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|  About Pantanal WHO: Two Wildlife Conservation Specialists on the Road Jeff Flocken, CI's Director of Education and Outreach and Julie Scardina, Animal Ambassador for SeaWorld/Busch Gardens, are traveling to the Pantanal region of Brazil to investigate on-going conservation efforts in this amazing wetland. With the help of their Brazilian and U.S. colleagues, they will be relaying information about their adventures. WHERE: The Brazilian Pantanal and the Cerrado Our reporters will explore the Pantanal, which is the world's largest wetland, covering more than 365,000 square kilometers. During the rainy season, the region experiences extensive flooding, connecting a vast array of swamps, lagoons, backwaters and oxbow lakes. Jeff and Julie will also travel to the neighboring Cerrado region, a unique grasslands and savannah ecosystem that is highly imperiled. The Pantanal and Cerrado are home to an incredibly diverse abundance of wildlife including caiman, capybaras, peccaries, jaguars, maned wolves, deer, toucans, tapirs, puma, giant anteaters, rhea, and hyacinth macaws. WHAT: Assessing Exciting Conservation Efforts Over eight days, Jeff and Julie will observe exciting and creative conservation initiatives taking place in the Brazilian Pantanal and the Cerrado, and report what they find to you. Additionally, they will work with their colleagues back in the United States to supplement their daily dispatches from the field with exciting information about local species, Brazilian environmental professionals, scientific research tools, and relevant conservation issues. WHEN: Daily dispatches posted over 10 days Daily dispatches start with the day Jeff and Julie land in Brazil, and end with the day they leave the country. Since they will be there in the height of South America's rainy season, they anticipate getting very wet on a regular basis - this on top of the heavy humidity common to the tropics will make for a challenging trip to the field. HOW: Reporters On the Go Our reporters will explore via plane, boat, car, canoe, horseback, and even tractors, to find out what is being done to protect this amazing region. Working with their Brazillian colleagues who are hosting the visit, Jeff and Julie plan to interview and observe as many professional conservationists and researchers as they can find. It is an ambitious agenda, but hopefully, Jeff, Julie, and you will all emerge with a better understanding of what goes into protecting a valuable ecosystem like the Pantanal. February 22nd: Background Information Posted February 25th: Campo Grande February 26th: Refugio da Ilha - Pantanal February 27th: Caiman Ecological Reguge, Fazenda Rio Negro - Pantanal February 28th: March 4th: Fazenda Rio Negro - Pantanal March 5th: March 7th: Emas National Park - Cerrado March 8th: Wrap-up |     | |||||||||||||||
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