Boston Flora

Tag: Galapagos

  • Saturday, December 31, 2022 – Monday, January 9, 2023 – The Galapagos Islands

    Fly to the Galápagos Islands for a 7-night cruise aboard a 20-passenger premium-class Relais & Chateaux yacht, the 142-foot M/V Theory. Accompanied by an Harvard Alumni Association study leader and superb staff of resident naturalists, observe Giant Galapagos tortoises, flocks of frigate birds and blue-footed boobies, Darwin’s finches, and Galapagos penguins, colonies of marine iguanas and sea lions, along with other fascinating sea life. Conclude with a tour of Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city, and its lovely riverfront. An optional pre-trip to Guayaquil offers a visit to a charming hacienda and cacao plantation and New Years’ Eve dinner in the city. An optional post-trip extension to Machu Picchu offers an excellent introduction to the rich cultural and archaeological wonders of Peru. The itinerary and pricing (not for the faint hearted) may be found HERE. But we only live once.

  • Thursday, October 29 – Sunday, November 8 – Ecuadorian Cloud Forest & Galapagos Islands

    Thursday, October 29 – Sunday, November 8 – Ecuadorian Cloud Forest & Galapagos Islands

    The Galápagos Islands were Charles Darwin’s “Living Laboratory of Evolution,” named for the tortoises that roam the lush landscapes of the small archipelago. This Pacific Horticulture Society active learning adventure is an opportunity to experience the islands’ highly specialized and endemic flora, fauna, and environments in a way that most visitors to the Galápagos seldom do—through fun activities like snorkeling, hiking, kayaking, and biking. You’ll learn about the natural and human history of the islands during visits to North Seymour, El Chato Tortoise Reserve, Mosquera Islet, Punta Carrion, Cerro Mesa, and a host of other highlights on the Enchanted Islands. The Ecuadorian Cloud Forest awaits; brimming with floral species of epiphytes, ferns, palms, and nearly 50 species of hummingbirds. The enormous biodiversity of this region is like none other! Land cost $6,580 per person, with single room supplement of $995. For complete brochure visit Holbrook Travel, https://www.holbrooktravel.com/where-we-travel/galapagos-islands/pacific-horticulture-society-20

  • Saturday, November 5, 9:30 am – 12:00 noon – Turtles, Tortoises, and Terrapins: An Introduction to the Shelled Reptiles

    Using preserved specimens from Harvard University’s Herpetology collection, as well as live animals, participants in this Harvard Museum of Natural History class on Saturday, November 5 from 9:30 – noon will learn basic turtle anatomy, determine the primary characteristics of the most common turtle families, consider the unique adaptations of some individual species, and view several historically significant specimens. Participants can look closely at iconic specimens, including a Galápagos tortoise collected by a whaler in the Galápagos Islands in 1835, the same year of Charles Darwin’s visit there, and a turtle collected by Henry David Thoreau in Concord, Massachusetts.  Instructor: Joe Martinez, Curatorial Assistant Herpetology Department Museum of Comparative Zoology

    Fees: $40 Museum members/$50 nonmembers.  Register online at http://hmnh.harvard.edu/event/turtles-tortoises-and-terrapins-introduction-shelled-reptiles

  • Friday, November 6 – Sunday, November 15 – The Galapagos Islands

    Hidden Treasures Tours is conducting a land-based history, conservation, and cultural approach to the Galapagos Islands November 6 – 15, 2015. This trip is designed for travelers to understand Galapagos through its history. Learn how the first humans inhabited the Islands and the way in which they bonded with this very fragile environment. You will learn about the damage caused by the first settlers, the current programs to preserve this delicate ecosystem and how local population is engaged in conserving the Archipelago. Visit Galapagos’ most important islands, kayaking and snorkeling through crystal clear waters filled with colorful, tropical fish, sea turtles, dolphins and reef sharks. Walk through amazing volcanic landscapes filled with candelabra cactus and awesome lizards, and finally, learn how to make ceviche, a tasty dish from Ecuador’s coastline – fresh fish or shrimp marinated with lime, onions and delicious herbs. Explore the full itinerary and receive more information by emailing kari@hiddentreasurestours.com.

  • Sunday, November 6, 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm – Birds of the Americas

    Boston-based photographer Eduardo del Solar will be showing his nature photography in an exhibit entitled Birds of the Americas at Joppa Flats Education Center, 1 Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport, Massachusetts from November 6 through December 31. The public is cordially invited to meet the artist at a free gallery reception on Sunday, November 6, 2:30-4:00 pm. A portion of all purchases made during the exhibit helps to support the Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Joppa Flats.

    Eduardo del Solar finds that spending time inside as a technology teacher in Boston contrasts nicely with his extracurricular interest: to get outside in nature, find wildlife, wait for the best light, and take photographs. Born and raised in Lima, Peru, del Solar has been working since 2007 on a photographic series of American birds in such locations as his native country, Costa Rica, the Galapagos Islands, Canada, and, of course, New England. He is currently working with Goldenrod, an environmental agency at Plymouth Long Beach, where he is photographing birds through an entire year of seasonal changes. “As a photographer, providing artistic and technical renditions of species across the Americas is my primary goal. For this exhibit I have included a few endemic species from these places I have visited as well as some of my favorite images from the Goldenrod project,” says del Solar.

  • Saturday, February 5, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Darwinian Botany

    As a young man, Charles Darwin traveled on the HMS Beagle to the Galapagos archipelago, and later in his life offered to the scientific world the theory of evolution by natural selection. Darwin was also an expert botanist, and in his writings described pollination mechanisms, heterostyly, and insectivory. Join Darwinian student and botanist Dr. Judith Sumner at Garden in the Woods in Framingham, Massachusetts on Saturday, February 5, from 10 – 3, for this exploration of the life and botanical work of Charles Darwin. Discuss Darwin’s life, his voyage (1831-36) on the HMS Beagle, and his various botanical works. The course includes hands-on demonstrations and observations of plants that fascinated Darwin, as well as a traditional English tea to celebrate the anniversary of his birth on February 12. Co-sponsored by The New England Wild Flower Society and the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. $70 for members of either sponsoring organization, $84 for non-members. www.newfs.org.

  • Saturday, October 3, 2:00 – 4:00 pm – Birds of the Americas III Exhibit Opening

    Providing artistic and technical renditions of species across the Americas is the primary goal of local educator and photographer Eduardo del Solar. For this exhibit at Mass Audubon’s Boston Nature Center, 500 Walk Hill Street, Mattapan, he has captured images of endemic species from South America in their natural habitat. This year Eduardo has visited the islands of San Cristobal, Santa Cruz and Española in Galapagos as well as the Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve in mainland Ecuador. Coastal birds from Lima and images of northern visitors to New England are part of this exhibit as well. Meet the artist and enjoy refreshments! Exhibit runs through October 31, 2009.  The free opening reception with wine and cheese will be held Saturday, October 3, from 2 – 4 pm.  For more information, log on to www.massaudubon.org, call 617-983-8500, or email bnc@massaudubon.org.

    http://www.treehugger.com/eduardo-del-solar.jpg