Can the Queen of the Tetons Protect Her Heirs?

The greater Yellowstone ecosystem is the largest, nearly intact, temperate-zone ecosystems left on Earth. Its core, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, is home to over 700 grizzly bears - but only one is called, The Queen of the Tetons. Grizzly 399 is, 24 years old, at or very near to the end of her expected lifespan, but this spring, 399 emerged from her den with four new cubs, rambunctious and ready to explore their world. Over half of all grizzly cubs never make it to adulthood. Can the Queen keep these little ones safe? Only time will tell.

Jorn VangoidtsenhovenJuly 14, 2020 Comments

What Inspires a Wildlife Photographer? Jorn Shares His Secrets

What inspires a person to devote their life to nature and wildlife photography? In the case of Belgium-born Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven photography-love began early with a Polaroid instant camera and a yard full of toys. But it was through Alpine travel with his parents and later exploring the wide-open spaces of American west with his uncle that ignited a life-long passion. Today Jorn spends his time chronicling the life of bears, birds and other wild creatures with his lens.

Roberta KravetteJune 28, 2020 Comments

Flying Healthy in the Age of COVID-19

COVID-19 brought the tourism, the third biggest industry on the planet to a halt. What are the airlines doing to assure the safety of passengers they hope will return? The answer rests in a combination of technology and common sense. The new policies and procedures are still evolving. This is what eight US airlines are doing now.

Roberta KravetteJune 4, 2020Comment

Why I Became A Travel Advisor in the Middle of a Pandemic

Why did I decide to become a travel advisor in the middle of a pandemic? The right kind of tourism does good for people and the world. The world needs responsible tourism; the survival of entire species and cultures depends on it. And humans are curious. We want to know what is over there. When it is time to travel again, a good travel advisor provides that extra peace-of-mind. They are on call when you need to call. When you go through a travel advisor, you never travel alone.

Roberta KravetteMay 27, 2020 Comments

What (Tourist) Species are You?

What kind of traveler are you? You can identify a lot of wildlife species, but can you spot the "grazer"? What about the "enthusiast"? Which nature traveler "species" are you? Would you stay in the broiling sun to watch lions sleep or would you prefer to have a nice lunch in the lodge and come back later when the temperature lowers and they wake up? Take the test and see what kind of responsible nature and wildlife tourist you are.

Roberta KravetteMay 20, 2020Amateur Naturalist

Stop - Look - Listen

Stop-Look-Listen. The best game to teach kids to ‘see’ and connect with nature also creates special memories for the kids, parents and grandparents. It’s a game all ages can play and is great way to get tech-focused kids away from the screen. The author’s granddad played it with him first when he was a super-active 6-year old, when they played their last game, the child was 30 and granddad was slowing down.

Les MedleyMay 13, 2020 Comments

The Best Places to See and Photograph Grizzly Bears

Wildlife photographer Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven and a few good friend take us on a tour of the best places to see and photograph brown or grizzly bear, in Alaska and western Canada. Discover the places where the iconic bears gather, sometimes in amazing numbers, to fish and feast on salmon, teach their cubs, and fatten up for winter - from “ghost” towns where the bears outnumber people to some of the most magnificent wilderness on the planet.

Jorn VangoidtsenhovenApril 30, 2020 Comments

Close Up and Personal with Mountain Gorillas and Chimpanzees

A safari to see mountain gorillas is like no other trip. These endangered primates are found in only one small corner of the world, high in the rainforest of the the Virunga Mountains. These mountain range across the borders of three countries, Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is home to nearly half the total population of 1000 individuals. Come trek with Jeff Daum as he experiences mountain gorillas for the first time.

Jeff DaumApril 22, 2020 Comments

5 Fabulous Days in Paradise, Welcome to Yuquiyú

Yuquiyú Farm and Garden in Puerto Rico is an oasis of nature, birds, coqui song, and vegan cooking, and in case you want to add a little island exploration, it is close to El Yunque National Forest and Old San Juan, too. At just a fast four-hour flight from New York, this is the perfect destination for a weekend get-away. Or bring your passion. Yuquiyú was imagined as a retreat for writers and artists. Four treehouses only, single or double occupancy only. No children.

Roberta KravetteApril 2, 2020Puerto Rico, Yuquiyu, treehouse Comments

Catching Up to the Birds in Warm and Wonderful, Northern Baja

The beautiful Sea of Cortez, barely a 90-minute car-drive from the United States border south on Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, is a warm world away from most of North America’s December freeze. The Sea of Cortez, earth’s youngest Sea, is a long, thin strip framed by Mexico on three sides and home to a fantastic array of marine life and birds. Uninhabited islands, perfect for breeding shorebirds, dot the Sea, initially and sometimes still called The Gulf of California. We explored the coastline and estuaries in Baja’s northern half finding a few still-secret places with good birdwatching and photography opportunities. We especially recommend two, San Carlos on Baja’s Pacific coast side and Bahia de Los Angeles on the shores of the Sea of Cortez.

Zebra At the Edge of Dawn. Falling in Love With Namibia

Where is the perfect place for your first African Safari? Namibia has it all, welcoming people, fabulous climate, an amazing array of wildlife including elephant, lion, black and white rhino, zebra (mountain and plains), and so many amazing others all wrapped in a clean, friendly, stable county with (so far) no crowds. But I fell in love with Namibia one morning at the edge of dawn.

Roberta KravetteJanuary 10, 2020Zebra, Mountain zebra, Namibia, Palmwag, African SafariComment

Love in the Antarctic - Homemaking with Gentoo Penguins

When a gentoo penguin pair selects a site for nest building in the frozen Antarctic, is that affection between them? Storyteller and poet, Mark Seth Lender, shares in words and photography what he witnessed as he watched a pair gentoo penguins select the site for this year’s family home.

Mark Seth LenderNovember 18, 2019gentoo penguin, penguins, Antarctic, Mark Seth LenderComment