The Adventurist: A Call to All Outdoor Writers and Photographers!

I have just put the finishing touches on a new “Submit & Contact” Page here at The Adventurist.  I am hoping that this new feature will be accepted and used by all of my great readers.

This page goes into detail about a few things I am looking for here at The Adventurist–and ways you might be able to get involved.

Do you love Adventure Writing or perhaps Great Outdoors Photography?–Help me share your incredible talents with a much bigger audience!

Head on Over to the “Submit & Contact” Page, found on a tab right up above this article, and Share your Adventures with the World!

Also, if you are looking to put me to work, there is info there as well….

Cheers-

J. Alan Hendricks, Editor

Bald Eagle Delistment and Subsequent Controversy: A Look at the Facts

The American Bald Eagle–the majestic and stately symbol of our nation–has been delisted from the Endangered Species List. 

This is being looked at as both a triumph for some in conservation circles, as well as being questioned by many others that feel that the Bald Eagle along with the Golden Eagle still deserve to be protected. 

Have the Eagle numbers really rebounded or is this just some governmental short talk to save a few bucks on conservation efferts in order to put the money in other places?

First off, I will take a look at a couple of statistics. 

Beginning in 1963, most of the lower 48 states began running independent Bald Eagle population reports each year.  These reports are widely available on the internet. 

In 1963, it was reported that there were 487 existing breeding pairs in the lower 48 states.  Jump ahead to 2000, the last year that these numbers were reported, and you will find that there were 9,789 pairs.  That is a pretty good increase and shows that there is definately a growing population that can sustain itself in the wild–while being protected.

Taking a step back now, when the Bald Eagle was originally placed on the Endangered Species list, many people believed that pesticides, particularly DDT, were playing a significant factor in the decline of the Eagle populations.  The chemicals were contributing to the Bald Eagle’s egg shells becoming to brittle to sustain life.  Since that time, DDT as well as many other pesticides, are now strictly outlawed or controlled.

On July 2, 1999 The American Eagle Foundation along with their Bald Eagle mascot “Challenger” met with then President Bill Clinton and it was at this time that the proposal to delist the Bald Eagle was announced and the wheels began turning to make this a reality. 

This first proposal was seemingly held up by government officials until a clear way to protect Eagle habitat which would no longer be under the protection of the Endangered Species Act.

Without knowing the entire story regarding the Bald and Golden Eagles, many people are jumping to conclusions thinking that these magnificent creatures will no longer be protected in the wild, and this is just simply not the case.

In fact, the controls placed on protecting the Bald Eagle and it’s habitat are still in place.  The delisting of the Eagles from the Endangered Species list has seemingly been transferred to a new act:  The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (BGEPA).  This act prohibits “disturbance” of Bald and Golden Eagles in the wild.  What was not mentioned though was what “Disturb” actually meant.  There were no clear cut guidelines.  This is now in motion to get a definate definition that will be more understood to both government and the public.  The Fish and Wildlife Department is pushing for the following classification:

Disturb means to agitate or bother a bald or golden eagle to the degree that causes (i) injury or death to an eagle (including chicks and eggs) due to interference with breeding, feeding, or sheltering behavior, or (ii) nest abandonment.” Injury would be defined as, “a wound or other physical harm, including loss of biological fitness significant enough to pose a discernible risk to an eagle’s survival or productivity.”

This description will pretty much make the Eagles as protected as ever in the wild.

The Delisting of the Bald and Golden Eagles should not hamper current efforts in Eagle Conservation, and perhaps more-so will garner more attention across the nation to this very issue.

I mentioned a couple of days ago that I had been camping in Tennessee for the week and one of the true highlights of this experience was my first Golden Eagle sighting.  When I began to see reports of the Eagle delisting, it just got me curious as to what was really going on.

If you would like to read alittle bit more about this issue, my good friends Mon@arch and Ralph Maugham of Ralph Maugham’s Wildlife News have both been covering these issues for their respective states of New York and Idaho.  Both of these sites are well worth Bookmarking if you stop by.  Take the time to check out some of their past posts, and I think you will agree.

Well I hope I have been able to clear this issue up a bit for those of you that were like me, and just wanted to know ..why?

By the way, one more thing, here is an interesting fact:  Did you know that the Eagles are actually a member of the Hawk Family?  You might need that bit of info in your next game of Trivial Pursuit..

                

First Pluto is Demoted, and now The Nile?

That is right.  The world we live in and beyond is vastly changing at a rate that not many of us are to fond of.

Pluto has been written off the planet charts (even though I agree with my daughter, most of us will still consider it a planet in our world of “underground” knowledge) by scientists, now it is just a large rock floating in the abyss..

Add to that, the recent unravelings of the World’s Longest River…The Nile, you think?

Think again.  The Amazon.  That is right.  Scientists have recently discovered that the Amazon River is approximately 176 miles longer than originally thought and now extends into the Southern reaches of Peru, making it the NEW world’s longest river.

The 176 miles of new Amazon, will place it at roughly 4, 225 miles long–making it 65 miles longer than the Nile.

Scientists sponsored by The Brazilian Institute of Science and Statistics, have placed the new Amazon beginning in the Southern Mountains of Peru.

This has to be disheartening to at least one individual–Martin Strehl–who laid claim earlier this year to completing the first swim that went the full distance of the Amazon…

This just goes to show that no one is ever happy being in second place..

It will be interesting to see how Egypt takes this news as well..Perhaps the Nile will grow soon, too…

I can slowly see Mr. Martin Strehl’s great accomplishments in the World of River Swimming being wiped off the charts..Perhaps he had swam one river to many..and p’d off the wrong folks…

Mon@rch’s Nature Blog Now Featured on The Adventurist

Something has finally happened that I have been requesting for a long time..my good friend Tom has finally decided to put up an RSS feed to his outstanding site. 

Mon@rch’s Nature Blog has got to be the best personal Naturalist site that I have ran across.  His articles are personal.  His photos beautiful, and each and every time you stop by his site, you are guaranteed to learn something you didn’t know before.

Tom is a Naturalist at the Alleghany State Park in New York.  He is also a Biologist and Nature Photographer.  He is always in the field and always doing something to bring a better understanding of this natural world to our attention.  He spends countless hours leading birdwatches, discussing nature and his surroundings with adults as well as many schoolchildren throughout the year.  Tom can make the smallest wonder huge in our eyes, and as every good naturalist and nature wonderer knows, this is the key to understanding and building a  lifelong relationship in the outdoors.

His RSS feed will now be featured on The Adventurist.  His information and understanding of the Outdoor world is just to good for me to keep to myself, and at the same time–I know his ultimate goal is to get more people out and about…and keep them wondering and asking the questions that only someone with his knowledge can answer..yet still amaze you in wonderment and keep you coming back.

Tom is a great guy.  He has probably been my longest running active reader here at the Adventurist, and I finally have an opportunity to add his site to the list of great sites that my RSS feeds now cover.  Please stop on over at his place and tell him I sent you–I guarantee you that you are in for a treat! 

As far as his RSS feed goes, you will be able to find it on the right hand side..third from the top from now on.  Now go check out his site!

Sir Edmund Hillary: Your Thoughts, Your Prayers

It is being widely reported today that Sir Edmund Hillary has been injured in a fall.  Sir Hillary was the first person, along with his climbing sherpa Tenzing Norgay, to summit Mt. Everest.  It has been noted that Hillary is not suffering “Life-Threatening” injuries and that his progress is going well.

Hillary is 87 years old and has recently taken up walking with a cane.  It is also being reported that Sir Edmund Hillary has been suffering from High Altitude Sickness for a number of years now.

In due respect for what Sir Edmund Hillary has come to mean and represent in the climbing community, I thought that it would be a good time for all of my loyal readers here at The Adventurist to wish Sir Edmund Hillary the best.  Today we keep you in all of our thoughts and prayers! 

You, the reader, may post your thoughts, prayers, and good wishes upon Sir Edmund Hillary here, as we all come together to wish him a fast recovery

The Complete Coverage! Everest 2007!

The Complete Coverage!  Everest 2007!  Click here!

As many of you might know, a couple of months back I mentioned that I would be setting up a Page on The Adventurist for the Everest 2007 Climbing season.

This page will be similar to the page covering the Mt. Hood Tragedy I covered in 2006 offering up all the links and stories as we publish them in one easily located space.

What this does is it allows all of my loyal readers an easier way to follow along with the Everest 2007 season as it happens, as well as lets you keep track of what HAS happened up to the latest story.  At the top of this site, you will now see a headline that reads “The Complete Coverage!  Everest 2007!  Click Here!”, by clicking this, you will now have access to every story concerning the 2007 Everest Climbing season.

I hope you enjoy this convenient way of staying on track with the happenings on Everest this season.  It is really shaping up to be a great season with many stories breaking daily.  You will now find them all here!

AMAZING! Boy Finds Amundsen Watch Buried at North Pole

An 11 year old Norwegian Boy spotted a black box on the beach near his home in Denmark–this in itself is not remarkable, but what was inside could only be called amazing.

Three years ago Joergen Amundsen buried a watch at the North Pole in Commemoration of his late ancestor Roald Amundsen, Discoverer of the North Pole.

Since that time, the watch had been trapped beneath the pole in ice..but as the arctic goes, it is always breaking apart, drifting, and reforming itself.  Through all of the arctic cycles, somehow this watch showed up in Norway.

Along with the watch was a letter left by Joergen stating that it was buried at the North Pole and the date.  And the most amazing part–The watch was still working….

Park Young-Seok Seeking New Route up Everest’s Dangerous SW Face

ExplorersWeb is reporting some breaking news that Korean climber Park Young-Seok will be attempting to break a new route up Mt. Everest’s SW Face. 

Just two weeks ago, Young-Seok was evacuated in an attempt to cross the Bering Straight–but now he already has his eyes set on Everest.

The Dangerous SW Face has only been summitted a total of 15 times, with four others tragically dying in their attempt. 

Park will be leading a six-member team up the SW Face in commemoration of the 30th Anniversary of Korea’s first Everest summit.

Park is a world famous climber–having completed the first true Adventure Grandslam–he has summited all 14 -8,000 meter peaks…has traversed to both the North and South Poles, as well as completing the 7 Summits challenge.

This will be Park’s second ascent of Everest.

The Adventurist: A Special Visitor and a BIG Announcement

Some of you who read this site regularly might recognize the following two names from a couple of recent posts:  David Tait and Mostafa Salameh–Here is the Rundown.

I came to my site to make a post yesterday and discovered a new comment left here by none other than Mostafa Salameh–The Jordanian climber hoping to become the first Everest summiter from Jordan. 

Mostafa is climbing with sponsorship from the King of Jordan.  I would like to personally thank him for stopping by.  You may visit his website here for all the latest updates on his expedition–he will be climbing with the Mountain Madness team on their bid for a summit this year. 

If you go on over to Mostafa’s site, check out his “diary”–some very interesting reading here. 

 You may also check out my previous post on Mostafa and his upcoming expedition here. Mostafa personally left a comment at the end of this story–he is reading–So be sure to leave your well-wishes and thoughts for his upcoming Expedition—

One last word of note before I move on to the BIG news..Some of you may have noticed a post found here the last couple of days titles “The Mt. Everest Chronicles”.  This will be an ongoing new feature here at The Adventurist and my goal with this is to personally chronicle the history of Mt. Everest through the lives and stories that have shaped this majestic mountain–from the past, to the present.  This is a very big undertaking, with all the history and stories involved and will hopefully be a part of this site for years to come.  I will be trying to post a new part every week or so on here, hopefully for your reading pleasure.  You may check out the first part to this series here, “The Mt. Everest Chronicles:  Who was Sir George Everest?”

AND NOW THE BIG NEWS–

After talking recently with David Tait, the man planning to do the Everest Double-Traverse this upcoming Everest climbing season–I am proud to say that David has volunteered himself to email The Adventurist with updates throughout his upcoming Everest Expedition.  That is right, The Adventurist will be coming from Everest with Live updates as we get them.  This is definately a first for this site as well as a very exciting opportunity to be a part of history, as David plans on climbing Everest, not once–but twice in the same Expedition–becoming the first person in the world to ever do so–or even think of doing so for that matter..haha.

It will be fun to be a part of history in the making.  David has the ability and the training to make this a successful Expedition–both for himself and his charity.

Did I mention that David was doing this for free?  Yeah, any money that David makes from this climb is going directly to his charity, the NSPCC or National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children.  This is a very worthy and Noble cause, and I ask all of you to help any way you can to make David’s goal of $200,000 a reality.  You may help David’s cause by clicking “JustGiving“.

You may read an article I posted earlier on David Tait, as well as an Interview that he done for this site by clicking the two links below.

• Everest Back-to-Back:  The David Tait Double Traverse
• The David Tait Interview
• David Tait’s Personal Website
• NSPCC-National Society for Prevention of Child Cruelty
• Support David’s Expedition– “JustGive“

 

While I am on the subject of “Donating” why not check out my own favorite charity above–no, this isn’t a quest for money–but knowledge.  By clicking the above banner and signing up to take a couple of quick surveys, you can be sure you are doing your part to help save this world we all live in…Laneo is a great company to be involved with–they recieve nor give any money from these advertisements–check them out and support my site just by signing up–PLUS you get these really cool banners.  That is what made me join!  A very noble and worthy cause.

Got an Adventure to Tell? Tell Your Story Here!

Once in awhile I like to open up a post to let you, my readers, have a voice….I want to know YOUR Personal Adventure Story.  This is your chance to let the world know how cool you are and at the same time, maybe it will influence others to go out there and live that Adventure they have been dreaming about!

You may post ANY adventure, not just climbing…I am looking for hiking, kayaking, extreme sports, hunting, fishing,…anything outdoors that you had a great time doing and discovering… Read more

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