Don’t go to Midway Atoll
I have been on the Atoll for 10 days now and I would say to everyone I know – don’t go to Midway Atoll. It will mess with you head on all your ideas of conservation, of what is important to our planet. It is way too confusing. Please don’t come here. The Atoll is [...]
The Legacy of Laura Bush: Wealth Extraction
OK I want to talk about Laura and her hubbie George but got to get out on the beach for the green turtle lecture now. Here are some pics to keep you interested for now. Also check out the recent posts on the Duke site particularly the smuggler section… Duke Blog
Deeper and deeper into the Atoll
Each day here is another step deeper into the realm of an ecosystem that has been heavily impacted by humans. Yesterday we went to Eastern Island where the Navy kept fighters and bombers during WWII and where the battle of Midway began. Along with the albatross we saw the rare and endangered Laysan duck, frigates, [...]
Fish Auction
We went to the largest fish auction house in Honolulu last week. I shot a bunch of video and photos. Was wondering what impression you each have to this video attached below. Fish Auction
Human Impacts on Midway
We started the day jumping in to do community service on Midway Atoll. That means sorting the contents of the recycle bins… This is two years worth of 60 people’s recycling… beer bottles, liquor bottles (Jack seems to be a favorite), wine and Asian cooking sauces (the Chef is from Thailand). We spend a couple [...]
Duke NSOE Midway Blog
Part of the Midway experience is for each student to post a blog entry on their view of Midway. Each student also has a FLIP video camera with which to record their impressions on the atoll. The posts are here and include video clips of life on Midway. Check em out. Pretty cool stuff from [...]
So what?
Success in the conservation effort is a real challenge anywhere on the planet. We live in a culture that thrives on a wealth extraction industry from our environment – oil/gas, timber, fishing… you name it. Somebody catches it, digs it, kills it and then sells it to the highest bidder. It is more than the [...]
Cold, Wet, Amazing…
No sunny sunrise over the horizon here… cold, steady rain this morning. But the Albatross are here… Around 450,000 birds are on the island today. Their mates – another 450,ooo are at sea feeding. The males and females take turns feeding and can be gone for several weeks hunting for food North toward the Aleutians [...]
Here on Midway
We landed in a driving rain last night around 9pm. It is one of those 1200 mile flights where there are no other airports near – maybe 700 miles away so you land regardless. Not enough fuel to get back ot Honolulu. I dumped a short clip of the ride from the airport a.k.a. Naval [...]
Gone in 60 Minutes
How long does it take to sell 15,000 lbs of prime pelagic fish worth over $200,000 retail – bigeye tuna, yellowfin tuna, wahoo, marlin, mahimahi, swordfish, opah… Yesterday we saw it done in 60 minutes at the United Fishing Agency – Hawaii’s largest fish auction house. Open 365 days a year, the bidding starts at [...]
Lost on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii
We drove North from Honolulu early today to go to Kaena Point – home of the only Laysan Albatross colony in the state of Hawaii. Kaʻena Point is, literally, a spear-shaped protrusion into the Pacific Ocean. Some ancient Hawaiian folklore states that Kaʻena Point is the “jumping-off” point for souls leaving this world. And in [...]
2009 Conservation Projects
First – Happy New Year to all. 2009 is shaping up to be an incredible year for conservation projects for us. Like any pursuit, one gets better as you practice: you make mistakes, tune your technique and expand your skills. Here at MVF, we learned much in 2008, maybe more than in any [...]
