Parque Nacional Henri Pittier and Rancho Grande

Parque Nacional Henri Pittier is Venezuela's oldest national park, created in 1937. It has an area of 1078 sq. km and occupies the State of Aragua's portion of the Cordillera de la Costa (coastal mountain range). The highest point within the park exceeds 2400 m, and the park extends down to sea level. The park is a jewel, with a very high diversity of plant and animal life. For example, it is claimed that 520 species of birds have been recorded in it (US and Canadian total 650, Venezuelan total 1296, world total 9020). The total number of insect species in the park is unknown but surely is tens of thousands. Portachuelo Pass is a flyway through the mountains for migrating insects and birds; however, July is not a month of major flight.

Park headquarters (Rancho Grande) is a strange, massive, concrete building. Its construction was initiated in the 1920s as a country house for Venezuela's president (dictator) Gómez, but it was never completed. Parts of the house are now used as the park headquarters. Other rooms are unused, while others serve as roosts for bats. Its elevation is about 1100 m; its climate is moist and cool, and it is sometimes in a cloud. Some people refer to the entire park itself as Rancho Grande.

Part of the third floor of Rancho Grande is the Estación Biológica Fernández Yépez, belonging to UCV. Its director is Dr Jesus Manzanilla, a faculty member with an office on the Maracay campus. Its purpose is to provide facilities (dormitories, a kitchen, and basic laboratory space [no equipment]) for UCV faculty, staff, and students working in the park. Visiting biologists from other institutions are sometimes (by arrangement) allowed to stay there — and are interesting to converse with. Some of the visitors speak English.

Other areas of the building are sometimes occupied by busloads of people (from Venezuelan educational institutions) taking various courses, which do not necessarily have anything to do with biology.

Trails within the park are basic and few. They are better developed and maintained (even with a few signposts) near the building. Do not expect to get far on the longer trails without effort by climbing around fallen trees and landslides, and tackling steep, muddy inclines.

Facilities: The advantage of the station is its location inside the park, which saves hours of commuting on steep, narrow, winding roads into the park. Facilities are very basic. There is electricity (110V 60 cycles) with a few US-type outlets, so US-made appliances work. There are, however, sometimes power outages and there is not always a convenient outlet. The organizer/ tour guide will bring a binocular microscope and lamp for group use. The water supply is cold, untreated (no chlorine or fluorine or filters) mountain water. Some of the showers have now (1999) hot water, and there is now (1999) a washer and dryer. Expect a line-up to use them. If you (and others) are assigned one of the smaller dormitories, one of you will be lent a room key. If you are assigned one of the larger dormitories, you will not have a key and the room will remain unlocked. Bunk beds have a mattress (bring your own sleeping bag). Windows of dormitories do not necessarily shut tight or are broken; mosquitoes and even bats may enter them. Bring mosquito repellent and/or mosquito coils to ward off mosquitoes. If bats (these are not vampire bats) bother you, you should not be on this trip. There is a kitchen with a refrigerator and a (bottled) gas-cooking stove. A custodian oversees daily operations; he has his own kitchen; custodians rotate weekly, speak only Spanish, and are courteous and helpful. There are no convenience stores, vending machines, telephones, televisions, air-conditioning, or heating. The building is humid and especially at night, even in July, may be very cool because of its elevation. In addition, wet clothes take a long time to dry. Meals (cooked breakfast and dinner, sandwiches for lunch) are supplied by a family-operated catering service which CAN accommodate special dietary needs (medical necessity only), and is hired especially for the group's trip. All participants eat the same food (there is no choice).

Rancho Grande in itself is something to explore. There is a common room that has been often used as a game room and for socializing. Expect to see/hear howler monkeys at all hours of the day/night. There are bird feeders on the balcony to where many brilliant birds and squirrels come to feed. Insects are everywhere, including all over the interior of the house. There are short trails near the house that are easy-going. Remember that it is not permitted to bring insects (or any other fauna or flora) out of the park, or out of the country!

For an early account of the fauna (especially birds) and flora of Parque Nacional Henri Pittier, read: Beebe, W. 1949. High Jungle. New York; Duell, Sloan & Pierce. 379 pp.

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