At the Congress

After a long break I’ve decided to start trying to write in my blog again.  Not sure exactly where I came off the rails, but I need to start to doing some creative things again. Unfortunately it has been so long since I’ve done this that I don’t really remember how to post in WordPress anymore, so I am just going to start simple and see what happens.

I had the great fortune last weekend and this week to attend a couple days of the IUCN World Congress held in Honolulu.  As usual my employer registered me at the very last moment so I didn’t realize that I had to sign up in advance for many of the workshops. The National Geographic Storytelling Workshop was really the main thing I wanted to go to, but I couldn’t get in.

The sting of getting shut of by Nat Geo was lessened a little bit when I happened to almost cross paths with E.O. Wilson…

E.O. Wilson sighting 

E.O. Wilson macro shot

Since I couldn’t get into the workshops I spent most of my time in the exhibit hall, which was kind of fun since I was able to chat with a few friends and catch up with some folks I don’t normally get to see.  Here are few shots from the exhibit hall…

One of the many presentations going on in the exhibit hall.

The seating and partitions were all made out of recyclable cardboard. 

Google demonstration area.

NOAA Science on Sphere.

Hello Mr. Monk Seal.

So this was actually on the second floor, but it had a cool vibe.  A hang out spot sponsored by National Geographic.

“I’d like to thank the IUCN for the opportunity to speak today…”

I took my family to the exhibit hall on Saturday and my kids had a good time (that is not my daughter in orange shirt).  There was a mural for participants to paint something they thought was good for the earth.

My daughters painted the blue butterfly in the center – I suppose it is a lycaenid of some sort or maybe a blue morpho.