As summer begins to draw to a close (there’s now a distinct autumnal feel here in Oxfordshire, and it’s still only August!) one of the things I’ll miss most is those warm summer evenings which give you a great excuse to open a bottle (or two!) of wine. And if you enjoy a good bottle of wine, why not enter our South African Winelands competition?
Microhyla nepenthicola was discovered in Borneo
Scientists from the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and the University of Hamburg in Germany have found a new species of frog on an expedition in Borneo.
The very cute Microhyla nepenthicola reaches just one centimetre in length and was first discovered in Kubah National Park in 2004; this discovery how now been described in the journal Zootaxa.
The miniature red and orange creature lives and breeds on a pitcher plant, laying its eggs in the decomposing organic matter that gathers on the plant. Scientists believe the tiny size and reduced webbing of the frog could be the result of negotiating the slippery plant on which it lives.
Heritage Expeditions
Ten years since their last expedition to the islands of the South Indian Ocean, New Zealand based cruise company, Heritage Expeditions, has organised a return to this remote location.
Cake sale raises money for Pakistan flood victims
Members of Audley’s Indian Subcontinent team have this week held a cake sale to help raise funds for the devastating flood crisis in Pakistan.
The impressive spread of cakes, bakes and cookies included a lavish looking pavlova, a sumptuous banana and walnut cake and a Dutch apple pie. After the last morsels were cleared and the pounds and pennies counted, the team declared a final tally of £275 in money raised.
This money will be contributed towards aid and disaster relief efforts currently ongoing in the worst hit areas of Pakistan.
Following the country’s biggest flood in 80 years, at least 1,600 people are feared dead and millions left homeless and in need of aid. The growing crisis is exacerbated by reports of further heavy downpours expected over the coming days, with authorities in some areas issuing “extreme” and “imminent” flood warnings.
Find out more about the flood crisis in Pakistan and how you can help support charities working to help people who have been affected – go to www.thebiggive.org.uk.
Arlington Row in the Cotswolds, on a February misty morning
With the travel bug well and truly rooted in our systems here at Audley, it seems only natural that many of us also have a passion for photography. But while some of us are happy with the results of our trusty point and click cameras, others are a bit more practiced with a lens.
Sarah Howard, one of Audley’s Southeast Asia specialists, is able to combine her love of travel with her passion for photography, and as a professional landscape and travel photographer she also holds photography workshops in the Cotswolds through Image Seen, a company she runs alongside Photoshop expert Martyn Ferry.
Image Seen is currently running a competition which celebrates the beauty of the Cotswolds and prizes up for grabs include one to one photography tuition with Sarah, a fabulous Ricoh R10 compact camera, accessories from Morris Photographic, and a fantastic 2 night stay at the historical White Hart Royal hotel in Moreton-in-Marsh.
The Cotswold Scene competition is open to all amateur photographers, including the under 16′s, until 15th October 2010 and will culminate in a six week long exhibition at O3 Gallery in Oxford Castle at the end of the year. This is an excellent opportunity for budding photographers to show off their skills and see their work exhibited in one of Oxfords best galleries.
With Sarah reaching the final of Travel Photographer of the Year in 2008 and 2009 and the competition being judged by renowned landscape photographer Charlie Waite, and Steve Watkins, editor of Outdoor Photography magazine, this is a competition not to be missed.
To find out more about visit the Image Seen website.
View of atomic bomb dome, Hiroshima peace park
The Japanese city of Hiroshima today marks the 65th anniversary of the atomic bomb attack that devastated the city during World War II.
Representatives from 74 countries attended a memorial with a representative from the US, UK and France present for the first time, and a minute’s silence was held at 8:15, the exact time that the bomb fell.
Approximately 140,000 people died as a direct result of the bomb which was dropped by United States forces on 6th August 1945, but the focus of today’s event was very much on working towards a future free of nuclear weapons.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, also in attendance for the first time, said the time had come to move from “Ground Zero, to Global Zero” – a world without any nuclear weapons.
Using a combination of photographs and maps two of our Southeast Asia specialists – Pat and Sarah - describe their own experiences of seeing orang-utan in Malaysian Borneo and Indonesia.
Simply click on the video play button above to view it in full.
The hairy-nosed otter was pictured in the Deramakot Forest Reserve in Sabah.
From elephants to orang-utan, Borneo is one of the world’s jewels in terms of wildlife. Unfortunately, a sizable portion of this wildlife – much of it endemic – has become endangered or even extinct due mainly to habitat loss. However, thanks to a camera trap set by conservation scientists, at least one rare otter has been rediscovered.
The home page of the James House website.
A week ago we held a quiz night which raised over £600 for two African charities we support – Uthando in South Africa, and the Mara Rianda Charitable Trust in Kenya. We’ve just received these emails from them describing in detail how this money will be spent and just how valuable these contributions will be.
Horton Plains slender loris spotted in Sri Lanka (image: ZSL)
One of the world’s rarest primates, the Horton Plains slender loris, has been captured on camera for the first time in over 60 years.
Thought to be extinct, the nocturnal mammal was spotted by scientists from the Zoological Society of London and a team of Sri Lankan researchers whilst on a recent night-time survey.
Recorded in the wild only a handful of times since the 1930s, the slender loris has evaded experts for decades. The dramatic decline in numbers is thought to be caused by deforestation and destruction of its natural habitat to make way for tea plantations in Sri Lanka and southern India.
Roughly 5 – 10 inches (12 – 25 cm) in length, the slender loris is characterised by its short limbs, thick fur and large, saucer-like eyes.
Find out more about visiting Sri Lanka and Responsible Travel in the Indian Subcontinent, or call 01993 838 335 to speak with one of our country specialists.
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