Ruth O'Kelly-Lynch, our intrepid reporter

RUTH O'KELLY-LYNCH, JASON X Student Argonaut

Dan Fogelberg once said, "The higher you climb the more you see; the more you see the less you know; the less you know the more you yearn; the more you yearn the higher you climb", and this quote sums up my entire "Wet and Wild Adventure" in the Amazon.  I spent nine amazing days as a Jason X Argo in Peru last March and spent every minute of it asking questions, exploring the rainforest and soaking up the amazing sights and sounds.

However my JASON adventure didn't begin last March in Peru, it began over a year and a half ago in Bermuda when I applied to be an Argo.  Every year the Bermuda Biological Station for Research offers high school students across the island the chance to apply for the JASON project.  The application involves sending your school transcript, two teacher recommendations, a list of all extra circular activities and leadership positions you've held and two essays.  One on a science you like and the other on why you should be chosen.  BBSR then interviews 10 semi finalists. Out of those ten three finalists are chosen and their applications are sent to the JASON board, where hopefully one will be chosen to join the JASON Project team.

The JASON project is a foundation that strives to excite children about science and technology by using telepresence, which allows kids across the world to see everything as it's happening.  Every year the foundations picks a new location and project. This year we studied the rainforest.

Setting up for a boat trip

Before going to Peru I was required to do certain experiments, similar to those we would do on sight.   One of these experiments was a water study; I had to find out how salty our ocean is, how much oxygen there is in the water, how many plants and animals there are in the water.  I went to Elbow Beach and waded into the water and started my study, one tourist came over and quietly asked if as a health inspector I thought the water was safe to swim in.  I quickly assured the worried guest that I was merely a high school student doing a biology experiment and not a health inspector.  I was also required to read some books and articles on the Peruvian Rainforest.

The local community was very helpful. The sales ladies at the Harbor Master saved all the silica gel from their handbags and gave it to me because I was told to bring the gel to keep my camera dry.  Miss. Young at True Reflections gave me Bermuda T-shirts to trade with the Peruvians.  The Bermuda Biological Station provided me with film for my camera, clothes for the expedition and the apparatus needed to conduct my experiments, and of course Cable and Wireless sponsored the Bermuda Pin site.

House in an Indian Village

When I arrived in Peru I was unsure of what to expect. I'd been told horror stories about expeditions in the Peruvian Rainforest.  I'd been told that the accommodations were extremely basic, but all this proved to be unnecessary.  We stayed at the ACEER Camp, which was beautiful.  We lived in houses on stilts, there was no electricity and no hot water but all this was irrelevant.  The atmosphere at camp was incredibly relaxing.  We would come back from our broadcast every day to be warmly greeted by our guides. We would then run straight to the freezing showers that actually proved to be cooling and refreshing after a long day in the jungle.  When we came out of the showers we had the option of having a peppermint wash that came from the local witch doctor's garden. You would stick your head over the railing by the kitchen and a guide would pour this wash into you hair and massage your head.  The wash left you feeling revitalized and refreshed.  After our peppermint washes we would have dinner, which always consisted of three things, rice, beans and fish. However we never got tired of this because each dinner was unlike the one before. 

After dinner there was always an activity planned. One night we went on an insect hike and saw the most amazing insects, another night we went on the canopy walk way to watch the stars, and another night we went on a boat ride down the river.  After our nightly excursion we met in the hall to talk about what had happened that day and what we were to expect the next day.  We would then get into groups and type out our online journal that was, and still is, posted on the JASON web page.  We would finish our web page at 11pm and then we would be free. No one went straight to bed: some people played cards and others talked.

   I would always go to the dining hall, which was actually a room on stilts with a thatched roof and mesh screen 'walls', this meant that the room was very cool at night,  and it contained hammocks.  There was no electricity at ACEER, therefore our only light at night was from kerosene lamps, so every night I would lie in my hammock with my journal and a kerosene lamp and write about my day while the Peruvian guides played their guitars and sang.

Our days were as busy as our nights, we would wake up at 6:00 or 6:30 and have breakfast, which was probably the worst meal of the day. Most of us didn't eat the actual meal and had soda crackers and herbal tea instead.  After breakfast we would go to our various locations, which depended on your schedule for the day.  If you were on camera with Bob Ballard or were down at the ethnobotanical garden you went to the NAPO camp, and if you were on the canopy walk way or shooting the segments on the frogs or insects you went to a make-shift camp in the jungle.  On these days we would have five live broadcasts, so the day was spent sticking to the tight schedule and memorizing our lines.  During these days the scientists would teach us as much as they could. 

There were also days when you were off camera, and these were my favorite.  While I enjoyed being on camera and working with the scientists I was thrilled to have off camera days, and lucky for me 4 of my 8 days were off camera.  Now this doesn't mean these days were unproductive, it was quite the opposite.  No one sits off at the JASON Project.  If you are seen doing nothing someone grabs you and gives you a job, or tells you about theirs, and that's what I loved.  You were never sure what you'd be doing next or whom you'd be helping.  I learned more on my days off than I did on camera.

One day off I was sent to a nearby village to videotape different aspects of the villagers' daily life.  The villagers showed my how to thatch a roof, weave a basket and make their local alcoholic beverage Musaca.  When I got back to camp I was sent to the editing room to work with the video technician and we turned my 45 minutes of taping into a 3-minute mini documentary, which I would show and talk about the next day on all the live broadcasts.  Another free day was spent running errands for the technicians and learning about their jobs. Nick, the technician in charge of all the microphones and audio aids in the show, showed me how to work his 'Mike board' and then let me help him for the last two live broadcasts.  I spent another free day learning how to canoe, went piranha fishing with our local guides, got a three-week tattoo from the shaman (witch doctor) and was interviewed by CNN.  As you can see there really was never a free day in the JASON Project.

Another aspect of the JASON Project that I enjoyed was the fact that people talked to us as if we were their equals.  The scientists never acted as though our questions were dumb and would happily answer them, they would also ask our opinions on how the day had gone and what could be done to make the next day smoother.  The technicians and crew were also easy to approach. It was not an uncommon sight to find an Argo hanging out with crew members at lunch or talking with a scientist late into the night.  I learned a lot from these people and not just about the rainforest, but also about choosing a college and career and about life in general. I also learned about myself. Before JASON X I had thought that I'd like to end up working in international business but now I know I would like to end up in journalism, preferably television journalism. Some of my fondest memories were nights spent on the hammocks talking with various scientists and technicians, who all came from such different walks of life and learning how they ended up where they are and what they hoped to do in the future and listening to words of advice.

There is so much more I could tell you but if I started you'd never be able to shut me up! I would recommend the JASON Project to any one, even if science isn't their strongest subject.  It is the chance of a lifetime: by being an Argo you get to be a part of a very professional and interesting group of people.  We are very fortunate in Bermuda that the Biological Station is willing to do all that is required to enable them to be a pin site for the JASON Project and that Cable and Wireless are willing to provide the sponsorship.  I was very fortunate to avail myself of this great opportunity.

A student at Bermuda High School, Ruth enjoys learning about ecology and geography, especially the human effect on ecology. At school, she is a yearbook representative as well as a Deputy Forum leader and Student Society representative. Ruth made it to finals in debate in the International Independent Schools Public Speaking Competition and came in seventh place in the under-sixteen category. She was chosen to represent Bermuda at the 1999 World Debate Championship and will travel to London in January. Ruth is also a Sunday School Helper at St. Michael's in Paget.

Top of Page

Back to JASON X

BBSR Home                   Education Home

Search www.bbsr.edu

education(at)bbsr.edu