Shannon Anderson's Reports

To describe my experiences since arriving at Gobabeb is a bit of a daunting task. Gobabeb is not exactly the type of place you can describe in an assigned 2-3 pages, or any number of pages for that matter. Gobabeb is much more than what you can write on a page, it is a whirlwind of senses- smells, sounds, tastes, sights, and emotions. So, I feel I must preface my first report saying it will be "Gobabeb in a Nutshell," leaving many of the important aspects that I cannot adequately describe poorly explained or left out completely. (For the complete story, you'll just have to come to visit, or apply for the fellowship next year.) Nevertheless, here I go.

First off, I have to say Rebecca White saved me completely in my first month here. Without Becca, last year's fellow, my transition to Gobabeb would have been much more difficult and overwhelming. She took me on my first sundowner and helped me navigate a beat-up 1970's Land rover (The Kalahari Kat) through the dunes for the first time. She introduced me to the ways of solar showers and caravan living. She gave me massive amounts of computer files and papers and I inherited quite a few of her last projects. So, I do have to thank her formally (knowing this will be broadcast globally on the Grinnell web-site) and let next year's fellow (whoever you may be) know that I only hope to help you as much as she helped me and give you the same level of inspiration for the year ahead of you.

Now, on to the important stuff: life at Gobabeb. Having studied abroad in Zimbabwe, coming to Namibia in a way was like coming to a familiar place. Namibia and Zimbabwe have many similarities, from combis to pap (sadza in Zimbabwe) to OK Foods, to liking Bob Marley, UB40, and bad South African soap operas, to animated speech and Bantu languages. I'm not saying that I feel I needed to have a previous experience in Southern Africa. In fact, I almost wish I could re-experience many of things as if for the first time. But, it was fun to re-discover many of the aspects of a seemingly former life absent in the past year of Grinnell.

Although in an isolated environment, I was nicely surprised to see that Gobabeb actually has a pleasant social atmosphere, with very animated people. The DRFN attempts to keep the permanent staff of the station Namibian in efforts to make the station more applicable to localized community development and environmental education. The Namibians I live with are great. Rauna reminds me a lot of my Zimbabwean host mom and cooks a mean pap and dances incredibly well at SLUMS parties. Olavi, our plant expert, is a fun guy to hang around and barely beats me as the youngest of the station. Laura is a pleasant girl who likes to laugh a lot and watch bad movies on DSTV (which I, despite my better judgment sometimes, frequently join her for). And Snake, who is the senior of the DR@GO staff at a mere 31, has a beautiful smile and a heart-felt desire to devote his life to environmental issues. At the moment, the rest of our staff includes two wonderfully international women. Petra, who is our German volleyball queen, is back again to Gobabeb for another year to finish her !Nara research and work on Desertification 2002. Finally, Annabel is our current intern from the UK. So, between volleyball, movies, swimming, darts, braais (complete with Brenda blasting from the stereo), sundowners, and the inevitability that you'll see everyone at least 20 times in a given day, we keep a fairly healthy social life here at the station.

It also helps that my job is quite varied. Although this is the longest stretch of 8-5 life I've encountered thus far in my short time on Earth, every day brings a new adventure, challenge, or experience. My official position involves working with the environmental education projects of the DRFN at Gobabeb. So, I help design the curriculum for school visits, our arid ecology course, and am the logistics woman for the Summer Desertification Programme (SDP), which will take place from November-February. Additionally, I've helped out with some of the long-term research projects such as the annual grass census, habitat assessment project, and collecting the weather data. Doing the weather readings (which are phoned into Windhoek three times daily and read on the 8o'clock news) is generally not too difficult considering almost every day it's sunny with blue skies and high visibility. I really don't know where winter disappeared to already, as it's back to being tank top weather, lying by the pool. I have to say I don't miss the August Iowa humidity one bit, though. My unofficial position includes a whole variety of things- from being one of the two Gobabeb UCs to getting a recycling programme going at the station (and learning how to say recycle in Afrikaans) to being the resident English translator and grammar checker for reports and articles. The variety of experience has helped me get a good grasp of what it takes to run a research station in the middle of nowhere. Who has time to be bored, eh?

Finally, it helps that I've been able to travel quite a bit around the park, helping out on LTER projects as well as travelling for supply trips. I'm already fascinated by the central Namib- with its towering sand dunes, vast gravel plains, and the occasional sprongy springbok or really dopey ostrich. I can see High Dune from my office and often find my mind wandering and mesmerized, looking out the window. I've gotten quite good at driving on really nasty roads (even worse than Wyoming Jeep Roads, as Dad always used to call them) and I've gotten very prepared to find everything dusty and sandy in the back of a bakkie (pick-up). And it is always an experience driving up a sand dune, especially if you're in the back and have to hold on for your dear life!

Well, it's now 1 o'clock and that means time for lunch. (I think my stomach has finally adjusted to the extra hour wait, but when Kate, Emily, and I went up to Etosha we still decided to be Americans and eat at noon). So, it's time to trek down to the SLUMS kitchen, and make myself a wonderful lunch using canned vegetables and bread that was frozen last week. (I guess there are a few minor disadvantages to living an hour and half from the nearest store, but nothing fresh squeezed lemonade from the lemons in our back yard in Windhoek won't cure).

So, there is life at Gobabeb in a nutshell. A good mix of work and play, and most importantly no homework! As I sit here, in mid-August, I can't help but enjoy for the first time in 17 years not having to dread going back to school. I think I'll save that feeling for next year and for the moment treasure the feeling of being able to relax at five p.m. and have the entire weekend to bask in the sun.