My BSc final year field research in Dchang, West Region, Cameroon......25/02/2020 to 06/03/2020

Diary diary
Hello steemians,

This event marked the first tangible geology field research I ever did in my career as an exploration geologist. It all began on the 25/02/2020 (just before Covid-19 became pronounced in Cameroon) and ended on 06/03/2020. Field study always comes with expenditure and some level of excitement as one has to travel alongside friends (classmates) to different sites and probably lodge in hotels and enjoy some sort of luxury. This field survey wasn’t the usual high school or first and second year University types that comes with much laxity and all that.

What is a geology field study (fieldwork or field trip)?
A geology fieldwork or survey carried out in schools account for the exposure of students to the actual geology on ground crediting the desk study in classrooms. Click here to learn more about what geology field research is all about and why students do undertake this course.

This field research program started when we boarded two school busses in the University of Bamenda campus where I studied and I’m currently studying. We were 39 in number plus two lecturers who saw us through for the first two days of this program and headed back to campus. We arrived Dchang at midday and checked into a community building we payed for. In the process of parking in, a student begged a bicycle from one kid passing by and in few minutes this lady had an accident with the bike and wounded her knees. Luckily for her the lecturers weren’t there since they left and were drinking Brasserries products which are seen to be contraband products in Bamenda but freely being sold in the West region, so they had to enjoy for the small time they had in Dchang town. We took care of the girl and dressed her wounds so that she won’t be punished by the lecturers since the wounds will be hidden under her cloths.

In about two hours, we left for the field were the lecturers and a field guide from the University of Dchang showed us all the areas we are to navigate and bring results to the department. The picture below is me taking pictures 🤗 while our lecturers brief us on how to study the souls in Dchang.

This two days with the lecturers was so easy since we used the school busses all through to wherever we were going to. Finally, the lecturers and drivers took the bus back to campus and the fields work began. The picture below shows me and my classmate Calvin in the buss on the way to Dchang.

The department had already appointed a male and female head of field camping which were of course our classmates and we had already made deligations for the various chores, with girls generally doing the kitchen work and boys cleaning, fetching water. Everyday we went to the field, before we do, field instruments and materials are distributed to students to carry on during that day’s study and report back to the heads of the field camp at the end of the day. We trekked to the various sites everyday and back. On the 3th day which was the first day without guidance, we trekked from Dchang town to Sancho (down Dchang hill) and started studying the rocks that were exposed due to road constructions. We moved from the top of Dchang hill to the foot and back (it wasn’t an easy task but it was worth it) studying the various structures and features we could see and having discussions linking what we see to what we learned in class. We mapped the area by taking GPS coordinations of every outcrop (exposes rock in place) we came across. In one way or the other, the tiredness wasn’t really felt since we were in a team and with studying discussions it only got interesting. When we came back, we made food together, cleaned the environment, ate, made notes and slept. The following day, we went to another locality in Dchang called Batingla were we saw and studied a bauxite deposit ( a bauxite deposit is an ore from which the metal called aluminum can be mined if found in economic quantity within this ore). Since our work was to navigate and map out the geology of Dchang, we didn’t have much interest in solving the bauxite problem (that is checking to know if it’s a good potential deposit or not). Just like that we did for the whole period of the field actually just moving in bushes and searching for outcrops (rocks expose to the surface) so to take their GPS coordinates and taking note of the rock type and structures on the rock to ease the mapping process. At one point we divided into two groups and the other group saw a piece of weathered schist thinking it’s a rock rich in gold and so they decided to go home that day. Picture of m group and I navigating the bushes.

When I and my group met them, they tried hiding the issue from us and later told us due to lack of confidence and thinking of the competence of I and some member of my group that may help in knowing if it’s truly gold they have seen. When I checked this piece of rock I said this is just a weathered material and not gold containing but some of them argued saying “you want us to throw it for you to pick it later” and so they took it to the camp and kept it until it was disqualified by the lecturers on the last day. The picture below is me and a mate ascending Dchang hill 😅, so tiring but interesting though.

On day seven of this program we got really exhausted when we arrived the University of Dchang campus from a nearby locality called Ngwa. We rested and drank water at the campus taps and then took the following class pictures👇👇👇

. On the last but one day of this program, we had a pool party at the government pool behind the University of Dchang were we had a lot of fun swimming. The first frame below was at the pool site and the second is in the pool 🏊‍♀️ 🏊

The pool party was a good one even though the concentration of the chemicals applied to the water was high and made our eyes to be red and hurts especially for those swimming with open eyes. We all came back to the community building where we were lodging and later in the evening we decided to go partying in one of the clubs in Dchang but not everyone accepted to go out at night. Picture below was taken at our residence before going for party.

Irrespective of that, a greater number of us went out that night and partied to our satisfaction with some of us drunk already. The drunk ones were control by those with clear eyes 😂😂 until we reached home and slept very well waiting for our ride (the school busses) to come in the morning. Early in the morning it was noticed that the toilet has blocked and couldn’t flush no more so we had to do something for leaving the house. We tried all we could but to no avail, so we just cleaned the toilet very well and when the bus came we left and called the house management that we left already. We had a balance account of about 350,000FCFA and we were so happy the was something to be shared at a tangible amount per student. When we arrived campus we were told of corona (Covid-19) and we all imagine how we had interacted with people freely in Dchang with no prevention and everyone became so afraid all of a sudden. Immediately the community house management called and said the toilet isn’t working and we have to pay a sum of 150,000FCFA for them to break and then repair the toilet (it was actually a good quality rest room), we all grumbled and grumbled but at the end we paid 100,000FCFA and was left with 250,000FCFA that we finally shared and parted.

After laboratory results were out for our samples, we were able to draw a geology map of Dchang showing various rock types, stratification and structures. Finally we graduated by December 2020👨‍🎓👩‍🎓

Some of us have traveled abroad for work and studies while others are here in Cameroon currently doing masters program and others self employed 😁😁.

Thanks for reading, God bless you. Have a wonderful time 🤝