Resources and Reflections » cultural tourism

Condors in NorCal

Cyclo-monger — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:54:58 +0000

The Yurok Tribe of northern California is currently performing research preparatory to releasing captive bred Condors into their northern California range. If successful, this would mark the first time these magnificent birds will be seen in the skies of our region in over 100 years. This effort is being made in the context of tribal efforts of “repair the world”, and undertaking that every living thing must be a part of.

For me, every turn of my bicycle wheels is a manifestation of my own personal commitment to healing the world. A small thing, to be sure, but inasmuch as the wheel is a sacred form to many peoples, and great change is the cumulative effect of many small actions, I will continue to ride, believing that my wheels are prayer wheels for the healing of the world too.

The following is quoted from the AP article;

Tribal effort to fix broken world hinges on condor

By JEFF BARNARD, Associated Press Writer Jeff Barnard, Associated Press Writer – Sun Aug 16, 1:14 am ET

ORICK, Calif. – The tribes of the lower Klamath River have since ancient times decorated themselves with condor feathers when they performed the dances designed to heal a world gone wrong.

“It can soar the highest, so we figured that was the one to get our prayers to heaven when we were asking for the world to be in balance,” said Richard Myers, a member of the Yurok Tribal Council and a leader in the revival of the tribe’s world renewal ceremonies.

Now the Yurok Tribe is using modern science in hopes of restoring condors, which have not soared above the northern coast of California since 1914.

If they establish that condors can survive here, and get federal permission to introduce birds from a captive breeding program, it would be the first restoration of condors in the northern half of its historic range, and a stepping stone to condors soaring over Oregon and Washington. Lewis and Clark collected some as they trekked down the Columbia River.

With a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the tribe is trapping turkey vultures to test for lead poisoning from eating the rotting remains of deer and elk contaminated by lead bullets, and cutting plugs of blubber from dead sea lions to measure the legacy of DDT pesticides. Those tests will help determine potential toxic threats to condors.

Researchers from Oregon State University and the Oregon Zoo are computer mapping areas throughout the Northwest where condors can nest in big trees and rocky cliffs, and soar over steep hillsides with the kind of sustained winds that draw hang gliders.

“He was like the boss of all the birds,” said the tribal council’s Myers. “At one point in time in our world we know where the beginning of the world was. We call it Kenick. The birds and animals would all speak the same language. He was the first one. He was also the first one to go extinct for whatever reasons.”

The details of why condors went extinct in the Northwest are not clear. Tribal wildlife biologist Chris West figures that a big factor was commercial whaling and sealing, which deprived the birds of a major source of food washing up on the beach. Tests of feathers indicate marine sources comprised up to half the diet of some birds.

That’s why he drove two hours South to Ferndale, then hiked nearly an hour back up the beach to find a dead sea lion reported by another biologist……………………

Given the AP’s new policies on bloggers quoting their work, I recommended that interested readers find the full text at

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090816/ap_on_re_us/us_return_of_the_condor_5

Rally for State Parks Saturday, June 20

Cyclo-monger — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 19:00:21 +0000

Please join Mendocino Area Parks Association’ s Carolyne Cathey and other park supporters and visitors 1:00PM today – Saturday June 20 – at 1:00PM beside the Ford House on Mendocino Headlands. The issues may not be clear to all of us, and this is your chance to hear what is going on with the state parks funding and how critical our voices are right now.
Enjoy some music and stop in the Ford House for a tour of this historic house on the headlands.

The only hope we have left to keep the parks open is to encourage all the voters in the state to contact their Senators, Representatives, and the Governor and ask for their “Yes” vote on a new funding stream to support our state parks — a $15/year per vehicle State Park Access Pass added to our car registrations. The Republican Caucus in both the Senate and the House, and the Governor, oppose this concept. With a SPAP, any of us with a California registered vehicle will have free day use, no matter how many times we entered the Parks.

To her credit, Assemblywoman Patty Wiggins not only supports funding for state parks, but she had already taken a salary cut, and reduced her per diem reimbursement for living expenses in Sacramento. Senator Wes Chesbro is also a strong support of parks.

Without some funding mechanism in this budget round, Parks will close. Businesses will be hurt when visitors stop coming because the campgrounds are closed, the restrooms are locked, the litter piles up and the roads are barricaded. Park properties will suffer right here where we live
and all over the state.

Please come and listen, and lend your support to help keeps our
parks open.

I am only a member of one MCN community list, Fort Bragg. If you would be so kind, we would appreciate it if you would send this message to the other local community lists as well.

Thank you,

Marilyn Boese
www.mendoparks. org

Budapest, HU

Cyclo-monger — Fri, 22 May 2009 08:10:33 +0000

“That is the sort of magnetic quality that Budapest radiates. Peaceful and bustling, a big metropolis and yet friendly, it treasures the old and embraces the …” That is what they say. I’d like to know more.

“Ez az a fajta mágneses minőségi Budapest sugárzik. Békés, nyüzsgő, nagy metropolisz és mégis barátságos, a kincsek és a régi öleli fel …” Ez az, amit mondanak. Szeretnék többet megtudni.

Budapest Tourism Office – Official website of Budapest : Travel to …

Budapest - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Budapest, Hungary Forecast : Weather Underground

Budapest webcam - Webcams Budapest , webcameras Hungary - Budapest …

Picture of Weird Wine Fountain in the Castle Hill Dungeons …

Tell us more. Meséld tovább.

Sevenoaks, GB

Cyclo-monger — Fri, 22 May 2009 07:57:49 +0000

Riverhead, Chipstead and Knole Park, storied names no doubt. I wish I knew those stories

Sevenoaks - Foreca Weather

Sevenoaks,,GB Hotels! Sevenoaks,,GB Attractions, Sevenoaks,,GB com …

Sevenoaks Triathlon Club – Club History

Timeline results for history of Sevenoaks, GB

Gordon Brown: the terrible vacuum | Matthew Parris – Times Online

Well, that’s a start. Share your Sevenoaks stories and local knowledge.

Brighton, GB

Cyclo-monger — Fri, 22 May 2009 07:41:32 +0000

Ahh, Brighton by the sea. Actually, from here in California, Brighton looks less bright. But I could be wrong. Tell my why Brightonites (Brightoners?).

World City Pages ( BRIGHTON, GB ) City Information0n

BRIGHTON, GB Shows on JamBase

Brighton webcam links page

5 Day Weather Forecast for Brighton,GB - Qwikcast.com

The original weird cycle lane of Brighton

What have I missed?

Belfast, GB

Cyclo-monger — Fri, 22 May 2009 07:31:14 +0000

Good day and welcome to out visitors from Belfast. It appears that English to Gaelic translation is a bit of a sticky wicket both technically and historically so let me just say “ dia dhuit” and ”fáilte romhat ”.

Translation by Irish Dictionary.org

5 Day Weather Forecast for Belfast,GB - Qwikcast.com

Live Ghost Watch WebCam (I saw on, I saw one…wait a minute…no, no I didn’t)

Crown Bar Liquor Saloon, Belfast, N. Ireland, Famous Pub ( Now this I can see)

Timeline results for history of Belfast, GB

Share some facts, stories or just plain blarney

Madrid, ES

Cyclo-monger — Fri, 22 May 2009 07:10:02 +0000

I had a lovely time in Madrid, when Franco was still in power, and have friends in Barcelona, Let me welcome our Spanish friends.

Tuve un tiempo precioso en Madrid, cuando Franco todavía estaba en el poder, y tener amigos en Barcelona. Quiero dar la bienvenida a nuestros amigos españoles.

esMADRID.com – Visit Madrid!

Jobs in Madrid - Spain – for English Speaking Professionals

Madrid, Spain Forecast : Weather Underground

History of Madrid

Spain WebCams: Live WebCams from Madrid, Barcelona, & throughout Spain

JewishEncyclopedia.com - AUTO DA FÉ:

That last one is a little pointed, but it did happen. Tell us more.

Esta última es un poco señalado, pero sí suceden. Cuéntanos más.

Praha, CZ

Cyclo-monger — Fri, 22 May 2009 06:56:15 +0000

Uvítáme našich návštěvníků z České republiky. Řekněte, je něco, co by měl vědět o krásné Praze.

We welcome our visitors from the Czech Republic. Please tell is something we should know about beautiful Prague.

PRAGUE.CZ - all about Prague

Prague webcam, Prague hotels and accommodation in Prague

Prague, Czech Republic Forecast : Weather Underground

HARLEY-DAVIDSON CLUB PRAHA

Czech Fun Facts from Little Prague Bohemian Restaurant

A friend of ours is going soon to Praha to teach English, we hope he will leve us a message here and tell us about the expierience. And we invite ex-pats an Chezch people as well to share their knowledge here.

Přítel je ten náš bude brzy Praha naučit anglicky, doufáme, že bude Leve nám sem a řekněte nám o expierience. A zveme ex-poplácává jeden Chezch lidé stejně sdílet své poznatky sem.

Muri, CH

Cyclo-monger — Fri, 22 May 2009 00:31:13 +0000

We welcome our vistors from Muri, Switzeralnd and hope that you will share your knowledge and points of local interest with iur readers.

Nous souhaitons la bienvenue à nos visiteurs de Muri, Switzeralnd et nous espérons que vous partagerez vos connaissances et vos points d’intérêt local avec iur lecteurs.

Wir begrüßen unsere Besucher aus Muri, Switzeralnd und hoffen, dass Sie sich teilen Sie Ihr Wissen und Punkte von lokalem Interesse mit iur Leser.

Gemeinde Muri: Muri im Freiamt: Muri Aargau

muri.ch - Traffic Details from Alexa

Timeline results for History of Muri, CH

Swiss-Webcam.ch - Webcam Bärenplatz in Bern (3011 Bern)

Tell us what you know and what we should know about Muri.

Sagen Sie uns, was Sie wissen und was wir wissen sollten Muri.

Dites-nous ce que vous savez et ce que nous devrions savoir sur Muri.

Biel, CH

Cyclo-monger — Fri, 22 May 2009 00:16:00 +0000

CH is the international abbreviation for Switzerland, and Biel is known to most americans (OK, maybe a few) as Basel, which I did not know till now. We welcome our Swiss vistors and encourage you to share your knowledge about Biel here.

Nous souhaitons la bienvenue à nos visiteurs suisses et vous encourageons à partager vos connaissances sur Biel ici.

Wir begrüßen unsere Schweizer Besucher und empfehlen Ihnen, Ihre Kenntnisse über Biel hier.

Stadt Biel - Ville de Bienne

Buddhismus Biel

Swiss-Webcam.ch - Webcam Bergstation Skilift Biel-Kinzig AG (6463 ..

Tourism Biel/Bienne-Seeland | Excursions and Tipps | Biel’s …

International Chess Festival Biel - Home

Please comment, share your knowledge and tell us something we do not know.

Bitte äußern Sie sich, teilen Sie Ihr Wissen und uns sagen, was wir wissen es nicht.

S’il vous plaît commentaires, partager vos connaissances et de nous dire quelque chose que nous ne le savons pas.