Tigers are magnificent animals - the largest of the big cats. The tiger is revered around the world and the national animal of Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, Malaysia and South Korea. They feature in ancient mythology and folklore, and in modern films and literature. They appear on many flags, coats of arms, and as mascots for sporting teams. We have lost 97% of wild tigers in just over a century. Tigers may be one of the most revered animals, but they are also vulnerable to extinction. Tigers … [Read more...]
My Ultimate Travel Hero: David Attenborough
Travel Hero? But isn't he the wildlife guy? David Attenborough is certainly most recognised for his wildlife documentaries, but in order to film all those amazing beasties he has to travel to all the far-flung points of the earth. I love that he does in fact go to all those places and gets 'down and dirty' in understanding their various lives - not like the various compilation documentaries that simply have a voice-over to bring them together - we know that David was actually there. David … [Read more...]
Turn your old Calendars into Cards
Chances are that you like the images on your calendars - the pictures are usually selected because they are good ones and are appealing. And if you have chosen the calendar then it generally means that you like the pictures. So don't waste them. Recycle them into cards so that you and others can continue to enjoy them. Generally the pictures are much bigger than the cards so you will need to identify scenes within them that you can pick out. Sometimes you can get multiple cards out of the … [Read more...]
Pink Boots and a Machete
I have just finished re-reading "Pink Boots and a Machete" and loving it just as much as I did the first time round. I have avidly read National Geographic every month since I was a child and love to read stories of its explorers, particularly those studying wildlife and exotic places and peoples. I devoured books with tales of women like Jane Goodall and Joy Adamson. It was an absolute delight to discover this book which tells the story of Mireya Mayor who started life as the child of … [Read more...]
Galapagos: Further Information
Insight Guides: Equador & Galapagos My go-to source of information before (and after) a trip are the Insight Guides. I particularly like their format with lots of information on the people, history and culture of the country as well as its geography, regions and environment. They also give detail about places and things to see and do, with lots of useful information on things like currency, power plugs, and transport. This guide has several chapters on the Galapagos Islands covering the … [Read more...]
Introduction to the Galapagos Islands
The Galapagos Islands are a magical place. They have been on my must see list for as long as I can remember. To a biologist they are the equivalent of Mecca - a place that you must make a pilgrimage to at least once in a lifetime. They are the place that inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection when he saw the large numbers of supremely adapted bird and marine species that can be found nowhere else in the world - truly a living laboratory. … [Read more...]
Wildlife on Galapagos
We saw so many different creatures in our travels around the Galapagos Islands that I thought it would be useful to have a record of these all together. For more detail on visiting the islands see my trip journal under the Galapagos tag or via the Travel category. … [Read more...]