Tuesday 4 October 2016

Cayman Google Photos - Links to Ann Stafford’s albums



Contents

CAYMAN CULTURAL, HISTORIC

CaymanCultural                        

Historic Cayman                        

Cayman Catboats                      




CAYMAN PLANTS

CaymANNature Flora                 
   
CaymANNature Flora 2   

Cayman Endemics                     
   
Cayman Herbarium             

CaymanGardens                        


Plant Families               



CAYMAN SPORTS

CaymanSports                           

CaymanSports_2                        

CAYMAN TOURS and TRAILS

Cayman Land and Sea               

Barkers National Park                
Ironwood Forest                        

Mastic Trail                               

South Sound                              

CAYMAN WILDLIFE

CaymANNature Butterflies, Moths and their Plants                         

CaymanWildlife                         

Cayman Endemics                     

CAYMAN MUSHROOMS, LICHENS AND OTHER FUNGI



CAYMAN CULTURAL, HISTORIC


CaymanCultural              
Cayman history, architecture, step-wells, house-shaped gravestones in Grand Cayman cemeteries, Cayman traditional arts and crafts. Catboats - local woods used catboat construction, Silver Thatch plaiting, gigs, calavans, paintings, Miss Lassie's house, Wattle and Daub houses and the woods that were used in their construction. http://caymannature.wordpress.com/cultural

Historic Cayman             
Historic Cayman  1802 Corbet Report on the Cayman Islands (p.11), Lt. Governor George Nugent Letters on the Cayman Islands, including 1802 Grand Cayman CENSUS, Pedro St. James, Fort George and more.
1802 Corbet Report on the Cayman Islands and 1802 Census

House-shaped gravestones, grave markers, in the Cayman Islands were found in all districts. Some still exist in cemeteries in Grand Cayman: North West Point, West Bay; George Town; Prospect; Spotts, Pedro St. James; Bodden Town; Old Man Bay; North Side; East End (?); Gun Bay. http://caymannature.wordpress.com/cultural
 

Cayman Catboats           

1938 Apr.17 to Aug.27 (4½ months) The party comprised:- W. Gemmel Alexander - leader and organiser; C. Bernard Lewis (Wadham College) - biologist (lewisi) W.N. Paton (Magdalen College) - marine biologist; Wilfred Kings Lawrence Sheriff School, Rugby - botanist (kingsii); Gerald Thompson (St. Edmund Hall) – biologist (thompsonii). Allen Wolsey Cardinall - Cayman Islands Commissioner; Urban Myles – cook; Bentley Ross - boat driver; Roddie Watler, (Police Inspector) - truck owner.

Joint Royal Society and Cayman Islands Government Expedition to Little Cayman in 1975, when the island was little known scientifically.
Team of scientists:
D.R. Stoddart (Cambridge): geomorphology, leader
R.R. Askew (Manchester): entomology
A.W. Diamond (Nairobi): orthnithology
M.E.C. Giglioli (George Town): marine studies and liaison
M.V. Hounsome (Manchester) land fauna other than insects
G.W. Potts (Plymouth: marine ecology
G.R. Proctor (Kingston): botany
C. Woodruffe (Cambridge): Mangroves (part-time)

CAYMAN PLANTS

CaymANNature Flora                             

CaymANNature Flora 2             
   
Cayman Herbarium               


Plant Families                           

CaymanGardens                                    


Photos of Cayman’s native and naturalized plants
Cayman Islands FLORA images (arranged in scientific name order A - Z) including Dendrophylax fawcettii (Ghost Orchid), Exostema caribaeum, Neoregnellia cubensis, Rochefortia acanthophora, Tournefortia astrotricha, Zanthoxylum sp, now identified as Z. caribaeum, found on the Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman. Full descriptions can be found in the book Flora of the Cayman Islands by George R. Proctor, Royal Botanic Gardens, KEW 2012, which covers Ferns, Zamia, Monocotyledons and Dicotyledons. The book includes Cayman Islands endemics and near-neighbor endemics (Jamaica and Cuba).
More pictures on CaymANNature Flora_2  https://goo.gl/photos/brZ8FgszennoHadZA

More pictures of Cayman’s native and naturalized plants –
Cayman Islands FLORA images (arranged in scientific name order A - Z) - especially plants with a more limited distribution. Full descriptions can be found in the book Flora of the Cayman Islands by George R. Proctor, Royal Botanic Gardens, KEW 2012, which covers Ferns, Zamia, Monocotyledons and Dicotyledons. The book includes Cayman Islands endemics and near-neighbor endemics (Jamaica and Cuba).
More photos on CaymANNature Flora https://goo.gl/photos/X1Wk36m1xizgfX1c9
 

Cayman Herbarium                   
Identification - Cayman wild plants: native & naturalized, scanned Virtual Herbarium specimens, mostly trees & shrubs. Caption includes FLORA of Cayman Islands by George R. Proctor 2012: page #, Fig.# Plate# (Proctor 2012 p. Fig. Pl); Wild Trees in CI by Fred Burton, illustrated by Penny Clifford: page # /bark page # (Wild Trees p. / ) & Threatened Plants of CI, The Red List by Frederic J. Burton 2008 (Red List p.). Common names: Cayman common names are almost always different from the same species growing elsewhere. Native or naturalized: All Cayman Islands native plants are tropical, but not all tropical plants, such as many used in landscaping, are native to the Cayman Islands. A plant that is native to southern Florida may, or may not, be native to the Cayman Islands. A Cayman Islands native plant species is one that occurs naturally in the Cayman Islands without direct or indirect human actions. Some plants (and animals) are native to only one or two of the three Cayman Islands.

American botanist George Proctor was a world authority on the flora of Jamaica, where he had lived since 1949. Born in Boston, he studied for his PhD at the University of Pennsylvania after the Second World War. Reduced funding at this time led him to take up work as a herbarium assistant at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia (1946-1947). In 1948 a defining event occurred when he was appointed botanist with the Catherwood-Chaplin West Indies Expedition, which took him to Cuba, the Caymans, San Andres y Providencia and mainland Colombia. He wrote the Flora of the Cayman Islands, first published in 1984, 2nd. edition 2012.

 Medicinal Plants and Cultural Uses              
Cayman Islands medicinal and healing plants, Bush Medicine and old-time remedies, plants of cultural significance used in shipbuilding, general utility and construction. Reference: Healing Plants of the Cayman Islands, compiled by Lorna McCubbin, March 15, 1995, including information from Oral History interviews at the Cayman Islands National Archive.
The information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be an endorsement of any of the old-time remedies. Some parts of a plant, ripe or unripe, may heal, while other parts of the same plant may be poisonous. There may be a fine line between kill and cure.

Plant Families                          
Plant Families in the Cayman Islands arranged in phylogenetic sequence as in FLORA of the CAYMAN ISLANDS by George R. Proctor: Monocotyledon genera - scientific names A-Z, followed by Dicotyledon genera - scientific names A-Z.

CaymanGardens                       
Grand Cayman gardens, inland and on the coast - both sandy beach and rocky ironshore.


CAYMAN SPORTS

CaymanSports                            
Cayman Sports events: Swimming - One Mile Sea Swim history, Pirates Week 3 Mile/5K Sea Swim, CARIFTA Games; Sailing - Round-the-Island Race, Olympics, Cayman Catboat construction, Fiddlesticks catboat; Running - Cross Island Road Relay, 10K Run, Hash House Harriers; Cycling; Triathlon; Tennis; Squash; St Ignatius Catholic School first sports day.

CaymanSports_2                       
CaymanSports_2 - mostly Cayman Islands Hash House Harriers.
1987 Dec. 6        500th. Hash Run
1997 June 16   1000th. Hash Run
2016 Aug. 1       2000th. Hash Run

CAYMAN TOURS and TRAILS

Nature Tours - Activities, things to do and see – places of natural, historical and cultural interest – Smith’s Barcadere (Smith’s Cove), South Sound, Bodden Town, Meagre Bay Pond Bird Sanctuary, Blow Holes, East End village, Lighthouse Park, Colliers, Queens Highway, Old Man Bay, Frank Sound Road, etc. Stop along the way to see plants in different habitats, especially those of cultural significance with unique Cayman common names, birds, butterflies and other creatures. Native plants and animals are part of intricate food webs. Watler Cemetery has house-shaped graves. Mastic Trail and Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park. Ann Stafford is a Cayman Islands native plants expert and co-author with R.R. Askew of the book Butterflies of the Cayman Islands.



Cayman Islands environments, Nature Tours www.caymannature.ky; Stingray City Tours - private charters, half-day and full day, North Sound, in Outrage 270 power boat or J-22 sailboat; Cayman Crystal Caves.

Ironwood Forest               
The Ironwood Forest, Grand Cayman, is a unique, self-sustaining ancient growth forest, anchored on a ridge of pinnacled Cayman Dolostone limestone rock. It is SE of George Town, on a fresh water lens, in a high rainfall area and has an amazing diversity of Cayman indigenous plants, including endemics and single-neighbor endemics. Many plants are Endangered and Critically Endangered, such as a giant Bromeliad – Hohenbergia caymanensis and the Grand Cayman Ghost Orchid – Dendrophylax fawcettii, both of which grow on culturally significant Ironwood trees – Chionanthus caymanensis. Maybe it will take an orchid to save a forest.

Mastic Trail                                        
Grand Cayman Mastic Trail from South to North trailhead: a wilderness trail 2.3 miles long across the centre of the island, traversing a variety of habitats. The trail is not suitable for children under six years old, the elderly and infirm, or for persons with physical handicaps or conditions that may require emergency medical assistance. Your guide can accept no liability for injuries sustained on the trail. It is not suitable for running, bicycles or horses. You will need: Walking shoes (NOT flipflops), and both hands free, the trail is uneven – rocky and with tree roots and slippery if wet, water, hat, sunscreen, (insect repellant). Do not take any plant or animal from National Trust property. No dogs are allowed. Poisonous plants such as Maiden Plum have sap which can cause serious skin reactions, stay on the path and exercise reasonable caution!

Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park          
Visitor Centre and Gift Shop, Woodland Trail, Blue Iguana habitat, Lake, Floral Colour Garden, Heritage Garden and traditional Cayman cottage, Xerophytic Garden and Orchid Boardwalk.

South Sound                                      
take a scroll through the photos.
South Sound - stepwells and old stonewalls, turtle nests and shipwrecks, mangroves and dyke roads, Sand Cay and Pull-and-Be-Damned Point, Grand Old House and Miss Lassie’s House, Smith Barcadere (aka The Cove), the J. S. Webster Estate, Silver Thatch and rope-making, English Point and Portuguese Point, Rugby, Tennis and Squash Clubs, butterflies and bugs, Whistling Ducks and Hickatees, herons and egrets, schools and churches, Valentine’s Mile and Fun Runs …


Barkers National Park                         
Barkers National Park, West Bay, Grand Cayman. Cayman Pygmy Blue Butterfly and its larval food plant Glasswort - Salicornia perennis, Palmetto Pond, Sea Pond, Washwood - Jacquinia keyensis, Red Mangroves, Black Mangroves


CAYMAN WILDLIFE

Cayman Islands butterflies, day-flying moths and nocturnal moths, including some Sphinx / Hawk moths, Family: SPHINGIDAE, found in the Cayman Islands, and their larval food plants. Books with descriptions of butterflies and their plants: Butterflies of the Cayman Islands by R.R. Askew and P.A. van B. Stafford, Apollo Books 2008 and Flora of the Cayman Islands by George R. Proctor, Royal Botanic Gardens, KEW 2012.

CaymanWildlife           
Cayman Nature - Birds, bugs, snails, snakes, crabs and other creatures and their habitats.

Cayman Endemics        
Cayman Islands endemic species, subspecies and varieties of flora and fauna. An endemic species is one that originated or evolved in a particular place, and that situation won't change in the future. They may be endemic to one or more of the three islands of Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. Some plants and animals are native to only one or two of the three Cayman Islands. The Cayman Islands have 28 endemic taxa (species and varieties) of plant and 5 endemic subspecies of butterfly. The plants are arranged by scientific name A - Z. The butterflies are arranged in taxonomic sequence. A Cayman Islands indigenous / native species is one that occurs naturally in the Cayman Islands without direct or indirect human actions.

Invasive plants, Green Iguanas, Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), Scale insects



CAYMAN MUSHROOMS, LICHENS AND OTHER FUNGI


Cayman Islands mushrooms, lichens and other fungi have not been scientifically studied or documented. It is not stated here whether they are edible or poisonous. Individuals are responsible for the decision to eat or not to eat. Some identification has been attempted, but may not have been verified.

Sunday 29 May 2016

Cayman Rocks – Caymanite and Phytokarst



Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman are located on the Cayman Ridge which forms the southern margin of the North American Plate.

 Caribbean Basin map




Cayman Islands Bedrock Formations

Ironshore Formation       Limestone only, most of Grand Cayman


Cayman Formation       mainly Dolostone, Hell and Ironwood Forest only in western Grand Cayman, Prospect, Spotts (not Prospect Point), Bodden Town and south coast to Frank Sound,  EAST END, Old Man Bay, Mastic and Canaan Land area and Cayman Kai – Rum Point coastal area.


Pedro Formation            Limestone and Dolostone, Pedro St James area only


Sangamon Terrace        coastal East End to Colliers, Rogers Wreck Point

Pedro Formation (also called Pedro Castle Formation)
Pedro bluff, Pedro St. James, Grand Cayman


Pedro Formation rock is above the Cayman Formation rock.
The line of Cayman Unconformity is the white line which marks the contact between the two.
Pedro Quarry wall is about 7 meters high. April 24, 2016. 



Geologic features of Grand Cayman. 
Ironshore Formation, Cayman Formation (on the western peninsula it occurs only in Hell in West Bay, and the Ironwood Forest, south of George Town), Pedro Formation (Pedro St. James area only) and Sangamon Terrace (East End only).
Islands from the Sea, Geologic Stories of Cayman by Murray A. Roed, p.53.

 
  Islands from the Sea, Geologic Stories of Cayman 
by Murray A. Roed, 2006.

Caymanite
Caymanite, the multi-layered semi-precious gem stone, at its type area, is an uncommon variety of dolostone originally reported from locations in the Miocene Cayman Formation in the Cayman Islands: the Bluff in Cayman Brac and the East End on Grand Cayman.  The various colours result from different metals: black and grays from manganese, the red hues from iron, blue and green from copper, and so on.

 CAYMANITE is a laminated, multicoloured (white, red and black) limestone, converted to dolstone,
which fills or partly fills cavities in the Bluff Group of rocks of the Cayman Islands.
The Bluff Group includes the Brac Formation, Cayman Formation and Pedro Castle Formation.
(Islands from the Sea, Geologic Stories of Cayman by Murray A. Roed, p.51 & 158).
Photo: Ann Stafford, Grand Cayman, Sept. 7, 2007.

Caymanite
Caymanite fish and Elkhorn Coral fossils by Horacio Esteban.
Photo: Ann Stafford, Feb. 11, 2016.
Soul of a Caymanite Sculptor 


Launa’s Caymanite and other Jewlery
Ann Stafford, Grand Cayman, Oct. 24, 2013

Dolostone or dolomite rock is a sedimentary carbonate rock that contains a high percentage of the mineral dolomite, CaMg(CO3)2.
Cayman Land and Sea  - pictures



Phytokarst

Phytokarst is pinnacle rock of the Cayman Formation dolostone (limestone with magnesium).
Roots of trees and shrubs penetrate through the rocks to get water. The roots secrete acids.
Microbes bore their way into dolostone to produce the sharp, grey-black weathered surface of the jagged pinnacles which contrasts with the white colour of the unaltered host rocks.
 

Phytokarst - the sharp, grey-black weathered surface, contrasting with the white colour of the unaltered host rock. Colliers Wilderness Reserve, East End. Nov. 5, 2015.
Colliers Wilderness Reserve   photos

Hell and the Ironwood Forest 
the only areas of Cayman Formation on Grand Cayman's western peninsula.


Cayman Formation - Hell in West Bay and the Ironwood Forest, George Town, Grand Cayman.
Islands from the Sea, Geologic Stories of Cayman by Murray A. Roed

 Hell - pinnacled phytokarst rock in West Bay. It is NOT volcanic.

HELL sign
 The sharp gray-coloured pinnacled Cayman Formation dolostone rock is phytokarst.


Phytokarst pinnacle rock of the Cayman Formation in the Ironwood Forest, Grand Cayman.
Photo: Ann Stafford, April 1, 2008.

Old George – Hohenbergia caymanensis, Critically Endangered Grand Cayman endemic giant Bromeliad perched on pinnacled Dolostone phytokarst rock in the Ironwood Forest.
Photo: Ann Stafford, Grand Cayman, March 25, 2008
Ironwood Forest - pinnacled Dolostone phytokarst rock.
Photo: Ann Stafford, Grand Cayman, March 25, 2008
Mastic Trail
 Phytokarst, Mastic Trail

Shake Hand Tree – Zanthoxlum caribaeum, with knobbly trunk, in the foreground, April 22, 2010.

 

East End
Phytokarst, East End
Winters Cistern (sinkhole), East End, Grand Cayman, Jan.3, 2010.


Video



Cayman Nature Tours and Historic Cayman Tours   

Grand Cayman activites, things to see and do, with time for photography - butterflies, bugs, birds, lizards, dragonflies, etc ...

Explore Grand Cayman!
Cayman Nature and Historic Cayman Tours