Galapagos Conservancy

In 1976 there was a drought that caused many finches to die off in the Galapagos islands. Two scientists, Rosemary and Peter Grant, studied the island for 6 months each year for 5 years. They recorded, that during the dry season of 1976, there was not even a centimeter of rainfall. On average, rainfall during the dry season is about 12 centimeters. This drought continued through both seasons of 1977. During the wet season there was 25 centimeters of rainfall and 0 centimeters of rainfall during the dry season. The average rainfall during wet seasons at the Galapagos islands is 179 centimeters. Taken this information you can see how little rainfall can have a large effect on the ecosystem. The water deprived plants had a harder time producing

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) has been the center of a strident controversy and national debate that has raged for over 40 years. The question raising so much contention is whether the federal government should allow drilling for oil and natural gas with the levels of contention paralleling the rise and fall of gas prices. The National Democratic and Republican Parties have taken opposing positions in their national political platforms, with the debate emerging and re-emerging in Congress as a significant issue. The Republican are proponents of drilling whereas the Democrats are opposed. With Sen. Lisa Murkowski ascending to the top post of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee many observers believe that the Republicans will renew their push for drilling in the ANWR in the upcoming 114th Congress. This paper will explore the different arguments that are used to oppose drilling to protect the ANWR followed by arguments that are in support of drilling. As a result of a preliminary review of current literature outlining the pros and cons surrounding drilling, it is the thesis of this paper that drilling in the ANWR is unnecessary based on (1) the potential to cause irreversible damage to a very unique ecosystem that has not been adequately studied by scientists; and (2) the limited impact that drilling in the region will have on overall market prices and supplies due to the estimated small size of the ANWR’s oil and gas reserves. A brief history of the

Near the small town of San Antonio, NM is a spectacular display of one of nature's finest balanced beauty and wilderness paradise, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, situated on the northern edge of the Chihuahuan desert and straddling the Rio Grande. Fitting is the name Bosque del Apache, meaning "woods of the Apache," a reminder of the Apache peoples of long ago who lived along the Rio Grande. The 57,331-acre refuge was established in 1939 by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, an effort aimed to preserve the area as a wildlife habitat. The nucleus of the refuge is 7,000 acres of flood-plain, an extensive area of wetlands and farmlands. Arid foothills and towering mesas ascend to the Chupadera Mountains

The Capital Reef National Park is located in south/central Utah, and is part of the great Colorado Plateau. An area of 378 square miles, the Capital Reef National Park is just one of many national parks located near the four corners (Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico). Like it was mentioned in the prompt, most of the rock formation in the Capital Reef is very similar to that of the other national parks, however, there is one geologic feature in particular that attributes to its uniqueness.

Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge is a protected park in New Mexico located in the Chihuahuan desert around 20 miles north of Socorro, New Mexico. The Rio Salado flows through the refuge and is a tributary of the Rio Grande joining the Rio Grande just 15 miles north of Socorro, New Mexico. The refuge area currently hosts the Sevilleta Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program by the University of New Mexico. While research into parasites in mammals and other species that habituate in the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge has been done, there has not been any studies on snails and digenean parasites in the region. Understanding and mapping the physid snail and digenean parasite habitat could help estimate the biodiversity of the digenean

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge or ANWR is one of the largest areas of protected land in the world. It encompasses areas of Alaska and Northwestern Canada. The area was initially set aside by President Eisenhower in 1960, because of the area’s value to the environment. What with it being part of the shrinking tundra, and the only protected tundra in the United States. However, despite the environmental significance of the ANWR to the surrounding areas, parts of the United States’ government would like to drill for oil in this important area. According to a study by the Gallup organization, support of the drilling has gone down in recent years. On top of that, more recent studies are

Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge in Golden, CO, has been a topic for debate for many years. In 2010, I testified and spoke out against the wildlife refuge on the house floor regarding House Bill 10-1127. The topic is still making local headlines with leaders on both sides arguing what are considered safe levels of Plutonium and Uranium. The article depicts the nature of the arguments and how the policies will affect the community. Some of the controversies discussed in the article that may affect the community include, safety, zoning, recreational, and environmental issues.

Forty-five minutes south east from the city of San Francisco is an area I’ve been meaning to write about since I started this blog. Mostly because as an outdoor enthusiast I feel thrilled and somewhat obligated to provide highlights for the conservational efforts that help preserve and protect the natural world that I love. The Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge is one such area. Founded in 1974, by the congressman who is its namesake, this preserve spans 30,000 acres of salt ponds, marshes, and open bay. It’s notable not only for its ability to sun burn even the hardiest visitor, but this place is an ornithologist’s dream. Featuring a large diversity of wildlife from over 280 species of birds (including raptors), endangered

Voyageurs National Park, located in northern Minnesota spans 218,054 acres which includes 84,000 acres of water. The park is located 277 miles north of Minneapolis, MN. The park was established on April 8, 1975. Voyageurs National Park is full of rare plants and animals such as Common Loon, Bears and moose. The park offers hiking trails, snowmobile trails, ski trails, and campsites. The park gets an average of about 25-28 inches of precipitation through the spring and summer seasons. Voyageurs National Park protects and shares a huge amount of unique cultural history that was made by the unique, rugged nature of its lands and water.

Our organization, PicTravel, is in full opposition of the recently passed House Joint Resolution 69 (HJR 69) that is now public law (P.L. 115-20)(H.J.Res.69 – Providing…2017). Through Congressional Review it overturned an original rule, Non-Subsistence Take of Wildlife, and Public Participating and Close Procedures, on National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska. This rule prohibited: hunting brown bears, wolves and coyotes (including pups and from within their den), expansion of season lengths or increases bag limits, same-day airborne take of bears and prevented loopholes for trapping and snaring of bears and selling their parts (Arctic National…2015). HJR 69 came about not from science, but rather the emotions of state politicians and hunting

Yellowstone National Park has a very interesting history. One aspect of its history revolves around its ecological transformation shortly after the reintroduction of Canis Lupus, commonly referred to as the gray wolf. During the 1800s, westward expansion brought settlers to lands that housed the grey wolf. The flourishing of agriculture led to the demise of the wolves’ natural prey, so the wolves then began to prey on domestic animals. This change in predatory behavior incited the settlers to eliminate grey wolves from the vicinity. Thus, predatory control was already in place during the 19th century.

Berowra Valley National Park: An Historical Point of Interest for the Guringai and Darug Nations.

World heritage sites are significant to learn our history due to the fact that they give a specific foundation for ideas and authenticate them (“Cultural). World Heritage Site is a site that is listed by UNESCO to be a special cultural or bodily importance (“World Heritage site). From 1972, UNESCO took ‘Convention concerning the Protection of the World’s Cultural and Natural Heritage,’ and it inherited in 1976 (“Introduction). The earliest list, which is listed in 1976, contains Galapagos Islands, an island which is in the Pacific Ocean, Mount Everest, a mountain in Nepal, Machu Picchu, a remain in Peru, Grand Canyon in the United States, the Great Barrier Reef, coral reef in Australia and the Great Wall of China

Land plants most likely inhabited the Galapagos Islands first. From what I know about photosynthesis and food webs, plants are crutial for the survival of animals. Plants are the only organisms in the world that can take water, carbon dioxide, and energy from the sun to make food, otherwise known as glucose, for energy. They are the producers of all food webs that provide all animals with food. Using the evidence, I can infer that land plants inhabited the Galapagos Island before the land animals. They had to be there for animals to survive. Herbivores ate the plants, and the energy travels through the rest of the food web. If there were no plants, herbivores and omnivores will have no food and herbivores will die of starvation. With the herbivores

For the last few months, you have been daydreaming about moving somewhere exotic. You may want to escape the cold winters in your current city, or you may just want to move somewhere with a slower pace. Many people daydream about moving to a tropical island. A few adventurous people actually make a plan to move to their favorite destination. The Carribean islands are paradise. There are several things to consider before you pack your bags and purchase a plane ticket.