Jan 23, 2013
So we are back in Singapore gazing at what has to be one of the coolest trees I have ever seen. This is a solar powered super tree, one of 18 just recently opened to the public in June, 2012. They have been described as walking thru Alice in Wonderland. (with such a description I might even go back and read the book). The trees are vertical gardens, generating solar power, collecting rainwater and acting as air vent ducts for nearby conservatories. The trees vary in heights from 82 to 164 feet. Ultimately they will be completely covered with tropical plants and ferns providing shade for those walking beneath them. One even has a bistro on top (which we did not visit because of my height thing). They are also lit up at night in all different colors. Part of a 250 acre landscaping project, Gardens By the Bay, they are so incredible I wonder why the Supertrees concept is not used all over the world. In fact, I am thinking of building one in my back yard if I can figure out how to get around the Palm Beach Architectural Review Board who would probably frown on such a grand... read more
Jan 6, 2013
You really get a sense how big these beautiful creatures are from the photo. Asian elephants average 3-4 tons and are very tall, at least from my perch sitting on my elephant’s head. What to me, is truly amazing, is the current research being done with elephants. We don’t really know much about them since they are difficult to study in the wild and with a dwindling population (it is estimated there are about 40,000 elephants in the wild in SE Asia), it is all the more challenging. And Asian elephants are smarter than African elephants attributed to their larger brains. But elephants are among a very elite group of animals who possess self awareness. Meaning they recognize themselves in a mirror. They join humans/apes (one can argue a lot of humans never progressed past the ape stage), dolphins and orcas, and are you ready? Magpies. The same family of bird as the crow and bluejay. Kinda of a weird group but all recognize themselves. I was sorry we weren’t able to participate in the research at the elephant camp, as we only learned the last night you could do a half day helping the researchers. Next... read more
