New 7 Wonders of Nature: The 7 Winning Wonders!
November 15, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steve in 7 Wonders Series & Geography & Travel & Nature & Ecosystems. ]
The New7Wonders Foundation’s long-running campaign to select (with your help) the world’s seven most outstanding natural wonders officially ended on November 11th, 2011. The highly-publicized process was hugely successful in raising awareness of our planet’s natural beauty and in that respect, everyone’s a winner.
Amazon Rainforest
(images via: Amazon Rainforest, Caoba Lodge, Flickrfavorites and The Guardian)
The Amazon Rainforest first took root, so to speak, around 55 million years ago. Ironically perhaps, its creation was sparked by a period of global cooling that resulted in a moister climate in north-central South America. Known colloquially as “the lungs of the Earth”, the Amazon Rainforest functions both as a critical carbon sink and an oxygen supplier whose beneficial effects are distributed worldwide.
(image via: Love These Pics)
Although its current area of 2,123,562 square miles (5,500,000 km2) does not mark the rainforest’s maximum historical extent, “Amazonia” is still the planet’s largest tropical rainforest and acts an irreplaceable biological reservoir for botanical and zoological diversity.
(images via: TripAdvisor, Dark Roasted Blend and Big Travel Web)
At the present time, approximately 668,000 square miles (1,730,000 km2) of the Amazon Rainforest – nearly one third – is protected to some degree by official conservation measures. The region’s unique pink river dolphins, brilliantly colored “poison dart” frogs and forest-dwelling Amerindian tribes never in contact with the modern world will be happy to hear that.
Ha Long Bay (Vietnam)
(images via: Todd’s Wanderings, Asean Heritages and Desben)
Ha Long Bay means “descending dragon bay” in Vietnamese, and this picture postcard perfect place has charms that could soothe even the most ornery dragon. The bay boasts nearly 2,000 islands, only half of which have been named.
(image via: The Amazing Stuff)
The bay’s otherworldly beauty is a testament to the power of geological processes acting over time… say, 20 million years since the area’s half-billion-year-old Karst limestone began weathering away under the onslaught of tropical storms and salt-water spray.
(images via: World’s Best Places and Baitulong Travel)
Karst limestone formations around the world often feature extensive subterranean cave systems and Ha Long Bay is no different. As such, the area shows another dimension of scenic beauty though the more popular caves have suffered ill effects from human activity associated with increased tourism.
Iguazu Falls (Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay)
(images via: Wikipedia, National Geographic and List After List)
Iguazu Falls has been impressing onlookers for a long time: the name “iguazu” is derived from the native Guarani words for “water” and “big”. Unlike other large waterfalls such as Niagara Falls and Victoria Falls, the irregular basalt plateau over which the Iguazu River plummets divides the flow into as many as 275 separate cataracts.
(images via: Neverending Voyage, Argentina’s Travel Guide and Artist Rising)
Visitors to Iguazu Falls are advised to take the Moonlight Tour, though the ethereal after-hours magnificence of the roaring falls is best taken in under a full moon and clear skies. The sight may seem somewhat muted but the sound? Not a bit!
(image via: eTravelPhotos)
The two nations that share access to Iguazu Falls (Argentina and Brazil) recognized long ago that the falls and their associated ecosystem was both magnificent and fragile. Brazil created Iguaçu National Park in 1939 while Argentina’s Iguazú National Park first opened in 1934.
Jeju Island (South Korea)
(images via: Chic Traveler, Scubaboard and Travionside)
Jeju Island is the largest and most southerly island in South Korea. The 175 mile (282 km) wide island was formed 2 million years ago in a series of massive volcanic eruptions and the island owes much of its unique and striking scenery to its fiery origins.
(images via: Vinhbinh-Share and MohammedAldawsari)
South Korea’s tallest mountain, the 6,400 ft (1,950 m) tall extinct volcano Halla-san, rises from the island’s geographical center. The contrast between Halla-san’s alpine scenery and the palm-fringed tropical beaches at the isle’s fringes results in a wide range of ecosystems.
(images via: VisitKorea)
Known as the “Island of the Gods”, Jeju Island is South Korea’s top honeymoon destination. The island’s relatively small residential population and the unsuitability of much of the rocky, lava-covered land for farming has helped preserve Jeju Island’s primordial character.
Komodo National Park (Indonesia)
(images via: Labuan Bajo and TripAdvisor)
Founded in 1980, Indonesia’s Komodo National Park consists of the three large islands of Komodo, Padar and Rincah, 26 smaller surrounding islands, and a short section of western Flores Island’s coast.
(images via: The Beauty of Indonesia)
The park as a whole comprises nearly 670 square miles (1,733 km²) of combined land and sea. The park was created specifically to protect the world’s largest lizard, the Komodo Dragon, but its purview has been expanded to cover a number of unique indigenous terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
(image via: Photohome)
Komodo Dragons are a rare example of “island giantism” in which one species gradually evolves to fill an ecological niche, in this case one left empty by the lack of large carnivorous predators. Certainly qualifying as giants among lizards, Komodo Dragons can grow up to 9.8 feet (3 meters) in length and can weigh up to 150 lbs (70 kg). Fun facts about Komodo Dragons touch on their reddish saliva and white excrement, the latter a consequence of the creatures’ inability to digest the calcium in their prey’s bones.
Puerto Princesa Underground River (Philippines)
(images via: LovePinasPinoy, Puerto Princesa Hotels & Resorts, Eye in the Sky and New7Wonders.com)
The Puerto Princesa Underground (or Subterranean) River was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site on December 4th, 1999, and it’s likely the attention the site subsequently received did much to spur much-needed preservation and protection measures.
(images via: Pinoy Travel Blog, Themenschwerpunkte and TripAdvisor)
Stretching 5.1 miles (8.2 km) from its mountainous headwaters to the South China Sea, the Puerto Princesa Underground River system encompasses a vast range of ecological habitats supporting an intricate web of rare and often interdependent plant and animal species.
(image via: Philippines – Official Gazette)
Puerto Princesa City is the capitol of the Philippines’ semi-isolated, rugged and relatively undeveloped island province of Palawan, and the Puerto Princesa Underground River is situated roughly 30 miles (50 km) north of the city center. This advantageous location is a boon for the limited number of tourists who have and will visit the Puerto Princesa Underground River.
Table Mountain (South Africa)
(images via: African Fiesta and TripAdvisor)
The massive, flat-topped sandstone peak called Table Mountain stands 3,558 feet (1,084.6 meters) tall and looms over Cape Town, South Africa. As the centerpiece of Table Mountain National Park, the long-time landmark attracts visitors from around the world and facilitates their movement via the convenient Table Mountain Cableway.
(images via: Splash and SA-Venues)
Is that Reverend Desmond Tutu up on Table Mountain looking all messianic-like? Why yes, yes it is! Was the revered Reverend calling upon The Big Guy “upstairs” to help boost Table Mountain into the New 7 Wonders of Nature’s final seven? We can let the results speak for themselves.
(image via: Itinaukri)
Table Mountain’s indigenous ecosystem is very different today from what it was when Dutch colonists first founded Cape Town in 1652. Large carnivores such as lions and leopards have been eradicated as have most of the larger herbivores. SANParks has been vigilant (some say TOO vigilant) in rooting out invasive plants and animals from Table Mountain, including a large population of goat-like Himalayan Tahr which descended from a breeding pair of zoo escapees back in 1935.
(images via: Let’s Go Sago! and DavidIcke.com)
The seven winning wonders described above and listed in alphabetical order are stated to be “provisional” based upon the first vote count conducted by the the New7Wonders Foundation and announced by Bernard Weber, project founder, on 11/11/11. Stay tuned for official confirmation of the seven winning sites, due to be announced early in 2012 at the Official Inauguration ceremony!
Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebEcoist:
New 7 Wonders of Nature: The 28 Semi-Finalists
The New7Wonders of Nature campaign has winnowed 440 prospects down to just 28 “Official Finalist Candidates” with voting scheduled to end on November 11, 2011.
2 Comments - Click Here to Read More
Jewelry that Helps the World?
February 22, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
- Keeping the peace with diamonds and semi precious stones.
- Everyone benefits from fair trade jewelry.
- Recycled jewelry does it all from elegant to fun.
Beautiful gemstones have been sought after for thousands of years and their beauty and value have created benefits for many people but also has brought about some very real problems for those caught up in the violence that can surround something of great value.
Conflict diamonds have been in the spotlight for several years because of their contribution to increasing fighting and violence in regions that have already suffered enough.
You don’t have to give up owning diamonds. Learn what to look for so you can enjoy the beauty of these stones without the guilt.
The big focus in the jewelry industry has been on gold and diamonds but that is only part of the picture. What about other mined gems and minerals? Are they being sourced ethically and with concern for the environment?
Some companies are addressing this but it has become a focus of some companies that create fair trade jewelry. Here a concern for the environment and concerns for the women, men and children from around the world that work to fabricate all different kinds of jewelry come together in the creation of eco friendly jewelry. Problems of poor pay, unsafe working conditions or unfair treatment are not uncommon and are beginning to be addressed.
Look for companies that provide fair made, eco friendly and socially responsible fair trade jewelry.
From recycled gold to recycled paper, jewelry designers are creating beautiful and creative eco jewelry by reinventing what was old or unusable. Fine jewelers are giving new life to old gold and gemstones while creating elegant and stylish pieces to please even the most discriminating shopper.
Then there are those who turn trash into treasure and create fun, fresh and unique designs. Many different styles can be found online. Locally look to shops like Whole Foods or other small stores that carry handcrafted items.
To read more about this exciting new trend in jewelry check out recycled jewelry for more info and tips on where to shop.
Beth
A Nigerian Sultan Helps Gates Rethink His Polio Strategy
June 4, 2010 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
In 2000, the picture of polio around the world looked pretty good: just 1,000 cases were reported that year. Bill Gates saw this as an opportunity: a chance to invest a little bit of his money and not just control a disease, but eradicate it.
Last year, though, that rosy picture looked both bleak and expensive. As Bruce Aylward of the World Health Organization said, “There’s no way to sugar-coat the past 12 months.” During 2009, we saw a resurgence of polio in 20 countries — many of which had previously eradicated the disease.
The Gates/WHO strategy to fight polio was based on the success of the 1979 smallpox vaccine campaign. In this campaign, though Bangladesh was seen as a last stronghold of the disease, the virus was finally eliminated when a policy of forced vaccination was implemented (which many consider a human-rights abuse). The polio campaign used a similarly simple playbook: vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate. And for awhile, it seemed that strategy might work. Now, though, it’s failing. Like the case of smallpox, polio is still deeply entrenched in one place: Nigeria. The country made up half of the world’s polio cases last year, in part due to rumors that have circulated about how the vaccine induces sterility, and in part because of the risk of Vaccine-Associated Paralytic Poliomyelitis, which causes paralysis in about one in a million people who receive the oral polio vaccine.
That’s where the Sultan of Sokoto, ruler of 70 million Muslims living in northern Nigeria, comes in.
Stunning photos from around the earth, real patience needed for their birth.
October 22, 2009 by admin · View Comments
Outdoor photographers rely on a great eye to relay the picture they see in their heart and want to share. They travel the globe to capture images of gorgeous wildlife and lovely landscapes, using time-tested techniques and tremendous talent to touch our emotions with their recorded moment of time. Here are 14 of the best and the brightest contemporary outdoor photographers and 37 of their breathtakingly creative images.
Pam Wood
(image credits: Photography by Pame)
Pam Wood is a freelance photographer who offers a vast selection of photos from around the globe. She has a quest for capturing the world at its best with her camera, her quest is to capture the magic of moment in time. Wood hopes her pictures make people laugh or smile, while encouraging us to do what we can to preserve our planet for future generation to enjoy. “This is an incredible planet we all live on. Let’s celebrate life!” Her photo of a tiger underwater was one of the finalists in the Natural World category of Smithsonian magazine’s 6th Annual Photo Contest.
Galen Rowell
(image credits: Mountain Light)
Galen Rowell was an internationally beloved freelance photographer and global adventurer. His life was tragically cut short when a private plane with his wife and two friends crashed near his home. He offered worldwide wisdom on the environmental impact being wrought upon people and their lands. Some of his works include wild horses in Patagonia, Argentina, and a rare 360-degree rainbow over Na Pali Coast, Kauai Island in Hawaii. He captured another rainbow, many in fact, this one over Hidden Peak, Karakoram Himalaya, Pakistan. The next to lower right is called, Stormy Sunset over Evolution Lake. In the bottom right, Star streaks over South Gasherbrum Glacier in Pakistan.
Curious Expeditions – Michelle Enemark and Dylan Thuras
(image credits:Curious Expeditions)
Aptly named Curious Expeditions, these photographers, Michelle Enemark and Dylan Thuras, travel the world snapping shots of bizarre yet beautiful places. The top photo is of beautiful Rose Valley, Göreme. Göreme, an area with fairy chimneys, is in Cappadocia, Turkey. The deep valleys and soaring rock formations are volcanic rock that has slowly eroded away to create strange “Fairy Chimneys”. The locals had believed them extraordinarily magical places that only fairies could have created. Ancient people hollowed out the fairy chimneys to carve out homes, chapels, and tombs from the soft inner rock. They also tunneled to create underground cities, some going down eight stories. The bottom picture is a fairy chimney hotel which is also located in Göreme.
Patrick Smith
(image credits:Patrick Smith)
Sometimes nature can take your breath away with her beauty. Patrick Smith has enormous talent taking photographs. The top picture is called Big Sur, Portal of the Sun. It was the winner in the 2009 Nature’s Best Ocean Views competition. Smith says, This sea arch opening in a cliff face at Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur allows large waves to come through at high tide before a big storm. The waves often fill the entire portal to the top, and the portal becomes a giant water shotgun! The Tufoni formations in the rock are incredible and should be seen in person.” The bottom photo is of Trinidad Beach which is north of Eureka, California. At high tide, the amazing cloud layers and intense colors are spectacular.
James Neeley
(image credits:James Neeley)
James Neeley takes stunning photos, making it easy to see why landscapes are usually devoted to nature without mankind polluting the frame. At Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, buffalo still roam and graze on Antelope Flats as seen at Moulton Barn shortly before a storm broke loose. The top right photo is of Lower Antelope Canyon, also called The Corkscrew. It is a hot destination for photographers like James Neeley who titled this picture Nature’s Abstraction. On the bottom left, the lake has a majestic backdrop of the Teton Range in the morning light. There is no mistaking Monument Valley landscape for any other spot in the world. It once stood synonymous for the Wild West. The iconic sandstone buttes have been a famous landscape in media genres since the 1930s.
Stuck in CustomsTrey Ratcliff
(image credit:Stuck in Customs)
Trey Ratcliff is the creative photographer behind Stuck in Customs. He captured this stunning shot in the final hours of daylight, the rugged peaks near the southern tip of Argentina and the edge of Chile, just a glacier away from Antarctica. He stayed there watching icebergs float by until the last morsels of dusk remained. To capture this moment in time, Ratcliff stated, ‘I started on one edge of these rugged peaks and moved around to this side, to get the view from the glacial lake. The spiked mountains there are Cerro Torre, and I was very lucky to see them without cloud cover. I understand they are covered up 90% of the time, so to have crystal clear air was fortunate. The glacier there, which presents on the right but really goes back behind many more mountains, is called “glacier grande”.’
Mario Bertocchi
(image credits:Mario Bertocchi)
Photographer Mario Bertocchi possesses an uncanny knack for capturing captivating moments of time and stunning landscapes. Promise of a new day is the title of the top photo. After a morning storm, a rainbow shimmers over the Teton Mountains. There are no foothills along the Tetons, making the view dramatic as they rise sharply from the surrounding terrain to about 7,000 feet. In the bottom landscape, the rugged coast and steep terraces of Cinque Terre National Park overlook the sea. Cinque Terra is located on the Italian Riviera and is made up of five villages. This view is of Riomaggiore.
ZooBorns
(image credits:ZooBorns)
As their name implies, ZooBorns specializes in baby animals born in zoos. Many of their photos are taken outside, but taking pictures of newborn animals sometimes takes them indoors as well. They share their photographs online and hope you see something that brightens your day. Part of their mission is to help people learn about the need to protect these adorable animals in the wild and the ways in which accredited zoos and aquariums contribute to this cause.
National Geographic Photographers
(image credits:National Geographic, National Geographic Travel)
National Geographic consistently brings us amazing images, both of nature and of wildlife. The top left picture is a Banded Toad Fish, snapped by Takako Uno before publishing in National Geographic. That sea creature can be found in Western Australia. On the top right, Carlo Delli captured the shot of a Speckled Emperor Moth. It seems to have pupils staring at us. This stunning camouflage on an African moth frightens away predators by the “eyes” on its wings. On the bottom, beautiful and serene, the Belize sunrise is also romantic. Mark Lewis captured this photo for National Geographic Travel.
Per-Andre Hoffmann
(image credits:Per-Andre Hoffmann)
Professional photographer Per-Andre Hoffmann has been called a “magician of light”. Although he travels around the globe to find the perfect moment and capture it, these images were taken near where he is based, Makati City, Philippines. The top left photo of the starfish was captured at Palawan, Philippines, which was once named as the best island destination in East and Southeast Asia by National Geographic Traveler. The top right picture is of the Mayon volcano that erupted in 2007. The bottom photograph is of the famous Manila Bay sunset.
Jason Bradley
(image credits: Bradley Photographic)
Jason Bradley had wanted to be a marine scientist. As an aspiring researcher, photography was a vital tool. Becoming a photographer was an afterthought for Bradley. He adores nature and most of his freelance photos are marine related. He is an expert at capturing underwater shots and has many galleries showcasing his works.
BONUS SHOTS Pam Wood
(image credits: Photography by Pame)
Pam Wood is an unbelievably talented photographer. Although she also snaps landscapes, her animal shots are extraordinary. From Rainbow Flamingos to the bottom lion cub that she titled, Yummy, she showcases her skills. Expect to see more and more great pictures emerge from Pam Wood.
BONUS Patrick Smith
(image credit:Patrick Smith)
Patrick Smith calls this photo Maelstrom. He risked his life to snap this shot in Kauai, Hawaii. He states, “I had this near-death experience on my last trip to Kauai! This lava-ledge is 20 feet above the sea, and I suppose the incoming wave is twice that height. This is not the Sprouting Horn near Poipu and it is not Queen’s bath! It is called the Mokolea Lava Pools.”
Angie
World Photography: Famous Freelance Photographers & Works
October 15, 2009 by admin · View Comments
Freelance photographers roam the planet in search of that perfect moment in time. Some of these artist use their cameras to share with us hidden natural delights. There is magic in that moment that can awaken our spirits to also love that split millisecond of space, time, and beauty. Freelance photographers take us underwater, across the sea, out in the middle of nowhere to bring us breathtaking landscapes and spectacular wildlife. Here are 10 world-class freelance photographers and 36 photos of their famous works.
George Lepp
(image credits: George Lepp)
George Lepp is well-known outdoor and nature photographer. His stunning images reveal his environmental responsibility and passion for natural beauty. He captures landscapes and animals with his camera before sharing them with the world. Lepp also writes about his biological and photographic knowledge. The above photos are of a Colorado landscape, tulip fields, a leopard, and hippos in Africa.
Jim Zuckerman
(image credits: Corporate Fine Art)
Wildlife, nature, and travel, a far cry from most doctor’s lives, but that is what Jim Zuckerman started off to be in his career before changing over to a photographer. He started a love affair with photography when he was 20. Like many of the artists featured here, he is a multi-published author and world traveler. His works cover a wild range of topics, but pictured above is a seahorse, a Morpho butterfly from Peru, a vicious piranha, a close encounter with a snarling leopard in Namibia, a giant katydid from Papua, New Guinea, and sparing elk from Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.
Jonathan Blair, Robert Turner, David Muench, Nevada Wier
(image credits: Crocodile Fotos, Crocodile Fotos, theg2gallery,Muench Photography, Nevada Wier, Nevada Wier)
Jonathan Blair was first published in National Geographic Magazine, before his photography took him into adventure stories and underwater photos. The top left picture is called, Exclusive Dining: “The vivid mottlecah eucalyptus lures Australian honey possums, one of two mammal species that live only on nectar and pollen.” The top right is Blair’s of Saunderskill Stream. Robert Turner is an avid conservationist who began as a documentary filmmaker before shifting his skill to photography. He searches out perfect natural lighting as in the woods pictured above. David Muench has more than forty books of landscaping photography. He also works with other photographers in workshops. The bottom left photo of Muench’s is called, Extreme Sierras. Nevada Wier is yet another award-winning freelance photographer. She specializes in very remote corners of the globe and the cultures that inhabit them.The two bottom right photos are hers; she snapped the Galapagos Sea Lions off of Espanola Island and the misty sunrise was captured in Myanmar Maurk.
Jason Bradley
(image credits: Bradley Photographic)
Jason Bradley had wanted to be a marine scientist. As an aspiring researcher, photography was a vital tool. Becoming a photographer was an afterthought for Bradley. He adores nature and most of his freelance photos are marine related. He is an expert at capturing underwater shots and has many galleries showcasing his works.
Dennis Nigel
(image credits: Dennis Nigel)
Dennis Nigel is a wildlife photographer. His works include anything African, wildlife, scenery, people and culture. He offers over 70,000 images on his site as well as extensive photo tips. At top left are cheetah cubs, the picture taken at Kapama Game Reserve, South Africa. Below that image is a meerkat captured at sunset as well a lions all snapped in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. At the top right is Parson’s Chamaeleon, an endangered rainforest species photographed in Madagascar. Nigel also specializes in landscapes, in freezing the moment forever with his camera and then sharing with us the beauty of our natural world.
Pam Wood
(image credits: Photography by Pame)
Pam Wood is a freelance photographer who offers a vast selection of photos from around the globe. She has a quest for capturing the world at its best with her camera, her quest is to capture the magic of moment in time. Wood hopes her pictures make people laugh or smile, while encouraging us to do what can to preserve our planet for future generation to enjoy. “This is an incredible planet we all live on. Let’s celebrate life!”
Galen Rowell
(image credits: Mountain Light)
Galen Rowell was an internationally beloved freelance photographer and global adventurer. His life was tragically cut short when a private plane with his wife and two friends crashed near his home. He offered worldwide wisdom on the environmental impact being wrought upon people and their lands. Some of his works include wild horses in Patagonia, Argentina, a rare 360-degree rainbow over Na Pali Coast, Kauai Island in Hawaii. He captured another rainbow, many in fact, this one over Hidden Peak, Karakoram Himalaya, Pakistan. The next to lower right is called, Stormy Sunset over Evolution Lake. In the bottom right, Star streaks over South Gasherbrum Glacier in Pakistan.
Angie
