The Next Step in Saving Serengeti

We've started Serengeti Watch as a non-profit 501(c)3 organization and part of Earth Island Institute. SW is designed to monitor the Serengeti ecosystem long-term and to alert the public of imminent threats - such as the currently proposed commercial highway. Information here:
http://www.savetheserengeti.org/home/#axzz14cuYoxP6

Join (and donate if you can) and pass it on. Thanks.

Save the Serengeti

What is This "Mama Grizzly" Crap from the Wicked Witch of the North

So Sarah "Wicked Witch of the North" Palin is trying to organize her right-wing loonies with the Mama Grizzly mantra?

When governor she promoted the slaughter of grizzly bears, along with wolves.

Click on image to enlarge.

Survey Ribbons for Proposed Serengeti Highway

The graffiti of the destroyers! Photos courtesy of Nikki Waterhouse. Shots made between Klein's Gate and Maasai village of Ololosokwe in western Loliondo.

Click on photo to enlarge.

Important Documents Related to the Serengeti Highway Threat

Serengeti General Management Plan

This is an in-depth study with important information on various impacts on the Serengeti ecosystem.

And

Loliondo-Serengeti Road Report

This last is a complete whitewash of the situation, written by engineers with no input from researchers or conservation groups. It's only 10 pages long, with no meaningful content except to rubber-stamp approval for the project.

The Impact of the Proposed Serengeti Highway

This photo was made 6 days ago (May 31, 2010) in very nearly the exact place where the proposed Serengeti highway would bisect this part of Serengeti and Loliondo. We must stop this madness. The greatest wildlife migration on earth will be severely impacted by this road.
Not far from this spot there are survey ribbons hanging on trees - the graffiti of the engineers!
Email: info@tanzaniaparks.com
Let them know that this is a totally stupid idea and could destroy the great wildebeest and zebra migration.

The Serengeti Highway - A MAJOR Disaster!

Is this how you want to view wildlife in Serengeti??
The proposed northern highway across Serengeti (see blog post below) will result in a major increase in poaching in the region that is now difficult to access. Tanzania National Parks is re-introducing black rhinos in this region with plans for up to 32 rhinos in the next few years.
This is how they will end up!
Serengeti is a World Heritage Site.
If this highway goes through, it may be re-classified as an Endangered World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Don't let this happen. Email Tanzania National Parks: info@tanzaniaparks.com
Also email the Tanzanian Embassy in Washington: ubalozi@tanzaniaembassy-us.org
Get involved to save the greatest animal migration on earth!
Click on image to enlarge, if you can stand it.

A Major Threat to the Greatest Animal Migration on Earth

I just returned from leading one of my photo tours in Serengeti and discovered a major tragedy in the making. This is the biggest threat to the Serengeti ecosystem in decades. A major highway (in red on the map) is planned to cut across the migration path of millions of animals. (The migration paths are the colored arrows) This high speed highway could have hundreds of trucks each day. Imagine the wildlife carnage from these speeding trucks. The road would also be the perfect pathway for a huge increase in poaching in the Serengeti.
Big money interests appear to be behind this.
There is a safer alternative route (in light green on the map) that bypasses Serengeti altogether.
If you care about this incredible ecosystem, email the Tanzanian Embassy right away and let them know that this would be one of the greatest wildlife disasters in history.
Email: ubalozi@tanzaniaembassy-us.org
Here's another address, Tanzania National Parks: info@tanzaniaparks.com
They probably won't do anything, but may pass it on to higher ups and it may make them realize this is a major international crisis that could have great impact on tourism!
Suggest to them that the effect on tourism alone would be enormous if the great migration were to be altered or destroyed!
We are setting up a special Facebook page dealing with this - check here for details.
Help Save the Serengeti. Click Here
Click the map to enlarge.

Barb's Bears

This was Barb's first visit to the grizzly bears of coastal Katmai National Park.

Barb's Bears from Boyd Norton on Vimeo.

Nostalgia - 30 years ago with Hasselblad

Rummaging through some old files I found this - my photo on the cover of one of those booklets Hasselblad used to publish. This one was in 1980. They also used to use some of my pics on their posters.

I bought my first Hasselblad (500C) in about 1965 (later added 2 more). My first 6 books were shot with Hasselblads. I switched to 35mm when I did my first Alaska book in 1976 because I made a 13 day backpacking trip through the Brooks Range and the Hasselblad equipment was too heavy to carry.

Since I've gone digital they now sit on the shelf. I'll never get rid of them because even after 40 years of rough use in the boondocks they still work flawlessly. The finest precision cameras ever made, in my opinion.

Petroglyphs 6000 miles and Several Thousand Years Apart

I've recently been scanning some slides I made at Lake Baikal, Siberia about 15 years ago and discovered some shots of petroglyphs on the western shore of the lake. They looked strangely familiar, so I dug out some photos of petroglyphs I had shot in Canyonlands National Park in Utah. The similarity is amazing. Two different cultures - the Anasazi dating back a few thousand years - and the unknown people from the Baikal region whose origins may go back several thousand years. Lake Baikal is more than 6000 miles from Utah.

I suppose it's possible that similar kinds of depictions could evolve in different cultures, but still this similarity is intriguing. It does seem to lend more credence to migration of people from Asia to North America.

The first two photos on the left are from Baikal. The bottom one of red sandstone is from Utah. Click to enlarge any of them

All photos © Boyd Norton

Discovery Channel Hosts Sarah Palin!!

That's right, the Discovery Channel is going to do a series on Alaska hosted by Sarah Palin! What in hell are they thinking of? It's an outrage to have someone who promotes aerial slaughter of wolves, hunting brown bears, fought against protection of polar bears. Send a message to Discovery by signing this petition: http://bit.ly/asQOUr

My First Published Work!!

Cleaning out some files a while ago I found this. Never got a favorable review from the New York Times Book Review. In fact, never got reviewed. And no autograph parties. Bummer. Do you suppose it was the cover design? Maybe a sexier title would have been better.

I'll be posting soon a video of the reactor I blew up. Stay tuned (or run for shelter).

Stop the Destruction of Orangutan Habitat

Palm oil plantations are destroying prime rainforest habitat in Borneo. I've seen it firsthand. Nestle is a big user of palm oil. Send them a message.

Have a break? from Greenpeace UK on Vimeo.

Uh oh, I've been exposed!

An Outrageous Idea

The Republic of Tanzania and Zambia have submitted a controversial proposal to CITES, the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species, for a one time sell-off of over 80 tons of ivory. The 15th CITES conference will convene from March 13-25th in Doha, Qatar and these two countries will need 66% of the 175 country votes in order to proceed. Some other African countries support lifting the ban on sales, notably South Africa, Namibia and Botswana.

The proposal by Tanzania and Zambia includes a de-listing of the African elephant from Appendix I to Appendix II (little to no trade control). This perhaps is the most threatening and alarming part of the proposal, and if approved could have wide-spread and devastating impacts for elephant herds across Africa.

More information Here: http://bit.ly/aLqdOd

My talk at the 9th World Wilderness Congress in Merida, Mexico in November, 2009. Don't worry, it's only about 6 minutes - discussion about the Serengeti ecosystem and an excerpt from my forthcoming book, Serengeti: the Stillness of the Eternal Beginning. Wild9 was attended by 1800 delegates from over 60 different countries. Some amazing things were accomplished here in helping to preserve wilderness worldwide.
WILD9 - Boyd Norton (English) from The WILD Foundation on Vimeo.