Nature Articles

Environment » Nature | By Jack Deal @ Friday, 7th March 2008 @ 3:39 PM

Looking out across the dark Caribbean night from Punta Allen one sees three equally sized glowing areas on the distant horizon to the north. The furthest out is Cancun, the next Playa del Carmen and the last Tulum. Cancun has a bit less than a million people; Playa has 300,000 and Tulum now over 30,000. Playa Del Carmen is the fastest growing municipality in Mexico. But from Punta Allen each lighted area appears to be the same size since Cancun is farther away than Playa a... more...

Environment » Nature | By Jerry Work @ Friday, 7th March 2008 @ 11:11 AM

Cork is a wondrous material that provides mankind with numerous benefits. Cork is made from the bark of the evergreen species of oak genus called the Quercus. The wood is native to southwest Europe and northwest Africa. It has also been introduced into warmer areas of the United States, but by far the number one producer of cork oak is Portugal, which accounts for half of the world's cork. The cork oak tree has a very thick bark (known as "cork"), which can be harvested for t... more...

Environment » Nature | By Jack Deal @ Friday, 29th February 2008 @ 12:20 PM

The jaguar or panthera onca has to be one of the most magnificent animals on Earth. Maybe the most magnificent. Only the tiger and lion are larger cats. Our Maya friend Aniceto says we have a jaguar den on our ranch; probably some shallow limestone cave covered by dense growth. Part of our ranch is virgin rainforest. We've never seen our jaguar but he has. One evening coming back from his "milpa" he saw it in the middle of the road. Usually they don't co... more...

Environment » Nature | By Jon Kelly @ Tuesday, 26th February 2008 @ 9:01 PM

Most of us regard the orchid as a beautiful, exotic and romantic flower. Most are also unaware of their spectacular history and the passionate efforts which have gone into finding, cataloguing and creating the orchids which we enjoy today. A register of orchids is held at the Royal Horticultural Society in London. The Vanilla orchid was the first to enter Europe back in 1510. This was the source for the second most expensive flavouring extract (the most expensive being the saffron crocus)... more...

Environment » Nature | By Kenneth Scott @ Tuesday, 26th February 2008 @ 2:41 AM

Many people take pleasure in gardening. They put considerable time and energy into creating pleasant environments around their houses using the very simple elements of seeds, a spade, and fertilizer. A great many people prefer organic fertilizer to the artificial kinds that are manufactured from synthetically produced chemicals. Urea is a good example of such a fertilizer. It is commonly used to promote blooming in plants. Natural organic fertilizers are so called for obvious reasons. Al... more...

Environment » Nature | By Jack Deal @ Wednesday, 16th January 2008 @ 1:36 AM

The first few days after the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, Santa Cruz was landlocked. Highway 1 was closed in both directions as were Highways 17 and 9. Highway 9 was the first to open and that's what I used to get to San Jose and the Bay Area. It took several extra hours so I also spent the night in hotels. But the phones eventually worked and the power was fine and business continued if not somewhat altered. Altered is an understatement; after a major earthquake, nothing is the s... more...

Environment » Nature | By Roger Munns @ Wednesday, 16th January 2008 @ 1:30 AM

Tenerife is just one of the seven Canary Islands off the coast of Africa, yet it is making a huge impact on the environment. Tenerife has a commitment to the private and public sector to go green and do whatever they can to protect the environment of the island. Tenerife and Tourism The island of Tenerife is completely dependent on tourism. Tenerife has been a favorite destination for UK visitors for some time. Known as a Paradise Island, Tenerife is sunny year-round, which makes i... more...

Environment » Nature | By Scott Peters @ Thursday, 10th January 2008 @ 11:11 PM

The Hanford Elk Herd, also known as the Rattlesnake Hills Elk Herd, has been rapidly expanding in recent years, especially in the Fitzner-Eberhart Arid Lands Ecology (ALE) reserve of the Hanford site. This reserve is a restricted access area with unique habitats that is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). This organization is currently developing a Comprehensive Conservation Plan for the management of this area. An important component of this plan will be the conflicti... more...

Environment » Nature | By Tyler James Ellison @ Sunday, 30th December 2007 @ 9:26 PM

There are two basic ways to grow the salvia divinorum herb. Salvia can either be grown from a seed, or from cuttings taken from a healthy plant. The easiest way to grow the salvia divinorum herb is from a seed. To make sure that it propagates correctly, you will want to be sure to implement all the necessary steps needed to grow it successfully. To grow salvia from a seed, you will need to obtain the seed from a supplier. You can find several good ones online if there are none near you ... more...

Environment » Nature | By Roger Munns @ Monday, 24th December 2007 @ 8:00 PM

New statistics for the temperature of the Mediterranean are better than predicted, and conflict with some environmental leaders have been saying. Among the leaders with a Mediterranean coastline none have been campaigning so successfully as Prince Albert of Monaco. Since becoming Soverign of Monaco, Prince Albert has let it be known that the environment is a major concern of his, and early on in his reign made a visit to the North Pole to highlight global warming, and he has establ... more...

Environment » Nature | By Shaun Parker @ Thursday, 29th November 2007 @ 4:08 PM

Of all the plants used in hedges the most quintessentially British is yew hedging. It is the oldest living tree in the British Isles with yews in England and Wales that is over 3,000 years of age - the Fortingall yew in Perthshire is between 4-5,000 years old. The yew is inextricably linked with death and rebirth - every old churchyard has a yew tree to ward off evil spirits. The tool of an English long bowman's trade was made of yew, which was once feared upon through Europe and w... more...

Environment » Nature | By Janet Winter @ Thursday, 29th November 2007 @ 4:04 PM

Feeding wild birds in winter is an enjoyable past time, makes our feathered friends happy, and keeps them coming back to our feeders. So what should be on their menu to help them through the cold days of winter? Before we answer that, let's get something out of the way. By attracting birds to our feeders, are we making them too dependent on a free source of food, and weakening their ability to find food on their own? Do we actually put birds at greater risk because of cats and fly... more...

Environment » Nature | By Gaizka Pujana @ Friday, 23rd November 2007 @ 11:58 PM

It is widely believed that the carnation is one of the world's oldest types of flower. Today's beautiful carnation has evolved from the ancient dianthus caryophyllus flower. The original flower was a bright pink or purple, while these days carnations can be found in a variety of other colors including red, white and yellow and also striped variations. The carnation is one of the most popular and long lasting flowers enjoyed for its attractive colors and fragrance. This flower ... more...

Environment » Nature | By David Urmann @ Friday, 23rd November 2007 @ 9:57 PM

The giant squid is one of the monstrous creatures still alive and always alluring many researchers around the world but till this time seems more mystifying as none of the giant squids are captured alive and the research is based on the corpses which are washed ashore. This has led the scientists and researchers to study this mammoth sea creature from the carcasses washed ashore. With limited samples, the researchers have been able to know some amazing facts about this mammoth sea... more...

Environment » Nature | By Roger Munns @ Friday, 23rd November 2007 @ 12:27 AM

The Arctic tundra may soon see a second visit from Prince Albert of Monaco. A Russian news agency announced in October that Albert II intends to visit the North Pole in a Russian airship next spring. The expedition will be led by Jean-Louis Etienne, a French explorer famous for becoming the first man to travel to the North Pole alone on foot in 1986. Not only does he have Arctic experience, he crossed the entire continent of Antarctica on foot in 1989 and 1990. He has also sailed around the worl... more...

Environment » Nature | By Jimmy Cox @ Wednesday, 31st October 2007 @ 4:36 AM

North, South, East or West - no matter where you live - there are evergreens for every garden. The luxuriance of their foliage, the different shades of green, their variety of forms, textures, and heights contribute lavishly to the planting design. Indeed, like old friends, they can always be depended on to give us real enjoyment through the years. Their easy upkeep, permanence, and the all-year-round green they provide make them all-important in garden-making. In making a planting plan i... more...

Environment » Nature | By MIKE SELVON @ Friday, 19th October 2007 @ 10:11 PM

Not all national parks in Canada are cut from the same cloth. They are as diverse as the country is wide. From the east coast of Newfoundland to the farthest reaches of the Northwest Territories, you will find something for every taste and budget. There are too many to name all national parks in Canada but below are three popular ones you shouldn't miss. Cape Breton Highlands, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia Driving along the Cabot Trail that skirts the rocky cliffs of the northern c... more...

Environment » Nature | By Roger Munns @ Friday, 19th October 2007 @ 10:36 AM

The UN has launched a campaign to plant a billion new trees, which is being welcomed by environmentalists, but with a warning by some that in certain regions it could do more harm than good. While the campaign claims that each tree uses up 26 pounds of co2 emissions and in return produces enough oxygen for a family of four, planting the right trees is important to help the world improve her ecological and environment balance. In areas that historically have suffered from a lack of ... more...

Environment » Nature | By Roger Munns @ Sunday, 14th October 2007 @ 12:59 AM

Global warming and rising tea temperatures aren't playing to the script that environment campaigner Prince Albert of Monaco might have expected, according to recently released figures. Since becoming Soverign of Monaco, Prince Albert has let it be known that the environment is a major concern of his, and early on in his reign made a visit to the North Pole to highlight global warming, and he has established a foundation to study among other things, ironically sea temperatures. more...

Environment » Nature | By Roger Munns @ Saturday, 13th October 2007 @ 1:22 AM

If ever there was an industry that needed global warming not to be true, it has to be the ski industry. No snow, no skiing, and the skiing industry would belong to a sporting museum. So perhaps it comes as no surprise that one European country which relies on the ski industry trade more than most others has decided to ditch traditional print brochures for the internet only. Andorra is a small country with borders that meet both France and Spain, set in the Pyrenees mountains. Andor... more...