Jessica Haysom, PhD

A Day In The Life Of A Canopy Camera-Trapper Sometimes, things go to plan Sometimes, they do not ... Come join me in the treetops for a little #adventure 🧵📹🌳🧗‍♀️ #Jungle #Fieldwork #Science #trees #climbing @thfpenang

Kota Kinabalu Still here, still just being quietly iconic #Borneo #Sabah #Travel #adventure

Dressed for winter, heading to the tropics This chick is #Jungle -bound once again Hope the fortune cookie's right #Borneo #fieldwork #adventure 🛫🌏🌳

Yup, it's that time again.. packing for #fieldwork Most important? Enough leech socks to survive 6 weeks in the #Borneo #Jungle 🪱🌳🧗‍♀️ Stay tuned 🤘

The Highly Exact Art of Becoming Tarzan (if Tarzan were a total nerd & wore leech socks & occasionally got tangled in branches) 🧗‍♀️🌳🪢 #Jungle #Canopy #Fieldwork #tree #climbing #Borneo @thfpenang

What to do when you run out of veg in the #Borneo #jungle 1. Forage wild fern leaves (pakis) - choose new shoots & tips 2. Soak 3. Save any potentially drowning insects 4. Fry with garlic & ginger 5. Add salt & water, simmer til soft 6. Serve with whatever you fancy.. Ta da 🤗

5. The way down Complete magic, what a joy Hope it brought you joy too 💚✌️🌳

4. Done? Sit back for a second and take in THAT view (sights that normally only hornbills or flying squirrels get to see)

3. Highly Technical Methods With Sticks (how to angle your camera trap)

A Day In The Life Of A Canopy Camera-Trapper Sometimes, things go to plan Sometimes, they do not ... Come join me in the treetops for a little #adventure 🧵📹🌳🧗‍♀️ #Jungle #Fieldwork #Science #trees #climbing @thfpenang

2. Choosing your placement (if I were an arboreal mammal, where would I run?)

1. Getting up there (sometimes fine, sometimes terror)

Most nutrients in #rainforest soils are near the surface To grow big & stay upright, rainforest #trees need nutrients + stability They often have huge surface roots to provide both, like this beautiful example at Site 5 Check out the people for perspective! #Borneo @thfpenang

No-one, ever: Me: ⬇️📣🤠 #Borneo #Jungle #Fieldwork #slightlymadscientist

Site 4. This is what happens when you are trying to simultaneously: (a) set a camera trap 45m up a tree (b) *not* become entangled forever in a giant tree fern and also (c) avoid being detected by killer bees ..Just another totally normal day of #jungle #canopy #fieldwork 🤗

My old notes for Site 3 read: 'easy walk' WHAT. Was I thinking?! 🥵🤦🏻‍♀️😅 Updated notes: slippery, overgrown, near-vertical, thorn-tangled, sweat-soaked, wasp-infested hell trek Still, one more site done hurrayy 🙌 Time for a little sit down #Borneo #Jungle #Fieldwork

Dawn over Maliau River, and a Blue-Headed Pitta male & female pair (Hydrornis baudii, male has blue head) The rainforest is full of delights #Borneo #Jungle #bird #nature #sunris

@RVouffo I hope you can! Always happy to share experiences

@thereal_jayhay Amazing! I really need training in arboreal camera trapping!

Highly Technical Methods With Poles Size can be diagnostic for many mammal species in #Borneo. I take reference pics at each site with a 1m gaffer-taped pole This can help later with ID eg ⏬️ Brooke's Squirrel & Thomas' Flying Squirrel Sometimes it's quite the balancing act!

At Site 2, we discovered what appears to be Maliau's entire population of sweat bees (So tickly!! SO annoying!! 😖 But thankfully not stingers 🙏) We also set 5 cams & were rewarded with a spectacularly vibrant view. These scenes never get old 💚🩵 #Borneo #Fieldwork @thfpenang

@dr_dingle Thanks so much Caroline!

@thereal_jayhay Jess you amaze me, this is such cool work (and you are all very brave!!).