Nature Galleries

Flowers :

Flowers

Updated: Jul 29, 2009 4:54pm PST

Leatherback turtles : The story posted below is written by my friend John Olin. An islander, Ringo Kile, and I paddled about 300 miles NW-SE around Santa Isabel Island in the Solomon Islands in Oct-Nov 2007. It took us 26 days, 19 of which were spend paddling, the rest spent exploring, observing or sheltering from a cyclone. Aside from having an adventure, our purpose was to observe nesting leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys Coriacea, the largest turtle in the world and one of the largest reptiles) on remote, unpopulated beaches. In addition, we conducted taped interviews with native inhabitants on the subject of babaru, as the leatherback is called here. These interviews will assist the Provincial government and The Nature Conservancy in developing a conservation strategy which considers the needs of villagers who consume turtle eggs and kill the nesting females for meat. Santa Isabel is a virtually roadless and undeveloped place with a small population for its size (240km long). The inhabitants have a well deserved reputation for peacefullness, in contrast with a neighboring island where "sailors were regularly cooked and eaten" in the 19th century. The 21st century has arrived on Isabel however, and Asian countries (especially China) are logging the virgin hardwoods, which not only disturbes the tropical ecology but also undermines the unique cultural, economic, and "Kastom" relationships between people and with the environment. Sea level rise has had significant impacts over the past 10 years, with many leatherback nests, for one, washed into the sea. Nevertheless, the people of Isabel, especially the women elders (it's a matrilinear society), constitute a defense against the destructive encroachments on their self-sustaining way of life. Finally, this is not a tropical paradise. There are numerous poisonous plants and snakes as well as malaria carrying mosquitos, biting red ants, scorpions, the world's largest salt water crocodiles, merciless sun and abundant rain, wind, current, and large breaking seas. Our circumavigation of the island was received enthusiastically by Isabellans and our message to preserve babaru was listened to and mostly appreciated. The Pacific leatherback is feared to have only 10 years remaining of a 100 million year old history, due to many factors such as marine bycatch as well as due to consumption by Pacific islanders.

Leatherback turtles

The story posted below is written by my friend John Olin. An islander, Ringo Kile, and I paddled about 300 miles NW-SE around Santa Isabel Island in the Solomon Islands in Oct-Nov 2007. It took us 26 days, 19 of which were spend paddling, the rest spent exploring, observing or sheltering from a cyclone. Aside from having an adventure, ...

Updated: Feb 26, 2008 6:01pm PST

Rock Run, PA : These are photos from a June 1-2, 2006 van-camping trip we took to our favorite Pennsylvania stream: Rock Run, in northern Lycoming County.

Rock Run, PA

These are photos from a June 1-2, 2006 van-camping trip we took to our favorite Pennsylvania stream: Rock Run, in northern Lycoming County.

Updated: Jun 07, 2006 2:55pm PST