Most of us learned about the web of life in school, but no one has a complete understanding of the complexities involved in food webs. Given time, we often see unexpected results and Yellowstone National Park provides an excellent example. Current research at Yellowstone links the resurgence of beaver populations to the grey wolf reintroduction […]
Read PostFlorida’s Pelican Island became the country’s first national wildlife refuge back in 1903. Today, every state and territory has at least one refuge within an hour’s drive of most major metropolitan areas. National wildlife refuges provide habitat for more than 700 species of birds, 220 species of mammals, 250 reptile and amphibian species, and more […]
Read PostEarlier this month, a new national park received final approval by Peru’s president, Ollanta Humala. Sierra del Divisor National Park spans 3.3 million acres, protecting a huge swath in the Amazon basin. Rainforest Trust in the US worked with Peru’s CEDIA (Center for the Development of an Indigenous Amazon) along with local communities and government […]
Read PostWe’ve just returned from our sixth scouting trip to Mexico this year. Our latest trip was to Guadalupe Island where we spent three days cage diving with great white sharks. Wow! All of this year’s Mexico trips offered unforgettable wildlife experiences. Friendly gray whales, millions of monarch butterflies, a bat volcano, and sharks (both whale […]
Read PostMonarch butterflies are found throughout the United States, though a majority of the population migrates up to 3,000 miles to Mexico for the winter months. In 1996, the Mexican government created the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve to protect monarch’s wintering habitat. The reserve spans more than 56,000 hectares (138,000 acres). Over the past two decades, the […]
Read PostLeatherback sea turtles are the largest species of turtle to swim the world’s oceans. A leatherback can measure four to six feet in length and can weigh in at more than 1000 pounds. The biggest, deepest-diving, widest ranging of all turtles, the leatherback has endured for 100 million years. Reefs to Rockies co-founder Sheridan Samano […]
Read PostMaybe you’ve heard of Africa’s Big Five (buffalo, rhino, elephant, lion and leopard). The Big Five was coined by big game hunters and refers to the five most difficult species to hunt on foot. Now, safari goers stalk the Big Five with cameras and travel on foot and by vehicle. On a recent trip to […]
Read PostLast month, Monday closures at Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica took effect again. The most visited national park (and also one of the smallest) in Costa Rica is open Tuesday through Sunday from 7 am – 4 pm through November 30, 2015. On December 1, 2015 the park will be open seven days […]
Read PostAlthough Ecuador only covers 0.2% of the world’s surface, it ranks as the country with the largest biodiversity per kilometer in the world. About the size of Colorado, Ecuador is home to 124 species of hummingbirds, a true hummingbird paradise. By comparison, only 12 species of hummingbirds have been recorded in Colorado. Hummingbirds account for […]
Read PostThough Tortuguero, Costa Rica is primarily known for its turtle season, it offers an abundance of other wildlife watching opportunities. Tortuguero (the name of both the town and the national park) is on a spit of land on the northern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, and is accessible by boat via a network of canals. […]
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