Crispy lechon, fried milk fish, juicy chicken inasal – these are but complements to the main feature on the Filipino supper plate. Taking up nearly three quarters of a meal and most of one’s belly, rice is the star attraction of the Filipino diet. To better appreciate this amazing grain, I decided to travel to northern Luzon to explore the […]
Summer Blog 2013
Peter Umunay in Gabon
I am writing from Libreville, the capital city of Gabon. This is one of the Congo Basin forest countries where, after one month chopping trees down for my research in DRC, I am working with Proforest (an NGO based in the United Kingdom) on Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) and High Conservation Value forests (HCV) before the conversion of […]
Kelly Stoner in Tanzania, part 3
Just a quick post today to note an F&ES connection here in Tanzania! This past semester I took a course entitled “Conservation in Practice: An International Perspective” taught by McKluskey Fellow Dr. Amy Vedder. It was an interesting look at the challenges and opportunities for conserving wildlife, and with a small class of only 16 students we got into some […]
Alisa Zomer in Manila
How to study a megacity: Metro Manila. Step 1: Go to a megacity. Step 2: Take public transport (and hold on tight). Jumping into a jeepney in Manila sucks the unknowing Joe into the rushing, chortling capillary system that is the transport life blood of the Philippines. Reminiscent of the Dick Tracy gangster-style automobiles, jeepneys are remnants of American occupation […]
Tess Croner in Rwanda, part 3
After leaving Nyungwe, we headed to Akagera—Rwanda’s savanna park. Before mountain gorillas started making millions for Rwanda, Akagera was Rwanda’s flagship site for tourism. It better fit the traditional model for African tourism, in which people can spot large, charismatic mammals from the comfort of their land cruisers. Today, the park is overshadowed by Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park (and its […]
Carina Roselli in Iraq, part 2
This blog entry doesn’t say much about the environment and relates very little to my work, but I think it’s a series of stories worth telling. They provide cultural context and a window into the mentality of the local populous. They also answer the questions I’m sure many people interested in my travels here are asking themselves: “What is it […]
Kelly Stoner in Tanzania, Part 2
June 17 he Land Rover growls and grumbles as we bounce over gullies and ditches, the hum of the engine scattering songbirds when we pass by their perches. Rounding one corner, we skirt so close to the edge of an enormous gaping hole in the ground that I involuntarily lean away from it, as if that will keep us from […]
Marissa Knodel in Oregon
he next time I am asked whether I can be an advocate for people and places with the least information, access to, and ability to obtain a just, healthy, and resilient future, and have a career, I can confidently answer “yes!” After my first day at Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW) in Eugene, Oregon, I knew I found the type […]
Sonali Bhasin in New York
At 3 am on Sunday morning, while waiting for the 2 train to make an appearance at a crowded platform in Brooklyn, I sat down next to a group of noisy young tourists my age. Head down, music plugged in, I focused on drowning out the noise around me when yet another garbled announcement about schedule changes played overhead. I […]
Carina Roselli in Iraq
After an amazing whirlwind honeymoon through Italy, my husband and I hastily parted ways at the Turkish Airways terminal of Rome’s Fiumicino Airport. Our goodbye was much too fast for my liking, but the traffic police and our driver hurried my husband back into the car to drop him off at American Airlines. He was heading home to Pennsylvania and […]
Tess Croner in Rwanda, part 2
I’m writing from Gisakura, in the tea fields just outside Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda. I’m two weeks into my internship with the Wildlife Conservation Society here, where I’ve mainly been working with the education and outreach team. It has been a rich and interesting experience so far. For my next few posts, though, I’d like to write more about […]
Yufang Gao in Kenya
“Why do you want to protect the elephants?” A friend of mine asked me this on Weibo after the death of Bonsai, a 26-year-old mother elephant who was shot on my seventh day in the Samburu National Reserve in Northern Kenya. My friend is a Chinese conservationist who has for years strived to protect the wildlife in his hometown. He […]