Marsh Mucking

Flowchart Fondness

2010-10-17T09:06:00.005-04:00

Finally, someone has created a book specifically catered to my decision making needs and my love for flowcharts. I totally want this!

Everything Explained Through Flowcharts by comedian and writer Doogie Horner.

Here's a link to an introduction to the book by the author and some examples of what the pages hold from Wired. This is soooo me!

(and yes, if you must know, I'm procrastinating/taking a break from translating mountain forest ecology articles from German to English)

My Daily Writing

2010-10-13T10:44:00.007-04:00

Click on the image above to get a clearer view of my current chaos created with Creately

At this exact moment I am overwhelmed. I am in a wonderful place called Zurich, Switzerland and loving it, but along with this love I am getting a flood of other emotions. I am completely inundated with a sense of "new": new country, new people, new languages, new school, new lifestyle, new transportation, new words, new bed, new home, new family, new climate, new, new, new. Every second of every day is an entirely new experience, which is amazing, but there is no lull in this tsunami of "different." Without sounding ungrateful, dare I say, it's exhausting!?

But as my wonderful sister-in-law warned me, this feeling should last for the first 2 or 3 months until you suddenly start to feel less clobbered with newness and more triumphant over the flood of new information. I'm just getting to the middle of month 2. My absolutely amazingly helpful and supportive mother, Margrit, helped me through the first 2 weeks in Switzerland by flying here with me, staying with me in a hotel while she chauffeured me through red tape and bewildering contracts in German. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I don't know what I would have done here without you Mom! So technically, I calculate that the start of my immersion in Swiss culture began 1 month ago after Mom headed back to her beautiful oasis in the United States. Just yesterday, for the first time in a month, I had my first glimpse of relief. I completed almost all of the things on my to-do list without that feeling of exhaustion or defeat. And I think I even managed to do it without inadvertently offending someone in Swiss-German!! Woohoo!

During my time weaving through the newness of Switzerland, I am also continuing to write for the blog and especially reliving all the amazing adventures of the Treehugger Tour. I am proud to announce that I am in the process of transcribing the notes I recorded on my favorite handy iPod voice recorder while driving (TuneTalk from Belkin), the notes I took sitting in my tent scribbled into a few notebooks, and the great information I gathered via brochures and newspapers along the way. It's all being slowly trickled to you as I get it down in coherent words (thanks for being patient).

Here's a new great tool that I hope will keep me focused and really prompt me to write everyday, even while I'm sorting through my new life in Europe. It is called 750 words and it is a simple and motivating online tool which encourages its users to write at least 750 words a day. Hopefully it'll help me get you all the fun stories faster. Even if you're just thinking of documenting your life more often, as we all should do (I find it spiritual and cleansing), this easy tool may encourage you to write every day. Check it out here: http://750words.com/. And the creator, Buster Benson, is pretty amazing too. Check out the other things that Buster Benson has done here. Let the words flow!

I discovered 750 words and Creately through one of my favorite new websites called MakeUseOf.com.

Let the words flow!

Charlotte, North Carolina

2010-10-06T19:00:00.000-04:00

July 7th, 2010
On the morning of July 7, I awoke in Jackie and Mark’s really beautiful home in Charlotte, North Carolina. I lolled in the comfortable guest bed they had set me up in and tried to relax after the demanding drive the day before. Jackie and Mark were both up early and left for their respective jobs while I still stretched and took inventory of what my new life held for me. I took their suddenly sweet, well trained miniature dachshund, Simon, for a walk around the neighborhood just before midday. Although this seemed like a good idea to me at the onset, Simon made it quite clear within 4 steps out the door that he did not agree. The 97º F base temperature plus the extreme humidity gave us a heat index of about 105º F that stood like a wall of invisible concrete just outside the door. After an abbreviated walk, during which Simon continued to look at me with baffled looks concerning my Homo sapien stupidity for leaving a well air-conditioned building, we hurried inside for refreshment, both panting.

Not long after, I vowed to get out of the house on my own and explore the town of Charlotte, NC because I knew I didn’t have long in the area. Knowing the extreme heat that awaited me, I thought that perhaps taking a leisurely biking tour of the city, with the wind in my face, would be more comfortable than a sweaty walking tour. I loaded up my bike once more on the back of my Corolla and followed the GPS directions to the center of town. I was shocked to see that there were brilliantly tall, modern skyscrapers nicely clustered around the center of the town, a convenient beltway around the city epicenter, and great parking and bike lanes everywhere. Wow! This is what a properly planned urban center was supposed to look like; compact (without too much suburban sprawl) and conveniently centralized (which makes it pretty nice for all forms of transportation) with beautiful landscaping and even space for urban trees. I had seen it throughout my schooling on paper, but never in practice. It felt like a tiny, bustling, state-of-the-art utopia. According to Jackie, Charlotte is one of the only cities which is still experiencing a financial upswing even during the economic downtimes of the rest of the country. Construction, scaffolding, and design plans can be seen all over the city. Charlotte was recently awarded the title of the 2nd largest financial center in the US (just after New York City). Did you know that? I certainly had no idea! Banking institutions such as Wachovia (a Wells Fargo subsidiary) and Bank of America have established their headquarters in Charlotte and are prominent developers of and investors in the downtown area. This explains why I was seeing an overwhelming number of what I considered moronically suited, uptight people walking around in sweaters (obviously for their overly cooled office buildings) during a heat index of 105º F!! It all makes sense now.

Side note of interest: According to the World Economic Forum’s ranking of the top 10 global financial centers for 2009, the US ranked 3rd and Switzerland is all the way down at 7th. I’m shocked!
I parked at a pay-meter along the street near the intersection of Trade St. and Tryon St. (the slightly elevated epicenter of the city, which surprisingly also had bike lanes). Again, I was delightfully shocked to find that it wasn’t necessary to find a frighteningly dark parking garage in a booming city like this. Just in front of the centrally located Bank of America high-rise building, I was met by a mid-day farmer’s market where I bought fresh cantaloupe and blackberries to thank Mark and Jackie for having me.
Then, with fruit in tow, I continued to ride my bike around the center of town and found some cute strips of boutiques, barber shops, travel agencies, some surprising multicultural food (Indian and Jamaican), and pubs where the World Cup was in full swing.
Still on island time, I soon realized that the city was not my speed, so I reloaded my bike and drove to another, more calm part of Charlotte, called Midwood (read about this in Design Sponge City Guide). Midwood is a very chill, laid back, somewhat hippie part of the city with a small section of the main road dedicated to stores such as:

Pura Vida - a great world market with fair trade goods. They are moving locations soon, so check them out soon. There, I got a new set of prayer flags for Mom since her squirrels keep taking them for nesting (this is an entirely different and totally hilarious story!).
The High Life Store
Used book store (never found a name, but I picked up some great kid books for my new nephew in spanish and my soon to be favorite travel book - a 1980s road trip guide by Readers Digest)
Reggae music store
Jamaican food

and my favorite:
6. Late Night Pawn - a sketchy narrow backdoor with a neon sign boasting the name
above the locked door.

Later, when I mentioned to her that I had gone to Midwood, Jackie also suggested I check out one of the favorite local food joints there called Penguins on my next visit. Jackie and I took Simon for a late afternoon walk at a local park, where Jackie showed me that there was still some hidden treasures of natural areas even inside the developing area.
That night, Jackie, Mark and I went to dinner at a really classy irish pub/restaurant called the Dandelion Market. The restaurant served irish food in tapas form with a really great selection of draft beers. It was not at all what I expected from an irish pub, but completely awesome and delicious! We had the:

Fried sage leaves (what? These tasted great and were a great conversation piece, but normally no one wants to eat a whole plate of leaves)
Fried pickles (YUM!)
Aged cheddar and ale fondue
Ale simmered sausage bites with hot sweet mustard (that mustard really had a bite!)
Steamed mussels
Baby back ribs
Grilled lamb lollipops (really good...and I love that they added a new dimension of cute to eating lamb by calling them lollipops!)

Then we had an after dinner drink at the EpiCenter (a very posh, upper deck lounge and club with an outdoor movie theater which is most certainly hopping on the weekends). We were all pretty exhausted, so we cut the night a bit short and headed home for some rest. I was thankful for the shut-eye before the long drive that awaited me again the next day. (Thanks again Mark and Jackie!)
All in all, Charlotte, NC is a really great city. Give it a few years to age out of its slightly arrogant, crazy sophomore party years (I’m exaggerating a little here), gain a little culture, and get a little more settled, and it’ll be a perfect town to put roots down in.

Five second rule??

2010-10-04T14:40:00.006-04:00

If you didn't know already, I am in love with flow charts. I love the idea of straight forward "if this...then that" statements. And usually they are pretty fun to play with. This one is hilarious! My favorite part being the "bacon = eat it" part of course!

via MyConfinedSpace

I guess I have food on the mind. Today I went food shopping and my shopping list included the following Swiss essentials:

Cheese (Emmentaler)
Chocolate (a mixture of 3 different bars to compare brands...that's a legitimate reason right?)
Gummy bears
Local specialty lunch meat
Wine (really great wine comes super cheap here!)
Beer

And yes, that was the FULL extent of my shopping list. Not bad! I was in the cheese section for a good 15 minutes. So many amazing mouthwatering choices. The same goes for the meat, wine, and chocolate. The best gummy bears are the standard Haribo kind....yummm!

Savannah, Georgia

2010-09-27T00:56:00.000-04:00

Today, from the halls of my new university in Zurich, I will continue recounting the adventures of the Treehugger Tour, my amazing summer roadtrip. The story continues where I left off at the beginning of July. Thanks for being patient to hear the rest of the adventure!

July 5th, 2010
Upon returning to Delray Beach after my amazing bicycle ride through the Florida Keys, I was greeted by the Goodwill furniture pickup truck. I promptly surrendered all of my modest furnishings, hoping that someone in need will get my totally awesome, super comfortable $800 king-sized bed (of the little furniture I have, my bed was certainly my most important and favorite). After cleansing myself of the bulky furniture I have accumulated over the years, I went about cleaning the rest of the apartment. I was living on NE 9th Avenue, just off George Bush Boulevard in Delray Beach. The area is lovely, within 1/4 mile of the beach, 1/2 mile from Atlantic Ave (the shopping/nightlife/artistic area of Delray Beach), and within crawling distance of my favorite dive - the Sail Inn. I have always tried to clear my life of clutter and chaos, but yet, my material possessions are far from simple. Deciding which items are sentimental and which will fit into my tiny Toyota Corolla was difficult and exhausting. At one especially draining point, while sitting on the cold floor of my semi-empty apartment, it hit me like a ton of bricks that I was indeed leaving this place I can come to love and the people who mean so much to me here. I was on the verge of breaking down into a warm puddle of sobs. Just in the nick of time, my friend Georgie (or Delray George as I like to call him), pounded on the door, waltzed in, gave me a much appreciated big hug, and dragged me out for some food. No one has ever had better timing, thank you Georgie! The encouraging company and good food lifted my spirits and gave me a second wind to finish the last details of packing and leaving.

On the morning of July 6, 2010, around 9am, I met with my landlord to return my keys and show him the beautifully empty and clean apartment (I'm still fighting with him to get my security deposit back...grrr...landlords!). After loading my bike on the bike rack and waving goodbye to the area, I hit the gas and tried not to look back. I was heading north!

My first stop, Jacksonville, was 5 hours up the road, then on to Savannah, Georgia. I had heard many lovely things about Savannah, but never had the pleasure of seeing it myself. I was originally planning to stop for the evening to see my friend Will who works at a gourmet restaurant adjacent to the Savannah River. I called him as I was getting closer to town, and sadly found out that he had work and sudden family obligations that would prevent us from catching up. I needed a break anyway at this point in the day, so I told him I would swing into town for a stretch, say hello for a few minutes when he could get away from work, and head on my way. It was lovely to see him, even if it was just briefly. I checked out the menu at the restaurant where he works as a chef, the Chart House, and quickly realized that he is much more talented than I ever knew and that I would need to return in about 10 years when I could afford an appetizer on the menu. Well, hopefully it's sooner than 10 years, but wow, that menu is extensive! The wines alone made my mouth water. But I didn't have much time to linger. Before leaving, on Will's much appreciated suggestion, I took a short jaunt along the shores of the graceful Savannah River, saw the riverboats, watched a huge freighter leaving the port, and took pleasure in the old town feeling of the historic downtown and the cobblestone streets (on River Street). I took a mental picture of the area and I know that Savannah is certainly a place I wish to return to sooner than later. It seems like the type of place that would be great to enjoy with a special partner. There is a distinct romantic ambiance about it.

With a renewed motivation to make it north, I called my super supportive friend Jackie in Charlotte, NC and made plans to stay with her. According to my GPS, I only had another 5 hours of driving ahead of me. Little did I know that just before entering Charlotte, NC from the south there would be a terrible RV accident on I-77. As I sat in 4 short miles of traffic for over 2 hours, my thoughts went out to the family and friends of the people who had died in the RV that police were now investigating on the highway on a hazy Tuesday evening. Although, I didn't arrive at Jackie's house until about 1:30am (sorry Jackie!) after a 14.5 hour day of almost non-stop driving, I was happy to make it safely. Thanks Jackie and Mark for having me stay with you! Your home is beautiful, your dog is the best, and your company is always enjoyable!

Willkommen in Switzerland

2010-09-10T08:33:00.006-04:00

Yes, these are real alphorn players giving a performance on the street at a market in my Grandma's town (Chur)!! Seriously. You guys asked for alphorns, you get alphorns!

So I have made it to Switzerland! Very exciting! I am working on getting all my ducks in a row for grad school to start in a couple weeks, and it has been somewhat exhausting. Having talked to some foreign exchange students in America, I realize that the process of moving to another country is always a bit difficult, but I never really expected the paper-war that I walked into. Naively thinking that as a person with Swiss citizenship, I shouldn't have a problem with all the visas and foreign paperwork, I guess I imagined I could just bound back into my country and plop myself down somewhere. Not the case! But I think things are finally in order - two temporary homes, one semi-permanent apartment, school identification, transportation, scholarship, accounts, registering my new location, getting birth certificates, etc. Craziness! But, who am I to complain? Life is wonderful! I am now living in lovely Switzerland, soon in Zurich, and very close to my extended family (whom I can't wait to get to know better). The bratwursts, cheese, chocolate, meats and beer are everything I've ever dreamed of.

Beware: I may be twice this size when I get back to the US if I can't find more time for mountain hikes!

I have made a lot of difficult decisions in the last year to change my life for the better, and I really feel like this is where I am supposed to be. The past year has been a sort of metamorphosis, and now I think I have emerged as a happy person, with lots of life, and lots of hope for the future. Thanks to all of you who have been a part of this transformation!

I am secretly a huge fan of flowcharts and I especially love this flowchart for happiness. It pretty much describes my recent decision making process. I find it to be quite straight forward and totally reliable.

Via Swissmiss.

And at this point, the flowchart has led me here, to Switzerland, to grad school, and closer to all of this:

Family. This is my grandma and Aunt Monika.

A different habitat. This is a very poisonous and totally perfect fly amanita that I found up in the mountains (Flims). All it needs is a little gnome next to it.

Amazing food and drink. Coffee (real espresso!) at a cafe near Bahnhofstrasse, the most expensive street in Zurich, Switzerland.

Beautiful views. Me next to the Zurisee in Zurich! What a beautiful day!

And great festivals and markets. Mom at the Wednesday Market in the Zurich Hauptbahnhof (main train station). Yummy!

And, just to let you know, I am still going to be posting about the Treehugger Tour. I am currently finishing an article about the trip which will be published in the next edition of American Forests Magazine! This is very exciting! Keep an eye out for it. You can subscribe to the magazine or download it from the website when the next edition comes out. I'll let you know too. I'll get back to blogging some more after the article is complete. Thanks for your patience!

Ciao from Switzerland!

Roadtrip Updates from Nashville, TN

2010-08-21T09:39:00.005-04:00

Hello all,

The road trip has almost come to an end. By Sunday, I'll be back in Philadelphia. My awesome brother, Erik, met me in New Orleans on Thursday night and we're driving the last leg together, which is fantastic! We had a great time checking out Bourbon Street on Thursday night and then drove a long long day to Nashville on Friday. We barely made it to Nashville in time to check out a little music cafe that had been highly recommended to me by a couple of folks from Tennessee that I met while viewing prairie dogs in the Badlands of South Dakota. And of course, I took their advice. We were not led astray!! I will need to write out the entire story soon, but let's just say, we heard performances from some of the singer-songwriters that are behind the lyrics of the country songs Erik and I grew up with. AMAZING!

Yesterday morning in Mandeville, LA we saw the largest live oak in the United States...39 feet in circumference...wow!! Then we saw a few awesome trees by twilight in Alabama last night and today we'll be checking out the national champion Atlantic White Cedar in Ohio!! Trees all over the US are feeling loved...lots of hugs have been given.

Toast to the morning with coffee that Erik and I made up:

To the parties in New Orleans
To the Nashville music scene
May we smile some more today
Cuz here we come PA

As I mentioned before, coordinating tree visits, driving long distances, seeing amazing parts of the United States and camping without internet connections make keeping up with the blog very very challenging and I have obviously not been doing well with that. But I figure, I'd rather give you the whole story of the trip in quality rather than quantity, so I will be catching up on the blog steadily once my feet are off the floorboards of trusty ol' Florida (Rudy and I named the Toyota Corolla).

Much Love,
Kristina

Lessons from a Bike Ride through the Florida Keys

2010-08-07T18:10:00.007-04:00

The bike ride through the Florida keys is complete and it was so much more than I ever expected. Here are a couple of suggestions to remember if you want to do something similar and for me to remind myself when I do this again in the future (because I certainly want to!):

there is a public bus system available from Florida City to Marathon Key (Miami Dade Transit/Monroe Express) and there is another shuttle available from Marathon Key to Key West (Lower Keys Shuttle). So if you need a bus ride for a portion or to retrieve a car on the return, this option is great. It would certainly have been cheaper than renting a car as we did.
Marathon Key and Islamorada have a lot to offer as towns. In between roughing it at the state parks, sweating it out on the bike, and swatting mosquitoes, take some time to enjoy the tiki bars, local artisans, and museums along the route as well. It's a real taste of the Keys. Plus, after all that riding and sweating, you deserve a frosty beer...and it tastes so much sweeter!

Here's a map of the things I saw along the way...amazing! Great stops!

View Florida Keys Bike in a larger map

And here are a few things I learned along the way:

If you look like a hobo, no one will bother you.
Places that look really interesting from a car at 55mph may or may not look as good at 10mph
When the condition of the bike lane begins to rattle the bolts off your bike, give up and ride on the road.
Release your inner child. The excitement, the curiosity, the wonder.
Bandannas double as towels in a pinch (again, hobos really know what they're doing)
I could be like MacGyver given unlimited time. Necessity really does breed creativity.
Chain your bike up everywhere! The 10 pound Mr. T chain scares most people away and it adds to the hobo look.
Marathon Key marks the beginning of the international island time zone. Time to start hitting the tiki bars. Enjoy!
It's nice to have a weight and space restriction, it keeps you from buying random island art and coconuts carved into monkey faces.
Saying goodbye is hard, but leaving is not the end. You can see friends and family even from afar if you try. Only death is final, not goodbye. Miss the ones who have passed, visit the rest.
Things will go wrong on an adventure. They're supposed to, otherwise it wouldn't be an adventure. Relax.

And remember, when you're leaving Key West and driving, slightly hungover, north through the Florida Keys, stop at Baby's Coffee for a little boost. You won't regret it.

Independence Day Weekend in the Keys

2010-08-05T16:05:00.005-04:00

From Key West

Saturday, I took advantage of being in a real bed and slept in to let my body rest. It was glorious. After getting up late, George and I met up with my friend Anni who was also in Key West for the weekend from Tampa. We drove her to a scooter shop where she rented a scooter to ride around town for the day. Then, we went to an amazing spa where we got the best feeling massages to ease our sore muscles. Although we hadn’t really ridden too hard, the extra special treatment was magnificent. From the resort grounds, we saw a very rusty, previously sunken ship being hauled to land. We found out later that the government offers $3000 for anyone to recover sunken ships. Whoever recovers the ship has to pay to float it and scrap it, but can keep whatever profits are left. What a great program! Perhaps this will be my fallback job if I ever decide to leave the mainland for the island life.

From Key West

Later, we still had our awesome bikes that now felt like home, so George and I decided to ride around town to explore. I am still relatively unfamiliar with Key West, even though this was my third time visiting. There is always something new and fun to see, and riding slowly on bikes is one of the best ways to see the town. Cars are too much of a hassle to park and walking in the heat is exhausting. We found the 0 mile marker which was very exciting for me considering I had started the trip at the 105 mile marker!! The mile marker countdown along the entire ride was very exciting, and I had finally made it to the very last mile.

From Key West

Some other tourist sights we went to see included:(this is a non-native tree, but still interesting)

The Kapok Tree (this is a non-native tree, but still interesting)
Ernest Hemingway’s House
The Southernmost Point in the continental United States
Beach Bocce Ball Courts
and the National Champion Buttonwood (this one isn’t actually a normal tourist attraction, but it really should be!)

From Key West

The national champion buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus) is 207 inches in circumference, 35 feet tall, and has 70 feet of crown spread. It is a magnificent example of the tree that has grown in the shape of a hurricane with its massive shaggy branches twisting toward the sky. It is located on the corner of Washington and Leon Street on the main island of Key West in a residential yard. Buttonwoods are typically found in moist wetland soils, so the fact that this specimen is located on high and dry land is somewhat unusual. If you live in Florida, this tree makes a great landscaping plant because it is native to the state and it can tolerate harsh conditions with sand, salt and full sun. It is one tough tree!

From Key West

Dinner was lovely on the main docks and we noticed that the Keys docks were full of massive yachts and fishing boats, more so than normal. Upon closer inspection, we found that the owners and drivers from the Daytona 500 car races were in town and had all docked here. We kept our eyes peeled for famous drivers.

From Key West

Sunday we explored the beaches on Key West. Please note that the beaches on Key West are not as you might expect them to be. I had assumed that the beaches here would be pristine and gorgeous, but instead they are very rocky, with lots of broken coral and seaweed. The shoreline here is very shallow, so swimming in the ocean is not even an option as the water only comes to thigh deep (even on me!). So remember, the beaches at Long Key State Park and Bahia Honda are the ones to hit before reaching Key West.

In the afternoon we chartered a Dorado fishing boat (Reel Lucky) to go sport fishing. Anni brought her friend Eric along and the four of us had a blast with Captain Cory and his first mate. As it turned out, we were fishing about 200 yards from the Daytona 500 enormous sport fishing boat. But it didn't matter, we still managed to out-fish them from a boat about 3 times smaller than their boat! George and Eric landed two enormous tarpon, the biggest of which was probably almost 80 pounds. George also fought what turned out to be a skate for a while. I hooked up a large tarpon, but lost it on a jump after about 30 minutes of the hardest reeling I’ve ever done. Although I really wanted to land it, I was actually somewhat relieved that this wonderful creature had won the battle...it deserved it. I also caught an Atlantic Sharpnose shark! This one was super fun to fight and he was pretty feisty when we got him on the boat. Captain Cory grabbed the fighter and we got pictures before throwing him back in the water and watching him swim away. What a beautiful animal!

Later that evening we finished out our time in the Keys with a visit to Mallory Square to see the famous street performers at sunset (the Cat Man is a staple act and we also saw a new act by an 18 year old local). Then we saw a few acts at a drag show (Key West is also famous for their gay and drag scene. The ladies are all extremely talented here!). We ended the evening at a kickin live performance by the Spam Allstars at The Green Parrot (AJ Hill really rocked out on the sax that night!).

From Key West

It was a fabulous weekend filled with great people in an amazing paradise away from all the stresses of reality. After 100 miles of riding, you can’t help but relax. But it’s a process. Within the first 30 miles, I had shed all my most pressing worries and realized that I was now free of all problems. There was nothing I could control now, I had no technology to bog me down, no way to fix the bigger issues, and I needed to just let go of the things weighing on me. By 60 miles I put my energy into riding and appreciating my life as it was at that moment. Living in the moment has never been my forte. I’m always looking to the future, to my next adventure, and this ride was a great reminder and practice in appreciating the present. By mile 100 I was happy. Smiling and riding, the sun sparkling down on me, the wind in my hair, and sweet sweat squeezing out of every pore. My mind was clear and calm. What a wonderful life.

I recommend this ride to everyone and anyone adventurous enough to try it. You will not regret it! It is simple, easy, and life changing. There is no better way to experience the Keys!

Key West, Florida

2010-08-04T01:24:00.004-04:00

Friday morning we woke up early...well, George woke up early and went riding around the park, and I woke up when I woke up (I'm still not a morning person). We packed up, parked his car in the marina parking lot, and headed south. The bike paths from here to big pine were lovely. There were many beautiful fishing bridges and lots of great bike paths. As we were entering Big Pine Key, we began to notice that we were on elevated bike paths. This is because the National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Key harbors a small population of endangered deer called Key Deer (Odocoileus virginianus clavium). They are a subspecies of the common Virginia white tail deer that has become miniaturized due to harsh environmental conditions on the island. The subspecies population in the Florida Keys is estimated to be between 600 and 750 individuals. The highway is elevated along a short stretch of Big Pine Key to allow the deer and other species to move freely in their habitat. Apparently, there are 17 federally listed threatened or endangered species that are protected by the National Key Deer Refuge!
As we rode into Big Pine Key we saw two very tiny key deer fawns curiously eating below us. Like white-tail deer up north, these fawns had small white spots, however they were probably only about 2.5 feet tall. So cute! We later saw two adult key deer that were quite a bit bigger. We learned that the locals and tourists feed the deer and as a result the species is becoming larger. Hmmm...does that mean that someday the population will be considered white-tail deer again rather than a subspecies?

Around 10am, once we had arrived on Big Pine Key, we rode north to find a place that had been recommended to me called “No Name Pub.” Along the ride we rode through beautiful, sparsely developed hardwood hammock habitat where key deer thrive. In northern Big Pine we found the pub, but it wouldn’t open for another hour, so we decided to head on. On the ride back to Route 1, we found the National Key Deer Refuge headquarters and some breakfast at Coco’s Kitchen. While we ate, an ominous thunderstorm rolled in and started to pour. In an optimistic streak, we headed out of the cafe during a lull in the storm and started to ride west again. Within less than a block we were rained out and sought shelter under the awning of a CVS pharmacy. Unlike typical Florida storms that last for 20 minutes, this storm was persistent and we were stranded for about an hour. Under the awning we met several locals who were unemployed due to the economy and down on hard times. Sadly, this area was hit very hard by the recession and business is slow to come back, causing high homelessness among the locals.
Once we got back on the road and started splashing through the foot deep puddles, we were ready for some refreshing beverages. Looe Key Tiki Bar was our first find after Big Pine Key. This stop is located just after Torch Ramrod Channel, my favorite named channel on the ride. For future reference, the Looe Key Resort has a great tiki bar, hotel, restuarant, and a pool for use. Apparently, so of the best snorkeling in the entire continental USA is right at Looe Key. Also, bar patrons can use the refreshing looking pool, which would be perfect during a hot and sweaty bike ride. Mangrove Mama’s, a delicious homey local restaurant in Sugarloaf Key was our second stop where we had fruity cocktails served in mason jars. From there, we hit each interesting looking restaurant, tiki bar, or dive bar along the route. If you are ever considering this ride, a little pub crawl bike-ride into Key West is for certain the best way to enter. It is like a small ceremonial parade welcoming you into a city known for its relaxed, island spirit. We spoke to the locals at each stop and got some great suggestions for local stops. The lovely bartender at Mangrove Mama’s asked us if we’d seen the bat tower as if it was a world renowned monument. She actually said "you haven't seen Key West until you've seen the bat tower." Of course, we hadn’t, but our curiosity got the best of us and we inquired about its history. Supposedly, the bat tower had been constructed in the early 1900s in an attempt to use bats as a biological control for the abundant mosquitoes in the lagoons. Unfortunately, the project failed miserably, and the bat population flew away, leaving the mosquitoes to flourish. We felt a responsibility to check out the flopped project and found it to be a random historical novelty.

Our trail also took us to Bobalu’s Southern Cafe and Hurricane Joe’s Bar and Seafood Grill. By this time, we had ridden about 45 miles and had about 5 more miles to get to the rental car place before they closed. The stretch from Bahia Honda State Park to Key West was the longest (about 50 miles with all the diversions) of the four day bicycle ride, but it felt great and very satisfying. We barely made it to the rental car office before they closed, we locked our bikes to a bike rack, and drove back to Bahia Honda State Park to retrieve George’s car. Yes, I know this sounds funny, but we couldn’t think of a better way to get his car back, and it was cheaper than getting a taxi. We had a late dinner at Hogfish Restaurant (a great restaurant off the beaten path) and made it to downtown Key West for last call. Let’s just say, the people watching at Sloppy Joe’s Bar and Durty Harry’s around 2am are fantastic!

Welcome to Key West!! We made it!! What an accomplishment. This was the best trip I have ever taken! Although lots of people had warned me of potential issues with traffic, camping, and strangers, I never ran into any trouble and had a wonderful time. Besides a little bit of saddle soreness, I felt fantastic. The multiple stops, leisurely pace, and the great campsites spaced at about 30 miles apart, made the trip effortless and relaxing.

Bahia Honda State Park, Florida (July 1, 2010)

2010-07-31T02:39:00.000-04:00

Bahia Honda State Park is breathtaking. The park has beaches, several campgrounds, concessions, a marina, kayaking, bicycle trails, and many more activities if you're interested. I arrived, checked in, and headed to my campsite...number 79 on the bayside. My friend, George, had left work earlier in the day from Tampa and was heading down to meet me for the last day of riding. He would arrive well after dark, so I decided to wait to set up the campsite until he arrived. He was bringing the air mattress after all, and I was pretty excited to sleep on something a little softer.

So I decided to go exploring. I stashed some of my gear in the mangroves next to the site and rode to the far beach, called Sandspur Beach. It is the most secluded in the park and the most beautiful beach to visit. I was also on a mission to find the two (#1 and #2) national champion silver palms (Coccothrinax argentata) in the park. I felt I was on the right track when I happened upon the Silver Palm Trail. The Florida Silver Palm is, in fact, a Florida threatened plant species. Perfect, I thought, finding a threatened species should be no sweat. How many individuals could there possibly be in this small area if it is threatened. Boy was I wrong again! As it turns out, Bahia Honda is the proud home of one of the largest remaining populations of the silver palm. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by a forest of hundreds of gorgeous silver palms all waving their shiny fronds at me in the wind. How glorious! To have such a beautiful and rare tree growing all around me. The champions are 22 inches in circumference and 33 feet tall at their biggest, so finding them was not an easy task. And I doubt I succeeded. I did hug a few of these trees, hoping at least one of them was a national champ. Then again, they all need love, not just the biggest ones, right?

The Silver Palm Trail dumped me out about 1/4 mile north of the parking lot and pavilion on the beach. The sun was just setting, the water was the perfect warm temperature and I was hot, so I eagerly plopped my gear on the beach, stripped down to my bikini and waded into the water. I would have dove in, but this gorgeous beach stays very shallow for about 1/4 mile out. Although you wouldn't think so, it is actually quite rare to find a beautiful sandy beach in the Keys. Most of the beaches have sharp coral fragments and seaweed piled onto the shores. This beach, however, had sugar sand dunes and the coral reef started about 300 feet out, making for some fun finds. After a short period of splashing and playing, I suddenly realized that this was the first time in my entire life that I had been to the beach alone. No, I don't mean that I had come alone, I've done that many times (working near lots of beaches is awesome!). I mean that I've never been at the beach completely alone. There were no people in sight, no silent sunbathers, no screaming kids, no whistling lifeguards. At first, I wondered if I should be concerned, but there were no imminent dangers in this paradise. So I laid back, floated on the salty waves, and reflected on my situation. I was in heaven. Everything felt so right. I was relaxed, calm, and away from all the stresses in my life that I could control. I had no technology, no place to be, and all the time in the world. For a moment, I came back to reality, and reminded myself that I should stay on task and think about what else I needed to do before the sun went down. I pulled up my mental "to-do" list and found it completely blank. I thought a little longer, thinking that there must be something I needed to do that I was forgetting. After a few more seconds of pondering, it occurred to me that I truly had NOTHING to do. I should have been happy, right? But my first reaction was confusion. I always had something to do. Even if it was little or tedious, there is always something to do. But not this time. Another first. For the first time in my grown life, I had absolutely nothing to do, and it was marvelous. I enjoyed every minute of my to-do list prison break.

Later in the evening, once George had arrived and we had set up camp, we did some night exploring. We jumped on our bikes and zoomed through the camp areas like bandits. We ended up at Calusa Beach, a protected beach along the bay/channel side, between the old and the new bridge (see pictures above). Considering it was still pretty sweltering hot and very very humid at this point in the evening, we decided to go for another swim. In the beautiful moonlight, we swam through the seagrasses in the water here. Within a few minutes, we realized that the water had bioluminescence!! If you've never seen this before, it's basically many thousands of tiny living organisms that glow when you disturb the water. So every time you swish your arm through the water, it leaves behind a slowly fading glow on the surface of the water. In Calusa Beach, on this evening, the combination of the bioluminescence and the moon were magical. We even discovered that if you swam underwater with your eyes open (the salt burned a little, but it was worth it), these tiny glowing organisms would stick to your eyeballs and create lingering bright spots on your eyes. Luckily, they also washed off again very easily.

Upon returning to our campsite, the wind had picked up and it had started to rain. After retrieving our tent (no, we didn't tie it down) from the mangroves where it had been blown, we sought shelter within its dry confines and settled in for the night. What a perfect evening. I was relaxed and happy. George was still unwinding from a hard work week and buzzing with excitement to begin his ride on the trip. As much as I enjoy my alone-time, George is one of the best travel partners I have ever had and probably one of the most laid-back, adventurous people I know. His company was welcome, as always. Plus it was nice to have someone to unload all of my random stories and memories on. I was bursting with the traveling fever and I was very happy to be sharing it with someone.

Coming soon...

2010-07-28T19:48:00.006-04:00

Sunset from St. Joseph, Michigan over Lake Michigan. Breathtaking! A million thanks to Andy Sawyer.

Hello all! I just wanted to let you know that I made it to Sioux Falls, South Dakota today, July 28 around 5pm. I'm safe and sound...no worries.

I've been having such an amazing time, meeting inspiring people, seeing magnificent trees, and visiting parts of the country I've only dreamed of. Because of all the fun I've been having, I haven't been able to keep up with the blog. Tonight, from the confines of my tent in the Badlands National Park, I will be working on writing some updates that I will be able to upload when I get some internet access again. Sorry for the delay and thanks for all of your support! Hopefully, the next blog posts will come in rapid succession, so keep up when you can!

Much Love,
Kristina

Treehugger Tour

2010-07-19T09:00:00.002-04:00

Simpson's grasspink in Big Cypress National Preserve (Calopogon tuberosus)

As you know, I have embarked on a two month long road trip across the United States. If you didn't know that, come catch up with these links:

Treehugger Tour Video
Tour Logistics
Approximate Budget
Map of Approximate Route
Potential Trees to See along the way (ever evolving map)

I just wanted to let you know that I recently made some edits to the Treehugger Tour Route Map to accommodate a trip to the Badlands in South Dakota and a slight dip into Colorado to pick up my traveling buddy, Rudy.

Thank you all for your support! The outpouring of interest in my trip has been amazing!

I am excited to announce that American Forests has agreed to partner with me on this tour to help me to contact the big tree coordinators, find the most interesting trees along the route, and help me to coordinate tree plantings to offset my carbon emissions. If you haven't already, I encourage you to take a look at their website for information about all the amazing things they do. I visited their office in Washington, DC this past week and I was very impressed with the organization. The National Register of Big Trees is only a glimpse of their efforts to "grow a healthier world with trees".

If you'd like to support my trip with care packages, a couch to crash on, or a financial donation, I'd be absolutely delighted! Drop me an email at heartkh at gmail dot com.

Also, if you'd like to be on the postcard list, send me your name and address in an email.

See you all soon!

Marathon Key, Florida

2010-07-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

After leaving Long Key State Park on Thursday morning, I was delighted to find that almost all of the bridges crossing channels from Long Key to Marathon Key had beautiful fishing bridges built parallel to the ones for vehicles. It's so convenient and safe. The fishing bridges are built completely separate from the vehicular bridges. If you turn your back to the vehicular bridges and gaze at the water, you almost feel free of the urban life. Although many, many people had warned me of the dangers of riding my bicycle through the Keys, in general, I had found the route to be extremely accommodating to bicyclists and pedestrians and sometimes even luxurious. The fishing bridges were my favorite sections of the path.

Fishing bridge on the right, vehicular bridge on the left.

Here you are, crossing the bluest water you've ever experienced, the sun is beaming down on your back, and you can stop anywhere you wish, peer over the edge of the bridge, see straight to the bottom of the clear blue water to the coral rock below, and dream of jumping in. The water there is just beckoning to you. The colors and clarity of the water in the Keys is so surreal that I wouldn't have been shocked to see a mermaid slowly flow by, cruising the strong current.
And the color and clarity in the sky isn't much different then that of the water. Thursday was another very clear, hot, sweaty, sweltering day. The magnificent frigatebirds were floating high in the sky. My saltwater fishing experience tells me to look for dauphin and other great sportfish when I see these birds. I did not see any big fish, but I'm sure they were hiding in the sparkling water ripping below me.
As I was saying, the bike routes were fantastic so far! Look at the great markings and the beautiful paths. (By the way, since I've ridden on this bike route, I now notice these same bike route signs in all states. It's amazing how many nice bike routes exist. If you start looking for them, you'll notice this too!)
And then, this happened. If you can't see it clearly, click on the photo and you can see a larger version.
Seriously? This amazing bike route suddenly came to an abrupt stop. And I mean ABRUPT. They warn you with a small sign, then before you know it, you're dumped off the pavement, onto a small hill without even a foot path to get you back up to the road. Now, I'm not a bike diva, but if you're going to tease my senses with a posh bike path, can you at least ease me down off extravagance gently? Is it completely unreasonable to suggest that there be a crosswalk to get me back to the right shoulder of the road?

I laughed at this great example of engineering design fail, dragged my bike up the hill to the road, looked both ways before hustling across, and hopped right back on.
I had made it to Marathon Key!

View Florida Keys Bike in a larger map

At this point I had sucked down the last of my water. The hydration bag in my camelbak had created a vacuum and was making sad slurping sounds. I stopped at the first convenience store I found. At least, it was the Keys version of a convenience store. The store/house/marina boasted an extensive inventory of bait, a deli, key lime pie, gas, and fresh fish.
It was painted bright Key West colors and looked to be a great stopping point. I needed water and possibly a little something for breakfast. The sweet dog out front looked at me as if to say "you're crazy. Why would you want to be riding around in the midday sun? Even I know that the shade is the place to be right now."
Upon entering it became clear that this store was by no means a one-stop-shop. There was no key lime pie, barely a fishing hook on the barren walls, a deli which looked like it hadn't seen a sandwich in a decade, and no one inside. But, to my excitement, there was everything I needed in this little oasis. I found a large cold water and even a snickers ice cream bar! Score! I hung out for a few minutes waiting for the shop clerk to come in and take my money. After about 5 minutes, I realized that no one was around and my ice cream was melting. I put the snickers back in the freezer and wandered out back to find someone. After a few inquiring hello yells and no response, I went back in, grabbed my ice cream and water, put a $5 bill on the table and wrote this note:
As I was leaving, a man I presumed was the owner came into the store and we agreed that $5 would cover my purchases.
I soon entered Curry Hammock State Park lands and found another fantastic bike path! This one was isolated from the main road by a wide swath of native vegetation that managed to block much of the sound from the road. This was heaven on wheels! I rode for miles, completely alone and silent in the bright sun, surrounded by beautiful native shrubs, serene open swamps, and the sound of birds and insects. While I peddled along the smooth path, I would occasionally hear small animals jumping back into hiding or rustling the leaves beside the path. Although most of these sounds were most likely the skiddish green and brown anoles, I actually saw three bright green iguanas along this stretch. Although beautiful and exotic, the iguanas and the brown anoles are both invasive species to Florida.

Poisonwood (if you're allergic to poison ivy, this plant is a tree in the same family that will cause a similar, if not worse, skin reaction. And yes, I learned the hard way!)

Back bay swamp in Curry Hammock State Park

With a little more time, this is certainly a park I would love to explore some more. There were several marsh trails that jutted off the bike path that looked interesting. I completely missed the visitor's center as it was on the south side of the road, and I was riding on the north side, hidden from all road signage. But I did find this great little rest stop. There was even a creatively designed bike rack here.
I propped up the camera and got this hot and sweaty shot. This smile doesn't even begin to communicate the joy that I was feeling during this trip! It was seriously the ride of a lifetime!
Once I reached the town of Marathon on Marathon Key, I was ready for a little in-town adventuring. I stopped at the Chamber of Commerce Visitor's Center of Greater Marathon Key and inquired about the best local spots in town. After a little prodding, the sweet lady behind the desk slowly started sharing the best kept secrets in town. Somewhat hesitantly, she marked all of the best tiki bars on the island on my paper map. Score #2 of the day!

As it turns out, Marathon Key is a very interesting, happening town. I could easily spend a full weekend exploring the area. There is a large airport on the island...and look, biplane rides are only $55 for 2 people!

This giant Angelfish was just outside a dive shop.

I recommend Herbie's for a quick, cheap lunch (thanks for the original recommendation George!). It's nothing fancy, but it supports a local business and the food is pretty tasty. I had a simple yummy blackened chicken sandwich. The waitress wore skinny bleached jeans and sported a t-shirt that disclosed that she was "a little bit sneaky!" It made me smile.

One of my favorite, local secrets on the island is the drawbridge to Boot Key (symbolized by a sailboat on my google map):

View Florida Keys Bike in a larger map

According to the lady at the Visitor's Center, this drawbridge was put out of commission several years back. Because the island of Boot Key is only owned by two people and has no permanent homes, funding for the drawbridge was difficult to justify. There is only one building on the island and it is a radio station (the employees now have to take a boat to the island). Since the bridge has been out of working order, the city has tried several ways to get it back up and running. They even tried to sell it on eBay. Can you believe that no one bought it? With the economy in it's current state, you would think there are some trolls out of work that really need a good bridge to terrorize.
The local legend of the bridge was intriguing enough to attract me, and I was eager to check out the unwanted gate to paradise. I dropped my bike at the road closed signs and headed up to see the view of Boot Key Harbor, anchorage point for many beautiful sailboats and houseboats.
The drawbridge now appears to be the home for a small homeless, vagabond community.

Next, I began a short tiki-tour of Marathon Key. Having already passed and explored a few superb looking tiki bars on the island, I was ready to have a cold beverage at one. My first tiki bar was by far the best tiki bar I had seen in the Keys and one of my favorite secrets. You can bet I will always stop here if I'm heading to Key West! It's a great tikibar/restaurant/marina/marina gas station combo called Burdine's in viewing distance of the prettiest abandoned drawbridge.
The road to the tikibar, 15th St., runs through an old Keys-style trailer park and past stacks of lobster traps, back to a marina on the ocean side on the protected harbor.
Here's how I enjoyed Burdine's and how I recommend you do as well if you ever get the opportunity:

prop your bike up on the dock
head up to the second floor tikibar
grab a stool at the bar, sit down, and exhale any lasting stress
observe the local fishermen and discuss the fishing conditions
order a cold domestic beer (they come in a coozie!)
enjoy the awesome breeze that blows through this level
read all the license plates hanging on the walls
marvel at the big boats and yachts that pull up for gas
chat up the great ladies who tend bar
tip as if this will be your last beer in paradise

View from Burdine's across the harbor

Tiki bar #2 on the mini tiki-tour was Sunset Grille and Raw Bar, just before the Seven Mile Bridge. Of all the advice that I was given before my trip, the most urgent warnings were concerning the Seven Mile Bridge. This is because it is the longest bridge (yes, seven miles, captain obvious!) in the Keys, there is no bike route around it, and traffic can be relatively bad at this point. So I was a tad nervous. The Sunset Grille and Raw Bar helped to boost my courage.
Not only does this bar have a great view of the Seven Mile Bridge, but it also has a pool that its patrons can use! Although it feels nothing like an authentic tiki bar, the pool more than made up for that! I cooled off in the water, sipped a beer, and reflected on my seven mile destiny. I drank my second beer and got on the road again quickly after the kids in the pool started splashing and yelling...I'm too old for those shenanigans and plus, I had seven miles before my next home.

See the tiny bump after the electric poles end? That's the elevated part of the bridge and the halfway point.

As it turned out, the Seven Mile Bridge was no problem. I kicked it in gear and made it across in 20 minutes!! That's 21 mph...faster than I've ever ridden on this bike. This was for several reasons:

I had timed it right, and started over the bridge at about 4pm when most of the traffic is heading north rather than south.
There was actually a good size (approx 5 ft) shoulder on the bridge to ride on, so the cars and trucks that passed had lots of clearance
There was no debris on the shoulder to dodge around
There is only approximately 1 mile of the bridge that is elevated, the rest is completely flat
The wind was at my back

That was a satisfying bridge. I took some pictures from the southern end of the bridge.

Then I rode the last three miles to Bahia Honda State Park at my typical 10mph pace. I felt accomplished and empowered.

Advice on Long Key, Florida

2010-07-19T02:21:00.004-04:00

During the planning stages of my 100 mile bike ride from Key Largo to Key West, I got a lot of mixed reviews and unsolicited advice. I am open to all forms of advice. I take warnings seriously, but usually they don't keep me from pursuing my goals. I take recommendations to heart. And I appreciate all forms of encouragement or inspiration.

Here are some things that people said to me about the trip:

"Be careful" - Sail Inn patrons, Delray Beach, FL
"How do your parents feel about this?" -mother of four on the snorkeling trip
"I'm so excited for you! I am living vicariously through you!" -my awesomely supportive Mom
"You're crazy" -lots of people
"It's too dangerous" -lots of Floridians
"Where did you COME from?" -Fernando, another camper at Long Key State Park. He exclaimed this while I was setting up my tent. It came out sounding like he was asking me which planet I was from, but he was just asking how I got there without a car.
"Awesome! I've always wanted to do that! Are you writing a blog?" - Fernando, same conversation, after I explained that I hadn't arrived via spaceship. I hope you're reading this Fernando! Thanks for being a great neighbor!

And the best quote of the entire trip:

"You watch your butt!" -a word of advice from camping neighbor John at Long Key State Park after I said to him "be careful, take care of yourself" as he drove away in his truck without a driver's side door. It took me a minute to realize that he probably meant to say "watch your back." I think I like his version better.

So if you're out there adventuring too, please watch your butt!

Long Key State Park, Florida

2010-07-14T11:52:00.020-04:00

After an amazing afternoon of snorkeling in Lower Matecumbe Key, I was ready to peddle quickly to Long Key State Park to get to the ranger station before the park closed.

I consistently had at least 5 feet of shoulder at all points on the road through the Keys, sometimes even 10 feet. And to top it all off, there was virtually no debris along this shoulder. Within 100 miles, I went around 1 piece of tire. That's it!! I assume they do road shoulder cleaning, because this was amazing! Many thanks to the road workers who made this possible!Ten miles later, I had made it to the park, checked in, and started setting up my tent on campsite #6. All campsites within this park are located directly on the ocean! Amazing! As I struggled to set up my tent in the great wind that was coming off the ocean (chasing after it at least once as it rolled across the camping street), I assessed my neighbors.

This campsite was also quite public, which I appreciate as a solo traveler, but less so than the one at John Pennekamp State Park. My neighbors were both tent campers, which I really appreciate since they are much quieter than RVs. As I struggled to stake in the tent, neighbor John came to introduce himself and offer me his hammer, which I gladly borrowed.
He was a sweet older man from Lantana (near where I lived in Delray Beach), whose tent had collapsed in the night, leaving him with his truck to sleep in. He confessed to me that his truck door had fallen off in the evening as well! Yikes! Despite his hard times, he seemed pretty content with his situation. Granted, we're at the beach, with the wind dispelling the bugs and the heat, the sun is setting in gorgeous pinks and blues, and we're on island time...what's not to like? I offered him part of my last juicy mango to thank him for his generosity.
As the colors of the sunset graced the sky, I sat at the picnic table listening to the small ocean waves lapping on the beach just 30 feet from my campsite and the coconut palm fronds tinkling in the wind like rain.
Highway US-1 is located parallel to the beach on Long Key State Park, so there were also the sounds of a few cars passing. Luckily, traffic on the islands basically ceases around 10pm, so I was left with the sounds of nature to lull me to sleep.

After a lovely evening in the tent, I woke to my alarm at 6am. I watched the sunrise from my tent and promptly went back to sleep for a little more shut-eye. Around 9am, I quickly woke up and extracted myself from the tent that had now become a sauna. I packed up and hit the trails in the park to explore. I found a great trail called the Golden Orb Trail which twisted through the mangroves.

Along the beginning of the trail, I explored the wooden plank bridges, the outlook tower, and the pavilion-like cabins the park has for more secluded camping (I didn't know these even existed, but look how great they are!).
One of the cabins had a camper who looked like he'd made it his home for quite a while...beautiful!
I decided to head on down the keys soon after my short exploration to make the most of the sunny, clear day. As I was heading out I saw this sea turtle that had washed up to shore and died. I'm not sure why it hadn't made it, but based on the orange spray paint X on it's back, I assumed that it had been reported and recorded by local naturalists.
I tried to grab a water from the vending machine to fill up my hydration pack. I had to ask some other campers for change for a $5 bill, and I was again surprised by the friendly folks when they gave me an ice cold water from their cooler. Thanks!

Here's a fun shot I got on my ride into Long Key State Park. Yeah, I couldn't help myself at this mile marker! Also, check out my crate. The wet towels dried using this method and so did my shoes, but it make me look like a hobo. Let's just say, that the hobo look combined with lots of sweatiness made me less conspicuous as a blonde riding alone through the Keys!
Now, on to Bahia Honda State Park for the next adventure-filled day!!

Funny sight at John Pennekamp State Park, Florida

2010-07-13T19:18:00.003-04:00

Before leaving John Pennekamp State Park, I captured this picture.

Yes, I am a 16 year old boy trapped in the body of a 27 year old woman. What can I say? I find these things humorous.

Islamorada and Lower Matecumbe Key, Florida

2010-07-09T00:55:00.034-04:00

After a particularly rainy and somewhat sleepless night at John Pennekamp State Park, I reassessed my gear at 6am. I was high and dry in my tent (thanks Anni for letting me borrow your awesome tent!), but of course the things I had left outside to dry were soaking wet. These included my shoes, socks, bathing suit, shorts, and both of my small towels (one was meant for freshwater showers, the other for drying off after dips in the ocean). Bummer! And the rain continued as I packed up the tent, folded it on the dripping picnic table, and strapped it to my soaking bike. Once I had loaded up my bike crate with my well-sealed backpack, I hung the wet clothes and towels from the back of the crate to blow in the wind and hopefully dry before the next evening. Well, at least I was warm. At this point, I agreed to accept the wetness, and hopped on my loaded bike to head out. Considering it was only 7am, the park rangers weren't even at the entrance yet to check me out, so I snuck out the main gate and began my 100+ mile ride southeast to Key West!

I was quite surprised to find that there are an extensive network of bike paths throughout the Florida Keys. I even came to find out that this network has been linked and is now called the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail. When the trail is great, it's amazing; it is beautifully paved, straight, surrounded by landscaped or natural habitat, runs over fishing bridges separate from the main traffic, and is well marked. When the trail is bad, it's terrible; it can be nonexistent, bumpy to the point that it rattles all the bolts on your bike loose, switches sides of the highway without proper crossings, and sometimes just plain ends with very little warning. The portion that runs through Key Largo is the latter, especially after a rain. I found that the surface water runoff from US-1 in Key Largo ponds on the bike route. After my initial chagrin, I decided "what the heck!" My shoes were already soaking wet, my morning was cool but humid, and I have fenders on my Trek Allant bike to save me from the dreaded back-stripe. So before you know it, I was riding through the puddles, which sometimes came up to the middle of my bicycle gears, sticking my legs out to the sides, giggling with delight, and smiling from ear to ear. It was 7am, I looked like a fool, but I was having a ball doing it! Mind you, I was soaking wet, covered in a film of white mud from the puddles, and still looked very much homeless with wet clothes and shoes hanging from my pack. The heavy morning traffic (yes, lots of big trucks at this time) must have been chuckling at the hilarious site.

The majority of the day was overcast and humid. I was thankful for the cloud cover, as it saved me from the glaring sun and the intense heat I had expected. I rode about 16 miles in the morning before taking a break. My first stop of the day was at the Lorelei Cabana Bar which had been recommended to me by a few friends. and checking on my afternoon plans. While the local fisherman drank coffee, I decided to order my first beer in the islands. Yes, it was 10:30am, but I was already on island time!
The big attraction to the Lorelei Cabana Bar is docked behind the bar:

It's a floating limousine called the Nautilimo! The same owner also owns the pirate ship next to it.
View from the back tiki bar at Lorelei Cabana Bar

Later on down the road, I found a local artists' village, called the Rain Barrel, with lots of local goodies. Fortunately for my wallet, I was saved from buying lots of great art by my limited carrying abilities.

This massive Florida Spiny Lobster sculpture in front of the village makes the artist shops hard to miss.

After a little bit of shopping, I was back on my bike, riding through puddles.

I had found that a few of the National champion trees were located on Lignumvitae Key, a botanical state park located on a key just off of the main keys that is accessible only by boat. After having called ahead a week before, I was particularly excited to see the trees on such a secluded and protected island. The park staff had informed me that most of the rangers knew the locations of the champion trees and they could probably show them to me during a tour, which took place at 10am or 2pm. I was aiming for the 2pm tour and planned to catch a ferry from Robbie's Marina around noon. Within about 7 miles of Robbie's Marina, I decided to give them a call to verify the launch time. Much to my surprise, they informed me that Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park is not open on Tuesdays or Wednesdays (this was Wednesday June 30)...DOH! Dang! Now what? I kicked the dirt with my feet for a few minutes, contemplating my bad luck and poor planning. I couldn't believe that I had not only missed the Soldierwood in Key Largo, but now I was going to miss these national champions that are on Lignumvitae Key:

Wild Banyan (Ficus citrifolia)
Black Ironwood (Krugiodendron ferreum)
Poisonwood (Metopium toxiferum)
Darling Plum (Reynosia septentroinalis)
Torchwood (Amyris elemifera)
Crabwood (Ateramnus lucidus)

I can only hope that someday in the future, I will have the privilege to see some of these amazing trees on Lignumvitae Key. Preserving the high biodiversity on this 280-acre island is extremely important and I am happy that the state of Florida conserves this precious land.

After a quick pity-party and my first taste of succulent mango from John Pennekamp State Park on a channel overlooking the bluest water I've ever seen, I realized that I had nothing to regret on this adventure!
I was doing this bike trip as an adventure, an exploration, a purely relaxing journey through paradise. And what are adventures all about? Being flexible, going with the flow, finding spontaneity in crushed plans. So that's what I did. I still had about 15 miles to go before I needed to be at Long Key State Park to register at my campground there. So I started peddling, slowly south again. I say slowly, because I wasn't in a hurry to get anywhere, instead, I was looking for my next adventure.

I found myself at Bud 'N Mary's Marina on Islamorada, just before the Tea Table Key Channel. The people at Bud 'N Mary's are extremely sweet and helpful folks.

They patiently told me about their snorkeling trips for the day, which would have lasted until about 4:30pm. I was hesitant to go on a trip that was so long, considering I still had about 13 miles to ride to get to my campsite for the night and I wanted to make it before the rangers left and certainly before dark. As I contemplated this idea, I walked outside and to the roof of their covered docks to watch the 5 foot long tarpon roll beneath the pilings. If you've never seen these muscular fish lurking beneath you, let me tell you, it's a sight to be seen. They are so large, yet so graceful that they become mesmerizing. I could watch their massive scales shine and dance in the sunlight for hours. I was still undecided, so I continued on my way.

My next stop was Robbie's Marina on Lower Matecumbe Key, the hub of the ferry that I had planned to take to Lignumvitae Key.
After inquiring again about the snorkeling for the day, I finally decided that I would do it. Sure, the trip got back late, but I knew I could make it to the camp in time, and I really wanted to do something exciting that day. While I waiting for my 3pm snorkeling trip, I had a few beers with the friendly and well informed bartender, Jeff, who also recommended the fish tacos for my lunch. I can still taste the yumminess of those fish tacos! The fresh Mahi Mahi they used on them was so juicy that it was dripping from my chin as I devoured my meal. This marina (like many in the rest of the keys), feeds tarpon from it's docks and attracts a large amount of these huge fish.

Look how huge these fish look next to this guy!

And this guy, much to his girlfriend's dismay, used their tiny dog as bait to lure in the fish.

The snorkeling trip was amazing!! I saw every color combination, shape, and pattern of fish imaginable, in schools and individually, at about 10 to 30 feet deep, very clear water. The trip was on a large catameran with about 30 people from the Marina. We dove on Alligator Reef, just south of Islamorada. The coral there was beautiful (brain coral, fan coral, and more) but lacked in abundance and appears to be heavily damaged in areas. I also saw a stingray and a 3 foot nurse shark (I chased her and she hid beneath the rocks). The weather remained perfect for my liking; slightly overcast, a nice breeze with 2 foot rolling seas, and perfectly clear water with about 30-40 feet of visibility.

Here is an abbreviated version of the wildlife I saw while snorkeling:

yellow goatfish
sergeant major
stingray
giant brain coral
sea whip coral
sea fan
christmas tree worm
orange wall sponge
queen conch
queen angelfish
blue angelfish
french angelfish (my favorite!)
blueheaded wrasse
blue parrotfish
rainbow parrotfish
fairy basslet
rock beauty
great barracuda
spotlight parrotfish
scrawled cowfish
trunkfish
spotted trunkfish
spotted goatfish
spotfin butterflyfish
nurse shark

Lime Grove, Key Largo, Florida

2010-07-09T00:55:00.018-04:00

Trail to lime grove. Secret back entrance.

Florida Big Tree Coordinator, Mark Torok, had been kind enough to hook me up with the list of the largest trees in Monroe County, FL at my request. This list included one tree in John Pennekamp State Park, the National Co-Champion Soldierwood, a state endangered species. It boasted a crown spread of 19 feet, a height of 45 feet, and a circumference of 28 inches at breast height. According to the record, this tree was located in the state park, 100 feet east, and 30 feet south of the southwest corner of the lime grove. Fair enough...how hard can it possibly be to locate this champion?

View of the lime grove.

Well, I underestimated the complexity of the thick hardwood hammock habitat and overestimated my tree scavenger abilities. I was directed to the lime grove by the friendly staff of the state park and rode my bike to the area, which was relatively close to the front entrance of the park, yet hidden from, and probably unknown by most of the park visitors. I was excited to discover that this “lime grove” was in fact a functioning grove, maintained by the park, including key limes, mangoes, avocados, guavas, and one papaya tree.

Papaya tree

Geologically, the Florida Keys are composed of a string of exposed, slightly elevated, fossilized coral rock, a sharp, jagged formation known as Key Largo Limestone. Consequently, Key Largo pioneers actually had to use quarter sticks of dynamite to clear patches of ground; blasting holes in the thick, solid coral rock. This grove is a humble, yet very productive 2.5-acre fruit oasis and cultural resource. It holds the title as the last working Key lime grove in the Upper Florida Keys. And I had found it!! How cool!

I was so excited about the huge number of mango varieties (if I recall correctly, the signs said there were about 12 varieties in this small area), the beauty of the trees, the unique patterns in the exposed coral rock, and the mystery of this find, that I almost forgot about the Soldierwood tree. I tried my first straight-from-the-tree key lime. I found out later that ripe key limes are almost yellow. Unfortunately, the one I chose was a hard, green lime that puckered my lips, punched me in the back of the throat, but still quenched my curiosity.
As I walked through the grove to the southwest corner, I eyed some beautiful, ripe, distractingly tasty looking mangoes lying on the ground, ready to be harvested.

Unripe mangoes hang from long stems like Christmas ornaments on the trees.

I even photographed this one...the one that was to be my first tree ripe mango from the United States (I’ve harvested them in Costa Rica before too).
As I pulled myself away from the juicy mangoes calling my name, I found the southwest corner of the grove, grabbed my trusty compass and tried to count my steps to the approximate location of the co-champion tree. I was slowly picking my way through the dense underbrush, attempting to run straight lines, when I heard footsteps in the dried leaves about 100 feet from me. I froze, took inventory of my few weapons and potential escape routes from the hardwood hammock, and followed the sound of the leaves with my eyes, only to find that the resident forest ranger was taking his daily stroll to the lime grove with a large bag and a long fruit picking stick. To my dismay, I stood frozen in the forest while I watched him walk through the orchard and pick each and every beautiful, succulent ripe mango from the ground.

One of the many gorgeous mangoes. Look at those colors!! Like a sunset.

I continued looking for the Soldierwood, but my navigation took me to the center of the 10 foot wide path the ranger had just been walking on. Looking around me, I didn’t see any leaves that looked like those I had hoped to identify as a Soldierwood and I couldn’t be sure that the co-champion hadn’t been cut down for the creation of this path. I was discouraged by my failed search and by the loss of my dinner fruit. I headed back out to the lime grove, trying not to emerge too suspiciously from the forest (although legal, I’m sure it’s not normal for most park visitors to go exploring in the dense, off-trail areas of the hammock). Once in the grove again, I approached the ranger, whose bag of mangoes was bulging with golden, ruby red deliciousness. He confessed that he had no information on the tree I was searching for and in fact, didn’t even know it had existed in this area. Short of calling the entire evening a failure, I waited until the ranger had left before I was able to find the last three precious ripe mangos. I later traded one of these beauties with Gloria and Bud for dinner.

Following the lime grove adventure, I headed back to camp along a walking trail through the hardwood hammock. The walk was lined with coral rock obviously placed as a trail border by the rangers.

Yes, it's blurry, but you get the point.

Each coral rock was uniquely imprinted with a different coral pattern.

The coral rock is so shallow that trees in the forest have very shallow roots, like this one.

View Larger Map

Key Largo, Florida

2010-07-08T23:56:00.008-04:00

I am officially back from the Florida Keys bike ride and I'm actually already in Maryland, but I will recount the amazing trip for you.

On June 29, I drove my car down to Key Largo, loaded up with my bike and all the gear I needed for the next few days of riding and camping through the Florida Keys to Key West. As I drove south, I stopped for a few provisions at Bass Pro Shop and Target. I needed peanut butter, bread (I already had the blackberry jelly), mace (as demanded by a good friend, thanks Tony!), a new camelback hydration reservoir, water, and some new bike lights (Murphy's Law - mine stopped working the day before).

Once in Key Largo, I parked my car at a generous friend-of-a-friend's house (Thanks Linda!!), neatly packed all my gear on the bike, and hopped on my bike to peddle only 5 miles north to John Pennekamp State Park. Although my trip was intended to ride south, I had to ride north the first evening to the first campsite. I made it to the state park, registered as a camper (I had reserved my spot ahead of time on ReserveAmerica), and was finally able to relax and let all the stress roll off my shoulders by 5pm on Tuesday night.
I gleefully rode to my campsite, which was a nice shady site sandwiched between two massive RVs. Considering it was my first night and so many people had cautioned me against the dangers of this ride, I didn't mind the lack of privacy. Instead, I found myself in the midst of a bustling camping area where many of the campers had made their RVs into homes on the park for over a month already. This was a community. As the new kid, I was eyed up and down, questioned by some, and soon accepted into the pack. I knew that I had passed the test when my lovely RV neighbors, on both sides, took it upon themselves to feed me.
Later in the evening, after some exploration, I was just about to bust into a rustic dinner of PB&J with fresh mangos (more on this later) when I was lured in by beef stew from the neighbors, Gloria and Bud (a sweet older couple who immediately adopted me as a granddaughter). Hmmm...I pondered...PB&J or beef stew. That was a quick decision and before I knew it, Gloria was serving up a brimming bowl of beef stew, showering me with cracker options, and offering me about 5 different types of drinks. As I quietly, yet quickly scarfed down my beef stew, like a stray dog, I listened to Gloria's amazing life. Within 20 minutes I learned that she and Bud had been married for 45 years, had 4 children, 10 grandchildren, how they had met and started courting, where they lived, all the embarrassing things that Bud had done within the past year, their occupations, and their health conditions. As soon as my spoon hit the bottom of my empty bowl, Gloria looked at me with questioning eyes and eagerly asked "would you like another bowl"? Thanks, but I'm stuffed! Without taking a breath, she launched back into more entertaining grandmotherly stories. I felt right at home. Soon, Bud came back from an evening of snorkeling with the kids and having heard that stories were being told of him, he quickly told me his side of each embarrassing story to his defense. I smiled, belly full, feeling like part of the family, and soon excused myself to get some sleep. What a lovely couple!

The John Pennekamp State Park campsite was wonderful. During my explorations, I discovered there are docks here with fishing, snorkeling and diving boat charters available, a concession stand that is open during the day, trails, several snorkeling beaches with a ship wreck, a lime grove, nice bath houses, and even laundry facilities. Prior to the beef stew binge, I explored the property to find the largest Soldierwood tree, which was allegedly on the property. I not only found the lime grove (more on this soon), but I also decided to take a plunge in the crystal clear water on the snorkeling beach.
After a long day of driving, sweating, and stressing about life in general, I found myself floating in the warm water just above the old ship wreck. I heard some snorkelers yell to each other about all the great tarpon, snook, and other fish they saw in the water below me, but I was already floating on my back, exhaling deeply, and enjoying the calm. After a few moments to contemplating the craziness of the past few days, I was able to relax and start taking notice of my surroundings. While I was floating in the super salty water, I realized that I was hearing the muffled clicks and pops of hundreds of organisms below me eating their dinners. I imagined crabs, fish, urchins, lobster (yes, there are Florida spiny lobsters), and clams all feasting in the deep waters. I was pleased they were fed well, but it got me to thinking that I should also probably get some chow.

Bike preparation

2010-06-28T19:08:00.005-04:00

And the adventure begins!

View Road Trip Route in a larger map

Today I am leaving for Key Largo, FL where I will begin a 100 mile bicycle ride through the Florida Keys, landing in Key West, FL by Friday. I'm really excited and pretty anxious too. This is something unlike anything I've ever done before. Along the way I will be checking out some of the largest trees in the Keys. This area has a ton of champion trees simply because it's the southernmost part of the United States, plus the semi-tropical habitat allows many different species to thrive here.

I have rigged up my Trek bike and I will be back in touch with you all next week, as I won't be dragging my laptop on the ride.

Cheers and Happy 4th of July to all of you!

Lesson from a Tudor

2010-06-22T21:41:00.003-04:00

More baby burrowing owl pictures I took at FAU. Click on the photo for a better view.

Now that I'm in the process of moving again, I've come across some of my old contacts, including the contact for the amazing photographer that I mentioned I had seen speaking about burrowing owls at the Audubon Society meeting years ago. His name is Dan Tudor. He photographs many amazing species of wildlife in Florida, but definitely focuses on burrowing owls and documenting their behavior patterns. He lives in southwestern Florida and has done a lot of work for the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife. He has documented an astounding 1100 pairs of owls in the Cape Coral area with a Nikon F5 and a Nikon D200 using manual focus lenses. On occasion he also uses a Canon Powershot G9. I'm sure he has upgraded since I saw him...which must have been sometime in 2007.

His presentation to the Audubon Society was really moving and somehow hit me at a time when I really needed some inspiration. He said that he learned almost all of his amazing photography skills by reading. Non-stop reading. Of all the other nature photography greats. He especially recommended Art Wolfe and Niall Benvie. If you get a chance check out Niall Benvie's blog...wow, I could spend hours there!

Even though I was out of my element, in a small high school media room, with about 3 dozen Audubon Society members over the age of 70 (this is Florida remember?), and probably the only blonde, I was really engrossed in this talk. I even wrote down a quote that particularly spoke to me:

"Go to your roots. It will change your life."

Mr. Tudor was referring to heritage and how important it is. Well...I agree with that statement. I know that graduate school in Switzerland, near my family and roots, will certainly change my life. Only time will show how this change will materialize.

Since when do birds live underground?

2010-06-18T14:18:00.006-04:00

This spring I have had the pleasure of working in a building on the FAU (Florida Atlantic University) campus very close to a small population of burrowing owls. What?? Yes, I said BURROWING owls. I know...strange. Several years ago, while living in Tampa, I had seen a really great presentation at an Audobon Society meeting focused on burrowing owls, a Florida species of special concern. These birds look like very small (about 6 inch) owls with very long chicken legs attached to the bottom of their stumpy bodies. Why the funny looking legs? For burrowing of course. Burrowing owls will create burrows (or use old burrows from other animals) in dry, sandy open areas which are often highly developed areas such as golf courses, airports, and university campuses. They nest in their burrows and will often have 2 to 12 young. I was lucky enough to observe three breeding pairs of burrowing owls at the university. Each of these pairs had about 4-8 young!! I was surprised to see, however, that the young were often of different ages and sizes. It makes me wonder if they lay several clutches in the springtime.

When they are very very young, the baby burrowing owls look like tiny puff balls on a stick. Their legs are so long and gangly that their clumsiness is comical. Here are some photos I've taken of them over the spring. A lot of these photos are poor quality because I wanted to maintain a safe distance from the young.

Rolling Seas

2010-06-09T20:17:00.004-04:00

What is this a photograph of? Can you guess? It's a close up...

Today was a gorgeous fishing day out in the Atlantic Ocean, 10 miles offshore from Jupiter, Florida. Yes, it's Wednesday, but I got a pass from work. Well, actually, even better. My boss took my coworkers and I out fishing on his 21' Sailfish center console boat!! Woohoo! It's the end of the season and apparently it's a tradition. I say, cheers to tradition!

The only glitch was that what was supposed to be a day with wind blowing at 6-9 knots with seas of 2-4 feet tall, we ended up with 6-8 foot tall swells tossing the boat around, rolling us this way and that as we fished the "mixing zone". Unfortunately for my coworkers, they both got badly seasick and were "chumming the water" for most of the afternoon and generally miserable. I was lucky enough to avoid the seasickness and continue fishing! All in all, we ended up getting a meager helping of bait fish (sardines and cigar minnows) that helped us land 3 nice dauphin (aka Mahi Mahi).

We caught a bunch of schoolies that we sent back to the sea for fattening, but these three were keepers, especially the big bull that was about 3 to 3.5 feet long. He was a fun fighter. We certainly earned our dinner.
I'm only 5'3", so even though we didn't officially measure the big bull, I'm pretty sure he's about 3.5 feet.

Then our boss commenced to help us clean these beautiful fish:

Our Mahi Mahi rations....yummy!! Come and get it! Here's the amazing recipe that I cooked these up with. Finger licking good fresh catch.

Even the dog got some!!

That's the tail end of today's fish tale.

New Life

2010-06-03T16:00:00.000-04:00

Florida spiderlily (Hymenocallis tridentata) in bloom

Although our sampling season at FAU has been a bit different then I expected, leaving us in the laboratory for 2 months with no way to complete our field sampling, I have been fortunate enough to be in the field for two weeks at the end of May!! Woohoo! We finally got all the stars aligned...funding, weather conditions, and field sampling conditions. So for two weeks I was back on the helicopter flying into the far reaching parts of the Everglades, picking fish and shrimp out of a small mesh seine, marching through muck that is now thigh deep, and generally enjoying myself.

Seining for fish, shrimp, crayfish, insects, etc...the muck in the southern Everglades is much thicker. It looks messy, but it feels like the finest silk oozing through your fingers.

Since it's been such a long time since we've been out, I observed all kinds of new and exciting growth in the swamp.

Native Apple Snail eggs on the stalks of Sagittaria spp.

A dwarf bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) tree that has finally leafed out and now has a luscious green top.

Cypress seed/cone!

A fuzzy airplant inconspicuously growing in the boughs of the cypress.

Sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense) inflorescence.
Sawgrass is extremely abundant throughout the Everglades. It has evolved to include saw tooth edges on three sides of it's leaves, making it a virtual paper-cut machine. It can be extremely painful if not handled gently. Some sections of sawgrass are well over my head, and walking through these areas typically involves me launching my entire body up against the wall of sawgrass, matting it down, walking over the matted area, then launching myself at the next wall, rinse and repeat. It's amazing how prolific this plant is! I have a lot of respect for it.

Measuring Up

2010-06-03T09:47:00.001-04:00

If you've been following me, you know that I have been working for about 6 months for Florida Atlantic University. I have been a biological research technician as part of a three person field crew that is conducting research in the Everglades ecosystem of Florida. Specifically, we are collecting samples that will be used to assess wading bird prey concentrations during this season. What are wading bird prey concentrations, you ask? Well, when we talk about wading birds we are referring to birds that feed by wading into deep pools of water including: white ibis, glossy ibis, great egret, snowy egret, great blue heron, little blue heron, and roseate spoonbill in the Everglades. And the prey concentrations just refers to all the little things that these birds eat such as shrimp, crayfish, fish, macroinvertebrates, amphibians, insects, snails, etc. We sample for these prey species throughout the Everglades once the ecosystem has dried down to capture a representative sample of what prey species are available during the dry season. The idea is that as the ecosystem dries down each dry season (October through May) prey species get concentrated in small pools of water. This makes fishing for prey easier for the birds...kind of a "shooting fish in a barrel" concept. And this research is an attempt to correlate prey species concentrations with wading bird nesting efforts. The general question is: Do birds nest more when the Everglades ecosystem dries down, thereby making prey more available during nesting season? The work I'm doing is on the ground level of the prey concentration side of the project. There are others looking at the bird nesting efforts too. It's a very complex and extremely fascinating project.

Since I have been a bit lax on providing info about my amazing field job at FAU, I will try to post more now. Now that the rainy season has begun, our field sampling season is over and we are back in the laboratory for now. So I will start a series of posts that are a look back at this field season.

That square black thing is our "trap" that we use to catch fish, shrimp, crayfish, amphibians, insects, and any other thing that wading birds would eat.

Do you ever feel like you're being put to a test? Are you worried that you're not measuring up?

Maybe that's how these little squirrel treefrogs feel. As we extract fauna from our throw trap we measure most amphibians and re-release them into the wild. This 3cm squirrel treefrog (Hyla squirella) held still long enough to be photographed and well documented. This particular individual is a dark green color, but this species can change colors like a chameleon. It was noted that in the previous year, these same frogs were especially dark brown. This year, the majority of the frogs we found were a very light green color, some almost yellow green to match much of the dead sawgrass and eleocharis.

Still Measuring Up??

2010-06-02T16:00:00.003-04:00

Some other things we measure and record as prey for wading birds:

This is a big lively Southern leopard frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus).

And here is another leopard frog we caught on another day.

We also measure and record tadpoles. I'm not sure what kind of tadpole this is, but we can be sure that wading birds would eat this if they were given the chance.

This little guy looks totally unassuming from the top, but flip him over and you've got this beautiful golden speckled soft underbelly:

I'm not sure what species he is, but I'm guessing young Pig Frog.

This is an apple snail. The Florida Apple Snail (Pomacea paludosa) is a very important part of the Everglades ecosystem. This large freshwater snail is the principal food source of the endangered Everglades kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus), a really beautiful and magestic raptor native to the region. Unfortunately, the Florida Apple Snail is under a lot of pressure. First, is it now in direct competition with 4 introduced species of apple snails that are bigger and more aggressive than it is. Studies are currently under way to see if the Everglades kite will eat the invasive species of snail as well and if it contains the same nutrients it obtains from the native species. Second, artificially controlled water levels in the Everglades ecosystem by the South Florida Water Management District have negatively affected the abundance and distribution of native apple snails in its home habitat. Read more about how apple snails are important to the Everglades Ecosystem Restoration Plan here.

To see the fish and other prey species that we collect and analyze back in the lab, check out this posting.

Petroleum Pelican

2010-06-02T09:59:00.005-04:00

(taken by MIRA OBERMAN/AFP/Getty Images)

As mentioned before, the far-reaching effects of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has not been realized yet. So far, over 65 miles of shoreline have been coated by oil. The containment dome failed. The next idea was to create a containment plug of heavy mud and cement over the leaks in the oil rig. BP aptly named this method "top kill" and this is how it was supposed to work (BP has created a really beautiful website on how their solutions should work...in theory and design). Sadly it also failed. The next hope is that the relief well will help to slow the leak, however the relief well will not be completed for months.

Along the 65 miles of shoreline and the many more that will probably be effected, we are seeing impacts on the brown pelican (like above) which was JUST taken off the endangered list 6 months ago, herons, egrets, and many other seabirds, crabs, shrimp, fish, sea turtles (including the Kemps Ridley sea turtle, the most endangered sea turtle in the world that feeds on the exact spot that the Deepwater Horizons Oil Rig exploded...go figure), dolphins, whales and more. Take a look at this comprehensive list of marine species that the oil spill will effect that was put together by NOAA. The fact that this oil spill will speed the extinction of several endangered species and severely damage populations of thriving species is truly heartbreaking.

Check out more shocking images from the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. It is such a tragedy. President Obama has just opened a criminal investigation on the oil spill. Safety violations such as this should be punished appropriately. The massive loss of jobs, wildlife, natural areas, and other natural resources will hopefully be addressed by the US.

Laughs for today

2010-05-12T17:00:00.003-04:00

On a lighter note, come watch this funny and somewhat intense reading of Where's Waldo by Werner Herzog, a German actor, producer, and director. I stumbled on this video on a blog called The Debonaire, a really cute blog with lots of things to make you smile. I used to love Where's Waldo. Are these books even being published anymore?

I've been trying to read and listen to more German lately in preparation for my master's study program at the University of Zurich. Sometimes the language is a little extreme and harsh. Hopefully I don't come back sounding like this!

A Hairy Situation

2010-05-12T09:14:00.007-04:00

As I reported last week, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is still flooding our waters with a plume of toxic chemicals. Based on the most recent Coast Guard estimates, 4 million gallons of oily water have been recovered from the spill and no one actually knows how much more is still dispersing across the Gulf of Mexico. One blog says that 3.5 million gallons of oil have spewed into the Gulf since the oil rig exploded and sunk. For up to date, first-hand accounts by the Coast Guard, check out this website.

So what can you do to help? Well, one small nonprofit out of San Francisco has come up with a really fascinating idea to clean up oil spills. Matter of Trust collects hair from salons, individuals, and even fur from animals across the US, Canada and other places. Then they stuff the hair into recycled pantyhose that people also send in. The resulting hair "booms" look like funny sausages but are great at soaking up oil. Check out this info brochure. Hair naturally soaks up oil, that's why we find ourselves taking showers and using shampoo, which degreases our hair. Think about it, this is also one of the reasons why wildlife are so terribly injured during oil spills - the oil adheres to their fur and feathers. So why not use our hair to soak up some of the oil in the Gulf of Mexico? Here are instructions on how to help out. And this video is absolutely amazing! I can't believe the demonstration part of it when they show how the oil is soaked up! This is so cool and simple.

I'm not sure that I'll be cutting my hair for this. I cut off about 11 inches of my hair over 5 years ago for Locks of Love and had a blast running around in Costa Rica sporting super short 3-inch long hair, but I don't think I'm ready just yet to do that again. Here's what that looked like:

But I do have some old nylons that I could donate! Will you help?

Track me!

2010-05-10T15:48:00.005-04:00

So I just added a new feature to the blog so that you can track me on google maps. If you go to the right column of this page you will see a list that says "Pages." The second link under that header will say "Where am I mucking about?" If you click that link it will take you to my google map to show you where I have been lately. Just under the map you will see a link that says "view in a larger map." If you click on that you can see details of where I have been lately.

Come check it out. Let me know if you like this feature or not. I think it will help a lot for my road trip plans...more to come.

Everglades Bound

2010-05-07T12:09:00.004-04:00

Remember last year when I saw the Everglades in person for the first time? Well, now it's become much more familiar to me and I'm so excited to share the experience of the swamp with others. So this weekend I'm taking a few great friends out into the wilderness and we will be exploring the primitive areas of Big Cypress National Preserve.

I went a month ago to scope out the area and make sure it was suitable for taking a group of people. Camping and hiking alone at a primitive camp site and in remote areas of the park was amazing! It may not have been the safest thing that I've ever done, but I at least alerted a few people of my whereabouts so they would know where to look for me if something happened. But the solitude I got out of only a night of camping and one full day of hiking felt like bliss. It freed my mind of all the clutter from work, life, and yes, even love. When you're alone in the wilderness and the sun goes down you begin to use your sense of sight less and your other senses much more. I could hear small and large animals surrounding me and some that were probably over 500 meters away. I could smell the freshest humid air. I could even see in the dark to find small sticks to burn. My soul was released from it's cage for 2 blissful days. I walked out smiling and safe.

Here's the little brochure I put together for the invite email I sent out a few weeks ago. Click on the images to read the info. Should be fun!! Wish us luck with the mosquitos, gators, snakes and all the wilderness we've been dreaming of.

Oil, Oil, Toil and Trouble...

2010-05-05T15:48:00.005-04:00

...fire burn and oil bubble.

Have you been paying attention to the latest disaster news? Well, this one isn't a natural disaster. It's a big ol' man-made disaster brought to us by the oil industry. On April 20,2010, a fire and explosion occurred on the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico. This oil rig is located 50 miles south east of the Mississippi Delta in New Orleans, Louisiana. Reports of the incident have been a little mixed and sometimes confusing, so I've tried to get the best info out there. Deepwater Horizon is a drill rig operator for British Petroleum (BP). BP is now on the hook for cleaning up this mess...that is, if it ever stops leaking. Tragically, 11 people died in the explosion (out of 120 crew aboard). I am so sorry for those who lost their loved ones. Not only did this explosion affect human lives, but it has and will affect the economy, the fishing/boating/watersport industry in the Gulf of Mexico, many threatened and endangered species, sensitive coastlines, and many other resources in the Gulf. This map shows the extent of the plume thus far.

The US Coast Guard and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have responded quickly and appropriately to the situation. The Coast Guard is currently trying to contain the spill with floating booms, skimmers, tugs, barges, and chemical treatments. There were three places that the oil was leaking from the rig after it exploded and sunk (one was just plugged yesterday). By the way, "leaking" is a weak word for this, because estimations say that there may be anywhere from 1000 to 5000 barrels (or more) "leaking" out of the drill rig daily (that's upwards of 210,000 gallons/day!! This volume in any other context would be considered a flooding!). Some sources are predicting that the scope of this disaster may exceed the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster .

The oil spill plume is currently heading toward sensitive shorelines in Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, and Alabama. Already, fishing has been restricted in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico directly adjacent to the area closures. Fishermen in the area are devastated by this issue and you know I won't be eating shrimp or fish from the Gulf for a while!!! Would you like pink or black shrimp today ma'am?

According to many news sources, the US government (the Minerals Management Service, specifically) exempted BP from an environmental impact analysis last year. They gave them a "categorical exclusion" from the NEPA they should have completed in 2009 for this rig. By definition, a categorical exclusion means "a category of actions which do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment." Hmmm...really? Do you sincerely believe that oil rigs drilled into the sea floor in the Gulf of Mexico have no potential significant environmental impact? What's the worst that could happen, right? It's unfortunate that the lobbying efforts of big business like BP have encouraged the government to turn a blind eye to bending the rules. Sure, we need domestic oil sources...I get it and I'm not totally against it. But there is a process that needs to be adhered to to get the permits to build things like oil rigs. And that process should be followed correctly. Shortcuts and exemptions should be examined more carefully. Yes, we need business and there will be environmental impacts for the sake of progress in the US. Even I can admit and accept that. But let's do it right. If there was a way to avoid this massive "spill," then those steps should have been taken. Is it better to put down the capital for safety and double shut-off precautions during the building process, or is it better to pay upwards of $8 billion to clean up this calamity...not to mention possibly affect hundreds of beaches, preserves, wildlife species, marine species, and human jobs?? I wonder how BP would answer that question now?

So I'll give you an update of some of what is being affected by the spill so far:

Brown Pelicans and their hatchlings as well as many other birds in bird colonies and shorelines
Beaches and shorelines from Louisiana all the way to Miami!
Wildlife within the loop current
Oil-dispersing chemicals used to clean up/disperse the massive oil spill may endanger marine creatures
President Obama has put a moratorium on offshore drilling expansion
Desperate times for fisherman and sea turtle deaths

For more info check out this link for a straight forward Q&A about the disaster.

Also, take a look at the NOAA website for up-to-date information about the oil spill plume and efforts taking place to control the damage. I'd like to thank my friend Mark for all of his hard work flying NOAA aircraft to take photographs and gather data from the spill. I know you're not sleeping much right now, but it's good to know that people like you are out there assessing the issue. Be careful!

Now it's our turn. I'm trying to figure out the best way that I can help right now too.

How to Post a Comment

2010-05-04T00:46:00.004-04:00

Hello folks! It has come to my attention that some of you would like to post comments but can't quite figure out how to do so. Let me give you a quick and hopefully painless tutorial. If you read a particularly exciting post and you can't wait to comment, scroll to the bottom of the post, where you will see something that looks like this:

When you see that, click on the "0 comments" link (hopefully the number won't always say 0...that is if you start posting comments!!). Once you do so, you'll see a screen that shows this box on the right hand side:

Simply type your comment into the box at the top. Then choose an identity. If you are already logged into a google account (because Blogger.com is a google product), you can sign your comment with your google account info.

Most of you will probably want to simply click on the "anonymous" button and then click publish your comment (or you can preview it first if you want). This way, you can post comments without signing into anything. Just remember, that if you click the Anonymous button, I probably will have no idea who the comment is actually from. I'm cool with that. I like a little mystery every now and again. Secret admirer or secret spy style. But if you want me to know who you are (which makes me pretty excited! I like knowing that people I know or people I hope to eventually know are saying hello and giving me feedback), then put your name at the bottom of the comment, even if you click the Anonymous button. Pretend like it's an email, but that I can't see or recognize your email address.

Much love everyone! Thanks for checking in on me from time to time. I'm so excited that you read this!

Kristina

Flea-bitten Female

2010-04-26T23:39:00.005-04:00

I started my 3 mile run tonight with a shirt and good intentions...

I ran a 1.5 mile route down to a small local marina that I really like where a few really beautiful sailboats are docked. I've been by this dock several times and have seen a really fat orange cat lounging around the docks. I thought it'd be a beautiful evening to run down to the marina, give the little guy a pat, and then head over to the playground for my hardcore playground workout (no seriously, it kicks my butt!).

Within the first 5 minutes I got whapped pretty hard in the eye by a bug. This put me to rubbing my eye and tearing up on the corner for another 5 minutes as I tried to cry it out so that I could see again. So then I continue to run down the street like a pirate and get down to the docks.

Just as I get there, I see the exact cat I was looking for slowly dragging itself across the planks, sopping wet, and much smaller looking than I remember. He was looking really rough and as I approached a few mallards took off from the water. They were no doubt the creatures that lured him into the water to begin with. He looked pathetic. His fur stuck to him in funny ways and water streamed from his face and legs. I think he was pretty exhausted from trying to get back on the dock too. I looked around and I have no idea how he managed to make the 2 foot leap from the water back onto the dock, but luckily he had managed. So there I am with this super cute, sad looking cat that keeps meowing at me as I try to calm him down. He was obviously uncomfortable and I wanted to help out. So I took my shirt off and toweled him down, much to his contentment. As I inspected my handiwork, I took a brief look at my shirt which was now stained brown with the muddy water from the intracoastal. I barely noticed some black specks in his fur and on my shirt...then it hit me and bit me all at the same time...oh crap! FLEAS! I start to itch immediately out of paranoia and disgust. Sorry cute kitty, no more petting for you. After I reassess my shirt and deemed it hopeless, I quickly found a trash can to rid of it. So now I'm left shirtless, standing in my sports bra, itchy. I ran the 1.5 miles back home as quickly as possible. It turns out fleas are a really good motivation to run fast. When I reached the house I immediately took a scalding hot shower, threw my clothes in the washing machine, and tried to forget my bug issues of the day.

It's funny. Just this past weekend when my Mom was visiting, I was contemplating the daunting task ahead of me called moving...again. The next time I move I plan to take only a car full. So in the meantime there will be a lot of downsizing and sorting. As it turns out, flea infested clothing is the first to go...no questions asked, no remorse! Thanks kitty for kicking off spring cleaning.

Here are some pictures from this past weekend to help you get the thought of bugs out of your mind:

I love this picture of Mom...she looks radiant and so healthy!

Happy Earth Day

2010-04-23T09:51:00.005-04:00

So I meant to post this yesterday, but since I believe everyday should be Earth Day, I feel this is still justified. What did you do to celebrate Earth Day? My mom is here in Delray Beach visiting me for a few days and I'm trying to squeeze in some fun things around my work schedule. Last night we went to see the premier of the new Disney movie called "Oceans," have some wine, and eat cheesecake. The movie was really beautifully done (in the same style as March of the Penguins and the Life and Planet Earth series). The videography was breathtaking and I imagine, quite difficult and dangerous at times. Disney really dodged every and all environmental concern that could have been addressed in the film. They noticeably distract the viewer from the realities of our human impact with pretty images. Mom and I found this unfortunate, because this film, which will probably be seen by hundreds of children and parents, would be a great platform to at least raise awareness of our infractions. Come on Disney...take a little initiative. We're not asking you to become environmental activists, but if you have footage of issues going on in the oceans, feel free to show it...we need to see these! Ok, enough of a rant...I recommend you check out the movie yourself and see how you feel. The images are just amazing!

On another treehugger note, this past weekend, on my way back from an amazing hippie jamfest in northern Florida, I stopped to see the largest live oak in Florida. I have been using the National Register of Trees from the American Forests to find large trees in the area and this one was a whopper! It is 29 feet in circumference, 79 feet tall, and has a canopy spread of 154 feet. It's the biggest tree I have ever seen and touched in real life. There was even a really cool branch that came out low on the base of the trunk, arched toward the heavens, and then touched the earth again to support it's mass. I climbed it and loved it and worshiped it for it's age and wisdom. Imagine all the things this tree has seen!

Happy Earth Day!

Treehugger Confessions

2010-04-19T21:12:00.004-04:00

Over the years, I've been asked many times why I've chosen environmental science as my career path. I've never had a great answer for that. It's not something I've ever been able to put into words. For me it's just a given. Um, of course I would go into environmental science, it's what I love and I can't imagine being happy doing anything else. But how do you put love and passion into words, on paper, or as a concise answer during an interview? It's so personal to me that there are times that I get a little bashful to talk about it. Almost as if you're asking me to disclose some beautiful secret that I've stowed away for years but it seems silly and much too private to talk about it now.

What lead me to this train of thought is that I just read the most amazing passage from a book I've had for years but have never cracked open. It's called Talking on the Water by Jonathan White. I think Mom got it for me years back...but I can't recall exactly. Oddly enough, I just came to find out too that this book was written based on interviews conducted in 1983 (my birth year) with environmentalists (my passion) on a dilapidated schooner (one of my favorite recent hobbies). So I guess it's meant to be that I haven't started reading it until now.

The first interview is with Gretel Ehrlich, a writer and avid traveler with strong ties to nature. Interestingly she discusses how nature helped her heal during the loss of a loved one. This passage really speaks to me and I feel that this is one of the best descriptions of why I feel so connected to nature.

"When you're sick, the instinct is to go to bed. When you're grieving, the same instinct makes you want to find a place that is uncomplicated, accepting, and tolerant. I wanted to hook up with whatever it is that makes things live and die, and I wanted to be with people who weren't going to talk it into the ground.

Anyone who lives and works in the natural world has a tacit understanding of death. If you know about death and about how things come into life - about the joys and sorrows associated with these things - without psychologizing it to death, there's nothing more that needs to be said."

The 42 acres of hardwood forest I grew up on was the perfect hideaway when I was sad and helped me grieve the loss of my father 17 years ago. Still today, I find solace in being outdoors during times of joy and sorrow. It makes me feel alive, clear headed, and miles away from life's troubles.

Just thought I'd share something I've been trying to describe all these years. What's your emotional connection to nature?

How adventurous are you when you travel?

2010-04-19T13:14:00.005-04:00

I have been on Couch Surfing now for several years, but unfortunately, I still haven't had the pleasure of hosting anyone or staying on anyone else's couch. I've had a couple of people contact me but I'm a little hesitant and cautious about having strangers stay on my couch/air mattress. But I recently had an amazing experience meeting a CouchSurfer (CSer) from Utah and showing him the best of Delray Beach for a weekend. I am really excited about the idea of having a cheap way to travel, a good place to stay, and company while I'm doing so. If you don't know about couch surfing it's a great network of people across the world who offer up their couches/floors/extra beds for travelers in the area. Check out the website.

I have recently learned about two other similar networks. There is a website called Crashpadder which is very similar but they allow hosts to charge a small fee for the "crashing" area. And usually these appear to be rooms rather than just couches. Pretty cool. GoBackpacking claims that by charging a fee and the need to exchange credit card information may make this experience feel a little safer because there are verified real names and personal information exchanged. I'm not so sure about that, but it's an interesting concept. It seems pretty new, so they are still working on building the network. So far there are rooms in 763 cities.

And for another step up there is a website I just learned about called Airbnb. I'm really really excited about this network. It's basically a way for people to rent out their rooms or extra spaces.

This reminds me of my travels through Italy in 2004 when my boyfriend (at the time) and I went to some amazing locations without any hotel reservations. We used our sparse grasp of the Italian language to find rooms that locals were renting out. Many of the adorable homes in Italy had tiny signs on their doors and windows that said "camera" which translates as "room" and means that they have a room available. We had the best experience in some of these places and met amazing people in the process. It's always more fun to do things like that than stay at a Holiday Inn...which look the same no matter what country you're in. So back to Airbnb. Hosts can post pictures and information about their rooms for rent on the site and you can search the rooms by location and price. The places range from treehouse type cottages to castles! Amazing! And the prices vary dramatically too. Check out this slideshow of their top 20. I'm going to try to stay at the Mushroom Dome Cabin and the Fern Forest Treehouse someday. So cute!!

Have you or would you use any of these networks? I can't wait to try some of these out while roadtripping this summer!!

Are you ready?

2010-03-25T09:34:00.004-04:00

It's creeping up on us again. That lovely evening known as Earth Hour. You might remember my exciting blunders with Earth Hour Power Shower last year (read about it here). Earth Hour 2010 will take place on Saturday, March 27 (that's THIS saturday!) at 8:30pm. For one hour, only ONE hour (come on, how can you say no to something so simple?), please turn off your lights and all electronic devices. Yes, that means no internet, no cell phones, nothing. Gasp! It has been reported that almost 1 billion people around the world participated last year. Pretty cool! Even large iconic buildings/monuments are taking part. Last year the Empire State Building, Las Vegas Strip, Big Ben in London and many more turned off their lights for Earth Hour. I imagine it would be amazing to see some of those monuments without lights...what a rare spectacle. You can learn more about the history and importance of Earth Hour here.

So this year I plan to do it up right. Key word here..."plan." We'll see what actually happens. Whether it goes well or not, I've been practicing lately. I spend a few hours each week with the lights off, candles burning, and music playing while I relax with a glass of wine. Technically, the music playing is still electricity, so I'll have to nix that for Earth Hour. Someday I dream I'll be able to sit in candlelight and play my own music on my guitar, but as it stands now, my random guitar plinking sessions are far from soothing.

Earth Hour is a simple call to action on climate change. It's an interesting movement. So please, join me and millions of others as we turn off our lights and electronics for one short hour. I think you will find it to be a very pleasant way to pass an hour. The world turns a little slower without all of our technological distractions. Grab a glass of wine, take a deep breath, and reflect on the state of our environment.

2010-03-24T10:24:00.005-04:00

I have officially been accepted into a Masters of Environmental Science program at the ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich). I will be moving to Switzerland and starting classes in September of this year! I am so excited!! Not only will I be living in Switzerland, closer to my family, but I will also be starting a new and challenging part of my career. I will be majoring in Ecology and Evolution. Hopefully someday I will be managing a large tract of land to conserve for our future generations. This is the passport photo that I sent in with my registration papers. It will soon be appearing on my new shiny ETH Zurich student ID card! I can't even believe this dream is coming true. Someone pinch me...gently.

Beach Bummin

2010-03-24T02:36:00.006-04:00

Delray Beach sand

Have you ever been to the beach at night? If you haven't, here's an amazing phenomenon that you should try to experience. Once the sun had gone down, even after daylights savings time, you may think the day is over. Well, far from it! Here's a fun nighttime experience for you to try. Wait until the sun has gone down (extra points if the moon is still high in the sky) and walk your "other of some significance" to the edge of the ocean, look to the sky to see how the stars are aligned, take off your shoes, and enjoy the lapping of the ocean on your ankles. If you don't trust the one simple truth that the ocean will forever make this motion, than you can return to your cubicle in contentment. Now, here comes the fun part. Move up the beach toward the dunes, dig a small hole about 8 inches down and then stick your feet in. Feel that warmth? The radiant heat from the sun shining all day is trapped below the surface of the sand and will warm your toes all night long. How amazing is that? It's the power of the sun but at night...awesome!!

So take off your shoes, relax and let life flow before you. If you begin to wonder why the stars are aligned just so, then you are human. If you begin to wonder why life on the outside feels so amazing, than you are human. If you forsake everything for this moment, then you are human. Life is wonderful for once, enjoy it.

My bike that I rode around town on last night. First I hit up the awesome Delray Beach Film Festival outdoor films. I lounged on the lawn and saw two really great films about wakeboarding and surfing. No wonder I got the bug to ride to the beach after that!

My lousy attempt at a nighttime photo of the ocean.

Fish Tales

2010-03-23T18:31:00.004-04:00

Another amazing weekend just flew past. One of my favorite Tampa girls, Anni, came by to visit and we were lucky enough to be invited on a really amazing boat by a dear new friend in Delray Beach. This weekend was a good time for some fish stories. You know the ones I'm talking about? The kind when catching a 2 foot king mackerel quickly becomes a 4 foot wahoo. When you find yourself in the sun for too many hours, the rum is flowing freely, and old secrets are shared on the deck of the boat. It was a great fishing trip. Great weather and great people. These memories will last forever.

I learned that if you hold the fish really far away from you, it looks a lot bigger!

Weekend Adventures

2010-03-01T00:27:00.004-05:00

How was your weekend? I had been hoping to make it to Marley Fest down in Miami this weekend to enjoy some good reggae music, but the torrential rain kept me from the trip. So instead it ended up being a great weekend of sleeping in, running errands, relaxing at home and in the hammock when the weather allowed, and following the full moon to strange new places. It's nice to have a weekend once in a while where nothing works out as planned, but yet it turns out to be better than expected. Oh, and GO CANADA!

Fondue Pong

2010-02-24T17:56:00.003-05:00

Ok, ok, so the Swiss hockey team got beat out by the US today...very sad. But I did come across a really awesome video where the Swiss and the US comes together for a friendly game of fondue pong. If you thought beer pong was difficult, watch how the Swiss do it!

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Olympic International Houses

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

Skate Expectations

I found this video over at a great blog done by another lovely Swiss citizen known as SwissMiss (ok, she stole my nickname, but at least she treats it with respect).

Florida Flair

2010-02-21T22:22:00.003-05:00

Oh Central Florida, how I love thee. After another lovely weekend in Tampa, I took the 4 hour drive back to Delray Beach. Central Florida is a very eclectic area filled with local Florida crackers, migrant workers, senior citizens, and good ol' hillbillies (this isn't a dig, I've got quite a bit of hillbilly in me.). Here's a gem I saw along the way. For those ladies who've always dreamed of a dress that goes with those awesome cowboy boots, there is fancy western wear bridal store in Central Florida waiting for your business.

Letting the ethanol get to my head

2010-02-17T08:11:00.003-05:00

Today is another day in the laboratory for me. We have three crew members in the field per day and luckily we have two pretty awesome volunteers who come out three days a week, so that gives each of us permanent crew members one day in the laboratory per week. Wednesday is my laboratory day. So today I'll be heading to the field laboratory, a small building with a really awesome equipment storage facility (yes, other biologists would drool), where I'll be processing our fish samples from the past week and writing some Visual Basic script to help run some GIS programs a little more efficiently. I love my field days the most, but days in the laboratory are still much more awesome than being in a cubicle. I'm in the lab independently, so that means I can focus on getting the work done with my own music selections on Pandora playing in the background, the blinds open to let the sun shine in, and I can even talk or grumble to myself if I want to (not that I do that...). Processing fish samples entails the following:

dumping the sample jars filled with tiny fish, shrimp, crayfish, etc. from one sample site onto a lab tray
sorting the species into little piles of like species
identifying, measuring, and weighing each individual species
recording the data accurately
storing the bird prey species in ethanol in each sample jar which is archived (aka. put in boxes) for future need or analysis

We've been gettings some interesting prey species including:

flagfish
lots of killifish species
golden topminnows
mosquito fish
cichlids
sirens
crayfish
grass shrimp
predaceous diving beetles
dragonfly larvae
damselfly larvae
beetle larvae

Anyone have some good sample processing music suggestions?

Garlic Festival

2010-02-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned in my birthday post, I'm really starting to feel at home in Delray Beach. I've only been here for about a month now, but somehow it just feels right for me. Another indication of that came this weekend when Delray Beach held its annual Garlic Festival. Seriously? A Garlic Festival??!! The only thing I love more than garlic is bacon! Not only was this festival a celebration of all things garlic including heavily garlic laced food, but it also had concerts. Everclear played on Friday night and the Wailers played a great show on Saturday night. I saw both and had a blast at both! Oh, and to top it all off, some people even had hats that looked like garlic cloves and one guy was dressed in a full garlic costume. I was meant to be here.

So happy! Oh, and I'm wearing my new favorite t-shirt that says "Bacon makes everything better" (thanks Erik and Ashley!!)

Beautiful Day

2010-02-15T07:00:00.001-05:00

Aster flower blooming in the Everglades (January)

Good morning everyone! I'm off to the great swamp again this morning. Mondays have never been on my favorites list, but Mondays in the Everglades are about as good as they could possibly be. I find myself completely at ease with the muck below my boots, water around the calves of my chest waders, and the sun shining down on me. There are no houses or buildings in view. The only sounds I hear are the wind gusting through sawgrass, birds gracefully winging over my sampling point, the occasional desperate horny gator mating call, and of course, the randomly entertaining stories from my coworkers.

What a transition. Mondays in the corporate world had always been so frustrating for me. There were usually some technical difficulties that had occured over the previous weekend that awaited me once I turned on my laptop. There were long organizational meetings used to determine my fate for the week. There was a slight letdown when I found out that I was spending that week working on tasks that confined me to my cubicle where I had no idea if the sun was shining outside, the air was tainted with termite dust and mold (seriously...they did air quality tests in the office to determine why everyone was developing allergies!), and there was the consistent "white noise" of lights, electronics, and air conditioning. Office Space's "case of the Mondays" scene would run through my head about 10 times each Monday. Now, don't get me wrong, my corporate job was amazing and gave me invaluable experiences in the industry. But if you've ever worked in an office you know how Mondays feel. Mondays in the office made Fridays seem like an eternity away.

But being outside changes so many things about my attitude. Even on mornings where I dream of more sleep, the natural crisp air wakes me up immediately and I forget about my bed. Fridays almost seem too close. I check the weather repeatedly to see if there will be rain. For the first time, I find myself hoping for a very dry spring/summer season because it means more suitable field days. I typically spend 4 days a week in the field and one day in the lab. But if there are heavy rains and the South Florida Water Management District decides to hold more water in the northern water conservation areas of the Everglades, our sites are too wet to sample and we spend additional time in the lab. After a weekend in the hustle-bustle, high-stress, high-energy east coast towns of Florida, Monday is a welcome reprieve and a breath of fresh air, literally!

I hope you are having a lovely Monday too! If you are in an office, see if you can find a few minutes to step outside, walk around the block, breathe some fresh air, observe the weather first hand, and take in some natural light.

Birthday Blog

2010-02-14T23:48:00.000-05:00

Hello all! The evening leading up to my birthday was absolutely wonderful and after all that I enjoyed that night, I really feel in my place in Delray Beach. I got home from a long day in the laboratory measuring, weighing and identifying small shrimp, fish, crayfish and beetles drenched in ethanol. A short and very loud thunderstorm had just passed through leaving the sky looking like child smiling just after a temper tantrum. I grabbed my bike and headed to the beach. By the time I got there the sun had already gone down, moonlight was scarce, and the waves were softly crashing on the sand. I crept down to the beach catamarans, past a surf fisherman, and onto the hull of one of the beached catamarans. I laid there and watched the stars which were now peeking around the clouds. The night air was just the right temperature to keep me warm even in a t-shirt and shorts. Perfect. This is love.

After a while I rose from my beach getaway, hopped back on my bike and rode to town. I stopped at the grocery store for some dinner supplies and returned home. With the windows wide open, music playing and some candles flickering, I made this Chicken Scallopine recipe (turned out awesome!), drank from the wine I bought to cook with, and made a dish of gooey, fudgy brownies. What an amazing night! I feel so comfortable and homey.
Feb 3, 2010 was a great day and I can't believe I'm already 27. Thanks to all my amazing friends and family members! I love you all very much and I'm so happy that you are in my life.

Marshes and Sloughs...it's all Greens and Blues

2010-02-11T23:40:00.004-05:00

Today was a chilly morning to be in the Everglades. Yes, I fully understand that while the majority of the east coast of the United States is currently blanketed in snow, I'm commenting on a "chilly morning." And, while I have nothing to complain about, I just want all of you folks to know that on occasion, this subtropical ecosystem also gets a little cold. This morning was in the 30s.

During my introduction to the Everglades ecosystem, I have learned that historically, much of the area was topographically characterized by a simple ridge and slough system. The Everglades watershed, which historically included approximately 5 million acres (or 1/3 of the state of Florida), is naturally a relatively flat landscape where waters moves slowly as sheet flow toward the south. This means that water was not originally channeled through streams, rivers or canals in the Everglades as it is now. Water actually flowed very slowly in one large 30-mile wide swath, or slough, toward the south. The slough, known as Shark River Slough, was streaked with ridges running north to south composed of slightly elevated peatland where sawgrass grows thick. The areas known as slough, where water flows freely and the elevation is just inches below that of the "ridges," are characterized by open water with aquatic vegetation. Much of the area I am now conducting research in was once part of the natural ridge and slough landscape. Unfortunately, due to compartmentalization (the construction of canals and water control structures through the Everglades) and related water management activities, the natural ridge and slough system no longer exists in its original state. Many of the lower elevation sloughs have filled with sediment, resulting in a monoculture of sawgrass and cattails in many areas.

Evidence of the original ridge and slough habitat type can still be seen in some of the water conservation areas. Our view from the helicopter with the sun glinting off the water at just the right angle really helps to illustrate what this ecosystem looks like.

The green areas are the ridge and the blue/white areas are the slough. These streaks run north to south through areas of the Everglades. You can imagine the water running through these sloughs very slowly as it makes its way to the south.

In most cases, the water running through these sloughs is very shallow, about knee to waist height. And the ridges are only elevated several inches above the sloughs.

Many parts of the Shark River Slough now look like this photograph where the entire landscape is sawgrass ridge. This is the result of cutting canals through the Everglades to feed water to east coast communities such as Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, and West Palm Beach. Additionally, canals were originally cut in an effort to drain the Everglades to make way for development and "reclamation."

Beautiful Weekend

2010-01-25T00:03:00.007-05:00

Yes, yes, I know I still haven't shown you any pictures from the Everglades yet. My experience thus far has been absolutely amazing and I get excited about each new morning. But in the meantime, let me show you some photos from this past weekend (mostly from Sunday) during my explorations of Delray Beach area. The weather was perfect, approximately 80 degrees, overcast with big puffy clouds, a gusty wind blowing through, and the windows wide open. I decided to ride my bike to the beach (which is only about a quarter mile away!!) and see what there was to see. Well, I chained my bike at the beginning of the public beach and started walking south. The wave sets were crumbly and quick, but there were still a good number of people on the beach, boys trying to surf the gnarly waves, and some really fantastic kite boarders. I hiked about a mile down the beach to check out the kite boarders. Check out my pictures:

Portuguese Man-o-war (click this link to learn more about these potentially deadly, yet infinitely beautiful creatures. They were washed up all over the shores. I had fun trying to dodge them on my run back)

Beach catamarans (aka. beach cats...meow!)

Check out this guy jumping!! Click on the picture to see a larger version of it to get a good idea of how awesome this looks! My camera lens was starting to get a little blurry at this point from all the sea spray coming off the ocean.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend too! Do anything fun? Feel free to share some of your photos with me too.

My new home for 6 months...

2009-12-30T15:28:00.005-05:00

...is in the Everglades! On January 11, 2010 I start a six month field technician research position with Florida Atlantic University in the avian laboratory under the direction of Dr. Dale Gawlik. This is a big change for me and a very exciting opportunity. Not only will I be flying into different, interesting parts of the Everglades on a daily basis, but I will be supporting a study that is part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, a major (and probably the most significant) ecosystem conservation plan by the State of Florida. Although I am sad to leave my current position at Malcolm Pirnie, as an Environmental Scientist, I know that this is an opportunity that I cannot pass up. I hope that it will allow me to refocus my environmental passion on scientific research and ultimately, the pursuit of higher education. I will keep you all updated on what's going on and there should be lots of pictures to show! Thanks again for all of your support as I move to the east coast of Florida to pursue my dreams and passions.

New Directions

2009-12-22T13:15:00.007-05:00

Hello all,

I want to thank all of those who have supported me throughout the years. As most of you know, I'm a free-spirit, a dreamer, and a drifter. I strive to love everyday and live my life full of passion. Now, don't take this the wrong way. I'm not a it's-always-greener-on-the-other-side kind of person. I know when I'm happy somewhere and I'm more than willing to put down some roots when the time is right. But the time is not right for me at the moment, so I've decided to take a new opportunity. I've been so fortunate to be blessed with it and I will not laugh in the face of an open door. Want to know where I'm going, what I'm doing and how you can visit me at the new and exciting place I'll be?

Come back tomorrow for the big news! And don't worry, I'll still be very close to a computer, so the blogs will keep coming (hopefully with more frequency).

Love,
K

Caladesi Island Necklace Pod

2009-11-23T17:46:00.004-05:00

I recently took a trip to one of Florida's most beautiful and last remaining natural barrier islands with the Suncoast Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society. The island, called Caladesi Island, was voted the nation's best beach in 2008. It was originally settled by a Swiss man named Henry Sharrer in 1883. It is now part of Florida's State Park system and is preserved without development. How lucky! The island is accessible via a short ferry ride from another barrier island to the north called Honeymoon Island.

View Larger Map

While on Caladesi, we observed a large population of a native Florida shrub known as Necklace-Pod (Sophora tomentosa). It is a dense, multi-trunked shrub with beautiful rounded leaves, yellow pea-like flowers, and the neatest seedpods. The day we were on the island, a storm was threatening in the Gulf of Mexico and thankfully stole all the moisture from the air, leaving us with a perfectly sunny and extraordinarily calm day on the island. The plants in the understory of a pine and oak canopy were easily viewed in the sunlight. Although I've seen Necklace-Pod before, I've never noticed the brightly colored, symmetrically aligned orange petioles of the leaves. As you can see below, a petiole is the part that connects the leaf to the stem of the tree. This tiny nuance of the shrub was so beautiful!

The pods look like the picture below. Seeing these pods, I excitedly cracked one open, expecting to see large beanlike fruits. This was not the case. Instead, a flurry of extremely small brown seeds poured out into my hand. Although I have a tendency to try to eat things in the wild, these didn't look so appetizing, so I dropped them to the ground. Good thing! Turns out the seeds are dangerous to eat. They contain an alkaloid called cytisine which causes nausea, vomiting, and acts as a laxative. None of those things sound good on a hike!

The bright yellow flowers bloom in a bright clump toward the end of the branches throughout the year. Apparently, they are well liked by many insects including this Monarch butterfly we saw feeding madly on these sweet flowers. The Monarch butterfly populations are on their fall migration pattern to Mexico where they will spend the winter. This individual wanted one last succulent taste of Florida before moving on.

I hope you too are enjoying all the wonderful plant and wildlife happenings of this fall!

Oyster Domes

2009-08-10T15:06:00.007-04:00

I just realized that I never went about explaining to you what my previous pictures at MacDill Air Force Base showed. Well, these are what we call Oyster Domes. They are concrete structures with holes and porous areas to which oysters can readily adhere and grow. They are used heavily in the Tampa Bay area, especially by a group called Tampa Bay Watch, that uses them along seawalls and shorelines to restore hard bottom habitat, improve water quality and reduce shoreline erosion. These are being used in new and innovative ways to help restore oyster habitat in Tampa Bay. The hope is that once oysteer habitat is restored, other species that depend on similar habitat types (such as seagrass and larger fish species) will also recieve habitat benefits. This is a positive solution to habitat degredation in bay that will ultimately help the local fishing community, commercial fisheries (by providing a nursery habitat), the shipping industry (by reducing erosion to the navigational channels), and to all tourists and residents (by improving water quality). Big props to MacDill Air Force Base that is working on finding ways to integrate Oyster Domes into their shoreline features!

Oh the beauty in Beautyberry!

2009-07-15T10:05:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite native plants to see the field is the Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana). Not only does this shrub flower like this in spring summer, but in autumn each of these flowers along it's stem will explode into a shimmering feast of bright red berries. This simple and wide spread plant is a tasty treat for all kinds of wildlife including over forty species of songbirds, deer, raccoons, opossums, armadillos, and rodents. And I just discovered something new and exciting about it!

According to research done at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Products Utilization Research Unit in Oxford, Mississippi in 2006, beautyberry leaves contain compounds which rival DEET as insect repellants. This study and subsequent studies found that oils distilled from beautyberry leaves repelled fire ants, mosquitos and black-legged ticks for up to 3 hours!! Crushing the leaves and rubbing them on yourself or your pets works almost as well as the scientifically distilled oils. Although there is still reserach needed to test toxicity and potential dangers of using the plant this way, no side effects are expected. Beautyberry has been used in traditional medicine and for folk remedies for much longer than we even know with no ill effects.

So what does this mean for me? Since I don't use DEET due to the chemical carcinogens, you might see me in the woods rubbing myself down with beautyberry leaves. And you may think I'm crazy, but at least the bugs won't find me as appetizing!

What is that?

2009-07-15T09:43:00.002-04:00

What is that? To find out come check out my guest blog at 2b4theworld.com

How was your day?

2009-04-16T18:04:00.004-04:00

How was your day? Here's how mine was...

I'll explain those last three soon!

Earth Hour Power Shower

2009-03-30T16:28:00.003-04:00

Well, I tried. On the night of Earth Hour I had just finished a long day of cleaning, organizing and bringing things to the Salvation Army. I was still organizing things, while my roommate, Karen, was watching the end of the basketball game. It was 9:00pm and all of our lights were still on. Woops! Right about then, we remembered it was Earth Hour and it was already half over!! Oh no. So we quickly switched off all the lights and electronics. We wanted to be part of this, even if we had already messed it up. So we lit some candles and went about things as always, just a little dimmer. Well, that proved to be harder than I had thought.

I was ready for a night out after working so hard on the apartment, so I grabbed my margarita (I had bought some limes at the Oldsmar flea market and needed to put them to good use) and headed to the shower. As I got to the bathroom, I realized that I needed at least a little bit of light to bathe. So I grabbed a couple candles and went back for another attempt. Let me just say, that showering by candlelight is very very romantic. Sure, I was alone, but it was very relaxing and sexy. Who doesn't look great by candlelight? Then the trouble started. Three things I learned:

for some unknown reason, I cannot get the water temperature right in the dark...I'm either scalding or freezing
the candlelight was enjoyable, but maybe a little too nice...the shower got a bit longer than normal and considering the major drought we're having in Florida, I feel bad about using so much water
shaving in the dark is crazy hard...and somewhat dangerous!

Ok, next step...shower done, time to get dressed. I almost burned down my closet by holding a candle really close to my clothes to try to pick what I wanted to wear. To avoid a fire, I settled on the first t-shirt and jeans combo I felt with my hands. Ok, I was pretty much ready. By this point it was already about 10:00pm, but since we missed the first half of Earth Hour we felt that we needed to redeem ourselves by extending our lights-out time.

My next challenge was to give Karen enough light on her face to put on makeup. The small tealights I have weren't giving off much light, so I had to hold them pretty close to her face. I was a bit worried that the hairspray in her hair would burst into flames, but we did ok and she looked good (not just in the candlelight!). After blowing out all the candles, we headed out into the well lit night.

So I tried. I'm not sure how successful my Earth Hour was considering that even though I saved some power by turning off the lights and supported the movement, I wasted some precious water and almost started a few small fires. Is there a candle training course?

Did you participate? Check out these great pictures of landmarks that did.

Earth Hour

2009-03-27T13:27:00.004-04:00

Did you hear about Earth Hour last year? It's a great idea that was initiated by the World Wildlife Fund in Sydney, Australia in 2007 to raise awareness for the need to take action against climate change. On the last Saturday in March, the World Wildlife Fund asks people to turn off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the movement grew from 2.2 million people to 50 million people participating. Everyone from individual citizens to businesses and even to global landmarks such as the Colloseum in Rome, the billboard in Times Square and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Franscisco participated last year. Oh, yeah, and my mom participated last year too! I think she told me about it, but I forgot when the time came to switch the light switch. But this year I'm doing it too! And this year it's going to be bigger than ever! Already, 1,189 cities and towns across 80 countries are committed to turning off their lights for Earth Hour. Who else is participating this year?

Great Pyramids of Giza (Egypt)
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
the Eiffel Tower
Cathedral of Notre Dame
the President of France
Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro
Table Mountain in Cape Town
Sydney Opera House
CN Tower in Toronto

Will you do this with me and the rest of the world? Tomorrow, Saturday, March 28 at 8:30pm local time, switch off your lights and enjoy living for an hour without electric lights!

Are you going to do it?

Want a laugh?

2009-03-20T10:47:00.002-04:00

Ok, this website is hilarious and if you need a good laugh today with some sarcastic humor then go read a few of these entries. You'll be in tears! Plus there are cute animals on the site too!

FUNNY!

Here's an excerpt from the blog that had me rolling!

"The Tibetan fox thinks he's better than you"

"I just want you people to drink in this world-class douchebag known as the Tibetan Fox. Have you ever seen such a holier-than-thou fucking look on a non-dolphin before? I'm not one for slapping foxes, as I generally think they know what they've done, but this one really has that look, like the asshole boyfriend of the girl the main guy wants in an 80s movie. Unsurprisingly, he is extremely rare. That's probably because he thinks if he has too many babies, some of them will turn out to be commoners and he wouldn't be able to show his square face at the country club anymore.

How's your ivory tower, Tibetan Fox? I'm sure it must be terribly stressful to stand in judgment of the rest of us little people, so why don't you just retire to your cabin and play lacrosse? You know what, on second thought, WHY DON'T YOU WANDER THE DESERT LOOKING FOR RODENTS. Some of us have to work for a living, Tibetan Fox. We don't get everything handed to us by a lifetime of hunting and scavenging, you stuck-up snob. "

If this has a rolling on the floor, go see more here.

Are you green today?

2009-03-17T15:39:00.004-04:00

Happy St. Patty's Day! Even if you're not Irish, today is a day most Americans celebrate purely for the joy of wearing green and drinking. So pull out that green t-shirt and grab a pint of dyed green beer...or not. What exactly makes your beer green? We've become so accustomed to associating the color green with healthy or environmentally friendly things that it's pretty easy to gloss over that question. But on St. Patty's Day we find quite a few things dyed a neon green that are typically very different colors. It almost turns me off from the beer that flows on this day...almost.

So, really, what is that green dye made of? Green food coloring is also known as FD&C Green No. 3 or Fast Green FCF or E143 or Sea Green. It is one of the seven dyes that were originally approved in 1906 in the Pure Food and Drug Act. Yes, that's right, it's that old! But is it safe?

Well, that's relative. The US Food and Drug Administration would have you think so. But a study conducted in 1969 by Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (did you even know this existed?) found that injections of small amounts of the green dye in rats caused fibrosarcoma, a malignant tumor derived from fibrous connective tissue, and inhibited growth. But, then in a study in 1978, no tumors formed in hamsters that were injected with the green dye. In a study in 1966, rats were fed the green dye instead of injected, and they did not show growth or mortality effects. The result of the 1969 study reported that there was no evidence of green dye causing cancer if eaten and digested. However, they did state that the study was not thorough enough and results may have been inadequate to prove this, so another study would have to be completed by 1985. Additionally, the study assured us that the green dye is poorly absorbed by our bodies and most of it is excreted in our feces (yay!). Ok, sounds like we're in the clear!!

Or are we? I checked an MSDS safety sheet for the green dye and according to it's toxicology status, Fast Green FCF in solid form is considered an animal carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and it is a mutagenic substance. Mutagenic means that it actually changes your genetic material. It specifically states "mutagenic effects have occurred in humans" but it doesn't list what they were! It is also considered a skin, eye and respiratory irritant! Yikes. Here's another study conducted in 1984 that confirmed these scary findings!

Ok, ok, so maybe we'll be safe if we only have a little green beer on St. Patty's Day and then avoid green jelly beans for the rest of the year. But what else is Fast Green FCF found in? Well it comes in doses of up to 100mg/kg in typical things like:

candied fruit
fruit purees and toppings
coconut milk
fruit fillings for pastries
hard candy
pastas and noodles
cereal and puddings
frozen fish
fried fish
custards
herbs, spices, condiments
mayonnaise and salad dressing

And get this, Fast Green FCF has been prohibited in the European Union. Don't be too alarmed, 10mg/kg is a very small amount, but who knows how much bartenders are pouring into their beer concoctions for today!

So spit out your green beer and grab a draft of something else less dyed, put down Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham, and just wear green instead! Here are a few more ideas for St. Patty's day from one of my favorite environmental blogs, TreeHugger. And six green hangover remedies too!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Guest Blogging at "2B4 the World"

2009-03-17T10:35:00.002-04:00

One of my good friends from back in home in Maryland, Andrew (aka, Byron) Banghart, recently contacted me about his new website/business venture. His business mission is as follows:

"The mission of 2b4theWorld is to bring environmental responsibility to the forefront of political, commercial, and educational action so as to influence current and future decision-making."

He asked me to become a regular blogger on his site (yay!). So check out his site, 2B4 the World, and see what I've been blogging about over there. Speaking of decision-making, my first post is entitled Connecting Scientists and Politicians and talks specifically about climate change decision-making and the role of the federal government. Keep an eye on his website, hopefully it will grow into something amazing!

Beauty in the Glades

2009-03-09T17:44:00.004-04:00

I recently had the privilege of stepping foot into the amazing part of Florida called the Everglades. When my friends asked why I was so excited about the opportunity to go camping and hiking with the Sierra Club in the Everglades, I explained it like this; for an environmentalist/nature lover, the Everglades are on our list of the 7 Wonders of the World. And it's so close to me that I'd be a fool to miss the chance to go see this amazing place before humans disturb it even more.

Part of our adventure took us through the Picayune Strand State Forest. We had a beautiful hike through an area that is very obviously wet during the rainy season (probably with about 2 feet of standing water) that is currently bone dry. There we saw bald cypress, pond cypress, air plants/bromeliads, hatpins, and so many more beautiful plants and lots of birds as well. Here are a few pictures from just this one 3-mile hike. Oh, and another fun fact...there were two panther cubs just born in this park (unfortunately or fortunately we did not encounter them)!

Cypress leaves emerging

Hatpin - this one looks like it grew around another plant...check out that squirrely stem!

Bromeliad hanging/hovering on the site of a cypress tree.

The Big Squeeze

2009-03-09T17:35:00.007-04:00

Are you feeling a little squeezed out these days? Too much competition? Well, we all know that in the current economic climate competition is stiff and too many people are losing their jobs, being edged out and leaving other employees with much too much work to handle!

Here's a photo I took down in the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve of a Cabbage Palm (Sabal palmetto) being squeezed out by a few Slash Pines (Pinus elliottii). Unfortunately, these tree don't have much chance to fight back or pick up and move, so they're stuck together for the duration.

Is it just me or does life feel like this every now and again? Sometimes you're the palm, sometime you're the pine. Which one are you today?

Weekend Adventures and Cooters

2009-02-23T16:09:00.008-05:00

Wow, this was a fun-filled weekend!

Saturday morning I woke up earlier than I typically do on weekends. I was trying to make it to a 10:30am yoga class at the YMCA. Unfortunately, even at 10am I'm still struck by the morning sloth syndrome, so I didn't leave the house until 10:20. What made me even later was the fact that I really wanted to ride my bike to the gym considering it's only a 2.5 mile ride and it was a gorgeous day! Well, needless to say, I was zooming through the streets of South Tampa and made it to the gym 5 minutes too late. I would have snuck into the yoga class anyway, but they did the entire class with the lights turned off, so I assumed me walking in, bumping into 2 or 3 people in funny bendy positions, and then un-velcroing my yoga mat, might be a little (just a little!) distracting to everyone's centered energy. So I passed and worked off my frustration by lifting weights in the gym instead. I felt much better after that! I biked north again, stopped at the library (this was a great idea, but those books definitely added some weight to the bike ride), and then headed home. It was about 70 degrees outside and perfectly gorgeous!
Sunday, I decided to continue my relaxing weekend of alone-time, and while Simon headed off to ultimate frisbee, I headed north, in my car this time. I went to the Sweetwater Organic Farm Sunday Farmer's Market where I purchased a few beautiful things (can't tell you, Mom, it's a surprise!) and some amazing mixed greens, yummmm! I swayed to the band playing and watched some hula hoopers before moving on.
Next on the agenda for the day was a little bargain shopping at a place called $5fashions that was recommended by a local blog. The place had somewhat decent clothes, but no dressing room. That's just as bad as shopping from a catalog. I put all the clothes back when I found that out...unfortunately clothes never fits me the way it does on the hanger and I'm not driving back up there to return stuff, because you all know I won't make the trip and then I'll end up with a purple tube top that only fits as a hat. Stop #3 of the day was the Oldsmar Flea Market, recommended to me by Simon's mom Penny. What a cool place! Perfect for this economy. I got there at 3:30 (the produce market closes at 4pm), so I made it just in time for the produce bargains. Everything was $1!!! My final loot from the flea market included onions, mint, tomatoes, mangoes, and three necklaces. Woohooo! I'm definitely going back there. Reminds me of a combination of the small town flea markets/yard sales from Maryland and a mini-carnival (there was funnel cake and lots of stuff no one needs!).

View Larger Map

The final adventure of the day was a trip to the Upper Tampa Bay County Park. I didn't have much time to see the park because I was in a rush to get back to meet Simon to take his parents out for dinner (which was also fantastic!). So I walked around the visitor's center and took a walk to some of the piers surrounded by bay and mangroves. It's definitely someplace I want to go check out again. It's a small park at the northern tip of Old Tampa Bay, but it has some trails and it's a welcome break from the strip malls that surround the area. Here's what I found along some of the trails:

The seedhead from a Bushy Seaside Oxeye (Borrichia frutescens) whose leaves are surprisingly somewhat succulent.

Beginning of a propagule on a red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle). If you want to see more pictures of this plant and others, check out Shirley Denton's awesome photography!

The leaves on black mangroves (Avicennia germinans). The plants grow in salty water along the shores of the bay. How do they tolerate high levels of salt in the water? They have evolved to excrete excess salt through pores on their leaves! Plant, you're so smart!

I typically enjoy the trails more than what the visitor's centers have to offer, but I'm so happy I still ventured into this one because what was inside was really well set up. There were about 10 fish tanks with fish that can be found in the area by habitat and well labeled. There was also one with turtles in it that was my favorite. There were two species in the tank. The Ornate Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin macrospilota) and the Florida Cooter (Pseudemys floridana). That name makes me giggle! But I got my mind out of the gutter and looked it up. According to an entry in Wikipedia, the name "cooter" comes from the word "kuta" which means turtle in some african languages. I'm glad to hear that!

The Florida Cooter (top) and Ornate Diamondback Terrapin (bottom). What a cute pair!

Tampa Nightlife

2009-02-17T12:42:00.003-05:00

On a crisp night a few weeks back I ventured out on my new bike to try some night photography. My brother and sister-in-law had just given me a really cool birthday gift (thanks!), a remote control for my camera. I was hoping to try some long-exposure night photography from Bayshore Blvd across the bay. The remote control comes in handy because you can step away from the camera and push the button to begin the long exposure without shaking the camera as your pushing the button. Well, since I'm still in the experimental phases with the camera, I've got a lot to learn. According to the fine print on the remote control, you can only use it when the camera is on auto focus. Unfortunately, the photos I was trying to take would only work on manual focus, so I had to scrap the remote control at least for these pictures (don't worry! I'll use it again soon and I'm still really psyched about it!). So instead I put the camera on a delay so it would take a photo after 10 seconds and I put it on 15 second shutter speed. Here's what happened:
What do you think for my first try?

Naked but Green

2009-02-17T12:05:00.004-05:00

In what I think was an attempt to clear the Swiss people of their naked reputation (see previous post below), my mom recently sent me a link to another report about the Swiss people. Based on the 2008 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), Switzerland is the greenest country out of the 128 countries that were ranked. Woohooo for the cleanly swiss! So I guess that means that even though we go naked hiking, we're clean in the process. Well, that's probably the best thing you can wish for naked people, squeeky cleanliness!

Streetcleaner in the streets of Locarno, Switzerland (Jan. 2009)

Basically, the Environmental Performance Index is a set of criteria that rates each nation on things like environmental health, ecosystem vitality, environmental politics, and lots of related quantitative indicators. It was developed in a collaboration between Yale and Columbia University. You can see the results in on an interactive map at the EPI website. Switzerland came out on top with a score of 95.5 out of 100!! Sadly the USA sits at #39 with a score of 81.0. The US lost points big points in all of the following categories

Ecosystem Vitality (reducing the loss or degredation of ecosystems and natural resources)
Climate Change
Air Pollution (effects on the ecosystem)
Fisheries
Emissions per Capita
Emmisions per Electricity Generation (greenhouse gas emissions vs. electricity output)
Agricultural Subsidies
Critical Habitat
Marine Protected Areas

Come on USA, we can do better than this! Stop being so greedy!

If you want to read what other people had to say about the EPI take a look at these blogs too:

P.S. Thanks Mom for pointing this out. It's actually much more meaningful than the naked post. Thanks for keeping me on track!

Funny News

2009-02-09T15:41:00.002-05:00

I'm a first generation American and my entire family (mom and dad's side) are Swiss. Since I was a little kid, we've taken a trip every year to see the extended family (only my Mom and brother live in the USA). I am so so proud of my heritage! The Swiss people are awesome and the country is extremely beautiful, clean, and breathtaking. I just found a very odd, yet hilarious, piece of news from Switzerland...

Naked hikers face fines in Switzerland

Can you believe that stuff? I find it funny that they blame the Germans too, that's not very nice!

Charlotte County Pine Flatwoods

2009-02-09T13:24:00.002-05:00

I had the privilege of going in the field last week to a site in Charlotte County, Florida. It was a beautiful day which started out quite cold, but by afternoon I was stripping off my jacket and scarf and basking in the sun while looking for endangered species on the site. These are not endangered species, but they were part of the beauty I found on the site.Swamp fern - Blechnum serrulatum

Largeflower Rosegentian - Sabatia grandiflora

New Direction

2009-02-04T21:30:00.005-05:00

When I think about this blog I get excited and I feel like I want to write about everything. But then, that kind of screws up the "environmental" theme of the blog. But, let's be honest, I've never been good with sticking to that theme anyway. So I've decided that I'm going to open up this blog a bit and go in a new direction. I still want to write about things that make me passionate, like the environment. My dilemma is that some days it's not nature or the environment that got me excited, it's something else. Some days it's music, a photograph, a new gadget I never knew existed, or something in the news. I want to be able to blog about those types of things. I'm still going to put up lots of pictures and cool things I find in the outdoors, but unfortunately it's not everyday that I get to be outside and enjoying the beauty of the more wild places.

Oh, and another reason, life is short. Even though some days aren't the greatest and some days I get blue, I want to be able to find something beautiful or exhilerating about every day. Now, that's a really hard thing to do when you're having one of "those days," but I'll do my best. I live without regrets...and not enjoying at least a moment of every single day is something I would regret, looking back on all this.

Ok, enough of the seriousity (new word)!

In the gym today I put my iPod on shuffle and came up with this really fantastic song that kind of describes how I'm feeling (but in a good way!):

Justin Townes Earle - I don't care

(P.S. sorry I can't post music here, or at least, I don't know how to legally, so I'll send you to another site where you can listen to the song and even download it if you want to.)

And here's some info about the guy - I really like his other songs as well. He's only 25 years old (doh!, that means I'm already a year older than him!), and he has an interesting history of troubled days.

Finally!

2009-02-04T15:17:00.005-05:00

Although former President Bush did everything in his power to stall science and refused to admit that climate change was actually happening, we're finally making some progress! President Obama appointed Steven Chu, a nobel prize winner in physics, as our new Secretary of Energy. Let's just say, he's a pretty bright guy. On Tuesday (my birthday!), he had his first interview since he took office. He not only admitted that climate change is a real thing, but he also says it's something that is really going to affect us very very quickly. Within this century, of which there are only 91 years left, he predicts major water shortages in agricultural areas such as the Mid West and California. That's scary considering we get pretty much all of our food from those places. He estimates that 90% of the Sierra snowpack will disappear. Not only is that bad news for tourists and the skiing industry, but, even worse, it's bad news for the major water source for California farms. Now where will we get our lettuce? Either way, I'm really excited that our government is planning to address an issue that I consider to be one of our most important, rather than sweeping it under the rug (eh-hem, Mr. Bush!).Read the whole article here.

Hilarious

2009-02-04T15:05:00.005-05:00

So I'm pretty darn excited about our new president. We all have high hopes for him, considering how we're on our knees crying about the economy at the moment, we're still in a war, and our policies and values are all scrambled. I try not to watch too much TV (although it's so darn tempting now that my roommate got us cable), but if you've ever seen MTV shows, you'll find this to be an entertaining and somewhat accurate portrayal of President Obama's first month as a president. Watch this video over at I*Heart*You (a really cute blog I read regularly).

Superbowl Steeler Success!

2009-02-02T17:01:00.005-05:00

After graduating high school, I had a loose connection to football and had learned the rules of the game from some very patient friends from Fallston High School and C. Milton Wright High School, but I couldn't pledge my allegiance to any one team. Of course once I started school at Penn State, they became my college football team (and what an awesome team to claim as my own!). As a student at Penn State you had an obligation to pretty much choose between the two major Pennsylvania rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles. And my choice...the Steelers! This came about for several reasons:

some of my friends were big fans and took the time to acquaint me with the players and the amazing defensive line
I really like Pittsburgh as a town and the people are super friendly and hard working
and there were too many nights when really inebriated Eagles fans were up at 4am shouting the annoying Eagles chant "E.A.G.L.E.S, EAGLES" at the top of their lungs just under my bedroom window (that's just uncalled for!)

And thus, the Steelers became my NFL team. And boy did I pick right! The Steelers won the Superbowl this weekend which was coincidentally held in Tampa. Now, although there was no way I was getting tickets to the game itself, I decided that this may be a once in a lifetime opportunity. When would I ever have this kind of luck again...not only was the Superbowl in the same town I was living in, but my favorite team was playing in it. I had to go out and support them. So with a little help from my landlady and a lot of help from my boyfriend and his friend, Rebecca, I made it to a Tampa Superbowl tailgate!! Woohoo!!

The sign speaks for itself

2009-01-28T12:16:00.004-05:00

How great is this?

Apparently Camp Wingmann is really a summer church camp in Highlands County, FL. Is it just me, or is there something fundamentally wrong with that as a name for a religious retreat?

I saw the sign on the side of the road when I was heading home from a field project recently. I had to do a U-turn to grab this photo...priceless! And oddly enough I didn't realize the billboard in the background until I downloaded the photo. It just adds to the awesomeness!

Stealth Bombs!

2008-12-04T17:13:00.005-05:00

I had the pleasure of going back to Troy's house last night to see how far along his furry friends are. They haven't gotten much bigger, but they are now fully grown and flying all over the place! Yes, I'm talking about his flying squirrel duo again. The sweetest things you have ever seen have now become not only sweet but lightning fast. They climb up your jeans, hesitant of any newcomers, and leap from your shoulders to anything they think they can cling to, including the wall, which doesn't work out for them so well! I was standing about 4 feet from Troy as he was talking about the little boy squirrel, when suddenly it sprung from his hand to my shirt, in the blink of an eye. Woah, I didn't see that one coming and it kind of surprises you when it first happens! They barely sat still while I was there because it was about 10pm, their prime activity time. But when they do stop to take a breath and you can see their eyes and baby fine fur, it is truly exciting to have the privilege of seeing such a creature up close!

Flying What??

2008-11-06T16:26:00.000-05:00

I said I wanted to get more involved with the Native Plant Society and that's exactly what's happening. First the plant sale (if I forgot to tell you, we had a very large native plant society plant sale at the USF Botanical Gardens and I volunteered for it). Here are some pictures from it:

And no, these are not native plants, but they were really beautiful and also being sold at the sale, so I took pictures.

And now, before I knew what was really happening, I ended up on the board! They invited me to a board meeting to see what it was like. It was held at Troy's house and wow is his garden breath-taking! Here's just some of what I saw in there:
And here's what else he had:
Yup, those are BABY FLYING SQUIRRELS! They are the southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans) to be exact. He owns a landscaping business and unfortunately while doing a job one day, his crew cut down a tree with a nest holding these two cuties. And of course, once the nest is down, it's unlikely the mother would return and be able to care for them in the same capacity. So Troy is fostering them until they're big enough to fly free! Of course, I couldn't keep my hands off them and I offered to feed them for him while he showed off his garden. They were the cutest things! I thought about stealing one (perhaps not the best idea I've had), but they seemed really happy in his care and I decided to just get some pictures to remember them by.

Do you see what I see?

2008-11-06T16:03:00.001-05:00

I was recently doing some field work in Winter Haven, FL (woohoo! finally some time in the field for work...I live for this!). My field partner, KT, and I were taking groundwater samples when KT looked up and said "oh, my, do you see that snake?". Where? Where? I don't see it!! (can you see the snake hiding in this vegetation?Well, I didn't either. Until she pointed out a nice little snake climbing in the tree about 2 feet from my nose. And here he is! How cute! He was just hanging out and trying to blend in. You can see from above that he really did blend in very well, but once I put a flash on him, he really lit up. How beautiful!
This is a yellow rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta quadrivittata), distinguished by his color and the black racing stripes down his back. Hehe, and check this out - the yellow rat snake is also called a Chicken Snake! Is that because he eats chickens or because he's a scaredy cat?

Honeymoon Island...romantic solo trip

2008-11-05T15:05:00.005-05:00

The other weekend I drove up to Lake Shore Camera Exchange in Palm Harbor to attempt to get my Panasonic Lumix camera fixed. It was a gift from two people who are important to me and somehow in my excitement to take pictures at the beach one weekend, I got sand in it...you know the kind, the really fine beautiful Florida sand. Well, long story short, the repair people up there told me that sand is pretty much the end of days for a camera and it'd be easier to replace the camera than to fix it. What a bummer.

Do you know what this is?

Well, luckily, I took along my DSLR Canon Rebel XT, so while I was in that part of town, I ventured over to Honeymoon Island for the first time. What an amazing park! Apparently it is the most visited Florida State park and was voted to have the best beaches in Florida. That is definitely obvious once you step into the visitor's center which is the most elaborate and expensive visitor's center I've ever seen at a state park, but somehow they also constructed it so that it really fits into that landscape, so it's a great asset. I didn't stay very long, but I took a little walk around the bay side of the park with my camera (see collage at top of post) and then ventured over to the beach side to find a couple surfers. And you'll be happy to hear that I didn't get sand in my nice camera and I still salvaged a beautiful day.

Ski Bunny Attack!

2008-11-05T14:50:00.005-05:00

This year for Halloween, Simon and I took a road trip to Jacksonville for the annual culmination of the football rivalry between the Florida Gators and the Georgia Bulldogs at the "world's largest cocktail party". This year we stayed out of the rambunctious crowd and had a lovely somewhat relaxing weekend of sipping beers and hanging out with friends. Want to know what I dressed up as??

I was a 70s ski bunny and Simon was Reverend Run

Here's the relaxing part: