Gawler Ranges Conservation Park

Gawler Ranges Conservation Park (formerly the Gawler Ranges Conservation Reserve) is a protected area in the Australian state of South Australia on the Eyre Peninsula located about north-west of the town centre in Poochera.
The conservation park is located to the south-west of the Gawler Ranges with the majority of its area being located within the gazetted locality of Bockelberg and with a smaller portion being located in the locality of Minnipa to the south.
The conservation park's name was originally approved by the Geographical Names Board as the Bockelberg Conservation Park but "due to legal processes", it was not constituted under the "National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972" and was subsequently declared under the state's "Crown Lands Act 1929" as the Gawler Ranges Conservation Reserve on 11 November 1993. Its name is derived from its “proximity” to the Gawler Ranges. As of 2006, it was intended that the conservation reserve would be incorporated in the Gawler Ranges National Park. It was eventually ‘redesignated’ as the Gawler Ranges Conservation Park on 6 September 2012.
Flora found within the conservation park was described in 2001 as consisting of “Tree mallee dominated by Eucalyptus oleosa Red Mallee and Eucalyptus brachycalyx Gilja with scattered patches of Eucalyptus gracilis Yorrell.”
The conservation park is classified as an IUCN Category VI protected area.


Chota Char Dham

The Chota Char Dham (literally translated as 'the small four abodes/seats', meaning 'the small circuit of four abodes/seats'), is an important Hindu pilgrimage circuit on the under upgradation Chardham Road Highway and under construction Chota Char Dham Railway in the Indian Himalayas. Located in the Garhwal region of the state of Uttarakhand, the circuit consists of four sites—Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. Badrinath is also one of the four destinations (with each destination being in different corners of the country) of the longer Char Dham from which the Chota Char Dham likely draws its name.
The Annual "Char Dham Yatra" resumed in May 2014, after remaining suspended since the outbreak of 2013 Uttarakhand floods. The footfall has now improved due to proactive measures taken by the government of Uttarakhand.
Akha-Trij or Akha-Teej (Julian and Gregorian Calendars, May) marks the beginning of the Char Dham Yatra. The ‘Yatra’ typically closes 2 days after Diwali, on the day of Bhai-Bij (or Bhai Dooj).
Also, there are chances of roadblocks due to heavy rainfall in late July and August. In May and June, tourists flock in large numbers. So, there is very little time offered for ‘Darshan’. So, it is best to take the Char Dham Yatra in mid May to July and September - October.
Origins and the original Char Dham.
Originally, the appellation Char Dham referred to a pilgrimage circuit encompassing four important temples—Puri, Rameswaram, Dwarka, and Badrinath—located roughly at the four cardinal points of the subcontinent. An archetypal All-India pilgrimage circuit, the formation of the original Char Dham is credited to the great 8th century reformer and philosopher Shankaracharya (Adi Sankara). In the original Char Dham, three of the four sites are Vaishnava (Puri, Dwarka and Badrinath) while one is Shaiva (Rameswaram). The Chota Char Dham included representatives from all three major Hindu sectarian traditions, with two Shakti (goddess) sites, (Yamunotri and Gangotri), one Shaiva site (Kedarnath), and one Vaishnava site (Badrinath).
Accessible until the 1950s only by arduous and lengthy walking trails in hilly area with height repeatedly exceeded 4000 meters, the Chota Char Dham was regularly done by wandering ascetics and other religious people, and those who could afford a traveling entourage. While the individual sites and the circuit as a whole were well known to Hindus on the plains below, they were not a particularly visible aspect of yearly religious culture. After the 1962 war between India and China, accessibility to the Chota Char Dham improved, as India undertook massive road building to border area and other infrastructure investments. As pilgrims were able to travel in mini buses, jeeps and cars to nearest points of four shrines, the Chota Char dham circuit was within the reach of people with middle income. Vehicles reach up to Badrinath temple and Gangotri, Yamunotri and Kedarnath are at a distance of 10 to 15 km from nearest motorable road.
Recent development.
The Chota Char Dham has become an important destination for pilgrims from throughout South Asia and the diaspora. Today, the circuit receives hundreds of thousands of visitors in an average pilgrimage season, which lasts from approximately April 15 until Diwali (sometime in November). The season is heaviest in the two-month period before the monsoon, which normally comes in late July. After the rains begin, travel to the sites becomes extremely dangerous. Even before the rains begin, safety is a major concern, as extensive road building and heavy traffic have critically destabilized the rocks, making fatal landslides and bus/jeep accidents a regular occurrence. Mortality rates for a season often surpass 200. Some pilgrims also visit the sites after the rains ends and before the sites become impassable due to snow. Although temperatures at the shrines in the early winter months of October and November are inhospitable, it is said that the mountain scenery surrounding the sites is most vivid after the rains have had a chance to moisten the dust of the plains below. The Chota Char Dham was washed away in the recent 2013 Himalayan flash floods. One of the worst flash floods happened in June 2013 and it heavily devastated many parts of the Chota Char Dham, particularly the town of Kedarnath was almost destroyed and with only the Kedarnathji Temple and a few buildings around remaining intact, albeit partially submerged by rocks and slurry.
Chota Char Dham Railway project's 321 km long construction, costing INR43,292 crore (US$6.6 billion), commenced with "Final Location Survey" (FSL) by the government of India in May 2017.
Pilgrimage.
Access to the pilgrimage is either from Haridwar, or Rishikesh, or from Dehradun. The tradition is to visit the sites in the following order:


Norwegian County Road 63

Norwegian County Road 63 ( or ) is a Norwegian county road in Møre og Romsdal county and a very small part in Innlandet county, Norway. It begins at Norwegian National Road 15 along the lake Langvatnet in Skjåk Municipality in Innlandet county and it heads north where it ends at the junction with the European route E136 highway near the town of Åndalsnes in Rauma Municipality, Møre og Romsdal county. The route runs for including a single ferry crossing over the Norddalsfjorden. The vast majority of the road is in Møre og Romsdal county, only the southernmost lie in the extreme western part of Innlandet county. Both the Langvatnet–Geiranger and Trollstigen sections of the road are closed during winter and spring (usually early November to late May) due to the weather conditions (snow and avalanches). The road passes by a number of notable landmarks, which has led to the earmarking of the route as national tourist route.
Path (from south to north).
From Langvatnet in the south the road passes the lake of Djupvatnet. From here, the mountain of Dalsnibba can be approached via a minor road. The road descends through a series of hairpin turns northwards towards the village of Geiranger, offering views of the Geirangerfjord in the process. From Geiranger, the road ascends the mountainside through another series of hairpin turns; this section of road is known as the Ørnevegen ("Eagle Road") and reaches a height of above sea level.
At Eidsdal, a ferry is required in order to cross the Norddalsfjorden. The ferry connects Eidsdal with Linge, from where the road passes through a number of small settlements, including Sylte, before running through the valleys of Valldalen and Meiadalen.
The northernmost section of the road includes the Trollstigen ("The Troll Footpath"), a further series of hairpin turns which descend a particularly steep mountain. From the Trollstigen the road runs in an approximate north-west direction before terminating at the junction with the E136 highway near Åndalsnes.


Plyos, Ivanovo Oblast

Plyos () is a town in Privolzhsky District of Ivanovo Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Volga River, northeast of Ivanovo, the administrative center of the oblast. Population:
History.
It was founded in 12th century. Some years later the was founded. It was destroyed in 1238 by Mongols.
A border post of the Grand Duchy of Moscow was founded in 1410 by Vasily I. It was granted town status in 1925.
Administrative and municipal status.
Within the framework of administrative divisions, Plyos is subordinated to Privolzhsky District. Prior to the adoption of the Law #145-OZ "On the Administrative-Territorial Division of Ivanovo Oblast" in December 2010, it used to be incorporated separately as an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts.
As a municipal division, the town of Plyos, together with twenty-three rural localities in Privolzhsky District, is incorporated within Privolzhsky Municipal District as Plyosskoye Urban Settlement.


Cabrillo Freeway


Curry Lookout

The Curry Lookout, also known as Camp Regalvista, is an historic backcountry shelter in Denali State Park, Alaska. It is located on top of Curry Ridge, overlooking the Susitna River and the hamlet of Curry, a former depot on the Alaska Railroad. The only access to the shelter is via a hiking trail beginning at mile 137.2 of the Parks Highway. The shelter is a hexagonal wood frame structure with a tent-shaped roof, and no foundation. Each side is about wide and high. A flagpole rises from the center of the shelter, and is secured to the structure via steel cables. The shelter was built by the railroad in 1923, the same year the Curry Hotel (no longer standing) was built. It was intended as an excursion point for visitors, providing views of the surrounding area, including Denali.
The shelter was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.


Bantayan Island

Bantayan Island is an island located in the Visayan Sea, Philippines. It is situated to the west of the northern end of Cebu island, across the Tañon Strait. According to the , it has a population of .
The island is administratively divided into three municipalities:
The island area is . The island is mostly covered with coconut palms; the elevation is mostly below , with only one taller hill, at , in barangay Atop-atop.
Geography.
Island group.
Bantayan is the main and largest island of the Bantayan island group that lies close to the geographical centre of the Philippine archipelago.
The island group includes numerous smaller islands (some uninhabited or uninhabitable), mostly around the southwest corner of the island. About 20 of these islets stretch for about southwest from Bantayan municipality port area, with some nearer ones being accessible on foot from the main island at low tide. The islands are beside the busy shipping lanes for ships and ferries coming from Mindanao or Cebu City on their way to Manila. The islands are all small and green and low, virtually indistinguishable one from another.
Some of the more notable are:
NB In addition, Guintacan Island ("or" Kinatarkan, Batbatan) to the northeast is part of Santa Fe municipality although it is not part of the Bantayan islands group archipelago.
Language.
The Bantayanon language is mostly a mixture of different neighbouring Visayan languages: The principally native Cebuano (from Cebu and Eastern Negros) and Hiligaynon (from Western Negros and Iloilo), Boholano (from Bohol), Masbateño (from Masbate) and Waray-Waray (from Leyte and Samar). However it has its own words such as ""kakyop" (yesterday), "sara" (today) and "buwas"" (tomorrow).
Climate.
The climate is typically equatorial – temperature range over the year is less than three degrees Celsius ( deg F), and annual rainfall exceeds . January to April inclusive are less wet than the other months. This supports at least two rice crops per year. The climate in Bantayan falls within Coronas climate type IV, characterised by not very pronounced maximum rainfall with a short dry season from one to three months and a wet season of nine to ten months. The dry season starts in February and lasts through April sometimes extending to midMay.
Bantayan has a tropical climate. Most months of the year are marked by significant rainfall. The short dry season has little impact. This location is classified as Am (Tropical monsoon climate) by Köppen–Geiger climate classification system.
Geology.
Like most of Cebu province, the lithology of the island consists of two unit types:
As a consequence of the geology, water supplies are hard.
National protected areas.
Bantayan and its surrounding islands have been included in several pieces of legislation giving protected status.
Wilderness area.
In 1981 President Marcos signed proclamation no. 2151 giving certain parts of the country protected status. This included Bantayan Island with the status of a "Wilderness Area", although its physical extent was undefined, albeit the proclamation described all the areas named as "containing an aggregate area of 4,326 hectares, more or less". Eleven years later the Philippine Congress passed Republic Act 7586 – the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act of 1992, managed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) – which reaffirmed the protected status. However it too did not specify the extent of Bantayan Island Wilderness Area (BIWA), which is therefore taken to include the whole island group, more than 11,000 hectares.
After 2013's Typhoon Yolanda, there has naturally been a need and desire for reconstruction, however one major problem is that because of the designation, there is little land titling, and international relief organisations (and others) are reluctant to fund construction on land where title does not exist. the start of initiatives to define the area, and to devise a general plan for its management (BIWA-GMP). That plan recommends retaining only as strictly protected wildlife reserves, or % of the original BIWA, and allowing multi-use zoning of . From that has arisen a more concrete proposal regarding reclassification. the plan is to be recommended to Congress.
Tourist zone and marine reserve.
Presidential proclamation no. 1801 of 1978 established Tourist zones and marine reserves, and placed the island of Hilutungan within its scope.
Protected seascape.
The Tañon Strait protected seascape was established by President Ramos under proclamation no. 1234 of 1998. This includes more than of the eastern shoreline of Bantayan island. , 17 years after its declaration, the first summit on the Tañon Strait protected seascape is to be held.
Agriculture.
The dominant uncultivated vegetation is ipil-ipil ("Leucaena leucocephala"). Cultivated crops include coconut, cassava, banana, sugarcane, corn and mango.
The principal cash crops are:
Fauna.
The common wolf snake can occasionally be found on the island.
Avifauna.
The following list shows birds whose presence has been verified.
The sea.
The coast of Bantayan and its islands mostly alternates between mangal and palm trees. Because of the shallow slope on the shelf, the intertidal area can be quite extended, leading to rocky and muddy shallows at low tide. This means that places with a sandy shore – a beach – are infrequent. Good beaches can be found in the southeast around Santa Fe, and in the northwest at Patao and Madridejos. Even these though are not cleaned, and depending on the currents there can be considerable amounts of flotsam and jetsam on the beach and in the sea.
Coral.
Of the approximately 500 varieties of coral known worldwide, about 400 are found in the Philippines. However their future is seriously threatened – mainly due to destructive fishing techniques, such as blast fishing and cyanide fishing, which indiscriminately destroy much of the ecosystem, including the coral reefs. In addition, global warming and ocean acidification also contribute significantly to worldwide loss. Globally coral sees 50%–70% threatened or lost; southeast Asian coral reefs are in even worse condition, and it is estimated in the Philippines the figure under threat is greater than 90%, with less than 1% in good condition. Until now proper compliance of international laws has been poor, although it is starting to be taken seriously. Meanwhile, other efforts are under way in Bantayan to accelerate the regrowth, using coral farms.
Starfish.
There are many starfish to be seen in the intertidal area. Their detrivorous diet helps keep the water clean. Further out though, the crown-of-thorns starfish is a considerable threat to the coral reef, because of its voracious hunger for the coral.
Mangal.
Mangroves are salt-tolerant, woody, seed-bearing plants that are found in tropical and subtropical areas where they are subject to periodic tidal inundation. The Philippines has over 40 species of mangroves and is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world as there are only about 70 species of mangroves worldwide. The mangrove ecosystem is a very diverse one and is home to many birds, fish, mammals, crustaceans and other animals.
Mangroves provide an important nursery for fish, shellfish and other organisms. It is estimated that each hectare of mangrove can provide food for 1,000 kg of marine organisms (). With this abundance of food for fish present in the mangroves, each hectare of mangal yields 283.5 metric tons of fish per year (). Mangroves also provide other important functions such as preventing soil erosion and protecting shoreline from typhoons and strong waves. Mangroves provide many other products and services such as medicines, alcohol, housing materials and are an area for research and tourism.
However even with all of these known benefits the state of mangroves within the Philippines is very dim. In the early 1900s there were approximately of mangroves but today there are only about . Many of the mangrove areas were destroyed to make way for fishponds and reclamation areas. They were used indiscriminately for housing – both building materials and reclamation – and were disturbed by siltation and pollution.
Now that the true benefit of these ecosystems is known there is protection and rehabilitation of these important ecosystems. It is now illegal to cut down mangroves for any purpose and local governments and community organizations have taken active roles in planting and managing mangrove plantations. There is hope that in the future mangroves will return to the healthy status that they once held.
History.
Early origins.
There are almost no physical records nor evidence to indicate when the first people came to Bantayan, nor their places of origin. Some believe they can be traced back to Panay, others believe that the bulk of them were of Cebuano origin, and still others say they came from Leyte and Bohol.
Connections between Bantayan and other places can be deduced from the mixed dialects spoken by the people, and their ancient culture such as clothweaving, dance, and architecture. In addition certain old-established Hispanic family names are associated with certain locations:
There is little documentary evidence of life and culture before the arrival of the Spanish "conquistadores". What we know of them is gathered from handed-down accounts and folklore.
The early people were said to be timid. They did not travel and knew little of places away from their homes. They wore little clothing because the climate did not need it. The abundance of fish, wild game, wild fruits and tuber, such as "ba-ay", "hagmang", "bailacog", and "kiot", made the people do little more than make clearings on which to plant corn, camote (sweet potato) and other vegetables. Large and small trees grew and spread, shading the ground all year round with their heavy foliage. Vines and creepers climbed the trees hanging from bough to bough; cultivation of open land was difficult.
The Spanish period.
Early years.
During the period 1565–1898 the Philippines was a Spanish colony, part of the Spanish East Indies.
The parish church was established in 1580 – as an "encomienda" of the heir of Don Pedro de Gamboa.
Writing in 1582, Miguel de Loarca stated:
He also wrote:
Writing in 1588, Domingo de Salazar reported: "The island of Bantayan is small and densely populated. It has more than eight hundred tributarios, most of them Christians. The Augustinians who had them in charge have abandoned them also, and they are now without instruction. This island is twenty leagues from Zubu."
Some time in 1591, Bantayan's population totalled 683 tributes representing 6732 persons.
Writing in 1630, Fray Juan de Medina noted:
He goes on to say: "This island has a village called , which it is said was the source of all the Bisayan Indians who have peopled these shores, and whose language resembles that of Hilingigay."
Derivation of name.
During the time of 22nd Governor-General Sebastián Hurtado de Corcuera, the Visayans were continually harassed by Moro pirates who came on raids to capture slaves. Consequently, tall stone walls and watchtowers were built in different parts of the archipelago, for refuge and protection from Moro aggression.
Popular folklore says that these watchtowers were known locally as "Bantayan sa Hari", meaning "Watchtowers of the King", and they served as lookout towers for incoming vintas (Moro pirate vessels). In the course of their vigil, it became common to say, "Bantayan! Bantayan!", meaning, "Keep watch! Keep watch!", and that was how this island-group got its name.
However Madridejos history scholar Eng'r. Brient Mangubat who have studied Bantayan Island History and the Lawis Old Fort foundation in Madridejos claimed that the origin of the Island's name Bantayan have nothing to do with the Muslim raiders
according to him the Island got its name (Bantayan) way back in year 1574, when the Island's northern side (LAWIS), was used as a" Lookout post" after Da-an Bantayan to monitor the Visyan Sea against Chinese, as Manila the country's capital city was under attack by the forces led by Limahong.
and the Island's name (Bantayan) was already used 25 years earlier,
before the (first) Muslim raid took place on Bantayan Island in year 1600.
In all there were 18 watchtowers built on the Bantayan islands. Most have not survived, although relics can be seen to this day.
That at Madridejos is in fair condition, that at Santa Fe less so. There is a particularly fine example on Doong island.
In his "Statement of the Annual Incomes and Sources of Profit of His Majesty in These Philipinas Islands" for the year 1608, Pedro de Caldierva de Mariaca declares the "tributes" (tax) from Bantayan and Bohol combined amount to 2400 "gold pesos".
Industry.
Don José Basco y Vargas was Governor-General of the Philippines from July 1778 until September 1787. During his period in office, he pioneered many projects for the encouragement of agriculture and industries. However many small industries in the islands were completely abandoned because the people were forced to work on building roads, public buildings and churches. Those enforcing were called politas.
The abundance of fish, favourable climate and virgin soil then greatly determined the occupation of the people. These geographical factors became strong stimuli for the people to be fishermen, farmers and sailors. Much later, the small clearings were expanded to fields.
The old Spanish roads connecting Santa Fe, Bantayan, and Madridejos were constructed chiefly through the services of labour and partly supported by the tribute funds.
Religion.
When the Spaniards came to Bantayan, the people already had some form of religious convictions and worship, such as animism, shamanism, evocation and magic. They easily conceived the idea of evil spirits, good spirits, witches and ghosts. In order to please these imaginary creatures people often resorted to charms, vows, sacrifices and self-harm. It was a common belief among the illiterate people of the past that cholera and other fatal diseases were caused by poison which an evil spirit had put into the wells and that the people could be saved from the dreaded disease only by chanting prayer and holding processions.
The cooperation between the church and the state did not last very long. Quarrels between the church and the state ensued. There was struggle for political power, from the Governor-General down to the alcalde mayors on one hand and from the archbishop to the friars on the other. Because of this, projects for improvements were all paralysed.
The American period.
On 4 January 1899, following the defeat of Spain in the Spanish–American War, a new government was born to the Philippines. With instructions from President McKinley, General Otis, who commanded the US Army in the Philippines, declared that the American sovereignty must be recognized without condition. This was the beginning of the American period.
This island-group did not taken any active part in the revolution against Spain or America. However, after the Filipino–American War, a reactionary group was organized, headed by Patorete of Santa Fe, then still a barrio of Bantayan. Their announced purpose was to resist the invaders, but the armed goons carried a campaign of terror burning the northern part of Santa Fe, plundering and forcing "" and to join them. This resulted in great fear and tension among the inhabitants.
The condition of the barrios, after the overthrow and immediately preceding the arrival of the Americans, in general, was very far from satisfactory. Sanitation was entirely a stranger; barrio life was dreadful. There were few signs of improvement among the people since their primitive ancestors.
The subdivision of the province of Cebu was developed utilizing the method introduced by Spain. A new provincial law had been enacted in 1895 and necessary appointments were then made. At that time, Bantayan was already organized as pueblo. Santa Fe was organized as such in 1911 and Madridejos in 1917. These "pueblos" were given a new corporate form under the Municipal Council chosen by a limited native electorate. For the local head of the administration, the title Presidente took the place of the former "Gobernadorcillo" or "Capitan"
Committed to the task of administering the newly organized municipal governments were the first "presidentes" of the three towns comprising the island-group namely: for Bantayan, for Madridejos and Casimiro Batiancila for Santa Fe. Political parties were formally organized since the early days of the American regime. Partido Liberal came towards the end of 1900. Pascual Poblete founded the Partido Independista in 1902.
During the administration of Governor-General Luke E. Wright (1904–1906), the public road policy was inaugurated. Little by little the stage trails were changed to roads of more durable construction. Late in 1913 the construction of Santa Fe—Bantayan road began and in 1918 the Bantayan—Madridejos road followed; both were completed in 1924.
Then and now, fishing and farming were important industries of the people, but from the year 1903 to 1925, weaving of piña cloth and the gathering of "maguey" fibre were very lucrative pursuits of the people. Over the years demand for these products weakened and died out. At about the same, hand embroidery termed as "spare time industry" came in. A good number of women adopted it and were actively engaged in it for some years. The local output was quite significant. In 1923, because of weak and unsettled market conditions, particularly in Manila, the business gradually disappeared.
Independent Philippines.
Gregorio Zaide described the Philippine national characteristic as "pliant, like bamboo, bending in the wind without breaking". This might explain the war-time actions of the then mayor Isidro Escario, who had himself rowed out to meet a fleet of Japanese warships where he treated with them: Bantayan was not invaded and the war basically passed it by.
Economy.
Commerce.
Bantayan islands are considered Cebu's fishing ground from where boatloads of fish – "guinamos" (salted fish) and "buwad" (dried fish) – are transported daily to Cebu and Negros for consumption and further distribution to as far as Mindanao and Manila. Equally important is the thriving poultry industry with hundreds of thousands of chicken eggs produced daily.
Years ago, poultry raising was mainly a backyard affair. Today it has grown into a large scale and highly specialized industry. Big poultry farms are located near the national and feeder roads. In excess of one million chickens are kept in yards and specially constructed barns with more than half a million eggs gathered every day. These eggs are exported to Cebu, Manila, and Mindanao and other towns and cities in the Visayas. This industry, along with copra making, tubâ gathering and fishing, has helped Bantayan solve its unemployment problem.
Transport.
The island can be reached via ferry services from Hagnaya (San Remigio) to Santa Fe, and from Estancia, Iloilo and Sagay to Bantayan municipal port. Bantayan Airport handles infrequent flights from chartered planes usually arriving from Mactan–Cebu International Airport.
Goods are shipped through Bantayan municipal port. There is also a small dock in Baigad capable of handling small pumpboats. However it is in a very poor state of repair, and hasn't handled any vessel since 2007.
There are three lightstations around the islands:
Society.
Health care.
In view of the relatively high population of the island, and its growing popularity as a tourist spot, a bill has already been presented in Congress for the establishment of a 100bed tertiarylevel hospital. Currently the nearest available tertiary care is in Cebu City, four hours travel by land and sea. Even the level1 facility available in Bogo takes at least 1½ hours travel.
Education.
The first school in Bantayan, called the "Gabaldon School", opened in 1915.
Public high schools on Bantayan are located in the municipalities of Bantayan, Santa Fe and Madridejos as well as on Doong island. There are also private high schools and tertiary colleges such as Bantayan Southern Institute and Salazar College. St Paul Academy (SPA) is a private high school in Bantayan municipality.
Sport.
As is common through the Philippines, 'sport' is synonymous with cockfighting. It is an unusual sport in that the winner dies as well as the loser. Large sums are bet on the outcome of a fight, which usually lasts little more than one minute.
The birds themselves can look magnificent for their few brief moments of stardom, with purple-black plumage and a gold ruff.
There are several sports centres (cockpits) on the island. Smaller puroks just have an open-air arena.


Prestaksla Nature Reserve

The Prestaksla Nature Reserve () is located on the Prestneset headland in the municipality of Molde in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway.
The area received protection in 2010 in order to protect an important forest area. The area has broadleaf deciduous forest mixed with pine forest. The broadleaf deciduous forest primarily contains hazel and some elm. On the wooded mountainside below Prestaksla there is a partially old-growth pine forest.
The reserve is located close to Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson's childhood home at the Nesset Parsonage.


Racconigi

Racconigi () is a town and "comune" in Piedmont, Italy. It is located in the province of Cuneo, south of Turin, and north of Cuneo by rail.
History.
The town was founded in medieval times. It was a possession of the marquisses of Saluzzo, of the princes of Acaia and of the Savoy-Carignano.
On 24 October 1909 King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy and Nicholas II of Russian Empire concluded a secret agreement at Racconigi, known as the "Racconigi Bargain".
Geography.
Racconigi is located in the northern borders of its province with the Metropolitan City of Turin. The town borders with the municipalities of Caramagna Piemonte, Carmagnola (TO), Casalgrasso, Cavallerleone, Cavallermaggiore, Lombriasco (TO), Murello, Polonghera and Sommariva del Bosco. Its municipal hamlets ("frazioni") are Berroni, Canapile, Migliabruna Nuova, Migliabruna Vecchia, Oia, Parruccia, San Lorenzo, Streppe, Tagliata.
Economy.
The economy is mostly based on agriculture, production of milk and meat, and industrial working of metal sheets.


Great Falls Park

Great Falls Park is a small National Park Service (NPS) site in Virginia, United States. Situated on along the banks of the Potomac River in northern Fairfax County, the park is a disconnected but integral part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. The Great Falls of the Potomac River are near the northern boundary of the park, as are the remains of the Patowmack Canal, the first canal in the United States that used locks to raise and lower boats.
History.
Native American petroglyphs have been discovered within the park on cliffs overlooking Difficult Run.
The Patowmack Canal, which George Washington partially funded, was a one-mile (1.6 km) bypass canal that began operating in 1785 to give small barges the opportunity to skirt around the falls and to distribute manufactured goods upstream and raw materials downstream. The park visitor center has the bottom portions of two wooden canal lock gates excavated in the 1980s from the canal. The gates survived from at least the 1830s and were found during restoration projects on stonework which were erected for the canal locks. Stonemason marks found on the stones are unique to each artisan and are identical to some found in foundation stones of the White House and the U.S. Capitol.
During the construction of the canal, blasting powder, which at the time was essentially gunpowder, was used to blast through solid rocks. This is one of the first known examples of blasting powder being used for engineering purposes anywhere in the world. The canal was never a profitable enterprise. With the completion of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal on the opposite side of the river, and the oncoming age of railroads, the project was abandoned in 1830. The canal is a Civil Engineering Landmark as well as a Virginia Historic Landmark. Along the trails, the ruins of the small town of Matildaville, Virginia can also be found.
Between 1906 and 1932, the Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad and its successor, the Washington and Old Dominion Railway, operated an amusement park (trolley park) at the falls. Located at the end of an electric trolley line that began in Georgetown, Washington, D.C., the park contained picnic grounds, a dance pavilion, and a carousel. In the evenings, a searchlight illuminated the falls. The park continues to provide picnic grounds and a visitor center but the carousel that operated between 1954 and 1972 was destroyed by a flood caused by Hurricane Agnes.
The George Washington Memorial Parkway was developed to ensure the easy linkage of George Washington's most visited places. Great Falls Park was a part of the Northern Virginia Parks system and was transferred to the NPS in 1966. A proposed bridge to span the falls was also considered but, due to a strong lobby to eliminate additional bridges over the Potomac and concerns over environmental impacts, the project was never undertaken.
Access and amenities.
Direct access to the park is usually by way of Georgetown Pike (Virginia Route 193) and Old Dominion Drive. Major highways in the vicinity of the park which provide regional connections include the Capital Beltway (Interstate 495), the Dulles Toll Road (Virginia Route 267) and Leesburg Pike (Virginia Route 7). There is a $20 entrance fee per car for visitors who drive into the park. The park is open only during daylight hours.
The park has several viewing platforms that provide visitors with vantage points overlooking the falls. The NPS operates a visitor center near the falls.
Fifteen miles (24 km) of hiking trails traverse the park and follow a small stream known as Difficult Run. A scenic trail near the river travels upstream from a landing at the mouth of Difficult Run, climbs to the top of Mather Gorge and passes the falls, a dam, and a reservoir before ending in Fairfax County's Riverbend Park.
Rock climbers frequent the cliffs in Mather Gorge above the Potomac.
The park contains a large picnic area and sufficient parking for 600 vehicles. On busy weekends all the parking may fill up by early in the morning, creating delays and temporary closures lasting up to several hours. The NPS does not permit camping in the park.
The falls total 76 feet (20 m) over a series of major cascades. The Great Falls are rated Class 5-6 Whitewater according to the International Scale of River Difficulty. The first kayaker to run them was Tom McEwan in 1975, but only since the early 1990s have the Falls been a popular destination for expert whitewater boaters in the DC area. Below the falls, through Mather Gorge, the river is rated class 2-3 and has been a very popular kayaking run since the 1960s.
Entry into the water above the falls from the Virginia side is illegal. An average of seven drownings per year occur in the Potomac River in the park vicinity, most of them alcohol-related even though consumption of alcoholic beverages is illegal within the park.


Abita Mystery House

The Abita Mystery House is a roadside attraction located in the heart of Abita Springs, Louisiana, United States. Maintained by artist/inventor John Preble, whose inspiration came from the Tinkertown Museum in New Mexico, it offers thousands of folk art objects ranging from miniatures, to pottery, to Louisiana-themed sculptures like Darrel the Dogigator (half alligator, half dog) and Edmond the Allisapien (half alligator, half homo sapiens). Originally called the UCM Museum till its official name change in 2007, the house entrance is a vintage gas station, with filling pumps and bright decor, which leads to open air sections, the main exhibition hall, a ninety-year-old Creole cottage, and the House of Shards, among other attractions. The Mystery House is unique in that it bears a particularly odd aesthetic, drawing alternative crowds with an eye for the strange. John Bullard, director of the New Orleans Museum of Art, has even gone as far as saying that the Abita Mystery House is the "most intriguing and provocative museum in Louisiana."
In the press.
The Abita Mystery House has been featured in books and on television. The popular History Channel show "American Pickers" paid Preble and his creations a visit for their August 12, 2013 episode titled "Louisiana Purchase."


Alistrati

Alistrati (Greek: Αλιστράτη) is a small town in Serres, situated at the borders of the regional unit of Drama and regional unit of Serres, in the Macedonia region of Greece. It has approximately 3,000 inhabitants, a town hall and a visitable cave. It is 20 km away from Drama and 45 km away from Serres. It is a listed traditional settlement and archaeologists had found something there. Since 2010 lAlistrati is part of the municipality New Zichni, of which it is a municipal unit. Alistrati town has a population of 2,127 (2011) while the municipal unit has an area of 129.878 km2 and a population of 3,088 (2011). Alistrati was built like an amphitheatrical inside a fascinating mountain groups on hills of the mountain range Menikio on an altitude of 325m. In Alistrati there exists rising and sloping streets. Sea-winds blowing from Thassos and Staymonikon Bay influence Alistrati day by day. Alistrati, a traditional community one of the biggest of the area Zichni-Fillida. It's been up-graded to municipality of Alistrati with the "Kapodistrias" law and included the villages :Agioxori, Skopia, Mandili, Lefkothea and R.S of Aggista.
Location and population.
Alistrati is a former municipality in the Serres regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Nea Zichni, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of 129.878 km2. Population: town 2,127; municipal unit 3,088 (2011). Alistrati is situated at the borders of the regional unit of Drama and regional unit of Serres. It's 20 km away from Drama and 45 km away from Serres. Alistrati was built on hills of the mountain range Menikio on an altitude of 325 m. It's been up-graded to municipality of Alistrati with the "Kapodistrias" law and included the villages: Agioxori, Skopia, Mandili, Lefkothea and R.S of Aggista.Since 2010, Alistrati is part of Nea Zichni municipality.
In the area of the town a plundered ancient Macedonian tomb has been found, which is undamaged even today, and also the traces of an ancient settlement. Alistrati is mentioned in 1460 in a manuscript of the holy Convent of Ikosifissa Pageo as a small town. A traveler from Turkey mentions it with the name Al-Strati in about 1650. There are many views about the etymology of the word "Alistrati". It is said that it comes from the Archistratigos (Michael - Gabriel).
Other people believe that the first name was "Alistrate" which means among streets. Some people give her the meaning of the street towards the sea, through Fillipi. According to the tradition, the name of the town, Alistrati, comes from "Agios Eustratios", the name of a saint, because it is believed that Alistrati was built on the ruins of a church devoted to Agios Eustratios. Alistrati was built by the people of the ancient town Alektrioupolis, situated 2 km southwest from Alistrati, where the Monastery of Agia Kyriaki is now located. That town lived until the mids of the 19th century as a small settling near the big number of roosters, which crew and made their presence audible in the area around. When the town was struck by an epidemic at the beginning of the Turkish occupation, most of the inhabitants moved to the today's Alistrati place.
At the beginning Alistrati was a small village, but it soon changed into a small town because of its geographical position and the merchandise, as well. It enjoyed great prosperity during the Turkish domination as it was a tobacco's industry centre and the religious and cultural centre of East Macedonia. After the revolution of 1821 against Turkish occupation, it was a transport and trade station between the area Serres-Drama-Kavala and a business and trade activity had developed. It had also developed into an intellectual and religious center especially after it had been the seat of the See of Fillipi-Drama and Zichni (one can see the graves of three prelates in the yard of the Ag. Athanasios church) and after the establishing of the famous for that time Greek Central School of Alistrati where pupils from all the area of eastern Macedonia came to study.
Today Alistrati attracts tourists not only because of the tourist cave but because of all the natural environment around it as well. The small neighborhoods with the narrow streets and the typical up-hill alleys, the hospitable inhabitants, the nice old Square, the belfry and the elaborate old reredos of the church of Agios Athanasios are tokens of the inhabitant's taste. There are also a lot of houses built in neoclassical or Macedonian architecture and picturesque narrow streets. So as the visitor strolls around the village he can travel back into time. Visitors can enjoy their stay here in some nice places, such as Hotel Boziki or the hotel run by the Women Cooperative etc. All these places meet the visitors’ update needs. There are also many cafes, and tavernas with delicious, traditional dishes. And all these things combined with the excellent climate (there is very low humidity) help the visitors have a great time and escape from their everyday life routine.
Alistrati's Caves and Aggitis Ravine.
According to the Greek Mythology, the Sphinx was appearing near the ravine of Aggitis river in the area of "Petroto". It's also been said that Pluto, master of Hades, when he had kidnapped Persephone, daughter of goddess Demeter led her to the ravine where it's believed that there were the Gates of the Underworld. The specific area which is mentioned in these Greek Myths is the same one near the Alistrati's Caves.
The Alistrati cave lies about 6 km southeast of Alistrati's town at a place called "Petroto". The expanse of the area is almost 14.000m2. The antechamber of the cave is 8 m height. It's from this point that start different high galleries folly decorated with stalactites and stalagmites. The main branches of the cave are developed to the left and to the right of the entrance starting from a huge chamber, the Teception Chamber of a width of 60 m, a length of 100 m and height of 20-30m. It's in this chamber that nature decided to demonstrate its power in creating ornaments. What fascinates the most is the huge stalactites and those pure white forming draperies. There are other chambers and their height is quite the same 8-10m. From the reception chamber and towards the left, emerges a second passage, quite parallel to the first. In this gallery there are even some red stalagmites which are called "The flames". The height of these formations reaches 35 m. Somewhere in this passages the two main passages join each other and continue with an always increasing width and height while from the ceiling one can see suspended huge and majestic stalactites of a height of 15 m.
Inside the cave there are countless floors which are still unknown. Very impressive is the big variety of stalactites and stalagmites inside the cave mostly because of the difference of their shapes and their age. The older stalactites are mainly in the galleries which are on the right side of the entrance. On the other hand, the "infant" stalactites on the left side of entrance.
The "egg- shaped " and the " Tumour - shaped " are different kinds of formatious. They are dark - coloured and usually found shaped. The " Cauliflower- like" formation is another type of cave deposites. We can find them usually on the main body of a stalactite or a stalaguite.And finally the " Heccendrites" in a variety of shapes.
The cave is placed 50 km away from Serres, 25 km from Drama and 55 km from Kavala. It is considered to be the most decorated cave in Greece where nature revealed its power in creating ornaments and rock formations.
At a distance of 250 m from the southern part of the entrance of the cave the railway line from Serres to Drama passes. Near the railway line and on the southern side of it is the Aggitis river. As a result of the waterflow of the river the limestone layers of the mountain has been corroded and the ravine of Aggitis river has been shaped.
The visitor in Alistrati apart from the cave can enjoy the river Aggitis which flows through the villages of Symvoli, Lefkothea and R.S. Aggista, forming idyllic river by zones with rich plantation. Many connoisseur fishermen combine their hobbies with walks and pic-nic in the countryside. The area is suitable for rafting and Kanoye. It is a few meters further down the railways which pass beside the cave. The locals call it "Vraous".
Sports.
Alistrati has one football team, Makedonikos Alistratis, which plays in the A2 Local Championship. The team plays on Munipacity Stadium of Alistrati, which can seat 200 people since 2005, when the stadium upgraded.
Education.
Alistrati has two schools, the Elementary School of Alistrati and the High School, which is in the same place with the Junior High School. Except that, Alistrati has 3 English Schools.
Entertainment.
Alistrati, as a big village has some places for entertainment. In total Alistrati has 3 clubs that they work almost every day and 4 Internet-Cafe's.


Curi Cancha Wildlife Refuge

Curi Cancha Wildlife Refuge is a private wildlife refuge in the central part of Costa Rica, and protects cloud forest in the Cordillera de Tilarán near Juntas.
The refuge entrance is about a kilometer before the famous Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.
The lower portion is drier, with few epiphytes, but the upper portion is cloud forest.
While the forest is not quite so pristine as Monteverde, the most spectacular birds are much easier to see.
The refuge is particularly good for the resplendent quetzal, the most sought-after bird of the cloud forest. The refuge is also a good place to find keel-billed toucan, Lesson's motmot, orange-bellied trogon, and three-toed sloth, as well as monkeys.


Vandalian Tower

The Vandalian Tower at Harting, West Sussex, England, is an 18th-century folly, built to commemorate the British colony of Vandalia, a short-lived colony that disappeared with the spread of America. It sits on the summit of Tower Hill.
Today the ruin is owned by the descendants of the Fetherstonhaugh family who bought the neighbouring estate of Uppark, now owned by the National Trust. It was listed as a scheduled monument in 1976.
History.
The tower was built in 1774, designed by English architect Henry Keene for Sir Matthew Fetherstonhaugh, to celebrate the founding of the colony of Vandalia. The tower was quickly abandoned, possibly out of embarrassment of the failure of Vandalia.
In the late 18th century, Emma Hamilton is said to have frequently watched, from the tower, for Lord Nelson's ship arriving. This led to it being referred to by locals as “Lady Hamilton’s Folly,” The tower was partly destroyed by fire in 1842 and the ruins were stabilised in 1982.


Radal Siete Tazas National Park

Radal Siete Tazas National Park () is a national park located in Curicó Province, Maule Region, Chile. It lies in a pre-Andean area close to Descabezado Grande volcano.
History.
This protected area was reclassified as a national park in 2008.
After the February 27, 2010 earthquake one of the park's main attraction, the Seven Cups, completely dried up. It is believed a rock fissure allowed the water to empty into an aquifer.
Geography.
The park's most popular feature is the area known as "Siete Tazas" (Seven Cups), which consists of seven consecutive natural pools with their respective waterfalls along Claro River. These waterfalls range from 1 to 10.5 metres. There are also two high waterfalls called "El Velo de Novia" (The Bridal Veil) and "La Leona" (The Lioness), with single vertical drops of 40 and 20 metres respectively. Many kayakers paddle the smaller falls ranging from 1 to 10.5 metres (3–32 feet). Once kayakers enter the steep canyon the only way out is down. Many tourists congregate on platforms surrounding the canyon to watch the kayakers as they navigate the waterfalls. At the end of the run kayakers must make a quick move to shore in order to avoid the 40 meter waterfall. This is the end of the canyon where kayakers then hike out.
The park's elevations range from to .
Biology.
The park protects tree species mainly of the genus "Nothofagus", including the threatened "Nothofagus glauca" and "Nothofagus leonii", as well as "Nothofagus macrocarpa", "Nothofagus dombeyi", "Nothofagus antarctica" and "Nothofagus alpina". Also it is possible to find vulnerable and rare species, as are "Austrocedrus chilensis" and "Maytenus chubutensis".
The park is home to an endangered subspecies of "Cyanoliseus patagonus" known locally as "Tricahue".


Sanjiangyuan

The Sanjiangyuan (), is an area of the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai province, China which contains the headwaters of three great rivers of Asia: the Yellow, the Yangtze, and the Mekong. Parts of the area were protected as the Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve (SNNR), also called the Three Rivers Nature Reserve. The reserve consisted of 18 subareas, and each contained three zones which were managed with differing degrees of strictness. In 2015, the Chinese government decided to implement a new national park system, and created Sanjiangyuan National Park (SNP), which is set to open officially in 2020.
Along with wetland and waters protection, other ecological values, such as grassland, forest, and wildlife enhancement, have also been presented as goals. To advance the goals of the SNNR uncontrolled or poorly managed mining, logging, hunting, and grazing have been curtailed. Foreign and other mining firms have replaced the uncontrolled miners, trees have been planted, and measures have been taken to protect endangered species. To protect the grasslands, pastoralists are not permitted to graze their animals in designated ‘core zones’ (see below), and grazing is supervised elsewhere in the SNNR. In addition, residents have been resettled from core zones and other grassland areas of the SNNR, and rangeland has been fenced and is in the process of being privatized throughout the Sanjiangyuan Area.
Sanjiangyuan Area.
The Sanjiangyuan Area covers the southern and eastern parts of Qinghai and has an area of about 363,000 km2, 50.4% of Qinghai. Included in it wholly or partially are 18 counties of the four Tibetan Autonomous Prefectures Yushu, Guoluo, Hainan, and Haungnan, and Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. The Sanjiangyuan Area’s population is about 600,000, 90% of which are Tibetan. 70% of the Sanjiangyuan Area’s population are considered to be ‘impoverished’, with the average income of about 2000 RMB (roughly $300) per person/year. Since animal husbandry is the primary source of income, and many people are nomadic, this figure does not reflect the actual standard of living in a largely non-cash economy. The Sanjiangyuan Area in general has no special legal status, and the term is used to indicate the region in which the three rivers arise, and the SNP exists.
The Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve (SNNR) was a subarea of the Sanjiangyuan Area which covered an area of about 152,300 km2, 21% of Qinghai, 42% of the Sanjiangyuan Area. It was larger than England and Wales combined. About 200,000 people traditionally live within the area that was covered by the SNNR. Resettlement efforts were made to resettle all nomads in Qinghai by 2011, but it is unclear as to the outcome of those efforts. The State Forestry Administration and the Qinghai government legally established the SNNR in May 2000. Its Management Bureau was founded September 2001, and the SNNR obtained State-level (national) status January 2003. The Management Bureau is in Xining, and is under the Qinghai Forest Bureau. Mr. Wang Zhibao, Director of the State Forest Administration, has said the goals of the nature reserve protect the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau ecosystem, with a focus on alpine swamp meadow and the natural habitat of wildlife in the Sanjiangyuan Area.
The SNNR consisted of 18 subareas. These are of three types: wetland conservation (8 subareas), wildlife conservation (3 subareas), and shrubland or forest conservation (7 subareas). Each SNNR subarea had three zones: a core zone; a buffer zone; and a multiple-use experimental zone. Residents from degraded areas are being resettled. The core zone was supposed to be strictly managed with no grazing and measures to protect endangered species. All development and use were prohibited. It was a ‘no man’s zone’, with all its residents resettled elsewhere.The buffer zone promoted conservation but allowed limited and rotational grazing. The multiple-use experimental zones were also be used for scientific investigations, eco-tourism, and other green industries.
The Sanjiangyuan National Park (SNP), as of 2019, consists of an area of 123,100 km2, which is only slightly smaller than England. It encompasses most of the southern half of Qinghai Province.
The predecessors to the zones on the SNNR map may be grazing zones which were part of the tuimu huancao, ‘converting pastures to grasslands’ program, which got its start in 2000. In this program there were three types of zones to address the problem of degraded pastures: zones in which grazing was permanently banned, zones in which grazing was to be banned for typically three to ten years, and zones which were seasonally closed to grazing or allowed seasonal rotational grazing. The implementation of four kinds of zones in Yushu and Guoluo prefectures also seem to provide a precedent, if these are not the SNNR map’s zones themselves described differently. The first two of these zones correspond to what is referred to on the SNNR map as the ‘core zone’, the third to the ‘buffer zone’, and the fourth to the ‘experimental zone’. In the third (i.e. buffer) zone there was to be a reduction in grazing or a ban on grazing for five or ten years, and in the fourth (i.e. experimental) zone there was to be rotational grazing to capacity.
Since the government also has a poverty reduction and a major project (e.g. dams) resettlement program, and plans to resettle all nomads by 2011, residents from the buffer and the experimental zones may be resettled under these programs rather than the ecological resettlement program.
The absolute and relative sizes, and the populations before resettlement, of the zones are:
The boundaries and characters of the zones are likely open to negotiation. For example, the Canadian mining company Inter-Citic’s Dachang gold prospect is in either a buffer or experimental zone (or both).
In addition, only the 3 functional subareas of the SNNR, those with protection stations, have definite boundaries. The other 15 subareas are more a plan for their final delineation. The three functional subareas are A'nimaqin, Suojia-Qumahe (2 stations, one in each Qumahe and Suojia), and Tongtian He.
Townships affected.
The SNNR is entirely in Qinghai. The following table lists the 71 townships which are wholly or partially in the SNNR.
Conservation subareas.
This table lists the names of the 18 conservation subareas and the counties they wholly or partially occupy.
Birds.
Tibetan snowcock, Tibetan partridge, mute swan, greylag goose, bar-headed goose, ruddy shelduck, mallard, Eastern spot-billed duck, common teal, common pochard, common merganser, hoopoe, Pacific swift, little owl, hill pigeon, red collared dove, black-necked crane, Tibetan sandgrouse, Chinese monal, common redshank, green sandpiper, common sandpiper, ibisbill, little ringed plover, lesser sand plover, Pallas's gull, brown-headed gull, common tern, black kite, bearded vulture, Himalayan vulture, cinereous vulture, common buzzard, upland buzzard, steppe eagle, golden eagle, greater spotted eagle, eastern imperial eagle, Pallas fish eagle, common kestrel, merlin, saker falcon, peregrine falcon, great crested grebe, little egret, grey heron, black stork, ground tit, red-billed chough, common raven, Sichuan jay, white-throated dipper, black redstart, Hodgson's redstart, Daurian redstart, white-winged redstart, white-capped water redstart, common starling, wallcreeper, sand martin, Asian house martin, white-browed tit warbler, Tibetan lark, Oriental skylark, horned lark, house sparrow, Eurasian tree sparrow, white-winged snowfinch, Tibetan snowfinch, white-rumped snowfinch, rufous-necked snowfinch, plain-backed snowfinch, white wagtail, citrine wagtail, Richard's pipit, alpine accentor, robin accentor, brown accentor, twite, Brandt's mountain finch, common rosefinch, streaked rosefinch, great rosefinch, red-fronted rosefinch.
Mammals.
Wolf, red fox, sand fox, brown bear, otter, alpine weasel, steppe polecat, Eurasian badger, Pallas's cat, common leopard, lynx, snow leopard, wild ass, alpine musk deer, wild yak, Tibetan antelope, Tibetan gazelle, white-lipped deer, blue sheep, Tibetan argali, Himalayan marmot, Tibetan hamster, black-lipped pika, large-eared pika, Glover's pika, woolly hare.


Ballykeeffe Wood

Ballykeeffe Wood is a national nature reserve of approximately located in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is managed by the Irish National Parks & Wildlife Service, part of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
Features.
Ballykeeffe Wood or Ballykeefe Wood was legally protected as a national nature reserve by the Irish government in 1980.
The woodland features an abundance of bluebells and brambles amongst pedunculate oak and young ash. The wood is adjacent to the old Ballykeeffe limestone mine, which was refurbished in the 1980s and now features rock climbing and an amphitheatre.


Jageshwar

Jageshwar Temples, also referred to as Jageswar Temples or Jageshwar Valley Temples, are a group of over 100 Hindu temples dated between 7th and 12th century near Almora, in the Himalayan Indian state of Uttarakhand. The valley has a number of temple clusters such as the Dandeshwar and Jageshwar sites. Some locations have attracted construction of new temples through the 20th-century. Together these clusters over the valley consist of over 200 structural temples built from cut stone. Many are small, while a few are substantial. They predominantly illustrate North Indian Nagara style of architecture with a few exceptions that show South and Central Indian style designs, many are dedicated to god Shiva, while others in immediate vicinity are dedicated to god Vishnu, Shakti goddesses and Surya traditions of Hinduism.
Jageshwar is a Hindu pilgrimage town and one of the Dhams (pilgrimage region) in the Shaivism tradition. The site is protected under Indian laws, and managed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). It includes Dandeshwar Temple, Chandi-ka-Temple, Jageshwar Temple, Kuber Temple, Mritunjaya Temple, Nanda Devi or Nau Durga, Nava-grah temple, a Pyramidal shrine, and Surya Temple. The site celebrates the Jageshwar Monsoon Festival during the Hindu calendar month of "Shravan" (overlaps with July–August) and the annual Maha Shivratri Mela (Shivratri festival), which takes place in early spring.
There are other Hindu temples in the Himalayan region that are called Jageshwar Temple such as one in Dalash, Himachal Pradesh.
Location.
Jageshwar is located northeast of Almora, in the Kumaun region. The temples site is on the south of the road, across which is an eponymous village at an altitude of 1,870 m, in the Jataganga river valley near a Deodar forest ("Cedrus deodara"). The temple clusters begin starting from satellite road branching off east from the Artola village on the Almora–Pithoragarh highway, at the confluence ("sangam") of two streams Nandini and Surabhi after they flow down the hills in the narrow valley. The site is about long along the Jataganga rivulet, is a narrow forested valley of oaks, deodara, rhododendrons and pines. Around the valley is human habitation which provide services to the pilgrims and travelers visiting these temples or passing through to other sacred sites in the Uttarkhand region. The resident villages are Mokshadham, Dandeshwar, Jageshwar and Koteshwar.
Jageshwar is about southeast of the historic Baijnath Temple and about northeast from the resort town of Nainital. It is mentioned in Hindu texts dated prior to the 10th-century as a "tirtha" (pilgrimage) site.
The nearest rail head is Kathgodam 125 km. Jageshwar has direct road links with Almora (35 km), Haldwani (131 km.), Pithoragarh (88 km) and Kathgodam. State transport, and private jeeps and taxis ply from these place for Jageshwar regularly.
History.
The origins of the Jageshwar temples site are unclear. Its remote location has limited its studies and scholarly attention. The site shows evidence of different architectural styles and building periods for both temples and stone steles, which range from the 7th to the 12th century, and then in the modern times. Estimates for the same temple or stele varies widely, sometimes 1,400 years. According to the ASI, some belong to the post-Gupta or the second half of 1st millennium while others belong to the 2nd millennium. Some colonial-era guesses attribute them to the Katyuri or Chand hill dynasties but there is no textual or epigraphical evidence to support or refute these proposals. Another prevailing theory is that Adi Shankara built some of these temples, but once again there is no textual or epigraphical evidence to support this claim. Instead, the architectural features and style of some of these Hindu temples is from early 7th century, which is about 50 to 100 years before Adi Shankara lived (c. 788-820 CE).
The lack of systematic studies of Indian temples and ruins in many parts of the remote Himalayan regions limits what can be said about the chronological sequence of monuments in the Jageshwar valley. According to Chanchani, it is likely that the valley had reached a prominent position in Indian architecture by the 10th century, with the earliest monuments from the 7th-century.
The valley has two major clusters of Hindu temples and a number of roadside shrines. Of these some 151 temples have been numbered by ASI as protected pre-12th century monuments. The two largest groups are locally called as the Dandeshwar group temples ("Dandeshwar samuh mandir", 15 temples) and the Jageshwar group temples ("Jageshwar samuh mandir", 124 temples). Of these, temple number 37, 76 and 146 are the largest, all dated to the late centuries of the 1st-millennium . In the historic text, Jageshwar is also referred to as Yageshvara.
Jageshwar was once the centre of Lakulish Shaivism, likely by monks and migrants who left the plains of the Indian subcontinent from places such as Gujarat and settled in the high mountains. The temple site, over time, was positioned as and grew as sacred geography in the form of northern ("Uttara") Kashi (Varanasi).
Description.
The Jageshwar group of temples are similar to some large historic cluster of Hindu temples found on the Indian subcontinent. For example, a similar cluster is seen near Bhubhaneswar, Odisha at the Lingaraja group of temples. Another large group of stone temples is illustrated at the Batesvar complex in Chambal valley of Madhya Pradesh. Almost all the small and large temples in the Jageshwar valley, states Chanchani, have a "simple square plan sanctums bounded by plain walls and tiered superstructures". Some significant monuments in the Jageshwar valley include:
The temples are atypical than other Hindu temples build after the 6th-century. The Jageshwar temples have a design that deliberately does not anticipate their use as house of worship. The sanctum space in most temples is generally too small (~ 3 square feet) that a priest cannot sit inside, leave alone move around to complete a ritual. Further, most of the lingas do not provide for a drain from "abhisheka", a feature that Hindu temples from Gupta and post-Gupta period include. There is no record of their being used for worship, nor traces at the site that would suggest unrecorded use. According to Chanchani, most of these temples may have been memorials to Hindu monks or saints, or part of dedication or grant to the monasteries.
The site is additionally notable for rock steles featuring Hindu theological themes. Included in these are all four major traditions of Hinduism: Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism and Sauraism. Example steles include those of Ksemankari, Narayana, Revanta and Surya. Other significant reliefs include those of dancing Ganesha, seated and smiling Uma-Parvati and Saptamatrikas.
Vinayak Kshetra.
This place is 200 m from Artola village from where temples of Jageshwar starts. From this place Vinayak Kshetra or sacred area begins. This place lies between "Jhanker Saim" temple, Vrudhh Jageshwar and Koteshwar temples.
Sri Vriddha or Bud Jageshwar.
This temple is situated Seven km north to Jageshwar. This temple is situated at the top of the hill and comes after an uphill trek. It is contemporary to Jageshwar group of temples.
This temple is located at higher altitude
Pushti Devi or Pushti Bhagawati Maa.
It is the temple of Goddess Devi. The temple enshrines the full "murti" of Goddesses. This temple is situated in the Jageshwar main premises.
Inscriptions.
Over 25 inscriptions of different periods are inscribed on the walls and pillars of the Jageshwar temples. Most of these belong to the period between the 7th century AD to 10th century AD. The dialect of inscriptions is Sanskrit and Brahmi. These are studied by D.C. Sarkar in "Epigraphica Indica".
Significance.
The Jageshwar temple site attracts a few hundred pilgrims and visitors everyday. It remains a part of the Hindu sacred geography, particularly for the central Himalayan region. Many complete a part of the post-cremation last rites after the death of a loved one at the Jageshwar temple site. The temples are particularly popular in the late monsoon season. In other months, pilgrims typically combine their pilgrimage to Jageshwar Temples with those at Lake Mansarovar or Badrinath and Kedarnath, or other places in the Himalayas such as Gangotri. The site remains popular with Hindu monks and they continue to protect the site's sacrality.
Related nearby monuments.
The Archaeological Museum run by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), houses more than 150 sculptures found in the Jageshwar valley. These date from 9th to 13th century AD. The display includes a statue of Uma-Maheshwar, Surya, Navagraha, panels narrating the legend of Vishapaharanamurti (Shiva drinking poison), Kevalamurti, and four armed Chamunda Devi.


Cascade Caverns

Cascade Caverns is a historically, geologically, and biologically important limestone solutional cave south of Boerne, Texas, United States, on 226 Cascade Caverns Road, in Kendall County. It has been commercially operated as a show cave and open for public tours since 1932. Informal tours were run as far back as 1875, when Dr. Benjamin Hester owned the cave property. The cave was known by the native Lipan Apache people who lived in the area prior to 1800.
History.
Cascade Caverns is part of the Glen Rose Formation, a shallow marine to shoreline geological formation from the Lower Cretaceous period. This formation has been exposed in a large area beginning in South-central Texas, running north through the Texas Hill Country, ending up in North-central Texas.
The cave has been open to the environment for many tens of thousands of years, as evidenced by prehistoric animal finds and Lipan Apache artifacts from the 1700s. In the mid-19th century, various legends existed about a hermit who lived on the ledge at the entrance to the cave. In 1878, August Siemering, one of the co-founders of the "San Antonio Express News", wrote the book "Ein Verfehltes Leben" ("A Stolen Life, or A Wasted Life") about a hermit who lived in the cave. The book was later translated into English in 1932, "The Hermit of the Cavern" by May E. Francis, a University of Texas (t. u.) professor.
A cave in the area was also mentioned in the book "The Boy Captives" by Clinton L. Smith about two local boys who were abducted by Comanche and Lipan Indians on February 26, 1871. They spent several years living with the Indians until they were finally returned to their family. The cave may be Cascade Caverns or any of the other caves in the Cibolo Creek area.
The cave was first commercially opened in 1932 and operated until about 1941. Alfred and Edith Gray were the original land owners when the cave was first opened. The cave was closed during WWII because most of the men were away fighting in Europe and strict gas rationing limited travel. During the time of closure, the cave's artifact collection was looted from the gift shop. Business was resumed in the late 1940s. Cascade Caverns had been originally known as Hester's Cave, named after a late 19th-century landowner. It became most famous as a result of Frank Nicholson's publication of cave explorations.
Frank Nicholson (formerly of Carlsbad Caverns) was the first person in modern times to explore the cave all the way to the Cathedral Room. Several other people helped to explore the main cave along with other caves in the area, including Bernard Cartwright and his brother Dan. Bernard was married to Mary Rose (nee Kronkosky), who said that Edith Gray and she and their children would worry and wait for the cave explorers to come back out into the light of day.
The exploration in 1931 required getting past the Lake Room which was a sump. According to a newspaper article from November 1931 in the" San Antonio Express News", they had some waterproof molasses buckets that they put their lights in. Also, a legend holds that they put flashlights in mason jars.
The cave tour business changed hands many times over the years. In the 1930s, a flag-stop on the San Antonio-Boerne SA&AP train line ran by the cave about 100 yards from the entrance. The current gift shop was originally a dance hall next to a kitchen. The Menger Hotel ran a restaurant near the cave entrance when the cave initially opened as a commercial endeavor in 1932. At one time, a toy train from Joske's department store ran around the grounds. The train still exists and is in storage, but is no longer used. At one time, a swimming pool, a movie theater, and a gravity house were nearby.
In 1967, artist Paul "P.B." Kime, who had a studio at Cascade Caverns in the 1960s, created a parade float that was used in the first Boerne Berges Fest in 1967 and the first in 1987.
In April 1984, a Texas historical marker was placed near the cave to commemorate the natural landmark.
In 1993, the Walt Disney Company filmed a movie called "Father Hood" starring Patrick Swayze. They filmed for several weeks both inside the cave and out on the grounds. Several minutes of footage were used in the final version of the film. A prop in the film was a giant "T. rex", which is still located near the gift shop today.
The original gift shop (constructed in 1932) was badly damaged and the Alfred and Edith Gray Theater (constructed in 1984) was destroyed in a flood in 2002.
Description.
Cascade Caverns maintains a temperature range of all year round. A 45- to 60-min commercial tour passes through a half mile of flowstone corridors and winding chambers, which leads 132 ft below the surface and into the Cathedral Room.
Below the Cathedral Room is another cave that is only accessible through a drain pipe that was installed in the early 1960s after the natural passage collapsed during a flood. Adventure Tours to the lower cave are given by expert cavers by reservation only. The sump at the bottom of the Lower Cave is about 230 ft below the surface.
The cave was host to Texas’ only cavern with a natural interior waterfall. Originally, seven waterfalls were in the cavern. A very bad drought in the 1950s caused all of the waterfalls to dry up, except for the one in the Cathedral Room. It would either not run or unexpectedly flood the room, so in the 1960s, the original source of the water was sealed up and an artificial waterfall was installed to mimic the original one without the danger of flooding. This very feature, the cascading waterfall, had earned the cave its name. The cave is 95% alive and water droplets persistently fall upon the cave formations. The primary formations found in the cave are soda straws. Most are quite short because of frequent flooding.
The cave is home to unusual insects, including cave crickets (Rhaphidophoridae) and cave beetles ("Rhadine persephone" - very rare!). Also to be found in the cave are microscopic creatures called "Stygobromus dejectus", the Cascade Caverns amphipod. Also, amphibians, crawfish, reptiles, tricolored bats ("Pipistrellus"), and the rare Cascade Caverns neotenic salamanders live in the cave. Known as the Cascade Caverns salamander or Kendall County salamander, it can only be found in Cascade Caverns and another regional cave, the Cave Without a Name.
Mastodon remains, saber-toothed cat bones ("Smilodon"), American bison bones, and other animal parts have been found in the cave. Native American artifacts, human remains, and even a pistol were reportedly found during excavation of the front room. Most of these items disappeared during the closure in the early 1940s.
Tours are run year-round, with only rare closings due to flooding. A dam protects the cave from unexpected flash flooding. Quite a few floods have happened throughout the years that have affected the cave. Naturally, the cave formed with the help of flooding, with water helping to carve out the rock. During the exploration in 1931, white fish were reported to be in the cave. After the natural flow of water was inhibited with the dam, these fish are no longer seen.


Bristlecone Wilderness

Bristlecone Wilderness is a wilderness area in White Pine County, in the U.S. state of Nevada. Located in the Egan Range approximately five miles west of the town of Mcgill, the Wilderness was created by the "White Pine County Conservation, Recreation and Development Act of 2006" and is administered by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
Vegetation in the Wilderness consists primarily of desert brush and grass at the lower elevations and a scattering of pinyon pine, juniper, and the namesake bristlecone pine stands on the upland slopes. Groves of aspen exist in several washes, including Rattlesnake Canyon.


Balata-Tufari National Forest

The Balata-Tufari National Forest () is a national forest in the state of Amazonas, Brazil.
It was created to support sustainable extraction of forest products such as timber subject to restrictions and regulations defined by law or the responsible agency, ICMBio.
Location.
The Balata-Tufari National Forest covers parts of the municipalities of Canutama (90.85%) and Tapauá (9.15%) in the state of Amazonas.
It has an area of .
It is bounded by the Purus River to the west, by the first section of the Trans-Amazonian Highway (BR-230) from Lábrea to Humaitá which cuts across its southern end, and by BR-319 to the east.
The Mucuim River runs through the forest, flowing north from the Mapinguari National Park, which lies to the south of BR-230.
The Mucuim is joined within the forest by the Açuã River, which rises in the Mapinguari National Park.
2.47% of the national forest's area overlaps with the Mapinguari National Park.
The national forest is in the Amazon biome.
It contains 91.44% open rainforest, 6.45% dense rainforest and 2.11% contact between savannah and rainforest.
About 2000 families live in the forest, mostly farmers who own or lease small plots.
The Balata-Tufari National Forest and the nearby Iquiri National Forest have great potential not only for sustainable extraction of timber but also for products such as oils, resins, nuts, seeds and fruits.
History.
The Balata-Tufari National Forest was created by decree on 17 February 2005 and is administered by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio).
It is classed as IUCN protected area category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources) with the objective of sustainable multiple use of forest resources and scientific research, with emphasis on methods for sustainable exploitation of native forests.
The forest had three areas when created: Gleba Balata with , Gleba Tufari with and Gleba Jacaré with .
On 8 May 2008 a fourth area was added, Area 4 with .
The advisory council was formed on 14 December 2010.
An ordinance of 9 January 2012 provided for a consistent and integrated approach to preparing management plans for the conservation units in the BR-319 area of influence. These are the Abufari Biological Reserve, Cuniã Ecological Station, Nascentes do Lago Jari and Mapinguari national parks, Balata-Tufari, Humaitá and Iquiri national forests, and the Lago do Capanã-Grande, Rio Ituxi, Médio Purus and Lago do Cuniã extractive reserves.


Jackson, North Carolina

Jackson is a town in Northampton County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 513 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County.
Jackson is part of the Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History.
The Amis-Bragg House, Church of the Saviour and Cemetery, Jackson Historic District, Mowfield, Northampton County Courthouse Square, and Verona are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Geography.
Jackson is located at (36.390317, -77.422193).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land.
Demographics.
As of the census of 2000, there were 695 people, 218 households, and 148 families residing in the town. The population density was 683.8 people per square mile (263.1/km2). There were 243 housing units at an average density of 239.1 per square mile (92.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 51.94% White, 47.63% African American, 0.14% Asian, 0.14% from other races, and 0.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.29% of the population.
There were 218 households, out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 18.4% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 27.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $29,375, and the median income for a family was $34,000. Males had a median income of $27,917 versus $18,875 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,588. About 18.6% of families and 19.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.3% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.
Education.
The elementary school serving Jackson is Central Elementary School. CES is the newest school in Northampton County; it opened it doors for the 2006-2007 school year. It combined Seaboard Coates Elementary and Jackson Eastside Elementary schools.
Also housed in Jackson is the Central Services building for Northampton County Schools. Northampton County Schools is the local educational agency for the district. The system includes 7 schools.


Attukal

Attukal is a Hindu pilgrimage centre in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It is situated about two kilometres to the south east from Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram City.
The Attukal Bhagavathy Temple, one of the ancient temples of South India, is popularly described as Sabarimala of the Women, as women form the major portion of devotees. The Goddess in the temple of Attukal is worshipped as the Supreme Mother, creator of all living beings and the mighty preserver as well as destroyer of them all. The pilgrims from all over the country, who visit Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple and worship the Lord, do not consider their visits complete without a visit to the shrine of the supreme Mother Attukalamma.
According to mythology, Attukal Bhagavathy is supposed to be the divinised form of Kannaki, the famous heroine of Chilappathikaaram, written by Ilanko Adikal, the Tamil Poet. The story goes that after the destruction of ancient city of Madurai, Kannaki left the city and reached Kerala via Kanyakumari and on the way to Kodungalloor took a sojourn at Attukal. Kannaki is supposed to be the incarnation of Parvathy, the consort of Paramasiva. The all powerful and benign Attukal Bhagavathy reigns eternally supreme at Attukal and nurses devotees as a mother does her children. Thousands of devotees from far and near flock to the Temple to bend before the Goddess with awe and reverence to prostrate and redress their affliction and agony.
The Pongala Mahotsavam is the most important festival of Attukal Bhagavathy Temple. This festival at Attukal has been entered into the Guinness book of world records as the largest congregation of women in the world. The offering of Pongala is a special temple practice prevalent in the southern part of Kerala and some parts of Tamil Nadu. It is a ten-day programme commencing on the Karthika star of the Malayalam month of Makaram-Kumbham (February–March) and closing with the sacrificial offering known as Kuruthitharpanam at night. On the ninth day of the festival the world-famous Attukal Pongala Mahotsavam takes place. The entire area of about 5 kilometre radius around temple with premises of houses of people of all caste, creed and religion, open fields, roads, commercial institutions, premises of Government offices etc. emerges as a consecrated ground for observing Pongala rituals for more than 2.5 million women devotees assembling from different parts of Kerala and outside. The ceremony is mostly confined to women folk even though men can also observe the rituals. The enormous crowd which gathers in Thiruvananthapuram on this auspicious day is reminiscent of the Kumbhamela Festival of North India.


E9 European long distance path

The E9 European long distance path, E9 path or European Coastal Path (French: "Sentier Européen du Littoral") is one of the European long-distance paths, running for from Cabo de São Vicente in Portugal to Narva-Jõesuu in Estonia.
Portugal.
The path follows the western coasts of Portugal from Cabo de São Vicente. There are also some sections around Lisbon and it's possible that the Camino Portuguese Coastal Way could also become the E9.
Spain.
The path follows the western coasts of Spain.
E9 often follows the GR footpaths in Spain.
France.
The path follows the northern and western coasts of France starting at Bray-Dunes on the Belgian border. The GR 120 runs from Dunkerque to Pas d'Authie, the GR 21 from Le Tréport to Le Havre, GR 223 from Le Havre via Cherbourg to Avranches where it divides into several smaller local trails. The GR 34 then continues from Mont St-Michel to Le Tour-du-Parc. The GR 8 re-starts the trail further south from Saint-Brevin-les-Pins to Sare in the Pyrenees incorporating a short coastal section of the GR 4.
England.
The path follows the southern coast to Plymouth in England, and then following the English south coast as far as Dover, where another ferry crossing returns the route to Calais in France. In England the path follows parts of the South West Coast Path, the Solent Way, the South Downs Way and the Saxon Shore Way paths. The British route itself includes an alternative route via the Isle of Wight.
Read more at LDWA website.
Belgium.
The path then follows the coast of Belgium.
Netherlands.
The path follows the coast of the Netherlands. Here it follows the Dutch North Sea Trail, which includes 5 successive trails:
Germany.
The path crosses the base of the Jutland peninsula, before following the coast of the Baltic Sea.
Latvia.
See more here.
Estonia.
See more here and at the External Links below.


Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge

Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge is a U.S. National Wildlife Refuge on Oregon's coast. It is one of six National Wildlife Refuges comprising the Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex and is renowned among bird watchers for being able to view rare shorebirds including ruff, Hudsonian godwit, and Mongolian plover.
The refuge was last expanded in 1999, it now has in two units: Bandon Marsh and Ni-les'tun.
Recreation.
Bandon Marsh is popular for hunting, fishing, clamming, birding and photography. The wildlife refuge protects the largest tidal salt marsh in the Coquille River estuary. The mudflats are rich in clam, crab, worm, and shrimp and attracts migrating shorebirds, waterfowl, coho salmon, as well as the California brown pelican.
More common shorebird species include western and least sandpiper, semipalmated plover, black-bellied plover, Pacific golden plover, red phalarope, whimbrel, dunlin.
The Ni-Les'tun Unit.
The Ni-les'tun unit is a habitat restoration project which will eventually benefit fish and wildlife. In consists of intertidal and freshwater marsh, and riparian land. It also protects a 4,500 year-old Native American archaeological site of the Coquille Indian Tribe. The Refuge is planning a marsh restoration for this unit where an influx of saltwater and freshwater will allow a revival of mudflats and marsh plants, and interconnecting tidal channels will bisect the wildlife habitat south of the overlook deck. As the land returns to a functioning intertidal marsh, flocks of seasonally driven migratory birds and young fish will use the restored habitat.
There are several overlooks, as well as access for hunters, birders, fisherman, and clammers. State and federal regulations are in effect. The Marsh is located just north of Bandon, on the east side of the Coquille river across from Bullards Beach State Park.


Coringa-Herald National Nature Reserve

Coringa-Herald National Nature Reserve is a former nature reserve in Australia’s Coral Sea Islands Territory that was incorporated into the new Coral Sea Commonwealth Marine Reserve in December 2012. The former nature reserve together with the Lihou Reef National Nature Reserve is part of the Coral Sea Reserves Ramsar Site. Its extent is also within the Coringa-Herald Reefs Important Bird Area.
Description.
The reserve lies to the east of the Great Barrier Reef and covers an area of 8,860 km2, most of which is open water. It contains three pairs of islets and cays, the Herald Cays, comprising North East and South West Cays; the Coringa Islets, comprising Chilcott and South West Islets; and the Magdelaine Cays, comprising South East Cay and North West Islet. The pairs rise steeply from separate platform reef systems, each representing a distinct stage in reef formation, varying in size from 16 to 37 ha, and making a total land area of 124 ha. Each cay has a fringing reef that is fully exposed to the influences of ocean currents and swells.
The islets are formed of coral sand, rocks and coral rubble and rise no more than about five metres above sea-level. South-East Magdelaine Cay is the largest; parts of it, as well as North-East Herald Cay, have thick forests of "Pisonia grandis" and "Cordia subcordata" trees. Apart from North-West Magdelaine Islet which lacks vegetation, grasses and "Heliotropium foertherianum " shrubs grow on the other islets.
The 124 ha land area of the cays has been recognised by BirdLife International as the Coringa-Herald Reefs IBA because of its importance as a breeding site for seabirds. It supports over 1% of the world populations of wedge-tailed shearwaters, red-footed boobies, lesser frigatebirds, red-tailed tropicbirds and black noddies.


Chinchaga Wildland Park

Chinchaga Wildland Park is a protected (80,000 hectares) tract of land in the of the greater Chinchaga wilderness area in a disjunct outlier of the Foothills Natural Region of Alberta , in a remote area of northwest Alberta, Canada, about west of Manning. It was designated as a Wildlife Park in December 1999. The greater Chinchaga area was identified in 1995 as an Environmentally Significant Area. It was designated by the Alberta Government as a protected area in 2000, under the "Special Places" program. "Elevations in the Park range from 650 m adjacent to the Chinchaga River to 915 m at the height of land atop Halverson Ridge."
The upper course of the Chinchaga River, which forms the Park's northern border, is a provincially Environmentally Significant Area (ESA). The Park extends south to the slopes of Halverson Ridge. The only road that provides access is the "Chinchaga Forestry Road", a high grade gravel road running west from the Mackenzie Highway.
History.
The Chinchaga area was mainly used by small populations of First Nations and Métis for hunting.
Chinchaga Firestorm 1950.
In the spring of 1950 the watershed of the Chinchaga River experienced drought conditions that extended over boreal regions of northern Canada. At the time of the fire Imperial Oil surveying crew were on site. The fire was caused by human activity. Other sources theorize that slash burning from agricultural clearing could have been the initial spark.
On 1 June 1950 human activity caused a forest fire in the Chinchaga area, one of the largest if not the largest in modern North American history. The ignition point was north of Fort St. John, British Columbia. The fire burned north-eastward nearly to Keg River, Alberta and continued to burn throughout the summer and early fall until the end of October. It destroyed of the Chinchaga area. Size estimates have varied due to the imprecise measurement techniques of the time period. Estimates at the time ranged from . In 2008 and 2009 the final size was considerably larger than previous estimates, placing the total burned area at .<ref name="NRC/UV"></ref> While most likely not the largest fire in the history of the North American boreal forest, it produced the largest burned area of any recorded fire on the continent.
1997.
In the 1997 report commissioned by the Alberta Environmental Protection the Chinchaga Diversity Area and the Chinchaga River were designated as an Environmentally Significant Areas (ESAs).
Senate Committee Report on Boreal Forest 1999.
In June 1999, the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry’s Subcommittee on the Boreal Forest published their report "Competing Realities: The Boreal Forest at Risk" which contained 35 recommendations intended to ensure that Canada adopt "a natural forest landscape-based approach
to managing a boreal forest that is coming increasingly under siege."
Special Places 2000.
Under the 2000 "Special Places" program. the natural state of the area is intended to be protected, however, other uses are permitted under provincial law. Concerns have been raised about oil and gas development in parts of this wilderness area.
In 2000 both the Alberta Wildlife Society (AWS) and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society were disappointed with the small size and poor quality of the Chinchaga wilderness region chosen by the province of Alberta to be protected. The proposed protected section only protects of the of Chinchaga wilderness area. The area protected by the province is mostly "peatland and unproductive, burned-over deciduous forest."
The area protected by the province is mostly "peatland and unproductive, burned-over deciduous forest."
The Alberta Land and Forest Division leased an additional of the land set aside as the Chinchaga Special Place to Manning Diversified Forest Products Ltd. as a timber license. In 2000, the provincial government authorized logging by Daishowa-Marubeni and Manning Diversified Forest Products in another part of Chinchaga shortly after giving the wildpark area protected status.
The Biophysical Inventory of Chinchaga Wildland Park was released in March 2002.
In June 2002 the Alberta Government claimed it had "no plans to re-open discussion" about enlarging the Chinchaga Special Place.
In 2003 the Alberta Wilderness Association, the Federation of Alberta Naturalists, the Sierra Club of Canada, Canadian Nature Federation and the Natural Resources Defense Council in the U.S. called for a "moratorium on further development in Chinchaga until permanent protection is established."
Ecology.
The environment consists of diverse landscapes and vegetation ecosystems including boreal forests and muskeg, with deciduous and coniferous forests mixed with wetlands and fens. This provides habitat for woodland caribou (Rangifer
tarandus) and trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator) which are Endangered Species in Alberta and grizzly bear (Ursus arctos). These along beaver (Castor canadensis) and northern goshawk (Accipiter gentiles), are considered to be the focal wildlife species in the Park. Other species include including, muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus), marten (Martes americana), fisher (Martes pennant), moose (Alces laces), wolf (Canis lupus), lynx (Lynx canadensis), pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus), and numerous other small mammals, furbearers, raptors, songbirds, and waterfowl.
Boreal woodland caribou.
Caribou considered a "species "at risk" of declining due to non-viable population levels, and are designated as "threatened" under the Alberta Wildlife Act
(Alberta Environment 2001). Nationally, the status of woodland caribou varies considerably across the species’ range, with Alberta populations listed as "threatened" (Gray 1999, COSEWIC 2001)." The boreal ecotype of woodland caribou that inhabit Chinchaga Wildland Park and adjacent areas are largely restricted to peatland complexes. They require large home ranges and distinct calving and wintering areas that extend beyond the current Park boundaries. The 2002 report recommended that "habitat units that have been identified as Caribou Habitat ESAs within Chinchaga Wildland Park should also be extrapolated and managed accordingly in areas outside and adjacent to the Park."


Agua Tibia Wilderness

Agua Tibia Wilderness (ATW) is a protected area in Riverside and San Diego counties, in the U.S. state of California. It is mostly within the Palomar Ranger District of the Cleveland National Forest. The area was originally protected as the Agua Tibia Primitive Area until January 1975 when it was added to the National Wilderness Preservation System with the passage of Public Law 93-632 by the United States Congress. Between its inception and 1984, the ATW was San Diego County's only officially designated wilderness area. The Spanish name, Agua Tibia, translates as "warm water".
Its approximate boundaries are:
Environment.
There are no permanent streams in the ATW. The highest landform is Agua Tibia Mountain with an elevation of .
Though the summer climate is hot, with limited shade and no water sources, there were no fires in the ATW for 110 years. In the last two decades, there have been four fires including the Palomar Mountain Fire (1987), the Vail Fire (1989), the Agua Tibia Fire (2000), and the Poomacha Fire (2007). Its pollution exposure is monitored within the San Diego Air Basin.
Flora.
The Agua Tibia Wilderness is home to rare and endemic plants. These include:
Agua Tibia Research Natural Area.
The Agua Tibia Research Natural Area (ATRNA), located within the wilderness, comprises of bigcone Douglas-fir—canyon live oak forest. The area was set aside for the study of this forest type in the Peninsular Range province and with emphasis on forest succession, long-range ecological changes and the effects of resource management practices. Bigcone Douglas-fir ("Pseudotsuga macrocarpa") is a relict species and is endemic to Southern California. This population on the ATRNA is unique for its relatively great age, size, genetic purity, placement near the southern extent of the species' range, and for its remoteness and lack of disturbance by man. Other notable plants in the research area are Laguna linanthus ("Linanthus orcuttii ssp. pacificus") and Hall's monardella ("Monardella macrantha ssp. hallii"). Both are listed as 1B by the California Native Plant Society's Rare Plant Program.


Owenboy (nature reserve)

Owenboy is a national nature reserve and Ramsar site of approximately in County Mayo.
Features.
Owenboy was legally protected as a national nature reserve by the Irish government in 1986. In 1987, the site was also declared Ramsar site number 371.
The reserve contains an extensive lowland intermediate bog in a broad basin, with some low domes which resemble raised bog. There are also numerous pools, flushes, subterranean and surface streams, swallowholes, and spring-fed fens. A rare species of moss has been recorded on the site. The Greenland white-fronted goose uses the area as a winter feeding site.