June 12, 2006

Recent anthropology graduate gets Indonesian field experience

By Jennifer McNulty

Recent UCSC graduate Tremaine Jones (B.A. anthropology, '05) had the experience of a lifetime when he accompanied research associate Erin Vogel on a three-month research trip to Indonesia.

Tremaine Jones had never been out of the country before he went to Indonesia for the research project. Photo: Kissar Odom

Vogel, who studies the diet and foraging of orangutans, encouraged Jones to apply for a grant from the Explorers Club to fund the trip. The New York-based Explorers Club is a multidisciplinary professional society that promotes field research and education in the natural sciences.

With $1,200 toward the trip, Jones, who had never been out of the country, packed his bags. He worked long days gathering data in the field and helped process samples of foods consumed by orangutans for a study of their nutritional properties.

"He was great. He really connected with the locals. He found out he's more interested in the plants than the primates--which is fine," said Vogel, recalling Jones's sheepish admission that he might not share her passion for primatology after all.