|
|
|
|
Jungle Flora
 The plants in the Rain Forest are simply breathtaking. The Paradise Earth team has found several phenomenal species that we're hoping to identify and be able to acquire for Paradise Earth in Arizona. Today we're hiking with a local botanist to a cave where we hope to see more remains from ancient Mayan civilizations. The attached photo is a flowering tree that grows in the river here... if any of our readers know what it is, let us know!
Xunantunich Maya Ruins
 These images were taken today by the Paradise Earth team at the Xunantunich Ruins near San Ignacio, Belize. We were awed by the intelligence, expertise, and engineering skills that the ancient Mayans exhibited in building their city and temples. All of the structures in the city were built between 200 B.C. and 800 A.D. We were invited to spend an hour filming our TV show in the ruins, and we took full advantage of the time offered... climbing to the top of the ceremonial temple, we filmed several segments for our upcoming TV show. Look for all 26 episodes airing this fall! And, in case you were wondering... Yes! It was an incredibly steep and scary climb to the top of the 'Castle'. Tomorrow, our teams are splitting up to take advantage of our last full day in Belize - please feel free to leave your comments or questions. 
Ancient Mayan Burial Tomb
  Here is a small preview of the amazing images the Paradise Earth team were able to capture on their visit to a Mayan Burial Tomb. We were very grateful to be allowed access to this tomb by knowledgeable locals; the location of this tomb is a very well-kept secret, in order to prevent looters from desecrating the grounds. It is estimated that this skeleton and pottery is over 1400 years old. We assumed that the skull had belonged to a child, as it was very small. Our guide explained to us, however, that the Mayans were a very small people, and only important adults in the society received the ceremonial burial entombing we were witnessing, with pottery offerings for the afterlife. Check back tonight for images from the archaeological trip we're taking today to an excavated Mayan village! 
Leafcutter Ants Video
Posted 15 Minutes AgoThursday was an amazing day for Paradise Earth in Belize! We started the day with a hike through the jungle, passing many ancient Mayan ruins - the destination of our trip was a small, hidden cave, where we were lucky enough to be shown a burial chamber with both human remains and pieces of pottery that were buried over 1400 years ago... what a phenomenal, once-in-a-lifetime experience! Look for footage of this amazing experience on our Paradise Earth TV show next fall.
On the way out, we crossed paths with a colony of leafcutter ants, hard at work bringing leafs to their hill. Contrary to popular belief, the leafcutter ants don't actually eat leaves; they bring leaves to their home that harbor the fungus that they consume. Apparently, the ants will travel for miles to find just the right plant fungus. Enjoy this fun video of the ants hard at work! This clip is provided by www.paradiseearthonline.com
Belize Day 1
  Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my.... or as the Belizeans would say, Jaguars and Coatimundi and Boas! We had an Amazing first day in Belize. Up before dawn, we traipsed through the jungle in the hopes of seeing rain forest birds. The day began blanketed in fog (and Mosquitos!), but as it burned off, we found several amazing birds, including Red-lored Amazon parrots, Montezuma's Oropendulas, and several varieties of Manakins. After getting a few quick shots, we hurried back to Jaguar Paw Resort, so that we could join the entire Paradise Earth tv crew for a production trek through the jungle. Having the opportunity to photograph jaguars was simply amazing! And the National Animal of Belize, the Tapir, is quite a beast. Somewhat of a cross between a horse & a rhino.  Our work day ended with a 3 hour production walk through the jungle, exploring vegetation and listening for bird calls. We did manage to hear an amazing variety of birds, but the most interesting animal we heard was the male Howler Monkey, who was apparently very distressed that we were trespassing through his territory! As we walked closer and closer, his calls became more and more strident and distressed - the climax of our hike was seeing him up high in his tree, protecting his harem. What an amazing day! We are thrilled to be able to share our experiences through this blog... if you have any questions for the Paradise Earth Team while we're in Belize, or anything you want us to explore, please leave us a comment on the blog! We look forward to your questions.
Red Eyed Tree Frog
 This sweet little fellow was sitting calmly on a plant just outside our door last night... he stayed on the same leaf for several hours. The red-eyed tree frog is apparently quite common in the rainforests of Belize. On our trip from the airport in Belize City to Jaguar Paw, where we are staying, we had the 'luck' to encounter a fer-de-lance. This snake is one of the most toxic ones in the country... a bite can cause death to a human within hours. We were somewhat reassured to learn that they store antivenom at the lodge! We're off to the Belize Zoo to interview their biologists... more tonight!
Thomas Lovejoy Visits The Paradise Earth Offices
 This past weekend the Paradise Earth team was honored to host the world-renowned scientist/biologist Thomas Lovejoy. Lovejoy has earned a stellar reputation worldwide for his expertise in all-things-rainforest. His Minimum Critical Habitat research in Brazil, known as Camp 41, has been in the forefront of rainforest research and conservation issues for nearly two decades. We here at Paradise Earth are thrilled about the possibilities that a future relationship with Mr. Lovejoy holds! Pictured, from left to right... Margaret Mullen (Consultant), Linda Naticchioni (Director of Operations), Thomas Lovejoy, and David Calvin (Founder).
Paradise Earth TV Series Visiting Belize
 The Paradise Earth Team, headed by Founder David Calvin, will be headed to Belize on November 13th 2007. The team will be in the rainforests of Belize shooting their Paradise Earth TV Series. Mandarich Media Group (MMG) will be shooting exciting video & still footage of the production posted on this blog daily.
|
|
|
