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4 months ago
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Camp News
3/5
WE DONE IT!!! This week marks CAST XIII’s half way point here on Johnston. The day was filled with auspicious omens, from the full moon to the fledging of Leela’s neighboring tropicbird, Edgar. To celebrate the midpoint, the crew threw a costume party. There was glitter, there was face paint, and there were thoughtfully constructed pirate accessories. The CAST that you all know and love were transformed into a couple pirates, a graceful gypsy, a glittery treasure chest, and a scaly man-fish. There were games, sunset swim sessions, two desserts, and so much more.
Check out the sweet photo below.
3/12
This week CAST XIII likely entered some sort of trans-dimensional time warp, as the last seven days have felt like years. Each day managed to span weeks simply due to the diversity and quantity of tasks crammed in. We finished clearing and spraying the runway, a monumental task in and of itself, scoured the entirety of Johnston counting booby nests, found and baited a colony of YCA, and still found time to conduct our typical array of surveys.
Amongst the insanity of the work week, the crew still managed to find time to celebrate Pi Day, voraciously eat Cheetos, watch a whole lot of ‘Game of Thrones’, and complete Season 3 of the CAST XIII favorite, ‘The Great British Bake Off’. We still aren’t quite sure what Mike does in his free time.
As we approach “spring”, Wildlife is thriving here on Johnston. Boobies are nesting in record numbers, the now two Sooty Tern colonies have grown to colossal proportions, Red-tailed Tropicbird nests litter the island, and the ant colonies around camp are flourishing…much to our dismay. Eggs, of all varieties, are hatching, sometimes right in front of our faces. The egg that Zack watched be laid many weeks ago hatched into an adorable Tropicbird chick, and a Booby egg hatched right before Skye’s eyes during the MIC. It will be interesting to see how many more birds this little island can support in the coming weeks.
From the year 2025,
-CAST XIII
If you are interested in recieving the the weekly CAST situation report, in all of statistical goodness, contact me at [email protected] and I’ll put you on the mailing list.
Every week, the crazy ant strike team produces a situation report (or sitrep) that details all of the work undertaken over the span of the prior week. This document is a technical report that includes data, graphs, maps and a synthesis of the week’s results. It also includes the beloved ‘Camp news’ section. This portion of the report is the crew’s opportunity to share any newsworthy events with the folks back at Honolulu and poke fun at the novelties of island life.
The following post is a synthesis of all of CAST XIII’s ‘Camp News’ sections from our arrival on Johnston to about now. Enjoy.
12/11/2016
The young and hungry CAST XIII is beginning the ongoing process of settling into their new home, the Johnston Atoll. With camp left tidy and in good order by CAST XII, the transition has been low maintenance and generally pleasant. This week has been filled with firsts: first oceanic baths, first solo surveys, first tide talk (an educational lecture series on the ins and outs of oceanography), and CAST XIII’s very first bike spill. Cause: unknown; result: minor scrapes and bruised pride.
CAST XIII has kicked off island life with plenty of delicious meals cooked on their brand new oven. Pizza, fresh bread, loaded nachos, eggplant lasagna, shrimp linguine, and curry was on this past week’s menu. Needless to say, this crew will not go hungry. Many thanks to CAST XII for forgetting about their Ben & Jerry’s in the freezer and leaving delicious cake mixes.
Survey routes are only causing minor confusion and distress as CAST XIII goes about re-walking and laying out TM and 50m transect lines. Marine surveys and hand searching went off without a hitch. The squad has begun to familiarize themselves with the plants, animals, and routes of Johnston. Overall, life’s pretty good.
With love,
CAST XIII
12/18/2016
Let it be known to the masses, the Yellow Crazy Ant has returned! After months of hiding, 2 colonies of YCA have mustered up the courage to reveal themselves. These brash colonies were found by Edlyn “Eagle Eyes” Nunez while conducting CAST XIII’s very first Treatment Monitoring Survey. The elimination of these nests is scheduled for next week. Hopes of becoming JART I (Johnston Atoll Restoration Team I) have quickly been dashed by the sudden appearance of the Crazies.
In other news, CAST XIII stumbled across a massive sea turtle resting on South Beach while conducting a marine debris survey. Startled, the turtle quickly (for a turtle) dragged itself into the oncoming surf to escape being tallied as “Large Marine Debris.”
The Christmas spirit is alive and well on Johnston. CAST XIII decorated the Ant cave and went Christmas tree shopping earlier this week. A beautiful, albeit scraggly, ironwood now sits prominently inside the ant cave, decorated with ornaments and Christmas gifts. Merry Christmas from Johnston everyone!
Happy Holidays!
-The Reaffirmed Crazy Ant Strike Team XIII
12/25/2016
The week kicked off Christmas morning with a surprise visit from Old Saint Nick. The strike team awoke to find stockings hanging from the awnings of their tents filled with goodies. Somehow everyone made it onto the good list this year. Other gifts from pseudo-santas were opened underneath the branches of the Christmas Casuarina. Special thanks to Jim Utterback, Laura Beauregard, Kevin & Katrina, and Paige Schuler for burying us in gifts from hundreds of miles away.
Aside from Santa, Johnston had other visitors this week, namely a US Coast Guard plane. It’s nice to know there are, in fact, other human beings still in existence outside of this island. CAST XIII also encountered an exceptional quantity of cephalopods this week. A pod(?) of squid was seen bobbing around the shark chute on a slop run and a peeping octopus got up close and personal to a bathing member of CAST. But perhaps, the most extreme sight this week goes to the battle royale witnessed between two tropic birds. Crew member Michael Skandalis describes the encounter as “being worthy of David Attenborough.” Michael skillfully captured the bloody battle on video, much to the shock and amazement of the other crew members.
Happy New Years! See you in 2017,
-CAST XIII
1/1/2017
Awww, so here we are again, another rousing edition of Camp news. This not only the beginning of a new work week, it was the start of a new year!! Welcome to 2017 world! CAST XIII kicked off the New Year with their very own ball drop, Johnston style. Resolutions for the coming year include “Do more fun stuff after work,” and “Get Hobbit feet.” All of these things should be manageable.
In the spirit of “do more fun stuff after work,” CAST XIII enjoyed a beach day this earlier week, where training began for the soon to be established, Johnston Atoll Olympic Gymnastics Team. The crew compared consecutive cartwheel abilities, Zack set a new island record high of 20 and Skye took the new record low: ½ of a cartwheel. Floor gymnastics are clearly a team strength. Skye will be the team manager. Resident strong men, Zack Schuler and Michael Skandalis began strength training this week with sets of 3lb. pinky finger lifts. Tokyo 2020, here we come.
Things around camp have been relatively calm this week. After spending part of the week clearing the runway of felled trees, it was nice to take things easy. The crew had a couple nights of rousing board game action and got way too excited about breaking into the first of the Fruity Pebble™ supply. Overall, a pretty good week.
Signing off,
-The Johnston Atoll Olympic team
1/8/2017
Ladies and gentlemen, the crew of CAST XIII would like to introduce you to the world’s finest creation…..PIZZA WEEK. This, without a doubt, was the first pizza week to have ever taken place on Johnston Atoll, and potentially the first pizza week to have ever existed, period. As the name implies, CAST XIII feasted on pizza for dinner all 5 nights this week. Over the course of the 5 night celebration, the crew enjoyed 10 different pizzas, all handcrafted by their respective chefs. To spice things up further, each pizza was judged by each member of CAST XIII on 5 criteria: Creativity, Appearance, Mouthfeel, Miscellaneous, and Overall experience. Some believed this scoring system would cause a divide in the team, but the splendor of pizza week easily overcame this potential obstacle. Without further ado, the results from the first Pizza Week…
Creativity: 1st place – Skye’s Stuffed crust Chili pizza & Homemade Pesto Pizza, 2nd place – Edlyn’s Buffalo chicken & cheese pizza, and 3rd place- Schuler’s crab pizza.
Appearance: 1st place- Skye’s Pesto pizza, 2nd place- Edlyn’s Mediterranean and Buffalo Chicken pizza, and 3rd place- Michael’s BBQ Hawaiian pizza
Mouthfeel: 1st place- Skye’s Pesto pizza, 2nd place – Edlyn’s Buffalo chicken & cheese pizza, and a three-way tie for 3rd place- Michael’s BBQ Hawaiian pizza and Leela’s “Frij” and “Cheaz” pizzas.
Misc: 1st place- Leela’s “Cheaz” pizza for the inclusion of garlic butter dipping sauce, 2nd place- Michael’s BBQ Hawaiian pizza for the inclusion of a delicious desert pizza and 3rd place- Skye’s Chili pizza & Pesto Pizza.
Overall Best in Show: 1st place: Skye’s Chili pizza & Leela’s “Frij” pizza. 2nd place- Edlyn’s Mediterranean & Buffalo Chicken pizza. 3rd place– Edlyn’s Mediterranean Pizza and Schuler’s Crab Pizza.
The joys of Pizza Week helped to bring tasty excitement and a bit more pizzazz to what could have been a tough 5 days. Nothing lifts morale quite like 2 hot pizza pies. There’s always something worth celebrating, even if you have to make it up.
All the best,
-The Pizza’d Out CAST XIII
1/15/2017
In such heated and turbulent times, one might expect the talk of camp to be of the presidential inauguration, the state of Brexit, or maybe even the looming crisis of global climate change. What does CAST XIII talk about to fill the silent void? Their new favorite TV series, of course, the Great British Bake Off, season five. This timeless (2 years old) British reality show gathers 13 average Brits and tests their baking prowess with three weekly challenges. It’s a right cracker. Each member of CAST has their own favorite baker. Leela is pulling for the 17 year old wunderkind, Martha. Zack, on the other hand, is cheering for the 70+ years old Scotsman and old fashioned baker, Norman. He thinks pesto is exotic. However, the builder, Richard is also a tight contender. Meanwhile, Skye doesn’t quite trust a woman named Chetna based on the 5 minutes she’s viewed. As you can tell, it’s a rip-roaring good time over here. Please, no spoilers.
Aside from watching old British reality television, CAST XIII finds time to enjoy some other, more tropical activities, like sweating and even a recreational snorkel here and there. This week, crew members Zack, Edlyn, and Mike encountered a grey reef shark up close and personal (it was actually a very safe distance away and is no cause for panic). Visibility during this trip was exceptional and a beautiful and diverse array of tropical fish were encountered. 10/10 would repeat.
Until next time,
-CAST XIII
1/22/2017
“Work less overtime and eat more chips,” was the directive CAST XIII received this week. In the spirit of our new command, we took a half day on Thursday to celebrate the joys of Australia Day and eat potato chips. The holiday, however, came as a surprise to the crew, as the day’s festivities were all secretly planned by their mischievous crew leader, Skye. While investigating the Klu infestation site near Corner Beach, the crew stumbled across a beach party scene complete with bbq grill and music. The remainder of the day was spent on the beach grilling up veggie-burgers on the “barbie,” listening to Australian jams, and painting our faces in the Australian colors of green and yellow. It was a bloody ripper.
The rest of the week was filled other odd and unexpected events. Zack unwittingly witnessed the many stages of avian reproduction, first by stumbling across a red-tailed tropic bird laying an egg, and later, passing by two red-footed boobies…procreating. Zack left these situations feeling primarily uncomfortable. On Wednesday, Edlyn made chicken parmesan using real (as opposed to canned) chicken. The meal lasted five minutes and featured a not insignificant amount of emotional exclamations. CAST XIII also spent a few hours this week indulging in their favorite guilty pleasure: The Great British Bake Off. This week, the crew was left heartbroken as some of the crowd favorites, Iain and Norman, were harshly eliminated, and the show’s beloved grandmother figure Diana, left due to “health concerns” (although Edlyn is convinced that she sabotaged Iain and is a ‘snake’). Skye has made a complete 180 degree turn and now adores the once despised Chetna, and Mike has finally declared that “He likes Louis.” Next week, we’re thinking about devoting the entirety of camp news to the Great British Bake Off. It’d probably be for the best.
-CAST XIII
1/29/2017
This week, CAST XIII was graced by multiple (not so mysterious) benefactors. Katrina Scheiner’s Groundhog’s Day gift bucket featured several bottles of a cran-mango juice that we’ve been talking about since Honolulu, but couldn’t get any for the island. She also gave us an incredible cat puzzle, thanks Katrina, the Cran-Mango is delicious! A shout-out also to Paige Schuler, who got us to celebrate National Kazoo Day (January 28th). If there were any other people on this island, we probably would’ve incurred a noise complaint with our kazoo-based merriment. As it was, it just sounded like there were five more tropicbirds than usual.
We celebrated a belated Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Thursday with a family snorkel off the east side of the island. We saw a very cute sea turtle and unfortunately, no sharks.
Last, we’ve had a lot of messages from the outside world expressing their delight that we’re watching The Great British Bake Off. Thanks, guys, we do it all for you. This week we reached the season five semifinals, bidding farewell to Leela’s favorite, sweetheart teen Martha, and Skye’s favorite, flavor-master Chetna. Zack’s pulling for Richard, who most embodies his ethos of ‘wing it and hope for the best.’ Skye can’t decide if Richard talking about his cute kids makes him more endearing than Louis’ amazing decorations. Edlyn’s commentary usually consists of ‘How???’ whenever a beautiful dessert is revealed. Everyone loves to teasingly imitate Paul Hollywood’s unique forms of criticism. CAST XIII is eagerly anticipating the season finale, and don’t worry, we have more seasons to watch once it’s over.
From Johnston with love,
-CAST XIII
2/5/2017
It was another mega-eventful week at camp, featuring a number of goodbyes. We bade farewell to most of Mike’s hair, thanks to Zack and Edlyn’s barbershop skills. Unfortunately he didn’t take full advantage of their skills and there are no fun designs shaved into his hair. Season five of the Great British Bake-Off ended (two years ago) with the title of Britain’s Best Amateur Baker 2014 going to no one’s particular favorite, Nancy, though we can’t deny that she had the best lemon tarts. We ate two beautiful carrots from the garden (thanks CAST XII!), which were delicious and crunchy and we remember them fondly. Finally, the tropicbird by Edlyn’s tent, whom she named Patricia and has been speaking to for some months now, successfully fledged. Good luck in the world, Patricia!
But it wasn’t all departures from our fair isle, no, we have some thrilling newcomers. The Sooty Tern colony is officially active in Sector 1, looking less like a place to raise your chicks and more like a tornado made of birds. A ternado, if you will. It’s an amazing sight. We wish you could all see it, and we’re sure many of you have, but pictures don’t really do it justice.
However, we can provide you with a picture of Johnston’s bread basket! Due to the countless mice (5) that had to be exterminated this week, and our crew’s love for freshly baked bread, CAST XIII devised a new bread storage technique, behold, the bread basket.
-CAST XIII
2/12/2017
As our collective sanity spirals further and further away from what modern psychology deems as “normal,” the more mundane things and trivial activities become story-worthy. This week began with a riveting one-sided chat with a passing (potentially) Chinese vessel. As CAST XIII sat in near total darkness, playing “the game of things,” they were graced by their first outside communication in months. The crew listened intently to the indecipherable radio traffic and resisted the urge to make contact. Later in the week, the crew had a conference call with USFWS HQ, in Honolulu, which confirmed that we are all, in fact, crazy. Our supervisors were hopefully not taken too aback, as we held a 9 person call through two devices. Laura, Aisha, Katrina and Natalie, it was a pleasure to chat with you.
Food continues to be focal point in CAST XIII life. On Friday, we indulged in a smorgasbord of appetizers and Saturday morning awoke to freshly made bagels. Zack continues to spill everything.
Momma Johnston continues to be an emotional equalizer. She graced one member of CAST with a dream-like eagle ray sighting, but then later completely ruined a well-planned sunrise snorkel trip. Johnston Atoll is an endless stream of joy, and heartbreak. She giveth and taketh away…but mainly taketh away. She has taken computers, ipods, belly button piercings, and more #lifeonjohnston
Oh, and we built a plant nursery (see nursery section).
From Johnston, with a trail of crumbs,
-CAST XIII
2/19/2017
With a busy work week, rainy weather, and working through the Fast and Furious franchise, CAST XIII can honestly report that nothing noteworthy has occurred. Our whiteboard with notes and drawings about the fun stuff that has occurred this week contains ‘pudding legs’, ‘wasp sting’, ‘instant meal dinner’, and ‘chicken thighs’. We will work on making next week more newsworthy for you.
Until then, with love from Johnston,
-CAST XIII
2/26/2017
This week could have been about as newsworthy as the last had it not been for Mama Johnston. This week, she most certainly giveth. Her power and beauty were on full display. A lightning storm danced across the night-sky and shook the earth late one evening creating a powerful spectacle. Some members curled up inside for a cozy TV session, “Stranger Things,” while others sat in the rain watching the lightshow. Who knows what Mike was up to? Later in the week, the crew happened across two white terns engaging in “private affairs.” In the name of science, CAST XIII watched for probably a little too long. Luckily through our voyeurism, we can confirm that white tern populations are breeding on Johnston Atoll.
Around camp, things are slow and steady. The crew invented a new formal greeting, aptly named the Johnston low-5. When you see us next, be sure to ask for a demonstration. In other news, we have started to break into our special meals, Zack enjoyed his Ahi Tuna steak, wasabi mayo, and Edlyn intends to bite into her tri-tip steak later this weekend. Thanks federal government!
Finally, we want to wish a loving farewell to Katrina Scheiner, our operations manager, and “our lady in charge,” that pulled strings to get us out here and comfortably settled in. We sincerely wish you nothing but the best. Thanks Katrina!!!
From Johnston with a low-5
-CAST XIII
So why is CAST XIII out here? Why is anyone spending money to get this ragtag bunch of Jabronis all the way out to Johnston? Simple, Yellow Crazy Ants (Anopolepis gracillipes). These fearsome little ladies have caused quite a stir on islands across the globe. Highly invasive, and referred to as a “Tramp” ant, the Yellow Crazies specialize in colonizing new areas. Their place of origin is still unknown, but they have successfully colonized much of the tropical world. YCA have the propensity to form “supercolonies,” which, when left unchecked, can grow to span kilometers in size and house thousands of queens and millions of workers. Rather than venturing off to find pastures anew like most ants, YCA expand their territory through colony budding. New colonies will form as an offshoot of the original. Over time, these areas of infestation grow more and more dense with ants and ant colonies.
This expansion technique is only feasible because YCA exhibit very little intraspecies aggression. Unlike YCA, some ant species will get into turf wars with members of their own species. Rather, crazies prefer to gang up on other species to create more room for expansion. Before you know it, you’ve got 1/3rd of an island swimming in spindly acid spewing crazy ants.
Now, why is this a bad thing? In the context of Johnston Atoll, YCA were too powerful. By the time USFWS arrived on the scene, YCA had already taken over 11% of the island or some 640 acres and were harming innocent bird populations. What truly makes YCA dangerous is their ability to squirt formic acid and their unstable, erratic personalities. These ants are highly territorial and will swarm anything that has the misfortune of entering their turf. In the instance that the “anything” is a ground nesting tropicbird, it spells certain demise. Pre-intervention, countless birds were being rendered blind by the ants’ formic acid, which lead to starvation and death. This spelled tragedy for the Red-tailed tropic bird on the large scale. Johnston is the only viable nesting site for some 700,000 square miles and home to an estimated third of the world’s red-tails. If this sanctuary were rendered unsafe, it would be a major blow to the species at large. USFWS had to intervene.
Since the creation of the CAST program, YCA populations have dropped to near 0%. Even though it is their primary job, CAST XIII rarely encounters YCA. During the three months that have elapsed, the crew has only found 3 miniscule colonies….and promptly controlled them.
This battle, as calm as it may currently be, will continue into the distant future (given funding, fingers crossed). If even one ant is left remaining, all previous work by all of the previous strike teams can be reversed in a matter of months. It is for this reason, that we continue to fight.
No ordinary set of humans could withstand the trials and tribulations that Johnston administers on a regular basis. Remote field living is not for the faint of heart or psychologically weak. It is for this reason that the members of CAST XIII were hand selected through an exhaustive interview process. We are the result of this process, we are CAST XIII.
In order to introduce the members of CAST XIII, an exhaustive Q&A was created in order to reveal the inner-workings of each member’s psyche. Each question was hand crafted to gleam insight into different areas of personality.
Without further ado, your 2016-2017 JOHNSTON CRAZY ANT STRIKE TEAM!!!
Skye Salisbury-Briggs
*Skye’s Q&A was conducted in person, interview style, the following answers are paraphrases of that interview*
Q) Describe your past experiences.
A) For my wanky answer – I’ve been attacked by rabid monkeys in India. Climbed up Mayan and Incan ruins in Mexico & South America. Sailed through the Caribbean, SE Asia, and a bit of French Polynesia. Walked jaguars in Bolivia. Surfed down volcanos in Nicaragua and Peru. Celebrated a goat being crowned a king for 4 days in Ireland. Smelt the Gentoo penguin colonies of Antarctica. Did tours out to a glacier in Alaska. And I call the Great Barrier Reef of Australia home.
To give a serious answer (to reassure your parents your team leader isn’t totally nuts) – I went to school for marine biology (I’m half Aussie-half American and went to uni in Australia), but I soon realized after 2 years of working in the field that I loved being on boats more than anything else. So I moved to the Virgin Islands and got a job working in tourism on a boat while I lived on my own sailboat. By the time I was in my late 20’s, I went back to uni for a Masters in Protected Areas Management. But I didn’t leave boats for another couple of years. Now I am trying out being grown up, obviously I’m easing into it slowly.
Q) Why have you opted to live on an uninhabited island with four strangers for six months?
A)For the sake of leading a strike team. I just finished leading a Green Army, it seemed fitting to lead a Crazy Ant Strike Team.
Q) What would be your WWE intro theme song?
A)Arcade Fires, Keep the Car Running. I’d beat my opponent so quick, I’d tell my people to keep the car running
Q) If you could be any plant, what would you be? And why?
A)I would be a mangrove. Even though they’re a bit stinky, they cruise the ocean, check out new places and hang out on sandy beaches. Usually cool stuff lives in and amongst mangroves, I’d also be helping to protect coastlines.
Q) If you had to hide buried treasure, where would you hide it?
A) “Why on earth would I announce that to the public?”
Q) If you worked at a carnival what would be your profession?
A) My dream profession would be to be a trapeze artist, but unfortunately I can’t do a cartwheel, nor do I have the training and discipline that is required of a trapeze artist. I’d likely operate a carnival game and heckle people.
Q) How would you describe a rainbow to a blind person?
A) It seems kind of mean to do that. But if I had to do, I’d probably just give them a handful of skittles
Q) Nicholas Cage or a stalk of celery?
A)Stalk of celery for the crunch factor.
Q) In gladiatorial combat, what is your weapon of choice?
A)Ninja skills that have yet to be developed. In the event of being on American Gladiator, one of those giant cue-tips.
Q) What do you live for?
A) Adventure….Actually, I’m a total “hedonist” (pleasure-seeker).
Edlyn Nuñez
Q) Describe your past experiences.
A) Past work experiences consist of retail, child care, food industry, coffee barista, bank teller, restoration, and various volunteer work in the field. I know I know, it’s inconsistent and a mess but I’m a recent college graduate so it’s okay, right? Right. I’m very hungry for acquiring jobs that actually relate to my major, Environmental Science. So anyone reading this blog is more than welcome to refer me after this trip, thanks. Look out for ya girl.
Q) Why have you opted to live on an uninhabited island with four strangers for six months?
A) I was drawn to Johnston simply after reading the job description of the position. And can’t forget about that title, The Crazy Ant Strike Team immediately caught my attention. Throughout college, I gained experience as a restoration assistant and worked solely with invasive plant removal and seed propagation. Although after volunteering with a Tasmanian Devil program during my study abroad trip to Australia, I realized I wanted to work more closely to wildlife. The program was strictly outdoors, and our group backpacked and camped for 6 weeks. I fell in love with remote camping, which also inspired me to apply for this position. Sure there’s a huge difference between 6 weeks versus 6 months but I’m a tough cookie and I knew I’d be able to handle it. Anyway, this position provides the opportunity to work with invasive ant species, tropical birds, marine life, restoration, and has other various tasks. Besides gaining critical work experience THAT IS ACTUALLY RELATED TO MY FIELD, I thought it would be a great opportunity for growth and a unique experience overall. And, the idea of having a tropical island all to yourself sounded pretty badass.
Q) What would be your WWE intro theme song?
A) ANY song by DMX would suffice
Q) If you could be any plant, what would you be? And why?
A) I would be Spanish moss because besides it being really cool looking, it forms a symbiotic relationship with the vegetation it hangs from, benefitting both plant species. While working in the environmental field makes one happy and passionate Ed, I also hope to be of beneficial use to the environment, and make a positive impact towards it throughout my life. I’m also Latina and know how to speak Spanish, so that too, that too I suppose : )
Q) If you had to hide buried treasure, where would you hide it?
A) Why would I tell anyone the location of my secret stash? Rather not answer this question sorry. Nice try though, Zack.
Q) If you worked at a carnival what would be your profession?
A) Not really a fan of carnivals, especially because of the caged animals imprisoned for entertainment and profit. But if I HAD to, I would probably just want to do some crazy makeup/face paint on the performers, clowns, etc. I actually enjoy doing makeup when not in the field, and love to sketch and draw on my free time as well.
Q) How would you describe a rainbow to a blind person?
A) Number 1, I suck at describing things and wouldn’t be able to give the magical phenomena justice. Number 2, I wouldn’t want to make that person feel like they were missing out on it. So I’d say, “Eh, they’re not all that great, and they only last for a minimal amount of time when they do appear. Don’t even worry about it.”
Q) Nicholas Cage or a stalk of celery?
A) Neither
Q) In gladiatorial combat, what is your weapon of choice?
A) The only weapon I can think of in this situation is a sword, which I would probably be really bad at. Probably would die within seconds. So I’d cheat the system, fast forward in time and retrieve a machine gun. Post up in a higher structure with a full view of enemy lines (but still with protection to duck) and have at it.
Q) What do you live for?
A) That’s kind of a cheesy question. So I’ll respond with a cheesy answer: “Wing it and hope for the best.” –Zack’s yearbook senior quote.
Leela Hospach
Q) Describe your past experiences.
A)I used to play in the creek beside my parents’ house. I liked to walk into the backyard during summer thunderstorms and watch trees tremble. There is a week in the spring when the trees go from damp brown to covered in tiny green buds, a few weeks in the fall when it looks like your living inside a postcard. Walking through cornfields in the summertime is sticky and uncomfortable and you emerge with small cuts on your bare arms from the leaves. The Shenandoah Valley is what I think of when I think of home.
Q) Why have you opted to live on an uninhabited island with four strangers for six months?
A) Running away from the west stopped being enough.
Q) What would be your WWE intro theme song?
A) “Kickstart my Heart,” Motley Crue.
Q) If you could be any plant, what would you be? And why?
A) Touch-me-nots, because I’m pretty jumpy and I like being by rivers.
Q) If you had to hide buried treasure, where would you hide it?
A) Offshore accounts. Cayman islands, maybe Switzerland.
Q) If you worked at a carnival what would be your profession?
A) Whatever keeps me from having to make conversation.
Q) How would you describe a rainbow to a blind person?
A) Imagine that you take apart an object, like a clock, and each of the individual parts are as pleasing as to touch as the finished whole. Now imagine that the watch is natural, not man made, and sometimes the sky takes it apart just for fun.
Q) Nicholas Cage or a stalk of celery?
A) Stalks of celery can’t steal the Declaration of Independence, Nic Cage forever.
Q) In gladiatorial combat, what is your weapon of choice?
A) Fear
Q) What do you live for?
A) This moment, and the next one and the next.
Michael Skandalis
Q) Describe your past experiences.
A) I’m a 23 year old and have been doing various field jobs across the US since I graduated college last year. I’ve searched for tortoises in the Mojave desert, monitored understory regeneration in post-harvest timber stands, removed invasive plants and worked in a couple conservation corps. Right now I’m going wherever the roads take me while I’m still young and have no commitments.
Q) Why have you opted to live on an uninhabited island with four strangers for six months?
A)It’s the coolest field job I’ve ever heard of! I get to live in a place that a select few have ever been to and do ant, bird and marine surveys. As far as the human element goes, I deal with isolation much better than most people.
Q) What would be your WWE intro theme song?
A) Chacarron Macarron
Q) If you could be any plant, what would you be? And why?
A) A banyan tree, because how large and unique they are. They also remind me of good times from my childhood.
Q) If you had to hide buried treasure, where would you hide it?
A) One of those sinkholes that no one knows where it empties into. Not only would my treasure be safe, but if someone did manage to retrieve it, it would be a noteworthy scientific discovery that furthers our understanding of the natural world. I’m not the kind to hide my treasure and come back for it later, so if I bury it, you can assume that I never want it to be found again.
Q) If you worked at a carnival what would be your profession?
A) Either juggling or balancing various objects, because I can do both of those. I might also ride a unicycle, although I’ve never ridden one, I don’t think it would too difficult given my mastery of hands-free biking.
Q) How would you describe a rainbow to a blind person?
A) A rainbow is a large, colorful arching band that stretches across a portion of the sky. Due to the variety and close proximity of different colors, as well as its relative rarity, it is a highly sought after visual phenomenon and often elicits feelings of happiness and wonder. Rainbows are caused by the interaction of light and water. When light hits water particles (typically rain), in the atmosphere, the water acts as prism and separates the light into its component visible light wavelengths, which appears as seven different colors.
Q) Nicholas Cage or a stalk of celery?
A) Nick Cage for sure. That man is a national treasure.
Q) In gladiatorial combat, what is your weapon of choice?
A) heavy Spartan shield
Q) What do you live for?
A) Nothing in particular, although cool field jobs like this one give me a lot to look forward to.
Zack Schuler
Q) Describe your past experiences.
A) I grew up in suburban Colorado, riding bikes, hanging out with friends, building blanket forts and playing a lot of videogames. Then I went to college. During these radically life changing years, I met a ton of absolutely amazing people, co-founded and managed a couple student businesses, led a group of soon-to-be world changing hippies and went abroad. I’ve climbed active volcanos alongside wild monkeys, learned (and subsequently, largely forgot) a second language, lived out of my car and graduated college with a Bachelors degree in Environmental science.
Professionally, I’ve worked for the National Park Service controlling invasive plant species in the gorgeous canyons of the Colorado National Monument. I’ve worked in the damp and primal forests of the Grand Mesa marking timber and more recently, as a wildlife biology tech. I’ve pulled weeds, painted trees and chased elusive raptors. I’ve scrambled desert landscapes harvesting native seed, and traipsed through mountain streams electroshocking fish. In my 3 short field seasons I have accumulated a wealth of experiences that I hope to expand upon.
Q) Why have you opted to live on an uninhabited island with four strangers for six months?
A) Can’t lie, I love me a good title, Crazy Ant Strike Team member sound pretty badass. On top of that, the job description was everything I was looking for in a job: Opportunity to work in a remote location, check. Work with exotic wildlife, check. Combat a malicious ant species bent on world domination, hyperbolic check. This was/is the perfect opportunity for any young aspiring professional with no commitments to the real world. Hell, any person at all. The crazy ant strike team is not merely a job opportunity, it’s a life opportunity. For me, Johnston is not only a chance to grow professionally, but a chance to grow and develop as a human. Also, the best opportunity I have to finally grow a beard.
Q) What would be your WWE intro theme song?
A) Soul Man- Sam and Dave
Q) If you could be any plant, what would you be? And why?
A) I’d choose to become a fig tree. Fig trees are an epicenter for biological diversity. One tree alone can support countless species of Bird, monkey, lizard ect, while simultaneously providing a framework for hundreds of plant species to grow and flourish far above the forest floor. This hotbed for diversity springs out of virtually nothing. Each fig tree independently and spontaneously goes into bloom, which collectively, create an essential year round food source for the inhabitants of the forest. I wanna live life like a fig, fostering diversity and well-being through spontaneous actions.
Q) If you had to hide buried treasure, where would you hide it?
A) In plain sight.
Q) If you worked at a carnival what would be your profession?
A) I would be a juggler, but not a very good one. Due to my poor depth perception, I’d only be able to juggle, max, one object at a time. One bowling pin. One red ball. Maybe a chainsaw? People would flock from the tricounty area to witness my performance.
Q) How would you describe a rainbow to a blind person?
A) Since you can’t rely on the sense of sight, I’d utilize the other senses to convey this complicated idea. I’d first lay the individual down on a smooth slab of rock, and spray them with a gentle mist of cool water. After a brief misting, I’d slowly warm them up (maybe using one of those infrared lizard lights or something) and waft a sweet smell beneath their nose, maybe something floral. That is what a rainbow feels like to me.
Q) Nicholas Cage or a stalk of celery?
A) For entertainment value, nobody makes crap, straight-to-DVD movies quite like Mr. Cage. However, overall, I might have to give it to the celery stick, greater range of character and a more complex personality.
Q) In gladiatorial combat, what is your weapon of choice?
A) Nimble dodging and lion charming. I’d rely on dodging oncoming attacks until the lions are released. Once released, I’d use my lion whispering abilities to charm them out of eating my face. I’d be the only pacifist gladiator on the circuit. I have a feeling my gladiatorial career would not last long.
Q) What do you live for?
A) I’m not ashamed to say, most days I’m not entirely sure. I think it comes with the territory of being a young twenty-somethin’. That being said, I’m beginning to piece together some ideas.
Some days I live solely in the pursuit of happiness. What’s the point of all this if you can’t enjoy it. Other days I seek something a bit more abstract and altruistic. I strive most days to make the planet, or at least my small chunk of it, a more sustainable and enjoyable place to be. At the root of all this, I’m starting to believe, is connections. Connections, in the natural world and humanity alike, deeply resonate within me. I’m constantly awe-struck by the connectivity of ecosystems, and emotionally recharged through seeing and taking part in genuine human connection. I find happiness in exploring these connections creating new ones. It is at the heart of everything I do.
So, uh, there ya go?
CAST XIII is merely one set of actors playing out their role on the Johnston Atoll. Now that you’ve had the chance to meet the good guys, tune in next time to learn about CAST’s sworn enemy, the Yellow Crazy Ant.
Signing off,
CAST XIII
With an extra-long weekend and our impending departure looming CAST XIII set out to make the most of a 4 day weekend.
Celebrations began late one Wednesday night with trivia night at the local WWII Museum/Brewery, the aptly named Brewseum. While we all know CAST XIII is a crackpot ant-killing unit, our skills in trivia had yet to be tested. By much to our surprise, our newly found team, the “KP Krazies,” weren’t complete shit. Our combined knowledge of pop culture, 500 year old Russian political figures and gluttonous weasels was enough to hold down second place for most of the night.
Unfortunately, when it counted, the final round, the newly founded “KP Krazies,” dropped important points. Ultimately, leading to an unconvincing final result. Luckily, delicious beers, complementary popcorn and some laughs makes the pain of defeat hurt a little less. Rest assured Brewseum, we shall return.
The following morning, much to my surprise, was thanksgiving. It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating Halloween and arriving in Honolulu. Nevertheless, the gluttonous holiday was wholly embraced. According to time old tradition, reaching as far back as the mayflower voyage, the macy’s day parade was turned on to provide ample background noise while we prepped for the day’s feast. Pies, cheese, ham, green bean casserole and cooked carrots, were all packed away in satirical quarantine buckets and prepped for the trip to our destination for the night. Thanksgiving was graciously hosted by our Johnston “Coordinator” & friend.
Upon arrival, small talk was made with delightful strangers, typical levels of gluttony were enjoyed, and a rousing game of fish bowl helped to round out the night. Overall, it was a wonderful time and I find it very fortunate to know such gracious and friendly people. However this wasn’t quite like any thanksgiving I’ve ever encountered. This was not a traditional family thanksgiving. Nor was it a new-school “friendsgiving.” This Thanksgiving was unique in that it solidified the forming of a new family out of once complete strangers.
With thanksgiving come and gone, Black Friday was filled with adventures, more gluttony and some kickback time. We voyaged to Lulumahi Falls, a short scenic hike that at ends in a beautiful cascading waterfall. After trudging through a mile of slick mud, and criss crossing streams, we reached the destination and celebrated with pictures and a quick dip. I have said it time and time again, the best bonding occurs during communal bathing. This experience definitely reinforced the belief. The area is truly special, at least to a guy from Colorado. The pool of the water fall sits nestled deep in a cliff face, surrounded by lush vegetation and towering rock walls. At any point a pterodactyl could have swooped down and I wouldn’t have been the least bit surprised.
Lulumahi FallsWith Saturday came a new alias, the Kapahooligans, Oahu’s most fearsome moped gang. We took to the streets early Saturday morning on our newly rented scooters, with the east coast of Oahu in mind. Our journey was far more beautiful than I could have ever expected. A majority of our ride was spent cruising along the jagged coasts, with shimmering blue waves crashing below. The ocean on this side of the island takes on an infinite number of shades of blue; most materializing only for a brief second, only to be quickly blended into a new color seconds later. The first pit stop of our journey was Kona Brewing Co. for a quick lunch. High-quality brews, mouth-watering food, an island inspired menu, and a bay side view creates an experience that only Hawaii can offer.
K’s Up!
With full bellies we continued our ocean front drive to Hanauma Bay. This ancient oasis has been utilized by Hawaiians for centuries. Once the vacation spot for King Kamehameha, Hanauma is a bowl shaped bay carved from an ancient volcanic crater. The area was a hotspot for underwater diversity, sporting countless fish and a thriving corral community. Unfortunately, Hanauma, due to its popularity, has become significantly over-utilized and subsequently, degraded. This bay is a fine example of landmarks being loved to death. While the fish remain beautiful and robust, the corral of the bay has been all but destroyed. These once vibrant and living structures now remain as hollow monochromatic skeletons, dispersed across the sea floor. This phenomena is not exclusive to Hanauma, nor to Hawaii. The epidemic of coral bleaching is plaguing oceans world-wide. Unfortunately, the issue of corral bleaching is not likely to end any time soon. As anthropogenic climate change accelerates and as more of world’s populations reach new levels of affluence, the problem is likely to worsen, unless collective actions are taken.
I will now step down from my soapbox. Look, pretty fish.
After Hanauma, the Kappahooligans continued down the scenic road stopping at more beaches and other Oahu landmarks. After a hard days ride, we turned back and road off into the sunset.
We made be tough, but the Kapahooligans have a sensitive sideSunday, the Kapahooligans disbanded as most returned their mopeds. I however, couldn’t resist another opportunity cruise the open road. The destination, Byodo-In, a traditionally styled Buddhist temple replicated from the original located in Kyoto, Japan. Not only was the architecture reminiscent of Japan, but the area managed to capture the same atmosphere I’ve come to know and love. Swamped with tourists, yet, against all odds, serene. It is somehow easier to tune out the constant banging of sacred bells by unwitting tourists when gently striding across pristine temple floors. One is able to block out the scent of humans en masse, when focusing on the calming scent of burning cedar. Whether holy or not, one cannot dispute the power that these places hold and the emotions they instill.
Byodo-In nestled against the misty mountainsMy ride back was calm and introspective, likely due to the fact that we will be boarding our ship to Johnston in less than a week.
In work news, CAST XIII, has stepped up their onion dehydration rate, packed more food and began to sort out our exhaustive inventory. So not much has changed.
T-Minus four days until departure. Anxiety is creeping in, and opportunities to shower are dwindling. Revisit the page later this week for CAST XIII Bio’s and introductions as we take our first steps onto Johnston.
Until next time, CAST XIII clear.
-Zack Schuler
***This is a personal blog and the opinions expressed are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of the US Fish and Wildlife Service***
So after the whirlwind of our first three weeks here in Hawaii, the Crazy Ant Strike Team is taking shape and falling into a groove. We have settled into our government bunkhouse, began prepping for our six month journey and even cleared out a bit of time to have some fun in paradise.
Our Kapahulu bunkhouse is scenically located in beautiful Honolulu, Hawaii. Our humble abode features one common space/kitchen, 3 cozy rooms furnished with a bunk bed each (I got the top bunk), 2 bathrooms and an office. The home also features a massive detached two-story garage, and this, is where the magic happens. The first floor of the garage has been converted into packing central where all of our expedition prepping takes place. The exterior of CAST’s Honolulu HQ is comfortably surrounded by a barbed wire fence (still unsure whether this is to keep us in, or crims out), multiple shipping crates, and various other goodies. All in all, it’s a pretty swell place to call home for the month.
The first two weeks of the Job has largely consisted of apocalypse-like prepping and shopping. Due to the isolated nature of the field camp, we must take all of our food and supplies for the 6 month stint all in one go. It turns out, it is remarkably difficult to buy half a years’ worth of food for five individuals. It also turns out, there is a time when one can rationally buy 24 cans of French Fried Onions and not feel completely ridiculous. Across the span of two shopping trips to the local grocery store, we’ve managed to drop nearly six grand on various foods from across the spectrum. From a frugal shopper’s perspective, this is absolute madness, of the finest sort. This doesn’t even include our bulk food supply orders or any of the soon to be acquired frozen food. Needless to say, there’s a lot of food.
Never did I expect the opportunity to pose in front of thousands of gallons of shelf stable milk
In addition to buying food for field camp, the strike team must also be outfitted in new clothes in order to mitigate the introduction of any new species to the quarantined island of Johnston Atoll. This mostly entails shopping at various Ross’ and Walmart. Much like thrift shopping, one can uncover absolute gems at the local Ross. Keep an eye out for the stunning wardrobes ahead. Once our shopping sprees end, it is up to the strike team to inventory and pack away our haul into quarantine safe buckets and bins. This process primarily involves moving food from one pallet, into a bucket or bin, and onto another pallet. It’s a pain, but its critical to ensure that we have absolutely everything we may need. At this point, this game of repackaging seems like 60% of our job. Dehydrating onions is the other 40%.
Thankfully, we do have time to get away from shopping lists and quarantine buckets to experience Honolulu and Oahu at large. This is an absolutely stunning island. The ocean is vibrantly blue, the beaches are warm and abundant and the weather, consistently pleasant. Above all however, is the grandeur of the mountains that run through the interior of Oahu. These jagged, forested peaks are often shrouded in a mystifying fog, that rolls down the slopes and dances about the peaks. It is hard to not be in awe of this island.
During the stay so far, CAST XIII has been to the beach on numerous occasions, snorkeled on the north shore, and paddleboarded the coast of Waikiki. I personally have developed a new love: Surfing. After spending one afternoon out on a board, it is safe to say, I’m hooked. If this whole scientist thing doesn’t work out, becoming a surf bum is a decent fallback.
Moorish Idol photographed at Shark’s Cove Oahu.
During a hike with the founder of the Crazy Ant Program, and historic crew leaders, CAST XIII came in contact with their very first Yellow Crazy Ant. This 5 mile hike stretches along the coast to reach one of the most western points on Oahu. Along the way we encountered Albatross, wedgies and sheerwaters. As we reached the end of our hike, we were greeted by 5 Hawaiian Monk seals, lazing about on the white sand in front of a backdrop of thrashing ocean. The monk seals, while not the purpose of our expedition, were an absolute treat to glimpse considering their endangered status. After spending time to adore our new seal compatriots, the crew settled in on a nearby flat rock for a picnic dinner. The CAST was also joined by an expected +1, the Yellow Crazy Ant. While everyone sat around discussing past CAST hijinks and pro-tips, our sworn enemy was scurring amongst our feet. This opportunity served as a great opportunity to begin to hone our ant identification skills. As the sun set and the skies darkened, we made our way back to the carpark. The return hike however, was far more difficult than the trek in. The once dirt path, quickly turned into a 2.5 mile mud slick as the sky aggressively sprinkled. After a couple falls, many dirty feet, and one destroyed Chaco (R.I.P.), we made it to the car and headed home to Kapahulu.
The Eyes of the Albatross
Our Departure for Johnston is RAPIDLY approaching. It seems like just yesterday that we all got off our respective planes and met one another. Now in less than two weeks, true adventure begins as we board the Kahana, our ship which will ultimately deliver us to our new home in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Johnston Atoll.
In the coming months, check back for CAST stories, crew updates, CAST bio’s, fun science-y things and other general ramblings.
Until next time, Crazy Ant Strike Team, signing off.
-Zack Schuler
***This is a personal blog and the opinions expressed are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of the US Fish and Wildlife Service***
One crackpot team. Six months of isolation. Countless ants awaiting their imminent destruction. This is the essence of what the Crazy Ant Strike Team was founded upon. Since the spring of 2010, the US Fish and Wildlife service has been sending brave teams of resilient individuals to work, live and play on an unassuming & uninhabited island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, The Johnston Atoll. This man-made island, 700 nautical miles away from Hawaii, is where the Crazy Ant Strike Team calls home. With limited amenities, negligible outside communication and no resupplies, it is up to each CAST team to control an invasive species, the Yellow Crazy Ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes) for six, long, uninterrupted months.
The uninhabited rock in the middle of the Pacific has not always been the home of Yellow Crazy Ant. It isn’t until recently, that this pest has somehow managed to colonize the remote island. This colonization has been catastrophic for the seabird species that also call Johnston home. For you see, these are no ordinary ants. The Yellow Crazy Ant is what nightmares and horror movies are made of. Acid spewing, erratic and aggressive, the crazy ant forms super-colonies and swarm to attack anything that dares venture into it’s territory. These characteristics ultimately led to the sharp decline of many bird species including the red-tailed tropic bird (Phaethon rubricauda) and the red footed booby (Sula sula).
Luckily, thanks to the interventions of 6 years’ worth of strike teams, ant populations are down to near zero, while seabird populations are rebounding and becoming more robust. It will be the job of CAST XIII, the latest and greatest of the CAST installments, to ensure that Yellow Crazy Ant populations remain at all-time lows. In addition to this, due to dwindling ant numbers, CAST XIII has the opportunity to begin planning and potentially implementing restoration efforts across the island. This marks a huge milestone for the CAST program, as it indicates the success of the previous work. It goes without saying, we, as CAST XIII, are extremely excited to be spearheading this new direction and are eager to have an impact on the legacy of Johnston.
Over the coming months, on this blog and others (https://castawaysinparadise.wordpress.com/) we will be working to glean insight into island life, Helping the public to understand the science and management that is taking place in one of America’s most isolated wildlife refuges, and most importantly, highlighting the hijinks that occurs when you send 5 total strangers to live out on an uninhabited island for half a year. Let the madness begin.
Until next time, Crazy Ant Strike Team, signing off.
-Zack Schuler
