http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu Mon, 20 May 2013 22:56:16 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/04/05/expanding-overseas-study-opportunities/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/04/05/expanding-overseas-study-opportunities/#comments Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:48:32 +0000 CERC Guest Blogger http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=24675 A golf-ball-sized rhinoceros beetle flies through the open-air pavilion and lands on my table. I look up from my notes, an attempt at reworking my African wild dog study methods, and realize I haven’t seen one of these mighty beasts since my junior year in South Africa. The beetle is a welcome companion on this quiet, star-studded night in Jordan’s Ajloun Forest Reserve. Creature comforts: another perspective shift made possible by the Columbia Global Centers. ]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/04/05/expanding-overseas-study-opportunities/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/12/20/crash-land-home-for-the-holidays/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/12/20/crash-land-home-for-the-holidays/#comments Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:45:26 +0000 CERC Guest Blogger http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=21277 As holidays approach and we plan our ‘seasonal’ migrations to see our families, many other species are making their own migrations — though with a few more snafus than we humans might hit.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/12/20/crash-land-home-for-the-holidays/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/09/12/extinction-exposed-%e2%80%93-the-sea-otter/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/09/12/extinction-exposed-%e2%80%93-the-sea-otter/#comments Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:16:28 +0000 Brian Kateman http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=17498 Despite being a keystone species in important ecosystems that span the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean, sea otters have historically had a complex and sometimes troubling relationship with humans. ]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/09/12/extinction-exposed-%e2%80%93-the-sea-otter/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/09/09/wondrous-wildlife-of-the-week-the-pebble-toad/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/09/09/wondrous-wildlife-of-the-week-the-pebble-toad/#comments Fri, 09 Sep 2011 13:05:03 +0000 Brian Kateman http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=17369 Organisms in the natural world are constantly striving to avoid predation. Some prey depend on morphological characters to outsmart a worthy predator, utilizing camouflage or mimicry to avoid detection; others must engage in battle, relying on agility or strength. The Venezuela pebble toad, however, has an extremely peculiar defense mechanism: it rolls itself into the shape of a rock and bounces haphazardly down a hill.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/09/09/wondrous-wildlife-of-the-week-the-pebble-toad/feed/ 0