Mt. Roraima Expeditions 2011

[drosera5150]

Dear Friends,

I hope you all have had a pleasant start to 2011.

As you may be aware, Redfern Natural History Productions has raised and donated over US $ 8,000 to support the work of Meadowview Biological Research Station in the conservation of the habitat of Sarracenia and other carnivorous plants. The money has been raised and donated directly from sales taken through the Redfern website. For more information, please visit
http://www.redfernnaturalhistory.com/conservation

In 2010, Stew McPherson also worked with the non-profit organisation Ibex Earth (http://www.ibexearth.com), and together they succeeded in raising and donating a further US $11,000 for the conservation of Mount Roraima, the fabled lost world documented in his recent book 'Lost Worlds of the Guiana Highlands'. The money was donated to fund various local conservation projects in Venezuela, one of which involved fixing vehicles for the National Parks authority so they could better patrol and safeguard the Canaima National Park (the land of the Tepuis), and control illegal mining and wildlife poaching.

For those not aware, Mount Roraima is the inspiration for Arthur Conan Doyle’s famed story 'The Lost World'. It is a spectacular plateau (known locally as a Tepui) that rises up to 1,000 metres above the surrounding rainforest and savannahs. The mountain top has remained isolated for millions of years, and so is home to unique plants, animals and landscapes found no where else on earth. More information is available at;

http://www.redfernnaturalhistory.com/books/name/lost_worlds_of_the_guiana_highlands_-_hardback

Stew is continuing to assist both conservation causes this year.

2012 will mark exactly 100 years since the publication of Arthur Conan Doyle’s story, and so with this in mind, He's working closely with Ibex Earth again to raise further funds and also help increase awareness and understanding of the unique balance of life that exists on top of the lost worlds. To help achieve this, Ibex Earth is launching two non-profit conservation expeditions to Mount Roraima as part of a major drive to raise the profile of the mountain, and to help put funding for sustainable infrastructure in place. Stew's involvement in this non-profit
project is as a non-paid volunteer, and he will be acting as expedition guide.

The two expeditions are from *Saturday 2nd April 2011 -Tuesday 12th April 2011*, and *Saturday 16th April 2011 - Tuesday 26th 2011*, each for ten people only. Both expeditions have identical itinerary, and involve a climb up to the spectacular summit of Mount Roraima, and a three day exploration of the extraordinary features of the plateau top – from the valley of the crystals, to the labyrinth of towering stone pinnacles, and on the way, a visit to the spectacular Jasper Creek – a waterfall that flows over a bedrock made of blood red semiprecious jasper gemstone!

Stew will be personally guiding both expeditions to the lost world, to show those who come the unique wildlife on the plateau surface, including rare carnivorous plants such as Heliamphora, Drosera, Utricularia and Genlisea. Visiting Roraima requires only normal physical skill, and despite the dramatic appearance of the mountain, the ascent is actually made by way of a gentle ledge leading up the vertical cliffs to the mountain top. The ledge can be walked up easily to reach the lost world on top of the plateau.

If you are interested in taking part in this non-profit expedition, please don’t hesitate to email Stew for more information at stewart@mcpherson.net <mailto:stewart@mcpherson.net>.

Happy Growing...and exploring!

Brian Barnes,
ICPS Director of Conservation

 

[eou812]

The earth relly isn't a million years old it really is 6,000-10,000 years old. If you don't belive me then. Listen to this i read this article that scientist have found that the sun shrinks 3 feet a year so if the earth as millions of years old then the sun would have been touching the earth that's why it's not millions of years old.

 

[amphirion]

Sounds like a pretty awesome trip! along with a pretty HEFTY pricetag! lol!

 

[Taliesin-DS]

The earth relly isn't a million years old it really is 6,000-10,000 years old. If you don't belive me then. Listen to this i read this article that scientist have found that the sun shrinks 3 feet a year so if the earth as millions of years old then the sun would have been touching the earth that's why it's not millions of years old.

you are wrong

 

[amphirion]

bah, Talie....either way we cant really prove it, since we werent there to personally observe earth's geological timeline. we can only go by evidence that we find and make conjectures, theories, and hypotheses, but we cant make statements or proofs validating ideas, only falsifications....the discovery of arsenic bacteria is a great example.

but anyways....BACK TO MT. RORAIMA!

 

[SirKristoff]

Lol..... The earth is actually something like 4.56 billion years old. At any rate, the tepuis are absolutely gorgeous, I would love to visit a few of them in the future....

 

[Lucanidae]

Sent an email, this would be awesome to do!

 

[eou812]

Read this i know it might seem long but it is proof.

HOW THE RADIOCARBON DATING METHOD WORKS


The radiocarbon dating method was developed by Professor Willard Libby from California, for which he was awarded a Nobel prize. It is quite accurate in many applications for which the specimens are only a few thousand years old.



Here is how it works. The stratosphere above our earth is bombarded with cosmic rays from the sun, which converts the N14 in the stratosphere to radioactive carbon, or C14. This weak isotope is a part of our environment, and is absorbed by all living organisms (plants and animals) along with another version of carbon, C12, which is not radioactive. As long as the organism is alive, the ratio of C12 to C14 in the organism is theoretically the same as that of the environment; that is, the organism is in balance with the environment.



Once the organism dies, there is no longer a carbon intake. The amount of C12 in the organism remains constant, but the radioactive C14 decomposes with a half life of 5730 years into nitrogen. Nitrogen is a gas, which leaves the organism. This means after 5730 years, there will only be half as much C14 as when the organism died. Thus, by measuring the ratio of C12 to C14, one can (at least theoretically) determine when the organism died.



For practical reality, however, this doesn't always work. Researchers testing the shell of a live clam showed this live clam had been dead for 300 years. Dried up seal- carcasses only thirty years old have tested as old as 4600 years. Fresh carcasses often date as old as 1300 years.



Why is this so?


Radiocarbon dating makes several assumptions. If any of these is wrong, the results can be in error.



Assumption 1:


The Living Organism is in Balance with the Environment



This method assumes the C14 is absorbed by the organism at the same rate as the C12 from the environment. This is not always true. Some organisms have some type of internal metabolism that can reject the C14 more effectively than the C12. At death, then, these organisms have abnormally low C14 levels and appear much older than they really are.



In addition, while living the organism may eat and metabolize organic material that is old, thus loading their own system with the outdated organic material that returns the false reading.



Assumption 2:


The C12/C14 Level of the Atmosphere has remained constant.



Another assumption made in radiocarbon dating is that the ratio of C12 to the radioactive C14 has remained constant for thousands of years. Scientists today have a growing conviction that this ratio has not been constant. Immanuel Velikovsky and other scientists believe that cataclysmic events in the history of the earth could have radically altered the stratosphere, affecting the amount of C14 created.



Velikovsky, writing in WORLDS IN COLLISION, believed that the history of the earth was dramatically altered by the close approaches of Mars and Venus. The book described Venus as originally a planet which passed the earth as a comet only 3500 years ago and was captured by our solar system. Velikovsky believed the flood, the parting of the Red Sea as the Israelites escaped Egypt, the manna from heaven, and the day the sun stood still as the Israelites battled their enemies were all related to natural events.



For years several noted astronomers vigorously blocked the publishing of this book by Macmillan, as these concepts were contradictory to their own theories and the publishing would have affected their own income and status. With the landing of the astronauts on the moon, however, the dust levels that should have been several feet high for the Big Bang theory were found as only a few inches high, giving credence to Velikovsky's theories and giving him fresh recognition during the last years of his life.



Today more and more scientific evidence gives proof to Velikovsky's theories. The Bible describes the long life- times of early man, perhaps due to the increased cloud cover at that time. The lower levels of C14 at that time would make the current samples appear older than they actually are. Evidence exists that the earth's magnetic poles switch occasionally, as old samples often show magnetic patterns that do not match with he current magnetic alignment. Tropical plants have been found buried in Sweden that could not have there unless Sweden was, at one time, a lush tropical paradise.



Assumption 3:


The dating method assumes the sample is in a closed system.



Once the organism has died, the theory assumes the only continuing process is the decay of the C14. This, in fact, is seldom true. Ground water can leach C14 from a rock. Heat, changes in the magnetic field, and other factors can affect the ratio of C12 to C14.



Assumption 4:


There are no daughter elements in the sample originally.



There is no way to know how much radioactive daughter elements are actually in the sample at death. Other elements can affect the ratio.

now what do you think after this i won't say any more but if i feel like it i will make a thread and sorry for going off topic. It will be the last of this on this thread SORRY.

---------- Post added at 01:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:45 PM ----------

Sorry last thing but i had to show this.

The Earth's Rotation


The rotation of the earth is gradually slowing down at about .00002 seconds a year. The lost energy is transferred to the moon. The moon, therefore, is slowly moving away from the earth at about 4 centimeters a year. This would put the moon in contact with the earth less than 2 billion years ago. Yet, if the moon were closer than about 11,500 miles, the moon would be broken into tiny pieces, much as the rings of Saturn.

 

[Taliesin-DS]

nice google skills but this is not the place for a discussion about religion.

 

[eou812]

Now back on topic i love the cenery and the you know CPS especcially the Helis WOW they are TALL!

---------- Post added at 01:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:50 PM ----------

It's not about religion it's about SCIENCE.

---------- Post added at 01:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:50 PM ----------

OK i will not post anything else on this thread only to commet on the pics.

 

[seedjar]

Radiocarbon dating of animal tissues is not how the age of the earth has been established; your citation holds no sway over the dates in question. Also, it demonstrates a remarkable (likely deliberate) ignorance of what Libby's method is actually designed for, which is testing fossils, not fresh samples. Any first-year archaeology grad knows that the accuracy of radiocarbon dating goes up over time.
Simply by looking at the number of by-products of radioactive decay in ordinary rocks, we can tell that the earth must be millions of years old at a bare minimum. If it were only 10,000 years old, the atmosphere would still be toxic.
~Joe

 

[Dexenthes]

The earth relly isn't a million years old it really is 6,000-10,000 years old. If you don't belive me then. Listen to this i read this article that scientist have found that the sun shrinks 3 feet a year so if the earth as millions of years old then the sun would have been touching the earth that's why it's not millions of years old.

"If you don't have anything nice to say then it's better not to say anything"

Speaking of nice:

I wish wish wish, I could go on this expedition.

This would be a dream come true. For me it goes, Borneo and then the Tepuis. I hope someday to be able to go on a trip like this. Amphirion: where did you see a price tag?

 

[Exo]

Yeah, I'd love to go to Borneo, Sumatra, and the Tepuis......probably never will, but hey, I can dream.

 

[Dexenthes]

Yeah, I'd love to go to Borneo, Sumatra, and the Tepuis......probably never will, but hey, I can dream.

That's a sad train of thought.

Why not just go? I certainly will.

 

[Exo]

That's a sad train of thought.

Why not just go? I certainly will.

Why not?............$$$$$

 

[Soopaman]

E-mail sent. I hope it's not outlandishly expensive. I don't mind shoveling out a few pretty pennies for something as incredible as this trip.

 

[Lucanidae]

@soopa
It's about $4800 usd.

 

[Soopaman]

Lucanidae, it's pretty steep. Not completely unaffordable, but I imagine it would go up a lot with getting passports, hiking gear, etc. I'll have to see what the total price is once all that is calculated, but I get a check from the government every semester I'm in school, so that should cover it.

 

[Dexenthes]

Yeah that would be too much for my wallet.

Boo! Some other time, hopefully Stewart's good work will allow this place to still be there when I have the funds and ambition to go!

 

[jonnyq]

This seems like such an incredible opportunity... The cost notwithstanding, I've got family obligations this year that preclude me from leaving for an extended period of time... I mean, yes, of course, the money as well.

Still... I'd love to try and scrounge it up... I agree with Dex, I do hope that it's not the final opportunity, but more importantly, I hope that these two expeditions are well-attended, and that people post their pix here!