<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/11286571/?claim=9rzyytwmfxm">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

The Stingray Excursion

In the January, 1989 issue of National Geographic David Doubilet wrote the article, “Ballet with Stingrays” documenting his photographs and experiences with these creatures. He reported, I had always thought of stingrays, with their broad wings and graceful movements, as almost mythological beasts: part bird, part fish...I find them to be gentle, wondrous birds of the sea.”

This past summer,I had my first opportunity to swim and feed stingrays at Stingray City in the Cayman Islands. David Doubilet was correct, the stingrays were beautiful and alluring. I, along with the people I was with, were nervous getting into the water and having stingrays with weapons at the end of their tails swim freely around our ankles. Luckily our guides were calming and reassuring and I was successful in holding, kissing and feeding a stingray.

When i go on tours like this I am always the girl asking tons of questions ( my 4th grade teacher used the word inquisitive). In most cases the people leading these types of tours love what they do and have incredible amounts of first hand experience so I tend to take advantage of it, but i have never had any complaints.

With hundreds of visitors coming to this particular site each day (and millions annually) this makes an obvious impact on the stingrays themselves and I, along with the people I was with, were very curious to learn how the stingrays remain protected and safe. After all, we did kiss them so we felt an emotional connection to them. The tour guides were able to give us their own personal company’s efforts but were not exactly wildlife conservationist so when I returned back home I did some research on the impact we are having on these slimy creatures by “trespassing” on their habitats.

NOVA Southeastern University’s Guy Harvey Research Institute did a study on this exact area, Stingray city in the Cayman Islands. They found that the actions and behaviors of this population of stingrays had drifted far away from that of their wild counterparts. Because of the large amount of traffic in this underwater city the stingrays have almost unlimited access to food and no longer have the need to hunt or scavenge. As a result the stingrays of Stingray city no longer travel large areas, usually at night, to find food nor do they abide by their usual solitary habits. These stingrays now remain more active during the day, when the visitors arrive, feed in groups and even mate year round instead of seasonally. These stingrays, that individually can bring up to $500,000 annually from tourist, have been subject to a dramatic behavioral change due to the presence of human provided food.

Even though it has been 24 years since David Doubilet wrote this article his final words in his article still stand, “ If Cayman Islands officials protect the rays, divers continue to feed them, and human visitors treat them with gentleness and respect, they will provide one of the most rewarding, experiences in the undersea world.”

I tell you this to raise awareness so that you choose to book with a respectable agency, to leave no trace and understand the needs for conservation and research to ensure that these beautiful birds of the sea remain a part of our underwater ecosystem for generations to come.

Thanks for reading,

HayUp

http://nsunews.nova.edu/touristfed-stingrays-change-ways-3/

Happy Sunday

Happy Sunday Friends!

I hope that your weekend was filled with laughter and fresh air! I had a great weekend working as a leader for a high school girls retreat! We helped serve dinner at our local hospitality house then spent ALL day Saturday at a local cave. It was my first time caving and i felt like a total newb in the cave. Luckily i had great co-leaders that took the reins as we climbed, crawled and swam our way through the cave. Caves are one of only two places on earth where you can experience total darkness, the other is the deep sea. All of us girls got so muddy but it just made the experience that much better. We even played a round of sardines in the cave which ended with 13 girls in a small hole. After a long day in the cave we came back to the cabin we were staying at had some of the girls give facials, had some reflection time AND us leaders jumped in the lake...in November. I think my heart stopped beating when i jumped in the water but it was worth it. It was was one of those crazy memories that i will always remember. I hope there will never come a time in my life where spontaneous jumps in a lake, ocean or pool aren't acceptable. This weekend has left me exhausted but, the good exhausted, the exhaustion that comes from having an incredibly fulfilled weekend. 

Stay tuned for more exciting blog posts this week! 

Peace Out---HAYUP

Maine: The Way Life Should Be

Hey Frands!! As I have previously mentioned I spent 2 summers working as a camp counselor at a summer camp in Maine. My first summer I was 18 and a freshman out of college. I had never been to the northeast before, especially Maine and I knew nobody at the camp I was working at. It was my first time flying alone, first time leaving home for that long, first time in Maine and my first time as a camp counselor. As scary of an experience as it was it turned out to be one of the best things in my life and helped me to become the person I am today. Spending 2 summers in Maine I got to Travel around Maine both with campers on out of camp trips and with my friends on days off.  So!!! Here are some of my favorite things in Maine...in no particular order.

1. Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor

This is a given and a “must see” for any avid bucket list maker and anyone interested in going on a family trip in your own country.  An outdoor enthusiast paradise, Acadia National Park offers countless adventures for people of all ages.  With 50+ miles of biking trails, numerous hiking trails, sea kayaking, and even rock climbing Acadia National Park has something for everyone.  Some must see sights on Mount Desert Island include the sunrise on Cadillac Mountain(one of the earliest in North America), the Bass Harbor lighthouse, and Sand Beach.  After spending a long day in the park make your way into Bar Harbor, which is home to many fabulous restaurants and Bed & Breakfasts’.  Side Street Cafe is a must try for anyone in Bar Harbor looking for the ‘real deal’ as far as Maine cuisine and atmosphere are concerned.

2. Portland/ Old Port

Portland is the Largest city in Maine and home to the historic Old Port District along the Portland Harbor. This is a great place for shopping, going out on the town, grabbing some gelato and checking out museums and art galleries. Portland is a gives a “big city” feel but the simplicity and natural offerings of Maine are right next door.

3. SO. FREE. ME. (South Freeport Maine)

Freeport, Maine is ideal for shopping. With over 100 stores, including Patagonia, The North Face,  J. Crew, Nike and so many more that are all mostly outlets this is a great place to splurge, if you have any money left over from lobster. Even if you don’t want to spend money it is still fun to check out the L.L. BEAN store and take an iconic picture with the giant bean boot out front.

Right down the road is my favorite local lobster restaurant, Harraseeket! It’s nothing super fancy but it is a such a fun experience. My first time there was also my first time eating a lobster. I was shocked when i ordered my lobster only to see the owner reach into the tank behind her, pull out a lobster that was still moving, and place it a pot. 15 minutes later it was on a plate next to a cup of melted butter and it appeared to be looking directly at me. I kept my lobster bib on the entire ride back to camp as a token of my accomplishment for eating my entire lobster. I will always remember that day, the taste of the lobster, the cool breeze of the wind and the smell of the salty sea as I ate by the water.

4. Booth Bay Harbor

Such a beautiful place! It is a very quaint area with unique shops and it is right on the water. I recommend getting some fudge, ice cream, chocolate covered blueberries or LOBSTER!

This was a fun post that took me down memory lane! You can count on more post about camp and Maine in posts to come! Have an awesome day and a great weekend!

The 1st Tasty Tuesday

Happy Tuesday all! I am starting a new "Tasty Tuesday" weekly post where I mention my favorite eats from my travels!

My first tasty Tuesday goes out to THE VARSITY in Athens and Atlanta, Georgia! This is a huge favorite down south and is incredibly popular throughout the country! I finally got to have a taste this past weekend on my first ever trip to Georgia for the Appalachian vs UGA football game! Even though it left me with a little heart burn it was definitely worth a trip!

Leadership Lessons from Frederick Olmsted, the designer of Central Park

Frederick Olmsted, father of landscape architecture and designer of Central Park, said, “I have all my life been considering distant effects and always sacrificing immediate success and applause to that of the future.” Olmsted knew that he would not live to see the finish product of central park because it would take decades to for the plant life to reach maturity and for the city in which it was built to develop.

For those like me that consider themselves more of a leader than a follower; strive to be a transformational leader. This meaning that you are a leader with a passion to achieve great things, encourage individuals to grow and succeed and prove yourself as a person with integrity. In short, a transformational leader is just as it appears, one that is dedicated to watching individuals transform. However, like Olmstead, we may not be able to see immediate success in our relationships with others nor can we change the world in one day. But, we can be satisfied in knowing that we have planted a seed and laid a foundation for others.

My two summers as a camp counselor comes to mind when I think about this. I spent 7 weeks living with middle school girls and I soon realized that in that time it would be impossible to teach them to love the outdoors as much as I did. So, I came to the realization that the best I can do is to share with them my passions, set a good example and hope that one day they find themselves on a vacation and book the zip line excursion and remember my face as I sent them off their first zip line.

Whether you realize it or not you are a leader in some way. You may be the president of the United States, the president of your club, a leader in your community or a spiritual leader but, whatever it may be I encourage you all (and ask that you encourage me) to pursue your leadership and transform the ones around you.

 

 

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/11236879/?claim=9ddf4bxh2e5">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

The Mission

One of the many things that my tuition dollars has provided for me is that an agency or organization is never complete without a mission statement. A mission statement is a realistic and desirable view of where the organization will be in the future.

This blog may not be a large organization, agency or company but, this blog important to me and it is my hope that as it grows and evolves so will its impact on its readers. So, as seen above, I have created a mission statement  that will serve as a “true north” for this blog and its content. I am asking you, my readers, to please hold me accountable, leave comments and encourage me as I attempt to make this possible.

Wishing you all the best of weekends and hope that you will be considering your own personal missions.

Peace Out,

HayUp