National Geographic's newest Explorer-in-Residence

Brilliant Scientist visits Maropeng

When Vince and I first set up house after we were married, his dowry included three things of note to add to our new domestic life. A California king-size waterbed, a stereo and speaker system more suited to Madison Square Garden than to our little one-bedroom apartment, and complete collections of Mad and National Geographic magazines.

I'm not going to go as far as to say his National Geographic collection had an influence on my decision to marry Vince, but like chicken soup when you're sick, it didn't hurt.

my knobby knee sticking into the photo on the far right

We kept up his subscription throughout our marriage until we knew we'd definitely be moving overseas. It was tough making the decision whether to keep the collection in storage in the US or put it out in the recycle pile before we moved to South Africa. In the end, we went through the entire collection and kept the issues we considered sacred.

Like the one on the first lunar landing or the one where a picture of my knee made it into the article about the Jersey Shore. It was from a Yoga on the Beach session in Bay Head. You cannot tell it is my knee. It was not named, but I knew where I was positioned that day Amy Toensing was in Bay Head to photograph us and that is most definitely my knee. No autographs please.

National Geographic photography exhibit @ Chautauqua

w/ Will Steger at a Waterkeeper event at NY's Explorers Club

I actually had the opportunity to study with another National Geographic photographer, Annie Griffiths Belt, during National Geographic week at Chautauqua Institution and I was able to put my studies into action on a National Geographic and Lindblad Expedition in the Galapagos.
 

But those were not my only brushes with the National Geographic Society. When I worked for Waterkeeper Alliance, a world-wide environmental water resource conservation not-for-profit, I was extremely lucky to be to able to meet and, in a very small way, even work with several of my idols, anthropologist and ethnobotanist Wade Davis and Arctic explorer Will Steger, both National Geographic Society Explorers-in-Residence.

National Geographic's Explorers-in-Residence are some of the world’s preeminent explorers and scientists and represent a broad range of science and exploration; they develop programs in their respective areas of study, carrying out fieldwork supported by the Society.

In August, 2013 Paleoanthropologist Lee R. Berger, who is the Research Professor in Human Evolution and the Public Understanding of Science at the University of the Witwatersrand here in Johannesburg, was named National Geographic's newest Explorer-in-Residence.

Berger’s explorations into human origins in Africa over more than two decades have resulted in many significant discoveries, and he directs one of the largest paleontological projects in history, leading more than 100 scientists who are studying fossils from a rich, recently discovered site outside Johannesburg called Malapa. The excavated fossils are currently being analyzed and prepared at Wits University and it is expected that an exhibition showcasing the find will soon follow. Can't wait!

In the meantime we stopped by Maropeng in the Cradle of Humankind to see the latest exhibition of the world-famous cranium fossil Mrs. Ples alongside a selection of hominid fossils discovered in the nearby Sterkfontein Caves located in this important World Heritage Site.

These significant fossils, usually housed in the Archaeology Department at Wits, were let out of hiding for a short amount of time and were on rare display for the public to view. Including this "brilliant scientist" at the tippy top of this blog post whose visit to Maropeng made the cover of  "Nationals Ceographic"! No autographs please.

Winos for Rhinos 2014

African Parks showcased on CNN

A senior CNN investigative team visited Odzala-Kokoua National Park late last year to report on African Parks’ ground-breaking amnesty programme for former poachers, the role of the Chinese in illegal ivory trading and the conservation of elephants and gorillas in and around the park. 

To see all five news reports, click here: Team Uncovers Odzala

January is the new "Back to School"

waiting for the Pingry bus for Nick's 1st day

Most of the world recognizes January 1 as the first day of the new year, but for me the new year always started on the first day back to school. A real new year with new possibilities, new friends to meet, new things to learn and try. Much more exciting than just a day on the calendar. This always created an internal conflict for me. To think I had to move to South Africa to finally get some convergence of the two!

Today is the first day of the new school year in South Africa. Makes sense, right? The South African summer vacation has just ended here. For most of the USA though, the first day of school is in September right after Labor Day, the official end of the American summer vacation.

my brother Bob's 1st day of kindergarten

To this day I still get the Pavlovian urge to go out and buy and sharpen new pencils in September. I can still distinctly remember the feeling of toe shock after putting on my St. Michael's saddle shoes after a barefoot summer of sandals and flip flops at the shore.

I have to admit seeing the "back to school" specials advertised in the newspapers and the kids walking to school in their uniforms, I got that old nostalgic feeling again. I am not a big one for New Year's resolutions but I am a huge fan of learning something new every day.

I think to celebrate the new year, I will sign up for that Zulu class today!

The Great Midsummer Butterfly Migration

Every midsummer the Brown-veined White Butterfly, Belenois aurota aurota, migrates in a northeasterly direction across South Africa to Madagascar like an out of place snow shower. It is happening right now at Valley Lodge, all over Sandton and I have to imagine all across the country. It is beautiful!

Depending on the amount of rain, the migration can happen anytime between December and February in Joburg and it only lasts a little more than a day! Talk about ephemeral! I am so glad we were here to see it.

Vince and I were going to try to capture it on film, but then I found this YouTube video by Irwin Juckes which he made in December of 2012 that captures it perfectly. I don't think I could do a better job! Enjoy a moment of zen:

Recording wine labels

When we first started making candle holders out of wine bottles, it served three purposes. It was a unique way to hold candles. It was a practical way to recycle and reuse. And it helped to catalog the wines we wanted to remember. Like a living wine library.

There are so many great wines here which we read about in magazines or imbibed in restaurants and then wanted to buy for our own "cellar" at home. We are still learning about South African wines. There are so many! It is nice to have a record of the ones we've tried and enjoyed so that when we go to the wine store to stock up or visit the wine country to sample, we go armed with some knowledge.



But you just need so many candle holders. (We never did have all the power outages we were warned about last winter summer.)










Or bottles to hold your beach sand and porcupine quill and owl feather collections!

So I have started a new cataloging system. I keep a digital picture library. Now I don't even have to bring the bottles home from the restaurants as we used to do in the dark days before digital. We would ask the waiters to save the bottles for us which half the time we would actually forget to bring home with us. Then we would carefully and painstakingly remove the labels and store them in leather wine library books.

Those books are all in storage back in The USA now. A digital library takes up so much less space!

Lou and Serge are out of the doghouse

Broshararm Kennels in Blue Hills, Midrand was "kennel sweet kennel" for Lou and Serge for the past 3 1/2 weeks we spent gallivanting around South Africa for our Reconciliation Day weekend to Christmas to New Year's to Epiphany holiday. They actually didn't hate it.
















They had their own roomy private suite to share (living room and bedroom!), heated floor if it got chilly at night, protection from the rain, lots of ground to roam around on their walks, tons of friends to play with  (they romped with like-sized little dogs) and a veterinary clinic right on site. The kennel also gave us regular reports on how the pups were doing. So comforting.




 




They pay very strict attention to feeding times and amounts, medical and dietary needs, and request you bring their favorite foods, toys and bedding to help with their emotional comfort.

I highly recommend them for a long term kennel.

Broshacarm Kennels & Cattery
011 318 2306

doggie crackers for my Christmas Ladies' Lunch & Yappy Hour

I left two doggie crackers with treats and chews inside for Lou and Serge to open on Christmas morning. I saved two more for them when they returned in January. The great thing about dogs is that they cannot see beyond the cheap attempts to buy forgiveness with treats in order to hold a grudge! I'm counting on it.