FIELD TRIPS NICARAGUA 2003
MUSEO ENTOMOLOGICO DE LEON

Dear friends, we are planned now the field trips in Nicaragua for 2003.

We offer several package but it is always possible to ask for other dates if you plan to organise a group. The prices are very variables due to the internal plane transport in some trips and depending also if the group stay in lodge or in hotels.

Two groups of trips are proposed in 3 different periods each.
The first group is organized by the Entomological Museum of León by it self and will be mostly sedentary, intented for people who want mainly collected during the day and the night.

The other group of field trips are organised by Solentiname Tours with entomological support of Entomological Museum of León. The tour is also intented for people who want collecting but also see different places.

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I. Tours organised by Entomological Museum.

3 set of two weeks.
Can be taken 1 week separately of two weeks together.

Sunday 25 th of May to saturday 31 th of May : Domitila
Sunday 1 st of June to saturday 7 th of June : Bartola
This one is the best period for scarabs light trapping if rain comes normally at end of may.
New moon (black night) is 31 th of may.

Sunday 22 th of June to saturday 28 th of June : Domitila
Sunday 29 th of June to saturday 5 th of July : Bartola
This one could be very good also for scarabs light trapping.
New moon is 29 th June.

Sunday 19 th of October to saturday 25 th of October : Domitila
Sunday 26 th of October to saturday 1 st of November : Bartola
New moon is 25 th October.

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Domitila Field Station.

Near of the city of Granada, the field station of Domitila is inside a Private Protected Area, recognized in 2001 by the Environment Ministry. The station is completely new, built in 2000/2001. A field trip has been done in 2002.

The landscape is a mix of 3 main elements :
remnants of tropical dry forest.
Regrowths on old agricultural fields
Acuatic ecosystems as the place is close to the Granada Lake.

Schedule :
Day 1 (Sunday) : arrival of people to Hotel Las Mercedes (night in this Hotel).
Day 2 : small meeting (half an hour).
transport to Domitila field station.
Small introduction on Domitila by the owner.
Lunch.
Free time
Dinner
Light trap collecting.
Days 3-4-5 : free time for collecting.
Day 6 : collecting in the morning or/and packing.
Lunch
Back to Las Mercedes Hotel in the afternoon (night in Las Mercedes).
Day 7 (saturday) : flying back home.

CONDITIONS
Price : 500 US $ pre-paid.
All include (inside Nicaragua travels, hotel, field stations, meals).
Not include : alcoholic beverages, phone calls, visa and airport taxes.
Participant number : 12 maximum.

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Bartola Field Station.

Near of the small old town of El Castillo, on the Río San Juan, the field station of Bartola is inside a Private Area, joint to the State Protected Area of Indio-Maíz, the second biggest protected area of Nicaragua. The field station is on Río Bartola and on Río San Juan, with a very big rain forest. Field trips has been organised here in 2000 and 2002.

The landscape is only rainforest, just walking one hundred meters from the station and you are inside the rain forest.

Schedule :
Day 1 (sunday) : arrival of people to Hotel Las Mercedes (night in this Hotel).
Day 2 : small meeting (half an hour).
Flying to San Carlos.
Lunch at San Carlos.
Navigation by boat to El Castillo
Navigation to Bartola (reaching at night), installation in rooms.
Dinner.
? Light trap collecting.
Days 3-4-5 : free time for collecting all the day and night.
Day 6 : Boating to El Castillo and San Carlos
Lunch at San Carlos.
Flying to Managua.
Back to Las Mercedes Hotel in the afternoon (night in Las Mercedes).
Day 7 : flying back home.

CONDITIONS
Price : 700 US $ pre-paid.
All include (inside Nicaragua travels, hotel, field stations, meals).
Not include : alcoholic beverages, phone calls, visa and airport taxes.
Participant number : 12 maximum.

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Conditions of the Entomological Museum Field Trips.

The field-trips are not entomology courses, they are just organized to make your travel to Nicaragua easier and cheaper. We organize the transport and accommodation in interesting places. We also organize the exportation and collecting permits. We can understand and speak spanish, french and english.

Collecting permits and agreements :

Each participant sign an agreement with the Entomological Museum. In the agreement the participant accepts to send back 1 specimen of each species or a picture of each species he can identify. That agreement allows the participant to use the export permits of the Entomological Museum.
The collecting permits are valid only for insects and other invertebrates. For vertebrates, only observation and photography, no collecting.

Collecting facilities :

Each participant will bring with him his own material to work.
We will take a generator and one light trap (shared between participants).
Normally in Bartola field station there is a big generator powering the lodge, so if someone wants to use his own light trap with a long cord from the house it will be possible.

What to bring with you :
To work : each participant is responsible to bring and care for his/her own material. In Nicaragua it is possible to find batteries and films but it could be very difficult to find parts of specific material. Avoid very heavy material, difficult to bring with you during the day trips.
To sleep : Mosquito net are provided locally. We will be in humid season so there can fly some mosquitoes in Río San Juan. A flashlight.
To eat. If vegetarian or needing a special diet, please advise with time to the organizer.
To smoke : for smokers, remember no smoking in plane, bus and rooms. Most of the common area are opened so smoke will repell mosquitoes.
For aquatic transport (there will be aquatic transports to to Bartola, on Río San Juan) : think in prepare some big plastic bags to packing the bags, better if the night before,in the hotel, pack each stuff in a plastic bag. Also packing some fragile stuff in plastic bags to avoid humidity damage.
Security : Nicaragua is a quiet place but we recommend using a belt to put under the clothes, with special pockets to put money, credit cards, plane tickets, passport and other values). Keep apart a xerox of all your papers. As in all countries, keep an eye on your luggage.
Medicine : if you are taking some medicine, take enough for the all field trip, in Nicaragua there are many pharmacy but very few different medicines. Ask your doctor's advice on anti-malaria treatment, to take normally 15 days before and after the trip. There are not many health problems in Nicaragua. Recommendation: do not drink water if not sure it is safe and take care to the food in the streets. There will be free clean water in both lodges. Think also to a canteen or a bottle to carry the water. A small personal first-aid kit. Add also some strong anti-histaminic (for ant and wasp sting, there are also some urticant plants), Imodium or equivalent, something for stomach problems and head hake. Some fungic dust for the feet. Repellent for mosquitoes.
For the field : comfortable shoes to walk, with good socks to avoid blister problems. A light bag to go in the fields, to take material to work and some water.
Clothes : light, better cotton made. Comfortable shoes to walk and light sandals to rest in the station. A sun hat and a very light raincoat.
Music : all music material with earplugs.

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II. SOLENTINAME TOURS FIELD TRIPS.

Solentiname field trips are think mostly for butterfly and diurnal insects people loving (catching of photographying). As many travels are done, less light trapping is possible.

Scheduled field trips :

3 th to 12 th of July.
7 th to 16 th of August.
6 th to 15 th of November.

Schedule

Friday
1. Day (-/-/-) Reception at the airport, Transfer to the Hotel,
Overnight at Hotel Best Western Las Mercedes

Saturday
2. Day (B/L/D) Transfer to Matagalpa
Overnight at Hotel Selva Negra

Sunday
3. Day (B/L/D)
Overnight at Hotel Selva Negra

Monday
4. Day (B/L/D) Transfer to the Airport Managua, flight to San Carlos, boat
transfer to Solentiname, Overnight at Hotel Mancarrón

Tuesday
5. Day (B/L/D) Tour to Island Mancarróncito
Overnight at the Hotel Mancarrón

Wednesday
6. Day (B/L/D) Boat transfer on the Rio San Juan to Bartola
Overnight at Refugio Bartola

Thursday
7. Day (B/L/D) Farewell Dinner
Overnight at Refugio Bartola

Friday
8. Day (B/L/C) Overnight Hotel Best Western Las Mercedes

Saturday
9. Day (B/-/-) Transfer to the Airport

Prices
Price per person in US $ (in base of double occupancy)
Minimum of 06 persons : 930U$

Price includes :
· 8 Nights at the hotels of the itinerary
· Meal mentioned in the itinerary
· Ground, air and boat transfers
· Scientific Guide Dr. Jean Michel Maes

Price does not includes :
· Extras at the Hotels
· Airport Taxes (International and Local)
· Border fees
· Tips for porters at hotels and airports, drivers, bellboys, waiters and Chambermaids
· Travel Insurance
We would be more than happy to have your opinion as soon as possible, sowe can organise the field trips you want to participate.
For transport and lodgment we need to make reservations long time before the field trip, so better if you can advise as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Jean-Michel.

Countact :
Jean-Michel MAES
jmmaes@ibw.com.ni

A.P. 527 (Do not use DHL or similar)
León
Nicaragua

tel. 505-0-311-6586
fax. 505-0-311-0126

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