SEE-U 2000: Atlantic Forest - Orientation

# Atlantic Forest ## Orientation Information
### General Information Remember that the course in Brazil will be held during the winter. We can probably expect fairly warm days, but nights may be chilly. To get an idea of what the temperature and precipitation will be, look at a web site for local weather conditions (for example www.weather.com or through www.cnn.com). Use as your reference the cities Presidente Prudente (nearest to the Morro de Diabo site) and Sao Paulo (near to the other two sites). Over the last three months the whole region has been experiencing a fairly severe drought, but during the course it probably will rain at least on some of the days. Also remember that temperatures, weights and measures are in the metric system. In general, most items you are accustomed to seeing in stores are available in Brazil, but the brand names might not be the same and sizing is different for shoes and clothes. Prices are generally lower for locally produced goods, but imported items will be fairly expensive. At the field sites you will not need much cash, since these are not too close to urban areas. It would be a good idea to have some Brazilian currency (Real or R$). The Real (pronounced hey-eye) floats against the US dollar, and at the present (end of June) the exchange rate is approximately 1 US$ = 1.8 R$. Exchange can be made at the Sao Paulo International airport (Guarulhos), where the rate is probably better than you would get in your home country. Credit cards are accepted at some locations in the smaller communities that we will be visiting, and at most of the stores in Sao Paulo city. However, do not rely on using credit cards. Additionally, you should not rely on ATM cards, as the systems differ greatly between countries. Some ATM cards will work in Brazil, but not all. Please remember that the official language of Brazil is Portuguese. If you know Spanish, that will help you with reading, but not speaking. Although not required if you are arriving from the US, it might be a good idea to have a yellow fever shot (it’s good for 10 years) and also a tetanus shot or booster. If you are flying in from another country, please check with the Brazilian consulate or embassy about what vaccinations are required for entry. The following is a list of suggested personal items for use during the course. However, I suppose the best advice is to travel as light as possible, since we will be moving sites twice during the duration of the course.
Clothes |  | Toiletries/Medications
| Jacket (for cool/cold weather) All weather nylon shell/Goretex Sweater Comfortable work/walking shoes Sandals (Teva type) Long-sleeved shirts for field work Field pants (khaki, khaki zipper) Underwear T-shirts (several) for field use Socks (wool or cotton) Field hat, with brim Work gloves (optional) Field vest (optional) |  |  | Prescription medicine Toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc. Spare eyeglasses or contacts (Bring your prescription) Contact lens solution(s) Normal medicine for headaches, cramps, stomach, diarrhea, etc. Calamine lotion Foot powder/Talcum powder Tick soap and chigger powder Moleskin Insect repellant Band-aids (several sizes) Towel (fast drying) Sun screen (Very important)
Other items for field/lab use |  | Other items
| Flashlight with spare bulbs Water bottle or canteen Swiss Army knife or Leatherman Whistle Tweezers Sun glasses Binoculars (optional) Small magnifying glass (5-10X) Duct tape Compass or GPS (optional) Journal or field notebook |  |  | Umbrella (optional) Several clothes pins Sun glasses Calculator Converter(s) 220/110V with plug for South America Extra batteries Matches
Remember that you will also need to have some clothes for “city” life, so pack a couple of changes for “normal” life style.