I like Laurie Duggan’s work a lot. So much so that he’s won my Book of the Year Award TWICE, most recently for  his book of poetry Mangroves in 2004. He could easily have won it a third time with his wonderful landscape history The Ash Range, but was pipped at the post by Seamus Heaney. I’m sure he won’t mind that!

So, I was delighted to stumble upon his blog, Graveney Marsh recently. He describes at as ‘random jottings on poetry, visual culture, local oddities and the weather’. Just the things I like to read about. And it’s not the kind of blog you can easily search for and find. So, it’s now part of my regular reading list.

Above: Duggan with the Beatles, form the Austlit site.

Massive dumping has resumed at the biggest Coastal Regulation Zone violation site in Mumbai region. Since a few months intermittent dumping was going on but since past few days 300 trucks are dumping everyday between 2 – 9  am

The Google Earth images above give an idea of the location of the area and a better idea of the scale of destruction

Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVOzNYJnvBg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVMDO3rrbWU

Attn: FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION

Mr. Jairam Ramesh
Union Minister for Environment and Forests

]]> http://menteribasah.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/the-mangroves-and-the-flood-like-beauty-and-the-beast/ Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:14:00 +0000 Yth Prof Dr. Basah Kuyubi http://menteribasah.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/the-mangroves-and-the-flood-like-beauty-and-the-beast/

The City Environment Management Agency (BPLHD) will launch its Green Belt initiative to bring together various mangrove conservation efforts in the city’s northern coastal area.  The launch, scheduled for this Sunday at the Angke Kapuk protected forest in Pantai Indah Kapuk, North Jakarta, will be marked by the planting of 2,000 mangrove trees in a 2,000-square-meter area.

“There have been a number of separate planting drives by various stakeholders in the area, and we aim to unite them to accelerate the regeneration of mangrove forests along the coastline,” BPLHD head Peni Susanti said Thursday.

“Although each stakeholder has carried out separate conservation efforts, the areas they planted now form a circle resembling a belt, so that’s why we came up with this initiative.

“Through this initiative, we hope all stakeholders will intensify their efforts to protect mangrove trees from erosion, which has affected almost half of the total area, particularly in the protected forest,”
she added.

The 334-hectare area covered under the Green Belt is divided into several zones, each of which is managed by different stakeholders.

The Angke Kapuk protected forest is under the management of the Jakarta Fisheries and Agriculture Agency and PT Kapuk Naga Indah, while the Angke Kapuk Tourism Park falls under the auspices of PT Murindra.

The Muara Angke Wildlife Park is being conserved by the Forestry Ministry’s Nature Conservation Body and PT Mandara Permai.

The fisheries agency also manages the Pantai Indah Kapuk

Mangrove Tourism Site and mangrove area along the Sedyatmo toll road.

Also included in the Green Belt is the 10.5-hectare Angke Kapuk seed plantation, the 28.4-hectare Cengkareng Drain and the 7-hectare Muara Angke Eco-Marine Tourism.

Three hundred hectares of the Green Belt’s 334 hectares have been replanted, but the remaining area needs more trees, said PT Kapuk Naga Indah spokesman Kosasih Wirahadikusumah.

Mangrove conservation efforts in the area face constant challenges, because the trees are easily swept away by waves or floods. The waves also deposit piles of garbage in the mangrove forest.

To protect the trees from being eroded by waves, bamboo fences have been set up along the coast, but the fences collapse whenever strong waves strike.

Kosasih said stakeholders involved in the conservation efforts should also construct a dam along the coast to break the waves.

“Most of them might not be able to afford to build a dam, and so set up bamboo fences, but that makes their restoration efforts useless because of the strong waves,” he said.

“If we only rely on the bamboo fences, we plant the trees and then lose them on the very same day.”

He added PT Kapuk Naga Indah had begun building a dam, but added it was only big enough to cover a third of its 17-hectare conservation area in the Angke Kapuk protected forest.

“We’ll extend the dam to cover the whole 17 hectares, but we also need to work together with other stakeholders through this Green Belt initiative,” he said.

He added it would take another two years to complete the dam, which is being built 100 meters from the coastline.

source: The Jakarta Post

What a weekend!  It’s always fun to visit with friends at a hometown show (the annual Vero Beach Boat Show at Riverside) especially when you really do have something to talk about.  And talk we did…about boating, fishing and how productive the Indian River is right now…snook, trout, reds.  Our local gallery “The Backcountry” put together an impressive display of Dragonfly Boatworks’ latest models.  Included were a 16′ Emerger with a 40 Evinrude Etec and a gorgeous 17′ Dragonfly (soon to be on its way to Capt. Billy Glenn in Charleston, SC).  The real show stoppers, however, were the “electric” fishing kayaks.  Locals got a chance to see Fly Fishers for the first time.  They’re one-man fishing kayaks innovatively designed.  So fun!  They were flying out the door.  You’ll be seeing them on the river soon.

Climate Change Protector

It was an undeveloped seaside forest where only a handful of plant or wildlife specie could survive.

Nobody thought for a long time that it can be a rich source of biodiversity and of cultural heritage. For the way man cultivates his natural resources reflects his values and culture.

Then one day, environment specialists sent on a mission to find out what that bay in Sta. Rita, Batangas had, found there was only three species of mangrove that lived there then– the aroma, pipisik, and nipa.

There were just a few species found in the intertidal zone among which were small crabs, bivalves (including scallops, clams), and gastropods (marine snails).

“It was bounded by creeks, by a fish pond in the east and the west. The terrestrial ecology was reduced to non-forest grassland with a small patch of mangrove that could not likely proliferate through the scarcity of sea specie,” according to the report.

It turned out that this mission that started in 1996 under an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) requirement of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) would transform an abandoned coast into a habitat.

The swampy land was to metamorphose into an area where mangrove species, birds, crustaceans, and fishes can thrive.

First Gas Power Corp. (FGPC), which runs two natural gas-fired power plants there, was duty-bound to maintain its environment.

Power plants including the company’s 1,000 megawatt (MW) Sta. Rita and 500 MW San Lorenzo combined cycle gas turbine plants are usually subjected to strict environmental monitoring by government and non-government organizations.

Much more so with the FGPC power plants in Batangas as both plants combined supply a sizable share of 23% of total power demand in the Luzon grid.

FGPC decided at the first report of the EIA that this coastal area should really be revived for its potential biodiversity. Moreover, it can be a source of an alternative livelihood for community residents which should become the company’s partners in this endeavor.

After completing a baseline study (preliminary survey on the environment), it wasted no time in rehabilitating the 9.9-hectare swampy perimeter area. It subsequently put up a plantation using species suitable in the saline water. It planted mangrove trees at a rate of six to 10 trees per 100 square meters.

“The only way for us to become sustainable is to take care of our environment. Mangroves protect from eroding land areas close to the shore. They are a breeding ground for different types of species. Birds live with them,” said FGPC Vice President Ramon J. Araneta.

Mangroves are ideal places for wildlife species to feed, breed, spawn, and hatch. They help create an ecosystem that synergizes with the likewise shoreline-protecting coral reefs and seagrass beds. This way, mangroves protect people from storm surges.

Mangrove trees are sources of firewood, charcoal, timber, and are raw materials for paper and chipboard. They are sources of medicines and dyes and are used as feed for livestock.

They have tremendous economic value just from their filtering function of trapping destructive chemicals.

Plain how the objective of FGPC may have been in trying to turn the coasts of Batangas Bay into a mangrove forest, the process involved tedious planning.

The company had to educate its community and other stakeholders on the importance of protecting the mangrove. It had to involve them in the propagation of the mangrove trees. It had to source seedlings of the plantation species that can grow in the area.

The company was serious in all this. It put up in September 2007 its own tree nursery that produces 10,000 seedlings per year at a cost of P7 per seedling.

It also identified the types of soil there– loamy sand, sandy clay loam, sandy loam, and sandy– and what could possibly grow in them. It had to do site matching before actual planting of the mangrove tree seedlings.

Planting of different species like Bakauan-bato, Tabigi, Bakauan-lalake, Bakauan-babae, and Saging saging followed.

After the planting, monitoring and inventory had to be done to observe the growth and survival of the trees.

In 2007, an inventory showed 28 species grew in the area which was 80% of the total number of mangrove species known to grow in the country.

An interesting specie, the sonneratia caseolaris or “pedada” which has flowers with red petals and with a fruit known as a vinegar material now blossoms in the bay as much as they are found in the coasts of Zamboanga and Cagayan provinces.

“There was an abrupt increase in the number of species from 2003 to 2005. Tree density increased to 29 trees per 100 square metera or 2,900 trees per hectare,” according to a report.

Soon enough, birds nested in the mangroves’ thickening forest cover. In a rapid assessment of avian community in November last year, 46 bird species identified as resident, endemic, or migratory used the mangroves for food or as resting places.

Brightly-colored Kingfishers, Maya bird, and Pacific Swallow were sighted in the bustling habitat.

“Monitoring observed the establishment of avian biodiversity in the area. The flora and fauna biodiversity changed with the microclimate due to the shade of the mangroves. Plants that were unlikely to thrive in the coast’s previous condition began to rise,” said the inventory report.

Some olive ridley sea turtles or “pawikan” was found nestling in the area. Thirty-seven hatchlings were recorded which shows the ecological soundness of the bay with the presence of the mangroves.

And with the environmental benefit came an added advantage in the company’s development of the mangroves– a livelihood program from aquasilviculture.

Conflicting interests in potential coastal forest areas is not unusual as some people would want to keep the area as a settlement or use it as a fish pond.

But aquasilviculture strikes a balance between people’s interests. With it, a part, around 60% of the saline water area, can be planted with mangroves for conservation efforts while the rest, 40%, may be grown with fishes and mudcrabs.

“Some people destroy the mangroves and replace these with fish ponds. But mangroves and fish ponds can co-exist,” said Melchy Enriquez of the FGPC environment and chemical service.

Aquasilviculture can be profitable. The South East Asian Fisheries and Development Center-Aquaculture Department indicated that an average gross income of $580 per hectare per year is earned by farmers in Indonesia. Their net profit from it is placed at $356 per hectare per year.

In September 2008, crab fattening started in the FGPC’s mangroves over a one-hectare fenced area. This is becoming an alternative source of livelihood for the community people as the program occasionally requires workers. FGPC has taken an experienced crab grower in the locality, Conrado Aguado, to tend the farm in a productive manner.

This way, the community people are now at the same time protectors of the environment.

The crab fattening has also become a favored program at FGPC because it yields fresh, sweet, and a delightful dish served during special corporate events.

Global warming has just been intensively felt in the country with the onslaught of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. Because of this, campaigns for the protection of forests including mangroves have become an in thing.

Mangrove forest trees absorb carbon dioxide both above ground and on the soil surface. A carbon stock assessment in the FGPC mangroves revealed that a total of 4,662 metric tons (MT) of carbon has been so far sequestered by the existing mangrove stands.

Its potential to absorb more polluting carbon dioxide increases as the tree ground cover increases. The carbon sequestration potential for the entire 9.9 hectare-mangrove area is estimated at 14.85 MT quarterly or 59.4 MT per year.

Mangroves all over the Philippines, spanning over 160,000 hectares as of 2003, are estimated to have a great potential to sequester carbon and store it in trees’ biomass and soil.

While most mangroves in the country in the early 1900s, placed at 450,000 hectares, have substantially been obliterated, there is a

a resurgence of a concern to restore them.

“Much of what has been left are second growth forests that now need immediate rehabilitation to arrest further degradation. The need of the time calls for a shared responsibility and an active participation of the different stakeholders, government and private sector, in protecting, managing, and enhancing natural resources,” said FGPC.

With the increasing awareness on the importance of restoring mangroves, there may be hope for the Philippine environment and business in the future, after all.

“A key component of industrialization is the protection of the environment. This should ultimately lead our people to exert more efforts in conserving it,” said Araneta.

The Crone finds herself in Bonita Springs, FL, on the Gulf of Mexico. She is staying in the very lap of luxury–a hotel where they insist on giving her a glass of champagne every time she passes reception. The hotel has 3 outdoor pools although so far the Crone has found only two of them, possibly because the third is nowhere near reception.  Last night the hotel hosted 3 weddings and a Bat Mitzvah and still managed to pay individual attention to every need of the Crone. A mojito. Some ceviche. The works of George Gershwin rendered by a singer and double bassist. (Check them out here) None of it was too much trouble.

This morning, the Crone ventured out into the environs of the Estero bay to discover that all around the luxury resorts are trailer parks.  The super-rich and the staff who serve them live hugger mugger–talk about a service economy.

The area is famous for mangroves and manatees.  The Crone saw neither but did bump into eccentrics at every turn.

Up bright and early to go to the Fleamarket (budgies, golf balls, shamwows, gold chains by the yard, knives, guns, fruit and vegetables,  vintage t-shirts, a Doo-Wop band–although this last was not for sale), the Crone stopped at Dolly’s for breakfast  and was quickly joined by an elderly gentleman: “You all by yourself honey? Mind if I sit down? These high seats are easier for me to get out of…”  In Crone world this passes for a pick-up line. Her breakfast companion, a man of at least 75, then proceeded to tell the Crone that he had been on active service in Iraq but had had to come back to get his knees replaced 6 months ago.  He went on to share that he was in the CIA (which surely they’re not supposed to mention?), that his son had worked for Tip O’Neill (ahhh, still sentient enough to work that old Irish connection…) and that his wife had died 8 years ago after winning $50,000 at a casino so she would leave him well off. “She spoke to God and he told her what machine to go to. She went straight to it and put in 4 quarters and won $50,000 dollars. ” His wife didn’t last long after that ”An angel came and got her. She said she’d seen this angel and she got me to get all the kids together and then she sat her in seat and put out her arms and the angel came and took her. Now what do you think of that?”  Truly the Crone didn’t know what to think. She told him to take care of himself when he went back to Iraq (“I’ll serve as long as they need me” ) and went on her way. And bumped right into Master Bait and Tackle, a fine emporium meeting all South West Florida’s fishing needs.

The owner came out to chat when he saw the Crone stop to take a photo. As you can see, he is very proud of his store. The Crone didn’t ask him what he says when he answers the phone…

We flew in and out of Penang, where we spent half of the week. The other half we spent in Langkawi. It proved a decent mix of city and countryside, culture and relaxation, with stays in three locations.

Back to Part 1: Penang

Thrills and refreshment at Langkawi's Seven Wells

 

CENANG

The morning ferry from Penang to Langkawi necessitated a pre-dawn wakening in order to drive from Batu Ferringhi to Georgetown, drop off the hire car and walk to the port (no taxis being available at that time) in time for check-in 45 minutes before departure. Consequently we got to drive through a pretty sunrise and negotiate a sleepy Georgetown before the city and its inhabitants fully woke.

The boat ride was smooth and I soon fell asleep and caught up a little on the hours missed with the early start. Sleeping a portion of the 2.5-hour journey meant it passed very quickly.

We got a taxi from the Langkawi port in Kuah to Pantai Kok, reportedly the best beach on the island, but on arrival found that the guesthouse we were looking for had closed in the couple of years or so since the Rough Guide I was consulting was published. Since Pantai Kok is otherwise populated by high-end resorts (above our budget), the driver recommended we go to Cenang instead. Fair enough – it was said to be the second-best beach on the island, and not as developed as Kuah, the island capital.

We checked in to the AB Motel, which at RM100 (20 pounds) per night was an absolute steal – just 20 metres from the white-sand beach, boasting a large en-suite room, two double beds, air con, fridge, TV and verandah, and in walking distance of anything of significance in Cenang. We couldn’t have asked for more.

As we had already seen a decent stretch of the coast and countryside thanks to the aborted attempt to stay in Pantai Kok – further from Kuah than Cenang, at the western end of the island – we decided to simply spend our first day hanging around Cenang and relaxing. An excellent Chinese lunch was followed by a stroll along the beach and a swim.

As is my habit, when I saw a broken beer bottle on the sea floor, I picked it up and intended to return it to shore. It was only when a white tentacle started to wriggle out of it that I realised an octopus had made its home inside the green glass! Ingenious, I thought, as the sides of the glass offered both armour and a smooth, firm anchoring point for its suckers. Not knowing – or wishing to find out – what would happen if one of the tentacles was to attach to my skin, I dropped the bottle back where I’d found it.

Cenang was light on nightlife options, although there was a decent beach bar with a live reggae band which looked the part but vocally would never be confused with the icons they covered. Still, I find reggae music of any kind always suits an evening on a tropical island beach.

We returned to Pantai Kok the next day – not in search of luxury resorts or defunct guesthouses, but to visit the Seven Wells – a river leading to a dramatic waterfall and featuring seven pools connected by slippery rocks which are safe and fun to slide down.

It’s a hot and humid hike up the mountain – and any rustling of bags will attract the attentions of naughty, snack-hunting monkeys – but that just makes the eventual dip in the river all the more welcome.

The Seven Wells lead to what would literally be a deadly drop off the waterfall, so thankfully a couple of flimsy wires stretch across the penultimate pool. It’s a half-hearted effort as far as death-prevention goes, but really, no harm will come to anyone who displays a bit of common sense and doesn’t go too near the edge.

A walk back down to the base of the waterfall provides further swimming opportunities and the scene for some dramatic photos. After that, we considered a ride on the Langkawi cable car to the summit of the mountain, but rain was threatening so we retreated to the hotel.

The rain did indeed descend with some force that evening, ruling out a return to the beach bar, but an excellent dinner of grilled cockles and stingray sufficed.

Lunch is served at Pulau Payar

Our final full day in Langkawi saw us take a tour to Pulau Payar Marine Park. It is one of the most heavily-advertised tourist attractions in the region, with videos and documentation showing delightful images of snorkelling and diving amid coral and hand-feeding colourful fish and even sharks. It looked irresistible, so we plumped for that over other excursions, including a three-island boat trip or a mangrove tour.

The island was indeed delightful – pristine sea water brimming with fish, uninhabited land and stunning views from the hilltop – but in hindsight, there was no reason to take an organised tour there rather than the normal, scheduled ferry service.

The tour staff were, of course, friendly and knowledgeable, but aside from that the only things they provided besides the transport was a snorkel set and a packed lunch – both of which you could buy in Cenang anyway.

So the “tour” amounted to a bus and boat ride to a single desination, a talk, a basic lunch and the provision of equipment. Besides that, we were left to our own devices for a half-day. Don’t get me wrong, Pulau Payar itself is well worth visiting, and it is quite charming to be surrounded by schools of fish – tiny, bright ones up to seabass, non-aggressive sharks and even one enormous grouper – attracted by scraps of bread. It’s just that the organised tour to the island did not offer value for money at RM100 per person.

Rain curtailed another trip to the beach bar, so we spent our final night out in Langkawi at the only other watering hole we could find in Cenang, which I can’t remember the name of but was run by a British guy who was celebrating his birthday that night, so the place was busy and boasting a party atmosphere. We stayed until 3am, and with beers starting at just RM3 (60p), and our return ferry to Penang not until 2.30pm, there was no reason not to!

The return to Penang was simply for convenience, as we would fly back to Bangkok one day later. We stayed again at the Broadway Budget Hotel, had a low-key Friday night out on Jalan Penang (the hangover from the previous night in Langkawi was still in the memory) and then killed a few hours before the afternoon flight on Saturday by visiting Fort Cornwallis, a British colonial military defence fort which was never actually used in battle.

In all, the holiday offered a good mix of culture, fun and relaxation, which is just right for a one-week vacation. I found Malaysian people – whether indigenous, Chinese or Indian – to be very friendly and for the most part fair and honest – something that is unfortunately sometimes missing from the tourist’s experience in other parts of South East Asia. The food was good and costs were comparable with Thailand, and in some cases certain things were even cheaper. It is officially a Muslim country but there no restrictions on dress, drink or other standard pursuits of a Western or Thai tourist. Waew proclaimed it the “best trip ever”, and while she is far from as well-travelled as me, it was certainly among my more enjoyable holidays, too.

Birds taking flight from a pool on the salt flats just north of Palmarin.

The Siné-Saloum is the picture of ecosystem adaptation.  Freshwater from two rivers, the Siné and the Saloum, meets the salty water of the sea.  Mangroves thrive in this brine and spread their root tentacles out a few centimeters at a time, trapping delta detritus and providing a scaffold for its accretion to neighboring land.  Oysters and shellfish cling to the mangrove roots when the tide is in, and then are exposed to hungry animals (including humans) as the saltwater retreats back to the sea.  Shells, piled up after humans extract and smoke their conch meat, later become the foundation for new islands. All kinds of fresh and salt water birds thrive, in many different shapes, sizes, and hues, including cranes, pelicans, egrets, oystercatchers, plovers, herons, storks, curlews, sandpipers, and ibises.   Lonely Planet sums it up well:  “In the [180,000-hectare] delta landscape, shimmering flat lands dotted with palm groves sit next to salt marshes and savannah woodlands, while the coastline is framed by lush greens, long sand banks and lagoons.”

Sunset over the Atlantic.

We traveled to this region several hours south of Dakar by car in late October and stayed in an ocean-side campement in the village of Palmarin.  When sitting on the fine white sand, watching the sunset each night, we could turn to the north and see the rusted hulk of a freighter that had run aground in shallow water some 25 years ago.  One of our traveling companions, Jean-Marie, was there when it happened, camping on this same beach while working as a volunteer (the French equivalent of Peace Corps).  The sailors were evacuated safely.  Later, villagers helped much of the cargo and valuable parts of the ship itself to “adapt” to its new environment, as they were reused and recycled in local homes and businesses.

Traveling through a labyrinthe of red mangroves in small pirogues.

We drove about 10k to the nearby fishing village of Djifer, which is now on the tip of the pencil thin peninsula separating the Atlantic Ocean from the Saloum River.  Here we picked up a pirogue for a trip through the mangroves.  As the boat motored to Guior, one of several islands in the delta, our guide told us about the changing weather patterns, rising sea level, shifting fish patterns, and the impact on the local fisherman.  He hadn’t read the IPCC’s Fourth Assessment report but believed in climate change and stood ready to catalogue its effects.  We passed the Pointe de Sangomar island on our right.  Yup, this landmark is called both an island and a point in the same breath.  As our guide explained, until about 20 years ago, when the river water broke through to rush into the ocean, the point was the southern most tip of the skinny peninsula.  Now it is a deserted island.  Jean-Marie told us stories of how he would drive his little car on the beach, from the shipwreck down to this new island.

Hard-working mangrove roots.

After visiting the village of Falia, which along with Dionewar are the two oldest human settlements on Guior, we stepped into smaller pirogues to explore the bolongs (creeks) and mangroves that encase them. We quietly slid through “forests” of mostly red mangroves, gliding past large, leather-like leaves and complex webs of roots that look like stilts.  Up close and personal, we could see the inner workings of how this tropical evergreen thrives in salty tidal mud flats and inlets by constantly replicating itself.  The red mangrove’s seeds germinate in its fruit while still hanging on the tree, producing a long stem called a “radical.”  When the ripe fruit falls off, the radical inserts itself into the mud and instantaneously becomes the root for a new plant.  These tangled root systems are the ultimate multi-taskers, trapping silt and floating debris (like their own dead leaves) and packing it all down into new, fertile ground for more baby mangroves to take hold in.  In this fashion, as the mangrove stands expand toward the sea, their old growth ancestors inland, unable to quench their thirst for salty water, eventually die out and leave rich soil in their wake, ready for cultivation.

A garbage dump just down the way from a mangrove swamp.

People in these parts have figured out how important mangroves are for stopping coastal erosion and thus keep from killing them.  Our guide described how some oyster harvesters would hack off entire roots to get at them, but that local women now knew to remove the shellfish by hand, without disturbing the hard-working root system.  He shrugged his shoulders when saying that this sustainable (called durable in French) approach just made sense, for the people who lived off the oysters needed them to be there year after year, generation after generation.  But still the basics of sanitation remain elusive:  not 10 steps from a mangrove restoration zone (funded through a U.N. agency), we found acres of garbage, strewn on both sides of the road – the local dump.

Small Craft Should Exercise Caution.

Never a dull moment when fishing the keys!  All the way down, Charlie McLean and I kept seeing bands of rain showers coming off the ocean but we kept telling ourselves “maybe it’s just raining over the mainland.”  Not true.  Arrived at the Lorelei in Islamorada where our guide for the Redbone Tournament,  Capt. Jeff Johnson, was waiting for us with an older model Grand Slam skiff tied up at the dock. “Come on, Mark, wait till you see what she’ll do in this crap,” said Jeff.  Ever since I purchased the Grand Slam project I have wanted the opportunity to run the boat in real challenging conditions and here was the chance to see what she would do in this kind of slop.  The boat ride was actually dry (except for the rain) and my kidneys weren’t beaten out of me.  So even though the conditions were terrible for fishing they were great for what I needed to see and feel.

Post-ride, I was glad that I had made the decision to make the spray rail integral to the hull and brought it all the way back to the transom.  The rough seas and wind I had just experienced reinforced the “rightness” of the addition.

The boat was whisper-quiet in nasty conditions. It’s a bad sign when most of the anglers in a tournament are staring at the weather channel while watching bands of rain and wind constantly run across the screen.  However, it didn’t seem to dampen the spirits of these particular hard-core fly fishermen hence the name of the tournament,  ”THE SUPERFLY”.  Well,  from my vantage point and Capt Johnson’s, it was hard sighting and hard presenting but we did get a couple of follows (no connections, though).  The boat was amazingly quiet in the worst of conditions.  Cal Collier, Jr. and his guide, Capt. Steve Thomas, put it all together and won “THE SUPERFLY”.   After experiencing those type of fishing conditions, I can only say,  ”hats off to Cal”.  ”This is Redbone weather,” Gary Ellis, founder of the well-known tournament, said.  Without having Jim Cantori of the Weather Channel there to confirm it, I believed him and the next day (Saturday) we again started out with rain followed by more rain with a touch of rain.  Our plan was to get the Redfish out-of-the-way, so with that we headed to Flamingo and tried our luck dredging the outflows at Snake Bight…a great idea but the fish didn’t get the memo…what did show up were small and under-sized.  One cool thing, my fishing teammate Charlie McLean was able to  film some white Pelicans feeding…an impressive sight as they used their bills to seine the water for tiny shrimp.  Then we turned the boat back towards Islamorada and headed back.  The dim light of the Lorelei was a welcome sight!

Being rested and relaxed from an early return Saturday, we thought Sunday was going to be the day to kick ass.  Not!   And again we got ours kicked instead. Hooked one bone but got broken off and the rest is history.  The winners were Jim Bokor, Jr. and Randy Frick.  All in all, it was great fun seeing old friends and making new ones.  Can’t help but be excited that the Grand Slam we’re getting ready  to launch down there will pick up where the old one left off. The improved Grand Slam is on the way!

Ilocos Norte takes pride in its verdant surroundings and fine beaches. The southernmost town of Badoc, hometown of great painter, Juan Luna, also boasts of Badoc Island, a surfer’s paradise. Go north and you will find the Coral Rock Formations — Currimao’s treasure — in Brgy. Pangil. The beach, very child-friendly, is a wonderful snorkeling  spot.  The next town, Paoay, is  home to an  idyllic beach in Brgy. Masintoc. If you’re yearning for utmost peace and quiet with just the relaxing sound of ocean waves, this is definitely paradise for you. A little up north in Paoay is Suba Beach and next is the more popular Calayab Beach near the Fort Ilocandia Resort Hotel in Laoag.

There are many undiscovered beaches in Laoag. La Paz, proximate to the sand dunes, is one. I could go on and on. My pro surfer friends visited once to explore surfing spots; they all agreed that Caaoacan is ideal.

North of Laoag, you can easily find delight in the fishing town of  Pasuquin where there is a long stretch of sandy shores. Barangays Nalvo and Estancia translate to beach bliss. I rediscovered the beauty of Sexy Beach in Estancia just recently (click on to read an earlier post). And here’s a bonus — entirely for nature appreciation — an eco-tour at the Davila Mangroves. Please respect the place once you’re there and marvel at the distinct ecosystem — a sanctuary for juvenile ocean creatures. It was where we took-off for our incredible and unforgettable dolphin exploration adventure, which is possible only within the months of  March to July. Also, a must-see is Kapurpurawan (sometimes spelled as Kapurpuraoan) Rock Formation in Burgos.

Not to be missed is The Windmills of Bangui, built by the Northwind Power Development Corporation, after which you can end your beach hopping in Pagudpud. If you can’t decide where to go, as there are many good choices… oh, I recommend visiting  Saud, Blue Lagoon and Pasaleng, then decide where to chill-out the longest.

You can always leave a message at the comment box if you wish to inquire on accommodations. I’d love to answer you back, as it is what this blog is all about… and, perhaps, what I do best.

Click on photo to view more of Blauearth’s photography on Flickr.

Copyright © Blauearth™ ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

The photo may not be downloaded, reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without written permission.

Hectic but fun.

That pretty much describes the pace of things around here at Dragonfly
Boats.  We started out in Key West to fish the Super Fly and then the
S.L.A.M.  We were fortunate to have Capt. Jeff Johnson as our guide and
had 3 days of slow but fun fishing.  Jeff was one of the originators of
the 17 Grand Slam we are building and I wanted to get his input on the
revised model we are designing.
Next Charlie and Goose (wonder dog) are off to a Duck hunting show in
New Jersey showing off our Fly Fisher Kayak set up for hunting and the
Emerger with the gun locker.  The crowds were really excited to see
these new innovations and we see our products establishing themselves
in that mecca of duck hunting.
Then off to Charleston to fish the Lowcountry Redfish/trout tournament.
  Onboard to guide us was Capt Billy Glenn with his new 17 Dragonfly.
Joining us Saturday was Sid Evans, editor from Garden and Gun magazine
(the coolest mag. out there).  Billy pushed us into some incredible
spots and we had shots of tailing reds in spartina grass, a different
type of fishing for the boys from "down south".  We ended catching some
small trout, but filming some great shots of the Dragonfly in the
lowcountry (these webesodes will be posted on our site soon).  Speaking
of that we have a new link on our website titled "News Reels" this is
where we will posted short videos that we are making showing our skiffs
in various locations.
 From there off to St Simons GA. home of the Golden Isles Red/Trout
Tournament.  Southern hospitality and huge tides (6') greeted us as our
guide Capt Billy Glenn tried to learn the area and find us fish.  Again
small trout were the fish that we seemed to find and the preferred
method was fly casting with an 8wt.  Great time, great location, great
people I hope we get invited back next year.
Tonight we have the CCA Orlando Banquet showing the cool little 12 Fly
Fisher the motorized stand up kayak that has really hit a "nerve". Then
off to St. Augustine to fish the Oldest City Red/Trout Tournament.
Update to follow.

Tight Loop

Dr. Jurgenne H. Primavera

She fell in love with the mangroves.  And since then she protected the mangroves like a true knight protecting his king.

Dr. Jurgenne H. Primavera spent her time studying mangroves and discovered why mangroves population in the Philippines was declining—the major culprit is the conversion of mangrove areas to brackish water fishponds.  According to Dr. primavera, the greatest mangrove loss has been due to large-scale development of bangus (milkfish) ponds at 4,000 to 5,000 hectares per year from the 1950s to the 1960s.  also, coastal communities, as well as bakeries and wood-fired sugar mills, depend on mangroves for fuel.  Mangrove areas are also converted to agriculture and salt ponds or cut down to give way to reclaimed lands for ports and commercial areas.

Because of her stand on mangroves, Primavera became the only Filipino scientist to receive an honorary doctorate degree from the Stockholm University in Sweden, capping more than 10 years of mangroves studies.  Since 1997, Primavera has worked on two mangrove sites in Aklan as field laboratories.  These are the patches of mangroves in Ibajay town and Buswang in Kalibo town.

She wrote more than 60 scientific articles, review papers, manuals, book chapters and technical reports, and co-authored 20 papers.  Many of the subjects touched on impacts of fish and shrimp farming, the ecological value of mangroves, marine conservation and management, and livelihood opportunities from mangroves.

Dr. Primavera is currently a researcher at the Aquaculture Department of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center in the Philippines.  She holds a doctorate degree in marine Science from the University of the Philippines.

Sources

► http://news.inq7.net/regions/index,php?index=&story_id=23567\

► www.growfish.com.au/content.asp?contentid=2926

Visual source:  seafdec

There are two places to look for public domain photographs of Everglades National Park on the National Park Service [NPS] website: the Images for Publication page on the park site, and the NPS Digital Image Archive.

At the Everglades park site, check out the interactive map of the 1.5 million acre park. I’ve provided a snapshot of it, but can’t do the map justice here, and you really need to see just how huge this park is — except for the Miami metropolitan area and the Keys, it is South Florida. The map will also give you an idea of how little of the park is accessible by car, and, moreover, not much more can be reached on foot alone. This fragile ecosystem is a World Heritage Site, International Biosphere Reserve, and Wetland of International Importance. To be all three is exceptional.

Ten Thousand Islands (courtesy: NPS). If you’ve read Peter Matthiessen’s Everglades trilogy [Killing Mr. Watson, (1991), Lost Man's River (1997), and Bone by Bone (2000)], you’ll remember the Ten Thousand Islands were the setting for those novels about the people who lived beyond the edge of civilization and their reasons for being there.  The turn-of-the-century slaughter of thousands of birds for their plumes to adorn ladies’ hats is among the many acts of violence described in Matthiessen’s  trilogy; the Park is now a sanctuary for over 360 species of birds, 50 species of reptiles, and 40 species of mammals, many rare or endangered.

How to see the Everglades: tram trail and visitor’s observation tower at Shark Valley (courtesy: NPS).

What the NPS refers to as a “freshwater prairie” (courtesy: NPS).

Mangroves (courtesy: NPS)

The Florida Bay (courtesy: NPS)

The next three images are all National Park Service Photos taken  by Rodney Cammauf:

Florida Panther, Puma concolor coryi

American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis. American Crocodile, Crocodylus acutus

Another source of public domain images of the Everglades is the DOCUMERICA collection at the National Archives. These were taken by Fred Ward. Remainder of photos are all courtesy National Archives, and the captions are from their bibliographical records.

PELICANS ON MANGROVES, 07/1972. ARC Identifier 544563

PELICANS ON LITTLE PAVILION KEY AT 10,000 ISLANDS, 08/1972. ARC Identifier 544500

BABY PELICAN AND EGGS IN NEST, 08/1972. ARC Identifier 544513

CHOKOLOSKEE ROOKERY IN EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK, 08/1972. ARC Identifier 544493

HERON NEAR CHOKOLOSKEE ROOKERY IN EVERGLADES PARK, 08/1972. ARC Identifier 544489

BABY CORMORANT IN CHOKOLOSKEE ROOKERY, 08/1972. ARC Identifier 544497

BABY EGRET IN NEST, 08/1972. ARC Identifier 544501.

If the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) popularized the idea of global warming, a counterpart in biodiversity and ecosystem preservation is now being pushed internationally.

An Inter-governmental Platform or Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is being established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in a move to save the remaining global biodiversity in a regime of protection that likewise promotes economic gain.

“The value of services generated by the world’s 100,000 protected areas is estimated to be worth over $5 trillion annually,” UNEP cited the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity in a statement.

As much as the IPCC has supported mechanisms such as the popular “carbon trading” under the Kyoto Protocol, the IPBES is looking at such capital-generating incentives to boost biodiversity conservation.

“A similar bridge between the scientific and political worlds may be the solution to the decline of the planet’s natural assets.”

The IPBES may be engaged in a worldwide education work such as making plain and simple to most people the role of animals, plants, insects, and microbes in the ecosystem—how they act to purify water or keep soil fertility.

It should orient consumers on the loss economies suffer from “dead zones” in the sea or in forests and soils as reported in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and UNEP’s Global Environment Outlook-4.

“We are facing a serious challenge to nature-based assets. Global GDP (gross domestic product)has more than doubled in the past quarter century. In contrast 60 percent of the world’s ecosystems have been degraded,” said UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.

In the past, the Convention on Biological Diversity, Convention on Migratory Species, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, and the RAMSAR convention on Wetlands have attempted to solve global biodiversity degradation.

But the response has apparently been inadequate or signals a mismatch. These, said UNEP, are some of the consequences of the lack of sufficient program on biodiversity:

• By 2025, close to two billion people are likely to live with absolute water scarcity.

• In West Asia , freshwater availability per person per year has fallen from 1,700 cubic meters (cu.m.) in the 1980s and will decline to 420 cu.m. by 2050,

• Freshwater vertebrates have declined on average by nearly 50 per cent since 1987 and around 30 per cent decline for terrestrial and marine species, and

• In the Caribbean , over 60 per cent of coral reefs are threatened by sediments, pollution and over-fishing.

Alien invasive species have becoming the most damaging to ecosystems with loss estimated at $140 billion yearly. In the Cape Floral Kingdom in South Africa , the fight against invasive tree species is costing it $40 million yearly.

Moreover, these are the value of biodiversity:

• Mangroves are valued at more than $900,000 per square kilometer (sq.km.) and coral reefs at $100,000 to $600,000 per sq.m.,

• Reefs in Indonesia are worth $1 million per sq. km. based on the cost of maintaining sandy beaches,

• An intact wetland in Canada is worth $6,000 a hectare (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment) versus $2,000 a hectare for one cleared for intensive agriculture,

• Pollination services of insects such as bees and animals like bats are worth up to $90 billion annually, and

• The value of the timber and fuel-wood from a forest is worth less than a third when compared with the value of their services such as water-shed protection and recreation to the absorption of pollutants like greenhouse gases.

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) must secure permits from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for the clearing of the Dungon Creek banks in Iloilo City, according to Mayor Jerry Treñas.

Treñas said the DPWH, which is implementing the P50-million Dungon Creek dredging, may have forgotten to secure a permit from the DENR to clear the creek of mangroves as part of the project.

Last week, residents of Sitio Sooc in Brgy. Bolilao, Mandurriao slammed International Builders Corp. (IBC), a sub-contractor of the project, for uprooting 20-30 mangroves and other trees from a portion of the creek in their village.

Members of the Bolilao Empowerment of Neighborhoods Association (BOENAS) fear that the creek banks will be eroded and endanger residents if all mangroves are uprooted.

Initial report by the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) in Iloilo said an estimated P30,000 worth of mangroves were destroyed.

The contractor and the DENR have suspended the dredging project because of the issue. Another factor that delayed the project implementation is the relocation of squatters from the creek’s banks.

Treñas said the DPWH has sent a letter to DENR Sec. Lito Atienza to resolve problem.

The mayor said the project will resume when the snags are resolved to prevent flooding in Iloilo City.

Cenro head Bernabe Garnace said IBC should have used a barge to excavate or dredge the river bank of silt to prevent overrunning the mangroves and other endemic plants in the creek.

“The backhoe should have been placed in one barge while the other barge will haul the excavated materials. Placing a backhoe in the easement area will destroy the mangrove areas,” Garnace said.

The main contractor of the project is Cebu-based WT Construction which won the bidding conducted by the DPWH regional office.

Garnace said if proper procedures were observed, minimal destruction was done on the mangrove areas.

He added that the environmental destruction caused by the incident is bigger compared to the commercial value of the damaged mangroves.

“The environmental assessment is still ongoing in the affected mangrove site. What happened is uncalled for,” Garnace said.

Garnace said the DENR will call a technical conference to determine IBC’s liabilities on the destroyed mangroves. (With reports from PNA)

Can Gio ecosystem in Can Gio District, HCM City, is popular with tourists. City officials want a scientific preservation order placed on the Can Gio mangrove forest. — VNA/VNS Photo Trang Duong

HCM CITY — Forest rangers and the local administration should preserve HCM City’s Can Gio mangrove forest using scientific forestry methods, ensuring the trees grow naturally, a city official said.

Nguyen Trung Tin, deputy chairman of HCM City People’s Committee, told the forest rangers and Can Gio District officials during a trip there last Friday that the forest is the city’s “green lung”.

“It also shields the coast from the intrusion of salt water and strong winds,” he said.

Trees in many parts of the forest have died of pests been destroyed by people trying to catch peanut worms that live in the marshy area.

Experts say the mangrove trees in Can Gio, a reforested area, should be trimmed when they reach the age of 15 or 16 to create space for other trees to grow and check the spread of pests.

In some areas, however, this has not been done, stunting the trees’ growth.

Tin praised the authorities for handing over the upkeep of the forest to local residents late last year.

The district chairman, Nguyen Huu Hiep, said 137 families maintain around 26,000 ha, generating a stable income from the forest and climbing above the poverty line.

Forest rangers and other officials manage the remaining 4,398ha.

Nguyen Dinh Cuong, director of the city Forest Guard Station, said thanks to handing over the forest to the residents, the incidence of logging and other illegal activities has decreased by 15 per cent compared to last year.

Le Van Sinh, director of the Can Gio forest administration committee, said hundreds of students come to the forest to do researc. They include foreign students, mainly from Japan.

He said that the city plans to earmark 50ha in Tam Thon Hiep Commune to develop an environmental study camp for students.

The Viet Nam Forestry Sciences Institution, the Southern Forestry Planning Sub-Institution, and the HCM City Agriculture and Forestry University are also carrying out four research projects in the forest.

The Can Gio mangrove forest, the world’s only regenerated reserve, is a symbol of Viet Nam’s efforts to recover forests and lands devastated by toxic chemicals and bombs the US used during the war. —

Source: vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

RESIDENTS of a barangay in Mandurriao, Iloilo City demand immediate action against a sub-contractor of the P50-million Dungon Creek dredging project after the firm uprooted more or less 30 mangrove trees in their village.

Members of the Bolilao Empowerment of Neighborhoods Association (BOENAS) based in Brgy, Bolilao, Mandurriao said they were aghast to learn that International Builders Corp. (IBC) uprooted 25-30 mangroves on the banks of the creek.

Bolilao is covered by the dredging project as Dungon Creek runs through the village, particularly Sitio Sook where mangroves and nipa abound.

BOENAS president Jess Siva said they thought IBC would only scour the creek to allow more water to flow and prevent flooding in the future.

“But from what we saw, they are doing clearing operations on the bank, not dredging,” Siva said.

Barangay Kagawad Arsenio Pedrosa, who is also an adviser of BOENAS, said they fear that the clearing of mangroves will result in more floods as the creek banks might be eroded during heavy rains.

“The mangroves protect the banks from erosion aside from serving as breeding ground for fish and other life forms in the river. This will only worsen the flood problem,” Pedrosa said.

Pedrosa said some of the mangroves are at least 100 years old. Some of the mangrove species uprooted in the project are bungalon, bakhaw, pagatpat, lipata aside from nipa and acacia trees.

Punong Barangay Nenita Juson of Bolilao said she was also surprised by what happened.

Juson said IBC began deploying its heavy equipment August 22 while actual works began August 24.

“I was later surprised when the residents complained that the contractor uprooted the mangroves. We already brought the matter to the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR),” Juson said.

Cenro forester Christopher Lastica said they have conducted initial assessment of the damaged area.

“Cenro has sent a letter to the DENR regional official asking its help to stop the dredging for the meantime while we assess the damage and come up with measures relative to the problem,” Lastica said.

When asked if IBC has secured an environmental compliance certificate, Lastica said the DENR central office has issued the document to the contractor.

Atty. Ian Feliciano, BOENAS legal counsel, said they will let DENR act on the problem before making their own moves.

Feliciano said he has reported the incident to the legal aid committee of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines which is currently pressuring the city government to preserve the Iloilo River.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH-6), which implements the project, said they have suspended the dredging works pending discussions with the DENR.

Engr. Rolando Asis, DPWH regional director, said they met with DENR officials to look for solutions to the problems and prevent similar incidents in the future.

Asis said revisions to the programs of work will depend on the outcome of their dialogue with the DENR.

“The project is already delayed because informal settlers on the Dungon Creek banks have yet to be relocated. This problem could be another cause of delay,” Asis said.

Hello all!  So, I’ve been without internet for a couple days, but I still kept track of what was going on.  And here it is:

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

So, the first day at the Congal research station.  We are in the province of Esmeraldas, in Northern Ecuador.  We got here at about 6:15 this morning, after leaving from the university last night at about 11:30pm.

We’re only here at the research station for two days.  Today in the morning we wandered through old shrimp farms and learned about the rise and fall of the shrimp farming business here in Ecuador.  It used to be that people did subsistence shrimp farming, and then in the mid-late 80s someone had the bright idea to make it a huge business.  It actually took off really well, and provided well-paying, not very taxing work to lots of people.  Back when it first became big, the farmers could get about $4-5 per pound of shrimp.

Then in 1998, tiger shrimp were brought over from Asia, in an attempt to cut costs of transportation to the US.   Sadly, the tiger shrimp had shrimpy AIDS, and it totally killed the native shrimps that were being farmed.  Now, there are big shrimp farms down in southern Ecuador but they can still only get about $1.50/lb.  People finally figured out after trying chemicals and such that breeding shrimps with a resistance was the only way to beat the disease.

Anyway, enough about the shrimps.  After we had lunch we went to a beach where Olive Riddley turtles, I think, lay their eggs.  The turtles start in laying in June, so there were still some nests, but unfortunately a lot of those turtles don’t make it.  There are tons of stray dogs here in Ecuador, and they sniff out the nests and eat the eggs.  Very sad.

Tonight is amusing because the electric company turned off the electricity at 7, so we’re all sitting around with flashlights.  Pretty funny.  Anyway, tomorrow we’ll be on a boat and exploring more of the mangroves.  Until then!

Thursday, September 03, 2009

Day two at the Congal.  Today was sort of fun.  We started out by taking a boat to the old research station.  I took my motion sickness pills, so no sea sickness, thank goodness.  It was pretty neat to see the mangroves, but, I mean, they’re trees.  I was glad when we left because we were getting eaten alive by mosquitos.  I have bites all over.  My ankle is pretty gnarly looking.  Anyway, the mangroves were neat, and while walking back to the boat we picked several pineapples that the station people grow (our guide works there, at the new station, so no worries).  Fresh pineapples and pineapple juice; piña coladas for all! 

In the afternoon we went to look at a town that had been built at the edge of the mangroves and was slowly expanding into the forest.  We discussed/learned about how people lived out there and their ecological impact vs us city folk.  Then we went to the beach for about half an hour, and now I’m writing this.  All in all, nothing too exciting, but meh.  It wasn’t a bad day.

Now we are relaxing at our hostel in Manta after driving for 7-8 hours.  It was a very boring drive, but we got to cross a bay on a ferry.  Thanks goodness for nausea pills though or the van ride could have ended badly.    Oh motion sickness.  but for now, relaxation, and HOT WATER for showers!  YES!!!  Ah, I am so spoiled.  Tomorrow we go explore the commercial fishing areas and learn about that industry, and then there’s a soccer game on tomorrow afternoon between Ecuador and Columbia, so naturally we must watch that.  And I shall keep you all updated on the exciting activities of the coming week as they occur.

For now, Chao!

PS.  New pics will be posted soon.  It kind of overloads the internet connection when I try to upload them, so I have to time it properly.

Thanks for a great article:

ICAST Product Review
By David Hall of Hall-Em-In-Lures

ICAST was a great show to attend and nice to have in our own backyard. The show was by far a success and the booths overall were outstanding. I am only reviewing the companies that really impressed me and have products that, I feel are by far, some of the best on the market.

1. DRAGONFLY BOATS
This skiff and boat builder, Mark Castlow, has taken things to the next level. Mark is a Florida native and grew up in Miami and the Keys. Living on the water only intensified Mark’s love for the blue water, and as a teen he leaned toward riding the water on Mother Nature’s waves. Surfing became a love of his and he started his own surf shop and a line of surfboards. His love for surfing and travel allowed him to discover lots of different bodies of water and wave conditions that further tuned him in to the knowledge of the sea.
Mark’s knowledge overall of water and fiberglass made him a valuable asset to the fiberglass industry to create, repair and tackle all sorts of problems that involved glassing. Eventually he ended up in the boat business as a co-owner of Maverick, Hewes, and Pathfinder boats. Mastering over the years of what it takes to manufacture and market a successful shallow water fishing machine. He has listened to guides and other people, of what they want out of an inshore skiff, and applied it to perfection.
Dragonfly Boatworks was founded in 2007 by Mark. They are a new company, with years of information and knowledge behind them. Mark has combined some of the old school look with the new school technologies, exceptional components, and purposeful design. Mix them all together with a master craftsman and out came a beautiful yet extremely functional line of boats.
The Emerger 16 was the one that I was lucky enough to discuss with Mark. It is a 16 ft skiff, 71” beam, 18 gallon, built in fuel cell averaging about 500 lbs. and drafts a true 5 inches. The fit and finish is truly incredible and it comes with a slew of options. This boat is solid, will not give you a rigid kidney jarring ride, but is super smooth and allows you to fish 1-3 anglers. It is a very different build with a unique bottom configuration that is ultra quiet putting you into the zone perfectly
All together, Mark has a nice selection of boats – Silver Shadow, Dragonfly, Grandslam, and the Emerger. I am a very picky person and these boats have turned my head and dropped my jaw. Having met Mark only once, he seems like a very down to earth person and still you can see the glimmer of excitement in his eyes when he talks about his boats. Please give his website a look: www.DragonflyBoatworksLLC.com.

Contact info – 4575 North US Highway 1
Suite 11
Vero Beach, FL 32967
Phone # 772-567-8835 ICAST Product Review
By David Hall of Hall-Em-In-Lures

Published July 31 in St. Petersburg Times; , Aug. 1 in tbt* Tampa Bay Times. 

“Ambience,” answered Mangroves co-owner Sam Shah. We were seated in the corner booth observing the crowded main bar. It was around midnight on a recent Saturday. I had just asked him to try and pin down Mangroves’ chief attraction. “It is built to make you feel comfortable,” he added, in between sips of superb, 21-year-old Glenlivet single malt Scotch whisky.

Continue reading.

Mangroves were once widespread throughout the world’s warm coastal areas, but over the past few decades, they’ve been disappearing. Now there’s growing recognition of their importance, and renewed efforts to restore them. I visited one such project in Indonesia, and filed this report for The World.

Aired on The World: Tues, 4 August 2009.

Download audio here.

Read more about mangrove conservation on the Seacology Island Environment Blog.

Excerpts from Class 305’s blog (each student had to pen down his/her thoughts on the Pasir Ris mangrove trip as part of their E-learning assignment):

… Initially, I didn’t realise the vast variety of species that can be found in a mangrove. Be it, plants or animals. But the stunning capacity of wildlife found in the mangrove was already enough to take me aback. It was beautiful.I was actually excited to see the reptiles found in the mangrove like the snake and monitor lizard. You simply don’t get to see these creatures everyday in our almost all-urban country.

It totally changed my perspective towards mangroves as I thought it was only dirty and muddy. But I learned that it was more than just a dirty and muddy place. It was about diversity, life and beauty which has constantly been ignored by us, humans. It made me realise that I should play a part in conserving mangroves and not let the development of my country affect the survival of mangroves.

Picking pong pongs and weeds for CIP was a different experience for me. It felt good because I’m contributing to the environment and it helps the creatures living in the mangrove for a change. It felt really satisfying though it wasnt much.

I’d like to bring my family and friends one day to the mangrove to make them realise the importance of mangrove conservation. I really enjoyed the trip eventhough i was a little reluctant to go. But it was amazing and I think it’s really important for the school to organize such trips.

-Amirul

… i will stop ppl from littering in mangrove. i was appaulled to see that there were 7-11 plastic bag and pokka green tea bottle in the swamp …

- Elvan

… I saw many animals and plants I’ve never seen before which is really interesting for me. For example the monitor lizard and and all the whatever plants. It’s my first time “getting to know” all these living things so I’ve forgotten their names. Lol …

- Weiting

… Some of the animals there is animals that i did not see before which is quite cool . Such as the mudskipper skipping around.I learned to conserve nature and not to destroy it as ther is many animal inside the forest which are essiential.I was sad after seeing that many rubbish was around at the mangrove forest.

I would like to pick up pong pong again as it is quite fun . i would bring my family along to let them know the importance of the mangrove forest there.I felt that it was a watse of my time at first but when i went there i felt that it is fun and intresting as i get to know many animals that i did not know at first …

- Kok Yong

… I have never really enjoyed nature and today, i found out how wonderful nature can be if we try to feel the joy of it. I will not litter and i will try to reduce the amount of plastic i use.I see ,mangroves in a different way now instead of thinking it as a dirty and smelly place.The pongs pong were very disgusting but picking it up makes me think of helping the mangroves and contributing to the environment. I would definitely go back again with my family and tell them about everything i learnt.Because i want my family to also undertsand more and learn what i learnt during the trip. Before the trip, i was expecting nothing and thinking that it will be the same like other mangrove trip, but after the trip, i realised how fun nature can be and how interesting it can be.i really enjoyed myself because when i am interested in something, i will really try to enjoy it …

- Sze Hui

Even if they can’t remember the animal and plant names (they always mix up the monitor lizard and komodo dragon), or forget the physical parameter stuff,  just knowing that at least part of the class touched based with the need to protect our natural habitats makes my day. If anything, that is one central reason why my passion lies in ‘teaching kids’ and ‘biology/science’. There really isn’t much value in learning all about diversity and conservation, and not passing on this knowledge baton to the next generation. If the nature ethos can be nurtured at the young ages, it might go further in saving gaia than we can imagine! : )

Though not as expansive or well-established as Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve, three trips to Pasir Ris mangroves and they have won me over. I’ll share five not-so-typical-mangrove (to me) photos:

Mr. picky birds in the house! I’ve no idea what tree this fruit belongs to, but I like to call it ’sea grape’ (not the marine algae Caulerpa sp.). We found dozens (half-eaten and squashed) staining the boardwalk blue-ish-purple.

I’m terrible with insects, so I can’t tell you what these are.
My students guessed the pair were waiting to mate.

Don’t the bumps on the stem and red ants give you goosebumps?

Even more goosebumps!
Poor bird not only got his head severed, but his body ravaged by red ants.

MY VERY FIRST SNAKE SIGHTING! : ) [Focus on the centre of the photo]
Just as we were starting to measure physical parameters at the hut, a girl runs up to me shouting ‘Snake! Come see!”. Before I could get up onto my feet proper, she grabs my arm and dashes down the boardwalk. I nearly lost my balance, but the excitement was infectious. True enough, it was a snake! I mistakenly told my class my guess was a dog-faced water snake – which is dark in colour and striped. Will have to seek the advice of Chee Kong the snake guy.

The verdict by Chee Kong: dog-faced water snake! : )
Clue include the “light brown dorsal side and yellowish underside”, “typical perching behaviour” and “pretty distinct ‘neck’. Though the dog-faced has a dark and striped body, he explained that algae growth on the scales could have masked both characteristic. He also elaborated that “The cantor’s water snake has very distinct bands along its slender body and has a less distinct ‘neck’. This shrimp-eating snake also tends to be found more frequently at night.”.