Video of the Day – Aurora Borealis over Tromsø, Norway

by Stephen Greenwood on

If witnessing the northern lights is one of the top items on your travel wish list, the ideal time of year for seeing them (March & April) is quickly approaching. But if Alaska, Norway, or Finland is just too far to travel this year, you can watch this video instead!

Shot by photographer Tor Even Mathisen at the Aurora Borealis over Tromsø, Norway, this timelapse video was created by taking a rapid series of photographs on a Canon 5D Mark II later stitched together in Adobe After Effects. By taking individual snapshots, Mathisen was able to capture a remarkably crisp image with stunning color.

If you’ve captured your own timelapse photography series, we want to see it! Share with us by posting in the comments section below and it could be our next Video of the Day.

Study says Serengeti Highway will impact migration

by Kraig Becker on

The annual migration of hundreds of thousands of animals across the Serengeti plains of East Africa is amongst the most spectacular natural wonders in the entire world. Each year, giant herds of wildebeests, zebras, antelopes, elephants, and more make a pilgrimage across those open landscapes in search of food and water. But a new study finds that a proposed highway through the region could have dire consequences for the Serengeti ecosystem and the animals that call it home.

The study, which was conducted by a team of biology and ecology professors from the U.S. and Canada, appeared recently in the scholarly journal PLoS ONE and predicts a dramatic impact on the Serengeti environment. The researchers came to the conclusion that wildebeest herds alone could be reduced by as much as 35%, with a similar impact possible for the other species in the region as well. Those predictions only take into account the increased traffic on the movements of the wildebeest herds and doesn’t factor in such other issues as car accidents and the potential for increased poaching.

One of the scientists who took part in the study, John Fryxell of the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, has studied migration patterns for more than 30 years. He says that the proposed highway, which would cross a northern section of the Serengeti National Park, has the potential to completely transform the region. He cites the importance of the wildebeest migration to the entire ecosystem for his belief, saying “The wildebeest migration plays an important role in a number of key ecological processes, so this finding has important ramifications for ecosystem biodiversity, structure and function.”

We at Gadling have been closely following the developments of this highway for sometime, first sharing the story when the road was proposed last summer and then again when an alternate route was suggested this past fall. It seems that nearly everyone outside of the Tanzanian government believes this road is a bad idea, and yet it is still moving ahead with the plan none the less. We could be watching one of the last great, unspoiled places on the planet altered before our vary eyes, and it seems there is little we can do about it.

GoingSocialTV debuts

by Chris Owen on

Travel video is really popular. Following the adventures of travel people all over the world or researching where you might go next, video is cool. Social media is really popular too. Facebook and Twitter have made that world a bit smaller and easier to navigate. A new TV show, GoingSocialTV, brings travel and social media together like never before.

“I created this show to highlight how social media is bringing the world together and how important it is now and how it will become even bigger for businesses” says GoingSocialTV creator JD Andrews.

Andrews comes loaded with what it takes to pull this off. Better known to Twitter fans as @earthXplorer, JD Andrews is an award-winning videographer, editor and producer who has traveled to 75 countries on six continents. Gadling met JD last year on a Twitter #FollowMeAtSea Alaska cruisetour sponsored by Princess Cruises. I was along on that trip and have to tell you: this guy is really passionate about travel.

“I traveled to London and Iceland, asking people in the travel industry (and Social media world) how and why they are using social media.” Andrews told Gadling.

@GoingSocialTV ~ Promo from JD Andrews on Vimeo.

Available on DirectTV channel 354 or live on the web at RRTV.com ,the first 30-minute episode debuted this week. In London, JD interviewed Founder and CEO of Tweetdeck Iain Dodsworth, Editor of Lonely Planet Tom Hall, Producer of Long Way Round & Long Way Down Russ Malkin and Founder of The Tuttle Club Lloyd Davis.

Also featured on the premiere show is a trip to Iceland and a Gears, Gadgets and Gizmos segment to be a regular feature on the program.

“My ideas for future episodes is actually showing how social media is beneficial while traveling, through apps, gadgets and even a simple tweet “I’m in London, where should I go?” said Andrews adding “I had so much help from the Social media community while traveling and that’s what it’s all about!”

In then next show GoingSocialTV travels to San Francisco and New York City to talk to Brian Simpson of The Roger Smith Hotel, Duncan Mitchell of Some E Cards, Craig Newmark founder of Craigslist, Jill Fletcher of Virgin America and Stephanie Michaels aka Adventure Girl.

As travel and social media become more intertwined, GoingSocialTV is one to watch, follow, bookmark and keep track of. Good things will be coming from this new combination of travel and social media which just totally makes sense.

Another great source of video is right here at Gadling where our writers span the globe to bring home the Gadling Travel Talk series like this one our Elizabeth Seward found in her Video of the Day series.

San Francisco from Dave Pinke on Vimeo.

Extinct salmon not extinct after all

by Elizabeth Seward on

National Geographic News announced the discovery of a once extinct, but no longer extinct, salmon. Discovered in a Japanese lake near Mount Fuji, the kunimasu salmon has been M.I.A. for 70 years. This kind of salmon, also known as the black kokonee, is a subspecies of the sockeye salmon. Found only in Japan, this fish was believed to have become extinct in the 1940’s after the waters in the fish’s only home experienced a raise in acidity levels, said to be from a hydroelectric dam.

The fish was more or less forgotten until a head of a local fishing association in the town sent an odd sample to a popular TV host, known for his scientific approach to hosting and obsession with fish. The sample was sent to labs where samples of the original kunimasu are housed, and after a month of looking closely at the two, it’s official: the kunimasu is still alive.

Makes you wonder how many other believed-to-be-gone creatures out there aren’t gone at all, doesn’t it? Now I’m going to go hunting for that island where Elvis and Tupac are hiding out.

Read more about the salmon at National Geographic News.

Travelocity video contest awards winners $5,000 voluntourism vacation grants

by Laurel Miller on

Travelocity knows you work hard. That’s why the online travel company would like to give you a $5,000 grant to go on vacation.

Calm down now. You have to work to win your just reward. And by work, I mean you or a team need to submit a winning video. Then you have to use your five thousand smackers to take a Signature Trip volunteer vacation offered by Travelocity’s voluntourism partners. Examples include doing trail work in Alaska with the American Hiking Society, developing community projects in Tanzania with Cross-Cultural Solutions, working side-by-side with scientists on an Amazonian riverboat with Earthwatch Institute, or living in a children’s home in Peru with Globe Aware. Oh, and there’s one more catch. The top 25 finalists will be determined based on the number of online votes they receive from social networking sites.

Since 2006, Travelocity’s Travel for Good® program has been annually awarding eight, $5,000 volunteer vacation grants to American applicants. Travel for Good’s main objectives are green hotels and voluntourism. As Gadling has previously reported, voluntourism is one of the fastest growing sectors of the travel industry.

If hands-on, experiential travel is up your alley, go to VolunteerJournals.com. The site will walk you through the easy process to upload your video. You can then promote your video on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, and send it to friends and family for voting.
Each video should explain why you deserve to win, and which Signature Trip from Travelocity’s voluntourism partners inspires you. Volunteers and grant winners also have use of the site’s free blogging platform to share their experiences.

The top 25 finalists will be determined by 50 percent audience support and 50 percent quality of their videos. There are two contest cycles per year, and Travelocity employees will select four winners from the top 25 finalists from each cycle. There are two deadlines for entries: March 31 (voting is April 1-May 31), and July 1-September 31 (voting October 1-November 30). Get filming!