14 Unbelievably Unique Parks & Botanical Gardens
October 28, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steph in Geography & Travel & Home & Garden & Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Intricately shaped topiaries, ponds full of lily pads and koi, greenhouses brimming with dazzling arrays of exotic flowers, strange and fascinating sculptures – these 14 botanical gardens, private gardens and parks around the world show off the beauty of cultivated nature. Representing a fusion of the wild, untamed natural world and the architectural genius of humans, these parks are the closest to paradise that we can craft with our own hands.
Claude Monet Foundation at Giverny, Normandy, France
(images via: ell brown)
Immerse yourself in the landscape that inspired some of French Impressionist painter Claude Monet’s most beautiful and celebrated works at the artist’s former estate. Walking through these gardens, it’s almost as if time has stood still, as you can view what seem to be the very same lily pads that the artist saw and painted. Giverny is located 50 miles outside Paris, on the banks of the River Seine.
Kirtenbosch National Botanical Garden, Western Cape, South Africa
(images via: wikimedia commons)
Founded in 1913, South Africa’s Kirtenbosch National Botanical Garden may just be the most beautiful botanical garden in the entire world. In this preserve you can view live samples of plants that grow in five out of South Africa’s six biomes and a stunning selection of ‘protea‘ flowering plants, all within view of Table Mountain.
Villa Lante, Bagnaia, Italy
(images via: wikimedia commons, ineedaholiday.com.au, awesome-places)
One of the most important gardens in Italy, Villa Lante was in the possession of the Lante family from the 17th century, when it was already 100 years old, until the 20th century, when it was opened to the public. Bordered by two nearly identical homes, the garden is characterized by beautiful stone fountains, lush grottoes and intricate patterns of hedges.
Jardin Botanique de Montreal, Quebec, Canada
(images via: chris dlugosz, abdallah, wikimedia commons)
The Montreal Botanical Garden has such extensive collections and facilities, it’s considered one of the most important botanical gardens in the world. An indoor greenhouse holds a wide variety of labeled plants, and four themed outdoor gardens including the Chinese Garden, the Japanese Garden, the First Nations Garden and the Alpine Garden showcase the indigenous flora of various cultures and locales. In fact, Montreal boasts the largest Chinese garden in the world, outside of China.
The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Mevagissey, UK
(images via: heligan.com)
A part of the Heligan estate in Cornall, England, these gardens fell into disuse in the 1970s and were forgotten for decades – hence the name. But when ownership of the estate transferred to a trust, a group of enthusiasts revitalized them, planting hundreds of varieties of plants, a vegetable garden, a walled garden and a ‘jungle’. A stroll through the gardens will reveal fanciful ‘creatures’ covered in grass and moss including ‘The Mud Maid’ and a ‘Giant’s Head’.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, Australia
(images via: chromolux, louise docker, brian giesen, renata)
View both downtown Sydney and the infamous Sydney Opera House from the Royal Botanic Gardens, located on the site of Australia’s first ever farm, which was established in 1788. Centuries of improvements to the soil have enabled a gorgeous array of plants to flourish, including many that grow inside the Pyramid Glasshouse. Up until May 2011, a colony of over 22,000 flying foxes – a large species of fruitbat – called the gardens home, but the bats killed dozens of trees and were eventually driven out.
Byodo-in Temple, Oahu, Hawaii
(images via: timothy tolle, alan light, horschmology)
Surrounded by Oahu’s greenery-cloaked mountains, the Byodo-in Temple is a replica of a historic Kyoto, Japan, temple of the same name, but it has many merits of its own – especially its gardens, which include two acres of koi ponds. Stone paths cut through emerald-green lawns and Zen-style gardens.
Parco dei Mostri (Park of the Monsters), Bomarzo, Italy
(images via: wikimedia commons)
A large monster, referred to as the ‘Door of Hell’, opens its mouth to admit you into a dark, cramped space with a small table. A watchtower tilts at a rather disturbing angle. Mythological creatures and unidentified monsters leer at passersby. The Parco die Mostri (Park of the Monsters) in Bomarzo, Italy is so surreal it is said to have greatly inspired the artists Salvador Dali and Jean Cocteau. The chaotic style of the gardens, which were created in the 16th century by Pier Francesco Orsini in honor of his beloved deceased wife Giulia Farnese, may be an intentional contrast to the orderly symmetry of the nearby Villa Lante.
Monte Palace Garden, Madeira, Portugal
(images via: montepalace.com, lukegordon1)
The Monte Palace Tropical Garden is a surprising glimpse of Asia found in Madeira, Portugal. Once a hotel, the gardens have been open to the public since 1989 and include a collection of ceramic tiles from the 15th – 20th centuries and various gardens that highlight both indigenous and exotic species. A group of educational panels explain the reason for the oriental gardens, telling of “The adventures of the Portuguese in Japan.”
Kew Gardens, London, UK
(images via: neiljs, paul friel, jim linwood, dan taylor, laura nolte)
More than 30,000 live species of plants can be viewed at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in southwest London, England – and if you think that’s impressive, consider this: inside the glassed ‘herbarium’ are over seven million preserved specimens. The Kew Gardens are well-deserving of their worldwide fame, thriving despite locally unfavorable growing conditions. In addition to the outdoor gardens and greenhouses are a number of educational and research facilities and architectural features like a treetop walkway and a 49-foot-tall pagoda.
The Gardens of Las Pozas, Xilitla, Mexico
(images via: lucy nieto, i_amici)
More of a surrealist sculpture park than a garden, Las Pozas is the playground of British poet Edward James, a patron of the arts. James was a passionate supporter of the Surrealist art movement and his love for the stile is evident in Las Pozas (the pools), which includes more than 80 acres of natural waterfalls and pools as well as concrete sculptures. The spindly, strange sculptures were built between 1949 and 1984; the whole project cost James over $5 million, which he raised by selling his considerable collection of Surrealist art.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden, New York
(images via: steve soblick, jose oquendo, elena gaillard)
Manhattan may have a botanical garden of its own, but it’s eclipsed by that of Brooklyn, a 52-acre garden located near the Prospect Heights and Park Slopes neighborhood. Putting on a jaw-dropping display of cherry blooms in the spring, the park also includes climate-themed plant pavilions, an aquatic plant house, a bonsai museum and an art gallery. Themed gardens include the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden, constructed in 1915, and the Shakespeare Garden which exhibits over 80 plants mentioned in the bard’s plays and poems.
Francisco Alvarado Park, Zarcero, Costa Rica
(images via: puroticorico, wikimedia commons)
Abstract shapes, arches and the faces of strange creatures grow out of the courtyard at Parque Francisco Alvarado, found in the town center of Zarcero in Costa Rica. The park’s topiary garden has been shaped into these fascinating shapes by the same man since the 1960s.
Garden of Cosmic Speculation, Scotland
(images via: reckon)
A private garden created by Charles Jencks, the Garden of Cosmic Speculation at Portrack House, near Dumfries in Southwest Scotland is opened to the public for just one day each year. Science and mathematical concepts, like black holes and fractals, inspired the complex arrangements and sculptures contained within the garden.
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Volunteer Vacations: 13 Eco Trips Worth Working For
July 18, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steph in Animals & Habitats & Geography & Travel & Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Travel to exotic locations like Kenya and Cambodia (or just within the United States) to immerse yourself in a new culture, learn valuable skills and make a difference in ecosystems and communities. Volunteer vacations let participants take a break from normal life to hand-feed kangaroos, explore archaeological finds in ancient temples, improve isolated rural areas, protect endangered species like lemurs and manatee and even study the effects of climate change in the Arctic. These 13 trips offer incredible cross-cultural experiences that will broaden your horizons and make you feel good about your contribution to the world.
Rescue Rhinos in Kenya
(images via: bobrayner)
Spend 15 days helping to bring back black rhinos from the brink of extinction with Earthwatch, gathering data on the African savannah. Opportunities to travel to Kenya for this trip arise nearly every month of the year. Volunteers will help Dr. Geoffrey Wahungu observe rhinos in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, measuring the composition and condition of the vegetation eaten by large herbivores like the rhinos as well as elephants and giraffes.
Save Sea Turtles in Costa Rica
(images via: parisminaturtles.org)
Volunteers are critical to the success of the Parismina Sea Turtle project, which works to protect endangered sea turtles, particularly during nesting season. Stay with locals, in hotels, in cabins or in camping areas; the minimal fees charged to participate vary by accommodation type. Volunteers interact directly with the turtles, count and collect eggs and watch baby turtles hatch.
Uncover the Origins of Angkor in Cambodia
(images via: dave_b_)
The stunningly intricate and mysterious temples of Angkor in Cambodia will be your playground and classroom as you help Earthwatch map the area, look for new prehistoric sites and measure and photograph excavated treasures. Fees start at $1925; volunteers stay at an inn. The next 7-14 day trips are scheduled for January and February 2012.
Work with Wallabies in Queensland, Australia
(images via: goeco.org)
The chance to hand-feed a rescued wallaby joey with a baby bottle is reason enough to join the Go Eco volunteer trip on a wildlife reserve in Marlborough, Australia. Trips are scheduled every two weeks and cost $680 including bunk beds in rustic rural lodgings and communal meals. Volunteers care for and rehabilitate the endangered Bridled Nailtail Wallaby, one of 45 existing species of kangaroo in Australia.
Garden & Get Creative in Israel
(images via: kibbutzlotan.com)
Healthy young volunteers are needed at Kibbutz Lotan in Israel to design, build and run sustainable communities. Get practical hands-on experience in natural and alternative building methods as well as gardening, and create art with recycled materials. Volunteers live in straw bale dome homes at the ‘Eco Campus’ for two weeks at a cost of $550.
Learn About Lemurs in Madagascar
(images via: belgianchocolate)
Join Azafady, a Madagascar charity, in protecting endangered lemurs on volunteer trips ranging from 2 to 10 weeks long. Each 10-week block starts in January, April, July and October every year and involves practical hands-on conservation research. The data collected is used to highlight the plight of lemurs and other threatened species in the area. Volunteers are asked to raise a minimum donation of $967 for the first two weeks of the program, with decreasing donation amounts for each two weeks thereafter.
Study Climate Change in the Arctic
(images via: noaa photo library)
Study climate change firsthand on the front line – the Arctic circle. Volunteer teams on this Arctic trip leave in September, February, June or August to collect climate change data from the forest to the tundra in northern Canada. In addition to using high-tech scientific equipment, you’ll travel on sleds pulled by snowmobiles, and even learn how to build and live in igloos. Based at the Churchill Northern Studies Center, the program is 10-11 days long and costs a minimum of $2995.
Monitor Mangroves and Manatees in Belize
(images via: blueventures.org)
Hit a biodiversity hotspot and help develop new conservation and research initiatives with Blue Ventures in Belize. This volunteer program assesses the sustainability of fishing practices and the effectiveness of existing protected areas, takes surveys of coral diversity and researches mangrove ecosystems, which are among the last safe havens for such endangered species as the West Indian Manatee and the American Saltwater Crocodile. Volunteers of all ages are welcome in expeditions that range from 3 to 12 weeks; fees depend on length of stay and whether you’re certified to dive.
Maintain Nature Trails in Montana
(images via: bmwf)
If you’d rather stay within the United States, there are plenty of volunteer vacation opportunities from coast to coast. This one, organized by the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation, takes you into the wild rugged terrain of Montana to maintain trails and campsites. Volunteers, who also get the opportunity to learn new trail and backcountry skills, can choose from projects that range from long weekends to weeklong backpacking trips, from fairly easy projects to those involving strenuous hiking. Prior trail maintenance and backpacking experience is not required.
Improve Rural Romania
(images via: btcv.org)
If you’re interested in helping a human community in need, consider one of the volunteer trips organized by BTCV. In concert with Agora, a non-profit NGO, BTCV embarks on programs in needy areas of the world including Romania and Bulgaria. Volunteers will experience traditional rural life, maintaining orchards, making improvements to existing buildings and helping to construct new ones. For the first week, you’ll stay with a local family, and for the remaining four days you’ll be camping.
Care for Captive Cheetahs in Namibia
(images via: earthwatch.org)
While you might not get quite this up-close-and-personal with a cheetah on a volunteer expedition to Namibia, you will participate in vital data collection on cheetah populations as well as wildlife surveys and livestock guard dog programs. Volunteers stay in two-person bungalows at Eland’s Joy, a working farm that serves as the headquarters of the Cheetah Conservation Fund. Trips begin nearly every month, last 15 days and require a $3,539 minimum donation.
Explore Active Volcanos in Nicaragua
(images via: javier.losa)
Explore the effects that volcanic activity has on surrounding wildlife at the edge of the Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua. You’ll get to monitor volcanic gases, take water samples and see red-hot magma and tropical species like turtles and parrots first-hand. Volunteers stay in a small hotel and enjoy local food during this seven-day trip, which costs $2595.
Marine Survey Dives in the Bahamas
(images via: livingonimpulse)
Never dived before? That’s okay! You can actually earn credit toward diving certification while diving off one of the three largest barrier reefs in the world to establish and monitor three new marine protected areas. Participants in this volunteer trip to the Bahamas first get dive training, learning how to study coral and fish underwater, and then do two survey dives a day Monday through Friday with recreational dives available on Saturdays. The program ranges from one week to three months and starts at $3,300.
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15 of the World’s Most Scenic Swimming Pools
May 16, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steph in Geography & Travel. ]
Summer’s sweltering heat is just weeks away, and if you’re already daydreaming about stunningly scenic swimming pools in exotic locales, there’s no inspiration like these 15 cool pools around the world. From the world’s largest man-made pool in Chile to cliffside infinity pools overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, these swimming spots are among the world’s most beautiful.
Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Singapore
(images via: swag like me, kiwi collection)
When most people envision a pool with an incredibly scenic view, they most likely think of tropical beaches, not skyscrapers – yet there’s no denying that the scenery at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel pool is absolutely breathtaking. Not only is this nearly 500-foot-long pool set into a rooftop skypark, 679 feet above the ground, but it’s an infinity pool, giving swimmers the feeling that they could swim right off the edge of the building. The pool looks out onto one of the world’s most modern cities, which is brilliantly illuminated once the sun goes down.
Bondi Icebergs, Sydney, Australia
(images via: derek swanson, kate ausburn)
Can’t decide between a peaceful swim in an enclosed pool or a romp in the ocean surf? You can have both at the incredible saltwater pool at Bondi Icebergs. The ocean waves break right into the pool. Unlike most of the other swimming pools on this list, Icebergs is open to the general public for a nominal fee.
Ubud Hanging Gardens, Bali, Indonesia
(image via: redvisitor)
Not only does each villa at the Ubud Hanging Gardens Hotel in Bali have its own private infinity pool, but some guests get lucky enough to snag a room with a pool positioned directly over the main infinity pool for an experience unlike any other. From any of these pools, you can gaze into the jungle at monkeys and wild birds – not to mention a Balinese temple.
Conrad Rangali Islands, Maldives
(image via: kta public relations)
What’s not to love about this gorgeous infinity pool at the Conrad Rangali Islands hotel in Maldives? Lounging on a chaise placed on a special platform in the pool, all you can see is sparkling, clear blue waters.
Kempinski Hotel Ishtar, Dead Sea, Jordan
(images via: theboyg, xihalife)
Literally the lowest point on earth at 1,300 feet below sea level, the north end of the Dead Sea is a beautiful place, and the Kempinksi Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea is the ideal home base from which to explore it – particularly due to its collection of serene pools and lagoons overlooking the sea.
Evason Phuket, Thailand
(image via: edachsund)
It’s difficult to imagine anything that could make this image of the adults-only infinity pool at the Evason Phuket Resort look more like paradise (except maybe a frozen organic daiquiri). Surrounded by 64 acres of tropical parklands and gardens, the Evason pool overlooks clear blue waters with a grassy island in the distance.
Hayman Great Barrier Reef Resort, Queensland, Australia
(images via: hayman.com.au, sarah_ackerman)
Seven times larger than an Olympic swimming pool, the pool bar at the Hayman Great Barrier Reef Resort in Australia is practically a small sea unto itself. Actually, it’s a pool-within-a-pool; the smaller central pool is freshwater and heated while the outer lagoon-like pool is as salty as the sea that lies just steps from the hotel. Four boardwalk bridges connect this little slice of paradise to the hotel.
Intercontinental Hotel, Hong Kong
(images via: intercontinental hotel, designsxtra)
Another rooftop pool with a prime city view is the infinity pool at Hong Kong’s Intercontinental Hotel.
Hotel Caruso, Ravello, Italy
(images via: citalia)
Renowned for its spectacular rocky cliffs overlooking the sparkling Mediterranean Sea, Italy’s Amalfi Coast is one of the most beautiful places in the world. At Hotel Caruso in Ravello, guests can enjoy these views from a heated infinity pool on a clifftop 1,000 feet above sea level. The modern pool is a stunning contrast beside the historic 11th century hotel, a former palazzo.
Golden Triangle Resort, Chiang Rai, Thailand
(images via: igor prahin)
High above the Mekong River where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet is this elegant free-form infinity pool that seems to spill out onto the tropical vegetation that surrounds it.
San Alfonso Del Mar, Chile
(images via: hipster travel guide)
The San Alfonso Del Mar isn’t just one of the most beautiful pools in Chile – it’s the largest pool in the world, measuring more than half a mile in length and reaching 115 feet deep (an amazing 11 stories!). The 66 million gallons of water needed to fill this mind-boggling pool come straight from the adjacent Pacific Ocean. It costs $4 million a year just to keep it clean.
Hotel Joule, Dallas, Texas
(images via: urban fabric, lost at e minor)
Dallas, Texas is home to a stunning cantilevered rooftop pool, which not only juts out eight feet from the 10-story Hotel Joule, but features a glass end wall.
Rio Calma, Fuerteventura, Spain
(images via: bogoboo, krzysztof)
The Canary Islands look even more magical when you’re enjoying the salt lagoon at the Rio Calma Hotel in Fuerteventura. The lagoon looks out over the white sand beaches that border the Atlantic Ocean.
Cavo Tagoo, Mykonos, Greece
(images via: bogoboo, homesresult)
Gaze out at the iconic all-white architecture of Mykonos from the still, soothing waters of your own private infinity pool at the Cavo Tagoo Hotel. A number of rooms at the Cavo Tagoo have their own pools including the ultra-luxurious 2-bedroom Golden Villa, where the private walled infinity pool – secluded from view of other guests – offers a full sea view and blends right into the horizon.
Gellert Baths, Budapest, Hungary
(images via: chop1n, move with us international)
Most interiors as beautiful as this are cathedrals, where it’s not exactly polite to lay on your back and stare up at the ceiling. In this case, however, leisurely gazing is not just appropriate but encouraged. Even in a country known for its luxurious spas, the Gellert thermal baths, built around natural mineral hot springs in an early-20th-century Art Noveau complex, are an amazing sight. The water in this pool, located in the main hall, is actually effervescent for an even more unique experience.
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Singing and the Happiness Tie-in
March 21, 2011 by admin · View Comments
All types of singing have positive psychological effects. The act of singing releases endorphins, the brain’s “feel good” chemicals. Singing in front of a crowd, a la karaoke, naturally builds confidence, which has broad and long-lasting effects on general well-being. But of all types of singing, it’s choral singing that seems to have the most dramatic effects on people’s lives.
A study published in Australia in 2008 revealed that on average, choral singers rated their satisfaction with life higher than the public — even when the actual problems faced by those singers were more substantial than those faced by the general public [source: MacLean]. A 1998 study found that after nursing-home residents took part in a singing program for a month, there were significant decreases in both anxiety and depression levels [source: ISPS]. Another study surveying more than 600 British choral singers found that singing plays a central role in their psychological health [source: ISPS].
But why? Could you just start belting out a tune right now in order to make yourself feel happy?
It’s possible. Some of the ways in which choral singing makes people happy are physical, and you get them whether you’re in a chorus or in a shower — as long as you’re using proper breathing techniques during that shower solo. Singing can have some of the same effects as exercise, like the release of endorphins, which give the singer an overall “lifted” feeling and are associated with stress reduction. It’s also an aerobic activity, meaning it gets more oxygen into the blood for better circulation, which tends to promote a good mood. And singing necessitates deep breathing, another anxiety reducer. Deep breathing is a key to meditation and other relaxation techniques, and you can’t sing well without it.
Physical effects, while pretty dramatic, are really just the beginning. Singing causes happiness for other reasons that have less of a biological basis.
Source: Discovery Health
Bella Voce Choir in Brooklyn, NY
Beth
Cheap Green Travel: 14 Eco + Budget-Friendly Hostels
March 14, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steph in Geography & Travel. ]
Somewhere between luxurious (and pricey) eco-resorts and the most basic of dirt-cheap beds-for-rent are eco-hostels: inexpensive lodgings that are also environmentally friendly and often offer a relaxing place to commune with nature, even in big cities like Berlin and Barcelona. These 14 green hostels around the world range from modern European bunk rooms to incredibly rustic nomad tents in Mongolia.
Jetpak Eco Lodge, Berlin
(image via: jetpak.de)
Berlin is one of Europe’s most modern cities, but just minutes from all of the steel architecture and bustling nightlife is a hostel hidden in the woods, powered with 100% renewable energy. With its large outdoor recreation area and access to trails, Jetpak Eco Lodge is the perfect place for people who love a balance between the frenetic action of the city and the quiet calm of the country. It features a modern CO2-neutral heating system, solar hot water, composting and bike rentals.
Deepdale Backpacker’s Hostel, England
(images via: deepdalefarm.co.uk)
The Deepdale Backpacker’s Hostel offers beautiful, eco-friendly lodgings on the Norfolk Coast – the perfect home base when exploring the region’s beaches and historic sites. Located on a farm, the award-winning hostel plants thousands of trees every year, provides havens for wildlife on the property and gets most of its power from the sun. The 17th century buildings have been restored back to traditional Norfolk style, but insulated to meet modern energy-efficiency standards. Groups of up to six can rent their own private multi-bed rooms.
Hedonisia Hawaii Eco Hostel, United States
(image via: hedonisiahawaii.com)
Who can say no to a sustainable rainforest retreat in Hawaii? Choose from rustic huts, tents or campers, with ocean views or in the woods, at the Hedonisia Hawaii Eco Hostel. 10 lodgings are spread out on 3.71 acres, and part of your room fee pays for all the produce you can pick from the gardens. There’s even a ‘pee garden’, which is exactly what it sounds like (an outdoor restroom). The land has been restored from past use as a junkyard and the owners go out of their way to reuse things as creatively as possible, like cutting up old tents and sewing them into new living structures.
Gyreum Eco-Lodge, Ireland
(images via: gyreum.com)
In the wilds of Northwest Ireland, there’s a 100-foot green wooden structure rising out of a valley that the owners describe as ‘plum pudding-shaped’. Serving as a venue for music, workshops, weddings and art residencies, The Gyreum also offers eco-friendly accommodations in the form of dorms and capsule-like tents and boasts geothermal heat, wind turbines, greywater filtering and an organic garden.
Cabinas Tina’s Casitas, Costa Rica
(images via: tinascasitas.de)
For many travelers, Costa Rica is already an incredibly affordable destination – but the hostel lodgings at Tina’s Casitas make it even easier on the pocket. A five minute walk from the center of Santa Elena in the Monteverde area, Tina’s offers four houses with 9 rustic lodgings in all including dorms and private rooms with your choice of shared or private bath. The wildlife-loving owners are in the midst of a reforestation project on the grounds of the hostel, hoping to give back as much habitat as possible after many acres were lost to deforestation.
Krumlov House, Czech Republic
(images via: krumlovhostel.com)
In a 17th-century building on the Vltava River, visitors to the medieval town of Cesky Krumlov find a charming artist’s haven with as much character as the town itself. Krumlov House has private lodgings for 25 (no dorms), is powered with solar energy and has a renovated interior partially built with reclaimed wood. Energy-saving appliances, air-dried laundry, compost bins and secondhand furnishings are just a few green features.
Reykjavik City Hostel, Iceland
(images via: hostels.com)
Right beside the geothermal swimming pools in Iceland’s capital city is the Reykjavik City Hostel, dorm-style lodgings just 10 minutes outside the downtown area. Fun and youthful with games, movie nights and special events, this hostel offers local and organic food and fair trade coffee and is also environmentally sensitive with energy monitoring and recycling programs.
Mellow Eco-Hostel Barcelona, Spain
(images via: hostelworld.com)
With stellar reviews across the board and beds starting at just 16 bucks a night, the Mellow Eco-Hostel is definitely an option to consider when staying in Barcelona, Spain. Fifteen minutes outside the city center, the Mellow Eco-Hostel lives up to its name, providing bright but relaxing rooms, colorful common areas, solar-heated water, natural ventilation and recycling facilities. The 24-hour front desk makes it easy to check in and out at odd hours for maximum convenience.
Kulturgarden Guest House, Sweden
(images via: kulturgarden.com)
Stay in a former children’s camp overlooking Lake Björkasjö in Southern Sweden, with private bedrooms, a traditional earth house shower, a large self-catering kitchen and a breakfast buffet brimming with local and organic foods. The Kulturgården Björkekullen hostel in Bråtadal Svartrå avoids disposable products whenever possible, recycles waste, uses a variety of renewable energy sources and fosters closeness with the environment through activities like swimming.
Centre Ecologic Llemena Hostel, Spain
(images via: cel.org.es)
“If it is only a bed you are looking for, don’t come,” say the owners of the CEL Hostel in the Girona area of Spain. Because what makes this hostel different from so many others is that it’s like a resort experience – at a serious discount. Whether you bunk or camp in the woods, you can enjoy “a calm place close to nature”, with organic products and a natural swimming pool, not to mention learning about sustainable permaculture projects.
Enigmata Treehouse Eco-Lodge, Philippines
(images via: camiguinecolodge.com)
Artists, travelers, environmentalists and nature lovers flock to the Enigmata Treehouse Eco-Lodge in Camiguin Island, Philippines. A hostel, cafe, gallery and sculpture garden, Enigmata’s main treehouse structure is built around a 100-year-old Mother Acacia tree and is full of relaxing spaces open to the fresh air. Dorms start at under U.S. $10, quite a steal for a tropical getaway 600 miles from the nearest highway.
Grampians YHA Eco-Hostel, Australia
(images via: yha.com)
Get a bed in a dorm or your own private room at this youth hostel in the heart of Australia’s Grampians National park. Standout green features include solar energy, solar hot water, rainwater collection, recycled greywater and waste recycling. Ogle kangaroos on the hostel lawn or venture further afield for some rock climbing, picnicking, bushwalking, bike riding or fishing.
Bigfoot Hostel, Nicaragua
(images via: bigfootnicaragua.com)
You’re in the middle of a lush tropical paradise, going on amazing adventures (volcano boarding!) and enjoying all that Nicaragua has to offer – and the $6 a night hostel you’re staying at will even do your laundry for you. Bigfoot Hostel has a pool, a bar, free internet, a guest kitchen and a hammock area in a renovated colonial home. The Pure Earth Cafe offers all-vegetarian organic and local foods, and the hostel donates $1 from every guest to the Pure Earth project, which works on conservation, reforestation and other local sustainability projects.
Anak Ranch, Mongolia
(images via: anakranch.com)
Rustic? Check. Culturally rich? Double check. Unique? Absolutely no doubt about it. Anak Ranch is a working family ranch in the steppe-taiga country of north-central Mongolia, hosting ‘adventurous guests’ who want to ride horses on the Mongolian range and experience what it’s really like to live on the edge of Siberia. The owners will escort you in a horse cart to your lodgings in a multi-bedded ‘ger’, or traditional nomad’s tent. For about $40 a night, you can take part in Buddhist rituals, practice archery, relax in the sauna, hike up the mountains, make Mongolian cheese and take part in dozens of other activities that you might never be able to do anywhere else.
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Go Green by Coworking: 10 Cafe-Plus-Office Hybrids
February 7, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steph in Food & Health, Technology & Gadgets. ]
At home you’re isolated, working for days or weeks without human contact. At the coffee shop, you’re jostled by screaming kids, glared at by other customers waiting for a table and obligated to buy drinks in return for your long stay. What’s a mobile worker to do? Head to one of the many green coworking spaces that are popping up across the world, especially office/cafe hybrids that not only provide a welcoming workspace, shared equipment and pooled resources but drinks and snacks to boot. Green coworking spaces save both energy and cash and put you in touch with like-minded professionals.
Bureaux, Melbourne, Australia
(images via: bureaux.com)
Bureaux is a group of coworking spaces located in five cities across Australia – Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Brisbane and Noosa. Each location offers not just elegant, relaxing workspace environments including conference rooms and private workstations, but staffed coffee bars serving up caffeinated beverages, sandwiches and snacks to keep workers going all day long.
Betahouse, Berlin, Germany
(images via: betahaus.de)
One of the largest coworking spaces in Germany, Betahaus is going for an atmosphere that hovers between “a Vienna cafe, library, internet cafe, home office and campus.” Accordingly, in their stripped-down modern space they have not just desks and meeting rooms but quiet areas with sofas to rest on and – temptingly – an espresso bar from which you can order your drink via e-mail.
Urban Station, Buenos Aires, Argentina
(images via: urbanstation.com)
Bright and cheerful, Urban Station in Buenos Aires, Argentina definitely looks conducive to both work and relaxation. Have a seat in a wingback chair and enjoy a coffee, or bring in a group of colleagues for a meeting at a conference table. Whether you’re there to drink, to surf the internet or to hone a business plan, Urban Station is a welcoming destination.
Shelter, Dubai, UAE
(images via: shelter)
Mobile workers in Dubai can head over to ‘Shelter’ for networking, pooled resources or just a quiet place to concentrate. Shelter is packed not only with loft offices and meeting spaces, but also a cafe, library, store – even a cinema and a Zen garden. Starbucks who?
The Works Cafe, Crawfordville, Florida
(image via: the works)
Floridians in the Crawfordville area flock to The Works Cafe for scratch-made baked goods, cappuccinos – oh yeah, and a hip place to work outside the office. It’s a basic co-working space where lingerers on laptops are more than welcome, but a lot of people frequent The Works for the tastiness of its edible offerings.
Backspace, Portland, Oregon
(image via: backspace.bz)
By day, Portland’s Backspace is a coworking hub, offering not just free wireless and computers-for-rent but a big bright open space where chatty coffee drinkers and focused workers can coexist in peace. At night, it transforms into a venue for music and poetry. The all-vegetarian menu gets rave reviews, as well.
CitizenSpace, San Francisco, California
(image via: steve rhodes)
After a recent expansion, CitizenSpace now occupies two floors and has more room than ever in which to be your most productive and get some creative thinking done. They rent out desks for a monthly fee, but if you want to stop by and check it out or just spend an afternoon every now and then, it’s free. Yes, there is coffee, but you have to make it yourself – probably a small price to pay for all the other cool amenities.
Green Spaces, New York, New York
(images via: greenspacesny.com)
Green Spaces in New York – which has another location in Colorado – is an eco-friendly office, clubhouse and event venue that has also expanded to include full-service support for green businesses and social entrepreneurship. The offices use 100% wind power, compost all food scraps, a passive heating and cooling system and an eco-friendly Xerox Colorcube printer. All companies wishing to use Green Spaces must sign a pledge promising to work as green as possible while at Green Spaces, including using minimal paper products.
New Living, Houston, Texas
(images via: forest design build)
Houston’s green building and home store, New Living, has more to offer than just paints, bedding and other green goodies for your home. They also offer a green coworking hub to eco-professionals, giving them a space to network, share resources and ideas, and grow their businesses together.
Green Desk, Brooklyn, New York
(images via: green-desk.com)
In Brooklyn, Green Desk offers two sustainable coworking spaces that not only offer bright, open offices-for-rent and shared office equipment but is also green in and of itself with energy-efficient lighting, recycled paper products, shared bicycles, power from renewable resources and recycled or recyclable furniture. They also plant five trees for every new member.
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Oceanic Biomimicry: 13 Designs Inspired by the Sea
December 17, 2010 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steph in Art & Design, Science & Research, Technology & Gadgets. ]
How do you design the perfect turbine blade for use underwater, or build a fleet of vehicles that can pack tightly together and navigate around obstacles in a flash? Look to nature – specifically, in this case, the astounding complexities of the sea and all of the life it contains. Architecture in the shape of shells, robotic lobsters, cars that behave like schools of fish and swimwear modeled on sharkskin are just a few biomimetic designs inspired by the ocean.
Pollution-Sensing Robotic Fish
(image via: gizmag)
When a team of British scientists needed to put a robot into the sea to test pollution levels, they realized that nothing would be able to navigate the waters better than a fish. So they designed a completely autonomous, wi-fi connected, life-like robotic fish equipped with chemical sensors that can located the sources of hazardous pollutants in the water. The fish, which transmit the information they collect to a control center while re-charging their batteries at a “charging hub”, were released into the waters in the Spanish port of Gijon in 2010.
Taiwan BioLab Inspired by Nautilus Shell
(images via: world architecture news)
A nautilus shell is one of nature’s most perfect shapes, and it is from this sophistication that architect Manifred Nicoletti drew inspiration for the BioLab Squadron in Taiwan, which are set to be among the most technologically advanced laboratories on the planet. Nicoletti’s honorable mention-winning proposal not only used the nautilus shape as the basis of the two labs, but delved further into biomimicry with an outer skin pattern that emulates the four symbols attributed to the DNA sequence of the bacteria that would be studied inside the labs.
WhalePower
For millions of years, whales have propelled themselves through heavy water despite their bulk and weight – thanks to a finely honed design that couldn’t be more perfect if all the world’s most talented engineers spent their lives trying to outdo it. Biology professor Dr. Frank Fish (no joke) noticed that the little bumps on the flippers of a humpback whale served an important purpose, increasing their aerodynamic efficiency. Along with Stephen Dewar, Fish co-founded WhalePower, a company turning this discovery into innovative solutions for things like airplanes, submarines and wind turbines. Their most tangible accomplishment thus far is a highly efficient ceiling fan.
Stunning Shell Villa Retreat
(images via: artechnic)
The stark white exterior of the Shell Villa curves around itself in a clear yet subtle imitation of its namesake. This graceful home hovers off the ground in sharp contrast to the green of its natural surroundings and the brown of its wooden decks. Designed by ARTechnic, the airy and naturally day-lit structure dazzles with walls of windows and built-in furniture that sets off its curvilinear surfaces.
Nissan’s Fish-Inspired Car Design
(images via: inhabitat)
Robotic cars may someday make traffic automatic – but it’s important for commuters to retain the ability to navigate around unexpected obstacles. Nissan engineers noted the way schools of fish pack tightly together and move quickly around predators and coral, and applied it to the EPORO, a cartoon-like concept car that uses Ultra Wide Band radio signals and laser measurement technology to mimic this behavior.
“We, in a motorized world, have a lot to learn from the behavior of a school of fish in terms of each fish’s degree of freedom and safety within a school and high migration efficiency of a school itself,” said principal engineer Toshiyuki Andou. “By sharing the surrounding information received within the group via communication, the group of EPOROs can travel safely, changing its shape as needed.”
Robolobsters: Biomimetic Underwater Robot Program
(images via: design life now)
It’s got eight legs, antennae and a protective shell, but this is no ordinary lobster. For one, it can detect mines and send that information back to the military. It’s also made of plastic, metal and wire. Scientists realized that the perfect design for trawling the ocean floor was in the biology of a lobster, and they adapted not just its physical shape and movements but the way its nervous system responds to variable conditions in its environment. Robolobsters will allow detection of mines in places where human direction isn’t possible, potentially saving a lot of lives.
Syph: Jellyfish-Like Self-Contained Ocean City
(images via: inhabitat)
In a worst-case scenario world where the earth is so flooded, there’s little land left for human civilization, ocean cities could provide a safe haven. This concept by Arup Biomimetics is not just a single floating city, but a collection of ‘organisms’, clearly inspired by jellyfish. The entirely self-contained cities have trailing appendages performing different energy and water-related functions, drawing in seawater to desalinate or collecting energy from waves.
Jellyfish House by Iwamoto-Scott
(images via: evolo)
Unlike the Syph, the Jellyfish House doesn’t actually look anything like a jellyfish, but it’s just as connected to the billowy invertebrate. Design firm Iwamoto-Scott imagines an ultramodern home that, like a jellyfish, coexists with its environment through a network of senses and responses despite having no brain or nervous system. The house, designed specifically for reclaimed land, can actually act as a water filtration system that operates within the ‘skin’, or exterior walls, helping to remediate the toxic soil at the building site. “Like jellyfish, the house attempts to incorporate emerging material and digital technologies in a reflexive, environmentally contingent manner. The house is designed as a mutable layered skin, or ‘deep surface’, that mediates internal and external environments.”
Algaerium: Algae-Inspired Design
(images via: inhabitat)
Going even deeper beyond just biomimicry is ‘Algaerium’, living surfaces and textiles that actually produce biofuels from algae. Marin Sawa’s design was inspired by how efficient natural systems can be without any electronics. She set out to utilize algae’s biological attributes of photosynthesis and bioluminescence to create design products like ornamental plant-based décor and jewelry that is also useful in other ways. The products are ever-evolving, changing color as the algae goes about its natural processes.
The Porpoise-Shaped Oculus Yacht
(image via: schopferyachts.com)
With three levels capable of accommodating twelve guests in the utmost comfort, the Oculus Yacht is definitely luxurious – but all of its ostentatious trappings aren’t really what makes this 250-foot vessel by Schopfer Yachts stand out. It’s the unusual design, clearly inspired by the shape of an open-mouthed porpoise. The design isn’t based on science or aerodynamics, just looks, but it’s an interesting direction to take for high-priced homes on the sea.
Shark Scale Swimsuits & Ship Skins
(image via: speedo)
Ever wonder why sharks have scales? They enable smooth, fast swimming, eliminating the drag caused by eddies that can form as water passes over the surface of an object. Considering that in the Olympics, the difference between winning and losing can be one-tenth of a second, crafting synthetic shark skin into swimsuits for athletes can definitely provide an edge. Speedo’s FastSkin line of swimsuits incorporates not just the texture of shark scales, but also the variability, changing the shape and texture over various parts of the bod for optimal aerodynamics. Applied to the exterior of ships, the same concept could even make Navy fleets faster and more energy-efficient.
Sea Snail Shells to Military Armor
(image via: science blogs)
The three-layered shell of one particular species of sea snail could lead to improved armor for soldiers and military vehicles. An MIT study found that mimicking the iron-plated shell of the scaly-foot snail would provide advanced protection due to the way the shell dissipates mechanical energy, like attacks from crabs. The strength of the snails’ shells evolved due to the animals’ harsh environment on the floor of the Indian Ocean, where it not only fends off attacks from predators but is subject to extreme fluctuations in water temperatures and acidity from hydrothermal vents.
BioWAVE: Harnessing Wave Power
(images via: biopower systems)
Just like the little plants that grow on the sea floor, the bioWAVE ocean wave energy system is designed to sway with the movement of the ocean. The buoyant blades capture the force of the waves during optimal energy-harnessing periods but are also able to cease operating and lay down flat in a safe position during extreme conditions to avoid damage. BioPower Systems is currently testing this technology for 250kW, 500kW and 100kW capacities in the hopes of providing power to the Flinders and King Islands off Australia in the short term, and possibly the entire state of Victoria in the long term.
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Animal Architecture: 14 (More!) Modern Homes for Pets
October 25, 2010 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steph in Animals & Habitats, Art & Design, Home & Garden. ]
Forget dowdy carpet-covered cat houses, plain jane dog crates and ugly plastic hamster cages – homes for household pets can be stylish, too. From unbelievably pricey luxury pooch palaces to simple IKEA hacks that make modern pet furniture accessible to all, these 14 abodes for cats, dogs, birds, hamsters, rabbits, chickens and even fish are anything but ordinary.
Stackable Cube-Shaped Fish Hotel
(image via: design milk)
Give each fish a luxurious private room of its very own with the modern cube-shaped ‘fish hotel’ by Teddy Luong. The design is stackable so you can even create a fish skyscraper.
Geometric ‘Lulu’s Hideaway’
(image via: gnr8.biz)
For those whose homes are so carefully outfitted that an ordinary dog bed would stick out like a sore thumb, there are creations like the $550 ‘Lulu’s Hideaway’ by Pet Project. Resembling a piece of modern art or perhaps a stool more than pet furniture, this geometric acrylic shelter pleases fans of Danish design.
Prefab Platform Dog House
(image via: prefabs.blogspot.com)
Dog on a hot tin roof? This prefab modular dog house, made from IPE hardwood and painted cement board and topped with corrugated aluminum, would look right at home beside many modern home designs.
Duplex Aquarium/Bird Cage
(image via: gizmodiva)
If you’ve got household pets of both the feathered and finned variety but limited space to keep them in, this unusual ‘duplex aquarium cage’ could be an option. A dome beneath the fish bowl actually allows visual interaction between the two pets.
Sleek Cat House by Leo Kempf
(image via: leo kempf)
A cozy bed, some cardboard for scratching and a great view: what more could a pampered kitty wish for? Designer Leo Kempf made this modern cat house for his own cat, Olive, saying “She enters through a door in the bottom side and then ascends a ramp, which boosts her to the upper level. The front wall is plexi-glass, the floor is 2.5 inch thick old sheepskin rug, and my wife made some small paintings that hang on the walls.”
$382,000 Pooch Palace
(image via: the daily mail)
How much is too much to spend on a dog house? Some might balk at anything over a couple hundred bucks, but one unidentified surgeon in England spent more than most of us do on our own houses. For $382,000, the doctor’s two Great Danes get temperature-controlled beds, a spa, automatic food and water dispensers and a 52-inch plasma TV with state-of-the-art stereo playing dog-friendly programs.
Egg-Shaped Nogg Chicken Coop
(image via: contemporist)
Backyard chicken farmers, take heart – you don’t have to build an ugly wire-and-wood contraption to hold your birds. “The Nogg” is a modern egg-shaped chicken coop for 2-4 chickens, made from cedar wood, stainless steel and glass. It even has a little round window at the top so you can peer in and check the progress of your uber-fresh eggs.
IKEA Hack Hamster Home
(image via: ikea hacker)
Hamster fcages are nearly always an eyesore, seemingly available only in brightly colored plastic. So Martina of Australia took matters into her own hands and transformed an IKEA ‘Expedit’ bookshelf into a surprisingly beautiful hamster home that gives her dwarf hamster plenty of room to roam.
‘Solo’ Blown Glass Cat House
(image via: modern cat)
Blown glass is so beautiful, but it doesn’t have to be limited to art objects in the home – why not make it more functional? Like a huge glass vase turned on its side, the Solo cat house by designers Compressed Pattern and glass blowing studio esque gives cats a cozy place to sleep while also allowing them to see their surroundings.
Chic Bunny Hutch
(image via: design sponge)
An even simpler and more beautiful IKEA hack has the ‘Besta’ shelf unit serving as a modern, super-simple rabbit hutch. Nicole used non-toxic materials to make this home for her Holland Lop bunny and shared the instructions over at Design Sponge.
BowHaus Modern Dog Crate
(image via: denhaus)
“Meant for a home where cocktails and canines mix it up”, the BowHaus home for small dogs by DenHaus makes style top priority with a powder-coated steel design that also functions as a side table. The starburst design provides ventilation while maintaining a cozy feel for its four-legged inhabitant.
Cat Capsule by Christian Ghion
(image via: contemporist)
Mod and comfy, the cat capsule by Christian Ghion bravely boasts an all-white sheepskin-lined design that will look lovely as long as your beloved feline isn’t a puker. So stylish, you’ll want a matching human-sized one for yourself.
Hamster Cabin with Tiny Stairs
(image via: zooplus)
Don’t want to give over an entire section of a room to your pocket-sized pet? Sometimes a smaller home will still do, especially when that home is thoughtfully created from high-quality materials. This “small pet cage phoenix” is like a cabin for your hamster, complete with a ridiculously adorable little set of stairs leading to a loft-like sleeping compartment.
Cubix Modern Dog House
(image via: dog milk)
No dog-loving fan of Bauhaus architecture could pass the Cubix Modern Dog House without a second look. Made of varnished wood with break-proof glass windows that can withstand all weather conditions, this dog house is worthy of a highly visible location in your yard.
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Lost & Cast Away: Ten Amazing Uninhabited Islands
August 31, 2010 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steve in 7 Wonders Series, Geography & Travel, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Thinking of getting away from it all on a deserted desert island? Getting there & back isn’t always easy – if it were, most of these amazing islands would likely be inhabited. Luckily that’s not the case and we can still enjoy, if only temporarily and virtually, some of the planet’s most exquisite and pristine isles.
Maldive Islands
(images via: Fizzy Energy and Nitty Gritty)
The Indian Ocean nation of the Maldive Islands is the poster child for island nations, consisting of a double-chain of 26 coral atolls and encompassing approximately 1,190 individual islands. The coral atolls are in most cases divided into 5 to 10 inhabited islands and from 20 to 60 uninhabited ones. This unique situation of geography allows entrepreneurs on the inhabited islands to provide “desert island vacations” for foreign tourists looking to live – temporarily – like Robinson Crusoe.
(images via: Treehugger, 5 Minutes Guide and Fizzy Energy)
The Maldives, perhaps more than any other place on Earth, blurs the lines between land and water. While this allows for an abundance of tropical beauty and a remarkably temperate climate, it also puts the nation of 400,000 squarely in the cross-hairs of Global Warming. The average height above sea level in the Maldives is only 5 feet (1.5 meters) with the highest point rising a mere 7 feet 7 inches (2.3 meters). As sea levels continue to rise, high tides and storm surges will cause ever-greater damage to the point where many of the islands will simply cease to exist and their inhabitants could become climate refugees.
Auckland Islands, New Zealand
(images via: NZ/DOC, NASA, Travel-Images and UNESCO)
The Auckland Islands lie south of New Zealand, smack dab in chill southern latitudes dominated by the legendary “Furious Fifties”, howling winds that owe their speed and relentlessness to the lack of land in those latitudes. Auckland Island is the largest of the five islands making up this tight-knit archipelago, formed millions of years ago from several long dormant volcanoes. The total area of the islands is 241.3 square miles (625 km²) but the vast majority of the land is made up of deeply eroded, jagged mountains up to 2,170 feet (660 meters) tall.
(images via: Heritage Expeditions and Andris Apse)
Residual evidence of a possible settlement estimated to be from the 13th century has been found on the Auckland Islands, making it the farthest south any Polynesian explorers were able to reach. Several attempts to colonize the island were made in the 19th century but few lasted more then a couple of years. The islands have been completely uninhabited since the removal of a meteorological station set up and manned by the government of New Zealand during the Second World War.
Aldabra Island, Seychelles
(images via: Arkive, Hot Top Trends and Answers.com)
Aldabra Island is the world’s second largest coral atoll with a total area of 60 square miles (155.4 km²), divided into four individual islands. Aldabra has been known to humanity for many centuries; its name is of Arabic origin. The island group lies 265 miles (426.5 km) northwest of Madagascar and is the westernmost large island of the Seychelles: the island’s capital, Mahé, is over 700 miles (1,126.5 km) to the east. At 21 miles (34 km) long, 9 miles (14.5 km) wide and rising up to 26.25 feet (8 meters) above sea level it’s somewhat of a mystery why Aldabra hasn’t been able to support even a small human settlement.
(images via: Arkive, Hot Top Trends and Answers.com)
Aldabra Island is home to one of the world’s largest populations of Giant Tortoises – around 150,000 Aldabra Giant Tortoises (Dipsochelys dussumieri) roam the atoll, free from human predation. Such was not always the case: 19th century whalers, sealers and long-distance ship voyagers often captured tortoises for food and by 1900 they were nearly extinct. Aldabra is also home to the world’s largest land crab, the Coconut Crab (Birgus latro), known to netizens from a widely circulated image showing one of the creatures hiding (barely) behind a trashcan.
Tetepare Island, Solomon Islands
(images via: Tetepare.org and Wikimedia)
Known as “the last wild island”, Tetepare Island in the Solomon Islands has been uninhabited since the mid-19th century when members of its native tribe fled to surrounding islands due to an increasing threat from headhunters. The island is 45.5 square miles (118 km²) in area and is the largest uninhabited island in the western Pacific Ocean region.
(images via: Jens Kruger, Solomon Times and AVI)
Tetepare Island has been monitored since 2002 by the Tetepare Descendants Association (TDA), a registered Solomon Islands charitable organization that seeks to preserve the island from logging and other resource exploitation for the benefit of future generations. An ecolodge has been established on the island under the TDA’s supervision, which provides employment to local islanders and raises both funds for conservation projects and awareness of Tetepare’s unique status.
Rock Islands (Chelbacheb), Palau
(images via: Citypictures, Survivor Skills and Daily Scuba Diving)
Made famous by their starring role in Survivor Palau, the tenth season of the American reality show “Survivor” broadcast in early 2005, the 250-300 Rock Islands (called Chelbacheb in the native Palauan language) encompass a total land area of just 18 square miles (47 km²) yet boast an abundance of ecological diversity. These heavily forested limestone and coral islands rise up to 680 feet (207 m) above sea level and many feature hidden lagoons and lakes where unique species abound.
(images via: NCBI, BDnews24.com, The Independent and Secret of the Crystal Skulls)
A place as beautiful and fertile as Palau’s Rock Islands may be uninhabited today but it seems that human’s gave settlement a shot at various times over the past several thousand years. One of the most intriguing examples involves the discovery of skeletal remains of “tiny people”. At first thought to be related to the so-called Hobbits of Flores Island in Indonesia, it’s now believed the remains belong to ancient Palauans affected by Island Dwarfism.
Cocos Island, Costa Rica
(images via: Cocos Island and Diving World)
Cocos Island is sort of a northern Galapagos, lying quite isolated in the Pacific Ocean approximately 340 miles (550 km) off Costa Rica’s western coast. The roughly rectangular island is 9.2 square miles (23.85 km²) in area and hosts a mainly stable population of deer, pigs, cats, and rats introduced purposefully or accidentally by humans. The latter never maintained long-lasting settlements despite the availability of fresh water. The waters around Cocos Island are a rich oasis of marine life, as the following video shows:
Video más Reciente de Isla del Coco-Most recent video Cocos Island, via Marcogarrido1
(images via: SciFi Squad and FilmAffinity)
Author Michael Crichton probably based Isla Nublar from his novel (and later the films and games) Jurassic Park on Cocos Island. Supporting this supposition is the fact that “Isla Nublar” is Spanish for Cloudy Island and Cocos Island is the only island near Central or South America with an extensive Cloud Forest ecosystem.
Phoenix Islands, Kiribati
(images via: Cosmos Magazine, Wikimedia and Solarviews)
The Phoenix Islands are a group of 8 islands and several coral reefs located about halfway between Hawaii and Fiji in the south Pacific. The total land area of the islands is just 11 square miles (27.6 km²) and except for two dozen people (as of May 2010) living on Kanton, the largest of the group, the islands are uninhabited. Several attempts to settle or colonize the Phoenix Islands have been made over the past two centuries but all ended in failure with the last residents leaving in 1963.
(images via: San Francisco Sentinel and The Saipan Blog)
The Phoenix Islands are isolated – though part of the Republic of Kiribati, Kanton Island lies (1,765 km) east of the republic’s capital, South Tarawa. The southernmost island of the Phoenix island group has a dubious claim to fame. Nikumaroro (formerly known as Gardner Island) is thought by some to be the place where American aviatrix Amelia Earhart along with navigator Fred Noonan crash-landed in July of 1937, while attempting an around-the-world flight in a twin-engine Lockheed Electra.
Mu Ko Ang Thong, Thailand
(images via: Souvlaki for the Soul and Treetop Asia)
Mu Ko Ang Thong National Park (established 1980) consists of 42 islands in the Gulf of Thailand. Though the park as a whole covers 39.5 square miles (102 km²), only 7 square miles (18 km²) are dry land. “Ang Thong” means “Bowl of Gold”, and the islands enjoy the warm weather and abundant sunshine that has made tourist areas in Thailand’s Surat Thani province so popular.
(images via: Simandan, Psychedelic Adventure and G Living)
The islands of Mu Ko Ang Thong are the setting of The Beach in the 1996 Alex Garland novel and the 2000 film of the same name, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Pre-production activity including flattening the beach was conducted, which ruffled feathers locally, but the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami saw the beach re-assume much of its original look and character.
Monuriki Island, Mamanuca Islands (Fiji)
(images via: CIO, David Wall Photo and Hotel Rental Group)
There are about 20 volcanic islands in the Mamanuca Islands group, part of the nation of Fiji. That number drops to about 13 when the tide is high, however. Many of the Mamanuca Islands are uninhabited and the main factor deciding habitation seems to be the availability of fresh water.
(images via: DVD Beaver and Mentalfloss)
One of the Mamanuca Islands has achieved a special type of fame: tiny Monuriki Island is the main location where the 2000 movie Cast Away was filmed. The character played by Tom Hanks, “Chuck Noland” (C. No land… get it?) faced several difficulties surviving on Monuriki, chief among them making fire and finding a source of fresh water to drink. Good thing he had his pal Wilson to keep him company too!
Ball’s Pyramid
(images via: Oddity Central, Fakename2 and Starship)
Rising from the Pacific Ocean 13 miles (20 km) southeast of Lord Howe Island and 370 miles (600 km) east of Australia, 1,844 ft (562 m) high Ball’s Pyramid may be the Earth’s most visually stunning island. The shear volcanic outcrop was first discovered in 1788 by Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball. It wasn’t until nearly a century later, in 1882, that the first person actually stepped – very carefully, I’m guessing – onto the rocky shore of the island. It’s safe to say that there may not be a single patch of horizontal ground anywhere on the 3,600 ft (1,100 m) by 1,000 ft (300 m) remnant of a 7 million year old volcano.
(image via: Outdoors Webshots)
You’d think Ball’s Pyramid would be a rock climber’s and BASE jumper’s idea of paradise, and indeed the pinnacle was successfully climbed to the summit for the first time in February of 1965. Climbing was banned entirely in 1982 though since 1990 applications may be made under special conditions, subject to approval by the Australian government.
Devon Island, Canada
(image via: Statistics Canada)
This list leaves out major and minor islands of the arctic and Antarctic as they do not remotely meet any conception of a “desert island”. Even so, we will give honorable mention to Devon Island, the world’s 27th largest island and the largest uninhabited island on the planet. Located in Canada’s arctic archipelago northwest of Baffin Island, Devon Island measures 21,331 square miles (55,247 km²) in size.
(images via: Canadian Museum of Nature and Atlas Obscura)
The brutally cold, dry climate and the existence of the 14 mile (23 km) wide Haughton Impact Crater has made Devon Island the perfect testing area for future Mars rovers and habitats. It ain’t the kind of place to raise your kids, as Elton John once sang, and as for those Desert Island Discs? Leave ‘em at home – you’ll have trouble finding an electrical outlet anyway.
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Captivating Creatures: 12 Spectacular New Species
June 7, 2010 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steph in Animals & Habitats, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Isn’t it amazing that centuries of human exploration still haven’t come even close to discovering all of the life that exists on this planet? Treks into undisturbed jungles and unfathomably deep reaches of the sea have brought to life a curious cadre of new-to-us species in recent months from a long-nosed tree frog to a fish that walks on its ‘hands’. We even unearthed a new relative that might put us one step closer to solving the mystery of human evolution.
Pinocchio Tree Frog
(image via: conservation.org)
No lie: this new long-nosed tree frog was nicknamed Pinocchio by scientists when it leapt into the campsite of researchers studying new species in the previously untouched Foja Mountains of western New Guinea. Also discovered on this trip were a giant wooly rat, the smallest kangaroo ever and a gargoyle-like gecko with yellow eyes.
World’s Tiniest Seahorse
(image via: guardian)
What is it about tiny creatures that makes us squeal in delight? Seahorses get cuter than ever with the discovery of the Hippocampus satomiae, which is smaller than the average pinkie nail. Named for Satomi Onishi, the diving guide who collected the first specimen from a reef in Indonesia, this species carries its teeny-tiny 3mm young in its pouch.
Bug-Eating Slug
(image via: sci-tech-news)
Sea slugs are exclusively vegetarian, dining on the rich buffet of algae that’s plentiful in virtually every body of water – at least, that’s what scientists thought before they discovered the Aiteng Sea Slug, which has decidedly carnivorous tastes. Found in a muddy mangrove forest in the Gulf of Thailand, this slithery little critter is the head of a whole new family of bug-eating slugs.
Killer Sea Sponge
(image via: the atavism)
They night not have eyes, stomachs, or a nervous system, but sea sponges are still animals, and though most of them float placidly along, absorbing bacteria and algae from the water, this one’s a killer: it’ carnivorous. Chondrocladia turbiformis, which resembles a mushroom, uses a strange balloon-like structure to capture its prey. It may be new to us, but this sea sponge has probably been hiding in the depths of the oceans for at least 150 million years – unusually shaped ’spicules’ found on the sponge have been noted in marine sediments from the Jurassic period.
Fish that Walk on Their Hands
(image via: andrew maver/science daily)
You might call handfish lazy, but maybe they just like the feel of sand under their hands. That’s right – hands. Instead of swimming, handfish scuttle along the sea floor on fins shaped like hands. Nine new species of this unusual fish have recently been found off the coast of Australia, including the “Pink Handfish” and “Zeibell’s Handfish”, but they may not be around for long. Handfish are extremely vulnerable to environmental changes like water temperature and pollution, so they’re disappearing fast.
Globetrotting Worms
(image via: pierre de wit/science daily)
For a lowly worm, the Grania sure does get around. Four new species of this marine-sand-dwelling annelid worm were discovered in March 2010 at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and also discovered a previously unknown but related Grania all the way in Scandinavia. “Species that were previously regarded as the same may prove to have a completely different function in the ecosystem, and have different tolerance of environmental toxins, for example. It is obviously important to know this in order to be able to take the right action to protect our fauna,” says scientist Pierre De Wit of Gothenburg University.
Bioluminescent Green Bomber
(image via: livescience)
We humans may have found a way to produce light where there was none, but some sea creatures have been doing it on their own for millennia. As if bioluminescent marine life weren’t fascinating enough already, there are new finds like the swima bombividiris variety of the green bomber, a deep sea worm that releases bright green glowing “bombs” to distract hungry fish who come too close.
Tim Burton Seaweed
(image via: cbc.ca)
When researcher Bridgette Clarkston found a bright red, unusual looking seaweed, the first thing she thought of was director Tim Burton and the colorful worlds he creates in his films. As it turned out, the seaweed was previously unidentified and in need of a name, so Clarkston could think of nothing more fitting than “Euthora timburtoni“.
Antarctic Animals that Look Like Plants
(images via: discovery)
The line between plants and animals seems to be getting finer all the time, with two new Antarctic species that look like undersea greenery but are actually marine invertebrates. Discovered in the Eastern Weddell Sea, Tauroprimnoa austasensis (A) and Digitogorgia kuekenthali (B) are brand new (to us) examples of rare organisms known as sea whips or sea fans. What makes them even more unusual is the fact that such creatures are usually found in the tropics, not in frigid polar waters.
Tree Mouse
(image via: conservation.org)
It may not be strange looking or terribly unusual, but who can resist the cuteness of a fuzzy little mouse that climbs trees? Pogonomys sp. nov. was discovered by the same researchers who found the ‘Pinocchio’ long-nosed tree frog in a remote area of New Guinea.
New Tree-Swinging Human Ancestor
(image via: discovery)
A new species of tree-swinging, three-foot-tall humans was discovered in South Africa in May 2010 with the unearthed remains of Homo gautengensis. This species had big teeth for chomping on plants and probably hung out in the trees a lot to escape predators. It emerged over 2 million years ago and died out about 600,000 years ago. Homo gautengensis puts in doubt the theory that an April 2010 species discovery, Australopithecus sediba, could be the missing link between apes and humans, since the two species existed during about the same time in roughly the same area of Africa and Australopithecus sediba is the more primitive of the two.
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