After a lazy morning, we spent the early afternoon learning about the wonders of and surprising threats to the three species of albatross on Midway. Then, after practicing banding, we biked to Charlie Barracks whereContinue reading
Category: 2008 Trip
Day Seven (1/19/08) – Swimming Among the Coral Brings up Conservation Questions
As we snorkeled on the north side of Midway atoll, we saw a huge difference in the amount of coral and the size of the fish compared to what we observed on our previous snorkelingContinue reading
Day Seven (1/19/08) – Conservation Inspiration on Midway
John Klavitter of the USFWS and his collaborators are running some amazing conservation programs for seabirds on Midway. Their successes are inspirational and provide hope for anyone working to conserve small populations of endangered animals.Continue reading
Day Six (1/18/08) – Paradise is Trashed: What Can We Do to Change This?
After a morning in the lagoon watching spinner dolphins, we combed two restricted beaches to pick up trash – plastics, light bulbs, toothbrushes – to help minimize its impact on the wildlife. It is stunningContinue reading
Day Five (1/17/08) – Getting Oriented to the Middle of Nowhere
We learned about the military and historical significance of Midway and how such a tiny speck in the ocean plays a huge role in preserving threatened bird species. To orient us to Midway, today wasContinue reading
Day Four (1/16/08) – Touchdown at Midway, Home of the Birds
Even arriving on Midway in darkness, we were overwhelmed by the expanse of albatrosses and the hints of the amazing sites we could expect to see in the light of the next day. Today weContinue reading
Day Three (1/15/08) – New Perspectives at the Fish Auction
A very early morning trip to a fishmarket exposed us to different and sometimes conflicting perspectives on sustainable fishing. Usually our giant gray 15-passenger van is loud with at least three different conversations going onContinue reading
Day Two (1/14/08) – Exploring Hawaii’s Wonders
A day of snorkeling, sampling local food favorites and learning about the concept of wilderness set the stage for further discoveries on Midway. We began our second day ready to discover more of Oahu andContinue reading
Day One (1/13/08) – Oahu: Paradise Lost?
Our first day, with trips to Diamond Head and Kaena Point and a lecture on monk seals, focused on ecological threats to the local ecosystem and the surprising survival of some species. After coffee andContinue reading