Daily Archives: November 11, 2019

LANSING Michigan researchers recently created a series of steps to show people how to rid Great Lakes islands of plants and animals that invade their ecosystems.

Pamela Grassmick started a grassroots educational campaign to treat invasive species on northern Lake Michigans Beaver Island, where she was born and raised. She targeted Phragmites, a non-native plant that grows in wetlands, along roadsides and shorelines.

We always felt that the state wasnt going to ride in on a white horse and solve all of our problems because we are in the middle of Lake Michigan, Grassmick said.

The program told Beaver Islanders how Phragmites devastated the shoreline and how to remove the invasive plant. About 30 acres of the islands shoreline was affected by Phragmites at the time.

Grassmicks work inspired researchers at the Michigan Natural Features Inventory, a group of scientists who conduct fee-for-service and grant-funded projects for public, nonprofit and private clients. They maintain the most comprehensive database on rare species and natural communities in the state.

I used to think invasive species work was too overwhelming and that there was nothing I could do about it, said Phyllis Higman, a senior conservation scientist with the group and co-leader of the invasive species prevention effort.

After I saw Pam and her team on Beaver Island bring down 30 acres of Phragmites to two acres in their first year, I was inspired to do similar work, she said. The work these folks are doing is so extraordinary and proactive.

Higman and the research team developed a series of questions to diagnose invasive species problems and solutions: What are you trying to protect? Is the invader a real threat? Do we know how to control it? Where is it? How much of it is there?

Oftentimes, when people learn about invasive species, they just want to go out and kill things, Higman said. That is almost never an effective approach. You need to see where those species actually occur and where you can be effective at addressing them.

The research team saw how invasive species directly affected ecosystems by travelling to Great Lakes islands. Michigan has 1,709 islands, but 14 comprise 90% of the states entire island area.

The research team recorded rare animals, plants and high-quality communities on each island. They comprise about 10% of the organizations database, but they are only 1% of the area of Michigan. More than 90 percent of the colonial waterbirds in the Great Lakes were observed on islands.

The Great Lakes has the largest group of freshwater islands in the world, and its a really critical resource, said Daria Hyde, a co-leader of the research team. I feel that because we live in Michigan and a Great Lakes state, its upon us to make sure that were taking care of and providing stewardship for that important resource.

Higman and Hyde were asked to spearhead the invasive species project by the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy because of a lack of attention to Michigans islands.

The diversity and number of islands in the Great Lakes goes unrecognized, said Matt Preisser, the lake coordinator for the state agencys Water Resources Division. While the islands across the different lakes have different needs by virtue of their geographies, all are vulnerable to invasive species, colonization and establishment.

The team accumulated data over a year on where invasive species are located on the islands. They want to ensure the beauty of the islands and that invasive species do not squash their dynamic ecosystems, Hyde said.

Invasive species are literally marching across landscapes, including islands, and theyre simplifying ecosystems, Higman said. Theyre taking species out systematically by displacing them and that crashes food webs. The more species are taken out by invasion, the less resilient the islands and Michigan will be.

The developed invasive species proactivity guide is available online at Michigan State University's Michigan Natural Features Inventory website.

Originally posted here:

Fighting invasive species on one island led to plan for all - Sentinel-Standard

Lelepa island in Vanuatu boasts pristine white sand beaches and swaying palm trees with limited access to fresh water and power. It is remote, stunning and almost stands still in time. But not for long.

Lelepa is home to a number of traditional island villagers with a long and beautiful ancestry and is one of 83 islands in the Republic of Vanuatu, a stunning archipelago of natural reefs and volcanos known as the ring of fire including one extinct volcano in the distance on the island of Nguna.

But fast forward exactly two years to October 2022, and Lelepa is forecast to look vastly different. The Royal Caribbean day club is proposed to open for passengers up to 4,500 of them per day to begin with offering the opportunity to experience a Perfect Day on a tropical island.

Pristine Lelepa island is about to be transformed

Ever since the announcement that the worlds second biggest cruise ship company had negotiated a lease with the Vanuatu Government, speculation has been rife about what that would mean.

In an exclusive interview with the Australian architects behind Royal Caribbeans new private waterpark island in Vanuatu, we discover what a Perfect Day at Lelepa is going to look like. According to head designer David Holm, of Cox Architects, its going to be all about chill and thrill.

A look at Coco Cay in the Bahamas RCCLs existing island

There will be huge water slides, some of the worlds longest and fastest zip lines, kids water parks, swimming pools, numerous dining options, a wave pool, hot air balloon rides, private beach clubs for adults, family designated beach areas, possible over water bungalows and of course, a pier large enough to receive the cruise ships.

Perfect Day at Coco Cay under construction earlier in 2019

The difference between this island design and existing RCCL private islands such as Coco Cay in the Bahamas is that Cox Architects say they will be attempting to integrate as much of the local Vanuatu design and culture as possible, to give it a more aesthetically sensitive look and feel.

So what exactly does this mean?

The main pavilion areas will be based on traditional Vanuatu meeting place designs called Nakamals, with large open-air roofs, woven natural materials, bamboo, local wild cane, and naturally sourced timbers and furniture sourced in the South Pacific, says Mr Holm.

A traditional open air nakamal meeting place

This will be a fully carbon neutral island, with a sustainable energy and waste management system, and we aim to immerse ourselves in the local culture and design to achieve an authenticity and calibre of thoughtfulness, Mr Holm says.

Vanuatus culture and style will be integrated into Perfect Day

Think of Indiana Jones, with a bit of Mad Max mixed in, Mr Holm says, when describing how the island is going to feel for passengers when they arrive. We want to leave a light footprint with no pipes in and no pipes out and we want the guests to feel like they are explorers.

We will collaborate with local builders, businesses and villagers to blend the indigenous culture into the island experience. We want this Perfect Day to be grown and crafted in-keeping with the Vanuatu style, Mr Holm added.

Ni Vanuatu locals are hoping to be consulted on the plans

So the chill and thrill? It will have something for everyone catering to a large density of guests, but people who also do not want to queue. It will be fun, with escape areas too, says Mr Holm.

Over water bungalows are on the cards for a more chilled zone

Community consultation meetings are being held with local residents in the coming weeks, with detailed designs promised to be made public by April next year.

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Exclusive: how Royal Caribbean's private Island will "chill and thrill" - Cruise Passenger

Elizabeth Warren at a town hall event in Norfolk, Virginia.

Three billionaires donated $2,800 each to Elizabeth Warrens campaign, federal filings show, in what may prove to be the worst financial investment of all time. If Warren gets elected and can implement her controversial wealth tax plan, the three tycoonsCraigslist founder Craig Newmark, venture capitalist Chris Sacca and cofounder of industrial conglomerate Danaher Steven Raleswould owe a collective $430 million a year.

Warren has a lot of plansoffering universal child care, student debt forgiveness and Medicare for alland she wants to pay for them, in part, by taxing billionaires. After initially proposing a 3% tax on all fortunes over $1 billion, she doubled the proposed levy to 6% last week, explaining that the additional tax revenue would go toward expanding Medicare. Under the plan, billionaires would pay nothing on their first $50 million, 2% on their next $950 million and 6% on everything over a billion.

On Thursday, after inviting Bill Gates via Twitter to an explainer on her tax plan, Warrens campaign shared a calculator for the billionaires showing just how much people like Gates would pay. The online calculator displays how much Gates, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Walmart heir Jim Walton and hedge fund titan Leon Cooperman, who has called Warrens tax plans morally and socially bankrupt, would pay annually.

Since it does not explain how much her own donors would pay, Forbes crunched the numbers. For Sacca, who is worth an estimated $1.1 billion, the new tax would take an extra $25 millionor about as much as it costs to buy a couple of private islands in the Caribbean. For Newmark, worth $1.3 billion or so, the annual bill would hit $37 million, about the price of a used Gulfstream G650 jet. And for Rales, who is worth roughly $6.8 billion, the tally would reach $367 million, more than the value of the presidents interest in Trump Tower.

Still, the billionaires may not mind. Very lucky guy here (who got rich in part thanks to public schools, access to health care, etc.), Sacca tweeted about himself in January, when Warren first announced her plan to create a wealth tax. Weighing in to say that [Warrens] proposal to put a 2-3% annual tax on wealth over $50 million is extremely and radically reasonable.

Details will be everything, he added. Not everyone who is rich is liquid and able to pay cash. Asset valuation is hard. Ownership can be murky. There will be workarounds. And so on. But, the idea of a very modest tax (below expected yields) on accumulating assets, is interesting. Rales and Newmark did not respond to requests for comment.

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Warrens Wealth Tax Would Cost Her Own Billionaire Backers $430 Million A Year - Forbes

The 439-acre Casteel Creek Retreat near Vail, Colorado is currently listed for sale with LIV Sothebys International Realty for $78 million.

LIV Sotheby's International Realty

In our last survey of over-the-top real estate for Maxim,we noted that $100 million listings, almost unheard of until a few years ago, had become the new benchmark for the ultra rich buyer. Now in the space of less than a year that figure seems to have doubled. In August one of the most expensive estates ever listed for sale, the historic Villa Les Cdres in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat on the French Riviera, once owned by King Leopold II of Belgium, sold to an undisclosed, but undoubtedly extremely well off, buyer for about $221 million. And that was after a 43% price drop.

Nor is the picturesque property, surrounded by a 34 acre botanical garden on a peninsula perched between Nice and Monaco, alone in that realm. A similarly well heeled house hunter can now write a check for $279 million for a 26,000+ square foot Colorado compound (see below) owned by Discovery Channel founder John Hendricks that comes complete with a car museum. Not to mention an airstrip, airplane hangar, helipad, horse stables, and private observatory, all on a total of 8,700 acres. And in January billionaire Citadel hedge fund founder Ken Griffin set a new record for the highest priced house ever sold in the United States when he paid $238 million for a New York City penthouse. With an unbelievable 24,000 square feet, its owner was immediately crowned the new king of Gotham.

Discovery Channel founder John Hendrickss Colorado compound is on the market for $279 million via LIV Sothebys International Realty.

LIV Sotheby's International Realty

If billionaire real estate deals are anything to go by, this has certainly been a banner year. In January private equity mogul Henry Kravis listed his White River Valley Colorado ranch on 4,600 acres for $46 million. The property comes with five miles of private fly fishing on both forks of the White River, as well as a Greg Norman designed four hole golf course; the famous golf champion has a place nearby. That same month banking billionaire Nurzhan Subkhanberdin closed on the sale of a pair of penthouses atop Manhattans Time Warner Center for about $20 million. They span a total of 4,743 square feet and could easily be combine to create a grand home, as the listing noted.

Speaking of grand homes, in February the billionaire investor,hedge fund manager and philanthropist Steve Cohen listed his 9,600 square foot Manhattan triplex for a not inconsiderable $33.5 million, then sold it just over a month later for close to the asking price at $30 million. In May Russian oligarch Andrey Borodin paid $23 million for an enormous equestrian compound near Palm Beach that was once home to the Lechuza Caracas polo team, to add to his real estate portfolio that includes the one-time most expensive home in England. And in June in Bridgehampton, natural gas billionaire Michael Smith sold a beachfront compound for close to its $42.5 million asking price; not to worry, he still has a $110 million spread in East Hampton as well as a another estate in Malibu worth the same eye-popping amount.

Casteel Creek Retreat features a 32,000-square-foot main residence as well as an indoor sports arena, five-story rock climbing wall, Olympic size lap pool, a shooting range and a fully-stocked trout pond.

LIV Sotheby's International Realty

At times multiple properties have changed hands in a single megabucks deal. Also in May Howard Marks, the billionaire co-founder of Oaktree Capital Management, spent $35 million to buy four properties in Amagansett from Barbara Zuckerberg, the ex-wife of former Goldman Sachs executive Roy Zuckerberg, according to the New York Post. He already owned a neighboring $30 million property, making his combined compound worth $65 million. That was dwarfed however by the news that billionaire WhatsApp cofounder Brian Acton had quietly amassed a portfolio of adjacent propertiesmore than half a dozen of them on a single residential blockin Palo Alto, California worth a combined $86 million.

The summer was equally sizzling. In June billionaire British inventor and entrepreneur Sir James Dyson made headlines when he bought Singapores most expensive penthouse for a reported $54.2 million. It was actually something of a bargain considering the three story aerie complete with a private pool was once valued as high as $100 million. And in July an unnamed Chinese billionaire reportedly paid $75 millioncashfor a 24,000 square foot mega mansion in Bel Air that he stumbled across one day while idly browsing Zillow, the online real estate database.

Casteel Creek Retreat features stunning views of the Rocky mountains.

LIV Sotheby's International Realty

So what do these extremely wealthy gentleman intend to do with such awe-inspiring properties? We may not find out for several years, but considering these are some of the most accomplished and successful men in the world, its reasonable to assume theres a profit to be made somewhere down the line. In 2013 when Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev paid somewhere around $150 million for the private Greek island of Skorpios which was once owned by Aristotle Onassis, it was reported to be an investment for his daughter. This past summer his vision for the property was finally revealed.

Billion-dollar views from Hendricks' West Creek Ranch.

LIV Sotheby's International Realty

The investment project, expected to be completed in two to three years, includes a luxury resort complex with spa, restaurants, and marina, as he told Wealth Management. In addition, there will be showrooms, an amphitheater, a helipad, a farm, and recreation areas. It will, he promises, be unique in the Mediterranean.

Having first sailed by on his yacht, I remember being captivated by this earthly paradise with its enchanting natural beauty, Rybolovlev, owner of the AS Monaco Football Club among other assets, recounted. After buying it and spending a lot of vacation there, Skorpios means so much to me. He describes it as a private shelter that helps me relax, recharge my batteries and return to my responsibilities.

Toys on offer atHendricks' West Creek Ranch.

LIV Sotheby's International Realty

Want to acquire a private Greek island of your own? Private Islands Inc. has several listed for sale, ranging from 26 acres to over 1,300 acres, most of them uninhabited and ripe for development on a comparable scale to the Skorpios project. Of course if you just decided to live there quietly untroubled by nosy paparazzi, troublesome ex-wives or autograph seekers, we would hardly blame you.

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Inside the World's Most Expensive Real Estate of 2019 - Maxim

Tucked away in North Queenslands Airlie Beach is a luxurious little haven thats full of unexpected surprises.

From the moment you roll up along the driveway to Freedom Shores named after The Doors song Waiting for the Sun you feel like you could be at any luxe tropical holiday destination, but without the hefty price tag.

For about $300 a night you can stay in your own little boat bungalow with a private deck overlooking the picturesque Airlie ocean.

The popular tourist town, which provides easy access to the Whitsundays Islands and the Great Barrier Reef, has certainly recovered from Cyclone Debbie which ravaged the region in 2017.

And it was her aftermath that inspired Freedom Shores itself.

The nautical focus for the resort originated when the business acquired the old Shute Harbour jetty poles.

The marine facility at Shute Harbour was damaged extensively during the cyclone but Freedom Shores believed the poles had character and beauty worthy of being saved.

The timber inspired an entire resort built around reclaimed boats to create a truly special place that now sees the poles make up the entry ways to the boat cabins.

And those arent the only unwanted items that have been salvaged and given a new life some of the palm trees within the grounds came from the set of the The Pirates of the Caribbean.

The trees were used when the movie was shot in the Whitsundays, but Freedom Shores scooped them up and planted them within the hidden valley.

But the showpiece of the resort is the salvaged Shangri-La boat which has been given pride of place at its entrance.

The vessel was part of General MacArthurs fleet during World War II.

It was part of a small fleet that helped land soldiers, ammunition and stores at Milne Bay, Port Moresby, where the allied forces defeated a Japanese invasion of about 2400 soldiers.

It was the first defeat on land for the Japanese during the war, however they continued to bomb Port Moresby.

The boat was later used as a tourist vessel across the reef in the 1960s and now works as a deck and a place to relax with a drink alongside the resorts pool.

While the resort is a bit out of town, its Northerlies Beach Bar and Grill provides a shuttle service making it easy to get about.

From town you can get out to the islands and the reef. We were lucky enough to head out for Cruise Whitsundays amazing Reef Sleep experience where you sleep in a swag under the stars on board their Heart Pontoon.

Back from the reef, Freedom Shores provides the perfect place to unwind with a cocktail kicking back at Northerlies.

And the best part is, youd never tell from your insta-worthy pics that you didnt fork out a fortune to take advantage of one of the worlds greatest wonders.

The writer was a guest of Freedom Shores

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Freedom Shores: Luxury resort without the price tag - NEWS.com.au

The Caribbean will always be the top cruise destination in the world, according to various cruise industry leaders.

During the recent Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association convention in San Juan, their forecast for the future looks bright, with expectations that there could be as many as 45 million people cruising by 2030, which would represent a 50 percent increase from the current 30 million.

Its thriving and the outlook for the region is robust, said Royal Caribbean Cruises Vice Chairman Adam Goldstein, noting that it was imperative for the Caribbean cruise industry to remain competitive with new ships and provide enhanced offerings, such as new experiences.

As previously reported by THE WEEKLY JOURNAL, visitors today want more experiences, and Bayley highlighted the success of the Perfect Day at CocoCay, which is Royal Caribbeans $250 million private island in the Bahamas. The popular cruise stop features a waterpark with a water slide that is reportedly the tallest in the region, a massive wave pool and on-the-water beach cabaas.

Echoing these words was Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbeans president and CEO, who sees continuing growth in the Caribbeansaying that eight out of the top-10 cruise destinations worldwide are in the Caribbeanand that more cruise passengers will be coming to the Caribbean in the future. The Caribbean was, is, will always be, the number one cruise destination in the world We need to find a way to accommodate the growth that is inevitably coming to cruise tourism in the Caribbean, he indicated.

In the Caribbean, Old San Juan is a perennial cruise stop favorite, as are Charlotte Amalie in St. Thomas, Philipsburg in St. Maarten and Nassau in the Bahamas.

Puerto Rico continues to strengthen its position as a leader in the cruise industry. Last fiscal year [2018-2019], a record figure of more than 1.8 million passengers and 558 boat visits were established, for an economic impact of more than $217 million. This 2019 calendar year, we are headed to break the record of passenger arrivals with over 1.7 million cruise passengers enjoying our beautiful island. Being hosts of this important event, we reaffirm our leadership in the region and seek business opportunities to continue growing this sector strategically for Puerto Rico, said Puerto Rico Tourism Company Executive Director Carla Campos.

According to Economic Development and Commerce Secretary Manuel Laboy, during the convention, government officials coordinated 26 business meetings between 10 Puerto Rican companies, to initiate those first conversations and for entrepreneurs to showcase their products in order to make business.

Last year, two local companies established talks with Royal Caribbean. As a result, that cruise line began to buy Tres Monjitas products, thanks to the effort of the agencys team. We trust that the exhibition of local products and services at the international level will be positively reflected in the development of manufacturing and an increase in exports. During fiscal year 2017-2018, the consumption of the cruise ships that used Puerto Rico as their base, was $28 million. We continue to maximize our efforts to increase this figure in favor of the economic development of the island, Laboy added.

The U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) and the Dominican Republic were also among neighboring destinations that lauded their offerings during the conclave. USVI Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. said he was focused on balancing the cruise business between St. Thomas, which has been a long time favorite, and St. Croix, an emerging travel destination. On average, the USVI receives about 2 million cruise visitors every year.

The Dominican Republic, which receives millions of tourists through its inexpensive all inclusive offerings, welcomed more than 1.3 million cruise passengers last year.

Record of Cruise Visitors Broken Worldwide

Worldwide, another record was broken in 2018, with 28.2 million guests cruising globally a 5.6 percent increase compared to 2017s previous high of 26.7 million, according to the FCCAs 2019 Cruise Industry Overview and Statistics report. The associations projections are that the 30 million mark will be hit this year.

The Caribbean is by far the most popular region, with 34.4 percent (roughly 9.7 million) of the 28.2 million cruise passengers worldwide visiting this destination in 2018.

The second leading destination was the Mediterranean, with 17.3 percent, or nearly 4.9 million passengers. Europe without the Mediterranean, such as cruising the Baltic Sea, was the third most popular, with 11.1 percent, or just over 3.1 million.

Based on 2017 figures, most cruise passengers come from the United States (11.9 percent), followed by China (2.4 percent) and Germany 2.2 percent.

St. Thomas, the U.S. Virgin Islands >Courtesy

The Caribbean s Strong Numbers

The highlights of the FCCA report for the Caribbean included:

$3.36 billion in direct expenditures were generated by cruise tourism, up 6.3 percent compared to the last study in 2015 and the previous record.

78,954 jobs were attributable to the industry, up 5.2 percent compared to the last study, paying a total employee wage income of $902.7 million.

Destinations welcomed 25.2 million onshore visits from cruise passengers, with an average expenditure of $101.52, generating a total of $2.56 billion.

$534 million was generated by cruise line expenditures, including port fees and taxes, payments to local tour operators and payments to local businesses for supplies and services.

The highest expenditure per passenger was $165.42 in U.S. Virgin Islands, and the highest expenditure per crew member was $130.63 in Puerto Rico.

On average, a single transit cruise call with 4,000 passengers and 1,640 crew generates $378,500 in passenger and crew spending alone: $339,500 and $39,000, respectively.

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Cruise Fever Here to Stay | Business - The Weekly Journal