Flora turned 30 years old today. We sang happy birthday and ate birthday cake last night. The team chipped in to give Flora a small "grant" to purchase some classroom supplies so that she can follow up with a track trap project of her own in Corumba, Brazil. She carefully packed the collection of plaster casts we made into her carry-on while the rest of us stuffed our bags and said good byes to our fazenda friends. We will send her pictures and videos as well to help support her lessons and open communication between Hudson and Brazilian students around environmental issues in our respective countries.

The team worked very hard and long hours in tough hot humid conditions during their time here in the Pantanal. Their efforts as research assistants are very important to each PI and to the overall project "Saving the Pantanal."

		Vitor and an opossum wave goodbye from the Pantanal.

We would like to commend Earthwatch and Conservation International on their efforts to conserve these wetlands. We especially thank Susan Rauchwerk, Director of Education at Earthwatch Institute, for providing the grant and supporting this project which brought Hudson students here. We will continue our work in Hudson, Massachusetts and be spokespeople to spread the "word" about the Earthwatch projects underway in the Pantanal and the importance of biodiversity everywhere. Additionally, we will communicate with Flora and Wanda, the Brazilian teachers, Helen, the giant otter PI, Ellen, Vitor, Natalie, Diogo and Manoel, about each other's ongoing research by e-mail.