Tag Archives: field trip

Field trip in Ecuador

Soili Laurila

I had a chance to take part in the field trip in Ecuador that was organized for geography students last October (18.10.-31.10.2015). Our group was formed by 2 lecturers and 14 students from the University of Helsinki and 8 Ecuadorian students from the Universidad Estatal Amazónica (UEA) based in Puyo. We started the field trip from Quito, the capital of Ecuador by visiting some Ministries (and we even met a Minister!) and activists. We had carried out literature review earlier before the trip and this was the first time we could get firsthand information for our research projects. We had 4 different research topics, which I won’t explain in detail, and concerning deforestation, tourism and hydroelectric projects, accessibility of schools and ethnicity of indigenous Kichwa. You can learn more when the report gets printed out and published online.

A waterfall that we saw on the way from Baños to Puyo

A waterfall that we saw on the way from Baños to Puyo

Our field trip continued from Quito through the beautiful city of Baños, surrounded by amazing waterfalls and cloud forest. As we reached Puyo and the local University UEA, we met the Ecuadorian students taking part in the field trip. The research would then be carried out by groups that had both Ecuadorian and Finnish students involved. Once we got to the Pastaza province, we stayed at the CIPCA research station, which was located near small town of Santa Clara. Typical morning at CIPCA started waking up to a rooster crow way too early. If it wasn’t the rooster, then it was some exotic bird that I couldn’t name. We got up early, had breakfast at the station cafeteria and after that we spread out to go on with our research in the field. I was in the ethnicity group, which worked closely together with the accessibility group. Over the next days we conducted interviews and carried out surveys at the schools of Santa Clara, Ahuano and Sarayaku. The two nights trip to Sarayaku was a once in a life time chance to visit a remote community in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Getting there meant a long canoe trip along the Bobonaza River and the return trip to Puyo was made by small aircrafts. Walking the same paths that the children use to get to their local village schools was an adventure in itself.

The Universidad Estatal Amazónica

The Universidad Estatal Amazónica

Presenting our research results at a formal event at the UEA was the great finale after working hard to get the data and analysis together. The presentations were given partly in Spanish, partly in English at the auditorium with full audience. Some of the local lecturers gave their comments and what really made the occasion special was that we were handed diplomas. After stressing out how the presentations would turn out, this moment was full of joy and relief! Unfortunately it was also a time to say goodbye to our Ecuadorian friends as we started our journey back home. At the end of the field trip we still had few days off, which we spent in Finnish like temperatures in Oyacachi that is located in the Andes around 3500 meters above the sea level.

Getting ready for the canoe trip to Sarayaku

Getting ready for the canoe trip to Sarayaku

For me this was the first time in South America so the trip was full of new experiences. As I only knew few words (gracias, uno, dos, tres…) in Spanish, I was somewhat dependent on the translations provided by my fellow students. Obviously this could be quite frustrating and required an extra effort from others involved. The whole experience was a great lesson on how to do fieldwork in practice. Making decisions in a group had its own challenges, especially when there were conflicting interests among and between groups. Fieldwork also meant long hours sometimes without food and in this case in tropical conditions. It was also dealing with uncertainties as in the field things have a tendency to unfold differently than originally planned. Some things can’t be planned and it’s constant adapting to the new situations. Time gets whole new meanings and you better get used to waiting as moving in a big group isn’t always that smooth.

 

Visiting a class room in Santa Clara School

Visiting a class room in Santa Clara School

Despite all written above, we did have numerous unforgettable moments. The field trip made it possible to visit class rooms, conduct small surveys with children, interview teachers, principals and parents and interact with local people in a way that you normally wouldn’t. At the end of the day we had carried out a proper field research. That’s quite remarkable considering the limitations of time and defective language skills. All in all, the experience was amazing and it’s hard to put in words all the emotions and explain everything that happened during those two weeks. However, I do encourage everyone to go out there, travel, explore and take the chance of making a field research!

Children in front of the Kali Kali school in Sarayaku

Children in front of the Kali Kali school in Sarayaku

MSc thesis in Geography got the second prize in the Master’s award in development studies!

UniPID and the Finnish Society for Development Research awarded Noora Stenholm the second prize in the Master’s contest, last November 2015. Stenholm got the credit with her thesis “Gendered perspectives on rehabilitation after involuntary resettlement in urban Sri Lanka.” Stenholm’s thesis concern on resettlement project in Sri Lanka, and she did fieldwork in Colombo.

Sri Lanka/Noora Stenholm

Sri Lanka/Noora Stenholm

“I did a qualitative research in a slum in a development project where groups hit by floods and tsunami, were resettled” Stenholm explains. She interviewed women about various issues dealing with their physical environment, living standards, employment, social relations, safety nets and possibilities to take action. She also interviewed project workers and town planners. Information was compared to their situations before the resettlement.

“Results vary, but I found that the community has a great impact on adjustment. In Colombo there are many involuntary settlements; however the project that I observed, is considered to be a successful one”.

This year, 25 Master theses have been submitted to the competition. The ranking criteria include societal applicability, impact and innovativeness of the work

“The award feels good! I think one of the reasons why I got it, is that I did my research on a new theme and in a new environment”, Stenholm comments.

“My interest in urban space and involuntary displacement was awaken during a lecture in development studies in 2012. Then I happen to travel to Sri Lanka twice before my field research, first for vacation and then on a study trip organized by the geography department. I have read about the country’s history and during my staying in the country, I have better defined my research questions. Local researchers and other people we met during the geography field course assured me about their relevance”, Stenholm explains.

After the field research period, Stenholm started an internship at the Finland Futures Research Centre (FFRC), where she is still working as a researcher.

“I am in the team Sustainable Development Futures, doing research about renewable energy, sustainable development, climate change and capacity building in Southeast Asia and the Caribbean”, she writes from Vantaa airport, on her way to a conference in Yangon, Myanmar.

“I could say that my educational background has been great for my career in the field of environment and development. At the geography department I have received much support and encouragement for my professional life. My current job is extremely interesting, challenging and developing… and still I would like to go back to Sri Lanka, one day”, Stenholm plans.

The first award prize was granted to Tomi Launio, for his thesis “Population Dynamics and Livelihood Change on Ukara Island, Lake Victoria”; while the third place was awarded to Paula Pankakoski, for her thesis “Place and Belonging – an Ethnography of Rural Migrant Children in Beijing “.

You can read more about Stenholm thesis here: Noora Stenholm, Gendered perspectives on rehabilitation after involuntary resettlement in urban Sri Lanka

And about the award prize here!

 

Research with students is fun!

Paola Minoia and students on the field trip in Ecuador

Paola Minoia (left) and students on the field trip in Ecuador

I am Paola Minoia, docent and lecturer in development geography. I have done all my previous studies in Italy with research periods abroad and my PhD thesis was on “water and identities” in Northern Sudan. I started working in Finland in 2008. Before that, I was working at the University of Venice, and going back in time, for UNDP in Lesotho and Egypt, and in various projects: with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the UE, NGOs, local administrations. I can say I got various hints on different working places and (govern)mentalities dealing with development!

In Finland I have continued doing research especially on water and environmental justice and politics, in the same time increasing my teaching experience applying experiential learning. Besides students’ activation in class, I have seen that it is possible and very fruitful to involve Master students in research. In my type of studies, field research is very important, and students have the opportunity to work at the Taita research station in Kenya for their theses. A few have been involved in various projects, for instance the Academy-funded TaitaWater (here is the project report). Our department has also organised field courses in the Global South. I have been personally involved in 3 trips: one in Morocco in 2011 (please have a look to the video  and to the report), one in Sri Lanka in 2013 (the report is here), and a recent one in Ecuador, in October 2015 (here is a news published by the Universidad Estatal Amazonica). Soon we will publish a report, stay tuned!