So Saint Patrick was not always a red-bearded man in a bright green top hat who drank loads and loads of green beer in March, despite what much of the world(or maybe it’s just America?) may think. The real Saint Patrick was a Christian missionary sent to Ireland in the 5th century A.D. and as rumor has it, he drove all of the snakes off of the island of Ireland. But is Saint Patrick the real reason there are no snakes on the Emerald Isle? Continue reading Did St. Patrick rid Ireland of serpents?
Tag Archives: Travel
Malayan Sun Bear
Exciting news! I have heard that (if all continues going well visa-wise) I will be including the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre in my study of the effects of volunteer tourism on conservation. These are really interesting little bears, so I thought I would tell you a bit more about them. Continue reading Malayan Sun Bear
World Wildlife Day 2015: How Great Apes Change the World
Today, March 3rd, is World Wildlife Day. Every year there is a theme that brings attention to something that is threatening species all over the world. This year’s theme is #seriousaboutwildlifecrime. Wildlife crime includes things like the illegal poaching of animals or animal parts on the black market. This be anything from an elephant tusk sold for jewelry to an infant chimpanzee sold as a pet. Continue reading World Wildlife Day 2015: How Great Apes Change the World
The European Stork: From Marrakech to Urban Legend
These magnificent 3 foot tall birds may not be a species you have heard of, but then again, you may be wrong. If you have ever heard the panicked parent’s reply to the question “Where do babies come from?” you’ve probably at least heard reference to this iconic bird. When someone says “Storks bring babies” they are referring to the European stork. Continue reading The European Stork: From Marrakech to Urban Legend
Key Deer
So this is my first attempt at anything like this, but I am pretty proud of my first try. Not to mention I edited it on free software on my mother’s laptop while I was home for Christmas, so it could be a bit smoother. I also wish I had left out the bit about the dolphins. I was just so excited to have found them, but unfortunately they were a bit too far away. I wish you could have seen them!
I am probably going to re-edit this footage for something a bit smoother, but I am so excited to share the awesome footage I got of the endangered key deer! So here is a rough cut, I hope you hang on until the end (I know it’s long, I’ll shorten it, I promise) to meet a very special little lady.
Don’t feed the ducks!
We’ve all been to the park and watched people pull that plastic bag of old bread out of their purse and start throwing pieces to the ducks, swans, geese or what-have-you. Maybe you have been the person feeding those lovely little waterfowl. But is that really the wisest decision?
Photo by Sarah Bell
Jane Goodall speaks from atop a chair at Woburn Safari Park
Forward: This is a long post, but it is my hope that you will make it to the end. Getting the chance to meet someone as inspiring as Jane Goodall is an experience I could not limit to a few hundred words. And although this is a post that may not introduce to you a new species or a conservation crisis, I think that it can introduce you to hope if you will let it.
I arrived exactly one hour early. I stood and watched the meerkats outside of the Woburn Safari Park’s Safari Lodge, biding my time until the doors opened and I could find my seat. Even before seeing Jane Goodall standing a mere 10 feet from me the day was perfect. I had seen my first ever wild pheasant, which could seem silly to many people, but for me it was incredibly exciting. Even the mundane turns magical on the day you get to meet your life-long hero.
Continue reading Jane Goodall speaks from atop a chair at Woburn Safari Park
Lions at the Tower of London
Since the early 1200’s the Tower of London has been home to more than monarchs, lords and prisoners. Keeping exotic animals at the tower became a tradition started by King John in 1210. Everything from lions to tigers to bears, oh my, have been kept in and around the tower grounds. Today not much remains of the fantastic menagerie except a few trained crows and metal statues where the real beasts once stood, but the stone walls pulse with the history that they have seen.
Loch Lomond Bird of Prey Centre
I am so incredibly sorry for my absence these past few weeks. I’ve (sort of.. long story for another time) moved to Oxford and I have had little time (or wifi) these past few weeks. But on the bright side I got the chance to visit the Bird of Prey Centre in Loch Lomond, Scotland. It was a trip that happened a bit by accident, but I am so glad that I got to visit such a beautiful place and find such an incredible centre.
The birds of Belgium
Friday, May 23rd, 2014
It’s five a.m. and I have been awake for almost an hour. I heard the first rooster at 4:30 a.m. and now all of the birds have woken up.
Endangered Living 