View allAll Photos Tagged ProtectedArea
The boat ride on the East Rapti river in the Chitwan National Park in Nepal (see previous pictures earlier in this album) was followed by a jungle walk through slushy jungle paths. Getting off the low slung canoe was an odyssey in itself- one had to get up from almost floor level on a dangerously rocking and unstable boat, stabilize oneself and then step onto a sloping river bank made slippery by slush and wet grass, thanks to last night's heavy downpour. Luckily for me, the Chinese tour group had reached here first and the bold tour guide (the lady with the white t-shirt- see previous pictures earlier in this album) helped me up the slope. My guide started walking right away, giving me no time at all to find my bearings after that adventure! Still, it was a relief to get off that unstable boat and stretch one's legs. We encountered several deer tracks on the wet mud as we walked along- you can see how slushy the ground was in this picture. These are the tracks of the Axis deer, a far view and notes of which appeared earlier in this album. (see previous pictures). (Sauraha, Chitwan, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)
Checkpoints of Pulau Dua Natural Reserve (estimated 30 hectares of mangroves). Pulau Dua Natural Reserve in Banten Province is one of the most pristine, natural mangrove reserves in the area encompassing the mega-city of Jakarta.
Photo by Aulia Erlangga/CIFOR
If you use one of our photos, please credit it accordingly and let us know. You can reach us through our Flickr account or at: cifor-mediainfo@cgiar.org and m.edliadi@cgiar.org
Glen Echo Park, also known as Glen Echo Amusement Park and Glen Echo Park Historic District, is a public park in Glen Echo, Maryland. It is managed by the National Park Service as part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. It began in 1891 as a National Chautauqua Assembly and operated as an amusement park until 1968. As of 2007, the park hosts an arts education program and is also known for its antique carousel, its Spanish Ballroom, and its historic electric street car and its annual Washington Folk Festival.
Photo by Kevin Borland. Portions of text derived from Wikipedia.
These drawings are all award winners of a contest dedicated to World Environment Day with 80 children from seven schools where the Global Environment Facility and UNDP are piloting a project on protected areas. The kids are all from villages bordering the Surkhan Strict Nature Reserve in Uzbekistan.
Read more about the contest
A vibrant Northern Cardinal perches gracefully on a tree branch at the Hendrie Valley Sanctuary, part of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington, Ontario. Its bright red plumage contrasts beautifully with the natural surroundings, capturing the charm and color of native Canadian birdlife. This striking image is ideal for themes involving birdwatching, Ontario wildlife, seasonal beauty, and nature photography.
Prosper Sabongo a PHD student measures the circumference of a Funtunia Africana in the forest reserve near the village of Masako. Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Photo by Ollivier Girard/CIFOR
If you use one of our photos, please credit it accordingly and let us know. You can reach us through our Flickr account or at: cifor-mediainfo@cgiar.org and m.edliadi@cgiar.org
Back to the carnow after a rather disappointing outing with only one wild bird -an Oriental Darter- seen on the entire 4 hr jeep safari. At the beginning of the ride, I had to ward off one pesky guide who tried to relegate me to the middle seat and give my seat to a couple of Caucasians- they were fortunately more sensible and asked the guide to back off. I told him to bugger off as well. The highlight of the four hour ride was probably the visit to this conservatory for the unusual narrow snouted Gharial crocodiles. In the early 1950s, about 235 Gharials occurred in the Narayani River in Nepal. Sadly, the population had declined dramatically to only 38 wild Gharials in 2003. Every year Gharial eggs are collected along the rivers to be hatched in the breeding center of the Gharial Conservation Project (the facility we have just visited- see previous pictures earlier in this album), where animals are reared to an age of 6–9 years. Every year young Gharials are re-introduced into the Narayani- Rapti river system. Sadly only very few of them survive. Still, it does keep the animals from total extinction I guess. Detailed notes about Gharial crocodiles appeared earlier in this album. (see previous pictures). As for the car in the foreground, most of the safari vehicles in Sauraha are Mahindra Bolero jeeps, with the odd Maruti Gypsy. This is one of the rare Tata Yodha vehicles- it's an Indian brand. (Sauraha, Chitwan, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)
This picture is simply a more tightly cropped version of the previous one so I will repeat the same caption here, as the previous one: Another goofy post opposite the Koh Tapu pillar rock (known as a 'stack' in geological terms) on Ko Phing Kan- the James Bond Island, courtesy my guide. After being rather rude, and sarcastic all morning, my guide surprisingly opened up later in the day and took several pictures of me on James Bond Island. This is the exact spot where 007 (Roger Moore) and the bad buy Scaramanga (Christopher Lee) have a duel in the 1974 Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun. Another tour group was making their guests pose at the spot with dummy golden guns (see previous pictures earlier in this album). No golden gun here, my guide had me pose like I am holding one! I am here as part of the Ao Phang Nga/ James Bond islands speedboat tour out of Phuket, Thailand, and this is the fourth stop on the tour. . We had got off at other islands in ankle deep water due to which my trouser legs are rolled up, killing the shot somewhat. And since I was wearing jeans, it was even more difficult to manage the heavy fabric, and so the trouser legs were rolled up rather unevenly- one more than the other. That drew much flak from my good friend and colleague Lijo Jose, who grumbled that I have managed to kill the picture and it's more of a comdey relief than a serious selfie! Luckily I managed to edit this pic to cut out those dreaful unequally rolled up trouser legs. This island was the base of the film’s bad guy Scaramanga. Detailed notes about the movie, as well as about the Ao Phang Nga Bay National Park appeared earlier in this album. (see previous pictures). (Phuket, Thailand, Oct/ Nov. 2019)
The Appalachian Trail passes directly in front of you just 20 yards away. You can recognize it by the white blazes painted on trees. Also called the A.T., this footpath stretches more than 2,100 miles across mountaintop an ridge from Maine to Georgia.
A hike of roughly three million steps to your right will take you 1,220 miles to the A.T.'s northern end atop Mt. Katahdin in Maine. Only two million steps to your left brings you to the southern end on Springer Mountain, Georgia, 920 miles away. Each year, about 150 "thru-hikers" pass here as they trek the entire A.T.
Shenandoah National Park hosts ninety-five miles of the A.T. The trail crosses Skyline Drive 28 times.
Photo and transcription by Kevin Borland.
If you enjoy my photographs, I invite you to listen to my music as well. Follow this link to visit SPEED LIMIT MUSIC on Pinterest.
The Gharial crocs are primarily fish eaters- their unusual long snouts and their dentition are particularly well suited for this purpose. They spend most of their time in the water, coming to shore only rarely or for nesting. Male Gharials develop a hollow bulbous nasal protuberance (sort of lump) at the tip of the snout upon reaching sexual maturity.[ This protuberance resembles an earthen pot known locally as ghara in the local vernacular in India, where they are mostly found. And this is what gives the species the name Gharial. The male Gharial's ghara (lump at the tip of it's snout) starts growing over the nostrils at an age of around 11- 12 years and measures about 5 cm × 6 cm × 3.5 cm at an age of 15-16 years. It enables the males to emit a hissing sound that can be heard 75 mtr The Gharial is the only living crocodilian with such visible sexual dimorphism. Female Gharials reach sexual maturity at a body length of 2.6 mtr and grow up to 4.5 mtr. Males mature at a body length of at least 3 mtr and grow up to a length of 6 mtr. Adult males weigh about 160 kg on average. A gargantuan 6.55 mtr long Gharial was once killed in the Ghaghara River in Faizabad in northern India in August 1920. Male Gharials with an alleged length of 7.16–9.14 mtr were sighted around the turn of the 20th century in Indian rivers, but they sedom get that big. Detailed notes about the Gharial also appeared earlier in this album. (see previous pictures). (Sauraha, Chitwan, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)
Algunos de los participantes en el "Viaje fotográfico a Namibia 2013" de Oriol Alamany y Eulà lia Vicens fotografiando un Camaleón de Namaqua (Chamaeleo namaquensis) en el desierto, Namibia
Kittlitz's Murrelet, Glacier Bay, Alaska. 19 July 2016.
Yumi Arimitsu identified the prey as a lantern fish (aka the uber fatty Myctophid!); and notes that this mesopelagic fish is typically much deeper in the water column (200-600 m) during the day but near the glaciers it occurs near the surface because there's no light in the turbid waters. The vast majority of Myctophids in Glacier Bay are Northern Lampfish.
Kittlitz's Murrelet is one of the World's rarest seabirds -- with the total population numbering just 30-50,000. It is also a species at risk, as glaciers rapidly melt and their critical habitat is lost.
Glacier Bay, Alaska is the best place in the world to view numbers of Kittliz's Murrelets, and late July generally sees the highest numbers.
Pleased at my pictures of her, the lady guide made me pose yet again on the boat. I am on the Phi Phi Islands tour just off Phuket island in Thailand, and we have just made our first halt here at the exotic Maya Bay. Here is where the 1999 Hollywood film The Beach was filmed, consequent to which people started arriving in droves to experience for themselves the movie location. Over tourism meant much damage to the coral reefs and to the eco system, so much so that Maya Bay is now closed to tourists till 2021 at least. But scores of speedboats still bring in hundreds of tourists here for snorkeling and swimming in the sea at Maya Bay- so much for concern for the environment. There are several beaches here at Maya Bay, but most are really small and are visible only during low tide. The main beach, where most boats use to drop passengers just offshore, is a 200 mtr long strip of silky white sand, which is surrounded by clear waters filled with colorful coral and an abundance of exotic fish, making it an absolute haven for snorkelers. Walking inland also used to be a treat, with a path that winds through lush greenery and reveals some simply spectacular scenery. Sadly all that has been killed by over tourism, and today all you can do is to stare at the beauty of Maya Bay and it's turquoise waters from your boat- or swim here, which I couldn't do as I can't swim. Detailed notes about Maya Bay and the Phi Phi Islands Park appeared earlier in this album. (see previous pictures earlier in this album). (Phuket, Thailand, Oct/ Nov. 2019)
I am in the Tharu Cultural Show in Sauraha, Nepal- this is the Ago Nach- fire dance- the most spectacular of them all. I will let the viewo speak for itself. (my Facebook viewers will find this video in a separate Videos folder under my profile). All the lights were switched off for this rather spectacular act. This is officially the last item in the show, though there were a couple of other acts where the audience was invited to participate. That seemed to be a common practice in Nepal as I experienced this later in Pokhara as well. (stay tuned for the Pokhara album). Detailed notes about the Tharu peoples and the Tharu cultural show appeared earlier in this album. (see previous pictures). (Sauraha, Chitwan, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)
One of the Causacian tourists on our boat swims by pretty close to our boat- some of the other shave swum a bit away. Don't you simply love the turquoise waters here! This was supposed to be a snorkeling halt but most were merely swimming in the Andaman Sea. We are on the Phi Phi Islands speedboat tour and this is our first halt- the Maya Bay The stunning Maya Bay (Maya Beach) became a major tourist attraction after the 1999 film, The Beach, was filmed here. It’s situated within Thailand’s Phi Phi Islands, off the coasts of both Krabi and Phuket on the mainland, and is distinguished by its beautiful white-sand beach sheltered by limestone cliffs on three sides. The beaches of the Maya Bay are closed off to tourists till 2021 at least, thanks to environmental damage due to over tourism, especially as everyone seemed to want to get here after The Beach was released. So although the beaches and islands are out of bounds, tourists are still allowed to swim and snorkel here- and they come in droves. So much for environmental protection. Hopefully the current Covid 19 situation will cool things off a bit and the corals reefs would hopefully recover slightly with little or hopefully no human activity around them. (Phuket, Thailand, Oct/ Nov. 2019)
I joined an eco-tourism daytrip from Guyana's capital Georgetown to the Arrowpoint Nature Resort. We drove out of town to marina on the Demerarr river, where we boarded a speedboat and crossed the river, then, taking about 45 minutes, navigated the Kamuni River into the Santa Aratack Amerindian Reserve, stopping at Santa Mission Amerindian community and the reaching Arrowpoint, where we had the options of walking in the rainforest, kayaking, swimming among activities.
These drawings won awards in a contest dedicated to World Environment Day. Eighty children from seven schools participated, as part of the project on protected areas being piloted by the Global Environment Facility and UNDP. The kids are all from villages bordering the Surkhan Strict Nature Reserve in Uzbekistan.
Read more about the contest
Another fast sequence in the Tharu cultural show in Sauraha in Chitwan, Nepal. This dance too resembles the Dandia performed all over India, but particularly in Gujarat. What I found unusual here is that this dance is male only. The Dandia in Gujarat in India is largely female but there are also mixed groups with one male and one female. I found this exclusively male version of it rather unusual. Unless it is a warrior dance or something- I might have missed that bit of information in the announcement. I am in the Tharu cultural show in Chitwan, Nepal- extensive notes about the Tharu peoples and about this cultural shot itself appeared earlier in this album. (see previous pictures). (my Facebook viewers will find this video in a separate Videos folder under my profile). (Sauraha, Chitwan, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)
The keeper feeds the majestic tusker- sadly a captive animal- in the 'elephant depot' in the Chitwan National Park in Nepal. This is one of the magnificent animals used to take visitors on the famous elephant back safari through the park. Fortunately, and increasing number of ethical tourists are now opting out of the elephant ride (constant riding by humans permanently damages the elephant's back) so they also offer jeep safaris nowadays, which was the one I eventually took the following day. I am generally wary of elephant bulls- they are temperamental and generally quite unpredictable. The Asian elephant (elephas maximus) is the world’s second-largest land mammal behind its African counterpart. The elephants you’re most likely to see in Chitwan are domestic elephants that ferry visitors around on wildlife-spotting safaris, though lucky visitors can sometimes spot small population of approximately 25 to 30 wild elephants in the adjoining Parsa Wildlife Reserve along with wandering migrants from Bihar’s Valmiki National Park, many of which are solitary males looking for a mate. Elephants always live and move in a herd, it's only the males which are solitary, and hence the most dangerous. (Sauraha, Chitwan, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)
This lone Oriental Darter (also called Anhinga or Snakebird) drying out his wings was the only saving grace of the entire four hour jeep ride into the Chitwan National Park in Nepal. Thanks to a rather heavy thunderstorm the previous night, much of the vegetation was disturbed and grasses slanted. There were dangerous pools in many parts of the unsealed road and all the animals had gone deep into the bush. In fact we were probably lucky we saw at least this solitary Oriental Darter. Darters are mostly tropical in distribution, ranging into subtropical and barely into warm temperate regions. They typically inhabit fresh water lakes, rivers, marshes, swamps, and are less often found along the seashore in brackish estuaries, bays, lagoons and mangrove. Most are sedentary and do not migrate; the populations in the coolest parts of the range may migrate however. Their preferred mode of flight is soaring and gliding; in flapping flight they are rather cumbersome. On dry land, darters walk with a high-stepped gait, wings often spread for balance, just like pelicans do. Darters feed mainly on mid-sized fish. They do occasionally take other aquatic vertebrates and large invertebrates of comparable size. These birds are foot-propelled divers which quietly stalk and ambush their prey; then they use their sharply pointed bill to impale the food animal. They do not dive deep but make use of their low buoyancy made possible by wet-able plumage, small air sacs and denser bones. On the underside of the cervical vertebrae 5–7 is a keel, which allows for muscles to attach to form a hinge-like mechanism that can project the neck, head and bill forward like a throwing spear. After they have stabbed the prey, they return to the surface where they toss their food into the air and catch it again, so that they can swallow it head-first. Like cormorants, they have a vestigial preen gland and their plumage gets wet during diving. To dry their feathers after diving, darters move to a safe location and spread their wings like this fellow here. More notes about the Oriental Darter (also called Anhinga or Snakebird) appeared earlier in this album. (see previous picture). (Sauraha, Chitwan, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)
Consolate Kaswera Kyamakya, a PHD student, at Yoko station in the Yoko forest reserve, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Photo by Ollivier Girard/CIFOR
If you use one of our photos, please credit it accordingly and let us know. You can reach us through our Flickr account or at: cifor-mediainfo@cgiar.org and m.edliadi@cgiar.org
Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) researchers measure the circumference of trees.
Photo by Nanang Sujana/CIFOR
If you use one of our photos, please credit it accordingly and let us know. You can reach us through our Flickr account or at: cifor-mediainfo@cgiar.org and m.edliadi@cgiar.org