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Tag Archives: species

Koko Crater Botanical Garden Oahu, Hawaii

Signage allows casual visitors to understand the what Koko Crater Botanical Gardens is all about. Image: Richard Hines

American Press Travel News-January 20th, Hawaii, USA–Columnist, Richard Hines at Koko Crater Botanical Garden in Oahu, Hawaii–My wife, Pam and I decided to make one more early morning trip before our 6:00 PM flight out of Honolulu. Pam is active with our local Garden Club and one of the Master Gardner’s in our home county in Kentucky. With these credentials, it was obvious flowers were on the agenda, so we opted for the Koko Crater Botanical Garden. It was our third garden tour this past two weeks and while she was busy checking out the names of flowers, I concentrated on photographing some of the local birds.

During the entire trip bird photograph was a high priority and because Koko Crater was not crowded, I was able to photograph as many if not more birds in this garden than any other location we visited. On this morning, I was able to add several birds to our life list plus photograph Zebra Dove, White-rumped Shama, and Red-billed Leiothrix among others.

The 50,000-year-old crater has created perfect growing conditions for barrel cactus and other desert species across the 60-acre garden which is within the 200-acre crater site. We saw an interesting mix of desert plant species from America, Africa, and Pacific locations

White Rumped Sharma. “I enjoy finding birds that live in exotic locals.” image Richard Hines

When you drive in the parking area, you won’t find a visitor station as at other gardens and as we walked through the gate you will find a sign and information brochures near the gate. This the area where you will first notice the grove of Plumeria trees which provided a unique scent as we walked along the trail.
The Koko Crater Botanical Garden is located on the eastern end of Oahu, Hawaii. You will find four major collections which are organized by region (Africa, the Americas, Hawaii, Madagascar). In all there are around 500 trees comprising 200 species that you will see around the 2-mile-long loop trail.

New Fascinating Book “The Quotable Darwin” Is Out As Of November 15th, 2017

 

American Press Travel News-Nov 7th, -PSL, FL–Book Review by Bob Epstein for Princeton University Press’s “The Quotable Darwin.”  When Janet Browne decided to find out about all things, Charles Darwin she imagined that this man would have much to offer thinking men and women in contemporary times. Darwin was and is most remembered for his book: “On The Origin of Species.” 

She collected and edited every written word she could find. In 348-pages his actual quotes on all aspects of life and disciplines- a fascinating look and read into the mind of one the worlds great thinkers. Darwin was a botanist, a geologist and a caring husband and father. As an active correspondent, he once told his cousin that he liked to play billiards because “it drives the horrid species out of my head.” Browne’s book offers and intimate look at Darwin at work, at home, as a public figure, and on his world travels. Feel his humor, frustrations, exultation’s and “the mans special genius. His travels on the ship; the Beagle made history, and changed knowledge on all living things great and small, for all times!

The book offers a chronology of Darwin’s life by Browne’s, THE QUOTABLE DARWIN. It provides an engagingly new perspective on a remarkable man who thought heavily about the natural world. Natural Selection and Evolution became hot topics due to Darwin!

The author is the Aramont Professor of the History of Science at Harvard University. Her books include the acclaimed two-volume biography of Darwin, Charles Darwin: Voyaging and Charles Darwin: The Power of Place (both Princeton published) She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.    Again: The Quotable Darwin, Collected and edited by Janet Browne can be found at: ISBN; 9780691 the eBook/ 9781400888672 

Snook To Close in Gulf State and Federal Waters

 

Snook release

AmericanPressTravelNews-April 29th, New Release–Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Snook will close to all harvest in Gulf state, federal and inland waters, including all of Monroe County and Everglades National Park, starting May 1. Seasonal harvest closures conserve Florida’s valuable snook populations and help sustain and improve the fishery for the future.

Snook is open to harvest in Atlantic state, federal and inland waters, including Lake Okeechobee and the Kissimmee River, through May 31, closing June 1.Both the Atlantic and Gulf will reopen for recreational snook harvest Sept. 1.

Snook are one of the many reasons Florida is the Fishing Capital of the World. While snook may be caught and released during the closed season, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) encourages anglers to handle their catch carefully to help the fish survive upon release. Proper handling methods can help ensure the species’ abundance for anglers today and generations to come. To learn more about fish handling, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater Fishing,” “Recreational Regulations” and “Fish Handling.”

Anglers can report their catch on the Snook & Gamefish Foundation’s website at SnookFoundation.org by clicking on the “Angler Action Program” link in the bar at the top of the page.

Learn more about recreational fishing at MyFWC.com/Fishing by clicking on “Saltwater Fishing” and “Recreational Regulations.”

Book Review: “Raptors of Mexico & Central America” (Many found in N.America)

AmericanPressTravelNews-March 18th, PSL, FL. Bob and Barb “Checking Out the Sweet Bird of Paradise” in a book review. The book title is Raptors of Mexico and Central America, and it is published by the Princeton University Press (www.press.princeton.edu). Accolades by those that know Raptors are all over the place. One in particular is from Sergio Seipke, Raptours: “Accurate, comprehensive, and authoritative” were his comments. The clan of the “Raptors are among the most challenging birds to identify in the field due to their bewildering variability of plumage, flight silhouettes, and behavior patterns. Raptor of Mexico and Central America, Raptor photographer William S. Clark and renowned bird artist, N. John S. Schmitt, is the first illustrated guide to the regions 69 species of raptors, including vagrants. It features 32 stunning color plates and 213 color photos, and a distribution map for each regularly occurring species. Detailed species accounts describe key identification features, age-related plumages, status and distribution, subspecies, molts, habitats, behaviors, potential confusion species, and more”, according to Andrew DeSio at the Princeton Press. If your a birder, this is your guide!! This 272-page paper book has 32-color plates, 213-color photos, 3-line illustrations, 64-maps, It will be published April 26th, 2017. go: press.princeton.edu 

I/we have always loved and admired the wild and free raptors that fly over my TN. farm. I am absolutely loving this book! Many of these raptors are also found in N.America, many are not! The book is a treasure house of knowledge!