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Expedition Samloem 2013:Exploring Koh Rong Samloem’s Hidden TreasuresExpedition Report

B.Toulson, S. Biddiscombe, R. Bray, H. Hudson, E. Ivimey-Cook, H. Bates and R. MoulPublished September 2014

A multidisciplinary expedition to study the terrestrial biodiversity of Koh Rong Samloem

Koh Rong Samloem, Cambodia22nd August 2013 – 20th September 2013

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Expedition Samloem 2013: Exploring Koh Rong Samloem’s Hidden Treasures

Koh Rong Samloem, Cambodia, Asia22nd August 2013 – 20th September 2013

AimThe aim of Expedition Samloem 2013 was to perform surveys of Koh Rong Samloem’s flora and

fauna in order to help inform future conservation and sustainability efforts on the island.

Authors

Ben Toulson, Sarah Biddiscombe, Riona Bray, Hannah Hudson and Ed Ivimey-CookCompiled and edited by Ben Toulson

Photography

Harrison BatesHead Cameraman

Additional PhotographyBen Toulson, Sarah Biddiscombe, Riona Bray, Hannah Hudson, Ed Ivimey-Cook and Luke Blick

Address

Ben Toulson1 Commister Lane,

Ixworth,Bury St. Edmunds,

IP31 3HE

bentoulson1@googlemail.com

www.fxpeditions.org

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AcknowledgementsIn the many months before, during, and after this expedition, we have received an overwhelming

level of support. We are all incredibly grateful to the people that helped us make this a reality, it means a lot to us, especially as this was the first time that any of us had ever undertaken an

expedition. Whether it was some golden advice, a helping hand, or just an undying belief in the team, it was all vital to our success. Our thanks go out to the following, in no particular order:

Paul Ferber, Neil Garrick-Maidment, Samphal Seng, Berry Mulligan, Neang Thy, Feargus Cooney, Victoria Lee, Matt Bjerregaard, Tim van Berkel, Martin Holland, Brendan Godley, Stuart Bearhop,

Chhin Sophea, Shane Winser, Juliette Scull, Hannah Berry, Gina Douglas, Val Considine, David Morgan, Dr. David A. Simpson, Owen Greenwood, Kieran Harkin, Jan Stipala, Lara Rogers, Anais

Dion, Dan Blumgart, Alexandra Barlow, Samnang, Steve Backshall, Joanna Sarsby, Andrew Polaszek, James Bellamy, Zak Mitchell, Robin Holdsworth, Hanna Royle, Hayley Curtis, not

forgetting those students and volunteers that helped out at our fundraising events. Thank you all.

Thank you to Limetree and Emario for granting us permission to work on the island.

Thanks must be paid to Rasmey and his team, they were what made the expedition special.

Trusts, Grants and Institutional SupportThe Seahorse Trust, Marine Conservation Cambodia, the Royal Geographical Society with

IBG, University of Exeter, Royal University of Agriculture, Royal University of Phnom Penh, The Linnean Society, The Gilchrist Educational Trust, The Heart of Borneo Foundation, The Natural

History Museum in London, Kew Gardens, Fauna and Flora International, the Falmouth and Exeter Student’s Union.

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5A view of the navy base with Koh Koun in the background © Ben Toulson

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Contents PageAbstract 8Overview 10Introduction 13Koh Rong Samloem 20Expedition Team 24Team descriptions 26Research aims 32Planning and preparation 40Expedition Diary 42Local Attitudes 74Research findings 76 Previous research in Cambodia 78 Avifauna 80 Invertebrates 86 Orchids 92 Pitcher plants 94 Reptiles and amphibians 96 Expedition Conclusion 104Appendices 106 Appendix 1: Bibliography 107 Appendix 2: Environmental and social impact 110 Appendix 3: Destination area 112 Appendix 4: Travel and transport 113 Appendix 5: Food and accommodation 114 Appendix 6: Research materials and information sources 114 Appendix 7: Permissions and permits 117 Appendix 8: Communications 117 Appendix 9: Insurance 117 Appendix 10: Fundraising 118 Appendix 11: Medical arrangements 120 Appendix 12: Risks and hazards 121 Appendix 13: Itinerary 122 Appendix 14: Photography, sound-recordings, video and film 124 Appendix 15: Breakdown of income and expenditure 126 Appendix 16: Suitability of equipment 128 Appendix 17: Risk assessment 130

Mating butterflies encountered at the Angkor Butterfly Centre post expedition © Ben Toulson

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AbstractExpedition Samloem 2013 was a multidisciplinary project that conducted baseline surveys of the fauna and flora of the Cambodian island, Koh Rong Samloem. Fifteen students from the University of Exeter (UK), Falmouth University (UK) and the Royal University of Agriculture

(Cambodia) conducted surveys of the island’s birds, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, orchids, and pitcher plants. The expedition revealed new populations of pitcher plants, several reptiles

that may be new species/subspecies, possible range extensions for the plain sunbird, all of which will encourage further studies on the island. The team also looked at the attitudes of the local

people towards the conservation of their island and how this fits with their own lifestyles.

9© Sarah Biddescombe

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OverviewBen Toulson

Expedition Samloem 2013: Discovering Koh Rong Samloem’s Hidden Treasures was an entirely student-based project, run by students from the combined universities of Exeter and Falmouth.

The expedition took place over one month, from late August to September 2013. The team conducted terrestrial surveys of Koh Rong Samloem, an island lying off the coast of Cambodia. The island itself is about nine kilometers in length, with dry forests and mangroves that are rich in both flora and fauna.

Previously, there have been some intriguing discoveries on the island; recent findings include one new species of orchid and another that has only previously been found once in Africa and South America. In addition to this, it appears that a new sub species of terrapin has been discovered earlier this year in the island’s terrestrial pools.

The team, including six students from the College of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Exeter, used a variety of techniques to conduct surveys all over the island, documenting reptiles, amphibians, plants, insects, birds and more in an effort to gaining a more complete understanding of what lives on the island. There were some intriguing discoveries - in particular, what appears to be a large range extension for the plain sunbird.

A survey of this scale had never been attempted before on Koh Rong Samloem and the team hopes it will be of great importance for aiding sustainability efforts on the island. In addition to these efforts the team also integrated with the small local communities, getting guides and volunteers involved in their research, whilst learning about their values, beliefs, and attitudes towards conservation and sustainability.

During their time on Koh Rong Samloem, the team worked closely with Marine Conservation Cambodia, The Seahorse Trust and Save our Seahorses (Ireland) all of which have been collaborating with the local people of the island to conserve the wonderful marine life that surrounds the island in recent years.

Black-spined toad © Harrison Bates

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In addition to this, the team have built links with the Royal University of Agriculture, getting eight students involved with the project. These collaborations underline the team’s goal to integrate local people into the project, allowing for input for the community, keeping their interests central to the expedition.

With the support of patron and alumnus, Steve Backshall, the Natural History Museum, the Royal Geographical Society, Kew Gardens and Fauna and Flora International, the team hope that they have started to make a real difference in an area of the world undergoing rapid ecological change.

Since returning, the team have established a proper infrastructure, complete with further Annual Fund support (The University of Exeter Scientific Expedition Fund), for student expeditions through the FXU Expedition Society. This has led to the organisation of a follow-up expedition for a new student group, as well as new projects in Madagascar, with many more expeditions to come in the future.

For full details of these new developments, visit www.fxpeditions.org. The team hope that this work will allow them to leave a lasting legacy at the university.

We believe that it is of great importance that the project makes a significantly positive impact on the environment and our knowledge of the natural world.

The discoveries made and the database of the terrestrial flora and fauna that we have created will be of great importance for the island itself. Studies of the island’s terrestrial flora and fauna will help scientists develop our understanding of island ecosystems, their structure, and interactions between species that coexist in an isolated area. In an area of the world undergoing rapid development it is vital that such activities are done in a sustainable manner. This is particularly important with tourism, where forests, mangroves and other key habitats are cleared in order to make room for resorts and other tourist attractions. This runs the risk of the ecosystem services being greatly affected, damaging the environment and ultimately turning tourists away from the area, rendering it useless.

The expedition was entirely student led and was a fantastic way for the participants to gain experience in an incredibly competitive field of work. In the build-up to the expedition the team members learnt how to plan the logistics of such a project, raise the required funds, network, as well as many other invaluable skills.

Tokay gecko © Sarah Biddescombe

12© Ed Ivimey-Cook

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IntroductionBen Toulson

Indo-Burma is one of the most fascinating biological hotspots on the planet. It is forever revealing new discoveries to us; six large mammal species have been discovered in the past twelve years. Covering 2,373,000 km2, the area boasts near to 1,300 bird species, approximately 7,000 endemic plants, accounting for over half of the total plant species recorded, and a seemingly endless diversity of invertebrates. These species are supported by an array of habitats, including wet and dry evergreen, deciduous, and montane forests, lowland floodplain swamps, mangroves, and seasonally inundated grasslands.

Unfortunately, it is also one of the most threatened biodiversity hotspots on the planet. The area is suffering from the overexploitation of resources, a problem to be expected in locations dominated by developing nations. Much of the forest has made way for agriculture, with additional threats from logging, mining, and charcoal production. Only five percent of forest habitat is in pristine condition, with another 10-25% damaged, but in ecologically functional condition.

Some of this pristine habitat can be found on Koh Rong Samloem, an island approximately 20km from the Cambodian coast. Due to the unrest within the country in recent decades, many of Cambodia’s islands have remained relatively untouched. Some people fled to them during the rule of the Khmer Rouge, but it was not until 14 years ago that people starting colonizing Koh Rong Samloem. The island is just over 9km in length and forms a “C” shape when observed from above. Currently, there are a few small communities dotted around the coastline, the M”Pai community to the north being one of the largest. However, but for a few narrow, rough paths, there is very little disturbance when you venture inland into the forest.

Multiple dive groups run projects on the coral reefs around Koh Rong Samloem and Koh Rong, a larger island to the north. The first of these groups to set up on Koh Rong Samloem, Marine Conservation Cambodia, had been running multiple projects, including seahorse research (in conjunction with the Seahorse Trust and Save our Seahorses), reef-monitoring programs, and promoting sustainable fishing practices for 6 years prior to Expedition Samloem. In contrast to the extensive marine research, very little work had been done on the terrestrial species of Koh Rong Samloem. A few brief surveys of avifauna and orchids had been completed by Fauna and Flora International and visiting researchers, but nothing more.

Naturally, this meant that we aimed to complete the first thorough surveys of the island. Focusing on birds, herptiles, invertebrates, orchids and pitcher plants, we hoped to create baseline records for these taxonomic groups, whilst illustrating the conservation value of these species and the habitats in which they reside.

There are no fewer than sixty islands in Cambodia, and, at the time of writing, all but one of these are owned by development companies. With tourism being such a prominent and growing industry in South-East Asia, it is inevitable that most, if not all of these islands will eventually be developed into highly desirable tourist destinations. Koh Rong Samloem is no different. However, there have been many cases where the sustainability of such developments has not been taken into consideration, leading to over-development, the loss of ecosystem services, and major deforestation and degradation of beaches. As a result, these areas lose their tourism, leaving them with nothing. From our work, we hope to inform the legal owners of Koh Rong Samloem how best to maintain the island’s valuable ecosystem services whilst constructing small developments, in order to prevent such problems occurring for them. This will allow both tourism and the island’s biodiversity to thrive.

14The location of Koh Rong Samloem courtesy of Google Earth

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16The location of Koh Rong Samloem courtesy of Google Earth

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We worked closely with eight students from the Royal University of Agriculture, as well as staff and volunteers from Marine Conservation Cambodia and the local community on Koh Rong Samloem. We decided to restrict our studies to the northern third of the island, allowing for more thorough, in depth studies to take place. During this time, we filmed a documentary, not only about our work, but the attitudes of the local people towards conservation and sustainability and the challenges they face. In addition, we created a video podcast, updating supporters, friends and family on our progress and findings. This, in combination with our blog and social media outputs, allowed us to fully engage with our audience.

Our team was comprised entirely of students from the Universities of Exeter and Falmouth, both based at the Penryn Campus in Cornwall, UK. This was the first expedition that any of us had ever completed and proved to be a hugely challenging and rewarding experience for everyone involved. Conceived and devised by the team members, the Seahorse Trust, and Marine Conservation Cambodia, it allowed us our first experience of how real world conservation and ecological work is done in the field.

Team members came from a variety of backgrounds, including biosciences, environmental policy, and film. This allowed us to create a multidisciplinary, international expedition. This combination of different expertise allowed for a far more dynamic expedition than would have been possible for a single discipline and helped the scientists not only communicate their work, but make it relevant to modern policy and issues within Cambodia.

On return from the expedition, we put in place the ‘FXpeditions’ (Falmouth and Exeter Expeditions). This involved securing start-up funding and putting in place an infrastructure to support students from the Universities of Exeter and Falmouth in planning their own expeditions. You can find out more at the website we created – www.fxpeditions.org.

Observing Koh Rong Samloem from the north, the blue area represents the area we surveyed.

Koh Koun

Koh Rong Samloem

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Koh Rong Samloem

Koh Koun

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Koh Rong SamloemRiona Bray and Ed Ivimey-Cook

Koh Rong Samloem is a small island located 20km off the coast of Cambodia. Despite its small size, it is in fact the second largest island of the coast of Sihanoukville, and is just 4km south of the largest island, Koh Rong. It is about 9 kilometres in length and has a width ranging from 1-4km, providing an area of about 25km2.

It has a 37km long coastline, which is characterized by sandstone rock formations, sandy beaches and mangroves. The western coast has three yellow sandy beaches which are exposed to the weather, ocean and monsoon. The eastern shore faces the mainland and is much more sheltered, thus containing many bays and headlands.

Thick forests cover a majority of the interior of the island, across a predominantly hilly terrain. The vegetation is mainly regrowth of pioneer species such as Peltophorum dasyrrhachis and Melaleuca cajeputi.

Reptiles are particularly abundant with at least 10 species of snake being present, including the Reticulated Python, the world's largest snake, and the King Cobra, the world's largest venomous snake. Orchids are common throughout the island with at least 25 species being present. There are a few large mammal species present, including the Long-Tailed Macaque, Common Palm Civet and the Sunda Pangolin. Bird species are not as common as would be expected, but hornbill species can be found all over the island.

Even after Expedition Samloem, very little is known about Koh Rong Samloem's terrestrial flora and fauna, making it the perfect place to conduct such studies.

Observations by a handful of experts have revealed one entirely new species of orchid and another that had never been found in Asia before. In addition to this, it is possible that a new subspecies of leaf terrapin was discovered there in 2012. This cannot be confirmed until more speciments have been collected.

There are estuaries found in the lowest contours of the lowland, fed by ephemeral streams running from the island’s mountains. The primary vegetation in these wetlands includes Melaleuca spp, mangroves and various sedges.

There are cleared lowlands found between the western and eastern mountains on the northern part of the island, which has been extensively cleared, probably for fuel, and this has left a shrubby re-growth layer.

Evergreen forest dominates the hilly slopes that comprise much of the island. It has a closed canopy reaching up to 25-30m and the understory is relatively thick, making some locations hard to access.

This abundant plant life and topography of the island posed a great difficulty to penetrate, which is an influencing factor on why many areas are largely unexplored.

Cambodia has a tropical climate and as a result it is warm and humid throughout the year. The rainy season takes place from May to October, thus the research period fell within this time, and temperatures average around 25oC with humidity reaching up to 90%.

21Severe storms took their toll on local boats © Harrison Bates

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23The local people of the M”Pay Bay village were very accommodating © Harrison Bates

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Expedition TeamUK Team

Expedition Leader Social Media and Communications Officer Ben Toulson MSc (UK) Edward Ivimey Cook MSc (UK) University of Exeter University of Exeter Reptiles and Amphibians Invertebrates

Scientific Director Financial Officer, Kit Manager Riona Bray (UK) Sarah Biddiscombe (UK) University of Exeter University of Exeter Mammals, Invertebrates Avifauna

Logistics Manager Head of Media Hannah Hudson MSc (UK) Harrison Bates BA (UK) University of Exeter Falmouth University Avifauna, Orchids and Pitcher Plants Head of Photography

Health and Safety Officer Laura Higgs MSc (UK) University of Exeter Habitat Specialist

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Khmer TeamRoyal University of Agriculture

Team Leader Rasmey Moul

Team members Piseth Ny Limbheng Khat Sobot Soth Sokleang Chhorn Vuth Brak Ravuth Korn Piseth Cheng

Thank you to the local people of Koh Rong Samloem, as well as the staff and volunteers of Marine Conservation and Projects Abroad for all of their help during the expedition.

© Harrison Bates

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Ben Toulson MScExpedition LeaderReptiles and Amphibians

Ben recently completed MSc Applied Ecology at the University of Exeter with a distinction, having graduated from the same institution with a BSc (Hons) in Conservation Biology and Ecology. His knowledge of ecological census techniques, multimedia promotion and field work experience, combined with the many leadership roles he has undertaken in previous years, made him an excellent leader for this project. Having been a part of the fundraising and logistics team of the Heart of Borneo Project, Ben knew what it took to run an expedition which helped him deal with challenges the team faced before, during and after the expedition. Now Director of FXpeditions at the Expedition Society of the Universities of Exeter and Falmouth, Ben uses his knowledge to give advice to new student teams. Having secured funding and set up an infrastructure to assist future expedition teams in planning new projects, he has ensured that the team has had a lasting legacy at the universities.

Riona Bray BScScientific DirectorMammals

Riona has just finished reading BSc Zoology at the University of Exeter. Here she has learnt, and practiced, a variety of surveying techniques, which were a key component of the expedition research. Her previous practical experience includes tagging and measuring turtles in Ras Al Khaimah and Qatar. She has a “Teaching English as a Foreign Language qualification (Trinity Cert TESOL)” which was useful when interacting with the local community. After living in the Middle East for 10 years, and being a frequent traveller she understands the importance of integrating, learning from and respecting the local community's culture and traditions. This has also helped her react and respond to the problems which arise when tackling language barriers. Furthermore, she has an intermediate knowledge of French, which is spoken by the older generations in Cambodia (due to the previous French colonisation).

Team Descriptions

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Hannah Hudson MScLogistics ManagerBotany

Hannah recently completed her Master’s in Conservation and Biodiversity at the University of Exeter after graduating with a BSc (Hons) in Biological Sciences with a Year Abroad from Exeter in 2011. Throughout both her undergraduate degree, including her year at the University of Victoria, Canada, and her Master’s Hannah has gained practical skills in survey techniques and identification for a range of both marine and terrestrial species. Along with this she has also completed an Outdoor First Aid Course and an Outdoor Survival and Bushcraft training course. Her time abroad in Canada, Australia, and Namibia has given Hannah experience enabling her to meet the practical and physical challenges associated with this expedition with enthusiasm.

Edward Ivimey-Cook MScSocial Media and Communications OfficerInvertebrates

Edward Ivimey-Cook has just completed an MSc in Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecology at the University of Exeter, having graduated from the University of Southampton with a BSc (Hons) in Zoology. Whilst studying, Edward learnt a wide array of laboratory and surveying techniques, which was valuable when identifying insects as part of the terrestrial survey. Having worked on the Belizean Wildlife Conservation scheme with Panthera and with the RSPB as a volunteer warden, Edward has the knowledge and expertise to work in tough conditions and face new challenges. Whilst there he gained experience in small mammal trapping, radio telemetry and camera trapping. Further to this Edward won the Oxfordshire Biologist of The Year award in 2008, showing his drive and commitment for furthering himself in science.

Sarah Biddiscombe BScFinancial and Promotional OfficerAvifauna

Whilst a third year student, studying BSc Conservation Biology and Ecology at the University of Exeter, Sarah has gained valuable skills in the census of many species. She has completed courses, in mammal trapping, GIS (introduction) and camera trapping. Spending a summer as a research assistant in Madagascar, with Operation Wallacea, she has gained the expertise required to work in tough, remote places and finds it easy to adapt to the local environment. She is a committed team member, demonstrated by her involvement in two society committees and roles as a mentor and peer coach to 1st year undergraduates.

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Harrison Bates BADirector of MediaCameraman

Harrison Bates is a freelance cameraman with a passion for wildlife. He recently completed BA Marine and Natural History Photography at Falmouth University. Harrison has been able to immerse himself in to the photography world, gaining a lot of experience. He has worked in several sectors of photography such as advertising, weddings and sports. In his short time in the industry Harrison has had the privilege to work with some of the best photographers in the business. His most recent work was to be the Assistant Director of Photography on Simon Pegg's recent film "Fantastic Fear of Everything." He has also worked for James Lampard and Peter Lavery, where he he had the pleasure of photographing Sir Michael Parkinson. Harrison primarily documented the different species that were found during the expedition. Harrison also documented the entire trip using a combination of stills and videos. The footage will be also be used for other video series to come. He is now working on producing a documentary of the expedition for the rest of the world to see.

Laura Higgs MScHealth and Safety OfficerHabitat Specialist

Laura recently completed an MSc in Conservation and Biodiversity at the University of Exeter. Having graduated from University of Hull with a BSc in Biology she has gained a wide knowledge of field techniques. Laura has experience in camera trapping as well as small mammal trapping and surveying. Having experience in fieldwork in UK terrestrial and marine environments Laura decided to go further afield and undertake a research project in South Africa. Through this she has experience of constructing and undertaking studies on animal behaviour and has quantitative field research experience in Africa. Her research experience also includes vegetation surveys, species identification and constructing extensive species list which proved very useful during the expedition.

A special thank you must go to Feargus Cooney, Victoria Lee, and Dan Blumgart, all of whom were on the original team, but had to drop out of the trip. We could not have undertaken

the trip without their hard work.

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Scouting out the coastline © Ben Toulson

The boat ride to Koh Rong Samloem © Ed Ivimey-Cook

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Rasmey Moul, Piseth Ny, Sobot Soth, Vuth Brak, Limbheng Khat, Sokleang Chhon, Ravuth Korn, Piseth ChengKhmer Team

Rasmey Moul led the Khmer team that collaborated with the UK members throughout the expedition. All of the Khmer team members were studying at the Royal University of Agriculture’s Fisheries department. While this meant that many of their expertise lay in marine work, they had much to contribute to the terrestrial research and were invaluable to the expedition. All team members spoke at least some English, greatly reducing the language barrier.

The Khmer students were a great help in finding and collecting specimens, as well as navigating the treacherous terrain encountered across the island. Their experience in such conditions, and knowledge of the local flora and fauna, were particularly useful when identifying potential hazards. They also found time to conduct some brief studies of their own which are detailed in their own report, which can be found on the FXpeditions website.

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Paul Ferber

Many thanks again to Paul Ferber, Founder and CEO of Marine Conservation Cambodia, as he funded the accommodation and subsistence of the Khmer students; we would have not been able to take nearly as many students without his support.

Local GuidesThe relatively small and narrow size of the island meant that navigation of the island was largely straightforward. However, we did employ guides for some of our first treks around the island while we were getting out bearings. We usually paid between $10-$20 depending on the length of the trek.

The Khmer students take a break after a long hike © Ben Toulson

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Research AimsRiona BrayWe had a number of objectives that we wished to achieve both during our time on the island and in the months following the project. These aims were devised with the interests of the local people and researchers as the primary focus.

© Harrison Bates

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Perform a survey of the terrestrial Flora and Fauna of Koh Rong Samloem

This was the largest terrestrial survey ever seen on Koh Rong Samloem. We surveyed for invertebrates, mammals, birds, orchids, pitcher plants, reptiles and amphibians. The word “Samloem” is said to mean “far out and hard to discern” which indicates the island’s relative isolation and unknown nature, which is highlighted by the fact that there were no official records of the flora and fauna species present on the island.

Consequently, we created a database of species found with photographic records after completing the biodiversity study on the island. This new knowledge will help broaden the understanding of how the island's ecosystems function and aid conservation efforts for the area.

35© Harrison Bates

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Aid conservation efforts for the island to protect it from overdevelopment

In a time when deforestation is rife it is important that as much rainforest as possible is conserved. Documenting the island’s biodiversity and creating a database of species present on the island will help future conservation and sustainability efforts on the island.

There are two villages on Koh Rong Samloem; M” Pai Bay and Phumi Kang Khnong - additionally the Khmer National Navy has a base on the island. M” Pai Bay is located on the north tip of the island and is where our research team was based – thus a majority of our surveys were conducted with this as a central location.

During the French Protectorate of Cambodia there was a simple network of roads built across the island. However, these have now almost completely disappeared as they have become so overgrown by the forest. Therefore, all of the transport on the island is done by boat. Additionally, the island is not connected to the main power grid, there is no internet connection and there is very limited mobile coverage.

Despite this disconnect, there are resorts scattered around the island, which are increasingly popular with tourists and have resulted in daily ferries transporting people to and from the mainland. This popularity provides increased pressure for construction and exploitation of the naturally beautiful area. Large-scale development of the island could destroy a large proportion of the naturally dense forests and pose a huge threat to the fauna and flora, thus our research is vital to support the conservation of Koh Rong Samloem.

© Ed Ivimey-Cook

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Build university links with Cambodia

A team of Khmer students from the Royal University of Agriculture (RUA) in Cambodia joined the expedition and a mutual learning platform was created to benefit everyone involved with the research. Our team from the universities of Falmouth and Exeter were able to share our knowledge with the Cambodian students, in surveying techniques, data collection and the English language. In return they informed us on their techniques, knowledge and identification of the Cambodian flora and fauna. Thus, everyone involved in the expedition learnt a lot from each other in addition to the actual scientific research being conducted.

The Khmer students from the RUA completed their own scientific report after the expedition and presented it upon their return to Phnom Penh. They completed the report in English and therefore we were able to further help them in this aspect of their studies. The report can be found at www.fxpeditions.org. Thus, the team did not want the expedition to just be a one off study and it is hoped that students from the university and the Royal University of Agriculture in Cambodia will be able to go out and build upon the team's research in following summers.

© Ben Toulson

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39We encountered scattered populations of pitcher plants © Harrison Bates

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Planning and PreparationBen Toulson

Expedition Samloem 2013: Exploring Koh Rong’s Hidden Treasurers stemmed from Marine Conservation Cambodia (MCC), The Seahorse Trust and Save our Seahorses, our chief collaborators. MCC had been conducting fantastic marine research around Koh Rong Samloem and had recently begun working with the UK-based Seahorse Trust and Save Our Seahorses charities. After visiting the island Neil Garrick-Maidment, the Executive Director of The Seahorse Trust, came back to the UK to spread the word about the excellent work that MCC have been undertaking. While doing this he got in contact with the University of Exeter, which is where the connection was made. I had recently made contact with Professor Brendan Godley, stating my intent to lead an overseas research expedition, and that I was looking for someone who would like to collaborate on such a project. He received Neil’s email and put us in touch straight away.

Early emails between Neil, Paul Ferber, founder and CEO of MCC, Professor Godley, and myself discussed the possibility of conducting terrestrial research to compliment the marine work already taking place. Very little research of this nature had been conducted on the island; to MCC’s knowledge there were not even any full records of the terrestrial species on the island. The only work undertaken prior to the expedition was conducted by Fauna and Flora International, who conducted four brief bird surveys, and Professor Marpha Telepova Texier, working with the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, who discovered new species of orchid during a short trip to the island.

From these discussions, I decided that we could not pass up the chance to undertake such a project. After forming a core team of six students we set about sorting out the logistics of the expedition. This is not an easy or quick process. October 2012 to March 2013 was dominated by extensive talks with Paul and Neil regarding how to go about our research, various permissions we require, our methodologies, risk assessments, logistical arrangements - the list goes on. Negotiating permission with the groups that own the island was particularly time consuming, but we managed to design a project with everyone’s interests in mind, which I think reflects well on the flexible nature of our project.

We received terrific support throughout the planning stages of the expedition, particularly from Professor Godley who became our Expedition Supervisor. In addition, television presenter Steve Backshall became our expedition patron, meeting us to provide advice from the scores of expeditions he has previously completed. Tim van Berkel and Martin Holland of the Heart of Borneo Rainforest Foundation also gave up much of their time to assist the team, providing valuable insight into all aspects of expeditions. Establishments and organisations including the Royal Geographical Society, Natural History Museum, Kew Gardens, the Linnean Society and the Gilchrist Educational Trust all provided fantastic support to the team, and we cannot thank them enough.

We suffered many setbacks during the build-up to the expedition, as all such projects do. This involved the loss and replacement of key personnel, delaying a number of objectives being achieved. However, our flexible approach paid dividends for us, as we were able to compromise and amend our project to accommodate our modest budget, whilst also achieving all the original goals we set out to achieve.

41Bridges are built in various forms on the island © Ed Ivimey-Cook

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Expedition Samloem 2013 DiarySarah Biddiscombe and Ben Toulson

43© Ben Toulson

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14th – 22nd August 2013: ArrivalsSarah and Rio departed for Cambodia a week before the other team members. This not only allowed them to visits some of the wonders of the country, such as the Angkor Wat temples, but also scout out where we could pick up expedition equipment and supplies around Phnom Penh. Ben, Ed, Laura and Harrison arrived on the 22nd with Hannah completing the team on the 23rd.

23nd – 27th August 2013: Final PreparationsHannah’s arrival marked the first time that we had been together as a whole team. This had not been possible prior to departure due the fact that Hannah, Ed and Laura were late replacements for Feargus Cooney and Victoria Lee, and by this time, some of the other team members had left the universities, based in Cornwall, to return home before the expedition. Our first task was to extend our visas which delayed us by a couple of days as we had not taken into account that visas are not processed over the weekends. Hannah’s arrival on the Friday meant that we would not be able to leave until the following Wednesday. However, this meant that we had an extra couple of days to ensure that we obtained all the correct equipment and gave us time to meet some of our key contacts. Staying at the Spring Guest House on Street 111, we utilised the nearby Central and Russey Markets to pick up equipment, such as parangs for clearing transects, and water bottles, which, once finished, could be cut in half to create effective pitfall traps.

Just after our arrival, still waiting for Hannah © Harrison Bates

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The typical hustle and bustle of Phnom Penh © Ed Ivimey-Cook

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© Harrison Bates

© Harrison Bates

47Picking up supplies from the fascinating markets © Ben Toulson

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We managed to secure a meeting with Berry Mulligan and Neang Thy of Fauna and Flora International (FFI). Berry had been advising us throughout the planning stages and was essential in helping us gain permission to work from the development groups present on the island. Neang Thy is a herpetologist who has completed research on some of the nearby islands and took interest in what we might find. FFI had previously conducted a few brief surveys on Koh Rong Samloem, mainly focusing on birds and pitcher plants. Their findings had not revealed anything extraordinary, but gave us a good idea of what we should be looking out for. The meeting was incredibly insightful for us all, with Berry talking us through the area in detail using a series of useful maps. Berry then set us up a meeting at the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP). There we got to see some of the first specimen collections in Cambodia, still in its early stages, but impressive nonetheless. Here we spoke to Chhin Sophea and some other experts about some of their experiences in the field in Cambodia and received general advice on how we could improve our survey methods.

The extra days in Phnom Penh turned out to be a blessing in disguise as not only did they give us time to adjust to the culture, but also learn more about Cambodia’s recent history. We had all heard about the Khmer Rouge, but did not have a true appreciation of some of the atrocities that occurred in the too recent past. We took time out to visit the Killing Fields and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, both eye-opening and harrowing experiences, but we left them feeling that we had gained a better understanding of the modern values of the Khmer people.

Before leaving for Koh Rong Samloem we managed to meet with Samphal Seng, the Vice-Dean at the Royal University of Agriculture (RUA). Paul Ferber and Neil Garrick-Maidment had put us in touch with Samphal, and we arranged to collaborate with some of his students on the expedition, with Paul paying for their food and accommodation, an incredibly kind gesture. After meeting Samphal and discussing some of the details of the expedition he put us in touch with Rasmey Moul, a student from RUA who would be leading the Khmer team. Rasmey was fantastic right from the start, arranging transport for us down to Sihanoukville, from which we would take a boat to Koh Rong Samloem. He and the Khmer students were an invaluable asset to the expedition.

Harrison taking the eye-opening audio tour of the Killing Fields © Ben Toulson

49The Killing Fields were a chilling experience © Ben Toulson

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51Phnom Penh, a place of great contrast in a developing nation © Ben Toulson

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28th August 2013: Travelling to Koh Rong SamloemWe left the Spring Guest House early at 8am and met Rasmey and the seven other Khmer students that we were working with on the expedition, bringing together the team of 15 for the first time. We loaded up all the gear onto the minibus booked by Rasmey and set off. Fortunately, the road links between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville are very good, with tarmacked roads most of the way, meaning that the journey took only four hours. This was also a great chance to take in some of the incredible scenery that Cambodia has to offer.

On arrival in Sihanoukville we met Ali Barlow of Marine Conservation Cambodia (MCC). From there we loaded up some tuk-tuks and headed to the boat, a far sturdier vessel than we might have expected. It took only two hours to reach Koh Rong Samloem, but this was plenty of time for us to talk to Ali about the marine work that MCC have been doing around the island, as well as get an idea of what we were to expect during our time there.

The island was in view from the moment we left the mainland, becoming clearer during what was a much-appreciated calm ride. It was an exciting moment for us all after the months of planning that we had put into getting to this point. When the boat arrived at the M”Pai village on the northern coast of the island, it was clear that there had been some heavy recent storms. The end of the pier was battered and broken, with many slats missing, and supporting beams hanging off at various angles. Despite this, we unloaded successfully without losing any of our gear. We were then taken to the camp, located just to the east of the village. This is where the MCC and their volunteers were based; we would be staying with them. This camp consisted of a large main bungalow, which had a kitchen, roof and a generator, which would be turned on for a few hours each night, all very convenient for us. We stayed in some smaller huts located next to the bungalow, containing two bunk beds, and a bathroom at the back, consisting of a big bucket of water, and a toilet (bucket operated). This was actually far more luxurious than we had originally planned, we had thought of camping. However, Paul offered us a price that was the same as it would have cost to set up camp, so it was an easy decision for us to make.

The Khmer students took up resident in a larger bungalow situated in the middle of the M”Pai village. We would all meet in the main bungalow for meals, usually rice with a selection of dishes (again, relative luxury), and to plan our work.

© Ed Ivimey-Cook

The M’Pai Bay village pier, battered by storms © Riona Bray

The decidedly sturdier pier at Sihanoukville © Sarah Biddiscombe

© Ed Ivimey-Cook

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29th August 2013: Familiarising ourselvesThis was our first day exploring the island, and we decided to start with the easier-to-access lowlands situated to the east of the camp. This took us along the north coast and then into the shrub land. The Khmer students marked our trail by snapping branches and putting marks on trees using the parangs. We spent most of the morning scouting out the area and getting a feel for the environment and the wildlife. Several of the dogs that live by the main bungalow accompanied us on the trek, which proved useful for alerting us to any water buffalo in the area, but they did tend to scare off the rest of the larger fauna as well.

During the heat of the day we took some time to snorkel the coral reefs that could be found in front of our bungalows. These were fascinating, but highly degraded due to the levels of illegal fishing and rising pollution in the area. Following this we explored the M”Pai village. It is a small community, essentially one long street with some small areas for agriculture behind it. We scouted out to the west to see how far the regular paths would take us - it was not far until these ended and were replaced by a choice of jungle or the rocks and boulders that ran along the coast. A stork-billed kingfisher and white-bellied sea eagle were some of the highlights of the outing, along with experiencing some of the local cultures and customs, such as watching some of the children play games in the street.

We spent the evening organising the next few days and our general plans for exploring the forest and gathering data. We made plans to take one of the locals, Mr. Tu, as our guide for our first jungle treks. We had been made aware that there were some trails that led into the forest, but these were hardly extensive. Despite the island not being of great size and therefore relatively straightforward to navigate with a GPS, we decided a guide would be wise while we were familiarising ourselves with the surroundings.

We concluded the evening by taking a look at the bioluminescence in the sea, something we would recommend to anyone. The day as a whole was quite an introduction to the island.

The team explore the island for the first time © Ben Toulson

56© Harrison Bates

57The M”Pai Bay community © Ed Ivimey-Cook

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30th August 2013: First forest trekThis was our first real taste of the forest. The day started with a reminder of some of the hazards we would face during the trip. As we gathered everyone outside of the main bungalow in preparation to leave, a green snake, about a foot and a half in length, fell out of a tree, nearly landing on Rio before briskly slithering into the undergrowth, a close call. Mr. Tu, complete with his machete and flip-flops, led us in via a trail that lay just to the east of the camp. The trek was relatively easy early on, with a clear path cut in front of us, the only new factor being the humidity, which was substantially higher than it was at the camp. This led to a series of ‘fashionable’ headbands being donned by our UK team members, much to the amusement of the Khmer students. The purpose of the trek was to get our bearings and scout out potential transect locations, however, we also made a point of recording chance sightings - early on we found several interesting insect species.

Once we had begun to adjust to the humidity, we faced a new challenge; the trails began to run out, so Mr. Tu decided we would navigate by the streams that ran across the island, as logic would dictate in such a situation. We headed upstream, towards the highest part of the island, situated towards the west at around 180 metres. Navigating the stream proved to be hard going, with sturdy walking boots completely inferior to the noble flip-flop due to the nature of the slippery rocks. There were a few tumbles, but no medical situations, but this did mean that the going was slow. Despite this we managed to cover a lot of good ground during the trek, and noted some interesting locations of orchids.

© Riona Bray

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© Harrison Bates

© Sarah Biddiscombe

© Sarah Biddiscombe

© Riona Bray

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31st August 2013: Second forest trekThis was our second day in the forest, with Mr. Tu taking us along the western ridge of the island heading southwards. We entered by heading out of the back of the M”Pai village, through their fields and past the school. From here we took a trail that led up the ridge which gradually faded out, so we were able to properly test out the parangs and machetes. Much of the day was spent being assaulted by flying branches and thorny vines, but this gave us a good idea of what to expect during the fieldwork. We climbed to 180 metres before descending towards the east coast, with Mr. Tu hoping to get us to a nearby beach. He lost his bearings slightly, but fortunately we had been keeping track of our progress with our GPS so we were able to find our way back on to our original route. This slight detour also revealed our first orchid sighting.

When we regained our bearings, we decided we would head right down to the coastline of the western side of the island, in order to scope out how we would perform emergency evacuations if they were required on this side of the island. Additionally, this would ensure that we would not get lost again. This meant a steep descent down some dry riverbeds, which was somewhat treacherous, but some exciting exploration for the team. When we reached the shore, it was dominated by large rocks, which would make evacuations difficult, but not impossible. We scrambled along these rocks for what must have been a couple of hours, covering a handful of kilometres that led us back to the M”Pai village. In the heat of the day and after several hours of hiking, this final leg took its toll on some of the team members, with Sarah suffering in particular. Her hands swelled up and she had to spend some time holding a block of ice above her head on her return to the village. Fortunately this prompted a swift recovery.

A tricky descent © Sarah Biddiscombe

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We recorded some interesting findings during the day, sighting a black-spined toad atop the ridge during the trek, a species usually confined to the more urban environments. We conducted a full amphibian survey in the evening in some swamps located a few hundred metres along the beach from the camp. We found the common tree frog and Nongkhor Asian tree frog in abundance, but very little else in terms of amphibians. There was a close moment during the survey. While following calls to scout out individual amphibians, Ben was stabilising himself against a tree on the uneven ground, only to find he had nearly leant on a green cat snake just inches from him. Fortunately the snake was fully focused on a small frog, which promptly escaped when our lights shone on the snake. The other major finding of the day, although not a difficult one, was the tokay geckos that lived in the huts in the camp. Tokay geckos are one of the largest geckos in the world, and can give you a nasty bite if provoked, so we decided not to handle them. They became some friendly companions during the trip, even when they made a great deal of noise at night, or decided to watch you shower in the morning, a disturbingly regular occurrence.

© Harrison Bates

© Ben Toulson

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1st September 2013: Invertebrate surveys and being taken out to dinnerBy this point in the expedition we had attracted a great deal of interest from the MCC volunteers, so much so that about ten of them asked to join us on our first proper daylight surveys. These took the shape of basic invertebrate and botany surveys in the easy-to-access lowlands situated to the east of the camp. We set out with a 25-person team (7 UK, 8 Khmer, 10 volunteers) to undertake some simple pitfall trap setting, sweep netting and plant transects. It turns out that 25 may have been slight overkill here…

In the 400C heat, the team and volunteers got stuck into the invertebrate collection, bringing them back to Harrison, who had bought along a small pop-up white linen basket, which he used as a (very effective) portable studio in which he could photograph the specimens. Laura did a good job of recording what specimens were coming in, referencing their locations (not easy when you have so many people collecting specimens!) to the photos Harrison was taking, and the specimens were then released. Meanwhile, Sarah and Hannah were leading the botany survey, and quickly decided that trying to do a thorough survey of each species would be too great a task as the Khmer students’ expertise lay more in their marine knowledge than botany. As a result, they decided to focus on pitcher plants and orchids, species that are of conservation concern.

The rest of the day was spent writing up our findings and refining our data sheets. In the evening Rasmey and the other Khmer students invited us to have dinner with them (a second dinner, after the one provided by MCC). This was one of the first (and certainly not the last) experiences we had of Khmer hospitality during the trip. We learned that when you are invited to such an event, you are not expected to pay for anything; in fact, it can be offensive to do so. This of course meant that such an occasion was an incredibly generous act by our Khmer counterparts, providing us with delicious Khmer dishes, featuring squid, vegetables, incredible spicy sauces and more, along with a seemingly endless supply of drinks. This evening proved to be a great bonding session for the whole team, with many of the team members taking a great deal of interest in their counterparts’ language. It’s fair to say that the Khmer boys had far superior English compared to our Khmer.

The easy-to-access lowlands © Harrison Bates

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This marked the first of many early mornings for Sarah and Hannah, who were tasked with the 5am bird surveys. They conducted the first of these along a similar route to which we completed the first invertebrate survey, venturing along the north coast and the lowlands to the east. This was a good start as the open nature of the terrain made it easier to visually identify birds than in the forest, where calls are often all they had to go on. At this stage they were still getting used to identifying by calls, so the added visual assistance of this method was particularly beneficial. Sarah and Hannah were able to correctly identify 9 bird species, including the brown hawk owl and the oriental pied hornbill, an impressive and iconic species. They then repeated this transect the following day to familiarise themselves with the area, and got their first proper look at a white-bellied sea eagle, which would later become a common encounter. They were also able to start identifying some of the hotspots where birds would gather in the mornings.

On these days the rest of the UK team worked on invertebrate surveys, collecting the pitfall traps that had been laid out previously and using large sweep nets to catch and photograph butterflies. Ben and the Khmer students went exploring further south, managing to navigate halfway down the island, encountering a number of reptile species and mangroved areas, a key habitat in the tropics for biodiversity and carbon storage. The route the group took was rugged and challenging, requiring climbing over large boulders and crossing small rivers. They called camp to get a boat to pick them up from their final location as returning to base camp on foot was likely to take too long and could leave them navigating the forest in darkness, something that we wanted to avoid.

2nd–3rd September 2013: Early mornings begin

The boat journey back after our longest trek © Ben Toulson

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65Sarah returning from aa bird survey, accompanied by Frank the dog © Ben Toulson

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4th-5th September 2013: Out on the boatHannah, Sarah and Harrison decided to head out on one of the dive boats in an attempt to improve the low number of seabirds on the bird list. It was rather precarious, as they had to wade out to the boats whilst holding Harrison’s expensive camera equipment above their heads. Despite their efforts, this turned out to be a rather fruitless trip, with a brief appearance from a couple of barn swallows being their only sighting.

However, it was an eventful morning for the divers, as some of them got caught in the gill nets of a local boat, losing much of their gear. Fortunately there were no injuries, but it was a timely reminder of the challenges that the marine ecosystems face in these areas, with much of the coral and seagrass in the area destroyed by illegal or irresponsible fishing. Meanwhile, the rest of the team were busy marking out new transects and conducting butterfly and amphibian surveys, with a few more snake encounters, none quite as close as the previous ones!

The surveys were turning up some interesting finds; we found a place which became a common pied oriental hornbill roost, allowing us to get a closer look at them. Hannah and Sarah were also able to identify the white-rumped sharma, a bird of many calls, which had been proving difficult to track down. We even came across some free roaming pigs belonging to some of the villagers, explaining some small hoof prints we encountered. Harrison, Hannah, Ed and Ben also created a video podcast to send to sponsors and supporters, providing an update on the team’s progress whilst also identifying a species of kingfisher (that we had not previously come across) mid-podcast. Harrison and Laura were then sent to the mainland to upload the podcast and post some blogs that Ed had written.

Above: The view from the boat, not many birds... © Sarah Biddiscombe

Right: A trusty (and noisy) companion © Ben Toulson

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6th September 2013: The rabies scareSurveys continued as normal, and by this point we were in a good rhythm, with each team member knowing their roles and tasks. We were regularly coming across previously unseen bird and reptile species. Unfortunately, we were about to hit our first major hiccup. We received a call from the mainland telling us that Laura had been bitten on the hand by a dog. While it was a relatively clean bite, Laura had not had any rabies injections prior to the trip, meaning that she would have to receive the jabs over the following days, limiting her time on the island. Ben travelled to the mainland to ensure that all was well. Fortunately, with a team totaling 15 members we were able to cover Laura’s absence and she was able to undergo successful treatment.

Cute, but dangerous © Ben Toulson

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7th-9th September 2013: Surveys continueSurveys were running smoothly by this point, with the team coming across the crested serpent eagle for the first time, as well as a number of snakes and small lizards. Ben and Harrison ventured slightly into the forest for a couple of the evening amphibian surveys, but unfortunately revealed very little, certainly not the diversity and abundance that they were observing on the coast.

By this point we were collating good collections of photos, and we were beginning to send some of our findings off to our in-country experts, with the hope of identifying them. Laura arrived back on the island on the 8th, completing the team once again, but she would need to leave again soon to continue her precautionary injections.

Up until this point we had been relatively fortunate with the weather, with storms mostly occurring during the early hours of the morning when we were safely inside our huts. However, the rain and wind were really starting to pick up and we cancelled some of our forest surveys due to the conditions, as they were too poor for the boats to travel, preventing an emergency evacuation should one of us injure ourselves in the forest.

© Ben Toulson

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10th – 13th September 2013: SurprisesAt this point, we were still creating new transects and routes around the northern section of the island, delving deeper into the forest. These surveys revealed previously unseen species of orchids and birds. In addition, we heard what we believed were the crab-eating macaques that have been previously spotted on the island, however, we were unable to get any visual contact. We were starting to come across a few more mammals, a group that had been eluding us. The black giant squirrel was encountered a number of times, although we were unable to get any good photographs. We were still encountering pitcher plants in new areas, and some that had previously been described to us by Berry at FFI. These were very large and in particularly good condition.

There was another mammal encounter of a slightly more eventful kind. Four of the team members were out conducting the morning bird survey; some of the local dogs had tagged along for the walk. Midway through the survey the dogs became incredibly vocal, before they had time to investigate, fifteen water buffalo came charging down the trail, being chased by the dogs. They managed to escape into the bush with the buffalo taking no interest in them, but it was a close call nonetheless.

Some of the Khmer students were now leaving us, as they had to return home for studies or to help their families. Three students remained for the entirety of the trip.

An unexpected visitor © Ed Ivimey-Cook

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The rugged western shores © Ed Ivimey-Cook

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14th – 19th September 2013: Finishing upBy this point in the trip the weather was beginning to severely hinder our progress. This time of year the wet season changes into the windy season, meaning we were getting plenty of both, making conditions completely unsuitable for any of the boats to take us back in an emergency. So bad were some of the storms that one of the local boats sank whilst anchored overnight. We conducted some surveys in low risk areas, such as the open lowlands and recently felled forest behind the village. This revealed previously unsighted amphibian and snake species.

We spent much of this time doing data entry and working on our unidentified sightings. We had intended to have a brief excursion to the southern section of the island by boat (trekking would have taken too much time out of our schedule). This would have allowed us to see if we were finding similar species across the different locations. However, the poor weather prevented the boats from taking us out, so we focused on sorting out our equipment and removing any marks we had left out for transects.

The early mornings can get to you after a while © Harrison Bates

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20th September 2013: Breaking campWe decided to leave a couple of days early as the weather was preventing us from doing any more significant work. We sorted and packed up our kit, with Rio and Sarah taking everything we had borrowed from the university. They were heading straight back to the UK in order to start their final year of studies. The rest of us were to stay in Cambodia a little longer after the expedition finished.

After saying our thank yous and goodbyes to the locals and Marine Conservation Cambodia we travelled back to the mainland. This involved a rather precarious boat journey. We loaded our equipment and belongings onto a dive boat by the pier. From here we travelled out to the larger vessel as conditions were too rough for it to be moored by the pier. We then transferred everything between the two boats in particularly choppy conditions; fortunately there were no losses.

After spending the night in Sihanoukville, we travelled by public bus back up to Phnom Penh. We held a meeting with Berry Mulligan at FFI to discuss what we had found and what we could do in the future. We then saw off Sarah and Rio at the airport the following day. Ben, Harrison, Laura, Hannah and Ed then took some time out to travel around Cambodia and Vietnam. Between our leisure time, we were able to pay a visit to Paul Ferber, the founder and CEO of Marine Conservation Cambodia and one of the key catalysts in the creation of the expedition. There was also time for us to travel to the Royal University of Agriculture, where Rasmey and his team gave them a tour of the university and their facilities. It was a great way to say goodbye to our Khmer counterparts and round off the expedition. We have kept in touch since and hope to conduct more work with them in the future.

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The M” Pai Bay village at night © Ben Toulson

74© Harrison Bates

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Local attitudesBen Toulson

During our time on the island we made sure to integrate ourselves with the local M’Pai community. We were very warmly received and made to feel welcome throughout our visit and we were glad that we could give something back to them by employing guides and using the several small shops scattered throughout the village.

We conducted a number of interviews with the locals so that we could gauge their attitudes towards conservation, sustainability and development on the island. We were unsure what to expect, particularly in a developing nation where tourism and development often takes priority over the environment.

In the end, we found overwhelming support for conservation and sustainable practices on the island, with locals welcoming the presence of conservation and dive groups on to the island. This was for a variety of reasons. The M”Pai community have always been a self-sustaining fishing village, and they are well aware of the dangers of overfishing and the potential damage this could do to their livelihoods. They have also applied this to the way they use their terrestrial resources, thus welcoming efforts to preserve their environment.

The increased number of dive groups on the island has bought extra revenue to the island, through employment of locals as staff, and business in the island shops. In addition to this, some islanders collect the plastic that gathers on the shoreline, washed up from the sea. They can then take this back to the mainland to be recycled, receiving payment for their work.

Small developments have been welcomed on Koh Rong Samloem; there are a few small bungalows that can be found on the coastline. However, it is unclear if bigger developments would be so warmly received on the island. Koh Rong, a larger island located to the northwest, has undergone a great deal more growth in recent years, with plans for larger resorts in the pipeline. It is likely that such expansion will take place on Koh Rong Samloem, what is unclear is how it will impact the M”Pai community.

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Research Findings

© Harrison Bates

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Previous research in CambodiaHannah Hudson

Historically, scientific research and discovery in Cambodia has faced many obstacles, such as the lack of documentation during the French occupation (1863-1953) and as a result of the Civil War (1970-1975) and the subsequent Khmer Rough regime (1975-1979). These conflicts prevented foreign scientists carrying out research, but more importantly destroyed academic infrastructure, as well as removing many intellectuals from their posts (Bain and Hurley 2011, United Nations University website), preventing Cambodians from exploring their own country. The result of this has been that Cambodia had very little scientific exploration or discovery until 1999, when security was at a level where Cambodian forests could be safely explored (Ohler, Swan and Daltry, 2002). To this day there are still areas of Cambodia that cannot be explored due to unexploded ordnance left over from past conflicts (Mag International).

Cambodia is currently one of the most biodiverse countries in southeast Asia (Fauna and Flora International), most likely as a result of its previously undisturbed forests. Unfortunately Cambodia’s current level of development is putting these biodiverse regions under threat, some of which sustain threatened species no longer found in neighbouring countries. The majority of research within the country has focused on the Cardamom mountains due to its size (it is one of the last intact forests within south-east Asia (Conservation International)), high level of diversity and the presence of more than 80 threatened species. Despite this there is still much to be discovered in this mountain range (Fauna and Flora International; Ohler, Swan and Daltry, 2002). Cambodia's coastline covers 443km with over 60 islands, all with relatively little tourism or development compared to their Southeast Asian counterparts. These coastlines harbour great volumes of biodiversity, which have largely gone unexplored. For the aforementioned reasons, biological research still lags far behind that of neighbouring Vietnam and Thailand (Manthey & Grossmann, 1997; Nguyen et al., 2005; Stuart, 2005; Ziegler, 2002).

79© Ben Toulson

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Avifauna

Oriental pied hornbill © Sarah Biddiscombe

Sarah Biddescombe

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IntroductionBirds are one of the most researched groups on the planet, but out of all the southeast Asian countries, Cambodia’s avifauna is one of the least well known (Duckworth & Hedges, 1998). With field research only recently resurging within the country, there have been many new species discovered, many of them already endangered (Scott 1992). Most previous bird lists have been composed while studying for other animal groups, such as mammals, where as here we are working on all animal groups collectively (Duckworth & Hedges, 1998). The island of Koh Rong Samloem has never had a full terrestrial survey conducted, providing potential to find species new to the region, with past studies showing distributional significance in many of the species seen (Carr 1993). The avifauna were one of the most abundant animal groups on the island, ranging from the small passerine species such as the sunbirds, to the birds of prey, such as the sea eagles, demonstrating the islands are a highly productive area for avifauna.

Methodology To investigate the avifauna on the island, point counts were conducted along marked out transects. Each point was spaced around 250m apart from each other, to minimize pseudoreplication. All surveys were conducted between 05:00-09:15. At the beginning of each count a five-minute elapse was conducted, to allow for the surrounding habitat to settle after any potential disturbance.

At each point count the following physical measurements were recorded: - Location - Temperature - Humidity - Weather condition - Wind - Elevation - Aspect - Gradient - Canopy exposure - Human prevalence

At each point data was collected for a ten-minute period,the following information was documented for each bird seen - Species - Distance from point (<40m or >40m) - Number of individuals in the group - Age (Juvenile or Adult) - Sex - Time bird was seen

Transects were conducted though different habitat types; open shrub land, dense forest and coastal mangroves. Transects along jungle trails did not provide many species and disturbance from dogs limited hearing range. Due to these factors we prioritised more open habitats as we were just gaining presence/ absence data. Marine and beach surveys were conducted along the northern side of the island on stationary boats for one hour periods between 08:00-10:10. The Bird Guide of South East Asia by Craig Robson was used to identify the bird species.

White-bellied sea eagle © Sarah Biddiscombe

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A comparison table, comparing the species of birds seen by Fauna and Flora International on previous visits to the island and Expedition Samloem.

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Results A total of 38 species were recorded over the three week sampling period with the number of new species recorded falling over the time period spent recording, which was expected. The majority of species that were recorded were terrestrial species (80%), with only 13% of species seen being coastal and 7% wetland species. Another evaluation has shown that there was a higher proportion of passerine species recorded (55%) compared to non-passerines (45%).

A comparison of the species of birds seen by an early expedition to the island by Fauna and Flora International (FFI) indicates that half the species recorded on Expedition Samloem were also recorded by the FFI (Table 1). In total we re-sighted 17 (37%) of the 46 species seen by the FFI, indicating long-term presence of certain species.

Conclusion In total we identified 38 species of birds on the island, of which 19 had not been sighted in previous trips to Koh Rong Samloem by FFI. The majority of species seen in this presence/absence survey were terrestrial species, followed by wetland, with very few coastal/marine species being seen. However, with the size of the island, the entirety of the land could be classed as coastal.

During surveying, there was a clear pattern of bird distribution, with a high proportion of the birds being cited in one area (hotspot). The area was open coastal shrub land, with fruiting trees nearby, which attracted a large amount of bird species. This area was the main focus of the research as it provided a much higher density and variety of bird species. There was a very low density of marine species seen around the island and the area in general. This dip could be due to the high levels pollution, such as organochlorides found in fish species within the area, potentially resulting in bioaccumulation of toxins in marine birds (Monirith, et al 1999).

One species of particular interest that was observed was the plain sunbird (Anthreptes simplex). This species’ home range does not include Cambodia (Robson 2010), and future sightings could show potential range expansion of this particular species, making these islands potential corridors to connect new expanding populations.

None of the species seen on the island are threatened, with all being classified as least concern in the IUCN Red List. However the island as a whole is under threat from potential development of proposed resort complexes and golf courses. This put all the species on the island under threat as this would resort in wide scale destruction of the islands dense forest.

Future studies should undertake surveying over a longer period of time to account for seasonal migration and fluctuation of bird species. Also more surveys covering a higher proportion of the island should be conducted to provide a wider scale evaluation of the avifauna on the island. I would also recommend conducting call back surveys to investigate for nocturnal bird species on the island (Evans and Rosenberg 2000).

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85Stork-billed Kingfisher © Ed Ivimey-Cook

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Invertebrates© Harrison Bates

Ed Ivimey-Cook

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Introduction One the most important and understudied areas for sampling in Cambodia is the invertebrate taxa. Additionally, there is a general paucity of knowledge and samples of the Far East Asian invertebrate orders. As such it was imperative to collect and sample the invertebrate species that were on Koh Rong Samloem. To do this, and as the habitat types were going to vary across the island, it was necessary to use a range of sampling techniques. Our main aim was to capture and record data on insects found along jungle trails on the island and collect them for identification back at the main base.

Invertebrates Materials and MethodsEquipment Used:Sweep Net x 2GPS x 2Butterfly Net x 1VialsPlastic BagsPitfall Traps x 36

MethodologyAside from the individual sampling methods used, namely employing pitfall traps, sweep nets and opportunistic capture, all of the insects were captured from areas surrounding the base camp and on trails leading from the main base. Pitfall traps were made by cutting a litre water bottle in half. Six pitfall traps were then placed along each of the six transects in various areas in order to maximise surveying in the different habitat types on the north part of the island. They were dug into the ground until the lip was level with the surface, so that the invertebrates were more likely to fall into the trap.

Six transects were mapped and utilised in the month of surveys. These were sweep netted up and down the transect until all parts were surveyed. Sweep netting involved hitting branches in the low, middle and high parts of the side of the transect and knocking off insects on leaves and on branches.

An opportunistic sampling method was employed when invertebrates were sighted along treks and also in the main camp. This was the predominant sampling technique used as many of the taxa (Lepidoptera and larger invertebrates) were not found by sweep netting. Samples were caught, stored in an ID tube and their location was recorded. They were then taken back to the main camp and photographed with a high quality macro lens on a Canon EOS D500. These photographs were then sent for identification at the National History Museum by entomology experts. Location, humidity and height from ground, relative abundance, elevation, exposure, general weather was quantified for each sample.

When an invertebrate was caught, its location was noted and stored in a breathable tube, ready for photographing and identification.

88A small selection of weird and wonderful invertebrates © Harrison Bates

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DiscussionThe most prevalent order sampled was the Lepidoptera, closely followed by insects from the Araneae order. The vast majority of these were opportunistic sampling as they were the most conspicuous and therefore easiest to secure whilst around base camp or along trails.

In terms of the varying methods employed whilst sampling, each had pros and cons to their relative use. The sweep net, for example was very easy to use and to provide a suitable methodology as you simply had to walk either side of a marked transect and employ a simple action. However, it was limited to use purely on marked transects and the invertebrates found were normally too small to photograph and identify without collection. Opportunistic sampling was perhaps the easiest method of catching invertebrates and was the easiest to get large numbers of volunteers to help with collection. However this method of sampling meant that we could only catch large and conspicuous insects as they were the easiest to catch and most noticeable. Furthermore it was difficult to precisely GPS point where the volunteer successfully caught the invertebrate. Pitfall trapping was perhaps the most versatile method of catching invertebrates due to the wide area that they could be placed and could also catch small invertebrates that could otherwise be missed by the other two methodologies. However when used in the field, they quickly filled up with water when it rained limiting their effectiveness when used in the monsoon season.

Due to lack of collection and exportation permits we had to photograph specimens on the island back at base camp. We were not able to photograph all the individuals due to size or lack of suitable lighting. Therefore we had to bias our sampling to large invertebrates with obvious and conspicuous colorations such as Lepidoptera. Furthermore, the lack of appropriate invertebrate expert and field guide was also a major limiting factor as whilst the main taxa could be identified, narrowing identification to species level proved more difficult.

For future expeditions, we should employ the use of a larger number of transects, so more of the island will be sampled with an increased number of habitat types. Permission from the government for collection permits to enable taking back specimens to the UK would help immensely with identification and record collection of invertebrates. In terms of methodologies, shelters for pitfall traps are vital to stop them filling up with water, which could increase the effectiveness of the collection method.

Respective amounts of each insect found identified to order level. U stands for unknown and denotes any insect that could not be successfully identified to order level.

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Orchids

© Harrison Bates

Hannah Hudson

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OrchidsWithin the plant kingdom, orchidaceae are the most diverse of the angiosperm family and can be found on all continents, bar Antarctica, with the tropics exhibiting the highest abundance (Myers et al, 2000). Globally, there are estimated to be more than 25,000 orchid species (Cribb et al, 2003, Mabberley, 1997, Dressler, 1993), with those species most threatened with extinction found in biodiversity hotspots (Myers et al, 2000). Orchids come in two forms, terrestrial and epiphytic, and their habitats range from desert edges to humid rainforests (kew.org). Indochina (which encompasses Cambodia) has been recognised as an orchid rich region for both terrestrial and epiphytic species (Cribb et al, 2003). Orchids in this region are under threat from habitat loss and commercial collections and as such it is vital that known populations are monitored while potential new populations and species are explored. A previous expedition to Koh Rong Samloem has shown orchids present on the island and this expedition hoped to further the knowledge of their presence and distribution.

MethodsOrchids were found opportunistically on treks through the jungle whilst other surveys were occurring. Whilst on the trek evidence of orchids were found by mainly looking up into the tree canopy for epiphytic species. Those that were found were photographed, described and their location recorded. Non- flowering orchid locations were also recorded for future expeditions to revisit sites to accurately identify in the future.

Results

One flowering orchid, Bulbophyllum flabellum-veneris, was found on the island in the jungle. It was found both along side and off the path (created by villagers) as well as along the river bed. Many non-flowering orchids were observed, likely to be B. flabellum-veneris, however this cannot be verified until future expeditions to the site. Terrestrial orchids were not observed however may still be present.

ConclusionsOrchids appear to be prevalent throughout the northern half of the island, however species diversity and distribution is currently unknown as many orchids were not in flower and so unidentifiable. Levels of disruption appear to be low, however it is impossible to know the past history of orchids on the island and the impact of complete island logging on their population distribution. Orchids are protected by CITES, however the orchid found on this expedition, B. flabellum-veneris, has been unevaluated by the IUCN; further research could allow for a better understanding and classification for this species. Koh Rong Samloem has recently been the site of a distribution extension for an African orchid species. Results such as this should encourage further research and protection of habitats and species to enable researchers to discover new species and new distributions in countries that have exhibited previously low research efforts as a result of national and international conflict. Future expeditions should continue to look for both terrestrial and epiphytic orchids in all areas of the island in a range of habitats.Orchids

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Pitcher Plants

© Harrison Bates

Hannah Hudson

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Pitcher PlantsThe genus Nepenthes is found within the carnivorous pitcher plants and is widespread across southeast Asia (Simpson, 1995). Found in a range of wetland and grassland habitats, including swamps, bogs and cloud forests (IUCN Red List data), Nepenthes obtain their nitrogen through the digestion of insects in otherwise nitrogen deficient habitats (Simpson, 2008). Insects traverse the waxy rim and fall into the pitcher of the plant, where digestive enzymes break down the insect and extract the nutrients. Nepenthes mirabilis, a common species across SE Asia, has an IUCN Red List classification of least concern - however, this data requires updating (IUCN Red List data). The species is listed as Appendix II on CITES which requires its trade to be controlled to protect its future survival. It is currently under threat from habitat loss and commercial trade.

N. mirabilis were found opportunistically around the northern sites of the island. Having not been aware that pitcher plants were present on the island a survey method had not been decided beforehand, nor had significant literature been read to allow for a meaningful study. This being said, two new sites were discovered where N. mirabilis were based. Flora and fauna international (FFI) had been aware of one large site in a lowland bog area of the island (show on map), however new locations were discovered behind the village just off the path to the school and a smaller patch on the western coast. This smaller patch was not in a healthy condition and should be revisited on future expeditions. The patch near to the school had also been highly disturbed and should also be revisited. FFI also believe a relatively unexplored site south of our surveys also has the potential to contain N. mirabilis and this should be explored in future expeditions as well as the potential of different Nepenthes spp.

DiscussionWhile we were able to carry out some useful baselines studies here, there are a number of improvements that can be made in future work. With a longer timeframe, we could travel further across the island, with longer treks venturing into a variety of habitats. Being able to monitor transects throughout the year would allow us to account for the seasonal nature of many species.

We focused mainly on the presence/absence of species, so to further this, it would be good to record the height of plants from the ground, canopy cover and soil content in order to gain an understanding of the habitats in which each species is found. It would also be useful to obtain the relevant permits prior to the expedition to allow us to export them for study and identification at an institution such as Kew Gardens.

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Reptiles and Amphibians

© Harrison Bates

Ben Toulson

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IntroductionThe knowledge of amphibian and reptile fauna of Indochina, both in terms of composition and distribution, is highly fragmented. However, of all the Indochinese nations, Cambodia has received the least attention from herpetologists (Ohler et al., 2002). While there has been an increase in these efforts, particularly in the Cardamom region (Stuart and Emmett, 2006; Daltry and Traeholt, 2003; Grismer et al., 2008), few studies have taken place on Cambodia’s islands with work often focusing on relatively localized regions (Inger et al., 1999; Ohler et al., 2000; Orlov et al., 2001, 2002, Stuart & Platt, 2004).

MethodsWe kept our methods simple and cost effective, using visual encounter surveys (VES), largely on night time transects, coupled with opportunistic sightings that we made during other surveys and during any down-time. In addition, we utilized pitfall traps (Stuart et al., 2010), which, while largely unsuccessful, still caught several species we did not record during other surveys.

Visual Encounter Surveys

We conducted the majority of our VES at night, between the hours of 18:00-22:00, as many reptiles are easier to find in these conditions due to increased vocalisations and eye shine (Bennett, 1999). These VES mostly took place along transects in wetlands, streams and bogs, each with a varying degree of human disturbance. These were all located within one mile of our base due to the dangers of navigating the rainforest at night, particularly as there was little in the way of a night time evacuation strategy. Team members used powerful head torches to search the area, searching for eye shine an, vocalisations, and movement.

Some VES were conducted during daylight hours, these focused on reptile species, such as skinks and geckos, as these could be found basing on rocks, particularly in coastal regions. Both during the nighttime and daytime surveys, the experience and keen eyes of the Khmer students helped greatly increase our findings as many reptile species exhibit excellent camouflage.

Recording species

Where possible, we took several photographs of each individual spotted, taking particular note of those that we were unsure of. We were able to catch a number of species and photograph them in our temporary studio, as well as in a Pyrex dish, which allowed us to get shots of the individual from beneath, which proves useful for identification purposes. Photos for species for which we were unsure of the species were sent to Mr. Neang Thy of Fauna and Flora International, who kindly identified many of them.

Reptiles and Amphibians

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ResultsTables 1 and 2 illustrate that we found and successfully identified 13 reptile (across 6 families) and 4 amphibian (across 3 families) species from our VES and chance sightings. No species are of conservation concern and all sightings took place in habitats described to be typical of the species.

Reptiles

All species were encountered in the coastal regions of the island with the exception of Physignathus cocincinus, Ahaetulla prasina, Varanus bengalensis and photos 1 and 2 below (these were all encountered during forest treks, rather than VES). Gekkonidae species were mostly encountered around the camp, particularly around artificial lights that attracted insects in the evening. The Scincidae were all found amongst the rocks and trees along the beach on the north coast of the island. Snake encounters occurred across the island; a number of these remained unidentified as the individuals escaped before good photographs were obtained.

Details of all identified reptile species on Koh Rong Samloem during Expedition Samloem 2013.

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AmphibiansOnly Bufo melanostictus was not exclusively encountered in the coastal regions. This species was observed at the highest point on the island, 180m in the forest lying to the south west of the village, as well as several of the hut bathrooms. Chiromantis nongkhorensis and Polypedates leucomystax were commonly found in damp, boggy areas behind the beach on the north coast of the island. Fejervarya cancrivora was found exclusively in a recently-felled area of forest lying just to the south of the M”Pai village.

The recently-felled forest© Harrison Bates

Details of all identified amphibian species on Koh Rong Samloem during Expedition Samloem 2013.

100Black-spined toad © Harrison Bates

101© Harrison Bates

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© Harrison BatesSpecies 1: Lizard species Photo 2: Similar to Sphenomorphus maculatus

“This one is a really interesting species, if someone can collect it, that would be great. From the photo, it looks like Hemidactylus, but I can’t match it to any so far” - Neang Thy: Fauna and Flora International

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DiscussionThe three unidentified species and lack of previous research on the island underline the need for further study of the reptiles and amphibians of Koh Rong Samloem. Future work should focus on collecting specimens of such individuals, with more in-depth surveys occurring across the range of habitats present on the island. We suggest that any teams following a similar safety protocol to that which we had for Expedition Samloem 2013 should set up some temporary camps in the forest, allowing for evening surveys to occur around that camp with the team then remaining there overnight. This would eradicate the need for long treks through the forest at night, which was our primary safety concern.

The need for further exploration of the island’s habitats is further supported by the fact that different habitats were dominated by different species, with few species found across habitats in amphibians. There are a number of habitats within the forest, such as shallow streams and pools, which are likely to boast many more reptile and amphibian species.

Indochina (Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam) houses over 600 species of amphibians and reptiles, roughly a quarter of which has been described within the last 15 years. (Bain and Hurley, 2011). Given this high diversity of amphibian and reptile species it is surprising that only a very limited number of species were recorded during the expedition. However, there are a number of possible explanations for this, resulting from limitations in the methodology. While chance encounters were recorded during forest treks, no VES took place deep into the forest due to health and safety concerns resulting from potential slips, trips and snake bites that could occur with no evacuation possible until morning. Forest treks occurred during the day for this reason, so very few jungle-dwelling species were found during these treks, as amphibians in particular, are far more active and easier to find at night.

The lack of an expert herpetologist also meant that most observations either occurred through chance sightings or through tracking calls. This means that species that are notoriously difficult to find, such as those that hide under leaf litter or do not use vocalisations were not found.

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Expedition ConclusionExpedition Samloem was a fantastic testament to months of hard work from team members and collaborators in both the UK and Cambodia. It was a significant achievement considering our inexperience - indeed, this was the first time any of us had carried out an expedition.

The most notable achievement was our collaborative research findings, creating some baseline knowledge that we hope will pave the way for further research on Koh Rong Samloem. We significantly extended the bird list that had been previously compiled by Fauna and Flora International and with possible range extensions for the plain sunbird, as well as several unidentified, and possibly new reptile species/subspecies, there is plenty still to discover on the island.

The collaboration with our Cambodian counterparts was a significant highlight of the expedition; with more Khmer than UK team members, we believe this made for a much stronger team. Not only did they give us an appreciation of Khmer culture, as well as current topics of research and development, but they proved to be fantastic in the field, with superb knowledge of the terrain and obstacles we faced. We will be sure to collaborate with them again in any future work and we must thank Paul Ferber of Marine Conservation Cambodia for financing both their food and accommodation. This was an incredibly generous gesture; we would have not been able to finance this ourselves.

As with all expeditions, there were of course shortcomings with our project. We had originally intended to conduct our surveys for a longer period of time and across more of the island. In this case we were constrained by our finances, but I believe that focusing our efforts on the northern section of the island, rather than spreading our efforts across the island, was the correct decision. This allowed us to focus our research efforts and get good data for the area, which we hope will be of greater use than sporadic surveys across Koh Rong Samloem. We would suggest that future projects also focus on setting up simple monitoring programmes with the local conservation organisations based near Koh Rong Samloem. This would help gather data across the island all year round.

We did not apply for collection permits, but we would suggest that future teams aim to apply for these and take Cambodian experts with them to help collect specimens, particularly for herptiles, orchids and invertebrates. Despite this, we were still able to identify many of our findings simply through photographs, thanks to the experts that generously gave up their time to help with the identification process.

We had also hoped to do more education and outreach work before and during the expedition, but this did not come together as we wished due to a number of factors. We lost two key members in the late months of the planning stages and had to focus our efforts on replacing them and completing their tasks, leaving us little time to organise any events. In addition, this hampered our fundraising efforts; fortunately we were still able to acquire the necessary funds.

We had hoped to deliver some talks and workshops at the local school, discussing attitudes towards conservation and development in Cambodia. However, we had not taken into account the Khmer academic year, so when we arrived on Koh Rong Samloem, we found that the island’s school children were on holiday. Despite this we were still able to interview many of the local residents, with the vast majority greatly in favour of conservation of their island. This was particularly evident through the regular beach cleans and sea plastic collection and recycling that took place throughout the project.

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We would have liked to have more media output during the expedition, however, we were still able to maintain our blog and even produce a video podcast during the expedition, as well as a series of videos post expedition. Unfortunately many of these were not completed until a year after the expedition. Nonetheless, they still proved to be useful tools for subsequent teams.

All things considered, I think it is safe to say that the project was a success, particularly as most team members were in their final or masters year of their respective courses during the planning stages of the expedition. We hope that this will inspire further projects from students, illustrating that if you have enough drive you can execute a successful expedition regardless of workload.

We believe that the greatest strength of Expedition Samloem was the legacy that we have left behind. When we returned to the UK our team members put great effort into developing the FXU Expedition Society, from which the project had first originated. At this time the Society lacked any funding or infrastructure for expeditions. However, in the months following the project, we managed to secure a significant sum of start-up funding to support teams for at least the following three years. Around this we developed an infrastructure that provides new student teams with training and support in developing their projects, as well as a proposal, approval and funding process. We are very excited to see how the Society develops and its reputation is already skyrocketing. We have maintained our contacts within Cambodia and hope to build on these in future with further projects, providing many more opportunities for bigger and better collaborative projects.

© Ben Toulson

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Appendices© Ed Ivimey-Cook

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Appendix I: BibliographyBain, R. H. and Hurley, M. M., (2011) A Biogeographic Synthesis of the Amphibians and Reptiles of Indochina. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 360, 1-138.

Bennett D (1999). Expedition Field Techniques: Reptiles and Amphibians. Expedition Advisory Centre, Royal Geographical Society, London.

Carr, P. (1993) Bird observations from the southern reaches of theTonle Sap Lake in central Cambodia from April 9th to 16th June 1993. Unpublished typescript.

Cribb PJ, Kell SP, Dixon KW, Barrett RL. Orchid conservation: a global perspective. In:

Dixon KW, Kell SP, Barrett RL, Cribb PJ, editors. Orchid conservation. Kota Kinabalu, Sabah: Natural History Publications; 2003. pp. 1–24.

Daltry, J.C. & Traeholt, C. (2003) Reptile and amphibian survey. In Biodiversity Assessment of the Southern Cardamoms and Botum-Sakor Penin- sula (eds Daltry, J.C. & Momberg, F.), pp. 82–100 and Appendices III and IV. WildAid: Cambodia Program, and Department of Forestry and Wild- life, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Dressler RL. Phylogeny and classification of the orchid family. Portland, OR: Dioscorides Press; 1993.

Duckworth, J., & Hedges, S. (1998). Bird records from Cambodia in 1997, including records of sixteen species new for the country. Forktail, 29--36.

Evans, W.R. and K.V. Rosenberg. (2000). Acoustic monitoring of night-migrating birds: a progress report. In Strategies for Bird Conservation: The Partners in Flight Planning Process.

General main paper Swarts, N. D. and Dixon, K.W. (2009) Terrestrial orchid conservation in the age of extinction. Annals of Botany. 104(3): 543-556.

Grismer, L.L., Neang, T., Chav, T. & Grismer, J.L. (2008b) Checklist of the amphibians and reptiles of the Cardamom region of Southwestern Cambodia. Cambodian Journal of Natural History, 2008, 12–28.

Grismer, L.L., Neang T., Chav T. Wood Jr, P.L., Oaks, J.R., Holden, J., Grismer, J.L., Szutz, T.R. & Youmans, T.M. (2008a) Additional amphibians and reptiles from the Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary in the northwestern Cardamom Mountains, Cambodia, with comments on their taxonomy and the discovery of three new species. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 56, 161-175.

Inger, R. F., N. Orlov, & I. Darevsky, 1999. Frogs of Vietnam: a report on new collections. Fieldiana: Zoology (New series), 92: 1–46.

Mabberley DJ. The plant book. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 1997.

Manthey, U. & W. Grossmann, 1997. Amphibien & Reptilien Südostasiens. Natur und Tier Verlag (Münster). 512 pp.

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Monirith, I., Nakata, H., Tanabe, S., & Seang Tana, T. (1999). Persistent organochlorine residues in marine and freshwater fish in Cambodia. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 38(7), 604--612.

Myers N, Mittermeier RA, Mittermeier CG, da Fonseca GAB, Kent J. Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature. 2000;403:853–858.

Nguyen V. S., Ho, T. C., & Nguyen, Q. T., 2005. A Checklist of Amphibians and Reptiles of Vietnam. Nha Xuat Ban Nong Nghiep, Ha Noi. 180 pp.

Ohler, A., S. R. Swann & J.C. Daltry, 2002. A recent survey of the amphibian fauna of the Cardamom Mountains, southwest Cambodia with descriptions of three new species. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 50: 465–481.

Ohler, A., Swan, S.R. & Daltry, J.C. (2002) A recent survey of the amphibian fauna of the Cardamom Mountains, southwest Cambodia with descrip- tions of three new species. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 50, 465–481.

Ohler, A., Swan, S.R. and Daltry, J.C. 2002. A recent survey of the amphibian fauna of the Cardamom Mountains, southwest Cambodia with descriptions of three new species. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 50(2): 465-481.

Orlov, N. L., A. Lathrop, R. W. Murphy, & H. T. Cuc, 2001. Frogs of the family Rhacophoridae (Anura: Amphibia) in northern Hoang Lien Mountains (Mount Fan Si Pan, Sa Pa District, Lao Cai Province), Vietnam. Russian Journal of Herpetology, 8: 17– 44.

Orlov, N. L., R. W. Murphy, N. B. Ananjeva, S. A. Ryabov, & T. C. Ho, 2002. Herpetofauna of Vietnam, a checklist. Part I. Amphibia. Russian Journal of Herpetology, 9: 81–104.

Robson. C.,2005. New Holland Field Guide To The Birds Of South-East Asia. London: New Holland Publishers

Scott, D. A. (1 992) Survey of Cambodian wetlands, 26 November – 5 December 1992. Unpublished typescript

Simpson, R.B. 2008. Nepenthes and Conservation. Curtis’s Botanical Magazine. 12(2): 111-118.

Stuart, B. L & S. G. Platt, 2004. Recent records of turtles and tortoises from Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Asiatic Herpetological Research, 10: 129–150.

Stuart, B.L. & Emmett, D.A. (2006) A collection of amphibians and reptiles from the Elephant and Cardamom Mountains, southwestern Cambodia. Fieldiana Zoology (New Series), 109, 1–27.

Stuart, B. L., 2005. New frog records from Laos. Herpetological Review, 36: 473–479.

Stuart, B.L., Rowley, J.L., Neang, T., David, A.E. & Som, S. (2010) Significant new records of amphibians and reptiles from Virachey National Park, northeastern Cambodia.

Ziegler, T., 2002. Die Amphibien und Reptilien eines Tieflandfeuchtwald-Schutzgebietes in Vietnam. Natur und Tier Verlag (Münster). 332 pp.

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© Sarah Biddiscombe

Websites:

Conservation International http://www.conservation.org/publications/Documents/field_demonstrations/CI_Field_Demonstration_Cambodia_English.pdf

Fauna and Flora International http://www.fauna-flora.org/explore/cambodia/

IUCN Red Listhttp://www.iucnredlist.org/details/39678/0

Kew Gardenshttp://www.kew.org/plants-fungi/for-gardeners/orchids/

Mag International http://www.maginternational.org/cambodia/#.U_z8GF42GLc

United Nations http://unu.edu/publications/articles/boosting-research-capacity-for-environmental-management-in-cambodia.html)

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Appendix 2: Environmental and Social ImpactBefore the expedition, we undertook extensive preliminary research into Cambodian society, culture and ethics in order to avoid any potential upsetting naivety. There was a list constructed of key points to bear in mind when interacting with the local people, which included some of the following:

- Asking before taking photographs

- Do not touch anyone’s head

- Taking off hats and shoes before entering a house

- Covering shoulders and knees

- Not showing excessive emotion

- Punctuality

Taking these small things into consideration proved to be highly effective and we encountered absolutely no problems or troubles when working with the Khmer people.

The M” Pai Bay village is located next to the Marine Conservation Cambodia (MCC) camp where numerous foreigners come frequently for long periods of time to volunteer and where our team was primarily based. This camp hires people from the village to work in the main bungalow to cook food and do miscellaneous jobs; therefore, there is a longstanding good rapport and working relationship between the Khmer locals and foreigners on this site. This existing partnership provided a solid foundation for us to work with the locals and strove to prevent alienation of the local M” Pai Bay community by using men from the village to help with fieldwork and guiding the team, which appeared to be greatly appreciated.

We believe that working with locals; both nationally, with the Khmer students from Phnom Penh joining our fieldwork, and locally, involving the M” Pai Bay community, is absolutely vital when conducting research in a foreign country. The Khmer students provided an alternative insight into scientific surveying and their country’s flora and fauna, whilst the local village men aided us through the jungle as guides and shared their wealth of information on the local area. This also helped us to reduce our environmental impact of the expedition by taking measures to restrict the disturbance we made on the natural ecosystem. An example of this is that by having the local guides, we were able to discover some pre-existing routes that we could do transects along. These routes were incredibly overgrown but provided a path we could conduct transects along, without having to cut through the forest and destroy the natural habitat.

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© Harrison Bates

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Appendix 3: Destination areaKoh Rong Samloem is an island 20km west of one of Cambodia's major port cities, Sihanoukville, and only 4km south of the popular tourist destination Koh Rong. The island consists of a dense network of dry forests, mangroves and streams giving rise to a diverse array of fauna and flora. A small, but expanding village is located in the northern region of the island as well as a small holiday resort. Marine Conservation Cambodia (MCC) has a volunteer centre set up close to the village providing food and accommodation for its volunteers.

The island experiences a variety of weather conditions throughout the year; June-September is the rainy season, and September-November is the windy season. These conditions can often lead to difficulties arriving and leaving the island as well as implementing surveys during the study and should therefore be considered when organising an expedition to the area.

The highest point on the island is 180m but this is not representative of the majority of the island. Paths within the jungle were created initially for logging purposes and as such do not proceed deep into the jungle - logging shutes are also common along the coast. Dry riverbeds provide useful natural paths within the jungle, but the time of year must be considered when using such routes, as risk of injury is high in these regions. Areas of the jungle are particularly dense and cannot be traversed without the use of a parang.

In the depths of the forest © Harrison Bates

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Appendix 4: Travel and transportPre and post expedition

After landing in Phnom Penh International airport, tuk-tuks carried the team and equipment to the temporary accommodation. Transport involved group travel (7 UK students and 8 Khmer students) from Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh, to Koh Rong Samloem. A private 25 person coach was hired to transport students and equipment to Sihanoukville. From here tuk-tuks transported the entire expedition to the port where a pre-arranged MCC boat took the expedition to Koh Rong Samloem. At the end of the expedition MCC again provided a boat to return us to Sihanoukville, we then returned to Phomn Penh via a public/company coach.

During expedition

All sites surveyed were within walking distance of the main camp. On the longer treks through the jungle a guide from the village was hired as well as for the first few treks through the jungle to enable familiarisation with terrain, fauna, and flora. Two seabird surveys were carried out at sea on one of the MCCs dive boats whilst volunteers were doing their surveys, which was able to be organised at fairly short notice and was dependent on weather conditions and numbers already on the boat. It was initially planned to survey the southern region of the island and this would again have been possible due to the lending of an MCC boat to take us there and back in a day - however, due to incredibly bad weather this was not possible, this, however, should be strongly considered for future expeditions. Privately owned boats are available at certain sites on the island, on one occasion a group of team members went on a trek through the jungle to explore the island further and in order to return to base camp the same day they paid for a boat to take them back up the island.

The best way to get around Phnom Penh © Harrison Bates

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Appendix 5: Food and accommodationIn transit

Whilst travelling to the island food was arranged personally outside of expedition funding while accommodation was paid for through expedition funding. Accommodation mostly consisted of guesthouses, as they were most affordable with 2 people sharing a room - triples were less common.

In the field

Food and accommodation was provided by MCC throughout our time on the island at a pre-arranged cost. Food consisted of breakfast (0700), lunch (1230) and dinner (1800) with dried noodles and tea/coffee available throughout the day. Food was suitably varied throughout the week, consisting of 3 dishes from a selection including rice, vegetables, a noodle or egg dish and at least one meat dish. Surveys were mostly undertaken around meal times however, when longer treks were planned the kitchen would prepare lunches to be taken out into the field, these were carried in plastic Tupperware containers bought in Phnom Penh in preparation. Outside of this, extra provisions (paid for by the individual) could be bought in the shops located in the nearby village. A few hundred metres from the accommodation is a bar/restaurant that serves western foods for between $2-8. Clean water was available at all times from the base camp and bottled water could be bought from the village.

Accommodation consisted of wooden bungalows with 2x bunk beds each with a mosquito net, non-flushing toilet, bucket shower and balcony where clothes can be hung to dry (NB: Basic washing facilities are available). Electricity is available in the evening from 1700-2300.

Appendix 6: Research Materials and Information SourcesWe used maps given to us by Berry Mulligan at Fauna and Flora International. We used these to identify areas of interest and map possible routes for transects and treks. We obtained a detailed OS map from the market on our return to Phnom Penh for next year’s expedition.

Advisors included Professor Brendan Godley from the University of Exeter, Paul Ferber from Marine Conservation Cambodia, Neil Garrick-Maidment from The Seahorse Trust, Matt Bjerregard from the Falmouth University, Tim Van Berkel from The Heart of Borneo Project. Further assistance was given by Fraser Bell, Owen Greenwood, Anais Dion, Dr. Jan Stipala.

Books included ‘A Guide to the Birds of South-East Asia’, ‘Amphibians of Cambodia’ and ‘Orchids of South East Asia’.

Useful information sources included www.xeno-canto.org for birdcalls and identification.

115Hannah getting some research shots © Harrison Bates

116Chess, seemingly popular in Phnom Penh © Ed Ivimey-Cook

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Appendix 7: Permission and PermitsTime restraints meant that we could not obtain the permits required for collection and extraction of invertebrate species, and for CITES permits for orchids.

Two permits have to be filled in and sent in in order to collect and export specimens. They need to be obtained in accordance with the Ministry of Agriculture of Cambodia and also the landowners of Koh Rong Samloem. CITES permits for the orchids have to be applied for by filling out a CITES permission form and identifying the orchids for extraction to species level. It is necessary to start applying around Nov-Dec (for an August expedition) as process can take several months.

Appendix 8: CommunicationsWe largely used email correspondence to communicate with the host country before the expedition. However we used this in conjunction with text messages and phone calls whilst in the country.

We used VHF radios to communicate between base camp and trekking party but with the differing amounts of vegetation cover and topography these were largely useless when entering deep jungle. Phone signal was relatively strong throughout the island so it is recommended to just use text communication or phone calls. The internet dongle was very limited, but did allow emails to be received and sent occasionally. Regular trips to the mainland or to the south of the island to see if the bungalows have Wi-Fi are recommended.

Appendix 9: InsuranceWe took out personal travel insurance for belongings and general travel problems with Thomas Cook. The most expensive being £170 for a team member with asthma and an expensive camera. No personal claims were made.

University surveying equipment was insured to prevent loss of items. One camera trap was stolen which was claimed and replaced for £250.

Chess, seemingly popular in Phnom Penh © Ed Ivimey-Cook

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Appendix 10: FundraisingTo raise funds for the expedition the team undertook a variety of different funding roots. We first all contributed our own funds to get the expedition underway and to be able to fund the beginning essentials, such as website costs, and flights. The complete budget gave us a target to try and raise. However we were very fortunate to be able to borrow scientific equipment from the University of Exeter, reducing the budget required dramatically and making our goal more accessible.

We raised the majority of funds from the following methods:

Grant Writing

Before we started applying for grants, we researched all the potential grants that we could apply for and made a spreadsheet with the deadline details. This spreadsheet made sure we were on time for all the applications we sent and that we did not miss out on potential funding. Make sure you research potential grants early on, as deadlines run throughout the year and are usually only available once a year. We completed the most detailed and thorough grant application first, which was used as a base line for all other reports. However we tailored each application to the charity/ organisation we were applying too.

We gained funding support from the following organisations and trusts:

- Royal Geographical Society

- Percy Sladen Memorial Trust.

- Gilchrist Educational Trust.

- University of Exeter Annual Fund.

© Riona Bray

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Crowd funding page

We used the crowdfunding site Indiegogo to gain funds for the expedition from a wide audience. On the crowdfunding page we had a range of gifts for different amounts of donations, ranging from photographs to DVDs. This gave incentives for people to donate to the expedition, and gain something in return. When promoting the expedition at science and expedition events, we would direct people to the page for contributions. This site allowed us to easily promote the fundraising through media and to keep all the contributions in one location.

The Three Peaks Challenge

Some of the core team members, along with a few of the FXU Expedition Society members, undertook the Three Peaks Challenge in aid of raising funds for the expedition. Not only did this raise funds for of the expedition, but it also raised support and awareness for the expedition. The Team completed the challenge in various outfits and did a fantastic job helping to promote the expedition.

Thank you to Zak Mitchell for organising the challenge. Additional thanks to the challenge participants, Luke Blick, Kate Buffery, Emily Fox, Elizabeth Hansen, Jake Mumford, Adam Peacock, Finlay Prescott, Rhiannon Pumphrey, and Jack Scarborough.

The Three-Peaks team © Luke Blick

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Appendix 11: Medical ArrangementsThe medical personnel, or those trained in first aid, were expedition leader, Ben Toulson, Edward Ivimey-Cook, Hannah Hudson and Laura Higgs. Laura Higgs was the designated team health and medical officer for the expedition.

We each brought a personal first aid kit with us in our backpacks for use if we ever went out on a trail without the medical officer. These contained standard dressings, plasters, antiseptics etc. A more substantial first aid kit remained at base to treat any major wounds. Furthermore the marine conservation volunteers had a plentiful supply of first aid equipment for us to use if we needed.

In the event of emergency, the injured party would be evacuated by boat to the mainland hospital in Sihanoukville. If it wasn’t major then the party member could have treated back at base camp. For this reason, we would not undertake work in the more treacherous areas of the island, such as areas required navigation up slippery streams, in weather that would not permit transport by boat.

In the event of an emergency, the home base would have been contacted with the use of radio or telephone and a boat would have been prepared to evacuate to the mainland.

Prior to leaving the UK, each party member was advised and underwent a series of inoculations against Japanese encephalitis, rabies (some members), and the use of any booster shots. Furthermore antimalarials were also purchased along with mosquito spray and any preventative equipment such as mosquito nets.

Whilst on the island, antimalarial and spray was used to reduce risk of malaria and dengue fever. However the island itself was not a known Malaria area. Rabies was treated more severely - any bite from a potential rabid animal resulted in swift evacuation to a hospital and series of jabs to prevent the disease.

© Riona Bray

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Appendix 12: Risks and HazardsThe vast majority of the risks were assessed prior to the expedition but several were more ad hoc. A big problem, especially for sampling, was the uncertain weather that the island was to experience; this potentially made treks into the jungle perilous but also made sampling highly challenging. The more preventable risks were those that could have affected us personally such as risk of rabies, malaria, infection, political instability and theft.

The formal risk assessment is attached to this report.

In terms of planning, weather affected our departure date, as a tropical storm closed in on the island and would have made sampling and journeying very difficult, thus we had to shorten our expedition by four days. In future, we would hope to have enough time to sample the vast majority of the fauna meaning that shortening the expedition would have had less of an impact, also to allow for change in weather systems. We could not account for political instability as we arrived during the election between two major Cambodian parties and as such there was general political unrest in Phnom Penh, resulting in some rioting which affected departure and arrival into the capital.

There was only one significant medical incident during the trip. Whilst on a brief visit to the mainland, Laura Higgs was bitten on the hand by a dog. It was a relatively clean bite, but Laura had not had a rabies inoculation prior to the trip. This meant that she missed several days of the expedition in order to undergo rabies injections. These were successful and there were no aftereffects.

Largely, the rest of expedition was injury free, though we could not account for infection due to polluted water when we entered the sea. Whilst not life threatening, the infection did cause a degree of discomfort and had to be treated with antibacterial solution. There were also a few cases of dehydration amongst team members during the first few days in the field. We made sure to take adequate fluids with us from this point onwards.

© Riona Bray

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Appendix 13: Itinerary14th-22nd August - Flew from Heathrow to Phnom Penh airport. Flights booked with Qatar Airways and Asiana Airlines. - Sarah Biddescombe and Riona Bray arrived on the 14th of August. The remaining team members arrived on the 21st and 22nd of August.

23rd-27th August - Visas were extended, we visited the local markets to pick up our remaining equipment. - Whilst waiting for our visa extensions to be completed, we took the time to visit the Killing Fields and other historical landmarks to gain a better understanding of Cambodia’s history and culture. - Met counterparts from the Royal University of Agriculture. - Visited advisors at Fauna and Flora International.

28th August - Hired a 25 seat bus to transport all team members from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville. - Met with Marine Conservation Cambodia contacts and then took their boat to Koh Rong Samloem.

29th-30th August - Settled in with MCC accommodation in M”Pai community village - Acclimatised. - Familiarised ourselves with local area. - Met locals.

31st August – 18th September - Conducted surveys. - During this time we utilised volunteers from Marine Conservation Cambodia. - Ed Ivimey Cook will coordinated volunteers and locals in entomological research. - Ben Toulson coordinated volunteers and locals in herpetological research. - Hannah Hudson and Sarah Biddiscombe coordinated volunteers and locals in avifauna and botanical research.

19th-20th September - Wrapped up expedition - Packed up kit/camp - Travelled to mainland, stayed one night in Sihanoukville before travelling back to Phnom Penh airport by bus, by same route as entry.

123© Harrison Bates

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Appendix 14: Photography, sound-recordings, video and filmThere was no filming permit required, but we did ask people that we met that we were going to interview whether we had their permission to film them. In terms of problems, the main issue we had with filming was the size of camera brought on the expedition meant that use in the jungle was implausible at times. Therefore a small HD camera was purchased and used instead.

One of the main problems for invertebrate sampling was not being able to capture and focus on very minute invertebrates using the EOS D500 Nikon that we were using, despite the presence of a macro lens. We had several cameras with us on the expedition, one large filming camera used for many of the interview shots, one smaller HD flip camera used for on-the-move filming, one high quality macro camera used for photographing insects and other species, and various personal cameras. The pictures that were taken and kept were those taken for sampling and identification purposes, such as pictures of invertebrates, amphibians and avifauna. Film that was kept was put towards a documentary made of our expedition as well as a series of short videos that can be found at www.fxpeditions.org.

A slight slip-up © Sarah Biddescombe

125© Ed Ivimey-Cook

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Appendix 15: Breakdown of income and expenditureAll team members contributed financially to the expedition, totaling £4,380 out of £10,591. The rest of the funding was gained through small grants, fundraising events and a crowd-funding campaign.

In hindsight, we would like to have completed more fundraising events on a smaller scale through our universities; this is something we will bear in mind for future expeditions.

We hoped to conduct a relatively cheap and cost-effective expedition, and I believe that in conducting an expedition for less than £11,000, we achieved this. We feel that this illustrates that expeditions do not need to have huge budgets to be successful and people should not be discouraged from undertaking such projects even in periods of economic downturn.

In addition to their financial contribution, the team members also covered a number of additional costs before, during, and after the expedition. These included vaccinations, insurance, visas, personal gear and more. For this reason, these costs have not been included in the breakdown of expenditure.

We were very fortunate that Paul Ferber, CEO of Marine Conservation Cambodia, was happy to cover the accommodation and subsistence costs of the Khmer students for the entirety of our time on the island. This, along with the largely discounted rates that he provided our UK team members with, helped make the expedition financially viable and was an incredibly generous gesture.

In addition to Paul’s help, we were also able to keep costs down by borrowing much of our equipment from the university. We chose survey techniques that are easy to perform with basic, cheap equipment. For example, many of our pitfall traps were made out of water bottles that were cut in half.

In future expeditions, we would like to provide bursaries for Khmer students and researchers, whilst also employing more guides.

Pre-expedition costs £290PR/Publicity/Promotions - Posters £61Postage and packing - Grants etc. £18Website £211Travel £6570Accommodation £1642Subsistence £1658Field supplies and equipment £316Field and camp supplies £45Medical Supplies £85Research and scientific £186Guides £40Communications £75Mobile and telephone £75Total £10591

Source AmountCore team contributions £4,830.00 Fundraising and crowd-funding Events £1,511.00 RGS Geographical Field Work Grant £1,000.00 Percy Sladen Memorial Trust £500.00 Gilchrist Educational Trust £750.00 University of Exeter Annual Fund £2,000.00

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Breakdown of expenditure

Breakdown of income

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Appendix 16: Suitability of EquipmentSweep net - Ideal equipment for catching flying invertebrates. - Was very useful for the butterflies and dragonflies. - Pole disconnected and net folded away making packing easy.Kick net - Not used due to the river being made up of large boulders, with very limit sediment. - Packing was more difficult due to the pole. All nets were taped together and taped up for transport. - Could have left out of the kit list. Beat net and pole - Due to the foliage level being too high to beat, this piece of equipment was not used very much. - Was awkward to transport due to the long beating pole. To overcome this all the nets and poles were cling filmed together and transported separately to the bags.Humidity and Temperature Gauge - A vital piece of equipment. - Used to gain data for each data point. - Very compact and lightweight.GPS - Vital piece of equipment. - Used for each data point, transect marking and directions - Very small and lightweightCompass - Used for working out aspect of slopes - Very small and compact, making it easy to transportMarking Tape - Strong durable tape. - Used to mark data points. - Vital multi-use piece of equipment that can also be used to mend broken equipment. - Small and easy to pack.Walkie-talkie - Important equipment for communication. - Did loose signal half way along transects - Satellite phones would have provided more secure communication. - However for small-scale communication, the walkie-talkie provided essential communication between the team. Binoculars - Essential for surveying avifauna. - Light weight, waterproof and easy to transport.Camera Traps (Bushnell) - These were essential to document potential mammals and nocturnal species. - Small and lightweight and transported in a protective casing. - Unfortunately we had one stolen, reducing our ability to survey.Cameras and Video Cameras - Used to document the species seen and the expedition. - These were essential for the media communication of the expedition. - The equipment was large and heavy and had to be transported in protective casing. Personal First Aid - Each team member carried a personal first aid kit. - Essential when taking part in field surveys, due to hazardous terrain. - Compact and lightweight, these where very suitable for carrying during fieldwork.

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Identification Books - Vital equipment for field identification. - Amphibian and Reptile books were specific to Cambodia. Providing more precise identification. - The bird field guide provided the species for South East Asia, indicating the range of each species. - However there was not an invertebrate guide for the region, limiting the identification of insect species. If there is a guide created in the future this could really benefit the expedition. - Mammal guide, cover all the species with in the region. However there was not very many wild mammals on the island, but this book was still essential. - The books had a collective weight, and were distributed evenly between the team for transportationParang - A traditional tool used to cut scrubs and create transects. - These turned out to be not very suitable for fieldwork, due to their heavy weight and blunt blades. - A more lightweight and modern blade would have more suited to the small understory.Head Torch - Head torches where crucial for movement around the camp and during evening fieldwork. - These were lightweight and easy to transport.High intensity Torch - This powerful torch was an essential piece of equipment for looking for eye shine during night surveys. - Its small size meant it was easy to pack and transport.NoteBook computer - This small laptop was very important for collating and storing research data and photographs. - It is small and lightweight, meaning that it was easy to transport.Internet Dongle - This was essential for communication via email, to important contacts and supporting bodies. - Helped the team to provide update and to plan, potential trips and visit. - However the internet was very limited and slow, meaning that only emails could be sent. - A dongle with more service in the area could provide a higher quality of communication.

© Sarah Biddescombe

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Medical Risk with controls in place

Risk Rating Hazard Who might be harmed and how?

Control Measures

S L S X L L / M / H

What further actions is necessary

Action by whom and when?

Done

Slips, trips and Falls All leaders and team members

• All participants must wear suitable footwear.

3 2 6 M All participants must keep to the selected transect

routes.

First Aid Incident Injury to participants resulting from various first aid incidents

• At least 4 expedition team members to have first aid training.

• Surveys will be conducted by a minimum of three people in case of injury to one of the members.

• Each survey team will carry a two-way radio to contact the rest of the team in an emergency.

• Two-way radios will also be kept in the village in case the navy need to be summoned in an extreme event.

• If first aider is unavailable then local health services should be used.

• Surveys will not take place on days when the navy/emergency services will not be able to reach the island.

• Trip leader to make all aware of emergency service phone number.

• All students to carry personal insurance.

2 2 4 L

Allergic reactions Any participant that has been bitten

• All members declare allergies before the trip to the health and safety officer

• Medical pack will be taken containing medicines in case of allergic reactions such as antihistamines and epipen

• Chef(s)/cook(s) informed of any food allergies • Appropriate medication will be taken in response to an

allergic reaction.

4 1 4 L Antihistamines and epipens carried in case of

reaction

Refer to ‘crisis management plan’ if

evacuation to a hospital needed

Injuries from trips/falls/cuts from sharp vegetation

All leaders and team members

• Wear appropriate, sturdy footwear i.e. walking boots • Do not take undue risks in tricky terrain • No solitary work permitted

1 1 1 L First aid kits carried for all groups at all times

All members trained in first

aid

Two team members with advanced first aid training

Refer to ‘crisis

management plan’ if evacuation to a hospital

needed

Animal bites (snake, dog)

All leaders and team members

• Do not attempt to handle dangerous animals • Wear walking/wellington boots to protect against snake

bites

2

1 2 L First aid kits carried for all groups at all times

Appendix 17: Risk Assessment

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Medical Risk with controls in place

Risk Rating Hazard Who might be harmed and how?

Control Measures

S L S X L L / M / H

What further actions is necessary

Action by whom and when?

Done

Slips, trips and Falls All leaders and team members

• All participants must wear suitable footwear.

3 2 6 M All participants must keep to the selected transect

routes.

First Aid Incident Injury to participants resulting from various first aid incidents

• At least 4 expedition team members to have first aid training.

• Surveys will be conducted by a minimum of three people in case of injury to one of the members.

• Each survey team will carry a two-way radio to contact the rest of the team in an emergency.

• Two-way radios will also be kept in the village in case the navy need to be summoned in an extreme event.

• If first aider is unavailable then local health services should be used.

• Surveys will not take place on days when the navy/emergency services will not be able to reach the island.

• Trip leader to make all aware of emergency service phone number.

• All students to carry personal insurance.

2 2 4 L

Allergic reactions Any participant that has been bitten

• All members declare allergies before the trip to the health and safety officer

• Medical pack will be taken containing medicines in case of allergic reactions such as antihistamines and epipen

• Chef(s)/cook(s) informed of any food allergies • Appropriate medication will be taken in response to an

allergic reaction.

4 1 4 L Antihistamines and epipens carried in case of

reaction

Refer to ‘crisis management plan’ if

evacuation to a hospital needed

Injuries from trips/falls/cuts from sharp vegetation

All leaders and team members

• Wear appropriate, sturdy footwear i.e. walking boots • Do not take undue risks in tricky terrain • No solitary work permitted

1 1 1 L First aid kits carried for all groups at all times

All members trained in first

aid

Two team members with advanced first aid training

Refer to ‘crisis

management plan’ if evacuation to a hospital

needed

Animal bites (snake, dog)

All leaders and team members

• Do not attempt to handle dangerous animals • Wear walking/wellington boots to protect against snake

bites

2

1 2 L First aid kits carried for all groups at all times

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www.fxpeditions.org