The International Organization for Standardization is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded on 23 February 1947, the organization promotes worldwide proprietary, industrial, and commercial standards.

The Responsible Pastime of Recording Wildlife Sightings

Have you ever felt so rejuvenated by your experience in the woods? Do wildlife tours excite you? And have you ever had an irresistible impulse to record your wildlife sightings? If yes, get ready to let the world know of your wild ventures!

‘Wildlife Memo,’ the free mobile app introduced by TripMemoGO, lets you document wildlife sightings, including the coverage of birds, mammals and butterflies from more than 283 countries and territories.

In addition to being an engaging pastime, keeping a record of the sightings is crucial for the conservation of wildlife. The wildlife documents are more likely to help the conservationists with information regarding land management and the impact of human activities on species. Regular monitoring of wildlife helps in assessing the current state of the natural environment, which is easily identifiable, as a small change in the climate or habitat affects the species significantly. To understand the type of wildlife prevailing in a location, adequate data obtained from the exact location is required.

Common and daily-based records on wildlife aid in analysing the present condition of various natural habitats. As most of the species today are on the verge of extinction, these documents would facilitate the protection of at least the remaining numbers, without delay. Don’t think twice before choosing the Wildlife Memo App to befriend you in your next outing into the wilderness. Remember to invite your friends to the TripMemo Community and experience the spirit of ‘Wildlife Memo.’

Here is a checklist of the 4 key points to be noted before you start with your recording:

What did I see? - Record what you have seen, including details, like its gender and English and species name. You need to be accurate with your identification, or you could seek clarity from professionals/experts if you have got doubts. You can also use our forums or user-contributed photos for this purpose.

When did I see it? - Be specific about the date you observed it and remember to record the exact day, month and year. Unclear and vague entries are not accepted (like “beginning of March,” for instance). Wildlife Memo has got an in-built feature to do this function automatically.

Where did I see? - Enter the accurate location in which you observed it. The Wildlife Memo App will make this job easier as it uses the GPS locator (along with Photos only) and our database of adventure-activity locations worldwide.

Where do I record? - Although there are many ways to record your observations, noting them on a paper/notebook is the most traditional way among them. However, you can depend on various online sites or mobile apps for this purpose.

Wildlife Memo is a listing app designed for wildlife photographers, bird watchers and butterfly enthusiasts to identify, record, store and share your sightings as soon as they take place. Wildlife Memo is available as a free app for users who register during the launch phase.

Wine Tasting- the Art of Versatility

Wine Tours have gained wide popularity over the years and are now a worldwide expedition characterised by taste, culture, and above all, a journey to explore the inner soul of vineyards.

Wine Tasting, however, is not as complex as people make it seem to be. The goal is to understand the basic concept of Wine Tasting and know what aspects to search for. People make different choices when it comes to wine, and this is purely based on their different taste preferences.

TripMemo is an emerging global online community meant exclusively for adventure travellers and travel enablers. We have launched its new app named Connoisseur Memo, which is a Wine, Whiskey and Beer tasting app that suits both beginners and seasoned connoisseurs alike. You can download it for FREE from Android and iOS App stores.

The tasting process is sectioned into two categories. The first of them is the taster’s personal preferences of wine based on the factors like colour, smell and taste. The latter part is about using such information drawn from these personal preferences to create a general conclusion about what a majority of the crowd prefers in wine. The factors that decide these can range from the price, variety of grape, origin and food pairings.

Bringing clarity to what people choose helps in a better understanding of the key elements to search for in a wine tour.

KNOW YOUR NOSE

Science claims that around 50% of a human’s taste comes from the smell, and obviously, a person can absorb a lot of satisfaction just by smelling the wine even before taking a drink of it. The core aroma of wine is released when the bottle is shaken, and the wine gets a swirl. Although they are fine and delicate, the smell they unfurl is quite tangy and strong. This is why your nose is your best friend in understanding the nature and properties of the wine.

Here are some interesting signs to check on while knowing the wine by smell.

Reduction: It is a method of wine production that stands out from the rest by its smell similar to that of rotten eggs or boiled cabbages. Minor levels of reduction are explained with words like ‘minerality’ or ‘stony,’ as they include more of a strong and concentrated fruit flavour. High levels of reduction are rarely liked as it turns out to develop an extremely unpleasant smell.

Oxidation: Oxidation is in strong contrast with reduction as they are primarily opposite to each other. In oxidation, the wine has a browner shade with a tempting smell of toffee, caramel and honey. The reason behind this nature is the high level of dissolved oxygen, due to which the fruit flavour is weakened.

TCA (Trichloroanisole): The sign of TCA includes a smell that is much similar to that of wet cardboard, and it brings about a reduction in the fruit flavour. It is difficult to identify when the taint is on a minor level. However, if there is a higher level of TCA, it means that the wine is probably flawed by the cork or even by a defect in the winery.

In terms of detecting aromas, there are three sub-categories as listed below:

Primary:  It is a basic fruity smell that dominates the wine content, which gives an idea about the specific kind of grape used.

Secondary: These aromas are simply a backdrop or addition to the primary and are dependent on the production process. Oak is a significant flavour on secondary smells, and the various aromas in oak-based production include vanilla, coconut, tobacco, leather and cedar. The flavours of nut and butter emerge if the wine has undergone malolactic fermentation. Whereas, if the wine is developed by coming into contact with lees (dead yeast cells), there would be flavours similar to yeast, cream and biscuit.

Tertiary: Tertiary aromas are developed from the ageing process of wine. On getting oxidised by being in oak barrels for a long time, the wine may prominently contain the aromas of coffee, toffee, and chocolate along with those from the oak, including coconut. On the other hand, if the storage of wine is reductive in nature (protected from oxygen), one can expect flavours, like those of mushroom or vegetables to take the role.

YOUR PALATE

The detection of wine flavours by taste or say, the palate, is dependent on components like sugar, acid and tannin, and they have major importance in tasting sessions. The consistency of these flavours affects the food pairings and even the wine’s basic style.

Sweetness: The sugar level decides the wine’s sweetness. Alcohol and fruit flavours may also contribute to the sweet side, just like how acidity can hide it. When there is a minimal amount of sweetness, the wine is identified or known as off-dry. Many Alsace and German Rieslings belong to this type. Wines ranging between medium-dry and medium-sweet carry a notable amount of sugar but are still away from being classed under dessert wines. In medium-dry wines, the acid covers up a major amount of sweetness like those in Vouvray Demisec, while in medium-sweet ones, the sweetness is more evident like in the German Riesling Kabinett. Another popular category is the dessert wine, with quintessential examples like Sauternes and Tokaji, which bear a more luscious consistency.

Acidity: The wine’s freshness is dependent on the level of acidity. Wines have acids that are malic, tartaric or lactic. The wineries may also add other odourless acids to bring about a pungent sharpness to the wine. However, just as how acidity masks the sweetness, the sugars hide the acid as well. Acid content makes the mouth prone to watering, and hence, testing for acid in wines should satisfy this very sign. Although all wines are acidic, it is said that white wines contain higher levels of acid when compared to red wines or rose wines.

Tannin: Wines with tannin include distinctive and flavourful tastes that are emitted from the grape skins, stems or seeds. Dry mouth is often caused by this element and is also responsible for the bitterness experienced at the back of the tongue while drinking wine. Tannin plays a great role in the texture and complexity of the wine, and they are mostly seen in red wine. Bitterness can occur in white wine if it has been intensively oaked. Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz are the best kinds of grapes to experience these flavours.

Body:  This concept in wine tasting is all about a general impression of the wine as experienced by the taste buds. The golden rule here is that the amount of alcohol content is directly proportional to the amount of tannin. Higher levels of both alcohol and tannin lead to more intensity and fullness of flavour.

Finish: ‘Finish’ is meant to explain the accurate sensation that one gets right after gulping the wine. This is an important indicator of the wine’s quality, as the rule goes, the longer the sensation or impression lasts, the higher the quality will be. Wines with a ‘short finish’ will have their flavours vanished within seconds after tasting, while on the other hand, the impression left by a ‘high finish’ wine lasts for a whole minute or more.

Balance: The quality of a wine is highly dependent on its balance level. There should be pure equilibrium between the fruit, sugar, acidity and tannin levels. The extreme presence of fruit or sugar will make the wine thin, while too much acid or tannin will make it inconsistent. If there is no balance between all these elements, the wine is said to be of low quality. The above rules apply to primary, secondary and tertiary flavours equally.

Length: The longer the sensation lasts after tasting the wine, the better the quality is.

Concentration: Balance matters a lot. A high concentration of flavour does not mean that the wine is of good quality. Wines that are weak or diluted do not indicate high quality either. The goal is to find a balance between all components of the wine. On a general note, the concentration balance of flavours and consistency is a sign of good quality wine.

Using Connoisseur Memo

The Connoisseur Memo App by TripMemo® is an easy-listing tool meant to save the moments and details of all your wine/whiskey/beer tasting diaries.

It is a space where you can update pictures, make comments, do rating and even share them directly on social media.

A fine, detailed and updated record of your preferences is what the app caters so that it can help you even while ordering a drink for yourselves next time.

So, sip the drink and tap the tool!

Should I keep a Sport Fishing Log?

Does the whirring sound of the reel turn you on? Have you ever been so impressed with your catch that you badly felt the urge to document it? And have you ever wondered if there could be a single-window platform where you could list, store and share every detail of your catch? Yes to all? Then steady the line, it’s a strike!

Start with a Photo

Launch into documenting a fishing log by taking a snapshot of the catch. A close-up of the catch would help with the specifics of the fish. Including the names of the destination and fishing locale, along with the date and time of the photo, is strongly recommended.

English Name / Scientific Name / Local Name?

It is quite hard to recall the scientific name of the catch. Be not troubled if you confront issues regarding the same as sport fishing is not an academic pursuit. While a scientific name is universal, it would have many a local name among the natives of the area. Anglers are advised to follow either a common English name or local name while recording their catch.

Fishing Spot GPS: A data you need to handle with care

GPS pointers will attend to the anglers in case they wish to make comebacks to the fishing sites where they might have had a phenomenal catch or a disheartening miss. Fishing Memo is a user-oriented app that automatically tracks GPS coordinates of every catch and keeps it ready for your use. The users are recommended to demonstrate retention while sharing the GPS location with their friends as it may cause unwelcome tourist traffic.

Length & Weight of the Catch

Recording the weight and length of the catch is essential. The anglers are advised to bring a weight scale and a measuring tape if they wish to document the details of the fish they release back into the water.

Technical Details

Fishing Memo enables the anglers to document the various specifics of their fishing adventures. The key information to be counted during the documentation includes the details of the fishing destination, equipment, the fishing technique employed, etc.

Fishing Memo

Fishing Memo is a mobile app that is exclusively developed for lovers of fishing and angling. Fishing Memo is one of the mobile apps in the app series of “TripMemo Go,” from TripMemo. Fishing Memo is currently a beta-version app. This implies that the users may possibly encounter a few bugs or glitches. Having given you the heads-up, let us now remind you that if you are ready to overlook these foibles and proceed, what Fishing Memo has to offer you is an unmatched opportunity for a lifetime membership of our unique and intriguing services. Don’t think twice; download your Fishing Memo app from Google/iOS now and get ready to go on fishing expeditions where you want to; the way you want to! We’re giving away the first 10k copies for FREE! Download Now!