Paper Mache

Yesterday, in perhaps one of my most shameful moments as a geologist, my art & crafty side got the best of me. I regret nothing and refuse to look back. We began the day by helping one of the STRI employees, Carlos, prepare to flip over three huge slabs of rock to help in the extraction of a near-complete sailfish. The process, as I learned, involves filling any grooves/holes in the exposed fossil surface with tissue paper and padding everything with more tissue paper, covering the entire surface with plastic wrap, topping it with a layer of cotton padding and felt, and applying liberal amounts of plaster. Each rock slab got a base coat of pure plaster and was then wrapped in five to seven layers of plaster bandages, depending on the size of the slab. We had just begun the plastering part of this endeavor when Aaron announced that we had to go to the field immediately  because a particular construction site had exposed a very good contact between rock formations and they were not going to wait long before wiping it out and paving over it. We had the choice to stay behind at STRI if we wanted, and after seeing the downtrodden look on Carlos' face at loosing all of his laborers, I decided I couldn't abandon him! Plus the plaster work was a TON of fun! It ended up being a pretty good decision, really, since it turned into a great opportunity to work on my Spanish. Two student volunteers from the University of Panama, Eduardo and Sara, showed up later in the day to help out, so between the three Panamanians present I had plenty of opportunities to listen and talk. Staying behind also enabled me to go to the weekly seminar in our building, a talk on using fossil reef systems to determine what is likely to happen to modern reefs in the face of global climate change and human pressures. Prospects aren't great.

All wrapped up! It'll take a few days to fully dry