Blue Hills Reservation, USA (Blue Hills Reservat, USA) (Blue Hills Rezervátum, USA) 05.2016.

I went on a cycling tour to visit the Blue Hills Reservation and the Ponkapoag Bog south of Boston. The whole area is a popular tourist destination but preserved a remarkable biodiversity in the Boston Metropolitan Area. Ferns were especially diverse. Location: Blue Hills Reservation. Date: 22.05.2016.

Ponkapoag Bog, USA (Ponkapoag Moor, USA) (Ponkapoag-láp, USA) 05.2016.

I went on a cycling tour to visit the Blue Hills Reservation and the Ponkapoag Bog south of Boston. The bog is famous for its red cedars the carnivorous plants. The whole area is a popular tourist destination but preserved a remarkable biodiversity in the Boston Metropolitan Area. Location: Blue Hills Reservation. Date: 22.05.2016.

Middlesex Fells Reservation, USA I. (Middlesex Fells Reservat, USA I.) (Middlesex Fells Rezervátum, USA I.) 05.2016.

The Middlesex Fells is a forest of 3,400 acres just north of Boston, protected since 1894. The Fells are an upland with narrow north–south ridges and valleys, vulcanic bedrock, glacial kettle ponds and water reservoirs. Despite being on the edge of the Greater Boston Metropolitan Area, its flora is remarkable, with Rich Mesic Forests, Rocky Summits, Pitch Pine-Scrub Oak Communities, Vernal Pools, etc. The area is one of the few surviving sites of the Boston Basin Ecoregion. For the first time, I visited the Wrights Pond, Spot Pond and the Skyline Trail near the North Reservoir in mid-May. Location: Middlesex Fells. Date: 21.05.2016.

Cape Cod, USA (Cape Cod, USA) (Cape Cod, USA) 05.2016.

We visited the Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts in May and found diverse plant, animal and fungal communities in the forests and marshes. Location: Provincetown and Wellfleet, Massachusetts. Date: 07-08.05.2016.

Tisza River, Hungary (Theiß, Ungarn) (Tisza, Magyarország) 09.2015.

In September I visited the town of Tokaj and spent some time with photographing the plant and animal life of the river Tisza. Location: Tokaj. Date: 09.09.2015.

Mire of Kokad, Hungary (Moor von Kokad, Ungarn) (Kokadi Daru-láp, Magyarország) 05.2015.

The Daru Mire of Kokad in the southernmost part of the Nyírség Region is a remnant of the postglacial period, when former river valleys were closed by sand dunes. It has many relict plants of cooler eras. It is located next to the wet meadows of the Mire of Álmosd and both are parts of the Kék Kálló Valley Natura 2000 area. Location: Mire of Kokad. Date: 09.05.2015.

Miskolc, Hungary (Miskolc, Ungarn) (Miskolc, Magyarország) 08-10.2014.

In the late summer and autumn of 2014 I visited two tourist destinations in the Bükk Mountains, Lillafüred and Miskolctapolca. Along native ones, at both places I spotted many non-native species. Especially the thermal waters of Miskolctapolca hosted many alien species. Location: Miskolc. Date: 08-09.2014.

High Tatras, Slovakia (Hohe Tatra, Slowakei) (Magas-Tátra, Szlovákia) 08.2013.

In August 2013 we visited the Slovakian part of the beautiful High Tatras which is one of the most famous national parks of Slovakia. The weather was rather dry and the vegetation was already somewhat autumnal. We also visited the botanic garden at Tatranská Lomnica to see some of the botanic highlights of the Tatras - many of these are endemics. Location: High Tatras National Park. Date: 17-20.08.2013.

Gennargentu Mountains, Sardinia (Gennargentu-Gebirge, Sardinien) (Gennargentu-hegység, Szardínia) 05.2013.

The last place we visited on Sardinia was Gola di su Gorroppu, one of the largest canyons in Europe. It is located in the Gennargentu Mountains that also constitute a national park (Parco Nazionale del Golfo di Orosei e del Gennargentu). The worlds rarest plant, the Nuragica Columbine is only known from this place, where it grows on the cliffs. Location: Gola di su Gorroppu. Date: 03.05.2013.

Maddalena Archipelago, Sardinia (La Maddalena, Sardinien) (Maddalena-szigetek, Szardínia) 05.2013.

The islands of the Maddalena Archipelago are located north-east of Sardinia and are only accessible by boat. There are some pleasant, small villages here but most of the archipelago is in the territory of a national park named Parco nazionale dell'Arcipelago di La Maddalena. Crystal clear waters, beaches with pink sand, granite coastlines formed by the wind and the sea, small forests and interesting flora and fauna make this place fabulous. Place: Caprera Island. Date: 01.05.2013.

Dunes of Magazzini, Sardinia (Dunen von Magazzini, Sardinien) (Magazzini Dűnéi, Szardínia) 04.2013.

Magazzini, a coastal area in Medio Campidano with the second biggest sand dune landscape in Europe is probably the best example of the hidden treasures of Sardinia. This place has not been affected by mass tourism and a very peculiar flora and fauna can be found on the dunes.

Garajonay National Park, La Gomera (Nationalpark Garajonay, La Gomera) (Garajonay Nemzeti Park, La Gomera) 03.2013.

We took a short trip to La Gomera starting from Tenerife in March 2013. This small island is the greenest of the Canary Islands. Its lush laurisilva forest is called Garajonay, also a national park and part of the World Heritage. Location: Garajonay National Park. Date: 24-25.03.2013.

Exotic species of Tenerife (Exotische Arten aus Teneriffa) (Tenerife egzotikus fajai) 03.2013.

Tenerife, the 'Island of Eternal Spring' has been inhabited since at least a thousand years and many exotic plant species have been brought here from all around the world. These are mostly found in the cities, where they regularly escape from the gardens, but many species also threaten the indigenous flora of the beautiful natural habitats of the island. Of course, there are many non-native animals as well.

Aguamansa, Corona Forestal, Tenerife (Aguamansa, Corona Forestal, Teneriffa) (Aguamansa, Corona Forestal, Tenerife) 03.2013.

  

Aguamansa is one of the best places in for hiking in the northern part of Tenerife. The area is part of the Forest Crown of the Teide (Parque natural de la Corona Forestal) and lies between 1000-1200 m above sea level. The forests here often get covered by the thick clouds of the Atlantic. The vegetation is dominated by Canary Pine and heath. Location: Aguamansa. Date: 20.03.2013.

Syri i Kaltër, Albania (Syri i Kaltër, Albanien) (Syri i Kaltër, Albánia) 09.2012.

Syri i Kaltër, or the Blue Eye is a karst spring and lake in the Mali i Gjerë mountains near Sarandë in the Southern part of Albania. It is a popular tourist attraction: clear blue water bubbles forth from a more than fifty-metre-deep pool under great pressure. The round shape of this pool gave the place its name.

High Tauern National Park, Austria (Nationalpark Hohe Tauern, Österreich) (Hohe Tauern Nemzeti Park, Ausztria) 06.2012.

The last place we visited in Austria was the High Tauern National Park, an UNESCO World Heritage site. The High Tauern is the highest mountain range in Austria, the country's highest peak, the Großglockner (3798 m) is located here. There is a famous mountain road, the Großglockner Hochalpinstraße, which is built to give the best panorama on the mountains of the Glockner-Group. The highest point of the road is at 2571 m, well over the tree line. Here, the mountains are composed mainly of crystallised rocks and schist, not of limestone, as in the Totes Gebirge. This allows the trees line to reach about 1800-2200 meters. The landscape is beautiful and the national park has a very interesting flora and fauna. First, I will show photos from the subalpine conifer forest areas we visited.

Loser Mountain, Austria (Loser Berg, Österreich) (Loser-hegy, Ausztria) 06.2012.

Our next destination in Austria was the Loser Mountain (1837 m), which lies at the southern endpoint of a part of the Totes Gebirge, meaning that it is a limestone mountain. There is a panorama road, the Loser-Panoramastraße that leads almost to the peak, to 1600 m. Here we searched through the tree-less landscape and enjoyed the beautiful panorama.

Bugojno, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bugojno, Bosnien und Herzegowina) (Bugojno, Bosznia és Hercegovina) 05.2011.

In the mountainous area near Bugojno, central Bosnia we made many interesting discoveries. Meadows with blossoming orchids interrupted the dense Illyrian forests, brooks were flowing nearby, and due to the rather high elevation above sea level the local plant life was in a much fresher state than the one in Croatia. The fauna is very diverse. Here, the animal world of Central Europe and the Mediterranean Region meet and there are also several endemic species. Location: Bugojno. Date: 24-25.2011.

Trogir, Dalmatia, Croatia (Trogir, Dalmatien, Kroatien) (Trogir, Dalmácia, Horvátország) 05.2011.

In Middle Dalmatia we found a fascinating flora and fauna, a part of which I’ll try to present in this post. We searched through the hills surrounding Trogir, here the landscape is mostly characterised by arid slopes with large rocks, mediterranean plant communities, and an insect fauna typical of arid areas. Location: Surroundings of Trogir. Date: 23.05.2011.