WOW 
Friday, 11. July 2008
Eight New Natural Wonders Named
Eight new sites from around the world have been added to the World Heritage List by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The locations include biodiversity hotspots, crucial geological research sites and areas of outstanding natural beauty.The eight new natural sites added to the World Heritage List this month include also Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona in Switzerland.
A textbook example of mountain building through continental collision, this mountainous area in northeast Switzerland has been studied by geologists since the 1700s. The clear exposure of the Glarus Overthrust, a line where older rocks overlay younger rocks, is a key feature.
Images: © IUCN, Pedro Rosabal
The World Heritage Committee, meeting for its 32nd session, finished inscribing new sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List on 8 July with the addition of 19 cultural sites and eight natural sites to the List.
Twenty-seven new sites inscribed by UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
See also:
World Heritage List, includes 878 properties.
Don't miss the World Heritage Photo Gallery!
Articles:
Eight New Natural Wonders Named by LiveScience.
Beautiful Photos at National Geographic.
Thursday, 10. July 2008
Movie Lions in South Africa
For BBC documentaries and many Hollywood productions these lions were used as an actor or stand in. Reasonable tame lions so quite save for Jan van der Meer to enter the cage and did some close/ups too.... tame or not ... I'm not sure I would go in the cage ...
Saturday, 05. July 2008
Ocean Empires: Voyages Before Man
Ocean Empires take you on a unique journey into the heart of a coral reef - the most extraordinary environment on the planet.Filmed over 3 years, Ocean Empires contains extraordinary footage of mass spawnings by fish and corals, and amazing glimpses of the predatory world of the reef. From the savage tiger shirg to the deadly conesnail.
Explore this unseen world, and find answers to the question: how could the tiniest of creatures have built the greatest of ecosystems?
Ocean Empires (1999) - 50 minutes
Wednesday, 02. July 2008
Birds Of The Bay & Of Prey
Often in our busy lives, we tend to forget the beauty, the simplicity and the magnificient world of nature and wildlife that surrounds us everyday.
In midst of the silicon valley, between the sprawling startups and big corporations, I feel very fortunate to live closer to hundreds of bird species found here in the bayarea, that are conveniently located within a short driving distance.
As you can see, this gallery features several bird photographs taken in wild in the San Francisco Bay Area and surrounding areas.
My hope is that, the photographs I share here will help in raising more awareness, give us a chance to stop, look and appreciate the wildlife that surrounds us, perhaps even encourage some to help and protect them in their natural habitat.
Birds Of The Bay by Sivaprasad R.L
Friday, 27. June 2008
Natural World: Eagle Island
Spectacular shots of eagles in the nest, of abundant marine life and of the dramatic Scottish landscape.Expert cameraman and presenter Gordon Buchanan returns to his homeland to rediscover its stunning wildlife and magnificent scenery.
The Isle of Mull has the highest density of eagles in the United Kingdom, otters in every bay and even whales, sharks and dolphins in the surrounding seas. Gordon's specific mission is to find and film the Sea Eagle, the biggest bird of prey in Europe and one that has only recently returned to the Isle of Mull. Mull also has an exceptional population of Golden Eagles and truly deserves the name Eagle Island.
Natural World: Eagle Island by BBC 2, 2005
Duration: 48 minutes
Thursday, 19. June 2008
Close up on Insects
Ultra close ups with great detail in HD! Macro is a whole other world ...
Tuesday, 17. June 2008
10,000 Birds
Yellow Warbler, Toronto
There are approximately 10,000 bird species on this beautiful planet. Here at 10,000 Birds we expect to not only see but eventually photograph or write about every single one! (I know, we have ambitions bigger than Saturn, but it does no harm to dream… )
Anyway, your hosts are developing a serious interest in photography. We’ve consequently begun to amass a rather large collection of photos, and rather than squirrel them away on our hard-drives we’ve decided that you may like to see them instead.
All the Galleries linked to on this page are of a single species (mostly birds, but we also point our lenses at insects, mammals, and plants) and contain between four and ten different images and (often) a short bio.
10,000 Birds by Mike Bergin, Charlie Moores, and Corey Finger.
Brown Pelicans, California
Tuesday, 10. June 2008
The Prince's Rainforests Project
Set up in October 2007 by HRH The Prince of Wales, the Prince’s Rainforests Project recognises the global role played by the forests in both promoting and mitigating climate change, and the acute pressure put on the rainforests by the worldwide rises in commodity prices and soaring global demand for beef, soya and palm oil. There is a growing awareness of the need to urgently protect the World’s rainforests, their people, and their products. It is into this space that HRH The Prince of Wales has stepped in with The Prince’s Rainforests Project.
"The task is to review, develop and propose practical mechanisms that acknowledge the true value of the eco-system services provided by the world’s remaining rainforests. These solutions need to provide credible incentives to host nations, and to local communities, and must out-compete the drivers of rainforest destruction." – HRH Prince of Wales
HRH The Prince of Wales presents an introduction to The Prince's Rainforests Project, his new charity dedicated to the cause of finding a way to ensure that tropical rainforests are worth more standing than cut down. Here he welcomes viewers to his website, outlines his reasons for starting the project, explains what is at stake and why time is of the essence.
Friday, 06. June 2008
National Geographic - Earth Report 2008
As the Earth turns another year older in 2007, our planet has seen 8 billion metric tonnes of carbon released into its atmosphere 90 million tonnes of fish pulled out of its oceans and 11 billion trees toppled on its land. Tracking everything from carbon emissions to reforestation projects, Earth Report: State of the Planet rates how nations have impacted our world – both positively and negatively – in 2007.This annual year in review exposes the stories and the science in ways you have not seen before. Earth Report uses a combination of original and stock footage, satellite images, amateur videos, and graphics to tell the story. It is presented in a provocative style.
A look at the events that have swept our planet in 2007 and the effect they have had on the landscape, the atmosphere and the human race.
Thursday, 05. June 2008
"Junk" sails to Hawaii on 15,000 Plastic Bottles!
Dr. Marcus Eriksen and Joel Paschal departed from the Long Beach Aquarium in California for Hawaii on a raft of 15,000 plastic bottles in order to help call attention to the problem of plastic pollution in the oceans.From the press release:
How much plastic can our oceans take? Ask Dr. Marcus Eriksen and Joel Paschal – they’re about to embark on six weeks at sea to call attention to the problem. They’ll set sail on June 1, 2008 for Hawaii from the Long Beach Aquarium in a boat, dubbed Junk, which floats on six pontoons stuffed with 15,000 plastic bottles inside mesh bags made of stray fishing nets.
The historic venture is part of Algalita Marine Research Foundation’s ongoing mission to alert the world to the growing problem of plastics fouling our oceans. “You want to see what happens to your plastic bottles in Los Angeles when they wash into the sea?” Dr. Eriksen said. “Just follow our journey.”
Today, plastics in the ocean are the source of countless environmental nightmares — everything from choking sea birds that eat large items such as toothbrushes and cigarette lighters, to microscopic particles that attract toxins like PCB’s and DDT, and are then consumed by fish.
In February, Eriksen and Paschal returned from a 4,200 mile journey from Hawaii to Los Angeles. They trawled for plastic trash and sadly, found an exponential increase over previous surveys. This compelled them to revisit a dream of many years: to build a Kontiki-style raft out of plastic bottles, calling attention to this issue. During the journey the two will collect ocean samples by skimming the surface with a fine, mesh net, while Eriksen’s fiancée, Anna Cummins will coordinate the land based support effort with daily blog postings and photos.
Check in on the trip!
Visit The Junk's Blog for more info!
I will be checking it regularly and hoping for the best.
Wednesday, 04. June 2008
The Tree People
It seems like there’s a new climate change website every day. But this one, created by Genesis Energy, New Zealand’s largest energy retailer, is different. It's an interactive site where members plant their own virtual trees, forming a virtual native forest, to change their habits and reduce their personal carbon footprints.Even very small things add up when enough people do them. Some examples:
- If 1,000 Tree People have a shower instead of a bath, once a week for a year, we’d stop about 40 tonnes of carbon from entering the air.
If 1,000 Tree People walked to school and back each day (say 3km) instead of taking the car, we’d stop about 3.5 tonnes of carbon from entering the air per week. That’s a lot of carbon.
It’s amazing what one thousand people can do!
The Tree People
Tuesday, 27. May 2008
Nudibranchs
Photographer David Doubilet introduces the glamour slugs of the sea. A clip from NGM. Click the picture.“My job description is to make a picture of a place no one has ever seen before or, to make a picture that’s different of a place that everybody’s seen before.” -- David Doubilet
Some of his subjects are powerful and threatening, some are delicate, shy and elusive, but all are presented with an artistry and style that are easily and immediately recognizable. With a highly respected body of work that grows continuously, his images are always pushing the limits of underwater photography to new levels.
David Doubilet - Underwater Photography
Monday, 26. May 2008
Saturday, 24. May 2008
How to be a Gardener
Spring is here and I need some time away from the computer.So this epic video will keep you up for a while! This 8 episode 'How To Be A Gardener' series by Alan Titchmarsh covers the absolute essentials that every gardener needs to know. Get a cup of coffee or tea, FOCUS and start on your gardening journey in just 4 hours!
See also the complete online guide @ BBC.
Friday, 23. May 2008
Bonobo - The Last Great Ape
The Bonobo In All of Us"Bonobos help us to see ourselves more in the round," says Frans de Waal, a primatologist at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta. In particular, he says, we can learn as much about human evolution and behavior by studying the sensitive, peace-loving bonobo as by studying the more violent chimpanzee—both of which share more than 98 percent of our DNA.
Bonobo - The Last Great Ape
