Dec

20

Serengeti Snapshots

Posted by Darya Mead

Triporati has recently added a number of African National Parks, reserves and safari spots to our growing list of dream destinations. Working on launching these new destination gems, I have been researching and sifting through tons of images. This has been incredibly tantalizing. To see these amazing creatures up close is definitely on my travel bucket list.

In my research I discovered a new web-based citizen science project in the Serengeti where you too can contribute to the growing knowledge of African animal life. The project, launched this month, is called Snapshot Serengeti. Hundreds of camera traps in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania are providing a powerful new window into the dynamics of Africa’s most elusive wildlife species. The project needs your help to classify all the different animals caught in millions of camera trap images. The camera snaps a few shots anytime something moves in front of it. The photos often come as a sequence of two or three, called a “capture.” You may discover intimate moments, such as porcupines mating or a triptych of hyenas attacking the camera.

Check it out. I just identified a wildebeest!

Leave a Comment | Filed Under Birdwatching, Photography, national park, wildlife

Dec

4

Avid Archers

Posted by Darya Mead

Katniss from The Hunger Games, Hawkeye from The Avengers and London’s 2012 Olympic Archery Competition have all given the ancient sport of archery a jolt. Kids and adults across the country are smitten with the idea of using a bow to shoot an arrow.

A recent New York Times Fashion & Style article explores the trajectory of the sport given the cultural craze. From Staten Island to San Francisco, sales of kid-size recurve bows have more than quadrupled this year!

Whether you have a Robin Hood fan, a small Cossack (a kid into ancient weaponry) or you just love fun, free, urban family activities, you’ve got to check out the Golden Gate Park Archery Range in San Francisco when you’re visiting the city. It’s a beautiful and well-maintained piece of park real estate, near the beach. It’s easy to park and accessible by public transportation. It’s always open for folks with their own archery equipment. If you’re looking to try it out as an activity, you can swing by the nearby Archery Pro Shop, where you can sign up for lessons, rent or buy bows or investigate other equipment. You can also buy bows and arrows on-line. Continue reading »

Leave a Comment | Filed Under Books, Budget Travel, California, Camping, Family Travel, Olympic Peninsula, Olympics, San Francisco, Urban Parks, Yosemite