Category Archives: Nature

Snapshot: Native Tantalus tree snails

Posted on August 13, 2011 by Sebastian Marquez

One nice thing about hiking on cool cloudy days is that it give you a better chance to see native snails. This little guy is an Auricullela minuta/perpusilla cruising around on a Cyrtandra grandiflora. There were even some on invasive … Continue reading →

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Ko’olau Pride

Posted on August 7, 2011 by Sebastian Marquez

I wonder if the Ko’olau mountains are sometimes taken for granted in the public’s eye. Thousands of people commute over and through the Ko’olaus every weekday for work or school. They are the prized “Mauka view” in real estate listings … Continue reading →

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Extinct Megafauna at the Mall

Posted on July 31, 2011 by Sebastian Marquez

There is a passion that I have which predates native Hawaiian plants. It’s one that I haven’t gotten a chance to talk about on this blog yet. Luckily this is Studia Mirabilium, the Study of Marvelous Things. With Pearlridge Mall … Continue reading →

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Big Island Part 2: Giffard’s Hope

Posted on July 24, 2011 by Sebastian Marquez

A few hours before flying back to Honolulu, we decided to check out Volcanoes National Park. With such little time, we could only afford to rush Kipuka Puaulu.

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Big Island Part 1: Darwin’s Leafy Rockstars

Posted on July 17, 2011 by Sebastian Marquez

Whew! New apartment, new computer… sometimes life jolts forward in well-demarcated iterations. Heck, it’s even a new day now that there isn’t a new Harry Potter movie to look forward to anymore. In the midst of all this upheaval, I … Continue reading →

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Adventures over the Misty Mountains

Posted on June 12, 2011 by Sebastian Marquez

Now I understand, Frodo. No wonder your Fellowship would rather risk the Mines of Moria than the extreme weather over the Misty Mountains. This prolonged stretch of heavy rain and thunderstorms has curtailed many a hiking excursion, but this weekend … Continue reading →

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Snapshot: Philippine Flying Lemur

Posted on June 5, 2011 by Sebastian Marquez

Here’s a picture I took when I was in Bohol of a captive Philippine Flying Lemur (Cynocephalus volans). They are not usually active during the day but I was lucky enough to capture this guy while he was feeding. Look … Continue reading →

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Getting to know your Hawaiian Lobeliads #13: Cyanea truncata

Posted on May 30, 2011 by Sebastian Marquez

Cyanea truncata Conservation Status: Endangered Distribution: O’ahu (Windward Ko’olau gulches) Date photographed: 4/1/2011 Ease of viewing: Difficult *Identification: Form– Shrubs 0.3-2 m tall; stems unbranched or sparingly branched from base; muricate. Leaves– obovate, blades 22-60 cm long, 10-26 cm wide; … Continue reading →

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Movie Review: African Cats

Posted on May 10, 2011 by Sebastian Marquez

I can’t even count the number of wildlife documentaries I’ve seen over my lifetime. Heck, I was sadden when John Forsythe passed away; he played a big part in my childhood. Not for Dynasty, but for his role as narrator … Continue reading →

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Getting to know your Hawaiian Lobeliads #12: Cyanea hirtella

Posted on April 29, 2011 by Sebastian Marquez

Cyanea hirtella Conservation Status: Apparently Secure Distribution: Kaua’i Date photographed: 9/22/2010 Ease of viewing: Easy *Identification: Form– Unbranched or sparingly branched shrubs 1-6 m tall. Leaves– oblanceolate to oblong; blades 10-27 cm, 2-6 cm wide; margins minutely callose-denticulate to callose-serrulate; … Continue reading →

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