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Mt Roraima 2011 2nd Expedition Pics SUPER DUPER DIAL UP WARNING! LOTS OF LARGE PICS!

  • #41
I can't imagine what it would be like to be up there. Good thing you posted these picks because now I don't have to! Congrats on the opportunity!
 
  • #42
I was like this:

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Then it became this

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I am truly envious Jonathan. Wow!! Amazing pics of a miraculous place. wow!! Those utrics..those helis....the community....BAAAAAAAAAAH.....Just awsome.

Even though I love nepenthes more than helis...nothing...and absolutely nothing matches the community and collective beauty of the tepui. Truly surreal.
 
  • #43
hahaha....seriously! the whole experience was more than I could ever imagine it to be (in good and in bad, lol!)

i asked Stew if any of these plants on the top of the tepui were in cultivation, he replied, none that he knew of....i was so tempted to bring seeds and stuff home :lol: he also was pretty pessimistic about the whole conservation aspect as well, talking of how the ecosystem is going to probably turn over within 10 years.
 
  • #44
looks amazing. lets hope for the best on the conservation.
 
  • #45
So did u bring any seed back home? haha!! I would assume not. Would probably have been one of the first instructions before getting on the mountain. NO TOUCHING...NO NIPPING. lol I agree...lol...if everytime a group goes up and nips things...soon enough there will be nothing left. Collections need to be made... but I think in a responsible fashion with the involvement of international botanic gardens/local conservation groups that collaborate with commercial agencies that allow a safe and valid method of providing these amazing plants to the public and recording a bit of the genetic diversity. But I am sure EVERYONE has their own opinion on this matter. Then the question arises about .. why do they have the right to get this?...etc...but well...debates go on.

What perplexes me is about what I mentioned previously in the case of nepenthes horticulture from places such as Mt. Kinabalu. I mean these conditions are perfect... use these conditions to CULTIVATE stock plants within the diverse environment and sell them at a premium. So a small patch of land on the tepui where plants are artifically placed in a setting and used to harvest batches of seed/seedlings for commercial sale. It would be a fantastic source of income for the local conservation efforts, reduce poaching and meet demands of collectors and ethusiaists alike. One such actual example where is works is in ecuador..from ecuagenera. They use the cloud forests to propogate local orchids and provide them for cultivation. --- I do realize in the case of the tepui, the logistics of this plan is unrealistic. I mean you can only harvest once a year and the airfuel required to airlift plants/seed will mean the plants will have to be sold at ridiculous prices to break even.

But yeah...I remember also reading that all these trips are actually damaging the tepui by compacting the soil, littering etc... These places have evolved without human interference or the presence of any large animals that can compact soil. Slight disturbances or repeated disturbances can have long term, but not short term impact. Add to that the global warming situation and we are definitely looking at a remodelling of the earth's ecosystems in the centuries to come. For sure with all the disturbance, habitat destruction, there will definitely be a decrease in diversity as only ultra-resilient species can hang on during these times of change as the more delicate ones perish.
 
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  • #46
Vraev, hahaha....touchy subject. it would be nice if we were able to do things that way, but unfortunately, reality sucks....not to mention many of the nice heliamphora take a while to grow, even in the wild. i cant even begin to imagine how old some of those D. roraimae or B. reducta, or Heliamphora are, it just boggles the mind!

That being said, as controversial as it may sound, I dont mind if a few select individuals did take a few propagules back home, provided two conditions are met: 1) that they know EXACTLY how to keep the plant, aka an experienced Heliamphora grower bringing back Heli seeds, and 2) they have the means also to replicate this said plant, and be able to distribute it to the public. By doing so, these plants will be able to enter cultivation at a reasonable rate, and greatly reduce the desire or need to poach more plants in the wild. A few decent people who are capable of this come to my mind, and even further, one of them was able to obtain a representative of a population that was shortly wiped out later---so there can even be a conservative aspect to the story as well. What would be a great travesty is if novice CP growers pillaged the lands and decimated the populations, and all the plants die back at home....i know this isnt a solve all--- i dont even want to dabble in conservation regarding North American CPs.

good thing the Venezuelan government is adamant about keeping things in the tepuis. if you were caught with any flora or fauna at their checkpoints, you'd be automatically thrown in prison!
 
  • #47
Amazing photos. What a magical place. Thanks for posting these.
 
  • #48
WOW, beautiful pictures of what appear to have been a very memorable trip. Thanks for sharing.
 
  • #49
my pleasure to share!

i suppose we all have my awesome sister to thank, since she was the one who allowed me to bring her nice camera!
 
  • #50
*tears of pure awesomeness and envy*

:cry:
 
  • #51
Awesome photos! Thanks a lot for your help on CPUK amphirion. Just another question - is it easy to find and hire a guide on place?

As for the conservation - unfortunately, visitors are bringing microorganisms and even seeds on the soles of their shoes, the environment at the top is already changing. As for the diversity, most plants from Mt. Roraima were described, which requires some specimens to be taken from the wild, These are kept in various botanic gardens - as for CPs, every species from Roraima can be found in collections, orchids too. No need for further plant collections.

Peter
 
  • #52
Amazing! Thanks for sharing these here.
 
  • #53
Awesome photos! Thanks a lot for your help on CPUK amphirion. Just another question - is it easy to find and hire a guide on place?
Peter

Hello Peter, unfortunately, I do not know the answer to that question...but like i said, I am in contact with one the locals who lead our expedition...i can try asking her.
 
  • #54
Well...I am glad to see that the venezuelan govt is taking conservation of these highlands seriously. Peter is right about the contamination with foreign species. I don't know, but perhaps inititatives such as washing shoes etc in bleach before taking them up the mountain (similar to the measures taken in Costa rica to prevent the spread of fungus that can decimate frogs) might help.

I do understand that those specimens take a while to grow...decades even, but I guess I am proposing that seed collection by the local authorities (sort of like farming) might be a wonderful economic perspective.

Anyways...thanks again for the wonderful pics.
 
  • #55
Well...I am glad to see that the venezuelan govt is taking conservation of these highlands seriously. Peter is right about the contamination with foreign species. I don't know, but perhaps inititatives such as washing shoes etc in bleach before taking them up the mountain (similar to the measures taken in Costa rica to prevent the spread of fungus that can decimate frogs) might help.

I do understand that those specimens take a while to grow...decades even, but I guess I am proposing that seed collection by the local authorities (sort of like farming) might be a wonderful economic perspective.

Anyways...thanks again for the wonderful pics.

Eh, the feeling I got is that they took to taking bribes and rummaging around our camera equipment a lot more seriously than they do preserving the tepuis.

By the way, I am feeling better now, and will be posting pics soon.

---------- Post added at 04:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:26 PM ----------

Okay, so I've been really really sick since my arrival, and haven't been able to post my pictures up, but I am feeling slightly better today, and thought I'd give it a go.

Slums of Caracas:
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Venezuelan National Guard, a group of folks we became intimately familiar with by the end of the trip:
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First supper with the entire group:
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The highly staffed and under utilized airport in Santa Elena:
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First view of the Gran Sabana:
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Odd little savanna plant:
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Termite Mound:
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Jasper Creek:
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Stuff in the jungle around Jasper Creek:
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Leaf Cutter ant at Jasper Creek:
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Apparently restricted area of Jasper Creek, with sundews:
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Jasper Creek Utricularia, which one was this, Jon?
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  • #56
Oooh, great shots!!! Gosh, I'm just eating up these pictures! :love:
Moremoremore! :-D
 
  • #57
Ice cream maker run off a fantastically loud generator in the town of San Francisco:
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San Francisco wall art:
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Roof being re-thatched:
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Bird on my head:
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Bird in my hand, worth at least two in the bush:
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Bronchinnia Hectioides:
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Common spiky savanna plant:
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Waterfall:
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Drosera roraimae
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Drosera roraimae growing on a drip wall by the waterfall:
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Some strange seed pod/egg casing:
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Lighting bug:
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Early morning view before starting the trek:
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  • #58
Common lizard seen on the trek:
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Ant mound:
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Neat fern I found when I went to take a whiz:
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More Drosera roraimae:
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Peaceful little pond:
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Flower along the trail:
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Bugs on the aforementioned flowering plant:
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Little spirit house for the Pemon porter who got struck by lightning, December 1, 2010:
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Fishing spider of some sort (these guys are really cool, they lay so flat against the rock you can barely see them):

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A fuzzy ant:
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Flowers along Rio Tek:
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Frog found along Rio Tek:
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Slightly deforested area up Rio Tek:
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Bromeliad in the jungle:
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Insects:
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  • #59
Start of the second day of the trip, beautiful view of Kukenan:
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Frog on the banks of Rio Tek:
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More Drosera:
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Mount Roraima:
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Crossing Rio Kukenan:
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Finally caught a lizard!:
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Giant Grasshopper:
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Storm raging behind us:
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I forged my own path through the savanna and came across some neat stuff:
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  • #60
hahah! true that about the venezuelan diligence! diligently checking so they can get themselves a bribe!

great pics mate! you've made me realize how many photo ops i missed out on!

you certainly lived up to your name! animal whisperer!

oh, and yea: the yellow utric is U. subulata.
 
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