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Nature, geology, travel - New Zealand.
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Having returned from Taiwan, it's straight down to Having returned from Taiwan, it's straight down to Queenstown to guide a geology and glaciology bus trip around the South Island for a #newscientist tour. First up a visit to Te Anau (say hi to the takahe) and the breathtaking Milford Sound. Hard crystalline metamorphic and igneous rocks from below the ancient gondwana plate boundary uplifted and sculpted by numerous pleistocene glaciations. Apparently these are the highest sea cliffs in the world.
Taiwan teachers spent this week workshopping ideas Taiwan teachers spent this week workshopping ideas for developing their nature connection curricula. Seems like a pressing issue with today's youngsters struggling with mental health and screen addiction. Lots of inspiring ideas being worked out. #waldorfeducation #natureeducation #taiwannature
Exploring a rainforest right next to a school in T Exploring a rainforest right next to a school in Taipei that has overgrown buildings ready to be revived and used for a rich nature connected curriculum. We had a discussion about the sorts of learning activities that could happen here, such as bushcraft, ecology, art, languages etc. An opportunity to give city kids exposure to a stunning jungle at their doorstep... #taiwan #waldorfeducation #natureeducation
To Taiwan, to speak at a teacher conference promot To Taiwan, to speak at a teacher conference promoting more nature-connectedness in schools this week. Having a look around Taipei and nearby forest on day 1.
A short visit to my french relatives in Vulbens, a A short visit to my french relatives in Vulbens, a village at the foot of the Jura mountains, close by Geneva and the border of Switzerland. This farm house has been in the family for over 500 years and is packed with history as well as personal memories of long and happy summer holidays shared with a crowd of cousins and members of my mother's extended family. Half an hour walk up the mountainside, hidden in the forest is a huge mossy boulder. A glacial erratic, brought here from Mont Blanc, over 100kms away by the massive Rhone glacier during the last ice age. Being shown this rock at the age of (I think) 9 years old, opened my heart and imagination to the unfathomable scale of time and space that is revealed by learning about the earth. (A great great grandfather even etched his initials onto it!) It was one of two or three experiences that led to my life long interest in geology, and also education. How fortunate to have such life directing experiences at a formative age in childhood As a teacher and educator, I have always wanted to offer such moments to my students, where something is unlocked and leads to a life long sense of wonder about the world around us. A beautiful time, talking to some of my many french rellies, and walking around the area. We were even visited by a large flock of storks, perhaps 30 of them wheeling above us as the sun set. Magical. The flight back was more sober. A dense pall of blue smoke from huge wildfires far to the west obscured the land, all the way from Geneva, across France amd the channel and into the south east of England. Climate warming has reared its head this summer with dramatic impacts across Europe. Heat and drought, with more to come.
Lava sea cliffs at #Þorlákshöfn, and recent flows Lava sea cliffs at #Þorlákshöfn, and recent flows across the road at #Grindavik, SW Iceland
The east and south coast of #iceland. Glaciers com The east and south coast of #iceland. Glaciers coming off the ice cap
#Stuðlagil canyon basalt columns, waterfalls and o #Stuðlagil canyon basalt columns, waterfalls and other delights, north east #iceland
Iceland north coast. Wild beauty everywhere you lo Iceland north coast. Wild beauty everywhere you look. While most of Iceland is covered in volcanic basalt, Tjörnes peninsula features a rare, 1,200-metre-thick sedimentary sequence which we went to have a look at. These strata act as a timeline, tracking global climate shifts, ancient forests, and changing ocean currents. The Bering Strait Connection: For millions of years, the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans were completely separated. When the Bering Strait broke open in the N Pacific, Pacific marine life flooded into the Arctic and travelled all the way to the North Atlantic and here to Iceland. Scientists have tracked this exact moment in the cliffside strata of Tjörnes, where Pacific bivalve (mollusc) fossils suddenly appear alongside Atlantic species. Recent radioisotope dating of these beds places this biological migration event at roughly 5.2 to 4.9 million years ago, thus dating the original opening of Bering Strait. How awesome is that!
Next stop Iceland for a ten day trip around the ri Next stop Iceland for a ten day trip around the ring road via the #Snæfellsnes peninsula and #Ólafsvík. The first of many days of grand vistas, wilderness, wild coasts, volcanoes and glaciers to come...
#Prague, what a city! #Prague, what a city!
A few days at Lake Balaton sailing and #Budapest, A few days at Lake Balaton sailing and #Budapest, #Hungary...
Sarajevo, beautiful city with a complex and someti Sarajevo, beautiful city with a complex and sometimes brutal history. The street corner at which Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated, triggering World War 1, lots of Turkish and other influences, and the terrible 4 year seige in the war with Serbia in the 90s, have all left indelible marks. A city still in recovery but great to visit... #sarajevo #bosnia
A couple of days in the walled city of #Dubrovnik, A couple of days in the walled city of #Dubrovnik, Croatia, next stop Bosnia...
Hiking around the castles and limestone hills of M Hiking around the castles and limestone hills of Montenegro at #kotor, #risan and #hercegnovi. History wherever you look.
Hiking in the Albanian Alps with friends. Valbona Hiking in the Albanian Alps with friends. Valbona - Theth area. Stunning limestone mountains, forests and rivers
From Gjirokastër fortress with its epic history to From Gjirokastër fortress with its epic history to the Albanian Alps via the stunning Komani Lake.
Albanian southern coastal trail with friends... Albanian southern coastal trail with friends...
Great to show off NZ to visiting teachers from Tai Great to show off NZ to visiting teachers from Taiwan on a road trip to Queenstown via #Tekapo, #Aoraki Mt Cook and #Lindis Pass this week.
Filming at New Zealand's fossil wonderland last we Filming at New Zealand's fossil wonderland last week, where I was shown around the 'insides' of Otago University Geology Museum. #fossils #otagogeology #paleontology
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