewhere, and travelers checks are extremely difficult to exchange and always bring lower rates than cash. Participants must bring sufficient euros to cover their own expenses. The expedition leaders will not have adequate funds available to provide loans to expedition members.

French Guiana is an overseas department of France. Expedition members are required to have a valid passport. No visas are needed for entry into French Guiana by U.S. citizens and members of the European common market for stays of less than three months. Participants from other parts of the world must call their local French consulate to determine the requirements for their visits to French Guiana. All non-U.S. citizens must travel with the proper documentation to allow them to enter or re-enter the United States if that is part of their itinerary. This may mean traveling with a return airline ticket from the U.S. to the country of their citizenship. All expenses involved with travel document irregularities will be paid by the expedition member. This includes phone calls, extra taxi fares, airline penalties, etc.

Expeditions generally originate in New York and proceed from there to Miami where an overnight stay is required because of the early morning departure of the flight to Cayenne. The flight most often used is Air France 3747 which departs at 8:15 a.m. and arrives in Cayenne at 7:15 p.m. Total flight time is about six hours but there are stops in Port-au-Prince (Haiti), Point-a-Pitre (Guadeloupe), and Fort-de France (Martinique). Upon arrival in Cayenne, we are either met at the airport by Joep Moonen who runs an ecotourism business, or we take a taxi from the airport into Cayenne (ca. 20 kilometers and 20 minutes) to a hotel (usually the Central Hotel). Taxi fare to or from Cayenne costs $25 to $30. If you have excessive luggage, you may be charged more. Travel schedules are subject to change and should be confirmed before traveling.

Expedition members whose expenses are not covered by the expedition are required to make their own travel arrangements. This can be done through Carol Zoccolillo at World Travel Specialists (tel. (800) 431-9698 ext. 205), or by using an internet service such as Travelocity.com or Orbitz.com.

Current airfare costs (as of January 2003) are as follows:

            New York/Miami..................... $300.00 
            Miami/Cayenne/Miami.................$931.84 
                                              _________
                                         Total $1231.84

The New York/Miami flight varies greatly in cost. One can find flights for as low as $200 if an intervening stop is accepted. In contrast, at certain times of the year, the flight may cost as much as $600.

Transportation in French Guiana depends on the destination of the expedition. A round-trip flight Cayenne/Saül/Cayenne costs approximately $150; a helicopter ride for five passengers to Camp Inselberg at the Nouragues Field Station costs about $2,000 round-trip, and boat transportation from Regina to Saut Pararé costs $30 per person for the taxi ride from Cayenne to Regina and $450 for the boat ride from Regina to Saut Pararé. The larger boat can accommodate 10 passengers and a great deal of luggage. It is an eight kilometer walk to the Nouragues Field station from Saut Pararé and this will take three to five hours depending upon the condition of the hiker and the load carried. Helicopter and boat trips require payment of both legs of the trip so costs can be reduced by combining trips with other groups. Instructions for trips to the Nouragues Field station are found at the Nouragues website (www.cnrs.fr/nouragues/).

On downstream trips, in order to make it through the rapids of the Approuague River during daylight hours the boat must depart from Saut Pararé no later than 1:30 p.m. Early departures, however, provide a greater margin for error.

Please note that prices may change and that all costs fluctuate according to variations in the exchange rate.

The weight limit for international flights is 32 kilos (70 pounds) per piece and only two pieces of check-in luggage are allowed free-of-charge. Each participant is allowed 10 kilos (22 pounds) of baggage on commercial flights within French Guiana. The high cost of excess baggage should be considered when planning trip expenses.

In French Guiana, we stay in hotels, at tourist camps, at research stations such as the Nouragues Field Stations at Camp Inselberg or Camp Arataye, or anywhere that we can hang our hammocks. Note, however, that camping can be dangerous because of thievery and assault. Rates vary from a minimum of $20 per person per day for room and board to as much as $60 per day.

Participants are required to bring their own hammocks, a blanket or summer sleeping bag, a towel, a mosquito net, and a canteen. Other packing suggestions are included in the packing list linked from the home page of "Expedition Information."

Soft drinks, beer, wine, other alcoholic drinks, and desserts are not paid for from expedition funds even for those whose expenses are covered by the expedition. It is the responsibility of the expedition member to keep track of these expenses and to reimburse the expedition leader for them. It is also the responsibility of those not covered by expedition funds to ask for separate receipts and pay for their own meals.

On some of our expeditions, we will walk to our base camps. For example, the walk from the airport in Saül to Eaux Claires is seven kilometers and that from Saut Pararé to Camp Inselberg is eight kilometers. Most hikers can average 2-3 kilometers per hour walking along trails in tropical rain forest. Each expedition member is responsible for knowing how much he or she can carry, for making sure that they are in good enough condition for this kind of hiking, and for having books that are well broken in. Previous expedition members have been able to carry 18 to 27 kilo packs but, obviously, the heavier the pack the greater the difficulty and the greater the chance of an accident or of the possibility of damaging the hiker's feet. On a recent expedition, one of the strongest expedition members was confined to camp for a week because of infected feet caused by carrying too heavy of a load while wearing ill-fitting boots. Under no circumstances should expedition members carry more than one pack, i.e., day packs should be accommodated in the main pack until the destination is reached and not carried separately in the front.

At least one liter of drinking water should be carried for every five kilometers walked, but this varies with the needs of different individuals. Expedition members should make sure that they carry enough water for their own needs and should not ask others to supply them with water. In the interior of French Guiana, stream water is often safe for consumption, but even there previous expedition members have come down with girardia and amoebic dysentery as a result of drinking directly from streams. Therefore, I recommend that expedition members treat their drinking water with purification tablets or by filtration. On some expeditions, a drip filter will be provided by the expedition leader. When a communal filter is available, all expedition members drinking from it must share in the work of keeping it filled.

Bathrooms with showers and flush toilets are available and toilet paper is provided at some places. However, in other areas the toilet is the forest and the shower is the stream. In areas without toilets, beetles and flies clean up human waste rapidly. In places where the toilet is the forest, the toilet paper should be burned.  Urinating is prohibited in the vicinity of camp shelters.

Clothes are washed by hand. Each expedition member should bring soap for bathing and find out from the expedition leader if communal soap is available for washing clothes. Personal toiletries are not provided by the expedition, but in some places toilet paper is available. For bathing in streams, a bathing suit or other suitable attire should be worn, i.e., bathing in the nude is prohibited.

In many areas nocturnal insects such the sand flies that carry leishmaniasis are present. Therefore, it is advisable to wear long pants and socks with the legs of the pants tucked into the socks. Sometimes the temperature will drop low enough in the evening to warrant wearing a sweater.

The work day begins at 6:30 a.m. (daybreak) with removal of dried plants from the presses. Breakfast and supper are at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., respectively. Departure for field work is usually at 8:00 a.m. On botanical collection expeditions, the entire day is spent in the field with the exception of the first and last days which are spent unpacking and packing equipment. Departure from the field is planned such that expedition members reach home camp with enough time for handling collections and bathing before supper. For expeditions of less than two weeks, there are no days off.

At some camps, the expedition members must share in all aspects of camp maintenance from cooking to dispensing of garbage generated by the group. Participants are expected to do what they can without being asked. If they do not participate, they will be asked to do so by the expedition leader.

It is recommended that expedition members bring a Tupperware box for carrying their lunch into the field. Each person is responsible for bringing enough water to last the entire day. In some areas, streams allow for canteens to be refilled, but on some days the group will be working on ridges and water may not be easily available.

Smoking is not allowed within the camp shelters.

Interpersonal relationships should follow the same norms as those required during a work day at The New York Botanical Garden. For example, drinking alcoholic beverages and interpersonal behavior not acceptable at the Garden is also not allowed during expeditions sponsored by the Garden.

As in any tropical area, there are dangers that each expedition member should be aware of. Insects, snakes, disease, spines on plants, and getting lost in the forest are the most frequent.

Any expedition member known to have an allergic reaction to insect stings must bring along antihistamines and epinephrine and inform the expedition leader of their allergy. Bot flies (Dermatobia hominis) are relatively common and should be removed as soon as they are detected in order to avoid infection. Walking barefoot anywhere in the tropics is not recommended because of a small flea (Tunga penetrans) that often burrows into feet, especially around the toenails. However, they do not carry disease, can easily be removed, and are therefore only a minor nuisance. Several other parasites, such as hookworm, are also contracted by walking barefoot. Chiggers (an arachnid) are common and, although not dangerous, can be a source of major discomfort. Considerable relief for chigger bites is obtained with the topical application of Ascabiol (a French product) which is indicated for the treatment of scabies as well as chiggers. Sulphur powder dusted around the socks and waist is an effective chigger preventative.

The most dangerous snakes are the bushmaster (Lachesis muta) and the various species of fer-de-lance (Bothrops and Bothriopsis spp.). Coral snakes (Micrurus spp.) are also present but they only become dangerous if handled. Under no circumstances should snakes of any kind be handled by expedition members! Procedure in case of snake bite will be discussed at the beginning of each expedition.

Malaria does occur in central French Guiana. However, the incidence is not high in most areas. Expedition members should contact their physician or the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia (404-332-4559, www.cdc.gov/travel/) or, if you wish to speak with a person, you can call JFK Airport in New York
(718-553-1685) for advice on taking antimalarials. Malaria is carried by night flying mosquitoes. Dengue fever is a viral disease carried by diurnal mosquitoes. Two of our expedition members have contracted dengue fever and were very sick for one to several weeks. Malaria and dengue fever are best prevented by avoiding mosquito bites (wear protective clothing and use repellent). Aspirin should not be used to alleviate the symptoms of dengue fever because the blood thinning properties of aspirin exacerbate the hemorrhagic affects of the fever. Therefore, pain killers other than aspirin should be included in personal first-aid kits.
Leishmaniasis, a tropical ulcer caused by a flagellate protozoan and transmitted by sand flies, does occur in the area from time to time, especially at the onset of the rainy season. Some of our expedition members contracted very bad infections of this disease while on our September 1995 expedition. Both were probably infected as they slept in the canopy of an emergent Caryocar tree. The best preventative for leishmaniasis is to avoid the bites of sand flies which are most active around dusk. Long pants and long-sleeve shirts as well as mosquito repellent effectively deter sand flies. It is also highly recommended that expedition members sleep under a mosquito net. In the United States, treatment of leishmaniasis is a 21-28 day extremely unpleasant regime of injections of stibogluconate sodium (pentostam) that can only be given under a doctor's supervision. Hospitalization of at least several days is required at the beginning of the treatment. A less expensive and shorter course of cure is available in French Guiana.  Cutaneous larva migrans (a round worm, Ancylostoma caninum) is infrequently picked up via contact with animals in the village or by researchers climbing into trees. It is best to avoid petting or handling dogs and cats. This infection is treated with topical applications or oral ingestion of thiabendazole, msd (trade name Mintezol). The topical application works well and does not cause the side effects associated with the oral ingestion.

The forests of central French Guiana are rich in spine-bearing palms of the genera Bactris and Astrocaryum. Special care must be taken not to grab hold of, back into, or fall onto their spines.

Getting lost is a constant danger in tropical forests. Please remember that French Guiana harbors some of the last wilderness areas in the world. Although the trails we work on are usually well marked, tree falls sometimes obscure the way. In order to safely pass them, one person should go ahead and find the trail while the others stay on the trail. If it is necessary to leave the trail, mark your way with colored ribbon or blazes so that you can find your way back to the trail. Whistles should be carried by all expedition members and, if an expedition member is lost, the whistle should be blown with three short blasts, followed by three long blasts, and finished with three short blasts. If you become lost, please sit down and wait for help to arrive. Expedition members should inform the leaders where they intend to be on a given day. If you have not returned by 6:00 p.m., a party will be sent out to look for you the same evening if that is feasible. If it is not feasible, the search will begin the following morning. The searchers will make their presence known by shotgun blasts and by signaling with their whistles. The lost person should respond with his whistle.

Expedition members should work in groups of at least two but preferably in groups of three. It is especially important to avoid tree climbing when alone.

It is required that expedition members be fully insured. We also recommend extra trip insurance that includes coverage of emergency evacuation from the research site. The following companies provide such insurance: Access America (800-284-8300), Travel Guard (800-826-1300), Travelex (800-228-9792), and World Travel Center (402-397-3311).

Collections are usually gathered in sets of at least three, one for NY, another for CAY, and another for the
specialist. Additional duplicates are collected for species known to be not well represented in herbaria.
Specialists accompanying our expeditions may collect the families of their expertise on their own collection
series. Duplicates for CAY and NY are to be separated before the specialist departs from French Guiana.
The expedition leaders are responsible for general collections. Arrangements can be made with them to have duplicates exchanged with the participants' home institutions. Potential expedition members wishing to collect on their own number series must clear this with the expedition leaders and must be willing to pay for the cost of materials, including transport, and for the gas used to dry the specimens. They must also handle all of their own collections in the field, provide duplicates for CAY and NY before departing, and leave a copy of their field notes with the expedition leader before departing French Guiana. Labels for duplicates should be sent promptly to CAY and NY.

French Guiana is a department of France, and prices, as in Paris, are high. A double room in a modest hotel is ca. $50.00/night. Continental breakfast is $6.00, lunch made from food purchased in a grocery store is ca. $5.00, and dinner in a restaurant ranges from $10-$20. Alcoholic beverages and desserts are not paid for by the expedition.

While in Cayenne, we will be working in the herbarium of IRD-Cayenne which is about a 30 minute walk from hotels in the center of town. Because the cab fare is expensive, we walk unless we are loaded with too much baggage.