The Holbrook Explorer
Holbrook in the Field
Exploring Cuba with Penn State Lehigh Valley
Holbrook's Sandy Doss recently joined the Penn State Lehigh Valley CHANCE Program during a field practicum to Cuba: "Environmental Protection, Conservation, and Sustainability of Cuban Ecosystems." Below, she shares her experience: This month, working in partnership with Penn State Lehigh Valley...
Galapagos: An Unexpected Journey
At the start of 2017, I had the feeling that the year was going to be an uneventful one. However, I am very thankful I was wrong. Near the end of January I received a notification from my management that I would be traveling on Road Scholar Program 6043-03097–The Galapagos: Cultural and Natural...
A Taste of Cuba, Tradition and Conservation on the Christmas Bird Count
I made my first journey to Cuba on December 14, 2016 to support the annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC). Dr. Robert Norton conducted the first CBC in Cuba in 2012 and has worked with Dr. Hiram Gonzalez of Cuba every year to document this important work. In 2016, Mark Davis replaced Dr. Norton in...
Trip Report: Historical Cuba and Botanical Countryside Gardens Tour
Sandy Schmidt, Holbrook’s garden tours director and specialty travel consultant, took a trip to Cuba to soak in some history of the country and tour botanical gardens in the countryside. Here’s part 1 of her trip report: This wonderful tour was put together with members of the American Public...
Trip Report: Historical Cuba and Botanical Countryside Gardens Tour | Part Two
Enjoy part two of garden tours director Sandy Schmidt’s trip report of her time in Cuba. (Missed Part 1? Find it here.) During these six days of the trip, Sandy saw beautiful views of the area, visited an orchid garden, toured a national park, visited a world-renowned artist, and much more... ...
Trip Report: America’s Biggest Week in Birding
Debbie Sturdivant Jordan, one of our dedicated travel consultants, recently went on a trip to Toledo, Ohio for America’s Biggest Week in Birding this past May. With her return to Florida, she brought back photos from her trip and field notes to share before her well-deserved three-month sabbatical...
Photo of the Month: March 2016
My colleague, Steve Kaye, and I took 12 students from Red Rocks Community College to northern Tanzania as part of our BIO 228: Field Biology course. In advance of the trip, our students decided to collect school supplies and soccer equipment to donate to two local schools in Tanzania. Playing...
Photo of the Month: October 2015
This Bare-throated Tiger Heron was photographed in the rain as we cruised along the waterways near Tortuguero, Costa Rica. The bird appeared to be more comfortable in the rain than we were in our open boat. The photo of the turtle with a lizard hitching a ride was also taken while we were cruising...
Photo of the Month: September 2015
We had spent the day game driving across Serengeti National Park. Our driver spotted a group of elephants, and we parked along their path. The elephants quickly rearranged themselves to hide the youngest safely in the center. The mother would prod the baby right between her legs, walking carefully...
Field update from Gustafson Photo Safari: Cape Cross, Namibia
Day 7: Cape Cross. The Cape fur seal colony has around 100,000 seals at this time of the year. We spent all morning shooting groups and individuals in overcast light. My favorite shots were of seals leaping off the back sides of waves and seals coming out of the water with slick black fur. After a...
Field update from Gustafson Photo Safari: Sossusvlei, Namibia
Day 3: Sossusvlei, AM. We got up early for our transfer to the balloon guide and vehicle. We took off in the predawn glow and watched the sun come up over the purple rock formations. Drifting in the gentle breeze got us great views of the desert floor, its vegetation, and wildlife. Oryx and...
Photo of the Month: August 2015
During a People to People trip to Cuba sponsored by the National Audubon Society, I was lucky to travel with a small group of people who all shared a love of nature. Although I’m a biologist, but not an avid birder, some in our group were. We spotted everything from endemic birds to small mammals,...