After watching the Masters Tournament held at the Augusta National Golf Club and being an avid golfer myself, I wanted to research to what extent golf courses around the world require vast amounts of water, fertilizers, and pesticides, and how badly they are harming our environment.  I quickly came across an article from National Geographic titled “Golf Masters Green–Ten Environmental Courses” that does not so much address the negative effects of this, but focuses on a shift in practices.  While golf courses have been detrimental to the well-being of our environment, there are efforts being made to help golf earn a greener reputation, as the article says.  Consumer consciousness about sustainability, an economic recession, and new technologies in turfgrass, sprinkler systems, and carbon-neutral engineering are all helping the cause.  The amounts of water, fertilizers, and pesticides that the featured golf courses consume have undoubtedly been ridiculous, but it is interesting to read about the measures being taken to curb the negative impacts this consumption has had.

Definitely check out the website, whether you’re a golf fan or not.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/04/pictures/110408-golf-masters-green-environment-courses/#/golf-environment-augusta_34373_600x450.jpg

Featured in the New York Times is a seventeen page slide show titled Cloud Forests, Birds, and the Origins of Island Life.  Chris Filardi, a biologist at the American Museum of Natural history, traveled to the Solomon Islands in order to study evolution and conservation of the island’s species.  Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papau New Guinea, that consists of nearly one thousand islands.  The slide show features bits and pieces of his photographs and field notes from the expedition.

Chris Fildardi writes,

“For biologists, islands have always been illuminating places. In part, this reflects both the relative simplicity of island ecosystems and also the richly unique, and sometimes bizarre, turns that life takes on islands – think parrots behaving like big rodents, massive dragonlike lizards and miniature hippos, giant flightless dodo birds and tiny ground-foraging bats.”

So, why not take a break from studying and take yourself on a trip to the Solomon Islands?

Created in 1980 through funding provided by the National Science Foundation, Long Term Ecological Research Sites are essential locations for ecological learning across the country. Growing up in Florida, I’ve always been extremely interested in the ecosystems of the Everglades. When I therefore found out about Florida Coastal Everglades long term ecological research in a place close to home, I immediately wanted to learn more- not only about what the scientists were studying and learning, but as well the impact of this knowledge on the greater geographic community. Research in the Everglades is focusing primarily on the interaction of saltwater and freshwater and the resulting ecosystems. Not only, though, do scientists study the impact of water type of Everglade ecosystems, they focus as well on the impact of changing climates and human interactions. Since it’s establishment in 2000, the LTER in the Everglades has finished its first stage of research, completed in 2006. Though phase I was primarily aimed at generating a basic understanding of the various Everglades ecosystems, phase II will focus primarily on the impact of changing freshwater chemistry on brackish water ecosystems. With an anticipated completion date of 2012, phase II of the Everglades research will provide essential information helping not only the area ecosystem, but similar ecosystems on a national scale as well. The website for this research project includes basic research information in addition to an interactive map depicting the spatial scale of research.

Nature and Culture International (Naturaleza y Cultura Internacional in Spanish) is a conservation NGO that is based out of San Francisco, but works in Ecuador, Peru, Mexico and Colombia. In these regions the organization aims to protect threatened natural ecosystems that provide important functions for their respective regions, including biodiversity preservation. These conservation programs are viewed as unique since they view humans as an integral part of the biosphere and, therefore, a group that needs to be highly involved in the conservation process. This involvement allows for environmental protection while, simultaneously, improving the standard of living in the communities where the organization works.

While I was studying abroad in Ecuador I was able to work with this NGO for 4 weeks. During this time I learned a lot about this new approach to conservation. Although there are many difficulties associated with this conservation, I think that it provides more sustainable conservation since it views people as a part of the environment.

The Appalachian Mountain Club was founded in 1876 in order to help maintain and protect the Appalachian Mountains in the North East US.  They are actually the US’s oldest nature conservancy group.  I have personally done work as a volunteer and have seen the work they do in order to keep the natural environment and educate in Leave-No-Trace hiking.  Those of us down in Virginia know of the Potomac Mountain Club, which is the southern version of the AMC.

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The Galapagos Islands, officially known as El Archipielago de Colon, is an archipelago of volcanic islands located in Ecuador, about 950 km off the coast. Their most remarkable feature is their biodiversity, within the islands one can see the famous Galapagos Tortoise, marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies, the land iguanas, lava lizards, frigate birds, sea lions, amongst other species. Furthermore, the islands are also known because Charles Darwin studied them during his voyage on the Beagle. The endemic species residing in these islands contributed to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by natural selection. There are amazing islands, lots of things to do from just lying in the beach to canoeing and exploring the islands. Other features are their volcanoes. 

If anyone is headed over the South Africa this summer for the World Cup or any other reason one of the great things to do is visit their National Parks.  I was able to do this back in 2005 and it was amazing.  I reccomend the Kruger National Park myself, but I was only able to visit a couple of them.  Depending on which park you choose to visit and how much time you want to spend there, the option of staying overnight could be available.  Additionally, if you or someone in your party is not a “camper” per se there are some resort style options set up inside certain parks.

The south african national parks website provides intracate details about each park and even helps you set up and plan trips.  Check you the website if you are interested in learning about the different wildlife available in africa and the differences between their national parks and ours here in the United States.