Weakened Warrior

This immature bald eagle was brought to the raptor center recently.  Some DNR people found him on the ground by a pond in a park. He was severely weakened and emaciated with a puncture wound in his chest.  We don't know exactly what's wrong with him but are trying to get his strength back up so they can do more tests.  His crop was full of beetle carapaces, so he was probably on the ground for a while trying to take care of himself.  Poor guy. 

 Snapped a few other shots of things at the center

 Took some shots of beaks and talons for an article I am writing for Untamed Science about predation....this will go under the 'morphology of a predator' section

Cacophonously Colorful Camellias

Recently went to a Camellia show put on by the local Camellia Society in Columbus, GA.  What amazing beauty and diversity in a single species of flower!!!  Enjoy these...

There were hundreds of varieties, all locally grown in the Southeast

At the end of the show, this one was gifted to me by one of the show hosts and I used it to decorate my ponytail!

To the Motherland

A few photo memoirs of a recent trip to Puerto Rico..

 El Cacique, a famous Taino sculpture

 Playa Guajataca...used to go here as a kid

 Gandules in Tia Carming's yard

 Aloe and succulents

 The beach at Rincon, a surfer's paradise

 Scuba diving in La Parguera...I saw sea fans, parrotfish, a boxfish, damselfish, sponges, sea cucumbers, tube worms, jellyfish, crabs, spiny shrimp, huge angelfish, anemonies, urchins, sea stars, and a squirrelfish.

 Lush tropical vegetation

 A tiny island on the way to the dive site

Beach in San Juan

Frolicing Fawns

A friend of mine is a local wildife rehabilitator and deer expert.  She recently called me up to tag along on a release of a young male that was brought to her by a game warden.  Some very unintelligent people were keeping this little guy in their back yard with plans of fattening him up and slaughtering him.  Silly rednecks...

At the raptor center getting ready to load up

Carrying his crate deep into the woods

Sniffing and nibbling in his new home

Charming Cheaha

Here are some photos from a recent trip to Cheaha State Park, which boasts the tallest peak in Alabama- a whopping 2047 feet  above sea level.  While I wouldn't exactly call them mountains, it was a pleasant change of scenery from the 'plains' of Auburn.

Untamed Adventures

Recently spent some time in North Carolina with the masterminds of Untamed Science.  We were filming video education pieces for a series on hunter safety training.  What great fun!  We filmed videos on various aspects of firearm safety and handling while traveling and in the field.  Here are some photos from the shoot...

 Filming a piece on clearing an obstruction from your barrel

 Willard, the sweetest and most well-behaved lab I have ever met (acting as our hunting pup)

 My green moster loaded up with gear and ready to traverse the North Carolina countryside

 Setting up the shoot on how to safely load a boat

Filming a segment while 'duck hunting'

Our lovely shooting site, Mountain Island Lake just outside Charlotte, NC

The Inaugural Kia Eco Festival

In the spirit of marine conservation awareness, and in having a plain ole fashioned good time, the interns of C3 organized the first ever Kia Eco Festival.  The festival was aimed at generating awareness about marine conservation issues and the importance of preserving coral reef ecosystems in Fiji.  The event was a wonderful success and received heartfelt support from Kia islanders, especially the members of Yaro village, where we have been living.  The festival meandered throughout a Saturday afternoon and included sundry activities.  Booths were set up with different themes and manned by C3 interns eager to talk about their stations and answer questions.  For adults there were posters, brochures, diagrams and pamphlets to read as well as stalls on alternative livelihoods and recycling.  For children there were games and interactive activities, a character parade, an art contest, a marine-themed quiz, a talent competition, and lots of all around fun. 

 A sea snake, reading his poem about coral reefs

 Entries for the sulu design competition

 Awarding Reef Ranger participation certificates

 The Macuata district provincial officer attended to support the event

 Kids coloring for the art contest

 The childrens character parade

Girls with costumes and their message to Kians