GLOWFARI AT THE OAKLAND ZOO: Panorama of Larger Than Life Animal Lanterns

 

Glowfari, Lantern Festival at the Oakland Zoo, Oakland, CA

Lighting up the winter night at the Oakland Zoo in California are hundreds of larger-than-life animal lanterns, ranging from dinosaurs, mammoths and other extinct creatures, to butterflies, flowers, monkeys, koalas and a host of other animals. The themes of this year's Glowfari are Land of Extinction, California Coastline, Wonders from Down Under, Neon-Tropics and Mythical Odyssey. 

Giant Sea Reptile in Land of Extinction

The Glowfari Lantern Festival is open evenings at the Oakland Zoo (5:00-9:00 pm) and has been extended to March 4th. (The zoo was closed in January due to damage by heavy rain.) Tickets with timed entry are available online and sell out fast. (Tickets are not exchangeable.) Whatever the weather, Glowfari is open. 

For scale, note silhouettes of people carrying umbrellas.

As it happened, after a week of dry weather, on the night of our visit in late December it began to rain just as we arrived, so we put on our raincoats and got our umbrellas. Even in the rain, the lanterns were impressive. Here are some of my favorites:

Baby dinosaur hatching out of its egg.

Chambered Nautilus.

Capybara from South America.

Dingoes from Australia.

Lighted paths lead from one exhibit area to the next, ending at the gondola station which takes you to the upper level and the section featuring the California coastline, with lanterns ranging from whales to microscopic plankton.  The only real animals visible during Glowfari are the snakes and lizards in the reptile house. The rest of the zoo animals are all out of sight in their nighttime enclosures. 

Because of the weather and the long line of people waiting for the gondola, we skipped that part of Glowfari. We were sorry to miss it because we had enjoyed the gondola ride last year. The view from the top across San Francisco Bay is impressive. We’ll hope for better weather next year!

Under the sea.

 

SONGO NATURE CONSERVANCY, ZIMBABWE, Guest Post by Karen Minkowski

Elephants near Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe

My friend Karen Minkowski, a frequent contributor to The Intrepid Tourist and definitely an intrepid traveler, is currently in Africa, a place that she has visited often. She spent the month of November at the Songo Conservancy site, which is several hundred miles from Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. She begins her report: 

Woodland Kingfisher (eats lizards and insects, not fish).

I recently spent three weeks in the Songo Conservancy northeast of Victoria Falls, on the shores of Lake Kariba, volunteering for the International Anti-Poaching Foundation (IAPF).

IAPF manages lands where both legal and illegal hunting have severely reduced wildlife populations. Some of these lands border national parks and/or could serve as corridors that would allow wildlife to move between protected areas. The organization recruits and trains young women as rangers who conduct anti-poaching operations within their own communities. (Akashinga is a documentary film about the first set of female rangers trained by IAPF (you can watch it at  https://www.iapf.org/the-film).  IAPF also supports schools, clinics, legal fishing camps and conservation education. The organization was founded by a charismatic, ex-military Australian. His mission is to wipe out poaching in Africa by building communities that coexist with wildlife and have zero tolerance for poaching or other environmental crimes, whether initiated from within or from the outside. The rangers are impressive, and their salaries help support their extended families.

Celebrating after the graduation ceremony for 40 some young women who had successfully completed their training as rangers. 

A full report of Karen's activities with the Songo Conservancy organization, filled with a description of her activities and her wonderful photographs, is HERE as a PDF.  It is filled with incredible close-ups of birds--Karen is a devoted bird-watcher with patience to catch the birds at their best. Karen's text makes you feel as if you are a vicarious visitor too. Enjoy!

Hippos spend their days in the water to keep cool. They feed at night, but on cloudy days, they sometimes leave the water to graze.

I have included just a few samples of her photographs. Be sure to go to the PDF to see all of them.

WALK IN THE WOODS: Bromley Family Nature Reserve, Chapel Hill, NC

Bromley Family Nature Reserve, Chapel Hill, NC

We were in North Carolina for Thanksgiving and it was a beautiful fall day, so we decided to take a walk in the Bromley Family Nature Reserve, one of many local preserves with trails for hiking and biking.

Wood Duck Way is for both bikers and hikers. A number of bikes passed us on the path. Some trails are for hikers only.

After parking our car, we set off on Wood Duck Way, a circular path about 1.2 long, mostly through forest. While we saw no wood ducks, or much other wildlife, we spotted several nest boxes high in the trees where the wood ducks would lay their eggs in the spring. 

The wood duck nest box is mounted about 6 feet from the ground.

In late November, a few golden leaves still clung to the branches, but most had fallen to the forest floor. Next spring, the leafy carpet will make a soft landing place for the wood ducklings as they leave the nest and plummet to the ground. They will follow their mother's calls to the pond nearby and she will look after them. (The baby ducks can’t fly, but are able swimmers.)

Black vultures.

As we continued down the path we spotted a pair of black vultures circling overhead, the white tips of their wide wings catching the sunlight. They disappeared and a few minutes later we noticed them again, perched on a branch just above the path. What puzzled us was a third vulture, dead on the ground below them, showing no sign of what had caused its demise, and we wondered if it was being mourned by its companions.

A guide to common birds helps to identify species that make their home in the nature preserve.

Midway around the circular path we took a branch that led across a creek and to a small lake and a picnic area.

Beaver dam and lodge with "beaver deceiver" drainage pipe.

On the way to the lake, we passed a beaver dam that had a large drainage pipe going through it. A sign explained that this was a “beaver deceiver” designed to keep a steady flow of water in the creek. Beavers are important to the ecosystem but their dams sometimes cause the paths to flood during rainy periods. By draining excess water behind the dam, but leaving enough to protect the beaver lodge, the paths stay dry for hikers and bikers and the beavers are safe and happy.

Walkway to dock.

Arriving at the lake, we walked out to the dock and peered over the edge, where we spotted numerous turtles paddling about in the shallow water. They too seemed to be enjoying the mild November day. As I looked back toward the shore I could see the reflection of the trees on the shore, their shapes and colors modulated by the ripples in the water, making them seem like a Monet painting. 

Reflections.

It was time to head back to the car and the perfect end to a walk in the woods on a beautiful fall day.

 

DECEMBER FUN IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, Guest Post by Caroline Hatton

Living giant sequoia growing at 4th Ave & Olive Way, Seattle, WA

My friend Caroline Hatton, a children’s book writer and frequent contributor to this blog, visited Seattle and took the photos in this post in December 2022. I thank her for her sharing her many travel experiences.

Deer, two stories tall, on 4th Ave near Spring Street .

After spending two sparkling days walking around Seattle with my husband during a December escapade away from home, the three experiences below ranked as my favorite.

 THE ARTWORK BY DENNIS EVANS AT THE SHERATON 

This is a free, indoor, permanent exhibit inside the Sheraton Grand Seattle hotel. Named “The Four Philosophical Elements,” it is a four-part evocation of the four compass points and seasons, created by Seattle artist Dennis Evans in 2013.

This book representation drew my attention to the art of Dennis Evans.

What hooked me as a book lover was the book representation in the “South” panel. For each compass point, four aspects were described.

“South is Midday and Summer.

Color is Red.

Its element is Fire and is called The Phoenix.

South rules Passion and Sensuality.”

“East is Dawn and Spring.”

“East rules the Intuitive and the Philosophical.”

I love the overall concept and the execution in every detail, the mixed media, textures, colors and mini paintings strongly suggestive of glorious or moody weather. What a rich and satisfying offering! 

The Sheraton Grand Seattle is located at 1400 6th Ave in Seattle, five and a half blocks from the Pike Place Market big clock. If driving, park in one of the public pay parking lots across 6th Ave or Pike Street. After entering the hotel lobby, go left toward the Fountain bar entrance, then right down the hallway to see the artwork on the right-side wall.

THE SEATTLE CENTER WINTER TRAIN & VILLAGE 

The mini Winter Village (knee-high) at the Seattle Center .

As an amateur miniaturist, I enjoyed this free, indoor, daytime, annual opportunity to gawk at a model, quaint town of knee-high buildings ringed and crossed by moving toy trains with cars roughly a foot long. 

Click here to watch the merry-go-round and train in action.

A merry-go-round spun endlessly. A hot air balloon gave two dolls a ride. A rare treat for my petite self was that I could always see over the heads of other visitors, because most of them were young children. Some walked around and around marking their scavenger hunt sheet as they spotted the sasquatch and other amusing details.

This display was on the Seattle Center campus, inside the Armory Food and Event Hall building, where visitors could also buy tickets to enter a nature-themed playground offered by the Seattle Children’s Museum and hear live stage entertainers while exploring the food court for lunch options.

Space Needle and International Fountain on the Seattle Center campus.

After lunch, we wandered outside around the campus garden, past the International Fountain, in and out of the Urban Craft Uprising, a free-entry indoor craft market, and skipped the Space Needle, which we had visited previously, once upon a July Fourth.

THE GREAT FIGGYPUDDING CAROLING COMPETITION

The 2022 Great Figgy Pudding Caroling Competition took place at Seattle’s Pike Place Market.

During this free, outdoor, annual event, which took place on Friday evening, December 2 in 2022, caroling groups lined a pedestrian street at the iconic Pike Place Market, belting out holiday songs and welcoming charitable donations for the Pike Market Senior Center & Food Bank.

The spectators listening to any particular choir stood back to back with those listening to the next choir, so occasionally we could hear more than one song at a time. Wandering from one group to the next didn’t take many steps. We didn’t stand in the long line waiting to buy hot spiced apple cider, available in several flavors. 

The Evergreen Cabin Choir singing in Japanese.

The Evergreen Cabin Choir sang a song in Japanese, then a traditional American one. Some middle school and adult groups sang so quietly, I could not hear them. An adult group sang “Hanukkah in Santa Monica,” the song by Tom Lehrer. One Starbucks Chorus song was about lattes and caramel shots, to the tune of “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer.” 

The performance I liked best was by Mount Vernon High School singers. Their energy was contagious, their precision thrilling. They sang a polyphonic arrangement of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas“ flawlessly, especially after four people carrying clipboards appeared and identified themselves as official judges, motivating the performers to deliver their very best.

We had fun sampling the holiday spirit in Seattle.

All text and photos, copyright Caroline Arnold. www.theintrepidtourist.blogspot.com

  

HAPPY HOLIDAYS 2022: Favorite Danish Christmas Plates

Danish Christmas Plate by Bing and Grondahl, 1967

My husband Art’s aunt, Carolyn T. Arnold, was a world traveler and brought home many souvenirs from her trips, both for herself and gifts for her family. She loved going to Denmark and was especially fond of the Danish porcelain Christmas plates, developing a large collection. In her house they decorated the walls of her living room, lined up in chronological order.

1967, Child With Bird Feeder; 1970, Pheasants in the Snow at Christmas; 1972, Christmas in Greenland

We were the recipients of three Danish plates from Aunt Carolyn: 1967, commemorating our wedding year; 1970 and 1972, for the births of our children. The three plates now hang in our kitchen where I can see them every day of the year.

At the Royal Copenhagen Store, Copenhagen

On our recent trip to Copenhagen, we were delighted to find our plates displayed in the Royal Copenhagen shop along with the more than 100 porcelain Christmas plates designed by Bing and Grondahl. (In 1987, Bing and Grondahl merged with the Royal Porcelain Factory to become Royal Copenhagen.)

In her retirement Aunt Carolyn wrote of her travel adventures in her memoir. Many excerpts from her memoir have appeared at The Intrepid Tourist. As we celebrate this holiday season we remember Aunt Carolyn and the joy of traveling and learning about the world. I send best wishes to all of you for a very

HAPPY HOLIDAY

and

JOYOUS NEW YEAR!

 

 

EVOLUTION GOES ON EVERY DAY and Scientists Are On To It! Guest Post by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent

Congratulations to Dorothy Hinshaw Patent on her new book The Lizard Scientists: Studying Evolution in Action, available at Amazon and at your favorite bookstore. I have known Dorothy for many years, sharing an interest in writing about wildlife in books for children. In this guest post she shares the process of creating The Lizard Scientists, taking us behind the scenes in an author’s research.

I have a weakness for wildlife films, and I've always loved lizards. As a child growing up in Marin County California, I was allowed to have pets, more than just a dog, and lizards were high on my list.

When the International Wildlife Film Festival in my then hometown of Missoula, MT, featured a film called "Laws of the Lizard" I could hardly wait to see it.

This green anole in Parkland, Florida, seems to be checking me out as I watch it.

The film chronicled the work of scientists studying Caribbean lizards in the anole family that beautifully illustrates how evolution takes place. These lizards have a very short generation time. They grow up fast, and a new generation can appear in less than a year. That way, effects from changes in the environment can show up very quickly, and scientists can follow them. As I watched, I knew I had to write about these beautiful and adaptable creatures and the scientists who study them.

Here are Neil (foreground) and Nate on the job.

Luckily, the film makers themselves, Neil Losin and Nate Dappen, are also Ph.D. scientists who studied anoles in their own research. The idea of a book about this research really appealed to them, so we were off on a joint book-creating adventure. The result after five years of research, photography, writing, and editing, is our book, The Lizard Scientists: Studying Evolution in Action (Harper Collins, Dec 13, 2022).

Neil and Nate connected me with Jonathan Losos, the “guru” of anole research, and with several other anole scientists. I learned they traveled to islands in The Bahamas to carry out their research. I always try to join scientists in person to see how they do their work, but Jonathan let me know right away that this wasn’t possible with this research—their boats are small and the islands have no docks—no room for an extra body, especially one that isn’t used to leaping like a lizard from a dingy onto a rocky shore! 

After seeing this photo, I truly understood how tagging along with these scientists just wouldn’t work!

Jonathan suggested I contact a postdoc in his laboratory, James Stroud. James studies anoles in Florida, where several species from the Caribbean now live. James graciously invited me to spend a few days with him during his research on anoles at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables, just south of Miami.

Fairchild Garden is known for its beautiful orchids. Here’s one of countless gorgeous flowers in the park. 

I found a weeklong rental, set up a meeting time with James, and got a ride to the park. As I awaited James, I looked around at tropical greenery and spectacular blossoms, many of them rare and treasured orchids. I loved the abundant greenery and display of brightly colored flowers.

Meanwhile, lizards already began to show themselves, and the rustling of leaves along the path indicated there were more of them than I could see.

A plain colored female rainbow agama lizard looks as if she’s asking, “What are you doing here?” A male, whose bright colors give these lizards their name, hung out nearby.

James soon arrived, accompanied by photographer Neil Losin, who lives in the Miami area.  As we strolled towards James’s research location, James snagged an anole lizard from a railing.

James gently holds the anole while pointing out its features.

“This is a male crested anole. See the loose skin on his throat? This expands into what’s called a dewlap. The dewlap of each species is a different color. You can also see the enlargements on his toes. These are toepads, that help him stick to surfaces as he moves around. Anoles are the only lizards with both dewlaps and toe pads.”

Here’s a brown anole with his dewlap fully extended.

James studies changes in the five species of anoles on his research island over time to see if he can spot changes in their physical features or their behavior from one generation to the next as they adapt to one another.

James reaches up high with his modified fishing pole to snag a lizard.

James does his best to capture all the anoles in his study area every six months. He puts each one into its own plastic bag and takes to his onsite laboratory.

When the lizards are caught, a colored ribbon is tied at the exact spot where it was found. Then it’s returned to the same spot when released.

The next day, I joined Neil on a field trip to the countryside near the city of Parkland. Some other species of anoles live there that he wanted to photograph.

Here’s Neil taking photos of a lizard high up in the bushes.

This Knight Anole is called a crown-giant. It lives in and near the tops of the trees.

Neil takes portraits of some of the lizards he finds here, using his portable photo setup.

On my last day, I visited the Jose Marti MAST 6-12 Academy in North Miami, a school enrolled in a special program called “Lizards on the Loose.” Sixth grade students in the school explore the ‘arboretum’ that’s on their campus, where several species of anoles make their homes.

The arboretum has great lizard habitat, with lots of bushes and small trees.

Several different schools are in the program, so the researchers can learn where the different anole species live in the greater Miami area. The students’ findings add information that wouldn’t be known otherwise.  James said, for example, that they had found a population of one species that researchers hadn’t located before.

A girl found an anole egg and showed it to me.

A couple of boys hunt for anoles in the bushes.

My Florida adventure provided lots of experience and information that helped me understand the basics of anole lizard life, but there is so much more—researchers are learning about how these lizards adapt to life in cities, how they manage to survive hurricanes, and more.

I wish I could have visited with more of these scientists who use anoles to study the details of evolution as it occurs in nature and who also love anoles for their fascinating lizardness!

*****

With many thanks to Dorothy for sharing her research process with The Intrepid Tourist. For more about Dorothy and her books for children, go to her website www.dorothyhinshawpatent.com .