https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog daily 0.75 2024-02-18 https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/a-look-at-bidens-monuments2024 monthly 0.5 2024-08-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/5051ba86-7bec-41e5-9228-ac34a7b258f4/JPLotak-Berryessa+Snow+Mountain.jpg Blog - A LOOK AT BIDEN’S MONUMENTS - Make it stand out Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. Originally designated in 2015 by President Obama, an expansion has been proposed to this national monument in California. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1705376211377-045X04IUJZLZUC4U5SZJ/20170914-JPLotak-9453.jpg Blog - A LOOK AT BIDEN’S MONUMENTS - Wolf spider with babies Wolf spider with babies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1705376211360-AGEHHCBP33I8OASE854Z/20170914-JPLotak-9502.jpg Blog - A LOOK AT BIDEN’S MONUMENTS - Foothill yellow-legged frog (Rana boylii) Foothill yellow-legged frog (Rana boylii) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1705376212962-VBKM0TK3PMIGYOF0FMIY/20170916-JPLotak-9761.jpg Blog - A LOOK AT BIDEN’S MONUMENTS - Northern Pacific rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus oreganus) Northern Pacific rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus oreganus) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/c472633b-b32e-4158-8907-b819ef3027c8/JPLotak-San+Gabriel+Mountains.jpg Blog - A LOOK AT BIDEN’S MONUMENTS - Make it stand out San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. Just a short drive from L.A., this conservation area offers rugged hiking trails and beautiful views of the wild mountains just outside of the city. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/three-future-national-monuments2022 monthly 0.5 2024-02-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/e950d6c9-dad5-4deb-87b6-e7fb5a4128c1/JPLotak_20171029_I01A0473.jpg Blog - THREE FUTURE NATIONAL MONUMENTS - Make it stand out A bobcat making its way through the brush in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, in southern Utah. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/conserving-iber-watch-our-first-short-film2020 monthly 0.5 2020-04-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1586543321940-52K2FGWH8W3UOHHKZSL8/ibera-argentina.jpg Blog - CONSERVING IBERÁ: Our First Short Film About a Tompkins Conservation Success Story https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/gunung-leuser-national-park-photographs monthly 0.5 2024-08-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1548179602529-IWT3X8UHVIOQUD7JG7QU/sumatra-orangutan.jpg Blog - GUNUNG LEUSER NATIONAL PARK: Photographs from Sumatra’s Largest Remaining Stretch of Rainforest Sumatran orangutan, one of the two orangutan species endemic to Sumatra https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1548181519167-FQTEZ4GF0N3M0R21AL3L/gunung-leuser-forest.jpg Blog - GUNUNG LEUSER NATIONAL PARK: Photographs from Sumatra’s Largest Remaining Stretch of Rainforest - lowland rainforest outside ketambe, aceh province The quintessential image that comes to mind when thinking of tropical rainforests: a thick tree canopy with mist rising from it. If you’re accessing Gunung Leuser National Park from Bukit Lawang or from Ketambe, you’ll find yourself mostly in a tropical lowland forest habitat. This means that you’ll be walking at an altitude lower than 3,200 ft (1,000 m), through a forest dominated by dipterocarp tree species which can reach almost 200 ft (60 m) at maturity. These emergent trees rise above the canopy and sustain an ecosystem of strangler figs, lianas, and buttress roots which help them anchor their weight in the soil and extract nutrients from the surface. Between this tallest layer and the second one, of shorter trees, is where most action happens: fruits and flowers above the canopy attract a large variety of wildlife, especially during the fruiting season (in Sumatra this happens roughly between November and February). This is where orangutans, siamangs, and most bird species including hornbills spend most of their time. Closer to the ground the tree species become shorter and their crowns no longer meet each other, and shrubs make bushwhacking very difficult. This thick ground vegetation also does a good job hiding wildlife, and it is in the remote parts of the Leuser Ecosystem at ground level where Sumatran tigers, elephants and rhinos, as well as Malaysian sun bears and other species live, keeping a good distance from any trace of human presence. A model study over a 30-year period has shown that in a scenario where the Leuser Ecosystem was completely conserved it would bring locally US $22 billion in ecosystem services and tourism money, a value of almost US $6 billion more than in a scenario where the ecosystem was replaced by activities involving deforestation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544672450740-S82WB6Z4BQOWCFY8EN1M/long-tailed-macaques.jpg Blog - GUNUNG LEUSER NATIONAL PARK: Photographs from Sumatra’s Largest Remaining Stretch of Rainforest - juvenile long-tailed Macaques (Macaca fascicularis) This monkey species, also known as crab-eating macaques, can easily be seen on many islands of Indonesia, sometimes living in large groups that make their way into human settlements to forage for food. Though you’ll likely always spot at least one male that appears to dominate the troop, they are actually matrilineal and males are just temporarily there for reproduction. Females share a strong social order with one dominant female which could maintain the position for her entire life and pass it on to her next generation. Macaques are opportunistic and will gather around campsites and along trails to steal food, and they often display aggressive, unexpected reactions when approached. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544740487097-DTP8WLKNFX6Z4O4N7G0S/prevost-squirrel.jpg Blog - GUNUNG LEUSER NATIONAL PARK: Photographs from Sumatra’s Largest Remaining Stretch of Rainforest - prevost’s Squirrel (Callosciurus prevostii) Although this squirrel might appear to look just like a black squirrel, the species has actually a very bright coloration: the underpart is a rusty red color surrounded by a band of white fur, while the back is charcoal black. This is the reason why they are also known as the Asian tri-colored squirrel. When they want to communicate with their own kind they emit a piercing whistle sound, and when they want to be left alone they do the typical squirrel trill. We were lucky to spot this squirrel for more than a few seconds during one of the hikes outside Ketambe, as they are skittish and you will mostly hear rather than see them up in the canopy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544672365415-LA80DCSFAMSDPFYZC2G2/green-crested-lizard.jpg Blog - GUNUNG LEUSER NATIONAL PARK: Photographs from Sumatra’s Largest Remaining Stretch of Rainforest - male green crested lizard (Bronchocela cristatella) This beautiful green lizard is a species native to Southeast Asia and a common presence in countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Burma, especially in primary and secondary forest. They can change their color to a darker green, brown or grey when feeling threatened, although this guy seemed undeterred by our presence and stood his ground inspecting us rather curiously. As many lizards do, it stared at us until we turned our heads for a second then disappeared like magic and we never saw him again. They can reach a total length of 22 in (57 cm). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1548180304826-3UMBFLAAE4UDLVQDP313/rhinocerous-hornbill-sumatra.jpg Blog - GUNUNG LEUSER NATIONAL PARK: Photographs from Sumatra’s Largest Remaining Stretch of Rainforest - Rhinoceros hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros) The first and last time we spotted a hornbill during our trip to Sumatra, as we were there when trees had shed their fruit and the birds were much less visible. These beautiful, prehistoric-looking birds are a quintessential presence of the tropical rainforests of this part of the world. Many local cultures venerate them, but also praise them for their meat and the strange and colorful horn on their heads. They are frequently poached and threatened by loss of habitat, which has led to a deterioration in the conservation status of the species. When talking about them with one of our guides, he told us that collectors from Singapore and Hong Kong often come here to obtain the horns of hornbills and sell them for thousands of dollars on Asian and European markets. With the option of making a sustainable living from tourism for the long term, there is less and less motivation for guides to help with illegal activities like poaching to make a one-time earning which can threaten their livelihood. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544673153380-WCE5JJP5YBHAUNEOIX7Q/wild-fruit-sumatra.jpg Blog - GUNUNG LEUSER NATIONAL PARK: Photographs from Sumatra’s Largest Remaining Stretch of Rainforest - rainforest bounty Hundreds of species of fruiting trees and strangler figs ensure the livelihood of most species of these tropical forests. Trees in northern Sumatra share their bounty every year, roughly between November and February during the wet season. However, every few years a massive flowering and fruiting event happens, known as a “mast”. During seasons of mast there is an abundance of fruits on the ground and a feeding frenzy in the canopy. Mast events are a way for dipterocarp and fig species of trees to ensure that their seeds survive the predators which eat them, by providing these predators an instance with more fruit that they can eat. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544673242142-OEP3Y3G7C9X6WBF9D4O3/banyan-sumatra.jpg Blog - GUNUNG LEUSER NATIONAL PARK: Photographs from Sumatra’s Largest Remaining Stretch of Rainforest - banyan (Ficus benghalensis) Deep in the rainforest outside Ketambe, a narrow trail from the maze of pathways leads to an amazing tree: a giant banyan, a species which is considered one of the largest plant organisms on the planet. These figs take root on a host tree and surround it entirely with a complex web of roots and trunks. Host trees eventually die and leave the banyan hollow inside, which then becomes a welcomed shelter for many species in the rainforest. There are some 750 species of figs with the banyan being one of the largest, each pollinated by its own highly specialized species of tiny wasp. Fig fruits are the lifeline of the rainforest, providing food for almost all species of birds, primates, insects and bats. In India there is a specimen of banyan whose roots and canopy have spread over almost 5 acres (2 ha). Stumbling upon such a giant of the rainforest and getting to stand by its large roots was one of the highlights of our experience in the national park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544673290732-FG16IAW5MFXMRETD0YW6/guide-gunung-leuser-sumatra.jpg Blog - GUNUNG LEUSER NATIONAL PARK: Photographs from Sumatra’s Largest Remaining Stretch of Rainforest - Said, our guide From ketambe The small village of Ketambe is the perfect gateway to access the central part of Gunung Leuser National Park, much less visited than its counterpart to the east, Bukit Lawang. The few guesthouses available all work with local guides, but not all guides show the same knowledge and respect toward the forest. We witnessed many of them leaving behind garbage at campsites or encouraging their guests to get close to wildlife. As with anywhere in Indonesia, the choices we make as visitors can be the difference between tourism as a tool for conservation and sustainable development, and tourism as a destructive activity. Said was one of the best guides available in Ketambe, truly dedicated to his work and concerned with the protection of Gunung Leuser National Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1548181854694-ZZLQLZS30IPNE0ZYOEVF/guided-trip-gunung-leuser.jpg Blog - GUNUNG LEUSER NATIONAL PARK: Photographs from Sumatra’s Largest Remaining Stretch of Rainforest - Cooking At the Campsite Tourism in the national park is one of the main ways in which local communities in gateway towns and villages benefit economically from having this large conservation area in their backyards. Local guides, guest houses, inns, hotels, outfitters, drivers and small warungs and restaurants all cater to a growing number of visitors. These people’s livelihoods are therefore connected with the wellbeing of the national park and its species, aside from the ecosystem services it provides such as clean water, flood retention, food sources and more. We talked to several guides and found that they were happy and proud to lead people from all over the world on the lands that they grew up exploring. However, in an area where there is a lack of regulations and where we didn’t see one park ranger patrolling, guides and their guests make all the difference. Unfortunately, there is a real need for better practices in the more traveled areas of the national park, and change has to begin with visitors showing respect for wildlife and following “Leave No Trace” principles so that the guides do not feel compelled to behave irresponsibly to satisfy their customers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1548180191323-O1O880D19A572F4NGS5V/thomas-leaf-sumatra-baby.jpg Blog - GUNUNG LEUSER NATIONAL PARK: Photographs from Sumatra’s Largest Remaining Stretch of Rainforest - female thomas’s leaf Monkey and her baby (Presbytis thomasi) We first spotted the loud Thomas’s leaf monkeys across the Bohorok River outside Bukit Lawang, jumping through the branches of a massive tree. Their acrobatics are mesmerizing to watch because they are some of the best jumpers out there, a species endemic to northern Sumatra whose range overlaps the Leuser Ecosystem. Thomas’s leaf monkeys, also known as Thomas’s langurs, belong to the order of primates and are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN due to loss of habitat. Female Thomas’s leaf become sexually active around the age of 4 and give birth usually to one baby every 1.5 to 2 years. We saw this mother and her beautiful baby in the wilder side of the national park outside Ketambe. They were part of a large troop, likely led by one alpha male and surrounded by many females and their young, as is the case with most Thomas’s leaf monkey troops. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1548180251759-2J3GFKW4L8X30K0XZ6XE/copper-cheecked-frog-sumatra.jpg Blog - GUNUNG LEUSER NATIONAL PARK: Photographs from Sumatra’s Largest Remaining Stretch of Rainforest - Copper-cheeked Frog (Chalcorana chalconota) While camped in the forest in Gungung Leuser National Park, Said took us on a night hike to experience this amazing habitat at the time when all sorts of critters become active. Among them the nicest sightings were those of the numerous frog species either making their way from tree to tree or hopping on the ground along the streams. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1545102068743-RKPF8U6O1W0863CYKO2J/night-cricket-sumatra.jpg Blog - GUNUNG LEUSER NATIONAL PARK: Photographs from Sumatra’s Largest Remaining Stretch of Rainforest - Night creepers While fascinating, night hiking in Gunung Leuser reveals a world of critters not for the faint of heart. Some crickets, frogs and katydids are among the “friendlier” sights, but there are plenty of spiders, millipedes, centipedes and other bugs that might make you step aside. However, out of all of them the only ones guaranteed to be a nuisance are the ever-present leeches. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1548180441861-FQ1GAZLLT66QM9G469IG/tiny-river-toad-sumatra.jpg Blog - GUNUNG LEUSER NATIONAL PARK: Photographs from Sumatra’s Largest Remaining Stretch of Rainforest - juvenile river toad (Phrynoidis asper) According to everything that we could find online, this appears to be a river toad, also known as the Asian giant toad. The latter name is funny because this toad was tiny, but it appears that juveniles develop into pretty large adults that can reach 8.5 inches (22 cm) in length. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544674271692-YBJ4GEGAHI3THMH9B9IJ/leopard-moths-sumatra.jpg Blog - GUNUNG LEUSER NATIONAL PARK: Photographs from Sumatra’s Largest Remaining Stretch of Rainforest - Yellow leopard moth (Dysphania militaris) These moths are a common presence along the rivers in the national park, and because they are active during the day many people mistake them for butterflies. The yellow leopard moth is a species found in South and Southeast Asia. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544674315541-94PBP3MYBDZISWIWTOEL/gurah-river-sumatra.jpg Blog - GUNUNG LEUSER NATIONAL PARK: Photographs from Sumatra’s Largest Remaining Stretch of Rainforest - Gurah river The beautiful Gurah River is the site of the most busy camping area. During daytime it’s a common stop for lunch for day hikers, which is why it’s also the place where some people leave behind garbage. Together with Said, our guide, we collected some of it and brought it outside the park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544674425416-HQZHUR4VKWOBQG08AH3S/mina-orangutan-sumatra.jpg Blog - GUNUNG LEUSER NATIONAL PARK: Photographs from Sumatra’s Largest Remaining Stretch of Rainforest - Mina, the sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) Orangutans are an umbrella species in the conservation world: sharing 97% of our human DNA, they are ambassadors for the plea of forest destruction in Indonesia. If we pay attention to their struggles and spring into action to protect them, we basically protect their habitat which in turn saves hundreds of species from the threat of extinction. Aside from palm oil plantations that have set fire to forests and peat bogs in the Leuser Ecosystem and advanced into sensitive areas, orangutans are also at risk from logging and poaching. In the 70s a rehabilitation center was established on the Bohorok River in Bukit Lawang, where dozens of rescued orangutans were prepared to return to the wild in what would become the Gunung Leuser National Park. Up until a couple of years ago, the feeding platforms at the rescue center were open to the public for daily feeding of the orangutans nearby Bukit Lawang, who would return here to supplement their nutrition. This practice eventually ceased both because the semi-wild orangutans have become more independent and apparently due to the way in which the center was run. Therefore, the orangutans you would likely see during a day trip from Bukit Lawang are rehabilitated, semi-wild individuals that have been released into the forest after going through traumatic experiences in their young years. They are accustomed to humans and associate them with food, a fact of which a lot of guides and visitors take advantage to get closer. The behavior of these apes living close to Bukit Lawang has been altered by their contact with humans, and the survival rates among their offspring is significantly lower than among their wild counterparts. Of all, Mina is the most famous orangutan around the entire national park. She has a reputation for a short temper and for an assertive way of demanding to be fed by guides. Often seen walking on the ground, which is not not common in wild orangutans, she is as intimidating as she is beautiful. Our guide, Wanda, told us that she has been an excellent mother for her babies and that she likely suffered a traumatic experience which has made her more aggressive. Orangutans like Mina and like all the ones living close to Bukit Lawang are a reminder of the destruction of biodiversity happening in the Leuser Ecosystem, but also a beacon of hope that some wrongs can be righted, though imperfectly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544674694089-JEFSGOAYEOD4O3XAU43B/juvenile-orangutans-leauser.jpg Blog - GUNUNG LEUSER NATIONAL PARK: Photographs from Sumatra’s Largest Remaining Stretch of Rainforest - juvenile orangutan playing with a baby Accoding to our guide, these two were both Mina’s offspring. We watched from a distance as they played together, filled with joy in each other’s presence. Meanwhile, Mina had laid on the ground pretty far from us, but keeping watch. Female orangutans begin breeding at the age of 15 or 16 usually, and rear their young until they are 7 years old. They have babies every 6 or 7 years, which means that sometimes a new baby comes into the life of a mother still rearing her young one. Orangutans are solitary, but females and juveniles will often hang out together and form temporary groups. Alpha males are always solitary once reaching maturity and spend time in the presence of females only during mating periods. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544674584731-O9MVNV7IDA06ACTQY4AC/wild-orangutan-sumatra.jpg Blog - GUNUNG LEUSER NATIONAL PARK: Photographs from Sumatra’s Largest Remaining Stretch of Rainforest - wild orangutan Unlike orangutans nearby Bukit Lawang, those seen in the forest close to Ketambe are wild and much less interested in interacting with humans. The eyes of your guide will make a big difference in spotting them high up in the tree canopy, and trekking around offers no guarantee of orangutan sightings. We were lucky during day 3 to see this individual descending lower from the canopy due to rain. We did see several others, but usually up in the tree tops. There are three species of orangutan: two endemic to Sumatra — Sumatran orangutan (P. abelii) and the recently discovered Tapanuli orangutan (P. tapanuliensis); and one endemic to Borneo in Indonesia and Malaysia — Borneo orangutan (P. pygmaeus), which has three subspecies. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1548179682168-8LZZDZ9AJY2IDR92GM5R/hairstreaks-butterfly-sumatra.jpg Blog - GUNUNG LEUSER NATIONAL PARK: Photographs from Sumatra’s Largest Remaining Stretch of Rainforest - Cheritra freja frigga This subspecies of the common imperial butterfly appears in Indonesia only in NE Sumatra and is more commonly found in peninsular Malaysia. They are small, but a really impressive sight, with their long tail subtly moving to distract the attention of potential predators away from other vital body parts. These pretty little tropical forest denizens are part of a subfamily of butterflies known as the hairstreaks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544674831229-UBXQL9OI55K4MLUP1D5N/JPLotak_20180418_I01A5882.jpg Blog - GUNUNG LEUSER NATIONAL PARK: Photographs from Sumatra’s Largest Remaining Stretch of Rainforest - male thomas’s leaf monkey in man-made habitat Before reaching the entrance of the national park from Bukit Lawang, visitors walk through a rubber plantation where a large troop of Thomas’s leaf monkeys have settled, partly because they feed on the fruit of rubber trees and partly because guides and tourists sometimes throw them some food as well, which is unfortunate. Our guide explained that the owners of the rubber plantation have no issue with the monkeys being there because the fruit doesn’t have commercial value. Rubber plantations used to be much more common in the past in this region, and they attracted a variety of species because many plants can grow alongside the rubber trees. Oil palm plantations are, by comparison, ecological deserts. The only thing that is edible for animals are the fruits, and that’s also the crop that humans exploit, which is why all wildlife is treated as a pest. However, rubber plantations growing in tropical areas are also a cause for deforestation and loss of habitat, which is why there are many organizations ringing the alarm that furniture made from rubber wood is not as “sustainable” as it is usually labeled by providers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1548180476429-9SYCOFZJAW8H65R74T03/gliding-lizard-sumatra.jpg Blog - GUNUNG LEUSER NATIONAL PARK: Photographs from Sumatra’s Largest Remaining Stretch of Rainforest - Black-bearded Gliding Lizard (Draco melanopogon) This species of flying lizard is native to Southeast Asia and in Indonesia it’s found only in Sumatra and Borneo/Kalimantan. Like all lizards in the Draco genus, they are excellent gliders and can be seen “flying” from tree to tree for several feet. Their “wings” are known as patagial membranes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1548181567707-FD993PYXFCGUWQMM0UKP/grasshawk-dragongly-sumatra.jpg Blog - GUNUNG LEUSER NATIONAL PARK: Photographs from Sumatra’s Largest Remaining Stretch of Rainforest - Grasshawk dragonfly (Neurothemis fluctuans) This beautiful male grasshawk dragonfly was very active in the early morning, probably on the lookout for mosquitos, small wasps or ants which compose its diet. Females are a duller brown or grayish color. The species is widespread in Asia and mainly breeds at altitudes over 3,200 ft (1,000 m). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1548215599375-0X72DWYTDNP1UOJ9LLN7/Indonesia+Cover.jpg Blog - GUNUNG LEUSER NATIONAL PARK: Photographs from Sumatra’s Largest Remaining Stretch of Rainforest https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/raja-ampat-marine-park-indonesia-the-heart-of-the-coral-triangle2018 monthly 0.5 2020-03-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544391836508-736S13K485K7D2TXG1AB/JPLotak_20180413_DJI_0141.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle The stunning beauty of the Fam Islands as seen from above, Raja Ampat https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544396175620-F8BT7LBOVIG6VN1HL9L8/AELotak-20180408-DSC01114.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - Papua diving — kri eco Resort One such resort dedicated to the improvement of the lives of locals and to the health of Raja Ampat’s ecosystems is Kri Eco. It’s part of the Papua Diving organization, the first scuba diving project in what would become the Raja Ampat Marine Park over a decade later. We partnered with them to produce a short film based on the interview we did with its founder, Max Ammer, who also received an award from Conservation International in recognition for his involvement in marine conservation (our film is now in the production phase). The resort is built with sustainability in mind: they plan on adding more solar panels to be completely independent from any fossil fuels, have built all the infrastructure with respect to local traditions and minimal impact on the natural habitat, educate the guests regarding best practices and conservation, have founded the Raja Ampat Research & Conservation Centre (RARCC), employ 90% local staff, build their boats and kayaks on site, and plan to introduce solar-powered boats to diminish the impact of pollution on wildlife. We spent one week at Kri Eco in early April and were lucky to explore the beauty of Raja Ampat with some of the best trained local guides. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544397010665-DTHTDYZ3MXAFQEV555WA/AELotak-20180414-I01A5668.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - Emerald Tree Skink (Lamprolepis smaragdina) Although the underwater beauty of Raja Ampat is what stuns most visitors, the fauna and flora of the rich tropical forests on the islands can be just as impressive. On every walk we took across the hill from Kri Eco to Sorido Bay on the other side of the island, we were surrounded by magical bird calls and colorful critters. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544398208129-B6W89AONI7K9T8WPE3GU/AELotak-20180411-I01A5519.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - rufous-bellied kookaburra (Dacelo gaudichaud) Rufous-bellied kookaburras are a common presence in the dense rainforests of New Guinea and off the coast of Queensland, Australia. Their haunting calls resembling a strange laughter resonated across the entire island, especially at sunset. The choir of all bird calls was a highlight of our stay on Kri Island. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544413206083-U6G7ILFFPSOHPYWCYVF3/JPLotak_20180413_IMG_3268.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - Pianemo/Pyainemo lookout on Fam Islands This scenic cluster of islands is one of the most touristy places in Raja Ampat. A fairly long boat ride away from Kri Island, the trip to Fam also includes diving or snorkeling at one of the most amazing and colorful spots: Melissa’s Garden, a rich coral garden abundant in soft and hard corals, where hundreds of species of fish live. The bay, the boardwalk and the stairway leading up to the Pianemo Lookout are busy with tourists, a lot of them visiting only this site for the day and not doing any scuba diving or snorkeling. This is also a place where you’ll likely see locals trying to sell coconut crabs which are considered a delicacy. This type of terrestrial hermit crab is the largest land-living arthropod, weighing up to 9 lbs (4 kg), and whose populations have been steadily declining. In Indonesia it is considered rare and therefore benefits from protection, but locals continue to collect them nonetheless as long as tourists continue to buy them and the law is not applied. At this pace it’s likely that the population on Fam islands will go extinct, as has happened on other inhabited islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544413363449-AGRDNSU9PBUHCYWD7SW6/JPLotak_20180411_IMG_2357.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - reef Manta Ray (Manta alfredi) Diving or snorkeling at Manta Sandy is one of the highlights of the whole Raja Ampat experience: while there you may get lucky to witness the otherworldly beauty of reef and giant oceanic mantas, the two largest species of rays in the world. Manta Sandy is one of the cleaning stations in Raja Ampat to which they return daily between late October and early April. Boats from resorts and homestays will bring divers and snorkelers to this spot and wait for their slot in the schedule to take their group to the cleaning station. If done with respect for these magnificent animals, manta tourism can be a tool for conservation: in 2014 Indonesia became the largest manta ray sanctuary in the world partially thanks to conservationists and scientists assessing that the value of a living manta ray from tourism money is over $1 million, while dead they only bring $40 to $500. It may not be ideal that a monetary value needs to be put on wildlife in order for the government to protect it, but it seems to be a efficient method. However, scientific studies have also urged governments to pass stricter regulations for manta tourism since uncontrolled increases in numbers of visitors to certain cleaning stations have been observed to cause severe disturbances in the manta rays’ behavior. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544413748025-8GTZR5HNO8Z1N3LRCCRY/JPLotak_20180411_IMG_2432.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - tasseled wobbegong (Eucrossorhinus dasypogon) Several organizations persuaded the government to declare the waters of Raja Ampat a shark sanctuary, referring to the sharks’ importance in the ecosystem as apex predators and to their economic value for tourism. Since 2013 shark fishing has been completely banned in the archipelago. While many species of shark can be found in Raja Ampat, the wobbegong is definitely a highlight. Living mainly on the sea bed, they rest during the day, usually hiding under rocks and in underwater caves, and at night they come out to feed. Although they seem lazy, blending in the environment and pretending to be a rock or a piece of coral, these sharks are actually very agile and have been known to attack humans, even apparently unprovoked. There are 12 species of wobbegong, with a majority living in the waters around Australia and with only two in Raja Ampat: the tasseled wobbegong and the the ornate wobbegong. These strange-looking fish are part of the same order of carpet sharks as the much larger whale shark. During the first day of diving and snorkeling, our guide who was a local from Raja Ampat came to us filled with excitement and yelled: “wobbegong!”, while dragging us quickly to the spot where he had seen it. It took a few seconds for our minds to get used to the idea that what we were looking at was not a rock covered in coral, but once registering the sight it became much easier in the days to follow to spot these beautiful bottom dwellers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544413898127-3SA8Q64W0LT0NLV4L90P/JPLotak_20180412_DJI_0108.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - the passage Located between the Waigeo and Gam Islands, this underwater canyon has some very strong currents which make you feel like you’re swimming in a fast-flowing river. Below its green-turquoise waters lies a dazzling diversity of very colorful soft corals, dizzying walls covered in bright yellow and purple gold-mouth sea squirts, thousands of fish, sea horses, and nudibranchs. Above the water you’ll find the most amazing landscape of mushroom-shaped islands covered in tropical forests, where little homestays are nestled in hidden bays. Scuba diving in The Passage is not for the unexperienced due to strong currents, while snorkelers have to be strong swimmers or use a pool noodle since standing on the bottom to rest is not an option due to possibly damaging the corals. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544413294940-CRFPTS5W201GHNP1KPW2/JPLotak_20180412_IMG_2687.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - yellow-lipped sea krait (Laticauda colubrina) This snake, known more commonly as the banded sea krait, is a common presence in the waters of Raja Ampat Marine Park. Although they are known to be highly venomous, they rarely choose to attack humans, even when provoked. Despite the fact that it’s a sea snake, this species spends a substantial part of its time on land or hunting in shallow waters along the shores and needs to occasionally find sources of fresh water for drinking. Banded sea kraits are widespread in the Western Pacific and Eastern Indian Oceans, and studies done in Fiji have shown that they develop an attachment to their “home” islands to which they always return for mating, digesting and sloughing (skin shedding). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544413695632-7JFZ6233GPNPB4X8YCQL/JPLotak_20180412_IMG_2728.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - Hypselodoris tryoni This species of dorid nudibranch is commonly found in the Western Pacific region, a sea slug and marine gastropod mollusk with bright purple dots and edges. They feed on sea sponges, and seeing them is a major part of the Raja Ampat scuba diving experience. There are currently close to 3,000 known species of nudibranchs competing for the title of the strangest, most strikingly colorful and beautiful alien-looking beings. And although most of them are harmless to humans (though they should obviously not be touched and left alone), some pack strong toxins and poisons that can cause plenty of pain, typically collected from jellyfish, sponges or corals upon which the nudibranchs feed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544414636191-QOIEU6DA8FJPG4OVYN9H/AELotak-20180412-DSC01254.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - Arborek island and village This island is probably the most popular among visitors that aren’t looking to spend time in a diving resort and want to explore a bit of the local culture, as well as for visitors from within Indonesia. The little charming village has several homestays and bars serving cold drinks, while the area around the jetty is a great snorkeling site. Arborek is included on a list of tourist villages promoted by the Indonesian government and offers better than average amenities, especially for a place with under 200 permanent residents. Here you can also find traditional souvenirs created by the women on the island. A common stop after diving or snorkeling at Manta Sandy, the jetty was quite crowded when we got there. Bring some shoes or flip flops if you want to explore around during your stop, because both the boardwalk and the paths through the village get really hot. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544413799918-O7KP1UFZ0RJ5YULS1PDQ/JPLotak_20180410_IMG_2323.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - Oblique-banded Sweetlips (Plectorhinchus lineatus) A school of oblique-banded sweetlips mixing in with other fish species under the jetty on Kri Island. Jetties are a great spot for easy wildlife watching. Oblique-banded sweetlips become much more active at night, during feeding time, and are slowly swimming around during the day, giving you a good chance to take pictures of their beautiful patterns. Although they don’t have commercial value for fishing, they are sold in the aquarium business. The species doesn’t adapt too well to life in captivity and reaches maturity rather rarely. When it does, however, it requires a very large tank which is not normally accessible to most collectors. That’s why they are best seen swimming freely in their habitat, as is the case for all wildlife. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544413473058-1PZSQ2ESJT1X9W7EPMGJ/JPLotak_20180412_IMG_3061.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - Titan triggerfish (Balistoides viridescens) next to what looks like a colorful checkerboard wrasse (Halichoeres hortulanus) The titan triggerfish is the largest species of triggerfish in the Indo-Pacific region, with females becoming strongly territorial during the nesting period. Unaware divers or snorkelers may enter the nest territory and find themselves vigorously attacked by the titan triggerfish female, whose strong, big teeth can inflict serious injury. The adult checkerboard wrasse is likely looking for mollusks or crustaceans hiding among the coral or in the sand. Widespread in tropical waters of the planet, this species as well as many other wrasse species is a hermaphrodite, starting its life as a female and then turning into a male at maturity. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544414140413-3N8ZSVKS1Y60ZJREWCVR/JPLotak_20180410_DJI_0029.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - paddleboarding around kri island Standup paddle boards are available at many resorts and can be a great way of exploring the shallow waters along the shores of the islands, since they are at times too shallow for swimming or snorkeling. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544412972053-601NMGVWF7FP3F7AQ6N5/JPLotak_20180412_IMG_2709.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - ocellaris clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) Clownfish are one of the most popular residents of the Tropics, mainly due to the beloved Nemo character which has paradoxically spelled trouble for the species. With a spike in popularity, the aquarium industry has struggled to provide for the increased market demand for clownfish. A majority of the specimens found around the world in aquariums still come from the wild, as they do not fare so well when bred in captivity. These charming little ocean denizens develop a strong, symbiotic relationship with sea anemones, which they inhabit. Sea anemones produce a strong poison which kills a lot of the fish species that normally prey on clownfish: damselfish, wrasses, or brittle stars. In return, clownfish that take refuge in the sea anemone help keep it clean of leftovers from the poisoned and then consumed victims. Clownfish are very territorial and also get attached to the place they consider “home”: the shallow waters surrounded by mangroves where they hatched, and the sea anemone that protects them. When captured for the aquarium industry some species of clownfish change their behavior completely and become more aggressive toward their own kind, whereas in the wild they are gregarious and live in small “colonies” with a well determined social order. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544413590452-DULZ3FMPICCWFJQBKQDE/JPLotak_20180412_IMG_2957.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - A school of Chevron/ blacktail barracuda (Sphyraena qenie) Barracudas are known for their quickness to attack and for their capacity to take on much larger prey. There are now about 28 recognized species of barracuda, some considered more aggressive than others. Despite their reputation, barracudas seldom attack humans if unprovoked. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544414275768-6R4XA8RUTEX21X5RVP3S/JPLotak_20180408_IMG_1155.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - green barrel sea squirt (Didemnum molle) As with all tunicates, green barrel sea squirts are filter feeders, inhaling and exhaling the filtered water through two siphons. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544413530247-P0KN2K4ERLUGVF8H0NMD/JPLotak_20180412_IMG_3066.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - One of the sea walls at Melissa’s Garden Dive Site This amazing dive site, probably the best one of the whole week of scuba diving and snorkeling, was named after the daughter of the founder of Papua Diving, Max Ammer. There are two other dive sites in this region named after Anita, his wife, and after his son, Mike. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544414109304-5JYBJF2CIBVSWNS559KB/JPLotak_20180408_IMG_1348.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - school of yellow and blueback fusilier (Caesio teres) Yellow and blueback fusilier fish are colorful, medium-sized fish that feed on zooplankton. The intruder in the middle of them, with yellow thick lips, is an oblique-banded sweetlips. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544414027828-EE3I3LP18BAEBIZGJHWF/JPLotak_20180409_IMG_1985.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - ocellaris clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) Playing peek-a-boo with curious and territorial clownfish. We could fill an entire photo story just with pictures of clownfish in their beautiful sea anemones. Did you know that they are hermaphrodites and that males can become females as they mature? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544414765000-R22M7E02HYXA5M48Z8WJ/JPLotak_20180411_I01A5571.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - kri eco The boardwalk which leads to the jetty where we got our first introduction to Kri Eco upon arriving. Every evening around sunset the most relaxing spot was on the covered deck by the jetty, where we could swing in a hammock, looking at the bright yellow and purple colors of the sky and enjoying a cold beer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544414510938-LLPKIVMSIV7G3BDKTABO/AELotak-20180409-DSC01197.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - Sunset over the dive center at kri eco The view as we got out from our cottage to head down to the main boardwalk or to the restaurant. Returning to Kri Eco every day after scuba diving or snorkeling in the morning and in the afternoon filled us with such a relaxing, welcoming vibe. All guests were getting ready for dinner, the smell of delicious Indonesian food was in the air, and the sound of bird calls around us was so peaceful. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544414594193-CG05TBN67HNDBYAE8SUA/raja-ampat-sunset.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - the restaurant at kri eco Every day we were spoiled by delicious, freshly cooked Indonesian and western-style food, full of local flavor and enough to satisfy the post-diving appetite. Dinners were especially great because of the sunset show which kept us all marveling like children at the beauty of this remote archipelago close to the Equator. Luckily, the restaurant had perfect views of it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544414383481-W3V4MWT2ENLDR7IA2TG9/AELotak-20180411-I01A5466.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - pathway inside the resort Out of respect for sustainability and conservation, the habitat within which Kri Eco was built was minimally altered, and trees and plants continue to encroach on the pathway, contributing to the feeling that you have arrived in a tropical paradise. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544414176765-KGPL3KYCMEK0J4UJQ2U8/JPLotak_20180414_I01A5624.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - Western Pacific monitor lizard (Varanus indicus) This lizard species is also known as the mangrove monitor and was a common presence along the trail leading to the kitchen and restaurant of Kri Eco. They can grow to 3.5 - 4 ft (1.1 - 1.2 m) and their tongues often stick out like those of snakes in order to collect scents. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544507930265-9VQ0OV2AZ8EJ6J6OX89X/AELotak-20180409-I01A5337.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - common paradise kingfisher (Tanysiptera galatea) When we first spotted a common paradise kingfisher nearby Sorido Bay on Kri Island it was hard to understand what we were looking at: the head and body were those of a kingfisher, but the tail was long and more similar to that of a motmot from the Neotropics, with which they are actually related. Like the other famous residents of New Guinea — the birds-of-paradise — these kingfishers have developed adaptations that seem to have more to do with aesthetics and mating displays rather than practicality. However, studies on other species of racket-tailed birds like the motmot show that they might also use the long feathers of their tails for communication signals. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544505002494-BUL0EV5YO9ZT5DGYUW12/AELotak-20180414-I01A5739.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) While these cockatoos are a common presence in the woodlands of Australia, they exist in Indonesia only in the Papua province and on some of the surrounding islands. Their loud, funny-sounding calls are hard to miss while walking through the forest. Our last day in Raja Ampat we took a short trip to the neighboring island of Gam to hopefully spot the intricate dancing ritual of the endemic red birds-of-paradise. While sitting in silence with the guide and the rest of the group at the lookout, waiting to see the display of the birds-of-paradise, the cockatoos kept making loud calls that would both startle and amuse us. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544507895943-V0RF41REWPI1M6N41R2Z/AELotak-20180414-I01A5724.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - male red bird-of-paradise (Paradisaea rubra) The red bird-of-paradise is endemic to Raja Ampat, on the islands of Batanta, Waigeo and Gam. All three islands are located in the vicinity of Kri Island, so we took the afternoon trip to hopefully see them on Gam. The local guide led us to a viewing platform built when Tim Laman, National Geographic photographer, and his partner Ed Scholes, a Cornell Lab scientist, were collecting footage and field information about the fantastic species of birds-of-paradise. The red bird-of-paradise chooses a display tree and returns to it early in the morning and at sunset to make its loud calls and do its mating dance in hopes of catching the attention of a female. This daily ritual happens high up in the tree canopy and is rather difficult to photograph, as the males are constantly moving. Tim Laman and Ed Scholes returned to New Guinea throughout an 8-year period to collect all the necessary footage and information which would become the impressive Birds-of-Paradise Project. However, Tim Laman confessed that during the first weeks of his NatGeo photo assignment in New Guinea, he was confronted with his hardest task to that date: after so many days in the field he had not succeeded in obtaining at least one good photograph that would be worthy of publishing. Although their website is now filled with the most incredible photos of birds-of-paradise, it is the result of many years in the field and many days spent climbing up the tallest trees. So don’t get too discouraged if you don’t get the perfect shot in one afternoon (though you might get lucky), and enjoy witnessing one of the most extraordinary displays of any species on the planet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544508214060-93D5DVTMME00T9D7YRTG/AELotak-20180414-I01A5770.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - Sawinggrai Village, Gam island After watching the red birds-of-paradise display at sunset, we strolled through the little village of Sawinggrai where our guide lived and where the boat waited to take us back to Kri Island. The whole community benefits from the funds paid by visitors that come here for the birds-of-paradise and take the 30-minute hike through the dense forest behind the village to reach the viewing platform. On our way back, as evening was settling in, the forest resonated with the calls of dozens of birds which sounded absolutely magical. . https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544508247524-IKY87KGLQOSSA9D4FP2O/AELotak-20180414-I01A5791.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle - jetty in Sawinggrai, gam island As we were saying goodbye to the elders of the village and to our guide, the horizon had turned a bright pink and orange, reminding us of how much we were going to miss this remote paradise at the tip of the Bird’s Head Peninsula in the West Papua province. Meanwhile the kids and teenagers in the village were out playing soccer, going in for a dip, fishing and having fun. People have lived in Raja Ampat for a long time in balance with the nature around them. Their vision and traditions protected the biodiversity of the area while at the same time providing for their needs. Although much has changed in the last two centuries, some sense of balance is returning to the region, and economic alternatives like responsible tourism can help communities benefit financially from the protection of nature. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1544653485126-FNOFPHOJ9RRNMLOBTXMC/Indonesia+Cover.jpg Blog - RAJA AMPAT MARINE PARK, INDONESIA: The Heart of the Coral Triangle https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/new-zealands-te-araroa-hiking-to-connect-conservation2018 monthly 0.5 2018-11-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542036354541-0LI0B39DVS3HJ413HA7P/nelson-lakes-nz.jpg Blog - NEW ZEALAND'S TE ARAROA: Hiking to Connect Conservation View of the mountains in Nelson Lakes National Park https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1532086994564-AKCX2VRXHF5TZI2HU82Z/JPLotak_nelson+lakes+national+park%2C+Te+Araroa.jpg Blog - NEW ZEALAND'S TE ARAROA: Hiking to Connect Conservation - Nelson Lakes National Park Nelson Lakes National Park offers impressive views of mountains, distant and close, as one crosses the national park along the Te Araroa. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1532086712179-UBHZRWMC5AVJGT127C2Y/JPLotak_kea.jpg Blog - NEW ZEALAND'S TE ARAROA: Hiking to Connect Conservation - kea (Nestor notabilis) The kea (Nestor notabilis) is the only alpine parrot in the world, and are very intelligent and curious. Their numbers dropped from 150,000 to 5,000 in the 20th century when the New Zealand government used to pay bounties for hunters to kill kea, due to concerns that the birds kill sheep. Now, since 1986, they have been strictly protected under New Zealand's Wildlife Act. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1532086795185-PJEAX74VCPJOCKHWPL0N/JPLotak_hectors+dolphins.jpg Blog - NEW ZEALAND'S TE ARAROA: Hiking to Connect Conservation - Hector's dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori) Hector's dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori) is the smallest dolphin species in the world and the only cetacean endemic to New Zealand. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1532099234190-S8ZLEJ7LF7QW8VLCKIM2/JPLotak_20180115_I01A1730.jpg Blog - NEW ZEALAND'S TE ARAROA: Hiking to Connect Conservation - South Island robin (Petroica australis) The South Island robin (Petroica australis), is a small bird that hikers will see often along the Te Araroa. Their numbers have declined due to habitat loss, and therefore they are now protected. They are an endemic species of bird to New Zealand, and are sure to cheer up any weary hiker with their fearless curiosity. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1535027492658-CANWKVQ0WDBHNGN4S2UF/New+Zealand+Te+Araroa+-+South+Island+Protected+Areas.jpg Blog - NEW ZEALAND'S TE ARAROA: Hiking to Connect Conservation - Categories of Protected Areas in New Zealand: New Zealand's Protected Areas are managed under six laws in the country: Conservation Act 1987, National Parks Act 1980, Reserves Act 1977, Wildlife Act 1953, Marine Reserves Act 1971, and Marine Mammals Protection Act 1979. National Parks: Areas set aside for their "intrinsic worth and for the benefit, use, and enjoyment of the public, areas of New Zealand that contain scenery of such distinctive quality, ecological systems, or natural features so beautiful, unique, or scientifically important that their preservation is in the national interest". Conservation Parks: Large areas designated to protect their natural and historic resources, and to facilitate public recreation. Includes "Forest Parks". Scenic Reserves: Areas of native vegetation set aside due to community interest. They are usually smaller in size compared to NZ's Conservation Parks and National Parks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1532095133901-KVK3W2T3U8S8BJ1CU7Y9/JPLotak_New+Zealand+Te+Araroa+Trail.jpg Blog - NEW ZEALAND'S TE ARAROA: Hiking to Connect Conservation - LAKE SUMNER FOREST PARK Hiking through grassland valleys on New Zealand's Te Araroa. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1532094990491-6Y3V2F2KEA7HJ0VTGC8Z/JPLotak_new+zealand+te+araroa.jpg Blog - NEW ZEALAND'S TE ARAROA: Hiking to Connect Conservation - VIew from the “mavora walkway” section of the trail Soft evening sunlight settling on New Zealand's rugged mountains, along the Te Araroa. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/maya-kaan-a-photo-essay-of-the-yucatans-wildlife2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542052561027-SHCASVHFBVFWOIQHQDMD/yucatan-iguana.jpg Blog - MAYA KA'AN: A Photo Essay of the Yucatán's Wildlife Spiny-tailed iguana in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1501071320188-EM0EXYAT4W2G2V7TX0SH/image-asset.jpeg Blog - MAYA KA'AN: A Photo Essay of the Yucatán's Wildlife - Yucatán woodpecker (Melanerpes pygmaeus) Yucatán woodpecker (Melanerpes pygmaeus) peeking out from its hole, in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve. These were a common site along the drive through the reserve, though sometimes an iguana would be spotted inside the same holes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1501073114647-DMEZR5DJK3QGGSTB1BHE/image-asset.jpeg Blog - MAYA KA'AN: A Photo Essay of the Yucatán's Wildlife - blue land crab (Cardisoma guanhumi) Several blue land crabs (Cardisoma guanhumi) can be seen scurrying along the forest floor in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve. These crabs can sense vibrations of small frequencies, such as that produced by the impact of falling fruit, which they then come out to inspect in search of food. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1501073203917-N4F6QN48FUAYE29MR5ON/image-asset.jpeg Blog - MAYA KA'AN: A Photo Essay of the Yucatán's Wildlife - Pale Catfish (Rhamdia Guatemalensis) Rhamdia black catfish in one of the many cenotes of the Yucatan peninsula. These freshwater catfish do not have predators and are very curious when you take a dip in the crystal clear waters of Mexico's cenotes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1501073261241-RPD6AIO5L10I7DCVHQ3T/image-asset.jpeg Blog - MAYA KA'AN: A Photo Essay of the Yucatán's Wildlife - Cueva de las Serpientes Colgantes The Cueva de las Serpientes Colgantes, or Cave of the Hanging Snakes, in Kantemo Mexico is named for so for a reason. A species of boa lives in the limestone holes deep within the cave, which hang from the ceiling waiting to prey on passing bats. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1505748171140-A36YO0HGR6UBVXNNX1SZ/JPLotak+-+turquoise-browed+motmot+%28Eumomota+superciliosa%29 Blog - MAYA KA'AN: A Photo Essay of the Yucatán's Wildlife - turquoise-browed motmots (Eumomota superciliosa) A pair of turquoise-browed motmots (Eumomota superciliosa), in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve. Unlike most other species of birds, the long tail of Eumomota superciliosa has developed in both sexes, though they use them for different reasons. Males will use their long tail as a sexual attractant, and males with longer tails have been documented to have higher reproductive success. Both sexes also will use their long tails to wag back and forth in what is thought to be a signal to potential predators that they have been spotted. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1501073370273-R04P2H9Z2RMON1PZ2KR0/image-asset.jpeg Blog - MAYA KA'AN: A Photo Essay of the Yucatán's Wildlife - black-vented oriole (Icterus wagleri) A black-vented oriole (Icterus wagleri). These large orioles reside in Mexico and Central America, occasionally making their way into the southwestern US. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1501073812920-7YRSERKBKT5I90I4VAZF/image-asset.jpeg Blog - MAYA KA'AN: A Photo Essay of the Yucatán's Wildlife - Black spiny-tailed iguana (Ctenosaura similis) A black iguana . Black spiny-tailed iguana (Ctenosaura similis) searching for food in a bird nest. This lizard is common throughout Central America, and has been introduced in Florida. They can grow up to 4 feet in length and are known the be the fastest running species of lizard, known to run up to 34.6 km/h. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1501073456718-XTFXEVE2GISS8C6AUA1K/image-asset.jpeg Blog - MAYA KA'AN: A Photo Essay of the Yucatán's Wildlife - tropical mockingbird (Mimus gilvus) A tropical mockingbird (Mimus gilvus), grabbing a berry in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve. These fearless birds will aggressively protect their nests against large predators such as black iguanas or dogs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1501073500193-LMKNKEMSJUTAUGH5C720/image-asset.jpeg Blog - MAYA KA'AN: A Photo Essay of the Yucatán's Wildlife - bare-throated tiger heron (Tigrisoma mexicanum) A bare-throated tiger heron (Tigrisoma mexicanum), hunting in the brackish waters of Mexico's Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve. They are the largest species of tiger herons. During mating, two herons will face each other and fluff their feathers as if they might fight, and then one advances a few steps with its bill and neck vertical and releases a few harsh calls, and retreats to its original position; then the other bird mimics the first bird's steps and calls. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1501073548957-IX4HQHS8RIPDQ31B1V88/image-asset.jpeg Blog - MAYA KA'AN: A Photo Essay of the Yucatán's Wildlife Tiny gray frog in Mexico's Yucatan. Not sure of the species - any help would be appreciated. It was less than 2 cm in length. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1501073594199-HNSEMTCTIL4MI4R5ETXR/image-asset.jpeg Blog - MAYA KA'AN: A Photo Essay of the Yucatán's Wildlife - hooded oriole (Icterus cucullatus) A hooded oriole (Icterus cucullatus) feeding its chicks in its nest. Native to the southwestern US, Mexico and Belize, these birds mostly eat fruit, nectar and insects. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1501073638728-74175GS7W0OXBQSSI2X1/image-asset.jpeg Blog - MAYA KA'AN: A Photo Essay of the Yucatán's Wildlife - Yucatan squirrel (Sciurus yucatanensis) A Yucatan squirrel (Sciurus yucatanensis), hiding its food. They look similar to grey squirrels, and are native to Belize, Guatemala, and southeast Mexico. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1501073312363-BBTTW0KAR493KYLQGKN6/image-asset.jpeg Blog - MAYA KA'AN: A Photo Essay of the Yucatán's Wildlife There's something hidden in this one. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/new-zealands-trail-our-journey-on-the-south-island-in-photographs2018 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542823211762-1S1PZ5RZSFD24IWAUFC9/1*axXYqBCdkt3q4fvq0i_vyw-2.jpeg Blog - “NEW ZEALAND’S TRAIL”: Our Journey on the South Island in Photographs The Long Hilly Track was our first introduction to the stunning forests of New Zealand’s South Island. Originally a gold mining region, it is now known as the Longwood Forest Conservation Area, which protects natural and historic resources. After an 8 hour walk we made our way to the first hut on the trail, Martin’s Hut. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542823151358-AVOIOCA6NZDCVC5B9C1F/1*eBjSgguWGpvc5g-6IhynlA.jpeg Blog - “NEW ZEALAND’S TRAIL”: Our Journey on the South Island in Photographs A Tui bird, one of New Zealand’s iconic forest denizens, right past the Foveaux Walkway trailhead outside Bluff. Tui birds are part of the honeyeater family, and are endemic to New Zealand. Their surreal calls early in the morning seem to come from another planet, and the Māori used to train them to replicate complex speech patterns. Tui, unlinke many other endemic bird species in New Zealand, have adapted better to the changes brought by human habitation on the islands and continue to be wide-spread. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542823538952-G5232BKTKZ09V2TJNQ51/Bluff-TA-trailhead.jpg Blog - “NEW ZEALAND’S TRAIL”: Our Journey on the South Island in Photographs https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542823621800-3ZGBO33FFLRTBMMP3VQR/Bluff-view-teararoa.jpg Blog - “NEW ZEALAND’S TRAIL”: Our Journey on the South Island in Photographs We were lucky to start our hiking northbound (or “NOBO” in Te Araroa terminology) with excellent weather from Bluff. The small town of Bluff is a quaint place, with a nice campground and an international fame for the local oysters. In clockwise order from above: the Stirling Point lighthouse; the famous sign at Stirling Point which marks the southernmost start or end on the Te Araroa; the walk back into Bluff on the way to Invercargill; the beautiful view from the Bluff Hill Lookout. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542823809671-KWE9YE55G4UOCKYT72FL/AELotak-20180104-DSC00268.jpg Blog - “NEW ZEALAND’S TRAIL”: Our Journey on the South Island in Photographs Justin taking a picture of the landscape on the Foveaux Walkway, the first track section on the TA when heading north. This February, half of this track continued to be closed to the public and an alternative route was used. It took us uphill to the Bluff Lookout, then back to town along a steep, paved road. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542823872632-Q42OFNAB102O10A3YU2S/1*6lRXh7Hnfez839QjujNbUg.jpeg Blog - “NEW ZEALAND’S TRAIL”: Our Journey on the South Island in Photographs Left: The 22 km walk along Oreti Beach between Invercargill and Riverton/Aparima is beautiful and surprisingly tough. After some time every muscle in your feet will probably start hurting if you are northbound, at the beginning of your trek. Right: The charming Riverton/Aparima town on the way to Colac Bay. With a population of less than 2,000, a nice hostel downtown and some cafes, it is one of New Zealand’s oldest towns and a nice day stop along the TA. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542824033854-Q0EHFRR58GKBP13NXQYI/long-hilly-track-ta.jpg Blog - “NEW ZEALAND’S TRAIL”: Our Journey on the South Island in Photographs https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542824108615-ZNETGGOBDY3ZI7YEY1UK/southland-ta.jpg Blog - “NEW ZEALAND’S TRAIL”: Our Journey on the South Island in Photographs Top left: A juvenile tomtit greeting us in the forests above Bluff. Top right: The dense, dark woods of the Longwood Forest Conservation Area. Bottom left: Trees make way to patches of ferns along the Longwood Forest Track. There are approximatley 200 species of ferns in New Zealand, with the most iconic being the silver tree-fern. Bottom right: A male tomtit, known by its Māori name as “miromiro”. They are mostly forest and brush dwellers, seldom seen in open-country farmland. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542824155128-FSK6J6I71XFPWYSJLFUH/1*TBD2mJJdOrcjIRIWfPmhzA.jpeg Blog - “NEW ZEALAND’S TRAIL”: Our Journey on the South Island in Photographs On the way to Bald Hill, the Longwood Forest Track crosses through tussock and peat bogs, then winds back into a truly magical forest where mosses and lichens cover every tree. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542824199971-HMN2QL0TZBCR1OASWGD9/1*AghCEosg8hJwP8G0TFGWRQ.jpeg Blog - “NEW ZEALAND’S TRAIL”: Our Journey on the South Island in Photographs Between the Bald Hill and the Mt Linton sections of the TA we took a break at the Birchwood Station farmstay. The family has recently opened up the house dedicated formerly to the sheep shearers to now be used by TA hikers. It’s a great place to relax, do some laundry, resupply in the nearby towns and maybe opt for a delicious dinner cooked by the host. This area displays a tamed landscape of large sheep farms, with wild mountains rising in the background. The Mount Linton Station pictured here is one of New Zealand’s largest, and a 25 km section of the TA runs through it on the way to the Telford Campsite. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542824307058-GELU6R0ETJBY5N0ZR8WO/1*pYGWH7j9hagWFAfhL9hAQA.jpeg Blog - “NEW ZEALAND’S TRAIL”: Our Journey on the South Island in Photographs Left: The Aparima Hut surrounded by dense native forest. There are over 70 huts along the Te Araroa and hikers can purchase a 6-month pass to spend the night in them or to camp outside. Some are brand new, some carry the marks of a longer history, but they are all charming and a welcomed sight after a long day of hiking, especially if rain is in the forecast. Often there is no warden, so a system of honor is in place and visitors are trusted to have a pass or a ticket for the night. The money helps maintaining this impressive hut system and goes toward the Department of Conservation (DOC) and their work to protect New Zealand’s natural treasures. Right: Leaving the Aparima Hut on the way to the Lower Princhester Hut, the Takitimu Track makes its way trough tall tussock within the Waterloo Station, and through rough terrain inside beech forests. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542824367369-PZEYJSJZFAP4ETKLOVQD/1*hOamOIeYJR__OSqd-1__Cg.jpeg Blog - “NEW ZEALAND’S TRAIL”: Our Journey on the South Island in Photographs The Mavora Walkway section of the TA offers the first true taste of the South Island’s tall mountains when you’re northbound, entering the ecosystem of the Otago region’s drier climate. While there was no running water at the Mavora Camping Area the first night due to draught, the following day we hiked with rain for the first time since the start of our trek. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542824419373-94VLKE5PZ2HC2J92ZCLV/1*yrdFLZ-R5Qoq_TGs3GrdVQ.jpeg Blog - “NEW ZEALAND’S TRAIL”: Our Journey on the South Island in Photographs The beautiful aerial landscape of the Mararoa River along the Mavora Walkway section, surrounded by tussock. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542824479535-PTZK6GEKRI7LNG3R14YS/1*Tx4sBgJzdr74D6pgXMVOPA.jpeg Blog - “NEW ZEALAND’S TRAIL”: Our Journey on the South Island in Photographs The alpine landscape nearby the Greenstone Hut on the Mavora Walkway section. The hut is popular among TA hikers because the hut warden is a thru-hiker himself and because it’s maintained in an impeccable condition. The warden, Eiji Kitai, was inspired by the stories of all the hikers stopping at Greenstone and recently decided to take on the trail as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542824548971-WKXZ5TR7SMRP478HDEQ7/1*BycnHibCkZ2G50x9D-CXGw-2.jpeg Blog - “NEW ZEALAND’S TRAIL”: Our Journey on the South Island in Photographs Walking in the Otago region toward Lake Wanaka along the Motatapu Alpine Track with hot, dry weather and 360 degree views of the beautiful landscape. We made our way to the Fern Burn Hut (top left) on a very sunny, hot day. Higher in the mountains some of the water tanks at the huts and the nearby streams had dried out. From above the Fern Burn Hut one can see the nearby Lake Wanaka on a clear day (bottom left). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542824608035-6LWJ6G1N5ZDNL4P8Z217/1*e_KBBlTLGnWG1cj_IJMuoA.jpeg Blog - “NEW ZEALAND’S TRAIL”: Our Journey on the South Island in Photographs When the trail gets hard, the sudden sight of an inquisitive South Island robin is guaranteed to make your day better and leave you with a big smile. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542824686905-XVV2K06HXFB4SK1XEPML/1*kQEDtcEWgZFw-6m_LUeC7g-2.jpeg Blog - “NEW ZEALAND’S TRAIL”: Our Journey on the South Island in Photographs Arthur’s Pass National Park, on the Goat Pass-Mingha Valley section. The Goat Pass Hut (top left) has some of the most stunning views we’ve seen from a hut, and the nearby trail to the Greyneys Shelter parking lot crosses through peat bogs and tussock along a scenic boardwalk. This section of the Te Araroa is also used annually by the Coast to Coast Race which takes place in February. Bottom left: A fantail bird following the trail with us. They are a common company on the TA, and like the South Island robins, they are curious and get really close to examine the hikers. Bottom right: A storm was approaching over the mountains in the national park. While we were on the TA, the South Island saw the effects of heavy rains and strong winds from two ex-tropical cyclones. However, this year was one of the hottest and driest on record in the south, and many huts were running out of water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542824750353-QM522UIT99LP4HZ6CG2J/1*UfxhAneMakhXNVvSMtdTTg.jpeg Blog - “NEW ZEALAND’S TRAIL”: Our Journey on the South Island in Photographs Kea (Nestor notabilis) is an endemic species of alpine parrot, in fact the only species of alpine parrot in the world. Charming residents of Arthur’s Pass National Park and the surrounding areas, it’s estimated that only 3,000-7,000 kea are left in the wild. They are famous for approaching cars and people, attracted by sounds and anything sparkling, picking through everything with their strong beaks. There are many efforts underway to insure the survival of the species, and as visitors we can help by being responsible and not trying to feed or attract the kea to us. By visiting the website of the Kea Conservation Trust we can support their programs and register any kea sightings. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542824824455-QPKIMI88RX86FRKSG06G/1*AIbji-RJuMy_m9inuy7dJw.jpeg Blog - “NEW ZEALAND’S TRAIL”: Our Journey on the South Island in Photographs Top left: The Hope Kiwi Lodge located within the Lake Sumner Forest Park. Top right: The meadows around Hope Kiwi Lodge are filled with wild flowers and native butterflies. All we have to do to start noticing them is to pay attention to the world at our feet. Bottom: A massive storm was brewing over the mountains, as we were heading out to Boyle Village. The next morning strong winds and rain hit the west coast of New Zealand, causing damage and blocking traffic along Highway 6. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542824870380-ZICB6HP72GEVG5FU9SG0/1*wfFk5bMW1WHqRQszVer12g.jpeg Blog - “NEW ZEALAND’S TRAIL”: Our Journey on the South Island in Photographs The TA crosses the Hurunui Mainland Island sanctuary, protecting one of the best preserved beech forest ecosystems of the Canterbury region. These were the liveliest forests we’ve witnessed along the TA, filled with bird songs that we didn’t hear anywhere else. “Mainland islands” in New Zealand are enclosed areas, either naturally or artificially, where the Department of Conservation and teams of scientists work to remove invasive species and restore the ecosystem to its original state, hoping to see a return of native bird populations. The Hurunui Mainland Island is home to the only known population of orange-fronted parakeets and a small population of yellowheads, allowing TA hikers to experience a piece of New Zealand’s nature as it used to be. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542824993169-RTU7ZC2QNH3LOPBEY1O0/1*VCXNKT8fGne6NVGqXZcIMQ.jpeg Blog - “NEW ZEALAND’S TRAIL”: Our Journey on the South Island in Photographs https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542824920845-1WX6K47CUSFRZKQBCWZQ/1*DaV0b1wjPHfkUmg_pARTuw.jpeg Blog - “NEW ZEALAND’S TRAIL”: Our Journey on the South Island in Photographs The TA crosses the Hurunui Mainland Island sanctuary, protecting one of the best preserved beech forest ecosystems of the Canterbury region. These were the liveliest forests we’ve witnessed along the TA, filled with bird songs that we didn’t hear anywhere else. “Mainland islands” in New Zealand are enclosed areas, either naturally or artificially, where the Department of Conservation and teams of scientists work to remove invasive species and restore the ecosystem to its original state, hoping to see a return of native bird populations. The Hurunui Mainland Island is home to the only known population of orange-fronted parakeets and a small population of yellowheads, allowing TA hikers to experience a piece of New Zealand’s nature as it used to be. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542825138284-4P8INT78MZECITM5JTCJ/AELotak-20180203-DSC00604.jpg Blog - “NEW ZEALAND’S TRAIL”: Our Journey on the South Island in Photographs The short, steep side trail to the Travers Falls between the Upper Travers and the John Tait huts is, as the online trail notes remark, definitely worthwhile. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542825231009-WHF1YL5OM3OC8SIUTAP1/1*GCTF6F80F467Wywpbar_oA.jpeg Blog - “NEW ZEALAND’S TRAIL”: Our Journey on the South Island in Photographs Top left: an alpine grasshopper taking in the sun nearby Lake Constance. Top right: Andreea descending from the Travers Pass. Bottom left: Impressive views of high mountains and dense beech forests are part of the beauty of Nelson Lakes National Park, which make it the favorite spot for so many hikers on the TA. Bottom right: “Vegetable sheep” covering some of the boulders in the Traves Pass. This is a type of cushion plant, living at high altitude on New Zealand’s North and South islands. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542825508536-6KYSUGM81IR7WNZCS4R9/1*LyitKd5zDs9YFfgXlm4wTQ.jpeg Blog - “NEW ZEALAND’S TRAIL”: Our Journey on the South Island in Photographs For those headed north on the TA, the Queen Charlotte Track is the last section on the South Island, before crossing the Cook Strait and continuing the journey on the North Island. It’s a three-day, 66 km trek in an area where the Department of Conservation (DOC) has formed a partnership with the Queen Charlotte Track Land Cooperative to allow access to trampers on private land. A special pass is needed and can be purchased at DOC centers in Picton or Nelson. The view in the above picture of the Queen Charlotte/Tōtaranui Sound is one of hope, because the island in the distance is the Motuara Bird Sanctuary. Between the 1770s and 1920 when it was declared a reserve, much of the tree cover was gone due to farming, while introduced rodents had decimated the birds. Now, almost 100 years later, it’s one of New Zealand’s bird paradises, with kiwis, native song birds, little blue penguins and king shags thriving due to intensive conservation efforts. The island itself can also be visited on day trips from Picton. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542825564020-G2IPWX4MLOYSQ774IODT/1*B2Ue3rjGvHypxP0wQJngqw.jpeg Blog - “NEW ZEALAND’S TRAIL”: Our Journey on the South Island in Photographs Top left: The ponga/punga, or silver tree-fern is a New Zealand national symbol and a common presence along the Queen Charlotte Track, especially in Punga Cove on the Queen Charlotte Track. These ferns can grow to 10 m with a crown reaching 4 m in width. Top right: The cicadas were active all day in February, their buzz filling the air and our ears constantly while on Queen Charlotte Track. Due to the loud noise produced by cicadas, we noticed a funny phenomena: the way we perceived the sound of the letter “s” was not normal anymore, which led to hearing everyone, including ourselves, speaking with a lisp. This was the source of much amusement, and sometimes frustration. Some residents along the Queen Charlotte Track even have a name for this: the “soundsy”. Bottom left: Getting closer to Picton, with breathtaking views of the bays below. Bottom right: Our dear tent matching the bright blue of the sea at the Schoolhouse Bay Campsite. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542825605575-ATF9CJWYSYKVTGCSVCVK/1*MzCdqhnHYX2SzXqab1wSJw.jpeg Blog - “NEW ZEALAND’S TRAIL”: Our Journey on the South Island in Photographs Left: A kererū or New Zealand pigeon on the Queen Charlotte Track. They are a common presence on the South Island, making a distinctive, loud sound with their wings as they fly away. At 55 cm (20 in) in length and over half a kilogram (23 oz), they are one of the biggest surviving species of pigeon in the world. Right: Weka are a sneaky and large flightless bird endemic to New Zealand. Curious and daring, they will approach tents and backpacks and carry away anything they can grab in their beaks. At the Schoolhouse Bay Campsite one weka left with the solar battery charger of one of the TA hikers, but he succeeded in retrieving it later from the forest next to the campsite. Though the numbers of weka have declined in many parts of New Zealand, the Marlborough Sounds where the Queen Charlotte Track is located remains one of their strongholds. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/fiji-river-rafting monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542112577170-SSBR2XUOOIOSB9X9R54T/fiji-river-rafting.jpg Blog - FIJI’S INLAND PARADISE: River Rafting & Conservation One of the stops along the Navua River during our rafting trip https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1520468176684-ZH9WE0AFHOFHIM8WSOQI/Fiji-rainforest Blog - FIJI’S INLAND PARADISE: River Rafting & Conservation - Upper navua conservation area The rainforest inland is lush and beautiful, with rivers and waterfalls that carve gorges in the mountains. Taking at least a day off from the beach and heading inland promises plenty of beautiful sights and adventures. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1520468840615-4FM2PRS13VH43CT9FX4N/Rivers-fiji-rafting Blog - FIJI’S INLAND PARADISE: River Rafting & Conservation - Navua River Gorge At the beginning of the rafting trip, we travel through the narrow gorge of the Upper Navua River. This is a stunning, peaceful landscape right before we get into a long succession of class II and III rapids. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1520469150760-HVXL19UFZRY2ITFJM2HU/Upper-navua-river-fiji Blog - FIJI’S INLAND PARADISE: River Rafting & Conservation Waterfalls and dense native vegetation are common sights along the rafting section of the Upper Navua River. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1520469332021-N3FI5792J4D4NNMY3SAG/rainforest-river-fiji Blog - FIJI’S INLAND PARADISE: River Rafting & Conservation Exploring one of the side rivers with natural swimming pools while lunch by the Navua River was being set up by our guides. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1520469259137-4YY7802E7YR8YOW230AY/rivers-fiji-rafting Blog - FIJI’S INLAND PARADISE: River Rafting & Conservation Moses takes the group for a free "massage" under one of the waterfalls toward the end of the trip. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/visitors-in-bears-ears-how-we-can-make-a-stronger-case-for-the-national-monument2018 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542820523090-2IMCY7N9FGKY2P89L2PQ/1*sFo2tn_7AKT_EyHoZWVnLw.jpeg Blog - VISITORS IN BEARS EARS: How We Can Make a Stronger Case for the National Monument Walking among impressive rock formations in the Valley of Gods, along the 17-mile drive loop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542820939601-4X6CJQZRV918V1YWFKZB/1*XQXWxH9HQpK_UxR5AX6Fag.jpeg Blog - VISITORS IN BEARS EARS: How We Can Make a Stronger Case for the National Monument Approaching Bears Ears from the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, along Rte 95. Lake Powell stretches below (right photo), while the road crosses the Colorado River on the Hite Bridge and the Dirty Devil River (left photo). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542821879564-QOIN4NXUZDP9AK6Q52J3/1*AXrDg_SRWjiUarxDrA0rYw.jpeg Blog - VISITORS IN BEARS EARS: How We Can Make a Stronger Case for the National Monument Left: The Bears Ears buttes in the distance. They are believed to be a shrine that protects the Navajo/Diné. Right: The heights of the mountains in the Manti-La Sal National Forest give way to pine forests and aspen groves. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542821927553-YE259HVUGYL3Y9Y40378/1*__utoyYCWpEkLnJ2FUFBxw.jpeg Blog - VISITORS IN BEARS EARS: How We Can Make a Stronger Case for the National Monument https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542821962614-2P1P1579UYJ5VE5V50CW/1*7P01-TzHixupvqByvqaQ_A.jpeg Blog - VISITORS IN BEARS EARS: How We Can Make a Stronger Case for the National Monument Above, left: Newspaper Rock is one of the most popular and easily accesible sites in Bear Ears. It’s an impressive rock wall recording 12,000 years of human history in the region. Above, right: Looking into one of the many ‘kivas’ that can be seen in the monument. No access is allowed inside these structures which played a ritual role in the Pueblo cultures. Bottom: The Butler Wash ruins where Friends of Cedar Mesa have installed information panels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542822051852-C7AFYB56MUAR14DHXNOS/1*8WOt35ofSgOl7oBZJICr2Q.jpeg Blog - VISITORS IN BEARS EARS: How We Can Make a Stronger Case for the National Monument The Elk Ridge Road Scenic Backway takes visitors to some breathtaking parts of the monument and national forest. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542822088093-2Y82PUI3ZV7WOGION0TN/1*X7n1ElanHsgNjyuUXIjVAQ.jpeg Blog - VISITORS IN BEARS EARS: How We Can Make a Stronger Case for the National Monument Left: Looking at the stunning canyons that stretch into the Canyonlands National Park. Right: Nighttime along the Elk Ridge Road. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542822124733-YY5SAE0MCIZH9H3K337V/1*N4oX1eXqHdS1esImnrhDtw.jpeg Blog - VISITORS IN BEARS EARS: How We Can Make a Stronger Case for the National Monument Cedar Mesa stone formation in the Valley of Gods https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542822192062-O68JKMJTLDJZSJJLW7P7/1*sVy1jDah31beGP7McedkIA.jpeg Blog - VISITORS IN BEARS EARS: How We Can Make a Stronger Case for the National Monument World class rock climbing and canyoneering are two of the activities that have put the monument on the map for many outdoor sports enthusiasts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542822743503-MVFV1F4UB2I46CC3J33P/1*aNVNDasffOBoV8ETJd7jQw.jpeg Blog - VISITORS IN BEARS EARS: How We Can Make a Stronger Case for the National Monument Sunset from behind the Bears Ears west butte in the Manti-La Sal National Forest. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/hope-in-iber-a-rewilding-story-part-i2017 monthly 0.5 2024-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542113345885-SICA7MILKBRTKA39OO9P/ibera-cayman.jpg Blog - HOPE IN IBERÁ: A Rewilding Story (Part I) BLACK CAIMAN (MELANOSUCHUS NIGER) A mother black caiman with one of her babies in the Iberá wetlands. (photograph by Justin Lotak) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1514800271468-OCTWHZMA8Z3462RFP2ZL/JPLotak-I01A4616_20170716.jpg Blog - HOPE IN IBERÁ: A Rewilding Story (Part I) - southamerican tapir (Tapirus terrestris) Tapirs were reintroduced to Iberá in 2016, after missing for more than seven decades. Soon after, the first baby tapir born wild here marked a historic moment in the rewilding program (photographs by Justin Lotak, unless mentioned otherwise). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1514702066378-VDP8XC62CSJTLOR1EF4Q/IMG_1785.JPG Blog - HOPE IN IBERÁ: A Rewilding Story (Part I) - jaguar (Panthera onca) One of the female jaguars arriving from Brazil at the Jaguar Recreation Center in San Alonso, in 2017. Photo by Rafael Abuín, CLT Argentina. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1514800051427-UNG5LEKX5MHF6LI8U515/JPLotak-I01A2570_20170708.jpg Blog - HOPE IN IBERÁ: A Rewilding Story (Part I) - Pampas deer were relocated to the region in 2009. Pampas deer were relocated to the region in 2009. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1514800087249-1XQQN3OOWAWN4QSGPBJ3/JPLotak-I01A2711_20170708.jpg Blog - HOPE IN IBERÁ: A Rewilding Story (Part I) - Collared peccaries were successfully reintroduced in 2016. Collared peccaries were successfully reintroduced in 2016. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1514702261989-YPQLZYG8FAOGILYD28ZS/Screen+Shot+2017-12-31+at+7.23.49+PM.png Blog - HOPE IN IBERÁ: A Rewilding Story (Part I) - Giant anteater with baby. Photo by Rafael Abuín. Giant anteaters were successfully reintroduced to Iberá in 2007. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1514702283568-R05X726KERLECU8XQB5B/Screen+Shot+2017-12-31+at+7.24.52+PM.png Blog - HOPE IN IBERÁ: A Rewilding Story (Part I) - Green-winged macaw training for release. Photo by Rafael Abuín. The green-winged macaws started to be reintroduced in 2015, after missing for over a century from the region. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1514800451261-H6HWGUU7RN02ARRCJ49R/JPLotak-DJI_0006_20170709.jpg Blog - HOPE IN IBERÁ: A Rewilding Story (Part I) Seen from above, the surreal beauty of Iberá reveals a wild landscape of one of the largest wetland ecosystems in the world. Thanks to protections from the government, to the growing consciousness of local communities and to the work done by CLT Argentina, it is also one of the healthiest. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1514702695928-BHDWH73ZP4WO0TGSFGKC/IMG_1784.JPG Blog - HOPE IN IBERÁ: A Rewilding Story (Part I) Arandú, the first baby tapir to be born in the wild in Iberá, after more than seven decades. Photo by Rafael Abuín, CLT Argentina. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/grand-staircase-escalante-a-case-study-for-bear-ears2018 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542819631997-XRQKG70SSTX2RHG1NSBO/1*UJ_RIHpsHafRWeLh8dRSBA.jpeg Blog - GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE: A Case Study for Bear Ears Grosvenor Arch at sunset in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542819956835-5G04Y9J0DFF3E3LQEJIZ/1*G3PXQv3ytelsKbmyMn6gQA.jpeg Blog - GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE: A Case Study for Bear Ears Sunset over Bears Ears in the Manti-La Sal National Forest, seen from between the two iconic buttes that gave the name of the national monument. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/fifteen-adventures-in-15-national-monuments2018 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542817017834-L7AR1X43DPMNSX4B6BKI/1*kyCe2HR6ZYMZH70U0SOKnw.jpeg Blog - FIFTEEN ADVENTURES IN 15 NATIONAL MONUMENTS Nighttime outside the tent in the Giant Sequoia National Monument, surrounded by the Sierras https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542817181362-F2APCR6AQLJ22NFPDHAG/1*X6_3fiYh_uObZP3T52bqRw.jpeg Blog - FIFTEEN ADVENTURES IN 15 NATIONAL MONUMENTS Left: Kilbourne Hole in Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument is a site of geologic and historic importance, used as training grounds for the Apollo missions. Right: The Organ Mountains, site of the first battles between Union and Confederate soldiers in New Mexico, are now a favorite recreation area in the monument. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542817269832-BOPG14B12G8N5NSGF01Z/1*LpkeU0o7x0mgc9p2JiRNfg-2.jpeg Blog - FIFTEEN ADVENTURES IN 15 NATIONAL MONUMENTS Left: Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument hosts one of the largest diversities of butterflies in the US. Pictured here is an Atlantis fritillary. Right: A female woodpecker picking through the moss and lichens. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542817344698-QFID1J8JF8WUQPHD145Z/1*d9l5N9a_tN38zLCSgiRz2g.jpeg Blog - FIFTEEN ADVENTURES IN 15 NATIONAL MONUMENTS Reaching the top of the Blue Ridge-Homestead hike at Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, with views of the Berryessa Lake. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542817501356-9U3XI1NJ91W8PVJR01MP/1*NcgKhWL89JBaV68S65AqmA.jpeg Blog - FIFTEEN ADVENTURES IN 15 NATIONAL MONUMENTS Left: Our canoe parked for the night at the first campsite after Coal Banks Landing, in Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. Right: Prairie dogs at sunset behind one of the campsites. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542817621197-D8ZB5B70IX3GRR7X53LL/1*ChtR_Amc9B6uxryfk5SiFg.jpeg Blog - FIFTEEN ADVENTURES IN 15 NATIONAL MONUMENTS Cadiz Dunes Wilderness in Mojave Trails National Monument. Whether you visit at sunset or at sunrise, the light on the dunes will make for an incredible landscape. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542817704882-E40HTEVNE4YI0RZ5IR0T/1*ekeJroJk_W78hJZbiFULyg.jpeg Blog - FIFTEEN ADVENTURES IN 15 NATIONAL MONUMENTS Left: A chipmunk is inspecting us on the trail to the Baden-Powell peak. Right: Top views in the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542817812898-WYUHMDRSUMC5VCNJV8JH/1*koUzcS9MO1ylJyx-oQxbVg.jpeg Blog - FIFTEEN ADVENTURES IN 15 NATIONAL MONUMENTS Left: The road through Coal Valley in Basin and Range National Monument was in good shape when we visited in November 2017. Right: A coyote in Garden Valley. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542817929045-L1DD06OJROBJDSNQDW9S/1*9PRqxO_wktU9EnelazgJNw-2.jpeg Blog - FIFTEEN ADVENTURES IN 15 NATIONAL MONUMENTS Left: In the pink light of sunset in Ironwood Forest National Monument, saguaro cacti and ironwoods stretch across a vast landscape. Right: A roadrunner on the side of the dirt road. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542818015351-5Q60LM1LY4F11013XLBD/1*nmQCzA9uHm-KVD4-0Gu4gA.jpeg Blog - FIFTEEN ADVENTURES IN 15 NATIONAL MONUMENTS Left: The silhouette of the Caliente Ridge at sunset in Carrizo Plain National Monument. Right: Walking along the large alkali Soda Lake, with the Temblor Mountains in the background. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542818129947-8J3LSN5KUDLM3S84S6WO/1*Jz1PcP2Kgoj690VTiOOc_A.jpeg Blog - FIFTEEN ADVENTURES IN 15 NATIONAL MONUMENTS Left: A mix of water seeping through the sandstone and the iron deposits are what give color to these amazing formations, in Gold Butte National Monument. Left: The “Little Finland” area. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542818237200-JZK0XOYPW33RO8XCYJUX/1*OmUKdIgAWgcp10Z3PFbOzg.jpeg Blog - FIFTEEN ADVENTURES IN 15 NATIONAL MONUMENTS Left: The Rio Grande and the Red River converge in Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. Both are great rivers for fly fishing. Right: There are several steep hikes that can take you down by the river, inside the deep gorge of the Rio Grande. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542818326488-M73U9T1YO5JYVK5QBHLJ/1*nmoLdbwcseySTHO-K1JWwA.jpeg Blog - FIFTEEN ADVENTURES IN 15 NATIONAL MONUMENTS Left: The scenic route that winds through the Escalante region of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, where dozens of slot canyons are found. Right: Inside the Spooky Canyon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542818416690-4GJZ4NIPPZCGGIDA68VY/1*ctKSyVPRGuPw5Ajm1G4KdQ.jpeg Blog - FIFTEEN ADVENTURES IN 15 NATIONAL MONUMENTS Left: The morning light filters the smoke from nearby wildfires along the Trail of 100 Giants, in Giant Sequoia National Monument. Right: The Boole Tree in the Converse Basin Grove. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542818552127-121C44A1RM0TF9A037DL/1*t21fbS1XdHuEIPajKZJ7fw.jpeg Blog - FIFTEEN ADVENTURES IN 15 NATIONAL MONUMENTS Left: The sacred landscape of the Valley of Gods, in Bears Ears National Monument. Right: An Ancestral Puebloan settlement at Butler Wash Ruins. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542818649025-7TIJORDHAYLG7QUE5Z37/1*qOxx-1_RdT4-AglzfrTGcw.jpeg Blog - FIFTEEN ADVENTURES IN 15 NATIONAL MONUMENTS Left: The Whitewater River is a beautiful sight in the dry desert environment of Sand to Snow National Monument. You can pitch your tent nearby on one of the sandy beaches. Right: On the PCT. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/grand-staircase-escalante-after-two-decades-of-conservation2017 monthly 0.5 2020-03-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542034148872-ZJS78GLHLZE3LZ2L4ZR9/AELotak-20171027-DSC09309.jpg Blog - GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE: After Two Decades of Conservation Grosvenor Arch https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1513797820583-WIEKPFUBCY1PBEJR9HX5/JPLotak-20171029-I01A0221-Pano.jpg Blog - GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE: After Two Decades of Conservation - The Escalante River The Escalante River, site of a coordinated effort to remove invasive plant species and restore its original watershed habitat. This was a beautiful 17 mile hike through the river's gorge as fall was settling in Utah. For more photographs of the Grand Staircase-Escalante head here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1513798167906-G1JME5PPCW2FIT1JVKF2/JPLotak-20171030-I01A0527.jpg Blog - GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE: After Two Decades of Conservation - VIEW FROM THE HOLE-IN-THE-ROCK ROAD The impressive Straight Cliffs at the edge of the Kaiparowits Plateau. Beyond the cliffs lies a world of dinosaur fossils and archaeological sites, but also resources that local and national politicians seem determined to see extracted. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1513801142636-BRYU43JVTR317ZZBKX5C/AELotak-20171030-DSC09489.jpg Blog - GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE: After Two Decades of Conservation - CANYONS OF the ESCALANTE Entering one of the many canyons in the Escalante section of the national monument. Under the current plans many of the canyons in this region would be excluded from protection. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/grand-staircase-escalante-photographs-of-a-monumental-landscape2018 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542813246592-XKT97XGFH4TXNJDXELRM/AELotak-20171030-DSC09508.jpg Blog - GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE: Photographs of a Monumental Landscape - The narrow “Spooky Canyon” Noel Poe, President of the Board of Directors of Grand Staircase Escalante Partners: “There are a lot of unique places [in the monument], but any slot canyon is my favorite. Slot canyons are something that’s unique to the Colorado Plateau. My wife and I ride horseback and we love to take the horses into the slot canyons, where we sit in the saddle and reach out and touch both walls. It’s an experience that most people never had, particularly horseback. The canyons may be 50ft to 100ft tall, so when you’re at the bottom and see this little bit of blue sky above you, you think ‘Is there going to be a rainstorm today? Should I really be in here?’ (laughs). But the slot canyons are spectacular. Anybody that goes into them is immediately impressed.” — excerpt from interview published here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542813465019-3X9KQQ1FGMYR1TOX4IIL/1*tCWc91JgvRncZLqeRRBnIA.jpeg Blog - GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE: Photographs of a Monumental Landscape The land that hides twisted slot canyons as seen from above, at the Spooky and Peekaboo canyons trailhead. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542813564568-ARAJAT53ULQWC0XANKT2/1*h_ceDx8NLMqNPO-C774lrA.jpeg Blog - GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE: Photographs of a Monumental Landscape Amazing formations in the Devils Garden Outstanding Natural Area along the Hole-in-the-Rock scenic road. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542813669565-83IWQU7UTAVA1XH754DJ/1*3pQkbNKeu7sPQKJDyJG94w.jpeg Blog - GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE: Photographs of a Monumental Landscape Cutting through the Kaiparowits Plateau region along Rte 230 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542813721517-DDX4MQMUK1018GWHR77G/1*UWhxRaBH09K8Zl_lgwnNHQ.jpeg Blog - GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE: Photographs of a Monumental Landscape A bobcat after sunset right below the Straight Cliffs formation, at the eastern edge of the Kaiparowits Plateau. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542813767875-OSXV2LPY9UOIRCD83IDP/1*Z43hpGxYHi9EYFVC_Fp-TA.jpeg Blog - GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE: Photographs of a Monumental Landscape Left: The 57 miles Hole-in-the-Rock Scenic Backway, which was excluded from the national monument in the current presidential plans. Garfield county is working now with the BLM to improve the state of the road and make it more drivable, as it is constantly damaged by rains and heavy use. Right: The Straight Cliffs, at the edge of the Kaiparowits Plateau. Cows can be seen dotting the landscape, as grazing is allowed in the national monument. The region of the Kaiparowits formation has become in the past two decades one of the best places on the planet for finding dinosaur fossils from the late Cretaceous Era when an asteroid hit the Earth. At least 12 new dinosaur species were discovered in the monument in the last decade and a half. Parts of the Kaiparowits Plateau also contain important coal resources and were carved out of the monument in the president’s proposal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542813861152-BIPPOLMLAVHTFSRVE7HD/1*Bl8-2XQ41Dw4GDI0ZaYPrQ.jpeg Blog - GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE: Photographs of a Monumental Landscape Approaching the Cottownwood Narrows along the Cottonwood Road Scenic Backway, you are surrounded by an otherworldly landscape of colorful sandstone and rock formations. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542813894663-JSRHJPU0GHQRJX15RIZ0/1*0TtOjqxxzmdWUPvtd6-b1Q.jpeg Blog - GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE: Photographs of a Monumental Landscape Left: The beautiful landscape at the Cottonwood Narrows North trailhead. Right: Grosvenor Arch https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542813947536-7XPMLKQTKI2XHD5OJI34/1*tCn33MQarPUFQpA05wChlg.jpeg Blog - GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE: Photographs of a Monumental Landscape Ponderosa pines magically shooting from one of the walls of the Escalante River gorge. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542813994526-QLM91Y935RIJNSSO5ZRH/1*nlZmi9g_R0lILsn-ODkoEg.jpeg Blog - GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE: Photographs of a Monumental Landscape Right: A Fremont cottonwood in bright fall colors. For many Native people these trees found in riparian zones of the Southwest held a sacred importance and their bark was used for treating Vitamin C deficiency and other ailments. Right: The Escalante River carves many of the slot canyons in the national monument and is the site of one of the largest watershed restoration projects in the country. Grand Staircase Escalante Partners, together with some thirty other agencies and organizations, are working annually to remove invasive vegetation and restore native habitat. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542814035128-FGPKR9NS73WZI54SFALE/1*nHQDeuORkmkqa9ZJQ-5t7w.jpeg Blog - GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE: Photographs of a Monumental Landscape The overnight hike from the Escalante Town trailhead to the Escalante River trailhead takes you through the river gorge with towering walls, arches, cottonwoods, and dozens of river crossings. It’s a beautiful way to explore the waterway that carves so many of the impressive canyons in the national monument. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542814079417-9QLDEPO4JTUIRH6RUVND/1*5WWwsypUPtH64_g7_lb58A.jpeg Blog - GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE: Photographs of a Monumental Landscape Left: A view of one of the walls of the river gorge. Right: One of the arches to be spotted along the river gorge trail. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542814122887-ATQQ3QKX7M4C4137RKU1/1*4dMmIto3Yb9u_tik7MItFg.jpeg Blog - GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE: Photographs of a Monumental Landscape The full moon lit up the rock walls in the Escalante River gorge. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542814304628-9Y3N2LS1UNZB2FNVQ7DM/1*M_Cn55UXdCYuEp-XQ5kRBQ.jpeg Blog - GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE: Photographs of a Monumental Landscape https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542814389841-UAK2CRD50BFSGA8KYGH7/1*mmxErZ6FnpOZRg9iLAoz1w-2.jpeg Blog - GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE: Photographs of a Monumental Landscape The Toadstools have become one of the most popular sites in the Grand Staircase-Escalante, with easy access from the highway. Under the current plans this area is no longer contained within a national monument boundary. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542814783066-IEISBQNAX2UMQ17PPUHJ/1*xoGQokFsHkZQVT6kYtTo1g.jpeg Blog - GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE: Photographs of a Monumental Landscape Some of the impressive canyons at the southern end of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/about-gold-butte-national-monument2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511888332012-6VW0FB83PML2AIZ16HSR/JPLotak-20171019-I01A8937.jpg Blog - ABOUT GOLD BUTTE NATIONAL MONUMENT: Photographs & Story Gold Butte National Monument stands out through its impressive geology and colorful sandstone formations. The whole area looks like a true work of art. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542058361185-0MMLKQJO4QCLYCZRMZC1/1*1_jpSTZDcgVWK734sCBlOA.jpeg Blog - ABOUT GOLD BUTTE NATIONAL MONUMENT: Photographs & Story - Sunset at the entrance in gold butte coming from mesquite Many visitors try to make their way up these rugged rocks shooting from the ground. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511888514652-ZG7KXMS55V7USK4IMN5O/AELotak-20171020-DSC08942.jpg Blog - ABOUT GOLD BUTTE NATIONAL MONUMENT: Photographs & Story - Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) are a species typical to the Mojave Desert ecosystem. There are hundreds of them within the Gold Butte. More are being planted by the Friends group in an area that has been destroyed by a wildfire. Desert plants aren't adapted to live with massive wildfires and regenerate very slowly. Nowadays, wildfires happen in deserts because of introduced species of grasses that connect the bushes and the trees and spread the fire throughout extensive areas. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542059152898-MLBGFURNQA1H9NUZLZH5/1*A4NdbbsvKgKGOFXRcSUxag.jpeg Blog - ABOUT GOLD BUTTE NATIONAL MONUMENT: Photographs & Story Left: to reach the Falling Man Rock Art site hikers scramble through this narrow tunnel in the ridge. From the parking lot it’s a short, easy walk and the rocks all around harbor the historical traces of the ancestors of the southern Paiute. For a detailed description of this hike head here. Right: while the rock walls and formations all around this area are filled with petroglyphs, this mountain side only has one, known as the ‘Falling Man’. All other petroglyphs have a geometrical, more rigid structure. The Falling Man breaks away entirely from the general style. It invites the imagination to wonder about its story. Regardless, it is a moving sight. It appears as a tribute or a revelation whose significance determined others to let this petroglyph remain alone on the rock wall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542058967547-UC6CXKSQS45N7C48OFXN/1*I2tgVOKDHeZNWoa3BRLGwA.jpeg Blog - ABOUT GOLD BUTTE NATIONAL MONUMENT: Photographs & Story Left: the colors of these rocks are painted by the interaction between water and minerals. The small pools, called “tinajas”, temporarily hold water which brings life to this dry environment. Right: Tadpoles in one of the tinajas that still had water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511888808229-DBP91YS7WP05WXZ8LKXM/AELotak-20171020-DSC09039.jpg Blog - ABOUT GOLD BUTTE NATIONAL MONUMENT: Photographs & Story Walking across the Mud Wash dunes was yet another wonderful experience in Gold Butte. This place truly has something for everyone. In the distance, the north slopes of the Virgin mountains host relict forests from the last Ice Age. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511888749684-A58X7MIZW9UBMSTZIEOE/JPLotak-20171020-I01A9180.jpg Blog - ABOUT GOLD BUTTE NATIONAL MONUMENT: Photographs & Story - Mud Wash dunes The dunes, being sculpted and moved around by the wind, are one of the most impressive sights in a national monument where one constanly runs out of words of awe. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542058648642-FENR2E2JKQXZOU2TMRZQ/1*k5gOTYU2W1pSLXO-uIhFpw.jpeg Blog - ABOUT GOLD BUTTE NATIONAL MONUMENT: Photographs & Story - sunset in “little finland” The twisted sand and rock formations in ‘Little Finland’ spark the imagination of visitors. For some they become dragons, for others dogs, thrones or strange horses. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511900020347-9FKSPZSTQE0XJJGGTJJW/JPLotak-20171020-I01A9291.jpg Blog - ABOUT GOLD BUTTE NATIONAL MONUMENT: Photographs & Story - the last car camping area Our visit to Gold Butte was unforgettable not only because the place is so special, but also because we had the chance to hike and camp with Jim Boone. He is a member of the Board of Directors for Friends of Gold Butte, and a local expert on what the monument has to offer. For two days he shared with us all this beauty. Here, our cars were parked for the night nearby "Little Finland" where we camped and said goodbye to Jim. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/upper-missouri-river-breaks-paddling-through-a-historic-landscape2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542115041114-76FV7JB8PFSMLRC88ENN/upper-missouri-river-breaks.jpg Blog - UPPER MISSOURI RIVER BREAKS: Paddlers in a Historic Landscape Our canoe parked next to the first campsite in the national monument https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1512329030844-8EJRHME2PAFR6P7FBZ0B/20170828-DSC07682.jpg Blog - UPPER MISSOURI RIVER BREAKS: Paddlers in a Historic Landscape At one of the campsites along the Missouri. The hikes and campsites deep inside the monument are reached only from the river. The cottonwood trees are a beautiful sight, but they are at risk of disappearing. Very few new cottonwoods grow annually because flooding events on the river are controlled by dams, which prevents the seeds from being carried downstream. Friends of the Missouri Breaks Monument have been working to plant over 300 new trees on the river banks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1512329157334-O35YX5PZEOK3L4XIMZOS/20170827-DSC07606.jpg Blog - UPPER MISSOURI RIVER BREAKS: Paddlers in a Historic Landscape One of the serene landscapes along the White Cliffs section of the monument. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1512329339679-XACSPPNQDHF9UFSH4RIE/20170828-DSC07697.jpg Blog - UPPER MISSOURI RIVER BREAKS: Paddlers in a Historic Landscape Beyond the banks the landscape is a wild one, with beautiful grasslands that are home to hundreds of prairie dogs. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/gold-butte-national-monument-lessons-learned-from-a-local-advocate2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542115863062-FWKI44PQC5FSVFAOREHJ/jim-boone-gold-butte.jpg Blog - GOLD BUTTE NATIONAL MONUMENT: Conversations in the Desert Jim, introducing us to a beautiful part of Gold Butte National Monument https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511913238927-L9BRVDJ8G1I8BDSO5HB4/JPLotak-20171020-I01A9131.jpg Blog - GOLD BUTTE NATIONAL MONUMENT: Conversations in the Desert Jim explaining about some of the petroglyphs and the patina or desert varnish, a coating on the rock left by bacteria and fungi. It adds a darker layer to the rock, which gives an insight into the time when these stories were inscribed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511913624317-DKQJTLMY0MD1WGP47DU6/AELotak-20171020-DSC09118.jpg Blog - GOLD BUTTE NATIONAL MONUMENT: Conversations in the Desert The complicated, stunning landscape of the 'Little Finland' area in Gold Butte https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511913398500-V5GR5NQDC9PBKQYZ02P2/AELotak-20171020-DSC08939.jpg Blog - GOLD BUTTE NATIONAL MONUMENT: Conversations in the Desert A few of the numerous petroglyphs standing testimony to the habitation and passage of Native people throughout this beautiful region. When visiting these sites, respect is important. They hold a sacred importance for several tribes and they are fragile traces of our human history. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1512057980932-O6U77RWHN5ZZNM8JSJVY/AELotak-20171019-DSC08897.jpg Blog - GOLD BUTTE NATIONAL MONUMENT: Conversations in the Desert Gold Butte after sunset https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/mojave-trails-national-monument-photographs-from-californias-desert2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542147249109-YIDTVQGEPDKTY8OXXFOV/mojave-trails-cadiz.jpg Blog - MOJAVE TRAILS NATIONAL MONUMENT: Photographs from California's Desert Cadiz Dunes Wilderness, Mojave Trails National Monument, California https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542147507123-I2X87N6MPL1Y890PC2AP/amboy-crater-lava-lizard.jpeg Blog - MOJAVE TRAILS NATIONAL MONUMENT: Photographs from California's Desert Left: Inside the Amboy Crater in the mid-afternoon sun. Now an extinct volcano, it appears that the last eruption took place around 10,000 years ago, adding to the already huge lava field surrounding the Amboy Crater. This is one of North America’s youngest volcanos and was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1973. The hike up to it is not a complicated one and it took about 1 hour for a roundtrip. However, the volcanic rocks which are everywhere you step have very sharp edges and can easily cut. With that in mind though, enjoy the feeling of being a solitary explorer of a distant planet as you make your way to the crater. Right: A curious zebra-tailed lizard that decided we were worthier of a thorough inspection rather than running away from us. These lizards are very fast, wiggle their tails when threatened and are commonly alert for predators. They are wide-spread and — although usually skittish — you can find them across the Mojave, Colorado and Great Basin desert ecosystems. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511374573203-IAP4WPKBJLMDJ317NFR4/Amboy+Crater+Mojave Blog - MOJAVE TRAILS NATIONAL MONUMENT: Photographs from California's Desert - The Amboy Crater seen from a mile away The Amboy Crater seen from a mile away. The lava field surrounding it spreads across over 27 sq mi (70 sq km). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542147718529-8SMF99847PZ0S7TP4EUM/mountain-ranje-mojave-trails.jpeg Blog - MOJAVE TRAILS NATIONAL MONUMENT: Photographs from California's Desert Rugged mountains along the historic Route 66 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542147986004-R3P1Z8JWH9K8LLNP837C/roy-route-66.jpeg Blog - MOJAVE TRAILS NATIONAL MONUMENT: Photographs from California's Desert Roy’s Café is one of the landmarks on the historic Route 66. The monument includes one of the best preserved original sections of the road. In the middle, Justin is sampling a root beer brand named after the famous highway. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542147777545-ZJM1Y3RJQD7YYHPYTTOL/hiking-cadiz-dunes.jpeg Blog - MOJAVE TRAILS NATIONAL MONUMENT: Photographs from California's Desert - walking at sunset in the cadiz dunes wilderness within the national monument https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511377103833-8925UXY3Y3KXWYG0QIE1/Cadiz+Wilderness+sunset Blog - MOJAVE TRAILS NATIONAL MONUMENT: Photographs from California's Desert A bit more of the sunset magic. The quiet, wild beauty of these dunes and the mountains and lands surrounding them face the highest risk currently from a proposed water project nearby. A system of pipelines built and managed by Cadiz Inc would pump water from the fragile desert ecosystem's aquifer to the crowded communities of Southern California. This project is at odds with Diane Feinstein's vision, as well as with that of many environmental groups that have fought to see the project halted. More important, it is at odds with protecting the precious ecology of the Mojave. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511376343704-6HN2AFFYRPJ3XJRM3DDK/Cadiz+Dunes+morning Blog - MOJAVE TRAILS NATIONAL MONUMENT: Photographs from California's Desert In the bright sunrise light our footsteps from the previous evening had disappeared and were replaced by long trails from the Pinacate beetles. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542148115474-33TIM8IQYE0VGCJ02FSB/pinacate-beetle-cholla-cactus.jpeg Blog - MOJAVE TRAILS NATIONAL MONUMENT: Photographs from California's Desert Left: a Pinacate beetle on its way to cross a massive sand dune. They never drink water, instead they extract the necessary fluids from fungus and decaying vegetation that they consume. When approached, you might see them do a strange headstand; that’s a defense mechanism to deter predators, as they release into the air a sticky, noxious substance that is hard to remove. If you’re bent over one as it’s doing the headstand, you might want to reconsider your position. Right: The Cholla cactus looks more like a fluffy teddy bear, but its spines are some of the hardest to remove. Within the Mojave Trails National Monument, the Bigelow Cholla Garden Wilderness harbors the largest density of Cholla cacti in California. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542148268390-DFTRKV3A5Z2I0I0J9NF5/driving-mojave-trails.jpeg Blog - MOJAVE TRAILS NATIONAL MONUMENT: Photographs from California's Desert A giant dry lakebed crossed by a road connecting remote communities along the vast expanse of the Mojave. This was one of the eeriest places to camp and it truly felt like a landscape from another world. Images are taken with a drone along a public road right between the Mojave Trails National Monument and the Mojave National Preserve (drones are not allowed inside either one of the two conservation areas). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542148217236-4YNFDGKGAQCE9TZR6RGZ/camping-mojave-trails.jpeg Blog - MOJAVE TRAILS NATIONAL MONUMENT: Photographs from California's Desert Left: The night sky lights up with a million stars shortly after sunset. Right: The tent set up on a dry lakebed, surrounded by mountains created through intense seismic activity. It was the last night spent camping in the desert. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/cascade-siskiyou-national-monument-a-landmark-for-biodiversity2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542120025489-SQW7BU3NZVTKCLK2WJ6J/pilot-rock-oregon.jpg Blog - CASCADE-SISKIYOU NATIONAL MONUMENT: A Landmark for Biodiversity Pilot Rock https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511549883355-R30V3HGHXI7FIY305LUC/JPLotak-+Western+Fence+Lizard+-+Cascade-Siskiyou+National+Monument Blog - CASCADE-SISKIYOU NATIONAL MONUMENT: A Landmark for Biodiversity - western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) A western fence lizard basking in the afternoon sun. The blood of this species of lizard is special: ticks that bite them get purged of the bacteria that causes Lyme disease in humans as a result of the interaction with a protein in the lizard's blood. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511550364019-6NFX57GUFVPH0H94EK0Z/JPLotak-+butterfly+cascade+siskiyou+national+monument Blog - CASCADE-SISKIYOU NATIONAL MONUMENT: A Landmark for Biodiversity - Atlantis fritillary (Speyeria atlantis) An Atlantis fritillary gathering pollen at Cascade-Siskiyou NM https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511795393129-MI9JV8OT8U0K46GMPR2N/JPLotak-I01A8804_20170908.jpg Blog - CASCADE-SISKIYOU NATIONAL MONUMENT: A Landmark for Biodiversity - Female Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) Female Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511552197040-FW0QF2JEM662BEKUOD8V/JPLotak-Mt+Shasta+Cascade+Siskiyou+National+Monument Blog - CASCADE-SISKIYOU NATIONAL MONUMENT: A Landmark for Biodiversity California's Mt. Shasta can be seen from various peaks within Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, despite the smoky haze from nearby forest fires. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511551726690-REOASCFP651H6B2CPN4C/JPLotak-+cascade+siskiyou+national+monument+forest Blog - CASCADE-SISKIYOU NATIONAL MONUMENT: A Landmark for Biodiversity Decades of fire suppression along with warming temperatures have led to a rise in "megafires", defined as forest fires that are larger than 100,000 acres according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Smoke from fires further west blotted out the sun on some days during our visit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511551976238-RSP1T4THD48YS70BQY5T/JPLotak-+PCT+cascade+siskiyou+national+monument Blog - CASCADE-SISKIYOU NATIONAL MONUMENT: A Landmark for Biodiversity Hiking along a section of the PCT with Jeanine Moy from KS Wild https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/the-wildlands-conservancy-private-initiatives-in-the-sand-to-snow-mojave-trails-national-monuments2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542123391908-INPUSM91MK7DA0F79OT4/sand-to-snow.jpg Blog - THE WILDLANDS CONSERVANCY: Private Initiatives in the Sand to Snow & Mojave Trails National Monuments Whitewater River https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511748684172-HGTUKL2PTR5O625KYI0M/JPLotak-20171013-I01A7634-Pano.jpg Blog - THE WILDLANDS CONSERVANCY: Private Initiatives in the Sand to Snow & Mojave Trails National Monuments - Sand to Snow National Monument, california Taking pictures of the breathtaking panoramic views of the San Bernardino Mountains in the Sand to Snow National Monument https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511749230247-X5HI1II77IEW5RZ89J5F/JPLotak-20171013-I01A7684-Pano.jpg Blog - THE WILDLANDS CONSERVANCY: Private Initiatives in the Sand to Snow & Mojave Trails National Monuments - Whitewater River in the Sand to Snow National Monument The Whitewater River in the Sand to Snow National Monument. This can be accessed from the Whitewater Preserve and is also part of the San Gorgonio Wilderness (Photo captured by Justin) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511748855823-7BVHY5BBAJ5HAV62TG7A/JPLotak-20171012-I01A7360.jpg Blog - THE WILDLANDS CONSERVANCY: Private Initiatives in the Sand to Snow & Mojave Trails National Monuments - Bobcat (Lynx rufus) A female bobcat spotted at sunset in the Whitewater Preserve, gateway to the Sand to Snow National Monument (Photo captured by Justin) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511749160963-9IHS6ZGD43Q94P4FQA23/JPLotak-20171013-I01A7526.jpg Blog - THE WILDLANDS CONSERVANCY: Private Initiatives in the Sand to Snow & Mojave Trails National Monuments - western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) Two large male western fence lizards picking up a fight which took a pretty brutal turn. Whitewater Preserve, Sand to Snow. (Photo captured by Justin) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511749389983-Z5AJE3UNMUXLUMQJD7W3/JPLotak-20171016-DJI_0028.jpg Blog - THE WILDLANDS CONSERVANCY: Private Initiatives in the Sand to Snow & Mojave Trails National Monuments - MOJAVE trails national monument, california The Cadiz Dunes Wilderness is one of the most beautiful sites within the Mojave Trails National Monument. If you want to see a greater selection of photographs from the monument, head here. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/organ-mountains-desert-peaks-national-monument-a-local-perspective2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542126026091-YV17Q2YSRNKY3D8K99B3/horny-lizard-newmexico.jpg Blog - ORGAN MOUNTAINS - DESERT PEAKS NATIONAL MONUMENT: A Local Perspective Horned lizard in the Desert Peaks section of the Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511641361375-88P0F2TSYPNK0RXUSCK2/20170817-DSC07251.jpg Blog - ORGAN MOUNTAINS - DESERT PEAKS NATIONAL MONUMENT: A Local Perspective - Kilborne hole national Natural landmark Behind the yucca trees lies the huge Kilbourne Hole, a maar volcanic crater. This is basically created as a result of an explosion from steam pressure. When water below the surface is overheated by magma it creates enough steam and pressure that the earth eventually collapses to form a crater after a massive explosion. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511641512560-D74SZSOGETFWXYIFXBYW/20170818-DSC07296.jpg Blog - ORGAN MOUNTAINS - DESERT PEAKS NATIONAL MONUMENT: A Local Perspective - Flowering rabbitbrush Flowering rabbitbrush https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511641507175-QJ1ETHI5RCWP9ZMLHFJ6/20170818-DSC07299.jpg Blog - ORGAN MOUNTAINS - DESERT PEAKS NATIONAL MONUMENT: A Local Perspective - Prickly pear cactus Prickly pear cactus https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511641857587-YX25B1HXP6944CF9TXTF/JPLotak-I01A6030_20170818.jpg Blog - ORGAN MOUNTAINS - DESERT PEAKS NATIONAL MONUMENT: A Local Perspective - A male greater earless lizard hiding its bright colors in the shade https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511642036094-2C5VJF0GZCIPL3BPGISL/JPLotak-I01A5842_20170818.jpg Blog - ORGAN MOUNTAINS - DESERT PEAKS NATIONAL MONUMENT: A Local Perspective - A round-tailed horned lizard standing up to us https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511641660056-R1P8HBL54E03N5M4Z9BT/20170819-DSC07358.jpg Blog - ORGAN MOUNTAINS - DESERT PEAKS NATIONAL MONUMENT: A Local Perspective The impressive Organ Mountains seen on our way to the Dripping Springs campground within the monument https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/basin-and-range-national-monument-protecting-nevadas-wild-valleys2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542145208941-LHPQ7LIEK9A9Y0DQN30W/coyote-basin-range.jpg Blog - BASIN AND RANGE NATIONAL MONUMENT: Protecting Nevada's Wild Valleys Coyote in Basin and Range National Monument, Nevada https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511839707713-E6CMQ5Q7RNVEVRKD1M9D/JPLotak-20171017-I01A8683.jpg Blog - BASIN AND RANGE NATIONAL MONUMENT: Protecting Nevada's Wild Valleys - Mount Irish Wilderness seen from basin and range Looking at the fragmented landscape of the Mount Irish Wilderness, where we spent the first night in the monument https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511839831535-LYB7JR8G34KCRYGZ9GM7/JPLotak-20171017-I01A8695.jpg Blog - BASIN AND RANGE NATIONAL MONUMENT: Protecting Nevada's Wild Valleys - Mount Irish Rock Art and Archaeological District, basin and range The Desert Archaic people and the ancestors of the Fremont and the Paiute people left in this area a treasure of petroglyphs. There are several sites within the national monument where the visitor can do a self-guided walking tour and witness pieces of this ancient history. One of the more accessible ones is in the Mount Irish Rock Art and Archaeological District. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511840418994-3WQH0O0Y8OC7OOQ1LEB1/JPLotak-20171018-I01A8774.jpg Blog - BASIN AND RANGE NATIONAL MONUMENT: Protecting Nevada's Wild Valleys An incredible sunrise at the southern end of the national monument, surrounded by the vegetation of the Grand Basin Desert ecosystem. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511840055421-77Y2HA3MSCZ3VCUEQDYH/JPLotak-20171018-I01A8793.jpg Blog - BASIN AND RANGE NATIONAL MONUMENT: Protecting Nevada's Wild Valleys - mail summit road Mail Summit Road through Coal Valley. The road was in a very good condition for the most part when we visited in November 2017. Due to its remoteness it's always good to be prepared with extra supplies and a spare tire, as well as with a good map/GPS. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511839864592-UNKN74057UXW7N4EU39N/JPLotak-20171018-I01A8794.jpg Blog - BASIN AND RANGE NATIONAL MONUMENT: Protecting Nevada's Wild Valleys - coal valley Reaching the stunning Coal Valley, while driving a loop along the Mail Summit Road, through Murphy's Gap and out on Timber Mountain Pass Road. The more typical, shorter drive visitors take is Mail Summit to Seaman Wash Road, as Jim recommended. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511840089445-PTL6YSVLAUTFNPW3R5JJ/JPLotak-20171018-I01A8842.jpg Blog - BASIN AND RANGE NATIONAL MONUMENT: Protecting Nevada's Wild Valleys Grazing cattle is allowed within the boundaries of the national monument and existing grazing rights were respected, as well as private property and proper access to it. Hunting and OHV activities are also allowed in Basin and Range in designated areas. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511841023390-B0GH8P3FX5NXFZ2RZ1WO/AELotak-20171017-DSC08845.jpg Blog - BASIN AND RANGE NATIONAL MONUMENT: Protecting Nevada's Wild Valleys The valleys of the Basin and Range are surrounded and crossed by rugged mountain ranges that give the landscape a surreal beauty. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511840458186-A0CT6SCSZ1AD0V3CLMBQ/JPLotak-20171018-I01A8840.jpg Blog - BASIN AND RANGE NATIONAL MONUMENT: Protecting Nevada's Wild Valleys As Jim said, spending time to get to know the valleys, getting lost in their vastness, is similar to looking at an endless ocean. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511840503860-S6GXC3JTVMF4MLB0BN4O/JPLotak-20171018-I01A8841.jpg Blog - BASIN AND RANGE NATIONAL MONUMENT: Protecting Nevada's Wild Valleys - Timber Mountain Road The landscape changes and becomes drier, otherworldly after crossing the Seaman Range. Timber Mountain Road exits onto Rd 318, which then goes through a landmark area, the White River Narrows on the way back to the gateway community of Hiko. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/carrizo-plain-national-monument-californias-largest-intact-grassland2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542145897658-6N7IEJX5R092XRW2B1UF/carrizo-plain-soda-lake.jpg Blog - CARRIZO PLAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT - California's Largest Intact Grassland Soda Lake and the Temblor mountain range in Carrizo Plain National Monument, California https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511822019136-J720FNPCJ84AHSILAI7X/JPLotak-+Carrizo+Plain+Coyote Blog - CARRIZO PLAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT - California's Largest Intact Grassland - Coyote (Canis latrans) A coyote hunting rodents among the grasses in the Carrizo https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511823065713-0QCBM2L77VYVO8X6I363/JPLotak-+Carrizo+Plain+National+Monument+lizard Blog - CARRIZO PLAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT - California's Largest Intact Grassland - side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana) A common side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana), greeting us along one of the few short hiking trails within Carrizo Plain National Monument. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511823155598-2DAPXLXITFI6YUWSPI9J/JPLotak-+Carrizo+Plain+ground+squirrel Blog - CARRIZO PLAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT - California's Largest Intact Grassland - San Joaquin antelope squirrel (Ammospermophilus nelsoni) The San Joaquin antelope squirrel (Ammospermophilus nelsoni) is an endemic species of antelope squirrel, native to the San Joaquin valley and Carrizo Plain National Monument. Their populations have greatly decreased due to habitat loss and use of rodenticide, and they are listed as a threatened species. They are extremely skittish and we were lucky for this one to hold still long enough to snap a photo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511824099508-7E3QT9SA3Z2T3OXR6YL9/JPLotak-+California+Ebony+Tarantula+Aphonopelma+eutylenum Blog - CARRIZO PLAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT - California's Largest Intact Grassland - California Ebony Tarantula (Aphonopelma eutylenum) A California Ebony Tarantula (Aphonopelma eutylenum), slowly feeling its way through the grasses. We saw several of these beautiful spiders, which, despite their appearance, are quite docile and harmless. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1511819669731-AMJLV6X22XRCBZ2JI745/JPLotak-+Sunset+over+Carrizo+Plain+National+Monument Blog - CARRIZO PLAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT - California's Largest Intact Grassland - caliente ridge, carrizo plain The sun setting behind the Caliente Range, turning the hazy sky deep orange, in California's Carrizo Plain National Monument. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/national-monuments-ten-essential-facts-amp-photographs2018 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542810422968-K1DJWOVMNI8M0SZG1TCS/gold-butte-sunset.jpg Blog - NATIONAL MONUMENTS: Ten Essential Facts & Photographs - Gold Butte National Monument, NV This is one of the four terrestrial national monuments that are listed to be shrunk in size as a result of the review performed by Secretary of Interior Zinke. The part that local organizations are afraid could be excluded is the one that protects a unique relict forest ecosystem that has been around since the last Ice Age. The monument is also protecting 12,000 years of human habitation that have left behind hundreds of petroglyphs, abandoned mines, and historic ranches, all surrounded by some truly incredible geologic formations. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542811036956-B02HMYLC3MJAND5RZWI3/1*dbA3rSmYfBgKCOSoNRRMQQ.jpeg Blog - NATIONAL MONUMENTS: Ten Essential Facts & Photographs Left: Ironwood Forest National Monument, AZ. Saguaro cacti at sunset. Right: Sonoran Desert National Monument, AZ: A red-tailed hawk welcomes us on top of a saguaro at the entrance in the national monument. Both monuments protect some of the best preserved portions of the Sonoran Desert ecosystem and are located wihin an hour drive from cities like Phoenix and Tucson. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542811389660-GOD89XRH7COSTH4V8HDO/AELotak-20171027-DSC09279.jpg Blog - NATIONAL MONUMENTS: Ten Essential Facts & Photographs - Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, UT Following the review, it was recommended that this monument be significantly reduced in size from its current 1.9 million acres. Although not popular among many residents and politicians when it was created in 1996, it has now become a real driver for the economies of nearby towns like Kanab and Esclanate. The Kaiparowits and Wahweap formations are the sites of the most exciting discoveries in paleontolgy: some 20 new dinosaur species were discovered here since the monument was created. Fossil fuel resources also present in these areas have driven politicians, both locally and nationally, to push for mining and to ignore the sustainable economy that has flourished around the monument. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542811635998-I71R4WQ2JJG6Y76S6387/1*1vMtloH7fUMTb0S-R3RerA.jpeg Blog - NATIONAL MONUMENTS: Ten Essential Facts & Photographs - Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, CA The Homestead-Blue Ridge loop hike in Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. At the southern tip of this national monument, UC Davis is doing research to better understand the effects of today’s wildfires that have become much more destructive. Since this ridge was burned down in 2015, the vegetation has started coming back, and we were able to witness a regenerating ecosystem of stunning beauty. The monument itself stretches along seven counties north of San Francisco, with a significant portion of it located within the Mendocino National Forest. Right: Northern Pacific rattlesnake. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542811767018-RYY5TFP0P01UTG0BM3MM/1*pgGXBBRQeZPXJtVa01QY0Q.jpeg Blog - NATIONAL MONUMENTS: Ten Essential Facts & Photographs Left: Coyote in Basin and Range National Monument, NV. This monument is protecting a few of Nevada’s last wild valley ecosystems — or basins — in a setting that is truly beautiful and vast. Right: A dreamy-looking tarantula in Carrizo Plain National Monument, CA. California’s largest intact grasslands are protected within the boundaries of this monument, crossed by the San Andreas Fault. In springtime, if the conditions are right, it becomes the site of one of the most impressive ‘super blooms’ — an explosion of wildflowers — in the world. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542811877203-775WELWJX8Q3EZSYTJD8/1*q0EnfkbtxmP1k876sq70lg.jpeg Blog - NATIONAL MONUMENTS: Ten Essential Facts & Photographs Left: A tiny but brave round-tailed horned lizard standing up to us in the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, NM. The monument surrounds the City of Las Cruces and hosts an incredible diversity of plant life, lizards, mammals and insects. It’s also a place where millenary native history converges with the Camino Real, stagecoach routes, WWII practice targets, and Apollo missions training grounds. Right: An Anasazi skipper, a butterfly subspecies which appears to be endemic to the Rio Grande gorge within the Rio Grande National Monument, NM. The Rio Grande is New Mexico’s largest river and its life line. Wildlife and plants depend upon this river, the nation’s most exploited. In the monument the landscape remains wild still, after millennia of habitation by Native tribes and centuries of responsible cattle grazing by hispanic ranchers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542811958297-TVBYBV7XF3XJHFL7ZPZW/1*c0LWck4gZGyjJ4ZMZDJzTg.jpeg Blog - NATIONAL MONUMENTS: Ten Essential Facts & Photographs Left: Cascade — Siskiyou National Monument, OR. This is the first and only national monument protected solely for its unique biodiversity. Located at the convergence of three distinct mountain ranges and hosting one of the most special ecosystems in the country, it should not be on the list of monuments to be reduced in size. Right: Giant Sequoia National Monument, CA. If you’re looking to be reminded of gratitude for living on planet Earth, a visit to this national monument will fill you up with a sense of awe that will take you back to your childhood days. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542812107333-EK60Y90RSNB5AQUO8FG5/JPLotak-20171015-I01A8405-Pano.jpg Blog - NATIONAL MONUMENTS: Ten Essential Facts & Photographs Mojave Trails National Monument, CA. At the heart of this monument lies the largest conservation land donation in the US history — over 500,000 acres were acquired in the late 90s by The Wildlands Conservancy and other partners, and donated to protect the California desert. In 2016 the national monument was created, covering 1.6 million acres of otherworldly landscapes, historic trails of Native tribes and one of the best preserved portions of Route 66. It’s also an important connection between other conservation lands, like the Joshua Tree National Park and the Mojave National Preserve. Pictured here is the landscape of the Cadiz Dunes Wilderness within the monument. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542812221732-AFNGP7J7OFVVB32OOK4V/prairie-dogs-montana.jpg Blog - NATIONAL MONUMENTS: Ten Essential Facts & Photographs - Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, MT Prairie dogs in Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. The Missouri river is the longest in the country, at 2,341 miles. The monument protects a stretch of over 100 miles, as well as the lands surrounding the river. Floating down the Missouri between the various landing points is an experience similar to a trip back in time, where the silence of the landscape is broken only by the sound of your paddles brushing the water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542812336137-0XO4HUP0VL8CIKTJHBHC/1*Jfmk7_0yQu2RZ31qCljY8g.jpeg Blog - NATIONAL MONUMENTS: Ten Essential Facts & Photographs https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542812371658-SV8CN3UN2XNYCNBXY0BK/1*KxC4SvByttHsVrzCIVMtNg.jpeg Blog - NATIONAL MONUMENTS: Ten Essential Facts & Photographs - Bears Ears National Monument, UT The poster child for this presidential review of 27 national monuments, Bears Ears represents a historic moment for five Native tribes, who have come together for the first time to drive the creation of a conservation area. Among the outstanding beauty of canyons, rock walls, rivers and wild forests, there are over 50,000 archaeological sites bearing a cultural and religious importance for several tribes. Based on signs from the presidential administration and from the fierce opposition of Utah politicians like Orrin Hatch and Rob Bishop, it is feared that the monument will be rescinded. Although Secretary Zinke recommends protections for some of the sites, it will create a fragmented landscape of unconnected lands, which ignores the official stance of all tribal leadership from this region. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/carrizo-plain-national-monument-in-photos2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542554093623-NVXYBDCISLG39GYLX2DZ/carrizo-plain-sunset.jpg Blog - CARRIZO PLAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT: In Photos Soda Lake inside Carrizo Plain National Monument, California https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1508803079228-FYGOH1RL6U2NP6MXWLV8/JPLotak-+Carrizo+Plain+National+Monument+Soda+Lake Blog - CARRIZO PLAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT: In Photos - Soda lake Within the monument lies Soda Lake, which is the largest remaining natural alkali wetland in southern California. Spring rains fill the lake, but by the end of the summer it is usually dry. It is an important spot for migratory birds. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1508803572155-ZLV6SV0J9DZ81I46BS9I/JPLotak-+Carrizo+Plain+National+Monument+Caliente+Range Blog - CARRIZO PLAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT: In Photos - caliente range The Caliente Range, which runs along the southwestern side of the national monument. When the conditions are just right during spring, occasionally these mountains explode with colorful wildflowers, called a "super bloom". One happened in 2017 after a four-year break. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1508803163644-O5WP8BR2LC9TQW6JHJ50/JPLotak-+Carrizo+Plain+National+Monument+Coyote Blog - CARRIZO PLAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT: In Photos - California Valley Coyote (Canis latrans ssp. ochropus) A coyote briefly views us from the grass. The range of the coyote extends throughout the North American continent, and as of 2005, 19 subspecies of coyotes have been recognized. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1508803533694-UAY7Z81CYL9WILVWWSYW/JPLotak-+Carrizo+Plain+National+Monument+Lizard Blog - CARRIZO PLAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT: In Photos - common side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana) A common side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana). They have a very interesting mating behavior, where the males come in three morphs: orange-throated ("ultradominant"), blue-throated ("dominant"), and yellow-throated ("sneakers"). Each has its own advantages, and their breeding success rates cycle each year. This rock-paper-scissors mechanism is further described here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1508803280082-MJU2AFJOSINSFSPX8NDY/JPLotak-+Carrizo+Plain+National+Monument+Tarantula Blog - CARRIZO PLAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT: In Photos - California ebony tarantula (Aphonopelma eutylenum) A California ebony tarantula (Aphonopelma eutylenum) feeling its way through the grass. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1508803675143-LI8TSM6LBDHS7WGS8BVK/JPLotak-+Carrizo+Plain+National+Monument+Grasslands Blog - CARRIZO PLAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT: In Photos Andreea walking out for a photo of the grasslands. Haze from nearby forest fires made for some unique pictures of the grasses and surrounding mountains. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1508821521068-266YBELIXPB72P1TFE6Z/JPLotak-20171007-I01A7131.jpg Blog - CARRIZO PLAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT: In Photos - northern harrier (Circus hudsonius) A northern harrier (Circus hudsonius) perched on top of a bush. They have a distinctive owlish face whose shape helps them better hear their pray moving through the grassy vegetation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1508803397316-L3DLIYLVYT2XDTCN7GPO/JPLotak-+Carrizo+Plain+National+Monument+Soda+Lake+Interpretive+Trail Blog - CARRIZO PLAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT: In Photos - sunrise on soda lake trail The Soda Lake Trail, centrally located within the monument, has interpretive signs that give a brief history of the region and the importance of its ecosystems. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1508864087220-6LMZJX38C6DZEGN1NLB2/JPLotak-+Carrizo+Plain+National+Monument+Jumping+Coyote Blog - CARRIZO PLAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT: In Photos A sequence of a coyote hunting rodents at Carrizo Plain NM. We watched him or her do this three times, with a 2 out of 3 success rate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1508803725641-R1X77LQYT62L4KNXR0G6/JPLotak-+Carrizo+Plain+National+Monument+rocks Blog - CARRIZO PLAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT: In Photos A rock range near where we camped at the Selby campground. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1509113788256-0QIZKYKW3DUYRSRC6PDS/JPLotak-20171007-I01A7216.jpg Blog - CARRIZO PLAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT: In Photos - thistledown velvet ant (Dasymutilla gloriosa) A thistledown velvet ant (Dasymutilla gloriosa), actually a wasp in disguise. This was one of the weirdest looking insects I've ever seen, and had no idea what I was photographing when I saw it near my feet. They apparently pack a powerful sting, and their white fuzzy appearance is to mimic the seeds of the creosote bush. See here for an interesting article about velvet ants. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1508803817340-BU6DWC2IPVCNJGNMN6EG/JPLotak-+Carrizo+Plain+National+Monument+Sunset+over+the+Caliente+Range Blog - CARRIZO PLAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT: In Photos The sun setting over the Caliente Range and Carrizo Plain's grasslands. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/berryessa-snow-mountain-national-monument-californias-great-unknown2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542487201536-VGJLKOF80DCS18CN4G0Y/berryessa-snow-mountain-sunset.jpg Blog - BERRYESSA SNOW MOUNTAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT: California's Great Unknown Snow Mountain Wilderness inside Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, California https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1508820249073-06QP427Z66M0JMKGQUBR/JPLotak-I01A9432_20170913.jpg Blog - BERRYESSA SNOW MOUNTAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT: California's Great Unknown - A herd of tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes) Tule elk in the oak savannah ecosystem located in the central section of the national monument. This is also one of the areas where traces of the Native peoples who inhabited these regions abound. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1508807733455-DC13XZ3A51GDH435J2LS/20170914-DSC08013.jpg Blog - BERRYESSA SNOW MOUNTAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT: California's Great Unknown - snow mountain summit hike When hiking up Snow Mountain unparalleled views of the true wilderness that lies around open up. This is an area surrounded by large urban sprawls and productive agriculture, yet climbing up the ridge you have 360 degree views of untouched forest cover. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1508806771074-PRG0I5NYLJVBOSXZV5KI/20170914-DSC07981.jpg Blog - BERRYESSA SNOW MOUNTAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT: California's Great Unknown Coniferous forests take over the landscape when approaching the peaks of Snow Mountain https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1508807563814-3ATH5JV8VC15JM1E2I4H/20170914-DSC07983.jpg Blog - BERRYESSA SNOW MOUNTAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT: California's Great Unknown Almost at the top, the hike goes through an area which underwent a large wildfire in the past, but where young trees are already repopulating the slopes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1508821031395-D027T0WOTWMSASGPL9E2/JPLotak-I01A9582_20170914.jpg Blog - BERRYESSA SNOW MOUNTAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT: California's Great Unknown - Columbian Black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) A black-tailed deer after sprinting up the slope from the trail in front of us. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1508821201902-X9P2J6H7GL9Z9E8ZWGNG/AELotak-20170914-DSC07993.jpg Blog - BERRYESSA SNOW MOUNTAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT: California's Great Unknown Looking at the Snow Mountain East peak from the southwest vantage point. There are actually two peaks that can be summited from the trail: the East one, and the West. Snow Mountain East is the highest peak in the Colusa and Lake counties, at 7,056 ft. Just .58 miles from it lies the western peak, slightly lower at 7,043 ft. Both peaks were extremely windy when we got up there. The Snow Mountain is believed to be an ancient sea mount from the Jurassic Period, when the entire area that now rises above ground was beneath the ocean. Nowadays the snow and waterways from the mountain feed into the Sacramento River and the Eel River Basin. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1508807709381-8B77FUMXPDYEMRDHFT7C/20170914-DSC08030.jpg Blog - BERRYESSA SNOW MOUNTAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT: California's Great Unknown Heading back to our campsite in the sunset light. The Snow Mountain Wilderness is part of the Mendocino National Forest and is currently also included in the boundaries of the national monument. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1508820479051-35P5WOQGXIKRMYBUKDSW/JPLotak-I01A9763_20170916.jpg Blog - BERRYESSA SNOW MOUNTAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT: California's Great Unknown - northern Pacific rattlesnake (crotalus oreganus) A northern Pacific rattlesnake (crotalus oreganus) making its way across the trail. If given space they will not react aggressively and will eventually move on at their slow pace. It was a magnificent sight, since it was the first one both of us ever spotted in the wild. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1508808261460-3U7CJHA3R30D8J035WVM/20170916-DSC08076.jpg Blog - BERRYESSA SNOW MOUNTAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT: California's Great Unknown - The Blue Ridge - Homestead hike The Blue Ridge - Homestead hike reveals its true magic at sunset. This remains one of the most beautiful ridge hikes we've ever done and one of the most underestimated. The beginning of the hike doesn't look particularly special, but as the top gets closer, the beauty of the landscape around is revealed. We wouldn't imagine getting to the ridge at anytime but sunset or sunrise, as during day-time the heat and sunlight can be scorching. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1508820633763-33N8QYZYZVJUAHZWWLD6/JPLotak-I01A9889_20170916.jpg Blog - BERRYESSA SNOW MOUNTAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT: California's Great Unknown The arid mountains surrounding the southern portion of the national monument are partially covered in oak woodlands. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1508808403828-C7CL53XQV5AREFO6P76A/20170916-DSC08115.jpg Blog - BERRYESSA SNOW MOUNTAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT: California's Great Unknown As night falls the views of the artificial Lake Berryessa are stunning and serene. The lake is a source of irrigation for the region, and of motorized recreation for the dozens of boats and ski jets crowding the resorts located on it. At the time of the creation of the monument the most vocal critics seemed to come from among those worried that the motorized recreation on the lake would be affected. The lake was left outside of the boundaries of the national monument. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/hanford-reach-national-monuments-hidden-beauty-unlikely-allies2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542555795677-OT3RWOJ3EBZ67V7B1W0Q/hanford_reach_dunes.jpg Blog - HANFORD REACH NATIONAL MONUMENT: Rare Grasslands on the Columbia River Sun sets over the dunes in Hanford Reach National Monument, Washington https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1507595631569-HLQ9AGMGIB0OAKE21QDX/hanford_reach_landscape Blog - HANFORD REACH NATIONAL MONUMENT: Rare Grasslands on the Columbia River A sample of the grasslands covering most of the national monument. It's these kinds of ecosystems that have been commonly disregarded for conservation and have been covered by ranch and farmlands, as well as urban developments. However, they host an incredible biodiversity of reptiles, mammals and plant life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1507601070780-3KY3D12KYBLM6XQFEHM7/20170901-DSC07760.jpg Blog - HANFORD REACH NATIONAL MONUMENT: Rare Grasslands on the Columbia River - white bluffs hike Hiking up on the Columbia Plateau, on our way to explore the massive sand dunes of the White Bluffs hike. For more information on the trail head here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1507660855726-IHXGJOZI17O1OPJOVSUV/20170901-DSC07763.jpg Blog - HANFORD REACH NATIONAL MONUMENT: Rare Grasslands on the Columbia River With the sun still burning bright in the late afternoon, the landscape around us surprised us with its beauty and quietude. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1507601304378-E9W11FDPIQF6IXBU9KOW/20170901-DSC07823.jpg Blog - HANFORD REACH NATIONAL MONUMENT: Rare Grasslands on the Columbia River Commanding views of the last remaining free-flow portion of the Columbia river, the White Bluffs formations and the Saddle Mountain Wildlife Refuge make of this national monument a true hidden gem. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542556398748-NIWSRCJ13524TR78W2V2/20170901-DSC07818.jpg Blog - HANFORD REACH NATIONAL MONUMENT: Rare Grasslands on the Columbia River Reaching the first sand dune, we arrived to a breathtaking sight. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1507601451240-R0F0M0QGAFD91ZTGIQ8W/JPLotak-I01A8681_20170901.jpg Blog - HANFORD REACH NATIONAL MONUMENT: Rare Grasslands on the Columbia River - Pygmy Short-horned Lizard (Phrynosoma douglasii) After sunset, we started noticing much more movement at our feet and all around us. Coyotes could be heard in the distance, while dozens of lizards started moving in the brush vegetation. This Pygmy Short-horned Lizard greeted us on the trail and didn't run for cover, which gave Justin the opportunity to snap a portrait. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/upper-missouri-river-breaks-a-monument-we-should-all-see2017 monthly 0.5 2021-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542557807242-BPENWC4726J4UMFYXPBC/upper-missouri-deer.jpg Blog - UPPER MISSOURI RIVER BREAKS: A Monument We Should All See Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) wading through the water in Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, Montana https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1507581775823-CCL96VEWC28HE0X5N85K/JPLotak-+Upper+Missouri+River+Canoe Blog - UPPER MISSOURI RIVER BREAKS: A Monument We Should All See - eagle creek campsite Our canoe "beached" for the night along the tranquil Upper Missouri River. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1507590482443-4KOF1Y0GZ7P6QGEK1QQ3/JPLotak-+Upper+Missouri+River+Montana+Sky+Milky+Way Blog - UPPER MISSOURI RIVER BREAKS: A Monument We Should All See The Milky Way over the Missouri River. Montana is Big Sky country, and I don't think we've ever seen so many stars. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1507590630593-ODGEFHP11X3H99VT982F/JPLotak-+Upper+Missouri+River+Osprey+and+Trout Blog - UPPER MISSOURI RIVER BREAKS: A Monument We Should All See - osprey (Pandion haliaetus) An osprey flying overhead with a freshly-caught fish, in the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, just before sunset. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1507582598570-ERQIR0KRAY8M79YWI07C/JPLotak-+Upper+Missouri+River+Woodhouse%27s+Toad Blog - UPPER MISSOURI RIVER BREAKS: A Monument We Should All See - Woodhouse's toad (Anaxyrus woodhousii) A Woodhouse's toad (Anaxyrus woodhousii) along the banks of the Upper Missouri River. Usually active at night, this one was taking in some of the morning sun in shallow depressions left from cattle along the muddy banks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1507582243609-X8ZQ7NHNVOYFUNAH1A4S/JPLotak-+Upper+Missouri+River+Killdeer Blog - UPPER MISSOURI RIVER BREAKS: A Monument We Should All See - killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) A pair of killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) along the banks of a small island in the Upper Missouri River. This species of plover is known for its acting skills: when a threat approaches, it will act as if its wing is broken to distract the predator away from the nest. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1507582069003-5V760L93OOO37I4ZWXI2/JPLotak-+Upper+Missouri+River+Bald+Eagle Blog - UPPER MISSOURI RIVER BREAKS: A Monument We Should All See - Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) Bald eagle along the White Cliffs of the Upper Missouri River. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1507582125417-DN2Y1P6HEGGHFBCXJNNM/JPLotak-+Upper+Missouri+River+National+Monument Blog - UPPER MISSOURI RIVER BREAKS: A Monument We Should All See The beautiful white cliffs and lush green banks along the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. This 149-mile section of the river was named a National Wild and Scenic River in 1976. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1507581569670-CN59Y8Y0ICFG8J4YF5SY/JPLotak-+Upper+Missouri+White+Cliffs Blog - UPPER MISSOURI RIVER BREAKS: A Monument We Should All See Rugged rock formations continue for a several-mile long stretch of the Upper Missouri River, and the section between Coal Banks Landing and Judith Landing are especially impressive. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1507582843567-EV4JF9D1YBLJT8O2GMHG/JPLotak-+Upper+Missouri+River+National+Monument+Prairie+Dogs Blog - UPPER MISSOURI RIVER BREAKS: A Monument We Should All See - black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) A black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) stands watch. This vast prairie dog town behind our campsite had hundreds of mounds and stretched on for over a hundred acres. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1507582919602-O4D4LPE50JTLPPSC2VNE/JPLotak-+Upper+Missouri+River+Cottonwood+Trees Blog - UPPER MISSOURI RIVER BREAKS: A Monument We Should All See - cottonwood (Populus deltoides) A grove of cottonwoods near our campsite. Cottonwood trees help stabilize the river banks, providing habitat for a number of species. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/new-mexicos-national-monuments-at-risk-a-photo-essay2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542560151126-ELAVRZPHI182WCSTSVTQ/rio-grande-del-norte.jpg Blog - NEW MEXICO'S NATIONAL MONUMENTS AT RISK: A Photo Essay Rio Grande winding its way through its namesake Rio Grande del Norte National Monument in New Mexico (photo by Andreea Lotak) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1505315014339-OIPTU923SHUEU2ATYM3Y/JPLotak+-+Roundtail+Horned+Lizard Blog - NEW MEXICO'S NATIONAL MONUMENTS AT RISK: A Photo Essay - roundtail horned lizard (Phrynosoma modestum) A roundtail horned lizard (Phrynosoma modestum) at Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks NM observing us as we observe it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1505315402220-AAIPS3IFTPXDEER1UW28/JPLotak+-+Rio+Grande+del+Norte+National+Monument Blog - NEW MEXICO'S NATIONAL MONUMENTS AT RISK: A Photo Essay - taos plateau Sunset over the sagebrush plains of the Taos Plateau volcanic field at Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, New Mexico. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1505315514605-R8NK588TIWK9H2DB54VI/JPLotak+-+Anasazi+Skipper Blog - NEW MEXICO'S NATIONAL MONUMENTS AT RISK: A Photo Essay - Anasazi Skipper (Ochlodes yuma anasazi) This small butterfly, called the Anasazi Skipper, is subspecies of butterfly discovered in the early 80s and known to be endemic to the wetlands that surround the Rio Grande river in Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1505747092835-BHO911XSMCRGJ0HXWKDH/JPLotak+-+Kilbourne+Hole+Organ+Mountains+Desert+Peaks Blog - NEW MEXICO'S NATIONAL MONUMENTS AT RISK: A Photo Essay - Kilbourne hole national natural landmark Kilbourne Hole, in the Organ Mountains - Desert Peaks NM. This large crater, at about 2 miles in diameter, is an example of a volcanic crater without a mountainous rim, and is part of the Potrillo volcanic field. It is estimated that the age of the crater is between 24,000 and 80,000 years, and it was here where astronauts trained for the Apollo 12-17 missions to the moon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1505322127431-LBF4YRTY7UTH5JEQ5YTJ/JPLotak-I01A6072_20170818.jpg Blog - NEW MEXICO'S NATIONAL MONUMENTS AT RISK: A Photo Essay - black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus) A black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus), in Organ Mountains - Desert Peaks National Monument. Also called American desert hares, these jackrabbits feed on a variety of plants and tend to obtain their water from them. They can run at speeds of 30mph, which is needed when evading predators such as coyote, fox, bobcat and several species of birds of prey. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1505322072414-6L6H5SU5CAJOMKPPYOM5/JPLotak+-+Organ+Mountains+scorpion Blog - NEW MEXICO'S NATIONAL MONUMENTS AT RISK: A Photo Essay - Eastern Sand Scorpion (Paruroctonus utahensis) A scorpion visiting our campsite in Organ Mountains - Desert Peaks National Monument. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1505322008194-LINYA11PW723TIO3DE4N/JPLotak-I01A6351_20170820.jpg Blog - NEW MEXICO'S NATIONAL MONUMENTS AT RISK: A Photo Essay - Tule bluet (Enallagma carunculatum) Tule bluet (Enallagma carunculatum), in Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1505322255105-JLE7FXWV4F6BI9A89COT/JPLotak+-+Rio+Grande+del+Norte Blog - NEW MEXICO'S NATIONAL MONUMENTS AT RISK: A Photo Essay - rio grande del norte The Rio Grande Gorge, flowing through the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. This gorge was actually formed as part of the Rio Grande Rift, but has been also carved by water over the years. If you cannot see the brown and rainbow trout, you'll just have to go there yourself. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1505581020787-9E5MSDAYDPENZB7GNXO1/JPLotak+-+Desert+Peaks+Regal+Horned+Lizard Blog - NEW MEXICO'S NATIONAL MONUMENTS AT RISK: A Photo Essay - regal horned lizard (Phrynosoma solare) A regal horned lizard (Phrynosoma solare) at the Organ Mountains - Desert Peaks National Monument. It is common to see various lizards running across the trail when hiking, but not all are the same; this small palm-sized horned lizard has an interesting defense mechanism: if its intimidating presence does not deter the predator, it can shoot blood from its eyes, up to 4 feet away! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1505324326311-WXI5TIB3Z1HIMBEDOIA5/JPLotak+-+Organ+Mountains+Desert+Peaks+National+Monument Blog - NEW MEXICO'S NATIONAL MONUMENTS AT RISK: A Photo Essay - organ mountains-desert peaks The grasslands and mesquite and creosote desert shrubs of Organ Mountains - Desert Peaks National Monument, with the distant Organ Mountain range in the distance. The national monument has three sections that surround the city of Las Cruces, and each has its own unique landscapes. This photo was taken in the southern section, which contains features such as the Kilbourne Hole and the Aden Lava Flow. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1505315061414-3207PNCSM14HSK3Q4FQ6/JPLotak+-+Desert+Peaks Blog - NEW MEXICO'S NATIONAL MONUMENTS AT RISK: A Photo Essay Walking through the 'desert peaks' portion of New Mexico's Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. Recent rains brought out the green in the otherwise dry hillsides. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1505584725214-8EM58R6M5EID4Q6DLCST/JPLotak+-+Organ+Mountains+Desert+Peaks+Lizard Blog - NEW MEXICO'S NATIONAL MONUMENTS AT RISK: A Photo Essay - Southwestern Earless Lizard (Cophosaurus texanus scitulus) Southwestern Earless Lizard (Cophosaurus texanus scitulus), at the Organ Mountains - Desert Peaks National Monument. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1505583357402-H6DY6AGOWYO3JB4TH70C/JPLotak+-+Organ+Mountains+Desert+Peaks+wasp Blog - NEW MEXICO'S NATIONAL MONUMENTS AT RISK: A Photo Essay One of the great things about visiting protected areas in other parts of the world are the small differences, such as this beautiful wasp at Organ Mountains - Desert Peaks NM. Stopping and observing the tiny insect life around you can help one appreciate nature's great diversity. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1505320809896-HKMLVHK7R94IZ5CAMW7F/JPLotak+-+Organ+Mountains Blog - NEW MEXICO'S NATIONAL MONUMENTS AT RISK: A Photo Essay - drippring springs area in the organ mountains New Mexico's Organ Mountains. This beautiful mountain range, visible from anywhere in the city of Las Cruces, offers camping and hiking opportunities, and is easily accessible. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1505315263323-11LTW5LL8GMSOKGF9055/JPLotak-I01A5798_20170818.jpg Blog - NEW MEXICO'S NATIONAL MONUMENTS AT RISK: A Photo Essay Looks to be a Mormon Fritillary, Speyeria mormonia (though its range does not seem to extend to southern New Mexico - please comment below if you can confirm the species), in Organ Mountains - Desert Peaks National Monument. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1505590601342-9Z4SEF8DLEI4YAO3TYN6/JPLotak-I01A5784_20170818.jpg Blog - NEW MEXICO'S NATIONAL MONUMENTS AT RISK: A Photo Essay - plains lubber grasshopper (Brachystola magna) A plains lubber grasshopper (Brachystola magna), also known as the "Homesteader", resides in areas throughout most of the central and southern Great Plains of the US and Mexico, but in different color patterns. They are omnivorous, mostly feeding on sunflowers and other plants, though they have been known to eat carrion and other insects. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1505322317088-9F8FJLW8QMGUDGJE1A8Q/JPLotak+-+Ute+Mountain%2C+Rio+Grande+del+Norte+National+Monument Blog - NEW MEXICO'S NATIONAL MONUMENTS AT RISK: A Photo Essay - ute mountain rising from the taos plateau Ute Mountain, in Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. This 10,093 foot peak stands alone above the sagebrush along the northern border of New Mexico, providing views of the Rio Grande Gorge below. It is the highest point within New Mexico's BLM lands. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/in-cancuns-backyard-discovering-maya-kaan-part-ii2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542721639153-8YZX3DXZXLD5IT66HGVQ/20170603-DSC06804.jpg Blog - IN CANCUN’S BACKYARD: Discovering Maya Ka’an (Part II) Síihil Noh Há Lagoon and ecotourism center in the Maya Ka’an destination, Quintana Roo, Mexico https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1502646033427-WGSY01A7QSIG0IFC1B8T/20170602-DSC06755.jpg Blog - IN CANCUN’S BACKYARD: Discovering Maya Ka’an (Part II) - The Beej Ka´ax Ha Ecotourism Center in Kantemó Almost at the time for sunset we rode our bikes into the forest nearby, accompanied by our two guides. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1502645694206-9M9O3EXVUN0Q1CLHIB7K/JPLotak-I01A0157_20170602.jpg Blog - IN CANCUN’S BACKYARD: Discovering Maya Ka’an (Part II) - With our guides at the cave's entrance Right after sunset, as dark started to settle, thousands of bats started pouring out of the cave. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1502646896666-S04GGSY057PC42A4NFYF/image-asset.jpeg Blog - IN CANCUN’S BACKYARD: Discovering Maya Ka’an (Part II) Just a hint of what was hiding in the ceiling. These blind boas can reach up to four feet in length. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1502554328104-MZEDTM8W5564XAU99GYZ/20170603-DSC06758.jpg Blog - IN CANCUN’S BACKYARD: Discovering Maya Ka’an (Part II) - Tree canopy in the dense "selva" (jungle) We hiked around very early in the morning to look for birds among these dense trees. The jungles in the Maya Ka'an stretch for long distances and the birds are masters at hiding in the vegetation. We learned that the best time for seeing them is in January-February. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1502554327513-TEK86GHGOZ8HB6ZXZYGO/20170603-DSC06760.jpg Blog - IN CANCUN’S BACKYARD: Discovering Maya Ka’an (Part II) - The tree that makes "chicle" - chewing gum The Maya and the Aztecs were extracting the "chicle" from several species of trees. This was the original chewing gum and in some places in the Maya Ka'an you can witness the extraction and preparation of it by traditional methods. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1502647000685-4LWGAZ9LLMU47OKHOD71/image-asset.jpeg Blog - IN CANCUN’S BACKYARD: Discovering Maya Ka’an (Part II) - plain chacalaca (Ortalis vetula) A curious Plain chacalaca looking at us from above. This bird species can be seen from Texas to Costa Rica. They are loud and don't shy away from humans. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1502555974881-BB6X7XWR3NBOLQH4XFJG/20170603-DSC06779.jpg Blog - IN CANCUN’S BACKYARD: Discovering Maya Ka’an (Part II) Zendy and Justin, who was photographing the fish in the cenote. This open cenote connected to the lagoon is a bottomless sinkhole in the limestone, filled with clear, blue water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1502555972246-AHSQ19ZK4P4VQSJ5CD2H/20170603-DSC06776.jpg Blog - IN CANCUN’S BACKYARD: Discovering Maya Ka’an (Part II) The cenote and lagoon in the Sijil Noh Ha reserve where we kayaked and went bird watching. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1502558620802-ZNWTAMAR5WYALCUUQPVM/image-asset.jpeg Blog - IN CANCUN’S BACKYARD: Discovering Maya Ka’an (Part II) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1502558709468-TYE3WIBXSGD7MG14S0GS/20170605-DSC06904.jpg Blog - IN CANCUN’S BACKYARD: Discovering Maya Ka’an (Part II) - "Jaguars crossing" sign The road inside the reserve which takes you to Punta Allen. It goes along the houses and small hotels where residents in the reserve live and work. A biosphere reserve designation in Mexico allows economic development only for the residents and under resource management plans. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1502558709376-H3FIU82DHY8005FHP5EB/20170605-DSC06906.jpg Blog - IN CANCUN’S BACKYARD: Discovering Maya Ka’an (Part II) - Punta Allen The coast in Punta Allen is beautiful. There are a few restaurants and hotels, and as part of the Maya Ka'an experience, a cooperative of local women can take visitors on kayaking tours. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1502647290009-CHYNBE9OSM36RE8BUGVH/image-asset.jpeg Blog - IN CANCUN’S BACKYARD: Discovering Maya Ka’an (Part II) - Black iguanas (Ctenosaura similis) One of the many Black iguanas (Ctenosaura similis) spotted in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve. Although they appear lazy, they were recorded as the fastest-running species of lizard. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1502559154560-PWIAE4USA3IUAVERGVZ1/20170606-DSC06973.jpg Blog - IN CANCUN’S BACKYARD: Discovering Maya Ka’an (Part II) - A "cenote" nearby Tulum. These bodies of fresh water a magical sight. However, they are a fragile ecosystem because they are all interconnected through underground river systems inside the limestone bed. They provide drinking water for all residents of the Yucatan: humans, fauna and flora. It's why it's crucial not to use suntan lotion and mosquito repellent that are harmful. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1502559153775-GNMAG9BEE0T60W8KJWO5/20170606-DSC06950.jpg Blog - IN CANCUN’S BACKYARD: Discovering Maya Ka’an (Part II) - One of the entrances to an underground "cenote" There are many types of cenotes, some completely open, others deep underground, where you can snorkel or dive with a guide. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/in-cancuns-backyard-discovering-maya-kaan-part-i2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542723612201-3YE2PMO4YVA89YU6GOPE/20170605-DSC06892.jpg Blog - IN CANCUN’S BACKYARD: Discovering Maya Ka’an (Part I) The coast of the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, Quintana Roo, Mexico https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1502552151930-UKQZLOX243R0YU5TWO4M/image-asset.jpeg Blog - IN CANCUN’S BACKYARD: Discovering Maya Ka’an (Part I) The coast of the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, the main conservation area within the Maya Ka'an experience. Located just south of Tulum, this place is easily accessible and full of beauty. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1502552345454-RGIMNOABOF9205ROZNHZ/20170605-DSC06881.jpg Blog - IN CANCUN’S BACKYARD: Discovering Maya Ka’an (Part I) Mangroves in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, where crocodiles and manatees can be seen. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/where-the-ocean-and-the-forest-meet-the-valdivian-coastal-reserve2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542724117129-9BYZPT332YMK82WILHHQ/valdivia-reserve-dunes.jpg Blog - WHERE THE OCEAN AND THE FOREST MEET: The Valdivian Coastal Reserve Valdivian Coastal Reserve dunes, Chile https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1502572305289-Y3QBU5TIU79TD8IPCIL1/image-asset.jpeg Blog - WHERE THE OCEAN AND THE FOREST MEET: The Valdivian Coastal Reserve https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1502573526049-SURJPU3UDMYCIQ05ZNPQ/image-asset.jpeg Blog - WHERE THE OCEAN AND THE FOREST MEET: The Valdivian Coastal Reserve One of the short hikes, the Colmillos (fangs) of Chaihuín, nearby the Valdivian Costal Reserve offices. It's a walk through the olivillo tree forest down to the beach where two rock formations are known as the "fangs of Chaihuín" https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1502577721586-9R0MG5ZWEQZP2XB7MHDL/image-asset.jpeg Blog - WHERE THE OCEAN AND THE FOREST MEET: The Valdivian Coastal Reserve Management of coastal resources is one of the main focuses of The Nature Conservancy within and outside the reserve, working together with communities and local NGOs https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542725284229-SA6JWV8064WNLAYZNS1F/20170519-DSC06303.jpg Blog - WHERE THE OCEAN AND THE FOREST MEET: The Valdivian Coastal Reserve Inside the hut where we pitched our tent https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542726026637-6Z7QGTEMC6QFRBI7VRML/20170518-DSC06291.jpg Blog - WHERE THE OCEAN AND THE FOREST MEET: The Valdivian Coastal Reserve The coast from the land of our host in Huiro https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542726211870-ZXL1OSFS0IUMGM88C00V/20170517-DSC06173.jpg Blog - WHERE THE OCEAN AND THE FOREST MEET: The Valdivian Coastal Reserve The beginning of our hike to the dunes https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542726271515-40AX1NMJGQYYG7C1YKVX/20170518-DSC06260.jpg Blog - WHERE THE OCEAN AND THE FOREST MEET: The Valdivian Coastal Reserve Native Valdivian temperate forests https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1502573367854-6QDDRJFGTDYROWMV758T/20170518-DSC06233.jpg Blog - WHERE THE OCEAN AND THE FOREST MEET: The Valdivian Coastal Reserve Reaching the dunes in Colún brought us where the evergreen forests meet the ocean https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1502634855390-PC49OKPSJH61M2TSJNVQ/image-asset.jpeg Blog - WHERE THE OCEAN AND THE FOREST MEET: The Valdivian Coastal Reserve Reaching the top of one of the dunes. On the other side, the sand is slowly advancing into the evergreen forest. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1502634950796-73Q5FKFGOP2H8BAHBRM3/image-asset.jpeg Blog - WHERE THE OCEAN AND THE FOREST MEET: The Valdivian Coastal Reserve One of the sea lions colony at sunset https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/route-of-parks-chiles-model-for-the-world2017 monthly 0.5 2019-02-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542727170807-KZS8FM0IAFIS9M6ASO3B/patagonia-park-conservation.jpg Blog - "ROUTE OF PARKS": Chile’s Model for the World Peak in the Jeinimeni National Reserve, now part of Patagonia National Park https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1502550468590-56XG97YMM1DG1Z2ZJ908/Conservation+Atlas+-+Ruta+de+los+Parques%2C+Route+of+Parks+map+Chile Blog - "ROUTE OF PARKS": Chile’s Model for the World https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1502746682626-SVYUPYKFZ850VR4507A3/JPLotak+-+Alerce+Andino+National+Park+Chile Blog - "ROUTE OF PARKS": Chile’s Model for the World - ALERCE (Fitzroya cupressoides) A close-up of one of the many alerce, or larch, trees in Alerce Andino National Park. Alerces can be thousands of years old, second only to the bristlecone pine tree in terms of oldest known tree species. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1501024811202-60867PR5ZAF7OOZG0VMP/JPLotak+-+Pumalin+waterfall Blog - "ROUTE OF PARKS": Chile’s Model for the World - WATERFALL IN PUMALÍN One of the many waterfalls in the future Pumalín National Park. The rain, fog, mists, and lush tree-covered mountains make for incredible photography opportunities, assuming you can keep your camera dry. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1502741325058-XU1J170C3GT3WPHQNHVH/JPLotak+-+Queulat+National+Park%2C+Bosque+Encantado Blog - "ROUTE OF PARKS": Chile’s Model for the World - WATERFALL IN QUEULAT NATIONAL PARK Rugged peaks, multiple waterfalls, and glaciers await those at the valley at the end of the Enchanted Forest Trail, in Queulat National Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1501014343214-6DQKOCTJ6YL6TBPZVN5Y/JPLotak+-+Valle+de+los+Exploradores Blog - "ROUTE OF PARKS": Chile’s Model for the World - EXPLORADORES VALLEY, LAGUNA SAN RAFAEL NATIONAL PARK On the north side of Laguna San Rafael National Park is the Exploradores Valley, easily accessible from the town of Puerto Rio Tranquilo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1501014706851-NYJBFSP4J4NSYBYPRYL6/JPLotak+-+Cerro+Castillo Blog - "ROUTE OF PARKS": Chile’s Model for the World - CERO CASTILLO NATIONAL PARK A view of Cerro Castillo from lake General Carrera https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542728806239-AEFSEJDSGZ6SJAULZH1Y/guanacos-patagonia-park.jpg Blog - "ROUTE OF PARKS": Chile’s Model for the World - GUANACO HERD IN PATAGONIA NATIONAL PARK Guanacos (Lama guanicoe) are a type of camelid native to South America, and a common presence in the Patagonia National Park due to the comeback of the grasslands and steppe habitats, as well as to the removal of fences by the park’s staff and volunteers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1501021712200-JYNA6P40VFMXIMH4P05U/JPLotak+-+Alacalufes Blog - "ROUTE OF PARKS": Chile’s Model for the World - THE RUGGED COAST OF THE BERNARDO O’HIGGINS NATIONAL PARK SEEN FROM THE FERRY Bernardo O'Higgins National Park covers an immense area of islands, channels and fiords, many of which are visible from ferry crossings that travel north and south through Patagonia. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1501020722984-GXBR6P3NA7O6IFTKVQYD/JPLotak+-+Bernardo+O%27Higgins Blog - "ROUTE OF PARKS": Chile’s Model for the World - the remote alacalufes national park Passing through the fiords of the future Alacalufes National Park, with glimpses of glaciers when the clouds permit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1501017465022-5XUV7FTHFM6ZH8I1SWHA/JPLotak+-+Torres+del+Paine+Sunrise Blog - "ROUTE OF PARKS": Chile’s Model for the World - the world famous torres del paine national park Purples, pinks, oranges and reds fill the sky during sunrise after a storm at Torres del Paine National Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1501015599998-QLWJ7K8KPRJTLJP1320A/JPLotak+-+Sarmiento Blog - "ROUTE OF PARKS": Chile’s Model for the World - ALBERTO DE AGOSTINI NATIONAL PARK AT THE BOTTOM OF SOUTH AMERICA Monte Sarmiento, which is at the western end of the Cordillera Darwin within Alberto de Agostini National Park. Darwin called this "the most sublime spectacle in Tierra del Fuego". https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1501018503949-6GEOKQDCYHOMNBBJTCDE/JPLotak+-+Yendegaia+Bay Blog - "ROUTE OF PARKS": Chile’s Model for the World - YENDEGAIA NATIONAL PARK The clouds parting in Yendegaia Bay, letting light shine down on the Cordillera Darwin. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/endangered-ecosystems-the-inspiring-story-of-the-ahuenco-park2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542729927844-OP1FAXXZ5YIUKA0U0DKY/Parque+Ahuenco+%28vista+a%C3%A9rea+2%29.JPG Blog - ENDANGERED ECOSYSTEMS: The Inspiring Story of the Ahuenco Park Aerial view of Ahuenco Park’s coastal landscapes https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1501159192043-2YPUD92CL9IQCHGH1BRZ/image-asset.jpeg Blog - ENDANGERED ECOSYSTEMS: The Inspiring Story of the Ahuenco Park The penguin colony on the coast of the Ahuenco Park (picture from the park's archive) https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/patagonias-biodiversity-photographs-of-chiles-wild-fauna2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542730717033-VNE89G62EOM60MD7JT72/sea-lions-valdivia-reserve.jpg Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna Sea lion colony in the Valdivian Coastal Reserve, Chile https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498522965904-4FGZQXGEVALW74JFSHLM/JPLotak+-+Fuegian+Fox+-+Karukinka Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - Fuegian fox (Lycalopex culpaeus lycoides) The Fuegian fox (Lycalopex culpaeus lycoides), is a subspecies of the Zorro Colorado, living on the island of Tierra del Fuego. It is the southernmost canid in the world and is the only known fox species witnessed to have hunted young guanacos. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498523070096-KZ8B4UDWUIF8VJ9EE4FO/JPLotak+-+Austral+Parakeet+-+Karukinka Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - austral parakeet (Enicognathus ferrugineus) An austral parakeet (Enicognathus ferrugineus), at WCS's Karukinka Natural Park on Chile's side of Tierra del Fuego. This is the world's southernmost parrot, with a range from Temuco, Chile all the way down to the southern tip of the continent. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542735314029-KBOETY83FSEKVL44Q779/Screen+Shot+2018-11-20+at+12.31.41+PM.png Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - male Magellanic woodpecker (Campephilus magellanicus) A male Magellanic woodpecker in the Jeinimeni National Reserve. They are South America's largest species of woodpecker, and range along the Andes of Chile and southern Argentina. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542735430436-HN9N8RNLFGA71EI1XT3Y/Screen+Shot+2018-11-20+at+12.31.55+PM.png Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - female Magellanic woodpecker (Campephilus magellanicus) A female Magellanic woodpecker in WCS's Karukinka Natural Park. The female is mostly black with a small amount of red near the base of the bill, and a white patch on the wings. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1499112236050-7MRA6VXJYJ95T98USP9Y/JPLotak+-+Fire-eyed+Diucon Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - fire-eyed diucon (Xolmis pyrope) A fire-eyed diucon (Xolmis pyrope), in Valle Chacabuco, part of the future Patagonia National Park. These small birds are found in Chile and Argentina, their red eyes always making them distinguishable. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1499120654158-M14YWJV0996CDOTAPI18/JPLotak+-+%C3%91andus+-+Lesser+Rheas Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - lesser rhea (Rhea pennata) A male lesser rhea (Rhea pennata), or Darwin's rhea, or ñandú, with his chicks at the future Patagonia National Park. Tompkins Conservation created a breeding center to restore the populations of these large flightless birds that thrive on the Patagonian steppe ecosystem. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542735778982-QLVREQ4ELA6WIDFXV7P9/Screen+Shot+2018-11-20+at+12.32.19+PM.png Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - Beaver (Castor canadensis) in karukinka park Beavers are an introduced species on the island of Tierra del Fuego, and now ecologists are working to eradicate them. Doing exceptionally well in this cold, rainy climate, they have changed the ecosystems by building thousands of dams, and blocking streams and rivers to create ponds for protection of their lodges. Humans are ultimately responsible for this invasive species, and their violent removal should teach us about the impacts that we can have upon ecosystems, and the repercussions that follow. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542736038157-05623AOC85896VQKUGED/Screen+Shot+2018-11-20+at+12.32.35+PM.png Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - European hare (Lepus europaeus) European hare were introduced in many places in Chile as game, and now are quite common. We spotted this one at the future Patagonia National Park. These small mammals have adapted well to the local environment, and are not considered a pest in the same in which beavers are. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498524462743-IUO8W639Z3JQSJLZCWKK/JPLotak+-+Huemul+-+South+Andean+Deer Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus) The huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus), or south Andean deer, is an extremely rare species of deer native to Chilean Patagonia and Argentina. With an estimated population of 1,500 left in the wild, the future Patagonia National Park is working to ensure their habitat remains conserved. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498530106859-L7H5LNJ6155VYB69EW3O/JPLotak+-+Southern+Crested+Caracara Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - Southern crested caracara (Caracara plancus) Southern crested caracara (Caracara plancus), or carancho, is the second largest species of falcon in the world, by weight of bodymass. They are mostly scavangers and opportunistic hunters. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542736235060-S9XIRXX7M3XCC98PU88B/Screen+Shot+2018-11-20+at+12.32.54+PM.png Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - White-throated treerunners (Pygarrhichas albogularis) White-throated treerunners are found throughout the beech forests of Chilean Patagonia, where they run up and down the trunks of trees, feeding on small insects and invertebrates. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542736352493-0UUVVH5NN24RY7C6B6QO/Screen+Shot+2018-11-20+at+12.33.28+PM.png Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - Thorn-tailed rayadito (Aphrastura spinicauda) These small noisy birds are often seen in small groups in trees while on hikes. They are usually seen in flocks of 4-7 birds and feed together on insects from tree to tree. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1501252509422-5QK5C6NT9AA532EUUUNI/JPLotak+-+Valle+Chacabuco+Guanaco Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - Guanaco (Lama guanicoe) Guanaco (Lama guanicoe), standing watch. Guanacos are typically found in two types of groups: one male with many females and young, and all males where they spar to eventually have their own harem. This male was part of the latter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498528461999-E7BRN9085V64NBK0HWSJ/JPLotak+-+Black+Land+Snail+-+Tantauco Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - Black land snail (Macrocyclis peruvianus) Black land snail (Macrocyclis peruvianus), in Chiloe's Tantauco Park. This is Chile's largest species of land snail, and they live in the Valdivian temperate rainforests. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1499119688631-3LKL7EWNIVALJLJVZBDP/JPLotak+-+Limpets+-+Cabo+Froward Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - Limpets on a rock, along the hike to Cabo Froward Limpets on a rock, along the hike to Cabo Froward. These aquatic snails come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and slowly move around on the rocks on which they attach themselves, unlike barnacles or mussels. An interesting fact: their "teeth", which they use to scrape algae off of rocks, are the strongest known biological material, with tensile strengths of up to 6.5 GPa. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498530412115-0XMRLFDW8VH9C1GNLI4I/JPLotak+-+Dark-bellied+Cinclodes Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - Dark-bellied cinclodes (Cinclodes patagonicus) Dark-bellied cinclodes (Cinclodes patagonicus), along the coastlines of Cabo Froward. These small birds are often found near lakes, streams and coastlines from Santiago to Tierra del Fuego. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542736703346-36KTG14DTN6VMFLS6BSD/Screen+Shot+2018-11-20+at+12.33.17+PM.png Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - Southern lapwing (Vanellus chilensis) Southern lapwing wading on the southern coast of the island of Chiloe, in Tantuaco Park. These mid-sized waders aggressively defend their nests against any intruders, including humans. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498530546661-QNDVT97VDFI59KXXQR51/JPLotak+-+South+American+Sea+Lions Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens) South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens), along the fiords of Alberto de Agostini National Park, in the very south of Chile. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542736826874-T6ZIOBLKSR5L7X3L36QQ/Screen+Shot+2018-11-20+at+12.33.06+PM.png Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - Patagonian crested ducks (Lophonetta specularioides specularioides) A pair of Patagonian crested ducks in the Strait of Magellan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1499112443269-R3LAPVBX602TPR632Q6F/JPLotak+-+South+American+Sea+Lion+-+Cabo+Froward Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens) at cabo froward Male South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens), entering the waters of the Strait of Magellan. This guy was huge, and surprised us during our hike on the beach. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498528343747-U0V10ZDXKNIVFRB3YU3Q/JPLotak+-+Chilean+Pintails+-+Yendegaia Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - Chilean pintails (Anas georgica spinicauda) Chilean pintails (Anas georgica spinicauda) and other species, wading through the shallow delta waters from Yendegaia River, in Yendegaia National Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542736944859-4DI8JRUBEKGHGJJ8JIGX/Screen+Shot+2018-11-20+at+12.33.49+PM.png Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - upland or magellan goose (Chloephaga picta) Male upland goose eating kelp on the coast nearby Cabo Froward. This species is indigenous to the southern stretches of South America. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542737041684-B5GG8GR9VGPEYIZEPBNO/Screen+Shot+2018-11-20+at+12.34.00+PM.png Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - Small flock of upland geese. These monogamous birds are sometimes seen in flocks that can contain thousands of individuals. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498530899510-RDQS6410EDMB1UXNJGQV/JPLotak+-+South+American+Terns+-+Cabo+Froward Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - South American terns (Sterna hirundinacea) South American terns (Sterna hirundinacea), feeding off the coast of Cabo Froward, the southernmost point of South America's mainland. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498522765547-O4LOUP8W1LR7UHPXRYI1/JPLotak+-+Black-necked+Swan Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - Black-necked swan (Cygnus melancoryphus) Black-necked swan (Cygnus melancoryphus). These are the largest waterfowl native to South America, and breed mostly in Chilean Patagonia in the Austral winters, while spending summers in Paraguay and southern Brazil. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498532244270-LKAYOQIAOMJZ9E0WDGX9/JPLotak+-+Humpback+-+Yendegaia Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) A breaching humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), at Yendegaia National Park. Humpbacks almost went extinct in the first part of the 20th century due to excessive hunting, but then rebounded after a 1966 moratorium on whale hunting. Now they face other challenges related to seismic and sonar testing, which can cause them to go deaf and ultimately die. Yendegaia Bay is an incredibly biodiverse underwater world, located within this new Chilean National Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1499119600792-QHC9LWA66669XXJETYIE/JPLotak+-+Chimango+caracara Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - Chimango caracara (Phalcoboenus chimango) Chimango caracara (Phalcoboenus chimango), spreading its wings along the rocky coast of Cabo Froward. These intellegent, opportunistic birds of prey are seen frequently throughout Chilean Patagonia. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498532635771-RJTH9FDJPJHWG43O32Z9/JPLotak+-+Flatworm+-+Tantauco Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - Land Planarian/Land flatworm (Polycladus gayi) Polycladus gayi, in the temperate rainforests of Tantauco Park. This is an "understudied" species, if anyone is interested. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1499119287426-ORPRQIYV14KMKBMKRQQK/JPLotak+-+Darwin%27s+Frog+-+Tantauco Blog - PATAGONIA'S BIODIVERSITY: Photographs of Southern Chile's Wild Fauna - southern Darwin's frog (Rhinoderma darwinii) The southern Darwin's frog (Rhinoderma darwinii), a tiny resident of the forest streams of Chile and Argentina. Called the "Ranita de Darwin" in Spanish. They are found on the wet ground, this one was in Tantauco Park, on Chile's island of Chiloe. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/the-wild-side-of-chiloe-conservation-in-tantauco-park2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542737738084-HAM9CKSTV6IAS8UO3XH5/hiking-tantauco-park.jpg Blog - “THE WILD SIDE OF CHILOÉ”: Conservation in Tantauco Park One of the boardwalks across peat bogs in Tantauco Park, on the Island of Chiloé https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498598457128-1F6CGY1QCNNKEWENIPCD/transversal_trail_tantauco.jpg Blog - “THE WILD SIDE OF CHILOÉ”: Conservation in Tantauco Park - Beginning our adventure https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498598385745-109509NBVS9FXUU2MI94/tantauco_transversal_trail.jpg Blog - “THE WILD SIDE OF CHILOÉ”: Conservation in Tantauco Park - Crossing one of the beautiful bridges along the trail, with a break from the rain https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498598336765-U6EBLYJFDO701YXFXMGW/tantauco_flood.jpg Blog - “THE WILD SIDE OF CHILOÉ”: Conservation in Tantauco Park - Oops... Keeping our feet dry was not an option during the four days of hiking https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498598407100-JX8A4CARQKTKIEUAA0HS/piramide_tantauco.jpg Blog - “THE WILD SIDE OF CHILOÉ”: Conservation in Tantauco Park - Reaching the hut at the Piramide refuge on day 1 was most appreciated https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498599205675-S1PD2PE86T6GU8CTNLA3/turberas_tantauco.jpg Blog - “THE WILD SIDE OF CHILOÉ”: Conservation in Tantauco Park - The two dominant ecosystems on the Transversal Trail: the peat bogs... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498599265436-HJJTHV9ONZU2MIJWC54M/hiking_tantauco.jpg Blog - “THE WILD SIDE OF CHILOÉ”: Conservation in Tantauco Park - ... and the lush temperate rainforest https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498599789967-U8ZKI1PKC552HWQAGTJB/lichens_tantauco.jpg Blog - “THE WILD SIDE OF CHILOÉ”: Conservation in Tantauco Park - Some of the most incredible lichens https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498600046699-HD55MRW6W8JL90AS0MS6/chiloe_palmtree.jpg Blog - “THE WILD SIDE OF CHILOÉ”: Conservation in Tantauco Park - A species of palm tree present everywhere in Chaiguata https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498601372214-UYOS2PR43H9GAN0NSKIQ/tantauco_ranger.jpg Blog - “THE WILD SIDE OF CHILOÉ”: Conservation in Tantauco Park - Barbara talking about the process of ecosystem restoration https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498601304594-NTPTF38K0B953A7Y48H1/20170504-DSC05956.jpg Blog - “THE WILD SIDE OF CHILOÉ”: Conservation in Tantauco Park - The young trees from the garden are ready to be moved to the forest https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498601364970-RJ5R893WJ30GPU9IEYEJ/tantauco_cypress.jpg Blog - “THE WILD SIDE OF CHILOÉ”: Conservation in Tantauco Park - While the younger ones from the greenhouse are ready to take their place in the garden. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498601302480-CZTQLILYPSTLI2FRDWPM/cyress_guaitecas_seeds.jpg Blog - “THE WILD SIDE OF CHILOÉ”: Conservation in Tantauco Park - Precious cargo: some of the cypress seeds collected https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498602266735-U1YP8BODM99NIDOUHP8O/tantauco_rainbow.jpg Blog - “THE WILD SIDE OF CHILOÉ”: Conservation in Tantauco Park - Seeing the sun on day 4 made all the difference. View from the last refuge, Mirador Inio. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498602191155-IVBAJ1SPWMKO2XR05BOS/tantauco_inio_south.jpg Blog - “THE WILD SIDE OF CHILOÉ”: Conservation in Tantauco Park - The main square in Inio, with the park's offices and guesthouse in the background. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498602522467-RPKBJRQXRP63APYZOCQ5/inio_boats.jpg Blog - “THE WILD SIDE OF CHILOÉ”: Conservation in Tantauco Park - The typical boats from Chiloé. Inío is a village of fishermen. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498602608346-K0CP34DUS8TUFRZI348E/tantauco_sunset.jpg Blog - “THE WILD SIDE OF CHILOÉ”: Conservation in Tantauco Park - Sunset light and the moon seen from the lookout tower in Inío. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498603333742-9KW6FJ4QQ1H3NBMQN8V0/image-asset.jpeg Blog - “THE WILD SIDE OF CHILOÉ”: Conservation in Tantauco Park - ringed kingfisher (Megaceryle torquata) A ringed kingfisher defying the rain and wind in search for fish in one of the lagoons next to the Piramide refuge https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498602885755-NRIYFM6JAZYRE3BWW1TU/image-asset.jpeg Blog - “THE WILD SIDE OF CHILOÉ”: Conservation in Tantauco Park The silhouette of the lighthouse in Inío at sunset. A 21 km loop trail starting right outside this fishing village can take the visitor through beautiful, green forests, along the beach, to the lighthouse and to some archeological sites of the Chono indigenous people. Halfway through one can spend the night at the hut in the Quilanlar refuge. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/visiting-tantauco-chilos-southern-wilderness2017 monthly 0.5 2024-08-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542738844497-QQNJM6CFHPJ6H90VGXJ8/tantauco_hiking.jpg Blog - VISITING TANTAUCO: Chiloé’s Southern Wilderness Day 1 of the hike in Tantauco Park on the Island of Chiloé (photo by Andreea Lotak) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498071806435-QJZ0B9Q33XPAWV3XV8C5/JPLotak-IMG_9753_20170504.jpg Blog - VISITING TANTAUCO: Chiloé’s Southern Wilderness - First trail marker on the Transversal Trail/Sendero Transversal (ST) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498071707265-URWIG8B88YYM5YJPCYGC/JPLotak-IMG_2036_20170506.jpg Blog - VISITING TANTAUCO: Chiloé’s Southern Wilderness - One of the boardwalk sections on the trail https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498074574147-C4BB333PLERE76UXGQS1/JPLotak-IMG_1888_20170504.jpg Blog - VISITING TANTAUCO: Chiloé’s Southern Wilderness - Peat bogs around the Piramide refuge https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498074575023-KJGT7O85K0BHM3HOZIES/JPLotak-IMG_2073_20170506.jpg Blog - VISITING TANTAUCO: Chiloé’s Southern Wilderness - Boardwalk through a dark section of the forest https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498508744819-FCB21W71IF551FC2GW3U/20170508-DSC06065.jpg Blog - VISITING TANTAUCO: Chiloé’s Southern Wilderness - One of the domes in Chaiguata https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498508800941-PBWKU93Z4LU5TKH08P5J/20170508-DSC06080.jpg Blog - VISITING TANTAUCO: Chiloé’s Southern Wilderness - The main entrance, with a small souvenir and basic supply shop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498508672210-HOIYFA6CI8MRIU57N63T/20170508-DSC06069.jpg Blog - VISITING TANTAUCO: Chiloé’s Southern Wilderness - One of the rustic hot tubs with beautiful views https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498508696965-UT3Z9G66B3Y6LCB5MCV9/20170508-DSC06075.jpg Blog - VISITING TANTAUCO: Chiloé’s Southern Wilderness - One of the campsites in Chaiguata https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498073395293-03MY8UGO53O2NNK52L4I/JPLotak-IMG_1904_20170505.jpg Blog - VISITING TANTAUCO: Chiloé’s Southern Wilderness - The hut at the Piramide refuge where we had to spend two days https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498073379613-3LMU8NRN6S63SJPU3FEK/JPLotak-IMG_2078_20170506.jpg Blog - VISITING TANTAUCO: Chiloé’s Southern Wilderness - Though it was raining and windy outside for most of the time, it was warm and nice inside https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498071333376-989Y4NWOLG8233YCAFPQ/JPLotak-IMG_9951_20170507.jpg Blog - VISITING TANTAUCO: Chiloé’s Southern Wilderness - Fishermen on the beach in Inio, with the lighthouse in the background https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498071343305-OKIY9956D3YSRC1WX1EF/JPLotak-IMG_9928_20170507.jpg Blog - VISITING TANTAUCO: Chiloé’s Southern Wilderness - Southern lapwing https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498076315025-ZO2NWZBVEPHQQ73Q0YAA/JPLotak-IMG_2237_20170507.jpg Blog - VISITING TANTAUCO: Chiloé’s Southern Wilderness - A Polycladus gayi worm making its way through the vegetation https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498076325279-3FRROXU1YI4KO2ZK1JHJ/JPLotak-IMG_2242_20170507.jpg Blog - VISITING TANTAUCO: Chiloé’s Southern Wilderness - Lush vegetation and plenty of mushrooms in the old-growth forest section approaching Inio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498076422012-25ANKT3S4UHIXV7X78HF/JPLotak-IMG_9852_20170506.jpg Blog - VISITING TANTAUCO: Chiloé’s Southern Wilderness - A ringed kingfisher at the Piramide refuge https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1498076429808-J485IWPK81C9TRNB16JG/JPLotak-IMG_9876_20170506.jpg Blog - VISITING TANTAUCO: Chiloé’s Southern Wilderness - A male Magellanic woodpecker https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1497991907146-VURTBS6VK9T11C9C9VC1/image-asset.jpeg Blog - VISITING TANTAUCO: Chiloé’s Southern Wilderness A blue whale going for a dive https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1497993061872-QRPT5MXANUYVDWPXC8SP/image-asset.jpeg Blog - VISITING TANTAUCO: Chiloé’s Southern Wilderness The elusive pudú. (sorry for the image quality - it was taken through a rainy cabin window at dusk) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1497993169709-J7TPBCOZ3W1WNXQFHHGY/image-asset.jpeg Blog - VISITING TANTAUCO: Chiloé’s Southern Wilderness A southern Darwin's frog in the peat bogs of Tantauco https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1497988626963-9SYHYFGRAB519DS2FRO2/image-asset.jpeg Blog - VISITING TANTAUCO: Chiloé’s Southern Wilderness https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/building-trails-hiking-the-future-patagonia-national-park2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542739702479-9XP5E1ZE4QYQIJ8GL14V/patagonia-national-park.jpg Blog - BUILDING TRAILS: Hiking the future Patagonia National Park Mesmerizing clouds over the mountains in the future Patagonia National Park https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1497649068720-M8MV11JWCTC59SR5NQ3A/image-asset.jpeg Blog - BUILDING TRAILS: Hiking the future Patagonia National Park - Autumn colors of the Aviles Valley Autumn colors of the Aviles Valley https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1497648908430-92XSWQT7KUS9CCWV120N/image-asset.jpeg Blog - BUILDING TRAILS: Hiking the future Patagonia National Park - Blue waters of the Baker River Blue waters of the Baker River https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1497648771215-RASJA1YXRLRPPXBE7KVO/image-asset.jpeg Blog - BUILDING TRAILS: Hiking the future Patagonia National Park - The isolated and pristine Lago Chico The isolated and pristine Lago Chico https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1497650164358-L846258ZRTX9JOIXGBI8/JPLotak-I01A6558_20170331.jpg Blog - BUILDING TRAILS: Hiking the future Patagonia National Park - Hiking THE Los Gatos TRAIL Hiking Los Gatos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1497650028852-TK91VPEZU4EOVPGH4MYC/image-asset.jpeg Blog - BUILDING TRAILS: Hiking the future Patagonia National Park - One of the many views along the Lagunas Altas Trail One of the many views along the Lagunas Altas Trail https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542740382523-W5ADAGVA18RQ85ZSUI9B/parque_patagonia_campsites.jpg Blog - BUILDING TRAILS: Hiking the future Patagonia National Park - LOS WEST WINDS CAMPGROUND https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542742412778-5CPJQ56JVS8MJEPM89SG/AELotak-20170331-I01A6426.jpg Blog - BUILDING TRAILS: Hiking the future Patagonia National Park - A SAMPLE OF THE RUGGED RELIEF OF PATAGONIA NATIONAL PARK CAN BE SEEN WHILE ON THE FURIOSO TRAIL https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/garden-patagonia-park monthly 0.5 2018-11-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542743104113-PNOTIUF8N3309K6TG9YB/huerta_valle_chacabuco_patagonia.jpg Blog - THE CHOICES WE MAKE: The Vegetable Garden in Patagonia Park Francisco’s bike stationed in front of the vegetable garden in Patagonia Park, Chile https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1497994291754-P48INHMF5NWBNXHBL1DB/image-asset.jpeg Blog - THE CHOICES WE MAKE: The Vegetable Garden in Patagonia Park - vegetable garden of the patagonia park Planted on 600 sq metres/6,450 sq ft, this garden renders over three tons of produce per season. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1497995080898-K97J518G3G1142X5GQYE/DSC04704-5.jpg Blog - THE CHOICES WE MAKE: The Vegetable Garden in Patagonia Park - The little office in the garden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1497995054615-5OZMNCXL809HVO7C2HRU/DSC04705-6.jpg Blog - THE CHOICES WE MAKE: The Vegetable Garden in Patagonia Park - Pretty much everything here is photogenic https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1497995892622-EU8OGQLY3EO7FDZ63DN9/DSC04697-3.jpg Blog - THE CHOICES WE MAKE: The Vegetable Garden in Patagonia Park - Vegetable garden Patagonia Park https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1497995907430-GEU10HGGX5TMFXPAEOHA/DSC04695-2.jpg Blog - THE CHOICES WE MAKE: The Vegetable Garden in Patagonia Park - Greenhouse Patagonia Park https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1497996765623-XAW6OH21B8XU247U5MK6/DSC04706-7.jpg Blog - THE CHOICES WE MAKE: The Vegetable Garden in Patagonia Park https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/designing-the-patagonia-park-conservation-and-the-pursuit-of-beauty2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542744983058-YC1SUV87IKVAKBAO28YB/AELotak-20170330-I01A6372.jpg Blog - DESIGNING THE PATAGONIA PARK: Conservation and the Pursuit of Beauty Patagonia Park’s HQs looking tiny, nestled in the impressive Chacabuco Valley https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1497113046340-TNB6PML1037AXUSF29UP/image-asset.jpeg Blog - DESIGNING THE PATAGONIA PARK: Conservation and the Pursuit of Beauty A large herd of guanacos hanging out in front of the restaurant and the park's main offices. During our first week there we had snow up in the mountains, which to our luck drove all the guanacos down to the valley where we could see them daily eating, sleeping and picking up fights https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1497115462500-UI7ZASCL2N48ORJOZI8H/image-asset.jpeg Blog - DESIGNING THE PATAGONIA PARK: Conservation and the Pursuit of Beauty In Valle Chacabuco the vegetable garden, or "la huerta" in Spanish, is an inspiring example of sustainable living https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1497118702597-9X2V0M0ZE8WZ0JXW0NB2/DSC04396.jpg Blog - DESIGNING THE PATAGONIA PARK: Conservation and the Pursuit of Beauty - At the top on the "Lagunas Altas" trail https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1497118722326-BTZE9I8363FW98TA2K0L/DSC04513.jpg Blog - DESIGNING THE PATAGONIA PARK: Conservation and the Pursuit of Beauty - "Lagunas Altas" is a 23 km amazing trail that can be done in one day https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1497117361397-KWTZRH52113PFQ48S8A5/parque_patagonia_lodge_outside.jpg Blog - DESIGNING THE PATAGONIA PARK: Conservation and the Pursuit of Beauty - A Chilean architect brought the Tompkins vision to life https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1497117446593-R1YOPFJCH0ZYPPDJ2DV7/parque_patagonia_lodge.jpg Blog - DESIGNING THE PATAGONIA PARK: Conservation and the Pursuit of Beauty - The common area in the main building https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1497117267653-BNXOI2M2CKVRNRWZVKWE/parque_patagonia_lodge_lobby.jpg Blog - DESIGNING THE PATAGONIA PARK: Conservation and the Pursuit of Beauty - Decorated by an Argentine interior designer, it overlooks the mountains & valley https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1497117535236-4FEC4VF5Y0F8UJNTPQLU/parque_patagonia_room.jpg Blog - DESIGNING THE PATAGONIA PARK: Conservation and the Pursuit of Beauty - One of the rooms in the lodge. Each room is decorated differently https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1497117615445-U698GMK2V4QS99GU6YDK/parque_patagonia_small_lodge.jpg Blog - DESIGNING THE PATAGONIA PARK: Conservation and the Pursuit of Beauty - Common area in the annex of the lodge https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1497117878405-LYBKTKDY77DUZSB6D2M0/DSC04341.jpg Blog - DESIGNING THE PATAGONIA PARK: Conservation and the Pursuit of Beauty - What Johanna called, with a smile, "the Honeymoon Suite" https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1497119195206-561ZRLCXWACUE0JS4JU8/west_winds_campsite_patagonia.jpg Blog - DESIGNING THE PATAGONIA PARK: Conservation and the Pursuit of Beauty - "Los West Winds" campsite, a 3km walk/drive from the park's entrance https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1497119199493-H44PV7Y3R53CZOR0FMYP/parque_patagonia_campsites.jpg Blog - DESIGNING THE PATAGONIA PARK: Conservation and the Pursuit of Beauty - Each campsite has a large shelter for cooking and hanging out https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/bringing-back-the-darwins-rhea-wildlife-conservation-in-the-future-patagonia-national-park2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542745971298-ZULZM86TCV3IME3MCRQL/patagonia-nandu-rhea.jpg Blog - BRINGING BACK THE DARWIN’S RHEA: Wildlife Conservation in the Future Patagonia National Park A male Darwin rhea/ñandú with two of its chicks in Patagonia Park https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1495656490027-FXE7YCX3ZZ46VV1J0LI5/JPLotak-I01A7756_20170406.jpg Blog - BRINGING BACK THE DARWIN’S RHEA: Wildlife Conservation in the Future Patagonia National Park - Arriving at the Ñandú outpost https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1495656685750-Z4P3VRV0UPOPT6KCUCEX/JPLotak-I01A7852_20170406.jpg Blog - BRINGING BACK THE DARWIN’S RHEA: Wildlife Conservation in the Future Patagonia National Park - First snowfall of the season arrived the same time as we did https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1495656713716-IAORPBI4ORB7P1PCC4YR/Rhea+enclosure+patagonia.jpg Blog - BRINGING BACK THE DARWIN’S RHEA: Wildlife Conservation in the Future Patagonia National Park - Inside one of the enclosures https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1495656592344-UR57W41X5Y30NDMZLLZL/JPLotak-I01A7768_20170406.jpg Blog - BRINGING BACK THE DARWIN’S RHEA: Wildlife Conservation in the Future Patagonia National Park - Curious rheas/ñandús listening to what Alejandra is saying about them https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1495658033106-GM9MD1HIXPPK15C2FPYT/Nandu_Darwin+Rhea_Patagonia Blog - BRINGING BACK THE DARWIN’S RHEA: Wildlife Conservation in the Future Patagonia National Park One of the males looking photogenic in front of Justin's camera. The ñandú is Patagonia's largest terrestrial bird species, but it is significantly smaller than the ostrich with which it is related. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1495658406036-KPWFATNAWIRNG0UQHUD3/Darwin_rhea_breeding_center Blog - BRINGING BACK THE DARWIN’S RHEA: Wildlife Conservation in the Future Patagonia National Park Right before the snow and the cold pushed us back into the house https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1495654328848-PYLK19RGDHDR18647BN5/image-asset.jpeg Blog - BRINGING BACK THE DARWIN’S RHEA: Wildlife Conservation in the Future Patagonia National Park The first snowfall of the season contrasting with the beautiful, green vegetation of the steppe at the isolated Ñandú outpost https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/biodiversity-of-the-chacabuco-restoring-a-unique-ecosystem2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542746661531-TK6H0MRXN6CNLW22NW8K/guanaco-patagonia-chile.jpg Blog - BIODIVERSITY IN THE CHACABUCO VALLEY: Restoring a Unique Ecosystem Young guanaco taking a break from grazing https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1495481341652-DND030U7M7RBUFBHST5R/JPLotak-4495.jpg Blog - BIODIVERSITY IN THE CHACABUCO VALLEY: Restoring a Unique Ecosystem - Austral pygmy owl (Glaucidium nana) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1495480058161-QN4YRTG5S90RJ6UWYW5E/JPLotak-I01A7439_20170404.jpg Blog - BIODIVERSITY IN THE CHACABUCO VALLEY: Restoring a Unique Ecosystem - White-throated treerunner (Pygarrhichas albogularis) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1495507898504-0TZQQWKH7DMM1Q947EIY/JPLotak-I01A6981_20170403.jpg Blog - BIODIVERSITY IN THE CHACABUCO VALLEY: Restoring a Unique Ecosystem - Fire-eyed diucon (Xolmis pyrope) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1495508181916-8M99I792WXJTO2Q86FBM/JPLotak-4228.jpg Blog - BIODIVERSITY IN THE CHACABUCO VALLEY: Restoring a Unique Ecosystem - Southern lapwing (Vanellus chilensis) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1495469831541-8ZZUIXMPL7QV9GQY0I19/image-asset.jpeg Blog - BIODIVERSITY IN THE CHACABUCO VALLEY: Restoring a Unique Ecosystem A young guanaco dust bathing while an adult stands watch https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1495469932608-DPB2KDARJEI2CIXM6WU9/image-asset.jpeg Blog - BIODIVERSITY IN THE CHACABUCO VALLEY: Restoring a Unique Ecosystem A male huemul crossing freshly fallen snow. Photo taken at the Cerro Castillo National Reserve, the only place where we finally spotted this elusive species https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1495471492998-CQ673E7NCOVBU34KTK13/image-asset.jpeg Blog - BIODIVERSITY IN THE CHACABUCO VALLEY: Restoring a Unique Ecosystem One of the several ñandús of Conservacion Patagonica's Darwin’s Rhea Conservation Program https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1495470166129-KLXKGB0KJHTB5H94EOVY/JPLotak-1200723.jpg Blog - BIODIVERSITY IN THE CHACABUCO VALLEY: Restoring a Unique Ecosystem - Condor flying with Mt. San Lorenzo in the background https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1495470091718-P7AGW02R0UD2ZUSIIR85/JPLotak-I01A7227_20170404.jpg Blog - BIODIVERSITY IN THE CHACABUCO VALLEY: Restoring a Unique Ecosystem - Soaring Andean condor https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1495752149471-LGZQ0WIZX0V44XCQ0VEU/JPLotak-IMG_7311_20130424.jpg Blog - BIODIVERSITY IN THE CHACABUCO VALLEY: Restoring a Unique Ecosystem A vizcacha enjoying some sun on the rocks https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/jeinimeni-chacabuco-tamango-connectingafuturenationalpark monthly 0.5 2018-11-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542747533680-XZB7MPY2NKN3WCKD75PG/laguna-verde-patagonia Blog - JEINIMENI, CHACABUCO & TAMANGO: Connecting a Future National Park The unbelievable color of Lago Verde in Jeinimeni National Reserve, part of the future Patagonia National Park https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1494803434089-J99248H9XHOEASV6GA07/image-asset.jpeg Blog - JEINIMENI, CHACABUCO & TAMANGO: Connecting a Future National Park Chacabuco Valley, the heart of the future Patagonia National Park https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1494853755567-5PXTEGQIKQQFFULC03WU/JPLotak-I01A8315_20170409.jpg Blog - JEINIMENI, CHACABUCO & TAMANGO: Connecting a Future National Park - The mountains and light of Jeinimeni National Reserve https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1494863048075-SD1UNLCXEX4HV7UB5FIV/DSC04098.jpg Blog - JEINIMENI, CHACABUCO & TAMANGO: Connecting a Future National Park - A view of the arid landscape in the Tamango National Reserve https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1494861873616-Q2SWMBE4WNPQAB3JTK2F/jeinimeni+national+reserve Blog - JEINIMENI, CHACABUCO & TAMANGO: Connecting a Future National Park Greeted by some of the most impressive scenery in the Jeinimeni National Reserve, right at the start of the hike https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542748366203-HRBRJVYXGFC2U1TXBVKQ/DSC04952.jpg Blog - JEINIMENI, CHACABUCO & TAMANGO: Connecting a Future National Park - Autumn colors contrasting with a cloudy morning in the Jeinimeni National Reserve https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542748405088-RDQUBAFMAK6P4EKZC493/DSC05192.jpg Blog - JEINIMENI, CHACABUCO & TAMANGO: Connecting a Future National Park - Hiking into Patagonia Park from Siete Lagunas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1494864067238-GHLLRQMJ99MRERUX4IPO/jeinimeni+national+reserve+chile Blog - JEINIMENI, CHACABUCO & TAMANGO: Connecting a Future National Park Sunset at the first river crossing of our trip with Chulengo Expeditions https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1494803757959-AQHRDN34S3SOLQ4Q5OGM/JPLotak-I01A8199_20170409.jpg Blog - JEINIMENI, CHACABUCO & TAMANGO: Connecting a Future National Park - Our first night's camp, with our YAMA Mountain Gear tent https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1494803760818-34ILY5GV6N2EV9KAAZ1A/JPLotak-I01A8205_20170409.jpg Blog - JEINIMENI, CHACABUCO & TAMANGO: Connecting a Future National Park - "Oatmeal primavera" - a delicious way to start the day https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1494884989825-RB5DFG6KLYF4ADMOZN05/JPLotak-I01A8256_20170409.jpg Blog - JEINIMENI, CHACABUCO & TAMANGO: Connecting a Future National Park - Our first mountain pass with views of Lake Verde https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1494884989825-06VMDPW0C46ECZ7YPA8O/JPLotak-I01A8410_20170410.jpg Blog - JEINIMENI, CHACABUCO & TAMANGO: Connecting a Future National Park - Crossing rivers in the Hermoso Valley https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542748844332-AM51W44NYSD0A1ILSD38/JPLotak-I01A6957_20170403.jpg Blog - JEINIMENI, CHACABUCO & TAMANGO: Connecting a Future National Park Two male guanacos sparring for dominance https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1494864282380-10WH9E2TTMDET63IVHPU/DSC05129.jpg Blog - JEINIMENI, CHACABUCO & TAMANGO: Connecting a Future National Park - Night sets in at our second camp after crossing into the Patagonia Park https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1494864280757-PKS17YOYL8GVREA33V2U/DSC05131.jpg Blog - JEINIMENI, CHACABUCO & TAMANGO: Connecting a Future National Park - Our campsite among thorny, painful, beautiful bushes https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1494852933760-LTV6SG3FHGGJQAJJG7PR/image-asset.jpeg Blog - JEINIMENI, CHACABUCO & TAMANGO: Connecting a Future National Park A very rare sight: dominating the other mountains in the region, the San Valentin Mt., tallest in Chilean Patagonia, shows itself for a short moment before getting behind the clouds again. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/beyond-torres-del-paine-on-the-ultra-fiord-route2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542749118433-0GUGDYOETHRRXDXUJOD4/JPLotak-I01A1947_20170218.jpg Blog - BEYOND TORRES DEL PAINE: On the Ultra Fiord Route Inside an area known as “the Fortress”, where we camped among giant rocks which protected us from roaring winds https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492800490470-DNUZK5WIHBXULL0U2O26/image-asset.jpeg Blog - BEYOND TORRES DEL PAINE: On the Ultra Fiord Route - Última Esperanza fiord On of the many spectacular views along the Última Esperanza fiord https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492809668904-6TX8M6P0N36QQX73PKAZ/JPLotak-I01A1831_20170218.jpg Blog - BEYOND TORRES DEL PAINE: On the Ultra Fiord Route - Overlooking the Serrano River https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492802368051-H3OUN4NU92DKMVTFFW0X/JPLotak-I01A2040_20170219.jpg Blog - BEYOND TORRES DEL PAINE: On the Ultra Fiord Route - Stjepan and Andreea hiking up the Chacabuco Glacier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492803510733-DDBME8ULC2Z46EXEMI8F/image-asset.jpeg Blog - BEYOND TORRES DEL PAINE: On the Ultra Fiord Route - byron pass Ultra Fiord race founder, Stjepan Pavicic, at the Byron Pass of the Chacabuco Glacier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492803694990-WKH6B09OALWXGFW9ZQ7X/JPLotak-I01A2109_20170219.jpg Blog - BEYOND TORRES DEL PAINE: On the Ultra Fiord Route - Sebastian, Andreea and Stjepan getting the ropes ready https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492803700647-SQDWQH4GEWNX1CWF92B4/JPLotak-I01A2048_20170219.jpg Blog - BEYOND TORRES DEL PAINE: On the Ultra Fiord Route - Sebastian looking pose-worthy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492803911273-7UFADWAO0TUOH4TRM16R/image-asset.jpeg Blog - BEYOND TORRES DEL PAINE: On the Ultra Fiord Route - chacabuco glacier The view from the bottom of the Chacabuco Glacier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492804217998-8K8R2BA3A596TWWATT3J/JPLotak-I01A2148_20170219.jpg Blog - BEYOND TORRES DEL PAINE: On the Ultra Fiord Route - Stjepan peering over the side of the glacial morraine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492804218000-CGXOWH75LOJXVEQQIM32/JPLotak-I01A2175_20170219.jpg Blog - BEYOND TORRES DEL PAINE: On the Ultra Fiord Route - Coming upon a blue glacial lagoon high in the mountains https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492804419225-W92978GVQILOU90XC7X0/image-asset.jpeg Blog - BEYOND TORRES DEL PAINE: On the Ultra Fiord Route The rain and snow cleared long enough to welcome us into this valley just east of the Chacabuco mountains https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/looking-down-photographs-of-the-micro-worlds-in-the-cape-horn-biosphere-reserve2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542749879556-QPW2Z6SN9DY8R8W1FDPS/yendegaia-lichens.jpg Blog - LOOKING DOWN: Photographs of the Micro Worlds in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve Lichens covering the rocks in Yendegaia Bay, part of the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve and the Yendegaia National Park https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1491587447788-FL141R00HHNF9V46MWFH/Lichens+Cape+Horn+Biosphere+Reserve Blog - LOOKING DOWN: Photographs of the Micro Worlds in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve Approaching the rocks in the Yendegaia bay a different world appears. The incredible diversity of shapes and patterns of the crustose and foliose lichens on a square inch of those rocks is a source of amazement for a nerd like me. I'm in awe of such micro-organisms but know little of their scientific names. A "Lichen-101" important piece of information, though, is that they are not plants, nor animals. They are something of their own, a partnership between an alga and a fungus. This symbiosis helps both survive in an environment that could be fatal if they had gone their separate ways. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1491590332594-IABRRFY4F4IEFT3XQU2E/Lichens+Cape+Horn+Tierra+del+Fuego Blog - LOOKING DOWN: Photographs of the Micro Worlds in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve Second important lesson about lichens is that they are great at detecting air pollution. When a diversity of healthy lichens like the ones in the UNESCO Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve is present, it shows that the air is healthy too. It's why in urban environments the lichen diversity is much less impressive. This region at the southern bottom of the world has been identified as one of the 37 most pristine areas on the planet, which explains why almost every rock and tree is the host of miniature forests of lichens, mosses, liverworts and hornworts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1491592258064-UJN2XK5V3S2XPFSDK7D8/IMG_7843.jpg Blog - LOOKING DOWN: Photographs of the Micro Worlds in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve - Another important lesson: recognizing and naming lichens correctly is daunting. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1491592087824-VJAFGR8JL0VSLBY1V10R/IMG_7837.jpg Blog - LOOKING DOWN: Photographs of the Micro Worlds in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve - There are at least 20,000 different species worldwide. Here, a type of fruticose lichen. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1491593582365-SC2XNDGNYI9WUNRPTFS4/IMG_8038.jpg Blog - LOOKING DOWN: Photographs of the Micro Worlds in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve - In this lichen the algal half of the organism is the cyanobacteria, visible in the blue color. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1491593964251-RL41DOK7FQ5IYK89C2QE/IMG_8076.jpg Blog - LOOKING DOWN: Photographs of the Micro Worlds in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve - Tiny insects inhabiting what looks like a Xanthoparmelia foliose lichen. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492543361500-EX17EAX0BFZWNKCARDND/Yendegaia+Bay%2C+Tierra+del+Fuego Blog - LOOKING DOWN: Photographs of the Micro Worlds in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve The colors of the Yendegaia Bay are one of the most mesmerizing memory I have of that place. Moving away from the lichens, mosses and liverworts, I started observing the vascular plant world around me. These shrubs were starting to turn a bright red in anticipation of the approaching fall season. Below are a few of the photos taken of small grass vegetation, succulents and tiny flowers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492539679744-432B88K2BBVD551V3QBW/A2CC4627-D139-4A09-BF10-25276FA95A03.jpg Blog - LOOKING DOWN: Photographs of the Micro Worlds in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve - "Apothecia" (reproductive structures) disperse spores. Only the fungal half of the lichen has them. #funfacts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492539633884-3Y42IX1AXUY1YYX5WX03/IMG_7709.jpg Blog - LOOKING DOWN: Photographs of the Micro Worlds in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve - A cluster of "Cladonia" lichens, potentially the "Cladonia Fimbriata" or Trumpet Lichen type https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492540224723-H61TRHV8O8IQRNW4R32S/IMG_7755.jpg Blog - LOOKING DOWN: Photographs of the Micro Worlds in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve - Tiny mushroom surrounded by liverworts. The latter are a type of non-vascular land plant. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492540455924-L9UOYUG7B92C2XH0N291/IMG_8046.jpg Blog - LOOKING DOWN: Photographs of the Micro Worlds in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve - A type of "Usnea" lichen with the "apothecia", reproductive structure https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492543047425-4JFYSOQ26RDKRZK26R1V/DSC02398.jpg Blog - LOOKING DOWN: Photographs of the Micro Worlds in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve - A small "Usnea" lichen on a tree branch https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492543042987-CSMZLJLUYX8D1P4H2RTF/DSC02420.jpg Blog - LOOKING DOWN: Photographs of the Micro Worlds in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve - "Lenga" trees hosting a variety of lichens on their bark https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492546355914-40LRVAWZ5ZI43JR3K6BG/IMG_7887.jpg Blog - LOOKING DOWN: Photographs of the Micro Worlds in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492546312227-C5HHXWOO6N20P7SZ2GS9/IMG_7889.jpg Blog - LOOKING DOWN: Photographs of the Micro Worlds in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492546504612-Q88VHQKRLNLF91HR7IU8/IMG_7923.jpg Blog - LOOKING DOWN: Photographs of the Micro Worlds in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492546535742-GILVFLMHV6MKPXC38Y37/IMG_7925.jpg Blog - LOOKING DOWN: Photographs of the Micro Worlds in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492547139564-K4Q43CIY1PH4SGS5EDL6/IMG_7872.jpg Blog - LOOKING DOWN: Photographs of the Micro Worlds in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492547366811-TIGALDOGHFAMRYET25VV/IMG_7929.jpg Blog - LOOKING DOWN: Photographs of the Micro Worlds in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492547412636-KM7S4PQAITU4REUBWC4F/IMG_7934.jpg Blog - LOOKING DOWN: Photographs of the Micro Worlds in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492547166884-AL5YAY7QQILBRYK7IVNF/IMG_7915.jpg Blog - LOOKING DOWN: Photographs of the Micro Worlds in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/karukinka-the-story-in-photos2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542753661031-O24LLMDAJPOVRVW9IRCY/AELotak-20170208-I01A0785.jpg Blog - PATIENCE IN KARUKINKA: Photos of a Conservation Project https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492602557980-WKWP7FJU1UJYUJ925JIN/DSC02009.jpg Blog - PATIENCE IN KARUKINKA: Photos of a Conservation Project - The new sign made by volunteers at the Vicuña HQ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492602560058-23BY8UU0EGOPR0VI5V0G/DSC01983.jpg Blog - PATIENCE IN KARUKINKA: Photos of a Conservation Project - Dome tents and camping area in Vicuña, the gate to the Karukinka Park https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492601852795-XZKC7S00T2E106BV30U4/Trail+marker+Paciencia+Karukinka Blog - PATIENCE IN KARUKINKA: Photos of a Conservation Project - Paciencia trail One of the trail markers of the Paciencia trail. It uses the colors and symbols of the Selk'nam people who lived in the area. The name Karukinka is of Selk'nam origin as well, meaning "our land". The rain that falls so often in the park has made the forest overwhelmingly green. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492603902632-9H9D3SMV9A0G8IHSBGAO/JPLotak-I01A0765_20170208.jpg Blog - PATIENCE IN KARUKINKA: Photos of a Conservation Project - Rich moss and lichens covering branches and trees are signs of health of this old-growth ecosystem. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492604101193-9R9R26QGG3JSY5SB49M7/JPLotak-I01A1033_20170209.jpg Blog - PATIENCE IN KARUKINKA: Photos of a Conservation Project - A "calafate" berry bush covered in moss. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492604220670-B5E5JFWFAACPIYFFRARK/JPLotak-I01A0968_20170209.jpg Blog - PATIENCE IN KARUKINKA: Photos of a Conservation Project - Evergreen "coigüe" trees standing tall on mountain slopes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492604336488-CXNXLKBG9FKC47ZP4Q93/DSC02105.jpg Blog - PATIENCE IN KARUKINKA: Photos of a Conservation Project - Every patch of forest is also a garden of mosses, lichens and liverworts covering everything. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492604609197-KNLDHIESN7MWTDQYSJ3O/JPLotak-I01A0581_20170207.jpg Blog - PATIENCE IN KARUKINKA: Photos of a Conservation Project - A southern crested caracara greeted us almost at the entrance in the park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492604683459-LWRRUREFEOCJ7N0QEFX7/JPLotak-I01A1043_20170209.jpg Blog - PATIENCE IN KARUKINKA: Photos of a Conservation Project - A female Magellanic woodpecker exploring a dead tree. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492604954169-Y4GC1TCFEDHVYT9CFZVG/image-asset.jpeg Blog - PATIENCE IN KARUKINKA: Photos of a Conservation Project - culpeo fox (Lycalopex culpaeus) A culpeo fox (Lycalopex culpaeus) once it finished scavenging for the bones of a dead guanaco. The forests of the Karukinka Natural Park are home to an important population in the area, offering a sanctuary to this second largest native canid species in South America. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492796424663-AA5VUVB8NF6KRMD9JOXM/DSC02229-2.jpg Blog - PATIENCE IN KARUKINKA: Photos of a Conservation Project - Probably the sweetest moss patch every stumbled upon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492794916812-Q2VB6H790ZSJTKL1ZSWH/JPLotak-I01A1351_20170212.jpg Blog - PATIENCE IN KARUKINKA: Photos of a Conservation Project - With all the rain a diversity of mushrooms popped up everywhere. Help identifying? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492794889428-NFPRB5LOFG655HFQFLZN/JPLotak-I01A0778_20170208.jpg Blog - PATIENCE IN KARUKINKA: Photos of a Conservation Project https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492795110621-ZFICZ8221YU4FWKMAXW6/JPLotak-I01A1363_20170212.jpg Blog - PATIENCE IN KARUKINKA: Photos of a Conservation Project https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492795569209-PCUXF7I25NQYN5UWSKVA/JPLotak-I01A0686_20170208.jpg Blog - PATIENCE IN KARUKINKA: Photos of a Conservation Project https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492795499171-6WW6439HI15C3Y7Y4SM2/JPLotak-I01A1212_20170211.jpg Blog - PATIENCE IN KARUKINKA: Photos of a Conservation Project https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492795667721-NCDEA4UYSTVSS54DHRTW/DSC02154.jpg Blog - PATIENCE IN KARUKINKA: Photos of a Conservation Project https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492796609149-OHA10OQA4XEGIFZHCOIO/DSC02247.jpg Blog - PATIENCE IN KARUKINKA: Photos of a Conservation Project - Wonderful streams with clean water abound on the trail. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492796848377-OKLLR643M52HM8HI7EGR/JPLotak-I01A0709_20170208.jpg Blog - PATIENCE IN KARUKINKA: Photos of a Conservation Project - The Paciencia river running along most of the trail. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492796781008-NTYVDG6XPF15QQTY3L7K/JPLotak-I01A0802_20170208.jpg Blog - PATIENCE IN KARUKINKA: Photos of a Conservation Project - A bit of blue in a sea of green: our Yama Mountain Gear tent. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492797106560-U53WCRMLOA08K7SWQYXA/JPLotak-I01A0848_20170209.jpg Blog - PATIENCE IN KARUKINKA: Photos of a Conservation Project - Carolina leading the way after all her clothes got soaked during a river crossing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492798164156-WTDJM1P0IVH37DBH2H97/Screen+Shot+2017-04-21+at+3.07.47+PM.png Blog - PATIENCE IN KARUKINKA: Photos of a Conservation Project - Getting to one of the "castoreras", beaver dam networks that have completely changed the landscape. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492797340700-7R1DIL3C4ZZV5I52WYOC/JPLotak-I01A1393_20170212.jpg Blog - PATIENCE IN KARUKINKA: Photos of a Conservation Project - An introduced species, the beavers are incredible masters of dams and have turned rivers into lakes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492797649947-K6RO85YAJX5II37KXZ06/JPLotak-I01A0983_20170209.jpg Blog - PATIENCE IN KARUKINKA: Photos of a Conservation Project - Following the trail through an impressive peat bog area of the park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492798190183-YU596U2GKSWI68UMGYZN/Screen+Shot+2017-04-21+at+3.08.07+PM.png Blog - PATIENCE IN KARUKINKA: Photos of a Conservation Project - Colorful bogs, mountains covered in lush vegetation and threatening skies accompanied us along the way. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492798361159-LXVDQNCIPNGN5SPYF950/Karukinka+Natural+Park Blog - PATIENCE IN KARUKINKA: Photos of a Conservation Project - Paciencia Bay Reaching the end of the trail we arrived at the Paciencia Bay where the landscape changed entirely. Though the clouds covered up the Darwin range in front of us, there were moments where their silhouette showed up. Here there used to be a small logging and farming operation and what's left of the old house offered us a good refuge from the rain. The cattle that was abandoned here long time ago has now become wild and the cries of massive bulls known as baguales can be heard from miles away. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/visiting-karukinka-la-patiencia-trail2017 monthly 0.5 2024-03-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542750744204-UIWN1EPIYDSKUT8D4KW0/karukinka-trail.jpg Blog - VISITING KARUKINKA: La Paciencia Trail The green, lush landscape inside Karukinka Park, Tierra del Fuego https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1491608960123-4JIROO2NWJ6I91GBQK2A/image-asset.jpeg Blog - VISITING KARUKINKA: La Paciencia Trail A juvenile Fuegian culpeo fox with a mouthful of food walked right up to us along the trail without realizing we were there. This was the moment he stopped, thought for a while, and then turned around. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1490753819496-KEADUJIGWBE04PM8DLO1/image-asset.jpeg Blog - VISITING KARUKINKA: La Paciencia Trail https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/conservation-in-tierra-del-fuego-getting-to-know-karukinka2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542751340870-TMNN2PZ92OLOZULK5DAL/karukinka-forests-chile.jpg Blog - CONSERVATION IN TIERRA DEL FUEGO: Getting to Know Karukinka Green forests at the southern bottom of Chile, in Karukinka Park https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492557205514-YAIODLU9I2D4Q550FBRX/DSC02083.jpg Blog - CONSERVATION IN TIERRA DEL FUEGO: Getting to Know Karukinka - River in Karukinka Natural Park https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542751624753-APZ4YK81D99RAUB2VITE/DSC02268.jpg Blog - CONSERVATION IN TIERRA DEL FUEGO: Getting to Know Karukinka https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/travel-confessions-that-tarn-mountain2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542751868283-ZDLPHH1V5YTN2QWZ98W0/1*FaTDXnWHK7Pv-ANke71L2Q.jpeg Blog - TRAVEL CONFESSIONS: That Tarn Mountain In Patagonia Looking at Mount Tarn from the Cape Froward hike along the coast of the Magellan Strait. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1490106270399-A6HVH32F5HGUS0L6PS51/JPLotak-IMG_6762_20130227.jpg Blog - TRAVEL CONFESSIONS: That Tarn Mountain In Patagonia The view from the top of Monte Tarn. Darwin stands corrected - it's actually a pretty incredible place. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/learning-about-conservation-in-the-galapagos-lessons-on-hope2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542759609100-MF7KDZGSQ0SDC3K5I6WG/Galapagos_San_Cristobal.jpg Blog - LEARNING ABOUT CONSERVATION IN THE GALAPAGOS: Lessons on Hope Sun sets over the Lobería Beach on San Cristóbal Island, Galapagos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1492537665782-DE58R896PLTU59D81QZX/Galapagos+Tortoise Blog - LEARNING ABOUT CONSERVATION IN THE GALAPAGOS: Lessons on Hope Giant tortoise populations on San Cristóbal are on the rise, the species beginning to recover from centuries of exploitation https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/islands-of-biodiversity-the-other-galpagoss2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542826520332-M2HUM57UH10DZPZQWUEG/channel-islands-outlook.jpg Blog - ISLANDS OF BIODIVERSITY: The other "Galápagoses" Channel Islands National Park, California, USA https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487768732560-2KYIRHTFBT4JDVV4MDU9/JPLotak-I01A9060_20150320.jpg Blog - ISLANDS OF BIODIVERSITY: The other "Galápagoses" - Gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) It is common to see gray whales from Dec - Mar when taking the ferry to the islands. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1488820489509-32FTZ16VOP1TG1U3D4XS/JPLotak-I01A9373_20150320.jpg Blog - ISLANDS OF BIODIVERSITY: The other "Galápagoses" - Santa Cruz Island The interior of Santa Cruz Island has hiking trails and unique ecosystems unlike many found on the continent. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487768790616-WP3Y8HLYY98YS78CJFQQ/JPLotak-I01A9734_20150321.jpg Blog - ISLANDS OF BIODIVERSITY: The other "Galápagoses" - Santa Cruz Island Fox (Urocyon littoralis santacruzae) Island foxes are an endemic species on six of the Channel Islands, each island with their own subspecies. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487768822437-RJ94GJAB30RIV414S7D3/JPLotak-I01A9529_20150321.jpg Blog - ISLANDS OF BIODIVERSITY: The other "Galápagoses" - California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) California sea lions live along the western coast of North America and are common to see swimming in the waters surrounding the Channel Islands. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/under-the-galapagos-waters-another-wildlife-paradise2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542826695615-4ST3DLFSG9UZYN3T0XCO/galapagos-shark.jpg Blog - UNDER THE GALAPAGOS WATERS: Another Wildlife Paradise https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487804849052-K14OH8U67OF4RZJM3CZ6/image-asset.jpeg Blog - UNDER THE GALAPAGOS WATERS: Another Wildlife Paradise - Spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) Spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari). Though not as large as the manta rays, these majestic and beautiful rays can grow up to 10ft in width and several glided past us on many occasions on both dives off Santa Cruz Island. They are generally shy and avoid humans. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487803525474-FRLICPVAYX0K8639X4IH/image-asset.jpeg Blog - UNDER THE GALAPAGOS WATERS: Another Wildlife Paradise Clam, Santa Cruz Island. Identifying this species seems rather difficult, but if any clam experts want to take a stab, your comments are welcomed below. Galapagos, Ecuador. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487805478473-I5UE6OY4PY4Q177PF35G/image-asset.jpeg Blog - UNDER THE GALAPAGOS WATERS: Another Wildlife Paradise - Galapagos shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis), Santa Cruz Island Galapagos shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis), Santa Cruz Island. These sharks grow up to around 10 feet (3m) in length, and are common near tropical oceanic islands. They are described as "near threatened" by the IUCN. Galapagos, Ecuador. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1488845952232-VYGKIQG6OBRJJSDDTDT5/image-asset.jpeg Blog - UNDER THE GALAPAGOS WATERS: Another Wildlife Paradise - Blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus) Blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus) sillouteed with a school of fish https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487802917782-LIA59QIBH8QOVTHG0UCC/image-asset.jpeg Blog - UNDER THE GALAPAGOS WATERS: Another Wildlife Paradise - Galápagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki), Gordon Rocks, Santa Cruz Island. Galápagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki), Gordon Rocks, Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos, Ecuador. This large male seemed to be resting on the sea floor, though our guides informed us that the larger sea lions behave like this when they are hunting; they find a spot and wait for large schools of fish to approach. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487804384067-85GV4FOQQY18VBPCUKMY/image-asset.jpeg Blog - UNDER THE GALAPAGOS WATERS: Another Wildlife Paradise - Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), North Seymour Island Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), North Seymour Island. This male did fed off of seaweed and didn't seem to mind while I watched and slowly snorkeled alongside. Galapagos, Ecuador. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/isabela-galapagos-photographs-from-a-conservation-heaven2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542761542263-S7Z6X6SCGIRCNYVPQJ9M/AELotak-20180605-JPLotak-I01A0154_20170123.jpg Blog - ISABELA, GALAPAGOS: Photographs From a Recovering Ecosystem American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) feeding in one of the lagoons outside Puerto Villamil on Isabella https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1489009281871-PF259H7KF0IC7MOQI57O/JPLotak-I01A0147_20170123.jpg Blog - ISABELA, GALAPAGOS: Photographs From a Recovering Ecosystem - A traveler along the coasts of the Americas, the Black-necked stilt is a rarer occurrence in the Galapagos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1489009591184-QSB1EXTEPLK0WO52UVV9/JPLotak-I01A0123_20170123.jpg Blog - ISABELA, GALAPAGOS: Photographs From a Recovering Ecosystem - And then there were two... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1489009209246-YODB77COA1CBVFDQSHZD/Isabela_Galapagos_Tortoise Blog - ISABELA, GALAPAGOS: Photographs From a Recovering Ecosystem Isabela has five distinct subspecies of giant tortoises residing on each of the volcanoes. Spotted at the Arnaldo Tupiza-Chamaidan breeding center, this giant tortoise seems to belong to the Iguana cove tortoise subspecies found mainly on the Cerro Azul volcano on the southern side of the island https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1489014778526-V69FZHC9578E0PJW2YDE/DSC01574.jpg Blog - ISABELA, GALAPAGOS: Photographs From a Recovering Ecosystem - Approaching the tortoise breeding center on Isabela, a successful program with over 100 hatchlings annually https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1489014777723-K0A81PL37V6YJOPQU81U/DSC01576.jpg Blog - ISABELA, GALAPAGOS: Photographs From a Recovering Ecosystem - Juvenile Isabela giant tortoises at the breeding center, taking a nap https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1489008987288-OTVA048O4CZPRJ8PRYK6/JPLotak-I01A9926_20170122.jpg Blog - ISABELA, GALAPAGOS: Photographs From a Recovering Ecosystem - Dinner time in the Humedales/the wetlands right outside of Puerto Villamil https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1489008991291-RW723NNV0QHGH3FFU750/JPLotak-I01A0164_20170123.jpg Blog - ISABELA, GALAPAGOS: Photographs From a Recovering Ecosystem - While seeking food rich in nutrients the flamingos make a funny sound, similar to that of a tractor https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1489009110873-8N8FOFQ1XMV5GBVA1ZXF/Sierra_Negra_Volcano_Galapagos Blog - ISABELA, GALAPAGOS: Photographs From a Recovering Ecosystem A panoramic view of the second widest volcano crater in the world after that of the Ngorongoro volcano in Tanzania. It's 10 km in diameter and parts of it were covered with a new layer of lava during the last eruption in 2005 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1489006161282-KFSQ1MOS4YMPDIWRBC4U/image-asset.jpeg Blog - ISABELA, GALAPAGOS: Photographs From a Recovering Ecosystem Landscape created by the lava fields in the heights of southern Isabela. When we were there it hadn't rained in over 7 months on the island, though the wet season was definitely in full swing on Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1489005439585-9K31JTZ790Q3CDBMWGRB/DSC01673.jpg Blog - ISABELA, GALAPAGOS: Photographs From a Recovering Ecosystem https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1489005434416-1B5PEWOYRMIB9FZR7UDD/DSC01670.jpg Blog - ISABELA, GALAPAGOS: Photographs From a Recovering Ecosystem https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1489005448131-PY4VHKMFWMSK64WHEIMU/DSC01682.jpg Blog - ISABELA, GALAPAGOS: Photographs From a Recovering Ecosystem - The martian landscape of Volcano Chico on the other side of the Sierra Negra https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1489005556639-U6B40W3RY9XPQRDARIE2/DSC01658.jpg Blog - ISABELA, GALAPAGOS: Photographs From a Recovering Ecosystem - This is a walk through a lava field with layers both thousands of years old and as new as the late 70s https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1489014892573-EWWTTAMQ1FG59T3PVAX2/DSC01563.jpg Blog - ISABELA, GALAPAGOS: Photographs From a Recovering Ecosystem - The typical vegetation on the outskirts of Puerto Villamil https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1489014894217-99AWQGPDM1XNUU070EEZ/DSC01582.jpg Blog - ISABELA, GALAPAGOS: Photographs From a Recovering Ecosystem - The trail connecting the Humedales/Wetlands to the Giant tortoise breeding center https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/hiking-galapagos-a-day-solo-in-the-highlands-of-santa-cruz2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542762600894-UYMZ7UHQRHRZ9ZF90C4O/DSC01500.jpg Blog - HIKING IN GALAPAGOS: A Day Solo in the Highlands of Santa Cruz View from the trail up to Cerro Crocker https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1486155057241-25BAJVAVCIY00TGSWP7H/DSC01243.jpg Blog - HIKING IN GALAPAGOS: A Day Solo in the Highlands of Santa Cruz - The sinkhole on the west side - Los Gemelos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1486155058137-KS6GF8YP7B1380AXZZL0/DSC01273.jpg Blog - HIKING IN GALAPAGOS: A Day Solo in the Highlands of Santa Cruz - Inside the short loop through an enchanted forest of Guayabillo trees - Los Gemelos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1486157317165-IXWYJ8DA9C7VYQMCZU6P/DSC01300.jpg Blog - HIKING IN GALAPAGOS: A Day Solo in the Highlands of Santa Cruz https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1486156863187-Q7EW0ZEITM25HMX507EX/DSC01350.jpg Blog - HIKING IN GALAPAGOS: A Day Solo in the Highlands of Santa Cruz https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1486157318078-1LSB06BKTFRNB6CFA056/DSC01309.jpg Blog - HIKING IN GALAPAGOS: A Day Solo in the Highlands of Santa Cruz https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1486156855525-IEG9A9M7DMY373OA6Q36/DSC01302.jpg Blog - HIKING IN GALAPAGOS: A Day Solo in the Highlands of Santa Cruz https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1489007590978-MUQMHKSJN5POAO6VAB9G/Guayabillo_Tree_Galapagos Blog - HIKING IN GALAPAGOS: A Day Solo in the Highlands of Santa Cruz One of the impressive Guayabillo trees at Los Gemelos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1486158829016-XB4NQCSK2M0M2ZPOEBC3/DSC01403.jpg Blog - HIKING IN GALAPAGOS: A Day Solo in the Highlands of Santa Cruz - Giant Santa Cruz Tortoise - El Chato https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1486158828671-3AYX5HGPS1U0W4BETA83/DSC01382.jpg Blog - HIKING IN GALAPAGOS: A Day Solo in the Highlands of Santa Cruz - El Chato Reserve - Santa Cruz, Galapagos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1486163291380-4XCSXZZ4L53N6A8N4PBF/DSC01437.jpg Blog - HIKING IN GALAPAGOS: A Day Solo in the Highlands of Santa Cruz https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1486163291230-IZ2K07HIBQTYAEJG2LMQ/DSC01468.jpg Blog - HIKING IN GALAPAGOS: A Day Solo in the Highlands of Santa Cruz https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1486163309737-S0VKJAPF8O7H6OJ3R0VP/DSC01478.jpg Blog - HIKING IN GALAPAGOS: A Day Solo in the Highlands of Santa Cruz https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1486163310757-TNF39AJD5LLUWLQ5AJZQ/DSC01489.jpg Blog - HIKING IN GALAPAGOS: A Day Solo in the Highlands of Santa Cruz https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/visiting-santa-cruz-galapagos-conservation-in-galapagoss-tourism-hub2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542763505650-3DAREG6OZ6BT43M1OQW7/Bachas_Santa_Cruz_Galapagos.jpg Blog - VISITING SANTA CRUZ: Wildlife in Galápagos’s Tourism Hub Sally Lightfoot crabs at Las Bachas Beach on the north side of Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1488825609670-PVEFJY440XONQLIE9AJQ/DSC00939.jpg Blog - VISITING SANTA CRUZ: Wildlife in Galápagos’s Tourism Hub https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1488825595291-MBDGF9NF023JTIMRT51A/DSC00920.jpg Blog - VISITING SANTA CRUZ: Wildlife in Galápagos’s Tourism Hub - Beautiful endemic Opuntia cacti on the way to Tortuga Bay https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1488825594479-72R2UFSAYP1EB22K4O68/DSC00921.jpg Blog - VISITING SANTA CRUZ: Wildlife in Galápagos’s Tourism Hub https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1488844243878-QZI4LG830YRZWE1EE7WO/JPLotak-I01A9221_20170119.jpg Blog - VISITING SANTA CRUZ: Wildlife in Galápagos’s Tourism Hub - A male Common cactus finch snacking from an Opuntia flower https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1488844245490-XUXBQ842UBGPB4RJYAEE/JPLotak-I01A9201_20170119.jpg Blog - VISITING SANTA CRUZ: Wildlife in Galápagos’s Tourism Hub - The "M.p. parvulus" subspecies of the endemic Galapagos mockingbird https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1488826006608-5AEXJCY0HJNDQPN4EJ0C/DSC00958.jpg Blog - VISITING SANTA CRUZ: Wildlife in Galápagos’s Tourism Hub https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1488844777802-BBLUY9QBK8UXA6IZUAKP/JPLotak-I01A9350_20170119.jpg Blog - VISITING SANTA CRUZ: Wildlife in Galápagos’s Tourism Hub https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1488844781161-40G5F8L30J2DTR4NPJT9/JPLotak-I01A9253_20170119.jpg Blog - VISITING SANTA CRUZ: Wildlife in Galápagos’s Tourism Hub https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1488826018420-K2PIR4SBW0XS2M2IMVOL/DSC00992.jpg Blog - VISITING SANTA CRUZ: Wildlife in Galápagos’s Tourism Hub https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1488826290488-2J15BIBCQOOQZQC4DGBN/DSC01034-2.jpg Blog - VISITING SANTA CRUZ: Wildlife in Galápagos’s Tourism Hub - Curious female Common cactus finch checking us out https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1488826300720-DDBOTA7M5TRUZGU9VWI8/DSC01043.jpg Blog - VISITING SANTA CRUZ: Wildlife in Galápagos’s Tourism Hub - Opuntia cactus forest grown out of the lava bed https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1488826543936-8ONAQDQ7KDE1L0P54JD0/DSC01725.jpg Blog - VISITING SANTA CRUZ: Wildlife in Galápagos’s Tourism Hub - Looking into the canyon from the trail above https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1488826541059-3EOETLYH3DPELJ2E76EL/DSC01757.jpg Blog - VISITING SANTA CRUZ: Wildlife in Galápagos’s Tourism Hub - One of the pink salt lakes on the way to Las Grietas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1489002218188-5V0RE28NSKDV8F7SF1P3/JPLotak-9434.jpg Blog - VISITING SANTA CRUZ: Wildlife in Galápagos’s Tourism Hub - A green sea turtle swimming off the coast of North Seymour Island A green sea turtle swimming off the coast of North Seymour Island https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1489002322044-Y87EQ17A9ZH5Q8J3XL2D/JPLotak-9840.jpg Blog - VISITING SANTA CRUZ: Wildlife in Galápagos’s Tourism Hub - Mother sea lion with her newborn cub Mother sea lion with her newborn cub https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1488827911586-OA842GWPX7WDZJRGDPLM/DSC01113.jpg Blog - VISITING SANTA CRUZ: Wildlife in Galápagos’s Tourism Hub - The dry habitat of the island with a Blue-footed booby looking tiny in the background https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1488995239315-MOX8UMMUUQRD1ISCNYEN/JPLotak-I01A9736_20170120.jpg Blog - VISITING SANTA CRUZ: Wildlife in Galápagos’s Tourism Hub - Pair of blue-footed boobies after she was swayed by his dance https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1488827999266-ABZ9ZQCHW0H2OGML6IXY/DSC01171.jpg Blog - VISITING SANTA CRUZ: Wildlife in Galápagos’s Tourism Hub - A juvenile Magnificent frigatebird https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1488845042587-CROF9C07AXZS7ALF8IGF/JPLotak-I01A9625_20170120.jpg Blog - VISITING SANTA CRUZ: Wildlife in Galápagos’s Tourism Hub - Male frigatebird waiting to inflate his red pouch to attract females https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1488845128378-I7FLUL4ZG5NGYOPT14E4/JPLotak-I01A9724_20170120.jpg Blog - VISITING SANTA CRUZ: Wildlife in Galápagos’s Tourism Hub - A Galapagos land iguana getting some sun https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1488827957704-LP1HSFPDOJ1ZUMHRFU83/DSC01185.jpg Blog - VISITING SANTA CRUZ: Wildlife in Galápagos’s Tourism Hub - Different vegetation on the other side of the island https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/visiting-san-cristbal-galapagos-humans-wildlife-sharing-space2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542764484981-9PFPIYYXV8T83LFC7GF6/DSC00848-2.jpg Blog - VISITING SAN CRISTÓBAL, GALAPAGOS: Humans & Wildlife Sharing Space Galápagos sea lions after sunset at La Lobería beach on San Cristóbal https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1488843245852-TKJH5GJES001CB9U5EYJ/El+Junco+Lake+-+San+Cristobal%2C+Galapagos Blog - VISITING SAN CRISTÓBAL, GALAPAGOS: Humans & Wildlife Sharing Space Laguna El Junco/The El Junco Lake perched on the heights of San Cristóbal https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487726014144-1WCKNE6E9FNP8IWBRX9H/image-asset.jpeg Blog - VISITING SAN CRISTÓBAL, GALAPAGOS: Humans & Wildlife Sharing Space - A male giant San Cristóbal tortoise A male giant San Cristóbal tortoise https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487725682960-J16Y8GEIEWMLINPXMN12/Galapaguera_San_Cristobal_Baby_Tortoise.jpg Blog - VISITING SAN CRISTÓBAL, GALAPAGOS: Humans & Wildlife Sharing Space - Young tortoises are kept in precincts and protected from threats until they are ready to roam freely https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487725742005-SBGMPF2DWTASUMPSDKFX/Galapaguero_San_Cristobal_Galapagos.jpg Blog - VISITING SAN CRISTÓBAL, GALAPAGOS: Humans & Wildlife Sharing Space - Each tortoise receives a number. She was the first one to be born 16 years ago, inspiring hope in the program https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487725897516-RSKIBQIGVTUOTK7MDMSW/Galapaguera_Habitat_Galapagos.jpg Blog - VISITING SAN CRISTÓBAL, GALAPAGOS: Humans & Wildlife Sharing Space - The strange, dry habitat that is the home of Giant tortoises https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487725680837-7S1QS5UAE2U6LYIEALRK/San_Cristobal_Male_Giant_Tortoise.jpg Blog - VISITING SAN CRISTÓBAL, GALAPAGOS: Humans & Wildlife Sharing Space - At age 70 male tortoises still have a long life ahead as they can reach 150 years https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487726576931-9KMQESDCJURTIE6A3BOI/Loberia%2C+San+Cristobal+-+Galapagos Blog - VISITING SAN CRISTÓBAL, GALAPAGOS: Humans & Wildlife Sharing Space Entering the beach of La Lobería in the beautiful sunset light https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487703491977-8ETBI98FE05OZFKK5Y6L/DSC00830.jpg Blog - VISITING SAN CRISTÓBAL, GALAPAGOS: Humans & Wildlife Sharing Space https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487726853801-U3RXP3BGEI2X7DDQYJ66/Galapagos_Sea_Lion.jpg Blog - VISITING SAN CRISTÓBAL, GALAPAGOS: Humans & Wildlife Sharing Space https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487726854155-DJ4SB0HB056P4Q18V1HG/Galapagos_Males_Sea_Lions_Fight.jpg Blog - VISITING SAN CRISTÓBAL, GALAPAGOS: Humans & Wildlife Sharing Space https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487726958070-EMJNXMPP82ROOXW5PJJZ/DSC00858.jpg Blog - VISITING SAN CRISTÓBAL, GALAPAGOS: Humans & Wildlife Sharing Space https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487727236199-1D8JUPF180GJWLCNMXFS/Galapagos_San_Cristobal_Beach.jpg Blog - VISITING SAN CRISTÓBAL, GALAPAGOS: Humans & Wildlife Sharing Space - A solitary Galápagos sea lion in the waves below Frigatebird Hill https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487727217697-KD1VHXSC8VXMO1X8KOZE/Frigatebird_Hill_San_Cristobal_Galapagos.jpg Blog - VISITING SAN CRISTÓBAL, GALAPAGOS: Humans & Wildlife Sharing Space - A young frigatebird, one of the several dozens flying around the hill https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487727221917-6YRTXU5AK1WW56VGVEBV/Frigate_Bird_Galapagos.jpg Blog - VISITING SAN CRISTÓBAL, GALAPAGOS: Humans & Wildlife Sharing Space https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487727156802-YSGTP2BZLTW8BITPKEBT/DSC01772.jpg Blog - VISITING SAN CRISTÓBAL, GALAPAGOS: Humans & Wildlife Sharing Space https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/galapagos-wildlife-a-photo-essay2017 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542039264233-EU0658IN83MR42288BLY/land-iguana-yellow.jpg Blog - GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE: A Photo Essay Galapagos land iguana (Conolophus subcristatus) on North Seymour Island https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487182195729-Z8WDY72V2O3GVAQ6F7MT/image-asset.jpeg Blog - GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE: A Photo Essay - San Cristobal giant tortoise One of the older San Cristobal giant tortoises (Chelonoidis chathamensis) at the Galapaguera de Cerro Colorado. This species is endemic to the northeastern part of San Cristobal Island. The populations of giant tortoises were decimated by centuries of human exploitation, but conservation efforts and breeding centers such as this Galapaguera are working to breed and release these tortoises back into the wild. San Cristobal Island, Galápagos, Ecuador. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487161769288-4QHKOLNA1H3CORQLG3H7/Common+Cactus+Finch+-+Galapagos Blog - GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE: A Photo Essay - cactus finch (Geospiza scandens) Male common cactus finch (Geospiza scandens) getting its fill from an Opuntia flower. Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos National Park, Ecuador https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487162604733-7KY1VKNS7FUJBDWWZQJP/Sally+Lightfoot+Crab+-+Galapagos Blog - GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE: A Photo Essay - Sally Lightfoot crab (Grapsus grapsus) Sally Lightfoot crab, (Grapsus grapsus). These colorful crabs are common along the Pacific coasts of the Americas, and are incredibly quick and agile, running and jumping from rock to rock to escape predators or those of us with cameras. As John Steinbeck quoted when studying them: "They seem to be able to run in any of four directions; but more than this, perhaps because of their rapid reaction time, they appear to read the mind of their hunter. They escape the long-handled net, anticipating from what direction it is coming." Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos, Ecuador https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1501252249425-UHMMQWIPF3KI07AYN2D1/Galapagos+Shark+-+Gordon+Rocks+-+Galapgos Blog - GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE: A Photo Essay - Galapagos shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis) Galapagos shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis), in the waters below Gordon Rocks, Santa Cruz Island. These sharks grow up to around 10 feet (3m) in length, and are common near tropical oceanic islands. They are described as "near threatened" by the IUCN. Galapagos, Ecuador. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487162846346-UVC4UVIYTQHTX961XHPJ/Galapagos+Land+Iguana Blog - GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE: A Photo Essay - Galapagos land iguana (Conolophus subcristatus) Galapagos land iguana (Conolophus subcristatus). This iguana is endemic to six of the Galapagos Islands: Fernandina, Isabela, Santa Cruz, North Seymour, Baltra, and South Plaza, but varies in color and morphology from island to island. Charles Darwin described them as "ugly animals, of a yellowish orange beneath, and of a brownish-red colour above: from their low facial angle they have a singularly stupid appearance." It is believed that they to live up to 60 years in the wild. North Seymour Island, Galápagos, Ecuador https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487162901508-8E71L36XC0ZD4QNT2WP2/Magnificent+Frigatebirds+-+Galapagos Blog - GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE: A Photo Essay - Male and female magnificent frigatebirds (Fregata magnificens) Male and female magnificent frigatebirds (Fregata magnificens). The adult males have large red gular sacs on their throats that they inflate to attract females. Once inflated they will stretch their wings out and vibrate their bodies, making a drumming sound. The sacs cannot deflate quickly, and sometimes males will be seen flying with inflated sacs. North Seymour Island, Galápagos, Ecuador https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487163029384-V327TAIQ3PB47KKGBKIM/Galapagos+Sea+Lion Blog - GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE: A Photo Essay - Galápagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) Galápagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki). This endemic species of sea lion is the smallest of all fur sea lions, yet males still can grow up to eight feet in length and weigh up to 550 lbs. They are curious and playful and will often be seen lying on benches, boats, and other manmade resting spots throughout the Galápagos. Gordon Rocks, Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos, Ecuador https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487163108732-R628L8QAV0N2IHC0A52T/Galapagos+Flycatcher Blog - GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE: A Photo Essay - Galápagos flycatcher (Myiarchus magnirostris) Galápagos flycatcher (Myiarchus magnirostris). This bird is endemic to the Galápagos, and as I learned while taking this picture, they will often fly towards long lenses. They apparently see their reflection in the lens, perceiving it as another bird. I was photographing a finch in the trees when this Galápagos flycatcher flew in front of my shot and perched itself perfectly on a branch three feet from me. San Cristobal Island, Galápagos, Ecuador https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487163185331-ZMMG636SAVTLXI8Q5KWT/Male+Blue-footed+booby+-+Galapagos Blog - GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE: A Photo Essay - Blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii) Male Blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii) doing his famous one-footed mating dance. North Seymour Island, Galápagos, Ecuador https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487167293594-QNVU2S85P6MU3IHUJIR1/Male+Lava+lizard+-+Galapagos Blog - GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE: A Photo Essay - Lava Lizard (Microlophus albemarlensis) Male Lava Lizard (Microlophus albemarlensis), arching his back at us as a display of dominance. North Seymour Island, Galápagos, Ecuador https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487163338395-OC6NLY380SSCRUTIYD2Y/Galapagos+Sea+Lion+-+San+Cristobal Blog - GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE: A Photo Essay - Galápagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) Galápagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki), San Cristobal Island, Galápagos National Park, Ecuador https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487163439186-AWMFLRC0YUT2K4KS79Y7/Flamingo+-+Galapagos Blog - GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE: A Photo Essay - American flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) American flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) and a pair of white-cheeked pintails (Anas bahamensis galapagnsis). Watching flamingos feed is like watching a machine at work. Isabela Island, Galápagos, Ecuador https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487163531366-33D0V5J7N75VBFHAEOD3/Marine+Iguana+-+Galapagos Blog - GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE: A Photo Essay - Marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) Marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus). Marine iguanas are endemic to the Galapagos and have evolved to be at home in the sea. They dive 30ft deep into the cold Galápagos waters to feed exclusively on algae, and they have nasal glands that filter salt from the algae when eating, which they expel through their nostrils with strong exhales through the nose. Similar to the land iguanas, Darwin was not impressed by their appearance, calling them the "imps of darkness". San Cristobal Island, Galápagos National Park, Ecuador https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487163644201-N3W78X1A6DI5L7RVJ5O6/King+angelfish+-+Galapagos+diving Blog - GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE: A Photo Essay - scuba diving at the gordon rocks site King angelfish (Holacanthus passer) and other species at Gordon Rocks dive site. King angelfish live in the Pacific from Peru to the Gulf of California, and are monogamous despite their large schools. They will commonly clean the scalloped hammerhead sharks off many of the Galapagos Islands. Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos, Ecuador. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487163775221-3AU3KZ058R0I8Q07GDG3/Ground+finch+-+Galapagos.jpg Blog - GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE: A Photo Essay - Large ground finch (Geospiza magnirostris) Large ground finch (Geospiza magnirostris). It is the largest of the Darwin finches, both in body size as well as beak size. Isabela Island, Galápagos, Ecuador https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487163863319-WSZAQ5JEGVYDFZVU79VX/Lava+gulls+-+Galapagos Blog - GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE: A Photo Essay - Lava gulls (Leucophaeus fuliginosus) A pair of Lava gulls (Leucophaeus fuliginosus) calling together. These birds endemic to the Galápagos Islands are the rarest gulls in the world, and are listed as "vulnerable" under the IUCN Red List. Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487163961657-Q5Y4UV28GFW9AE1VV5J8/Panamic+cushion+star+-+Galapagos Blog - GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE: A Photo Essay - Panamic cushion star (Pentaceraster cumingi) Panamic cushion star (Pentaceraster cumingi). Sea stars are carnivorous and Pentaceraster cumingi tend to feed on molluscs, worms and detritus, and grow to about a foot in diameter. Gordon Rocks, Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos, Ecuador https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487253127025-L87L63QG0WWRVMVREHKX/JPLotak-9901.jpg Blog - GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE: A Photo Essay - Black-necked stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) Black-necked stilt (Himantopus mexicanus). They sift through the water to feed on a variety of aquatic invertebrates, depending on availability. Isabela Island, Galápagos, Ecuador https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487164156349-ZOD7ABLP3O4GB9OKKTAJ/Marine+iguana+-+Tortuga+Bay+-+Galapagos Blog - GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE: A Photo Essay - tortuga bay, santa cruz Marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) taking a swim at Tortuga Bay on Santa Cruz Island. The beautiful white sand and turquoise waters felt like we were in the Caribbean, only that this beach had marine iguanas. Galápagos National Park, Ecuador https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487164266161-GHQQES2FZSEN5HIDTFGR/Swallow-tailed+gulls+-+Galapagos Blog - GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE: A Photo Essay - Swallow-tailed gulls (Creagrus furcatus) Swallow-tailed gulls (Creagrus furcatus). These beautiful gulls are the only fully nocturnal seabird in the world, eating mostly squid and small fish that come to the ocean's surface at night to feed on plankton. They are a "nearly endemic" breeding bird to the Galápagos, with some nesting pairs as well on Malpelo Island further east off the coast of Colombia. When not breeding, they will spend most of their time in the open ocean. North Seymour Island, Galápagos, Ecuador https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487164388260-OU5BU5BN89PZGFG7E0GQ/Brown+pelican+-+Galapagos Blog - GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE: A Photo Essay - Brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), Santa Cruz Island Brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos, Ecuador https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1487164506487-HHQQC0MK6BNPS8TMEK7G/Mola+mola+-+Sun+fish+-+Galapagos Blog - GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE: A Photo Essay - Ocean sunfish (Mola mola) Ocean sunfish (Mola mola). This is the heaviest bone fish in the world, with an average length of 6ft, a fin-to-fin height of 8ft, and they can weigh up to 2200 lbs. Although not fully understood, these fish will occionally be seen swimming sideways along the water's surface to what's thought to be them basking in the sun to recharge their body temperature. Gordon Rocks, Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos, Ecuador https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/las-perlas-islands-panama monthly 0.5 2018-12-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542766142218-6UYGEILQDU1MCYCEPWQ2/DSC00478.jpg Blog - LAS PERLAS ARCHIPELAGO: Photographing the Wild Islands of Panama https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542766318809-XZN1Y4PU2L153VFNMJ8X/DSC00404.jpg Blog - LAS PERLAS ARCHIPELAGO: Photographing the Wild Islands of Panama A mild example of the thorny trees on Isla Chapera https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1485627484126-SPCLK0CG4BFITG2REPGS/DSC00557.jpg Blog - LAS PERLAS ARCHIPELAGO: Photographing the Wild Islands of Panama - Isla del Rey https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1485627496449-MNBMU2HBMCMS0TDLJBDN/JPLotak-0258.jpg Blog - LAS PERLAS ARCHIPELAGO: Photographing the Wild Islands of Panama - Isla Chapera https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1485627907669-LIBUVJESYDTYGSYYK136/JPLotak-0254.jpg Blog - LAS PERLAS ARCHIPELAGO: Photographing the Wild Islands of Panama - Hermit crab - Isla del Rey https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1485628608914-51D8G7CA3T6YKH7EHZL8/DSC00582.jpg Blog - LAS PERLAS ARCHIPELAGO: Photographing the Wild Islands of Panama - A Micrathena spider https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1485629898908-L89OQDRMJT5UNT6NZS0Q/DSC00629.jpg Blog - LAS PERLAS ARCHIPELAGO: Photographing the Wild Islands of Panama - Pochote tree - Isla del Rey https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1485629997335-MGYHM3FYFE3GGY2ZQWXW/DSC00578.jpg Blog - LAS PERLAS ARCHIPELAGO: Photographing the Wild Islands of Panama - Buttress roots of a canopy tree https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1543681287865-KA1Z9R6G1H1VVXWG0JMT/JPLotak_20170110_I01A0401.jpg Blog - LAS PERLAS ARCHIPELAGO: Photographing the Wild Islands of Panama A Yellow-headed caracara on Isla del Rey https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1485629068451-0MH9DW9N1RAWWRULZ20J/JPLotak-0124.jpg Blog - LAS PERLAS ARCHIPELAGO: Photographing the Wild Islands of Panama - Hard to identify but we think it's a Solitary sandpiper - Isla Chapera https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1485629072116-AJMASR6BNZLJAQQ2NWBP/JPLotak-0159.jpg Blog - LAS PERLAS ARCHIPELAGO: Photographing the Wild Islands of Panama - A Black iguana on Isla Chapera. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1485630157409-BOBM2IHXDLOH4MJ30FKR/DSC00543.jpg Blog - LAS PERLAS ARCHIPELAGO: Photographing the Wild Islands of Panama - Arriving in the southern side of the archipelago https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1485630119798-LED0VRWZ490FV85A05UN/DSC00621.jpg Blog - LAS PERLAS ARCHIPELAGO: Photographing the Wild Islands of Panama - An uprooted coconut that was starting to grow https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542766775080-RAGDIDV6W1ETP67BPLOR/Screen+Shot+2018-11-20+at+9.18.41+PM.png Blog - LAS PERLAS ARCHIPELAGO: Photographing the Wild Islands of Panama A Tropical kingbird — Isla Chapera https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542767110275-OIAVBAC8USA4KS6JXKPX/DSC00442.jpg Blog - LAS PERLAS ARCHIPELAGO: Photographing the Wild Islands of Panama Forest canopy on Isla Chapera https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1485629561914-HMIXLIQPWBDQ1CDO19C9/DSC00653.jpg Blog - LAS PERLAS ARCHIPELAGO: Photographing the Wild Islands of Panama - Late morning on Isla del Rey https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1485630547784-3W92DNCK0N6Z7KPWLRHN/JPLotak-0628.jpg Blog - LAS PERLAS ARCHIPELAGO: Photographing the Wild Islands of Panama - End of our walk along Rio Cacique - Isla del Rey https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1485631902760-DIU4U1T21QGBOLDW72O6/DSC00608.jpg Blog - LAS PERLAS ARCHIPELAGO: Photographing the Wild Islands of Panama - The unpleasant reality of plastic pollution. Hopefully Panama will consider finding a solution for it as part of the sustainable tourism development plan. https://www.conservationatlas.org/blog/panama-metropolitan-natural-park20171 monthly 0.5 2018-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542767362481-YXBL77WP52Q7L0TRFXXF/JPLotak-9375.jpg Blog - PANAMA: Wild Nature In The Heart of the City Brown-throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1485610337156-NIVX827D2NWT7HZA75F3/DSC00227.jpg Blog - PANAMA: Wild Nature In The Heart of the City - El Roble trail Minutes into walking on its main trail, the park surrounded us with bird and frog calls. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1485610337493-5OCBJGLEILEK03V9U5FK/DSC00229.jpg Blog - PANAMA: Wild Nature In The Heart of the City - Dry tropical forest habitat The sunrise light filtered through the lush vegetation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542768564139-W2IHUVCQYOM3W7BRGHSZ/JPLotak-9410.jpg Blog - PANAMA: Wild Nature In The Heart of the City https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542768761409-BT4ETLWF57Z7F61XLK5L/DSC00245.jpg Blog - PANAMA: Wild Nature In The Heart of the City - A RED GINGER PLANT HIDING A SMALL BUG, LIKELY A TYPE OF BEETLE https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542768164710-KFDOZZS8ZGCSLGX7JTPH/DSC00268.jpg Blog - PANAMA: Wild Nature In The Heart of the City - section of the caobos trail https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542768331094-6T8OZGGDRWFVD564BK48/DSC00276.jpg Blog - PANAMA: Wild Nature In The Heart of the City - view from the caobos mirador/outlook https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542769205281-LPC85OCKOYL8WG2JV206/JPLotak-9404.jpg Blog - PANAMA: Wild Nature In The Heart of the City - Crimson-backed Tanager (Ramphocelus dimidiatus) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542769284739-2HB3E653SWOPEZAFRBWC/JPLotak-9432.jpg Blog - PANAMA: Wild Nature In The Heart of the City - White-vented Plumeleteer (Chalybura buffonii) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542769350981-ID0O2ZWJMWHM69JRHJNO/JPLotak-9315.jpg Blog - PANAMA: Wild Nature In The Heart of the City - Slaty-tailed Trogon (Trogon massena) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542770098076-NL0MCQ3SXI3OPJ3Z040V/JPLotak-9337.jpg Blog - PANAMA: Wild Nature In The Heart of the City - Black-chested Jay (Cyanocorax affinis) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5849ae9729687fd4937f0980/1542770124660-SZQF6S0RPMN62EIJE70B/JPLotak-9368.jpg Blog - PANAMA: Wild Nature In The Heart of the City - Lineated Woodpecker (Dryocopus lineatus) 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