I’m exploring Sri Lanka by bicycle with a great group of people, visiting Buddhist temples and ancient ruins while cycling through remote rural areas that few people ever see. One of the highlights so far has been Wasgamuwa National Park. Wasgamuwa is home to a large population of Sri Lankan elephants (which means you have to visit on a jeep safari since the elephants might trample cyclists).
Continue reading “Stranded in the Sri Lankan Jungle”
Turks and Caicos is a set of Caribbean islands a few hundred miles east of Cuba. It’s a tropical paradise in every sense – endless white sandy beaches, warm turquoise water, friendly people, and delicious food. But it isn’t such a paradise if you’re born here as one of the unfortunate street dogs often seen picking through trash for food or scurrying away into bushes as cars whip by. As in many places where spaying/neutering is uncommon, the population of street dogs is growing rapidly and the dogs are considered a nuisance. The life expectancy of a stray is a short three years. A large portion die from diseases like parvo and distemper before they even make it to adulthood.
Continue reading “Turks and Caicos Islands’ Puppy Rescue Group”
JP, a fellow passenger on the Carib Dancer scuba diving live-aboard, just put together this video of the trip. Great job capturing how wonderful it was to experience all that underwater life, JP!
After a wonderfully relaxing time paddling Alberta’s only canoe circuit in Lakeland Provincial Park, Sil and I decided to head to Jasper’s Maligne Lake for yet more canoeing. The two couldn’t be more different! Maligne Lake is a striking turquoise colour and it’s surrounded by spectacular snowy mountains. You paddle beneath lush avalanche slopes (where you might spot a bear if you’re lucky!) and relax around campfires as you watch the sunset illuminate glaciers high above.
Continue reading “Spectacular Maligne Lake – a canoeist’s dream”
The Maltese are passionate about two things: fireworks and shooting birds. Walk between any two villages and you’re sure to suddenly hear BANG-BANG-BANG! In fact, many species of birds are in danger of disappearing from the five islands that compose the country. But things are changing and some Maltese are starting to protect its avian citizens.
Earlier this week we had the opportunity to visit the fantastic Malta Falconry Centre. The centre exists both to protect birds of prey and also to educate people on how to care for them. It makes sense that wildlife conservation in Malta would start with falcons. The islands used to have an abundance of falcons and, in fact, when the Holy Roman Emperor granted Malta to the Knights of St John in 1530, the price was one of these revered falcons per year.
The first thing that happens every morning at the centre is weighing in. Birds of prey are very sensitive to how much they weigh – too high and they won’t fly, too low and they are hard to train (it’s hard to listen when you’re too hungry).
The centre has not just falcons but many different kinds of birds of prey.
Continue reading “Maltese Falconry”
Throughout the spring and early summer, I’ve been volunteering with Sarah Elmeligi, a PhD candidate researching the threatened Grizzly Bear population in the Canadian Rockies. It’s estimated that there are only 120 grizzlies in Banff, Jasper, Kootenay, and Yoho National Parks, known for harsh weather and sparse food. Sarah’s research focuses on understanding how the presence of people on a trail affect bear behaviour. As humans, we think of trails as being just for us. But animals know that trails are often the easiest way to get from one place to another too. Just how long does that bear wait to come back onto the trail after you’ve walked by? She heard (and smelled!) you coming, but just how close did you get before she slipped into the woods? More importantly, how much more difficult are we making the lives of these bears by impacting their ability to move about their home in search of food and mates?
Continue reading “Grizzly Research in the Rockies”
Earlier this year I got to do a “behind the scenes” tour at the Calgary Zoo. I was just looking though some photos from that day and it reminded me how much I enjoyed getting an up-close and personal experience with the animals. Here are some photos of the ferocious tiger kittens.
Charles and I headed up to Squamish for some hiking and mountain biking. We picked up Jo’s two hyper border collies for a steep walk up Squamish’s most famous landmark, The Chief.
The Chief is a rock climbers’ mecca and one of Canada’s top climbing destinations. We followed a trail that meanders up the much more gradual backside through lush old growth forest.
We scrambled over big moss-covered tree roots and slippery pboulders. While the weather was clear, everything was wet. Water streamed down the path and the dogs splashed through mucky puddles.
After some good steep climbing the trail leveled out and suddenly we had panoramic views of the ocean glittering below and even bigger mountains all around.
The Chief has three peaks. We ascended the third then traversed back to the second. As soon as we got to the edge we realized why this is such a hot spot for climbers. The cliff face plummets straight down all the way to the ground thousands of feet below.
Descending from the second peak toward the first we got to a long slippery ladder. Dusty nervously let me carry him down but Ruby didn’t want any part of it. She backed off in a hurry. A little funny seeing as she was walking along the edge of the abyss completely unperturbed just a few minutes before. So I headed down with Dusty while Charles backtracked with Ruby. At the intersection of the two trails we stopped to wait. Even though it had been a pretty full hike Dusty couldn’t help but grab a stick and start a game of fetch. When Ruby caught up all kinds of sticks went flying. You were playing fetch without me?!?
Eating Snow Around the World 