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A drop of rain won't hurt!

One of our volunteers, Ben Hext, a surveying specialist from the UK, has given a training course for members of the Nuevas Esperanzas team on how to use a recently acquired Leica total station.  Undeterred by the Nicaraguan rains, Ben took his students out into the field to put their new skills into practice.  Here is his report:

“I prepared a short training course for the team to become familiar with the new equipment and for them to understand the concepts of surveying.  We began in the office measuring around the buildings so we could understand what, where and how the instrument measures.  The participants had only used a theodolite before which cannot measure distance, so they were used to measuring lengths with tape measures and angles with the theodolite.

“After a long afternoon in the office we were ready to venture out into the field to do some proper surveying.  Loaded with equipment we walked from San Jacinto up the steep track where work on improving access is still under way.  Sweating, dazed and confused we established the first survey station with a stake, freshly cut and carved with a large machete and orientated to North, and we were off!  We never looked back.

“A good 20 minutes passed and the Welsh weather began.  It rained hard!  We continued whilst sheltering the instrument and ourselves as much as we could.  There was a break in the weather for at least another 30 minutes until the skies re-opened.  Unfortunately this time we reached the waterproof limit of the equipment and the telescope completely misted over.  End of day one.

“We continued on a few days later, encountering the rain once again.  But with the British stiff upper lip we were not deterred.  This time we were ready, with full waterproofs and more umbrellas than you could shake at a snake to protect the total station.  We were in business.  We carried on through downpour after downpour, with great enthusiasm from the Brits, although not quite so much from the Nicaraguans!

“We had a great reward on the final day with sunshine and a cool breeze and the new experience of seeing a boa constrictor towed behind a horse, hours from becoming someone’s dinner!

“Back in the office we processed our data and plotted up our work area allowing us to do some calculations to estimate storm drainage on our road.  This was a great opportunity to get involved in Nuevas Esperanzas work. Hopefully I helped to make a difference with the surveying.”

Nuevas Esperanzas welcomes short term volunteers like Ben who have relevant skills to share.  For more information, please contact us at info@nuevasesperanzas.org.

10/10/08