Nature in Photography and Poetry in 16 Scenes

Nature in Photography and Poetry in 16 Scenes

Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog
Paaralang Bayan.sa Himpapawid (School on Air) with Ms Melly C Tenorio
738 KHz AM 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday



It must be Pavlov's conditioned learning,
they come at the time of feeding,
and we, delighted of their friendliness
believe we are kind and loving.


In each leaf a fountain
stored from cloud and dew;
I won't thirst on my travel
even days without rain.


Beauty begets beauty,
but only for a time;
sooner of later fades,
with its scent divine.


There's always a monkey on my back,
asleep or awake,
I lead the evolutionary track
for all creatures' sake.


What tells you this owl this hour of day?
" I can't join you at night," the owl seems to say,
"with my hunting adventures around the bay,
and you on the computer night and day."


I won't pity you my friend
having reached your end,
if worth a museum piece,
to disturb man's peace.


You are made of jelly, third state of matter:
colloid pulsing in the computer.
But I would rather make you a prism
in search of an unknown realm.


Let him be among the sand pipers and crustaceans;
to grow up unlike us away from sea and sun;
I wonder how we survived not having as much fun,
in modern caves, concrete jungle, always on the run.


Whiling away before a wooden frame;
sungka played wild and tame,
turns friend to fiend; to loot and burn;
all's fair in this ethnic game.


Tame, though its gene is wild;
sans its own kind in the wild,
human its master and king,
and every guest its friend -
but in a little while, one by one
until the species is gone, and lo!
the hero in the last hour,
would he himself follow.


Extinct beasts come alive in our midst,
challenging faith and tradition;
seeing is believing yet how nil these are
to the realm of understanding,
a God before and now, near and far,
makes man's awe and thanksgiving.


Desert ship, the camel tame and dumb,
why of all places you have come?
is it a new wasteland that you found
from forest and pasture land?


Nothing beats the native chicken's taste,
and for the convalescing patient;
the karurayan all in immaculate white,
to the herbolario, an angel sent.


Who can tell a beast from a baby?
all babies though are in a bind;
and like our own it needs TLC,
orphaned from its own kind.


A baby elephant with sultry eyes
feeling the touch of a lovely lass;
for a mother's love is also weaned,
as childhood soon will pass.

Stars of the sea were once
stars in heaven that fell
to bring joy in the deep blue
which was thought as hell. ~

Are you a candidate of the Quagmire Syndrome?

  Are you a candidate of the Quagmire Syndrome? 

Goya's most intriguing painting - a lecture on humanity.

Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature School on Blog

Goya's Two Peasants Fighting, 1819-23 Oil on plaster transferred to canvas 48.5 x 105 in. Museo National del Prado, Madrid. They are so concerned with their quarrel that they do not appear  to realize that they are sinking into quicksand.  

When people in a community fail to establish, by whatever reason, a strong sense of cooperation and mutual trust; 

When the rich are getting richer and the poor poorer; more so when the rich are preying upon the poor; 

When measures of progress are based merely on Economics (GDP), and not on Human Development Index (HDI); 

When growing affluence and rising income, the key to the Good Life, do not bring in true happiness to the individual and society;

When people are drawn out of their natural communities in search of opportunities, leading to the growth of cities into megapolises; 

When tradition and change become estranged, holding on to each other's own schools and followers, creating divided cultures;

When differences among nations are brought to the ultimate solution which is war, rather of fully exploring peaceful means; 

When genders are no longer respected of their roles in procreation, in adhering to ethical and moral norms, and true sense of identity in society;

When forests continue to vanish, rivers run dry, air and water fouled, wasteland expands,  at the expense of progress - and bleak future of the next generations;   

When knowledge pushes its limits into breakthroughs of inventions and discoveries both beneficial and destructive, and not knowing the difference;

When a person blindly believes in his or her own holiness as a means of reaching heaven after death, without due regard of the environment, of others particularly those who are less fortunate;

When families become divided by opportunities and circumstances, and fail to keep the family as the primordial social unit; 

When globalization continues to erase the boundaries of knowledge, faith, ideologies, culture, commence, and the like; 

When governance fails as it is likely exacerbated by fast increasing population and growing affluence, unheeded by conventions and summits; 

Then, we are for these matters mentioned, candidate victims of the Quagmire Syndrome. ~
     

Corals - Nature's Architectural and Engineering Wonder

Corals - Nature's Architectural

and Engineering Wonder

Corals keep our islands and coast lines from being swallowed by the sea.

Dr Abe V Rotor

Coed shows a skeleton of staghorn coral. Former SPUQC Museum;

With the unabated destruction of our coral reef it is not common to see undisturbed coral fields. Corals are animals in colonies belonging to Phylum Coelenterata, which is often associated with Cnidaria, of the Class Anthozoa.

Coral reefs make the forest of the sea, the counterpart of our terrestrial forest. With their association with microscopic algae and seaweeds, they constitute the abode of fishes and countless kinds of marine life, without which our seas would not be as productive as they are today.

However, the destruction of coral reefs through illegal fishing like muro-ami and dynamite fishing, as well as the conversion of shores into resorts and fishponds have greatly reduced fish catch and the diversity of marine species.

Today our laws prohibit coral gathering, more so in exporting them. Coral reefs conservation is a priority program of many countries. Without corals our islands would fall back to the depth of the sea and our continents would be greatly reduced through cutbank erosion.

 

Coral reefs, paintings by AVRotor

Thus, corals are nature’s architectural and engineering wonder for they serve as riprap and barrier against the restless sea, while making the underwater world a truly beautiful scape that is beyond compare with any kind.

Let's all give a hand to the conservation of corals. Let's join the campaign. No to the following:

1. Dynamite fishing, muro-ami and paaling, and bottom trawl fishing.
2. Reclamation of coral reef areas.
3. Conversion of shorelines to resorts and fishponds
4. Pollution of rivers and seas.
5. Settlements on coral reefs and seashores.
6. Goods and commodities made of corals.
7. Coral decors and jewelry
8. Deforestation - it causes erosion and siltation, forms mudflats over coral reefs.
9. Collection of shells, rocks, and the like, within coral zone
10. Quarrying of coral deposits.

Let's remember that corals are virtually a non-renewable natural resource because they grow very, very slow. It takes fifty years to grow to the size of a man's head. We have but very little time to witness and be part of a noble task of keeping our islands and continents from being swallowed down into the depth of the sea. Our foothold is but skin deep to the enormous sea. ~

 

 Children selling corals, Morong, Rizal; corals in natural formation (coral reef)

Fossilized ancient coral showing age in concentric lines and bands.

Coral specimen for study in the laboratory.  Corals serve

as foothold of many marine organisms and form a unique 

ecosystem with high biodiversity, ~

Let us save our deteriorating sloping land

 Let us save our deteriorating sloping land 

Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature - School on Blog 

Upland in Silang, Cavite, typical of farms on sloping land. Erosion does not only reduce soil fertility; it strips off the fertile "skin and flesh" of the land permanently. Here the slope has been sliced by rills and gullies, footprints of runoff water. Through years of neglect and mismanagement the land is now marginalized, a step away from becoming a wasteland.   

These are ways to conserve sloping lands. 

1. Don't disturb the natural vegetation that has preserved the state of the land, say forest or grassland, for years if not generations. Nature knows what is best in keeping the land in a state of dynamic balance, which is the key to long term stability (homeostasis).   

2. A slope does not exist as an independent piece of land - it links two terrains, the upper part is usually a watershed that catches the rain, and the lower part which deposits the net runoff in rivers, ponds and lakes. 

Destruction of the slopes leads to desertification (wasteland formation) as the land is stripped of its cover, predisposing it to repeated brush fire and erosion. Below the rivers run dry, so with the ponds, that irrigate the fields. The lake shrinks and forms a swamp around it.  

3. The slopes serve as buffer and storage of water and soil nutrients.  If it is destroyed, rainwater will be lost quickly as it rushes down with little amount absorbed and kept for future use specially in summer. 

Undisturbed sloping landscape, part of watershed, painting by the author

The aquifers (porous rock layers) will not be filled up to feed the streams and springs. Plants will dry up under the sun to fuel a spark into conflagration as what is has happened to many arid parts of the world - Indonesia, Australia, Green, China, and the Philippines.     

4. In the Cordillera (Mountain Province and Ifugao), terraces have been built on mountain slopes where there is a rock core, on contiguous and graded slopes that span from a cloud-rich summit down to rice fields that sustain a community. Ultimately a natural waterway becomes the catchment.  The scenario starts with rain cloud from the summit slowly and continuously moving over the terraces in the shape of a giant funnel. 

Terrace building took centuries, terrace after terrace, linking the generations and cultures, unifying agriculture and ecology, and it is for these underlying reasons that the Banaue rice terraces has gained the prestige of one of the wonders of the ancient world, and today's honor as a UNESCO heritage.  

6. For privately owned sloping areas, if  one wishes to go into farming, say an orchard or woodland (agro-forestry), or as a pasture - or in combination - it is important to consult the present Land Use Policy. Consultation with the DA and DENR is important. 

SALT (Sloping Land Technology) is a program of the government patterned after those of China, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan and many other parts of the world. 

Author's Note: SALT  has limited applications, typically feasible on gently sloping land, and seldom in areas above 45 degrees.  Where rainfall is limited and irregular SALT is not recommended. SALT is not the answer to wasteland conversion, rather it is a wasteland prevention measure. 

7. Where agriculture is not feasible, sloping lands should be preserved as ecological sanctuary, to compensate for the shrinking natural habitats of wildlife. Ecology tourism is a boost to such areas.  More and more tourists are coming out from cities at weekend, and tourists searching for the richness of tropical greenery, the famed setting of John Milton's sequel - I saw Paradise Lost and I Saw Paradise Regained. ~

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Lesson on former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio, 
738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

Raising pet fish in the city as a hobby

                  Raising pet fish in the city as a hobby

Dr Abe V Rotor 

Living with Nature School on Blog 

 

                                           Albino Oscar fish in a glass aquarium

  

Garden Pond at home, QC. Stressed due to overcrowding and false economy on electricity and water, this specimen failed to recover in spite of the first aid applied at the incipient stage. It was around two years old.

My pet fish grew and grew, until they became overcrowded. Now electricity and water are very expensive. But is it worth the hobby?

Yes, indeed.

How I love the relaxing sound of a little fountain, the gurgling of a bigger one, the splash the fish make in their play, and at feeding time. Now and then they come close to be touched. A scratch on the back like any pet.

What a morning to greet them. And they to meet you. Coffee and newspaper would not be complete if you are away from their company. So move your reclining chair close. Who say you cannot relax in the city anymore? Not with my pako.

And if you need exercise, carry a bucket or two of freshwater to replace evaporation everyday. Yes, everyday. Clean the pumps of clog now and then. Scrape off overgrown lumot (algae), unless the janitor fish is doing it efficiently, with the help of suso (snail) while the fish are still small. By the time they weigh one kilo each, no snail will survive. By this time the janitor fish shall have grown as big to the pako.

A garden pond is actually a small world – an ecosystem where the laws of nature are taking place to maintain a dynamic balance called homeostasis.

First, you must keep Carbon Dioxide in water as low as possible. That’s why you need an electric pump to augment the desirable level of dissolved oxygen.

Second, you must clean the pond with least disturbance. Detritus must be regularly eliminated otherwise they will continue to decompose and produce toxic gases and substances that breed unwanted microorganisms, including pathogens that kill your fish.

Third, feed them regularly and moderately with the right kind of food. I give dog food, and cat food sometimes, for a change. One good thing with these feeds is that they float and feeding is regulated. Never, never overfeed. It is better you miss a day or two than leaving unconsumed feeds.

Fourth, assign only one caretaker, better still you are the caretaker and nobody else. They are your pet anyway. Don’t allow feeding from anyone. Don’t allow children to play with your fish. Warn them of the danger, and consequence to your prized pet. They may get wild and aggressive. And get stressed.

Fifth, there is no substitute to Loving, Tender Care. Like a Florence Nightingale, visit them often, even at night, and see if they are well.

During brownout, be patient to recirculate the pond with a bucket to incorporate air. Do this for the duration of the brownout. At one time it was a whole day. Two helpers assisted me and we saved all of the fish. They were stressed all right, but they recovered.

Rainwater can be used with caution due to the effect of acid rain. I harvest rainwater for the pond at the peak of a strong rain. Tap water should be allowed to stand at least overnight before pouring it into the pond.

For all of these, is it still worth the hobby?

Indeed, it is. ~

 

Pako fish in a glass aquarium, before they were transfered to a garden 

pond where they grew more than twice their size in a year's time.

Farming the Sea (Sea Vegetables) in 4 parts

                                                

Farming the Sea (Sea Vegetables)

(In memory of Professor Eduardo de Leon, UST Faculty of Pharmacy)

Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature - School on Blog [avrotor.blogspot.com]

 

“Food of the gods.” This is what the ancient Greeks call a special kind of seaweed which the Chinese and Japanese call “food of the emperor.” And only members of the royalty have the exclusive right to partake of this food. It is Porphyra – nori to the Japanese, laver to the Europeans, and gamet to Ilocanos.

Students in phycology from UST explore seabed for different species of seaweeds, Bacnotan LU. 

Thus elevating the status of some 30 species of edible seaweeds to a premium class of food - sea vegetables. The fact is seaweeds have a wide range of importance from food and medicine, to the manufacture of many industrial products. In nature, seaweeds together with corals and sea grasses, constitute the pasture and forest of the sea, a vast ecosystem, unique in its kind because it is the sanctuary of both marine and terrestrial life, and in the estuaries.
Lately however, we have intruded into this horizon, pushing agriculture beyond land towards the sea. We build fishponds, fish pens and cages, resorts, and we introduce poison from our wasteful living.

And yet we have barely discovered the many uses of seaweeds. Ironically we are indiscriminately and unwittingly destroying the very production base of this valuable resource before we have discovered its full potential – in the same way we are destroying the forest even if we have studied barely 10 percent of the potential value of its composition.

 Seaweed specimen: a continuous belt of Chaetomorpha crassa: 

A happy note however, may be found in our success in cultivating seaweeds even before naturally occurring species and stands become exhausted. Seaweed farming has been established in coves and sheltered coral reefs such as in Danajon Reef between Cebu and Bohol, on flat coral beds in Calatagan in Batangas, Zamboanga and Tawi-tawi, to mention the most important plantations. Eucheuma, the source of carageenan is the main crop, followed by Gracillaria, Gellidiella and other species as source of algin and agar.

These seaweeds built a multi-million dollar industry locally. Their extracts have revolutionized the food industry, mainly as conditioners in food manufacture. More and more products are derived from them for our everyday use, which other than in food, are used in the manufacture of medicine and drugs, cosmetics, fabrics, paints, films, to mention a few.

Kulot (Gellidiella) is prepared for sun drying. Dried Kulot is added to bulanglang or diningding.  

Seaweeds, botanically speaking, are not true plants, but rather algae – giants among their counterpart in the micro-world such as the Chlorella and Spirogyra. Biologists have assigned seaweeds into classes based on their color or dominant pigment, hence green (Chlorophyta), brown (Phaeophyta) and red (Rhodophyta). In terms of niche, these three groupings grow naturally at varying depths - in increasing depth in this order. This is ecologically advantageous and definitely a tool in their evolutionary success.

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Unlike land plants, no seaweed has been found to be poisonous or pathologic. On the contrary seaweeds are rich in minerals and vitamins, which make them elixir of health. Only one species so far is known to cause dizziness when taken in excess - lato or Caulerpa. A substance responsible to this effect is caulerpin, which may be explored of its potential value in medicine as natural tranquilizer.

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Food Value of Seaweeds

Fishes that feed on seaweeds contain high levels of Vitamins A and D in their liver, apparently absorbed from the seaweeds. Algae also synthesize appreciable amounts of Vitamins B12, C and K. Another advantage they have over land plants is their rich content of iodine, bromine, potassium, and other chemicals that have been discovered recently, many of which have potential value to medicine and industry.
It is no wonder why people who take seaweeds as regular part of their diet are sturdier and healthier and seldom get sick of anemia, goiter and scurvy. It is an observation that the Ilocanos who are the country’s top consumers of seaweeds generally enjoy good health and long life.
The cultivation of other edible seaweeds now include Enteromorpha, Monostroma, Laminaria, Porphyra and Undaria. The importance of seaweed culture is fast expanding this century, principally for food. This is to show the food value of seaweeds using kelp as a model.
Kelp (Laminaria japonica) contains the following nutrients based on a 100-gram sample: Carotene,  0.57 mg;

• Thiamine, 0.09 mg;
• Riboflavin, 0.36 mg;
• Niacin, 1.60 mg;
• Protein 8.20 g;
• Fats, 0.10 g;
• Carbohydrates, 57 g;
• Coarse fiber (roughage), 9.80 g;
• Inorganic salts, 12.90 g;
• Calcium, 1.18 g;
• Iron, 0.15 g; and
• Phosphorus, 0.22g.

Philippine seaweeds which approximate the food value of Laminaria are Eucheuma, Gracillaria and Gellidiella. On the other hand, gamet or Porphyra has the following food value. (Based on a 100-gram sample)

• Protein, 35.6 g;
• Fat, 0.7 g;
• Carbohydrates, 44.3 g;
• Provitamin, 44,500 IU; V
• Vitamin C, 20 mg;
• Vitamin B1, 0.25 mg;
• Vitamin B2, 1.24 mg; and
• Niacin, 10 mg.

Seaweeds Sold in the MarketThese seaweeds are commercially sold in Metro Manila, mainly in public markets and in talipapa.

1. Lato or Arusip [Caulerpa racemosa)(Forsk)L Agard], Chlorophyta

2. Guso (Eucheuma sp.), Rhodophyta3. Gulaman (Gracillaria verrucosa), Rhodophyta4. Kelp (Laminaria sp.), Phaeophyta5. Gamet (Porphyra crispata Kjellman ), Rhodophyta6. Kulot [Gelidiella acerosa (Forsk) Feldman ]
Caulerpa racemosa , arusip or lato
Lato or Caulerpa is of two commercial species, C. racemosa which is cultured in estuaries and fishponds and and C. lentillifera which is usually found growing in the wild. It is the racemosa type that predominates the market. Because of frequent harvesting of this species by local residents lentillifera it is no longer popular in the market. Besides, the cultured Caulerpa is cleaner and more uniform. It has lesser damage and is less pungent than its wild counterpart.

Author examines a red seaweed, Halymenia durvillaei (Puerto, Sto Domingo IS)

Guso or Eucheuma cotonii is cartilaginous and firm as compared with Caulerpa and because it is very much branched air can circulate better in between the fronds, which explains why its self life may extend up to 3 days. Guso is eaten in fresh state mixed with vegetables or cooked in water and sugar to make into sweets.

Gracillaria verrucosa and G. coronipifolia are the two common species of gulaman. The thallus is bushy with a firm fleshy texture. It is cylindrical and repeatedly divided into subdichotomous branches with numerous lateral proliferation. Gulaman grows up to 25 cm long and has a disclike base. It is found growing in protected, shallow waters.
Gamet or Porphyra crispata Kjellman (= Porphyra Marcosii, named after President Ferdinand Marcos) has a deep red thallus which is flat and membranous with soft gelatinous fronds. Three to nine blades us ually form clusters which grow from a very small adhesive disc which has tiny rhizoids attached to the rocky substratum. Gamet grows on rock promontories and rocks exposed directly to the action of waves and wind. This can be observed along the coast of Burgos, Ilocos Norte,  which is the major producer of gamet. To date we have not succeeded in culturing gamet in spite of our knowledge on how nori, a species of Porphyra similar to our own gamet, is raised on marine farms in Japan and other parts of the world. The most authentic reason is because the natural habitat of Porphyra is temperate.

Why gamet grows along the northern most tip of Luzon is because the cold Kuroshu Current coming down from Japan reaches this point during the months of December to February. The current probably carries also the reproductive parts of the organisms, which explains the similarity of the Japanese and Philippine species.

Closeup of fresh Porphyra or gamet 

Gamet is sold in dried form, compressed in mat, either circular with a diater of 20 to 30 cm, or rectangular in shape measuring some 50cm x 100 cm. Gamet is blanched with boiling water and allowed to cool before salad garnishings are added. It is also added to soup or diningding.
Kulot or Gelidiella acerosa (Forsk) Feldmann and Hamel has tough and wiry thalli, greenish black to dull purple in color. They lie low and creeping on rocks and corals along the intertidal zone. It is very much branched when mature with secondary branches cylindrical at the base and flattened towards the tip and beset on both sides with irregular, pinnately short branches. The fertile branchlets have conspicuous swollen tips.
Kelp or Laminaria is also found in the market. This is popular seaweed growing only in temperate seas. The main supplier is China. Kelp grows to several feet long and is usually thick and broad. It is sold in dried form or cut into strips and soaked in water and rehydrated.
As a source of nutrition and natural medicine, seaweeds are important in commerce and industry and as direct source of food of the people. On the point of ecology, protection of seaweeds in the wild, as well as their cultivation on reefs, farms and estuaries should be integrated under a sound management program of our coastal areas. Thus preserving God’s Eden under the Sea.

 Seaweeds swept by wave on the shoreline comprise mainly of Sargassum, the most abundant seaweed in the tropics.  Author (right) leads students in this field trip in Bacnotan, La Union   

 

Two brown seaweed species belonging to Phaeophyta - Acantophora speciferea and Hormophysa triquetra, a source of antibiotics; right, Caulerpa taxifolia is one of the renegade  species  of Caulerpa (another is C sertulariodes).  These wild species have spread extensively over the seafloor of the Mediterranean causing a lot of damage to the ecosystem. Caulepa contains caulerpin which when taken in excessive amounts may be toxic to many organisms. Its effect on man is known to be mild tranquilizer.

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In observance of World Food Day October 16, 2015. Theme: “Social Protection and Agriculture: Breaking the Cycle of Rural Poverty”, and how this links with the UN theme for Expo 2015, “The Zero Hunger Challenge · United for a sustainable world”.

and International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, 17 October 2015. Theme: Building a sustainable future: Coming together to end poverty and discrimination. 

Part 2 -  Ethnobotany of Seaweeds

Scientists point out to the importance of algae; they produce more oxygen than all land plants combined. And their use as food to augment limited food supply opens a new field of farming, including future space travel. Algae hold the key in cleaning up our wastes, a process called bioremediation.

Dr Abe V Rotor

   

Understanding the living world of minutiae. Summer Workshop 

for kids conducted by the author. Lagro, QC.

 

Volvox a colonial alga; Spirulina Farm

Algae such as Nostoc, Spirolina, Anabaena Ocillatoria grow into communities; they form into mass rich in nutrients for plant growth (eg Nostoc), grow in association with plants (Anabaena in symbiosis with Azolla fern), or form composite communities. 

Algae being the first photosynthetic organisms, did not only provide the food base of a prototype food chain, but increased the oxygen level of the air vital to animals under the principles of Oxygen-Carbon Dioxide Cycle, and Organic-Inorganic Cycle as well.

Algae of the protist group or the green algae, populate the lighted layer of the ocean comprising the phytoplankton, that feed the zooplankton (microscopic animals), which feed the small fish, the large fish in this order, onto our dining table. Since 70 percent of the earth's surface is water, more food and oxygen are produced than on land. 

Algae are soil builders, agents of weathering of rocks, pioneers in converting wastelands, setting favorable conditions for the growth and development of plants and other organisms, leading to the formation of ecosystems. 

Algae comprise the base of food pyramids in ponds, lakes and oceans.  They are the link of the inorganic and the organic world, capturing the sun's energy through photosynthesis.  From hereon, different organisms depend for their food on the main and by-products. 

Algae in their macroscopic forms - the seaweeds - make the forests of the sea. They grow into enormous size and volume on coral reefs, these are the counterparts of the forests on land, particularly the rainforest.

Marine algae or seaweeds are divided into three groups: Brown Algae (Phaeophyta, eg Sargassum), Green Algae (Chlorophyta eg Caulerpa, Codium). Red Algae (Rhodophyta, eg Porphyra). Seaweed farming has developed into a major industry for their many uses in food, medicine, agriculture and industry.  (PHOTO: Euchema, Chlorophyta)

Fossil of diatoms (PHOTO), a division of algae under Chrysophyta, called diatomaceous earth is mined for many uses particularly as filters and ingredients of toothpaste, cosmetics, pesticide, etc. It is important in the food web since many organisms need the element for their development. Diatoms have excellent patterns and designs that inspire artists and builders.

Algae form thick mats and layers on land, fertilizing the land in the process, and protecting it from destructive elements such as sudden changes in temperature, erosion, desiccation and the like, vital in keeping environmental balance. 

Part 3 - Try stone soup - “poor man’s delicacy.”

Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature - School on Blog

Stone covered with green algae (lumot); microcopic structure of Lyngbya 
crosbyanum, a common green freshwater alga. (Photos by AVR)

This is one for the Book of Guinness.

Along the pristine shallow shores of the sea, lakes and rivers, you will find stones coated with living algae. Along coral reefs the algae growing on these stones are mainly Enteromorpha, and a host of juvenile seaweeds, while those in freshwater the dominant algae are Chlorella and Nostoc, all commonly called lumot. These are edible species listed in books in phycology, the study of algae.

Now there are two ways old folks prepare the soup from these algae-rich stones. The stones are roasted or charcoal or under low fire to bring out the aroma, and then dropped simmering in a waiting bowl of water complete with tomato, onion and a dash of salt.

The other method follows the traditional way of cooking of broth, with the addition of vegetables - and even fish or meat. The recipe is rich in calcium because of the calcareous nature of the stones, especially those gathered in coral reefs.

Try stone soup; it's good for the bones. And it's a good piece of friendly conversation. One summer I started a lecture at one o'clock in the afternoon with "Have you tried stone soup?"

Part 4 - Seaweed Beauty 

Dr Abe V Rotor 

Living with Nature School on Blog [ avrotor.blogspot.com ]

Arusip or lato is the most common sea vegetable in the market.  It is high in folic and folinic acids.  Lato or Caulerpa is of two commercial species, C. racemosa which is cultured in estuaries and fishponds and and C. lentillifera which is usually found growing in the wild. It is the racemosa type that predominates the market. Because of frequent harvesting of this species by local residents lentillifera it is no longer popular in the market. Besides, the cultured Caulerpa is cleaner and more uniform. It has lesser damage and is less pungent than its wild counterpart. (Model: Miss Gelyn S Gabao, 19 Filipina)

 

Kulot or Gelidiella acerosa (Forsk) Feldmann and Hamel has tough and wiry thalli, greenish black to dull purple in color. They lie low and creeping on rocks and corals along the intertidal zone. It is very much branched when mature with secondary branches cylindrical at the base and flattened towards the tip and beset on both sides with irregular, pinnately short branches. The fertile branchlets have conspicuous swollen tips.

Too rich an imagination about a sea fairy

at the bottom of the sea;

if it were true, I would wonder less its bounty

than a maid's simple beauty.

Who farms the sea but a dainty, loving hand

like that of Ceres on land;

in a world where mystery and enigma in bond

shall forever astound man.~

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Lesson on former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid  738 DZRB AM with Ms Melly C Tenorio 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

Golden Castle Ruin

Art Evolution

Golden Castle Ruin 

Dr Abe V Rotor

"All that is gold does not glitter." 

- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

Golden Castle Ruin, art work by the author, made of driftwood treated with latex emulsion, waterproof plastic glue, cured, and sprayed in layers with  gold paint. This art work may serve as a corner or top table figurine, or mounted with a painting background appropriate to its theme as shown in this photo. (18"x13") AV Rotor 2026

   "Gold, the most obsessed possession, my friend,

     if not lost, simply turns into a ruin at the end." - avr

* Golden Castle Ruins can refer to several places, most prominently the Eternal Golden Castle (Anping Fort) in Tainan, Taiwan, a historic fort with park-like grounds, and the Golden Castle tower ruins in Golden, County Tipperary, Ireland, a medieval structure by the River Suir. 

 Acknowledgement with gratitude: Excerpt AI Overview, Internet, Living with Nature book series by AVRotor