The Tuanan Orangutan Research Station is excited to introduce and highlight the hard work and dedication of one of our amazing student researchers, Catarina Silva. Catarina is originally from Bombarral, Portugal and graduated from Escola Básica e Secundária Fernão do Pó high school. After graduating high school, Catarina began her undergraduate studies at the University of Aveiro, where she pursued her degree in biology.
Since Catarina was a young child she enjoyed exploring nature. She recalls childhood memories of going into the backyard behind her grandmother’s house to observe cats coming and going and recording their behaviors and interactions in her notebook. In school, Catarina’s favorite subjects were biology, Portuguese, and math, and she cites Sir David Attenborough and Jane Goodall as major inspirations.
The University of Aveiro gave Catarina an opportunity to complete an internship in her area of interest, and after some searching, she applied to work with us at the Tuanan Orangutan Research Station in Indonesian Borneo. In November 2019, Catarina joined us in the remote peat swamps of Borneo and made an impressive transition into our system of data collection and management. Catarina was responsible for collecting data for her undergraduate thesis project while also contributing to data and sample collection for our long-term project at the field station. She gained many important research skills such as behavioral and ecological data collection, and biological sample collection and processing of orangutan urine, feces, and food items. Catarina learned these responsibilities quickly and easily transitioned into data management roles as well. Catarina returned Portugal in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but continues to generously work with us remotely on data management and processing.
Catarina is currently teaching at a study center for children in Portugal. She hopes to find a long-term position as a conservation or environmental project manager. We look forward to seeing what the future has in store for this intelligent, enthusiastic, and highly-skilled young woman!
CORE BORNEO 