The Galapagos Islands offer a showcase of nature’s wonderments. Home to numerous birds and reptiles, and even a few mammals that are found no where else on Earth, these islands have been protected by both local and international efforts. In January 2012, new rules were put into place, by the Ecuadorian government, presumably to protect…

When the gray wolf was taken off of the Endangered Species List and management was handed over to state governments, Idaho immediately began slaughtering its wolves, and Montana started responsibly –with a reasonable statewide hunting season, fair chase ethics, and scientifically established quotas for each wolf management unit—but within two years degenerated into anti-wolf policies…

So many places to go, so little time to spare. How do you decide your next “once in a life time trip” destination? Some people have this whole travel thing down. During their flight home from one adventure they are planning their next. Much of America has only two weeks a year to look forward…

Day 7 / Feb 11 – Our final day in the Dominican Republic was the only one it rained.  Torrential downpours, the first in 2 weeks, did not dampen our determination to tick the final endemic species of our trip, the critically-endangered Ridgway’s Hawk, found only in the mountain ranges of Los Haities National Park.  …

Day 6 / Feb 10 – Today we transferred from one region of the Dominican Republic to another, aiming to find the few remaining endemic species we needed.  Before embarking on the long drive, we took a pre-breakfast trek back up the eastern slope of the Sierra de Bahoruco to Cachote, navigating yet another rough,…

Day 5 / Feb 9 – Today we continued our avian exploration of the southwestern side of Sierra de Bahoruco National Park, and the Barahona peninsula. We began after breakfast with a visit to the lagoons and wetlands of Cabo Rojo, situated adjacent to a cement factory, between the Sierra de Bahoruco and Jaragua National…

  Day 4 / Feb 8 – This morning, our birding tour of the Dominican Republic took us down the southwest coastline, along the edges of the Barahona peninsula.  Where the lush hills of the Sierra Bahoruco meet the sparkling blue waters of the Caribbean Sea, Royal Terns and Brown Pelicans could be seen diving.…

Day 3 / Feb 7 – Our exploration of the Dominican Republic continued on day 3, starting well before dawn to climb high into the mountain range of Sierra de Bahoruco National Park.  Though the total distance is less than 70 kms, it took nearly 3 hours to negotiate the steep, rocky, limestone-covered road in…

  Day 2 / Feb 6 – Our first full day in the Dominican Republic began early, as Gabriel and I were eager to explore and continue our quest for the 32 Hispaniolan avian endemics that make this island a popular birding destination.  We left the capital, Santo Domingo, and picked-up local expert Miguel, who…

Day 1/ Feb 5 – The Dominican Republic side of Hispaniola hosts a high number of avian endemics amidst a variety of habitats, making it an appealing birding destination.  With this in mind, Gabriel Lugo, a fellow Wildside Tour Leader, and myself journeyed there to scout the island and organize an itinerary for a future…

Kevin Loughlin, Jared Lloyd and I are currently at the Space Coast Birding Festival in Titusville, Florida, where the Wildside Nature Tours booth is getting a great deal of attention!  We have spent a few wonderful hours each morning, before the exhibit hall opens, at Viera Wetlands, about 25 miles south of Titusville.   The…

December 12 – Our last full day in Morocco was no less memorable than all the others, filled with exciting experiences and memories to last a lifetime.   After a delicious breakfast, we departed from the wonderful Dar Daif in Ouarzazate and headed northwest to Marrakesh.  We stopped briefly to admire an ancient Kasbah, Ait…