The Ecology of the Greenland's Karupelv Valley

Every year a team from GREA (Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique) travels to the Karupelv Valley in East Greenland to monitor the area's ecology. This year was their 38th expedition to East Greenland. For several years they have been tracking the lemming population. Some snowy owls were also tagged. Big thank you to Roland Montagne for donating to the group and having me included on their cover mailing list. Covers from GREA always include an information page detailing the activities recent expedition.

This cover was postmarked in Tasiilaq on Greenland's eastern coast, 750km southwest of Karupelv valley. The stamp on the left was issued for the 2026 Boston stamp exhibition and it commemorates Thor Solberg's 1935 flight from the US to Norway via Newfoundland, Greenland and Iceland. And the 2026 stamp on the right is one of a pair featuring native plants. The plant illustrated on this stamp is an Arctic Felwort.

Czech Stamps with a Canadian Connection

This is from the Czech town of Břeclav. The stamp on the left from 2015 features Bob and Bobek playing hockey. They were characters from a popular childrens TV series but were made IIHF mascots when Czechia hosted the IIHF World Championship in 2015. The Canadian team won that championship. And the stamp on the right celebrates the 2010 Winter Olympics held in Vancouver, Canada. Czech speed skater Martina Sáblíková won a pair of gold medals at those games.

There are other things happening on this cover. The buildings to the left of the stamps depict Břeclav castle. The line drawing bottom left is the Mariánský most (a cable-stayed bridge) that crosses the Elbe river in Ústí nad Labem. And the little guy top left is a long-legged elf, also from Ústí nad Labem. Dlouhonohých skřítků is a geocaching game created by, I believe, the Ústí nad Labem tourist office. And I'm guessing the handstamp is something you get as part of following or completing a trail or rally related to that.

Small collection of stamps from France

A well organized assortment of stamps on this cover from France, postmarked at the handstamp center in Boulazac. From bottom left to right: nature series stamp depicting the Guadeloupe National Park (1997), the Belfry of Evreux in Évreux, Normandy (2008), the Chateauu de Pompadour in d'Armnac-Pompadour (1999), Place de la Bourse in Bordeaux (2009), Chateau de Chinon (1993) and the Dieppe International Kite Festival (1999).

Morden, Manitoba

My dear mother sent this to me during a recent excursion through Southern Manitoba. Morden is a farming community of about 10000. Corn is the major crop in that part of the Canadian prairies. They also grow a few varietes of cold-hardy apples. And they once had dinosaurs. Morden's Canadian Fossil Discovery Center has on display a collection of fossilized marine animals, including a 13m mosasaur named Bruce. A large part of North America was covered by an inland sea in pre-historic times. It left us with lots of fossils and lots of phosphate.

Wildlife and Traditional Housing in Burundi

The imperf rotated pair on the right are from a 2010 souvenir sheet showing traditional houses. It was issued along with a set of six that showed traditional headdresses. The other two stamps, the green pidgeon and hippo, were produced by Stamperija in 2026. Good to see that Stamperija can occasionally put out stamps that are thematically linked to the issuing country.

Laura Secord's Homestead in Queenston, Ontario

I've driven past Queenston a number of times and always assumed it was just part of nearby Niagara Falls. It's just a sleepy block of homes and a park on the Niagara River Parkway, across the Niagara River from Lewiston, New York. But nestled in the middle of town is the preserved homestead of Laura Secord. The mother of seven was famous for having walked 32 kms out of American-held territory during the War of 1812, to warn British forces of a surprise attack she had overheard the American soldiers discussing. Most Canadians associate her with the chocolate company named in her honor. 

25th Anniversary of the Åland Photography Museum

Åland is home to one of Europe's largest collections of photography equipment and the souvenir sheet on this cover commemorates the 25th anniversary of the museum that holds that collection. I'm pretty sure the character in the middle of the stamp is Olle Strömberg who founded the museum in 2001 with his wife Benita. She's on the sheet too. In the framed photo on the left. The "Camping" postmark is a seasonal thing, available from Åland Post between May and August. Camping is very popular in Åland as it is in all Scandinavian countries.

Portugal's Coastal Fortresses and Electric Trains

A pair of 2025 stamps from a set showing coastal castles and fortresses in Portugal. On the left is the 15th century Fort of Sagres near Vila do Bispo, way down in the south-west corner of the Algarve. And on the right is the 15th century Caminha parish church, way up in in the north-west corner of Portugal's northern district of Viana do Castelo. The postmark commemorates the 60th anniversary of electric train service along the 8km segment of track between Porto's Campanhã station and Ermesinde.

Figures of the American Revolution, USA FDC

Frist-day postmarked stamps featuring Abigail Adams and Benjamin Franklin from a sheet of 25 commemorating the America Revolution and those who played a role in it. And on the right is a 1982 South Dakota state bird and flower commemorative which features a ring necked pheasant and American pasqueflower.

Small Collection of Stamps from Myanmar

On this tidy cover from Myanmar's capital Yangon, from left to right:

• a 2024 stamp commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Universal Postal Union
• a pair of 2025 butterfly stamps with a common yellow swallowtail on bottom, and a red lacewing on top
• a 2024 stamp commemorating the 100th anniversary of engineering education in Myanmar
• a 2024 ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) joint issue featuring general post offices. On the Myanmar stamp is the Naypyidaw Central Post Office building.

120th Anniversary of the Hunan First Normal University, China

This is a 2023 pre-stamped commemorative envelope, commemorating the 120th anniversary of the First Normal University in Changsha, in the Chinese province of Hunan. This was the university where Mao Zedong studied and briefly taught. The stamp in the middle is a definitive from 2024 and part of the "Beautiful China" series. The image on the stamp is from the Wusute Yadan geological park which features several wind and water eroded rock formations that peak above the turquoise blue salt waters of Dongtai Ji Nai'er Lake.

Macao 2026 Specialized World Stamp Exhibition

On this cover from Macau is a 2017 souvenir sheet from a set designed by artist Lei Tak Seng which showcases the Lotus flower. The postmark commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie which coincided with the Macao 2026 Specialized World Stamp Exhibition (MACAO 2026).