Friends in the forest: Coşkun

By Brinna Barlow

A large part of novel scientific research is the collection of samples, which will eventually be converted into numbers for quantitative, data-driven analysis. Most of my career as an ecologist has focussed on sample-collection or “fieldwork”, whether that be for my own research, as a research assistant collecting samples for another researcher or working for a Non-Government Organisation. Often this work takes place in remote locations: secluded savannahs, remote rainforest, and other far-flung fields. Despite the isolation of locations, this is not isolating work. It’s important to have at least one teammate for safety, efficiency and (hopefully) for fun.  

In this series of blogs entitled “friends in the field” I would like to introduce some of the people who have made my research possible and to share their experience of what it means to do fieldwork in Hong Kong. 

In this second instalment I would like to introduce Coşkun, he is Anglo-Turkish having been raised in both these countries. He is a first generation graduate student currently reading a PhD in the Biodiversity and Ecological Change lab at the University of Hong Kong. 

My first question is: have you had previous ecological fieldwork experience?

Yes

What is that experience?

So, I’ve worked in freshwater field surveying in East England, in Norfolk. We were surveying crayfish in rivers, catching them, I had to put on waders and spend hours standing in rivers. I also spent time surveying ponds for invertebrates, catching fish and surveying herbaceous plants species along the coast and in salt marshes. So quite a lot. Also in Wales, I did quite a bit there, but that was looking at succession of grazing from sheep. So, there’s all that and I also did some air pollution monitoring around London. 

Wow, that’s a lot. So, that’s interesting: you’ve mentioned that you have done aquatic invertebrate surveys and also succession which are the two things that we are looking into with the current research. Did you have a good grasp of the research that we were doing before you came on field work?

No, I didn’t, I didn’t, I joined as a loose cannon and then slowly but surely found out through talking to you.

Ok. Now you’ll have to think back because of course we have already done fieldwork [together]. But what were your expectations for the fieldwork before you came out?

I expected to get very hot and covered in bugs and very muddy and very dirty and that was it. That was the limit of my expectations. 

Ok great, and were those expectations met?

No, I actually got cold, there were barely any bugs on me.

Well, it’s winter!

There was one day that we went out where I got totally covered in mud do you remember?

Yup, yes I remember. Good day.

Apart from that it’s been pretty chill to be honest.

Ok well come out in summer and we can meet some more of those expectations. 

Some more mud?

Definitely. Tell me, what was something that surprised you about coming out for fieldwork?

Um, how cold it gets in Hong Kong.

Yeah? Have you not had a winter here before?

I did but I never actually felt cold until in rained and was cold at the same time. At that time I felt cold and started to appreciate that this environment has a lot of variation. 

It does, it really does, it has about a 30°C swing, crazy.

That is mad. 

Yes. So, the only surprise was to do with the weather, not with the work?

Um, the works was kind of just as you would expect, I guess.

Ok well I am glad that I set you up in good stead not to be surprised by the work. So how in general was the overall experience?

Positive, you feel like you go out into the field with Brinna, you’re in safe hands. You [Brinna] know what you’re doing. 

Aw, that’s so sweet, I thought you were about to make me look bad. 

Haha, please, please put the gun down. 

Haha, ok are those the end of your comments?

Yes.

Great.

[Disclaimer: there was no gun I promise]