Hawikuh Ruins

Hawikuh (also spelled "Hawikku", meaning "gum leaves" in Zuni), was one of the largest of the Zuni pueblos at the time of the Spanish "entrada". It was founded around 1400 AD. It was the first pueblo to be visited and conquered by Spanish explorers.
The pueblo site is located southwest of Zuni Pueblo, on what is now the Zuni Indian Reservation in Cibola County, New Mexico. In 1960 the site was designated as a National Historic Landmark known as the Hawikuh Ruins. It is included as a contributing part of the Zuni-Cibola Complex of archaeological sites, a larger National Historic Landmark District designated by the United States Department of Interior in 1974.
History.
In 1539, Estevanico (Stephen), an enslaved North African assigned to Fray Marcos de Niza's expedition, was the first non-native to visit Hawikuh. He had gained a reputation as a medicine man or shaman after becoming one of the few survivors of a Spanish expedition.
Stephen reached Cibola [Hawikuh] loaded with the large quantity of turquoises they had given him, and some beautiful women whom the Indians who followed him and carried his things were taking with them and had given him. These had followed him from all the settlements he had passed, believing that under his protection they could traverse the whole world without any danger.
But as the people in this country were more intelligent than those who followed Stephen, they lodged him in a little hut they had outside their village, and the older men and the governors heard this story and took steps to find out the reason he had come to that country. For three days they made inquiries about him and held a council. The account which the negro gave them of two white men who were following him, sent by a great lord, who knew about the things in the sky, and how these were coming to instruct them in divine matters, made them think that he must be a spy or a guide from some nations who wished to come and conquer them, because it seemed to them unreasonable to say that the people were white in the country from which he came and that he was sent by them, being that he is black. Besides these other reasons, they thought it was hard of him to ask them for turquoises and women, and so they decided to kill him. They did this, but they did not kill any of those who went with him, although they kept some young fellows and let the other, about 60 persons, return freely to their own country. As these, who were badly scared, were returning in flight, they happened to come upon the friars in the desert 60 leagues from Cibola [Hawikuh], and told them the sad news, which frightened them so much that they would not even trust these folks who had been with the negro, but opened the packs they were carrying and gave away everything they had except the holy vestments for saying mass."
Estevanico may have been killed when he unwittingly alarmed Zuni tribesmen with decorations that symbolized death, but this is speculative.
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado conquered the pueblo in 1540, hoping it was one of the legendary "Seven Cities of Gold". He recorded its native name at the time as Cevola, though others who accompanied him wrote it as Cíbola in their accounts. Some say this was derived from a word meaning "buffalo". Coronado was deeply disappointed by the lack of gold. He wrote, "As far as I can tell, these Indians worship water, because it makes the corn grow and sustains their life."
He wrote about the pueblo:
Although they are not decorated with turquoises, nor made of lime or good bricks, nevertheless they are very good houses, with three, four, and five stories, where there are very good apartments ... and some very good rooms underground Kivas, paved, which are made for winter and have something like hot baths.
Some Hawikuu residents fled to the "Dowa Yalanne" mesa top to escape the attackers of the Coronado expedition. The 14 structures at "Dowa Yalanne," which were used as a refuge from the Spaniards between 1540-1680, were called "Heshoda Ayahltona" ("ancient buildings above").
In 1628 the Spanish established Mission La Purísima Concepción de Hawikuh at this pueblo. The Spanish attempted to suppress the Zuni religion, and introduced the "encomienda" forced-labor system. In 1632, the Hawikuh Zuni rebelled, burned the church, and killed the priest. In 1672, Apache raiders burned the church. In 1680 it was burned again during the Great Pueblo Revolt, when all the Nuevo México pueblos rose against the Spanish. After this revolt, the Zuni permanently abandoned Hawikuh.
Hawikuh is located within what are now the boundaries of the Zuni Indian Reservation near Zuni, New Mexico. The ruins of Hawikuh were excavated during the period 1917-23 by the Heye Foundation under the leadership of Frederick Webb Hodge, who was assistant director of the Museum of the American Indian. The records and artifacts from this excavation are now held by the National Museum of the American Indian. It acquired Heye's museum collection in 1989.
Hawikuh was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961 by the Department of Interior.


Abrod

Abrod is a national nature reserve in the Slovak municipality of Veľké Leváre in the Malacky District. The nature reserve covers an area of 92 ha of the Borská lowland area. It has a protection level of 4 under the Slovak nature protection system. The nature reserve is part of the Site of Community Importance with the same name which measures 162 ha. Since 1988 it is also a part of the Záhorie Protected Landscape Area.
Description.
Abrod is an elongated depression of terrain stretching a length of about 2 km along the creek Porec. This depression in combination with impermeable loamy subsoil and occasional floods creates the right conditions for the creation of wetlands and bog vegetation. The protected area consists therefore of fen vegetation with scientifically important plant communities of relic and rare plant species. It is also an important ornithological site. It is used as a research object.
Fauna.
Numerous animal species live in the Abrod nature reserve. Some bird species that are permanently present include northern goshawk, great reed warbler, Eurasian reed warbler, long-tailed tit, Eurasian skylark, common kingfisher, mallard, garganey, greater white-fronted goose, greylag goose, bean goose, tree pipit, grey heron, common pochard, common buzzard, common linnet, European goldfinch, European greenfinch, Eurasian siskin, white stork, western marsh harrier, hen harrier, Montagu's harrier, hawfinch, common raven, carrion crow, common quail and corn crake. Many of these species are also reproducing in the area. Some bird species that are only wintering here include Eurasian sparrowhawk, merlin and European crested tit.
Amphibian species living in the area include the European fire-bellied toad. Mammal species present in the area include Eurasian beaver and greater mouse-eared bat. Fish species include spined loach, European weatherfish and European bitterling. Invertebrates include "Lucanus cervus", large copper, dusky large blue, scarce large blue, "Osmoderma eremita" and "Vertigo angustior".
Flora.
At the moment Abrod mainly consists of fens with purple moor-grass. Abrod is the largest complex of this type of bog in Slovakia. This habitat along with the remains of calcareous fens and lowland hay meadows form the main subject of the protection zone. Abrod is also an important habitat for the appearance of a number of rare and endangered species of flora in Slovakia. The area is known as an important botanical site at least since 1923. It is the only locality in Slovakia with viable populations of marsh gladiolus, black bog-rush or early marsh-orchid. In addition to these and 116 other endangered species of plants, the area also forms the refuge for several other plant species such as orchids like bug orchid, "Anacamptis palustris", but also allseed, "Achillea asplenifolia" and others. Other more common plants include "Cirsium brachycephalum".
Recreation.
The best access to the site is from the station of Závod, from where a narrow asphalt road leads along the railway to the border of the site. Close by swimming is possible in Malé Leváre. Walks can be made in the extensive pine forests surrounding the nature reserve.


Dechen Cave

The Dechen Cave () in Iserlohn, Germany is one of the most visited show caves in Germany. It is located in the northern part of the Sauerland at Iserlohn (Grüne district). 360 metres of the 870-metre long cave have been laid out for visitors, beginning at the spot where, in 1868, the cave was discovered by two railway workers. The workers dropped a hammer into a rock crevice which turned out to be the entrance to a dripstone cave when they were searching for the lost tool.
The cave is named after "Oberberghauptmann" Heinrich von Dechen (1800–1889), in recognition of his contribution to researching the geology of the Rhineland and Westphalia.
Owner.
Due to its discovery by rail workers, the cave was first owned by the local railway company – which built the Letmathe–Fröndenberg railway – and later on by the National railway company, the last one was the Deutsche Bundesbahn. In 1983 the cave was taken over by the Mark Sauerland Touristik GmbH.
Railway halt.
Because the cave was found and owned by the railway, a halt was built next to the visitors' entrance. Today, the Ruhr-Sieg-Express (RE16) and Ruhr-Sieg-Bahn (RB91) services stop at the halt. Both the RE16 and the RB91 services are operated by Abellio Rail NRW. It is the only cave in Germany with its own halt.


Desarrollo Forestal Montreal

 Desarrollo Forestal Montreal S.A. is a nature reserve and cloud forest adjacent to Braulio Carrillo National Park in the central area of Costa Rica, about north of San José. The area is located between 16001800 meters (5,2495,905 ft.) above sea level and extends throughout the mountain range.
Temperatures range between 12 °C18 °C (53.6 °F64.4 °F), and the area's average temperature is 15 °C (59 °F). Soil conditions in the area are significantly diverse, and the reserve's annual precipitation has been estimated at 3,707 mm (146 inches). The area's dry season occurs for 30 to 45 days.
The evergreen forest canopy in the reserve has an average height of 2440 metres (79131 feet), and has a significant amount of epiphytes, palms and shrubs.
History and overview.
In early 1944, Costa Rican businesspersons Raúl Gurdián Rojas and Ramón Madrigal Antillón partnered with Spanish businessperson Pablo Funtanet Solsona and acquired a
property in the area of La Legua, Barba, located in San Rafael, Vara Blanca. Over three decades, the property's primary forest was preserved. During this time cattle pasturing occurred, which did not exceed more than 100 hectares (247 acres).
In 1979, partners in Cordilleras Centrales Elena, Raúl, Rodolfo, and Cristina Gurdián Montealegre acquired Madrigal and Funtanet's shares. By that time, the extension of the property had been reduced to 610 hectares (1,507 acres).
Also in 1979, under the Forestry Incentive Law that was established on May 8, 1978, Raúl and Rodolfo Gurdián Montealegre formed the company Ahorro Forestal de Costa Rica and acquired 50% of the Cordilleras Centrales shares to later subscribe reforestation contracts. The reforestation project subsequently began and a 7.5-kilometre (4.6-miles) road was built with its respective bridges communicating San Rafael, Vara Blanca, with the forested areas of the property and edge of the Braulio Carrillo National Park.
Forestry expert Jorge Rodríguez Quirós became the project director, and oversaw development, in which he recommended the repopulation of pastures with commercial trees such as alder ("Alnus acuminata") and white cedar ("Cupressus lusitanica"), in order to encourage the breeding and eventual transplanting of these trees to open fields. Repopulation initially occurred the existing pasture areas and some primary forest areas. The planted forest area reached 150 hectares (371 acres), and was abandoned in 1989, after which the subscribed contracts were suspended. The project was deemed a failure due to the replacement of indigenous trees with non-indigenous trees, the latter of which had adaptation problems.
In 1997 the property was delegated under the Voluntary Forest Regime, and in 1998 the first Environmental Services Contract was signed using the National Forestry Finance Fund (Fondo Nacional de Financiamiento Forestal-FONAFIFO), which was supervised by the Central Volcanic Mountain Range Foundation (Fundación para el Desarrollo de la Cordillera Volcánica Central-FUNDECOR). As of 2012, there are 592 hectares (1462.86 acres) assigned to the Environmental Services Program (Payment for ecosystem services), which comprises 97% of the property's total area.
Flora and fauna.
Flora.
Some of the arboreal species that can be seen are the oak ("Quercus oocarpa"), wooly-leaved sapote ("Casimiroa tetrameria"), gum tree ("Sapium oligoneuron"), quizarrá amarrillo ("Phoebe mollicela"), limoncillo ("Zanthoxyllum limoncillo"), burío ("Heliocarpus appendiculatus"), uruca ("Trichilia glabra") and guijarros ("Stenmadenia glabra").
Fauna.
Fauna species that inhabit the area include the jaguar, Hoffman's two-toed sloth, nine-banded armadillo, Baird's tapir, gray fox, coyote, oncilla, ocelot, red brocket, white-nosed coati, resplendent quetzal, black guan, great curassow, Costa Rican salamander, swallow-tailed kite, emerald toucanet, violet sabrewing, tayra, mountain thrush, sooty thrush, three-wattled bellbird and the black-faced solitaire.
Community relations.
The forest located in the property is considered a protection priority by the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (GRUAS Project) because of the importance of its flora and fauna. Conserving these wooded areas is important since they are part of a biological corridor for the Braulio Carrillo National Park. This corridor serves as a bridge for the area's fauna that contribute to the dispersing of seeds and pollen from species of flora, which are, in turn, responsible for the biodiversity of the region. In addition, the land is an important part of the watershed for the San Fernando and Volcán rivers, which form part of the Volcán and Don Pedro hydroelectric projects.
Significance of cloud forests.
Cloud forests, also known as fog forests, have unique characteristics and biodiversity due to their frequent cloudy/foggy conditions. In 1970, the original extent of cloud forests on the Earth was around 50 million hectares. Population growth, poverty and uncontrolled land use have contributed to the loss of cloud forests. The 1990 Global Forest Survey found that 1.1% of tropical mountain and highland forests were lost each year, which was higher than in any other tropical forests. For example, in Colombia, one of the countries with the largest area of cloud forests, only 10-20% of the initial cloud forest cover remains. Significant areas have been converted to plantations, or for use in agriculture and pasture. Significant crops in montane forest zones include tea and coffee, and the logging of unique species causes changes to the forest structure.
In 2004, it was estimated that one-third of all cloud forests on the planet were protected at that time.


Bavarian Iron Route

The Bavarian Iron Route or, less commonly, Bavarian Iron Road () is a major holiday route in southern Germany which is steeped in history. Running for 120 kilometres, it links numerous historic industrial sites, covering a period of several centuries, with cultural and natural monuments.
The project is part of the Central European Iron Route, whose organisation is coordinated by the Mining History Association of Austria (" Montanhistorischer Verein Österreich") with its head office in Leoben. In the working group are representatives from Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Rumania, Slovenia and Italy. This project was recognised by the Council of Europe as the cultural route for the iron industry in Europe.
The Bavarian Iron Route runs southwards along old transport routes from the Upper Franconian town of Pegnitz through the Upper Palatinate to Regensburg and links the former iron centres of East Bavaria, the mining regions of Pegnitz, Auerbach, Edelsfeld, Sulzbach-Rosenberg and Amberg. From there it continues for about 60 kilometres on a waterway on the rivers Vils and Naab to their confluence with the Danube near Regensburg.


Sund Rock

Sund Rock is a designated conservation area on the U.S. state of Washington's Hood Canal. The area is known for abundant and diverse life, including but not limited to Lingcod, Giant Pacific Octopus, Wolf Eel, as well as nudibranch, anemone, and sea cucumber.
The area is well known to regional scuba divers, especially for its two major walls, known colloquially as the north and south walls. These walls have depths , depending upon the tide. Several other walls exist, some going down beyond in depth. One of these is called "fish pen wall." Additional features include the "fish bowl"—a reef-like area full of life—a large sunken boat just to the north of the north wall, and a small wrecked boat between the north and south walls.
Recreational and technical divers alike find Sund Rock attractive for various reasons. Recreational divers appreciate Sund Rock because it is not a current-sensitive area, the main walls are easily within recreational dive limits, and for abundant sea life. Technical divers enjoy the deeper walls and other areas that allow them to dive well beyond recreational limits.
Because Sund Rock is a conservation area, no hunting or gathering of any kind is permitted. Two ways exist of entering the waters in the area. One option involves a somewhat steep but short hike and surface swim of .
An alternative method is to access a private beach nearby.
The boundaries of the area are


Glaskogen

Glaskogen is a nature reserve located in the province of Värmland, between the municipalities of Årjäng and Arvika, in the west mid-Sweden. It was established as a nature reserve in 1970 and has a land area of about 28,000 hectares. The reserve was established by the County Administration of Värmland, which led to the formation of the Gla Forest Foundation in 1972 by the four local municipalities Arvika, Eda, Säffle and Årjäng.
Geography and fauna.
In the heart of the forest there's a little village called Lenungshammar which has a population of about 30 people, here is also trailer and wilderness camping which is popular among tourists. There is an informations center, cafeteria, a small shop and a place to rent bikes and canoes.
The reserve comprises many lakes, Stora Gla and Övre Gla being the largest. The terrain is very hilly. The reserve is inhabited by many birds such as lesser whitethroats, three-toed woodpecker, spotted nutcracker, goldcrests. By the lakes you can find red-throated divers and loons.
Glaskogen is known for its hiking trails. With an estimated total of of hiking trails. The many lakes located in the reserve make it a popular fishing preserve and canoe trip for tourists.
History.
Glaskogen was first populated by Finnish immigrants who sought settlement in the late 1500s. The legend says that the first people to seek settlement here only brought a knife, axe and a loonskinn filled with rye grains. The first settlers exerted burn-beating. They mainly lived in small huts and cottages on the highgrounds of the natural reservoir, that way they could grow their grain in the valleys down below.
The oldest preserved building is a bathhouse located in the southern parts of Finnskogen, in the east of a place called Mörtnäs. It is estimated to have been built 1638.
The first mention of Glaskogen occurred in a publication in 1610 and it is mentioned in a lot of publications after that. Up until the 1940s, there was traces of the Finnish influence in the dialect used by people around the area of Glaskogen. Especially the Swedish consonants b, p, d, t, g and k. Today it's hard to spot, it seems that the influence has been neutralised by generations of assimilation into the Swedish society.
Industrialisation.
Since Glaskogen is so rich in nature resources it became industrialized in the beginning of the 1800s. At this time, Glaskogen was an important source for exporting of timber and fuel. Thanks to the many lakes it was easy to transport the wood by fleet.
Glava Glassworks is situated in Glasskogen. The workshop was founded in 1859 near the lake Stora Gla by two brothers named Anders and Petter Olsson. The brothers owned large forest properties which helped them to provide fuel for the manufacturing process in the glassworks. The workshop was known for its blown glass, especially their windows. In 1911, it stood for an estimated 38% of Sweden's production of windows. Since March 1939 the glassworks has been closed. A lot of the buildings were demolished while, , some are used as glas museums, hostels and housings.
Supernatural beings.
During the 1800s people were more superstitious than today. This was perhaps the case in Glaskogen, which resulted in a lot of paranormal legends of strange creatures who were lurking in the woods.
Hobergsgubben.
According to legend, there was a friendly giant, not to be confused with Hoburgsgubben rauk on the Swedish island of Gotland. There's a tale where a man who sent his farmhand to the giant to invite him to an infant baptism. The Giant declines the invitation but wishes to donate to the childs baptism. The giant brings a huge chest full of goldpennies of which he proceeds to ladle pennies into a sack for the farmhand to bring back to the baptised child.


Top of the Rockies

Top of the Rockies is the name of a National Scenic Byway in Colorado, in the Western United States. Most of the byway is above and thus the name of the byway is Top of the Rockies. The byway goes over Tennessee Pass to the mining town of Leadville, Colorado.
Route description.
The byway starts in Aspen, traveling on east over Independence Pass and near the Twin Lakes to just north of the town of Granite. The route then continues north on through Leadville to Interstate 70 (I-70). A spur of the byway continues along the entire length of from Leadville to Copper Mountain, through Fremont Pass.


Llullaillaco National Park

Llullaillaco National Park is a national park of Chile, located 275 km southeast of Antofagasta in the Andes. It lies between the eastern slopes of the Cordillera Domeyko and the international border with Argentina. In the park there are several important mountains that culminate at the summit of Llullaillaco volcano. The park also is characterized by extensive semi-desert plains interspersed by "Quebradas". A part of the Inca road system is found in "Río Frío" area.
Vegetation.
The park lies within the Central Andean dry puna ecoregion. In the park have been recorded 126 flora species, 21 of which are endemic to the area.
Access.
To access this area, the travel must be programmed and have official permission from the CONAF (National Forrest Guard of Chile) in Antofagasta City.
Herds of vicuñas wander through the park.


The Tepee

The Tepee is a historic commercial building and roadside attraction located near Cherry Valley in Otsego County, New York, United States. It was built in 1954, and is a wood-frame structure sheathed in galvanized steel on a concrete foundation. It measures 50 feet tall and 42 feet in diameter. It has four levels. Attached to the tepee is an "L"-shaped wood frame building with a cross-gable roof. The building houses a gift shop and food stand.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.


Nimpal Channel Marine Conservation Area

Nimpal Channel Marine Conservation Area is a community-based conservation area located on western side of Yap's main island, in the Federated States of Micronesia. It is a joint initiative between the Okaw and Kaday villages within the Weloy municipality, and the Yap Conservation Action Planning.
The Nimpal Channel MCA was originally established with the idea of protecting fish stocks, and over time it gained in importance due to its resistance to the "Acanthaster planci", better known as the crown-of-thorns sea star (COTS), which began inhabiting coral reefs in 2009. and with its pronounced predatory function, it began to disrupt life around coral reefs.
The decision to declare the nearby mangrove forests a mangrove sanctuary has greatly contributed to the recovery of the ecosystem, because the mangroves filter the water that flows into the Nimpal Channel MCA and surrounding areas.


Starmalls

Starmalls is one of the two retail arms of the Filipino real estate company Vista Land, the other being Vista Malls. Starmalls operates shopping malls and BPO chains in Mega Manila and Cebu.
History.
Starmalls began as Polar Mines and Development Corporation on October 16, 1969. Polar Mines became Polar Property Holdings Corporation after shifting industries from to mining to real estate. It was approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (Philippine SEC) in September 2004. Polar Property became Starmalls on June 22, 2012.
Starmall Prima.
Starmall Prima was initially created to cater to higher-income customers and its first mall was inaugurated in Taguig. By 2015, Starmall Prima became Vista Malls.


Rudd Creek Pueblo

The Rudd Creek Pueblo is an archaeological site in the Upper Little Colorado region in Springerville, Arizona just along the boundaries of the Mogollon and Anasazi culture areas. It is a late Tularosa phase site, dating from ca. 1225 to 1300, which is part of the Mogollan tradition, and located directly inside the Sipe White Mountain Wildlife Area. In 1996, the Rudd Creek Archaeological Project, a part of the Arizona State University Archaeological Field School, excavated the site to document the artifacts and architecture, and to observe and keep track the extent of pot hunting at the site, a problematic issue for not only this particular site but for archaeology as a whole.
Site and environment.
Rudd Creek Pueblo sits on a terrace that overlooks Rudd Creek (hence, the name) and is at an elevation of . The site is situated in a transitional area between the White Mountains and the Colorado Plateau and the Little Colorado River Valley.
Rudd Creek Pueblo is located in an open valley, but has access to three different microenvironments: the juniper savanna, riparian areas, and the lower montane coniferous forest. The inhabitants of Rudd Creek Pueblo, therefore, had access to a wide variety of flora and fauna and were able to exploit a broad spectrum of resources.
Architecture.
The architecture at Rudd Creek Pueblo is similar to other late Tularosa phase sites in the region, for example Coyote Creek Pueblo and Foote Canyon Pueblo. The site consists of about forty rooms situated inside a sizeable, rectangular shaped masonry roomblock and two large depression areas that are interpreted as being possible locations of great kivas, or ceremonial and ritual centers. The rectangular shaped pueblo is common and indicative of the Mogollon culture, and became common during the Tularosa phase. Most of the rooms that make up Rudd Creek Pueblo have been disturbed by looting and pot hunting, but some still contain undisturbed or “in-situ” fill. Many of the rooms have also been interpreted as probable habitation rooms, containing formal hearths, subfloor pits, and/or mealing bins or as storage rooms with very small floor areas and very few floor features. In addition, a ceremonial room or possible separate structure has been identified (Unit 5) and houses a large raised platform and bench. A circular hearth and ventilator are also present in the center of this room, suggesting that inhabitants may have used this room for rituals or special gatherings.
The construction of the walls in the main roomblock is mainly stone, and the walls are generally 20-40 centimeters wide. Despite challenges presented from inadequate wall preservation and damages from pot-hunting, it is thought that brown plaster was initially covering the walls. The interior and exterior surfaces of the walls, however, are not alike. The interior walls consist of unformed limestone, sandstone, and cobbles that are laid in mortar or mud. The exterior walls are built of limestone, sandstone, and vesicular basalt as well as tabular chinking stones. In addition, the exterior walls were more uniform in their construction, while the interior walls appear to be more haphazardly or unsystematically built. This difference is helpful in determining the building sequence of each room. The difference in wall construction indicates that the interior walls were built faster than the exterior walls. The masonry style of the walls at Rudd Creek Pueblo is, as expected, similar to other late Tularosa phase sites.
Construction phases.
There are four separate construction phases identified at Rudd Creek Pueblo. Based on analysis of the ceramic data at Rudd Creek Pueblo, site construction is thought to have begun between AD 1225-1250. The initial construction phase resulted in a single, nuclear unit consisting of small, adjacent rooms. The subsequent middle phases of construction involved the building of new rooms and remodeling of old rooms, including filling doorways, niches, and ventilators. The interior masonry style of the subsequent building phases differs from the initial in that at least one of the interior walls of each room displayed the same planned and organized construction of the exterior surfaces. During the middle phases, rooms were built next to the eastern side of the pueblo. The last building phase took place in the northern area of the roomblock and is believed to have resulted in the construction of the rooms just south of one of the great kivas (Unit 15). Due to excessive looting, determining when construction ended at Rudd Creek Pueblo is difficult, but probably occurred between AD 1250-1300.
Great Kivas.
Limited excavations were done in the two depressions just north and east of the main roomblock, but the areas each appear to be the location of a great kiva, where inhabitants of Rudd Creek Pueblo held ceremonies or ritual gatherings. The fill in the depression just north of the roomblock (Unit 15) yielded large amounts of ash and charred roof beam. Because of excessive looting in this unit, only a slab-lined cist was found in the base. A number of artifacts were found interred on the floor (three bone artifacts, a corrugated jar, two Tularosa Black-on-white jars, a Wingate Black-on-red bowl, an unidentifiable black and white ladle, a two-handed mano, and several mineral fragments) and appear to have been done so intentionally. The combination of these artifacts and the charred roof fragments in the fill lead to the possibility that this kiva was ritually decommissioned.
The second depression located just east of the roomblock exposed a probable square and semi-subterranean kiva about thirteen meters long and considerably intact. Wall construction of this kiva is much like the wall construction of the roomblock. Similar to the previous kiva (Unit 15), the fill in this kiva is mostly ash and charred roof bits with only a small percentage of artifacts, leading to the idea that this kiva was burned or ritually decommissioned when abandoned. Similar square kivas have been identified at other late Tularosa sites, such as Coyote Creek and Foote Canyon.
Assemblages found.
Ceramic Assemblage.
There were 11, 956 ceramic specimens recovered during the excavations at Rudd Creek Pueblo. Nineteen different types of slipped or painted pottery sherds made up one third of the assemblage and the remainder was mainly unpainted brown ware sherds; brown ware pottery is very common in the Mogollon culture trend. The most common types of ceramics represented in the Rudd Creek assemblage are Tularosa Black-on-white, St. John’s Black-on-red, and St. John’s polychrome, which places the assemblage in chronology with other sites from the late-Tularosa phase, although assemblages recovered from sites to the east of Rudd Creek Pueblo differ.
Lithic Assemblage.
The majority of the lithics found at Rudd Creek Pueblo were flaked stone and unretouched, while formal tools that had been carefully produced into an intentional tool, were rare. There were 698 flaked stone artifacts recovered, of which more than 80% were made of high quality silicates (including chert, chalcedony, petrified wood, and quartzite). The majority of these flakes have been identified as simple flakes and are thought to be the result of percussion reduction, or the product of producing flakes by direct impact. As for formal tools, only a small number were recovered during excavation. Six unifaces, five bifaces, eleven saws/denticulates, and eleven projectile points were found and are similar to the tools documented at other Tularosa phase sites. One room (Unit 6) yielded an unusual cache of stone tools in a closed floor pit. The cache consisted of a biface, three projectile points, and one red stone bead. The purpose of the cache is not known, but it has been interpreted that Rudd Creek Pueblo occupants might have gathered the tools from an adjacent area and kept them for ceremonial uses or out of curiosity. The large number of flaked stone in combination with few formal tools suggests that residents of the pueblo focused primarily on quick tool production and used stone flakes more often that formal tools.
Flora and Faunal Assemblage.
Because of the variety in environment that surrounds Rudd Creek Pueblo, a wide array of faunal remains were recovered, however, only the juniper savanna and montane forest were represented in the assemblage. In total, 906 specimens, representing 17 different taxa, were found including lagomorphs (rabbits and hares) and rodents. Only 14% of the faunal assemblage was made up of large-game specimens, the majority including deer and pronghorn antelope. It has been proposed that the area surrounding the pueblo was moderately vegetated due to the large number of specimens recovered that were herbivores. Carnivore specimens at Rudd Creek Pueblo are rare and it is suggested that what was recovered, remains of black bears and bobcats, are most likely indicative of animals that were utilized for their fur or for ritual use. In addition, bird remains are present, including turkey and other birds such as golden eagles. Birds other than turkey that are represented in the assemblage are thought to be evidence of the inhabitants of Rudd Creek Pueblo acquiring feathers for special purposes or rituals rather than as a means of subsistence.
Site occupation and dating.
Dating Rudd Creek Pueblo was done through a combination of artifact/ceramic analysis and dendrochronology, because dendrochronology was unreliable on its own due to an inadequate number of datable samples. Forty-three tree-ring samples were submitted, but only one could be dated. The only viable sample, which came from one of the great kivas (Unit 7), yielded a non-cutting date of AD1275++vv, meaning that the correct date of the sample is earlier than reported because the tree was either damaged or not dead. The tree-ring sample in combination with temporal trends associated with the types of ceramics represented at Rudd Creek Pueblo place construction of the site during the mid-1200s AD, with an occupation lasting until around 1300 AD.
It is believed that, through the evidence of structure burning and “in-situ” floor deposits, that Rudd Creek Pueblo was abandoned in a hurry. Two hypotheses have been proposed for why this was the case. The first is that the pueblo was burned due to widespread conflict, something seen commonly with other pueblos of the time period. Another alternative has been proposed based on the evidence of interred artifacts and burning that suggests the inhabitants of Rudd Creek Pueblo ritually closed the structure, a trend that is seen in pueblos of following periods.


Cedar Breaks Scenic Byway


Mustangs of Las Colinas

Mustangs of Las Colinas is a bronze sculpture by Robert Glen that decorates Williams Square in Las Colinas in Irving, Texas. It portrays a group of nine wild mustangs at 1.5 times life size running through a watercourse. Fountains give the effect of water splashed by the animals' hooves. The work was commissioned in 1976 and installed in 1984.
The "Mustangs of Las Colinas" Museum is located adjacent to the sculpture, in the east building of The Towers at Williams Square. The museum has exhibits and a film about the work's creation as well as additional sculptures by Robert Glen.
Williams Square is accessible from the DART Orange Line’s stops at Las Colinas Urban Center station and Irving Convention Center station.
Description.
The sculpture commemorates the wild mustangs that were historically important inhabitants of much of Texas. The horses are intended to represent the drive, initiative and unfettered lifestyle that were fundamental to the state in its pioneer days.
SWA Group's design created a shallow watercourse extending from northeast to southwest across Williams Square, a gently sloping granite-paved open space about square. The plaza setting for the sculpture won a National Honor Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects.
The buildings around the square rise (26 floors) on the north and (14 floors) on the east and west sides, with the south side open to O'Connor Boulevard. The sculpture is substantial, but the scale of the surrounding structures keeps it from dominating the space.


Naturschutzgebiet

A Naturschutzgebiet (abbreviated NSG) is a category of protected area (nature reserve) within Germany's Federal Nature Conservation Act (the "Bundesnaturschutzgesetz" or "BNatSchG").
Although often translated as 'Nature Reserve' in English, the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) refers to them as 'Nature Conservation Areas'. It meets the criteria of an IUCN Category IV Habitat and Species Management Area.
Points of law.
The use of the term "Naturschutzgebiet" or terms that could be confused with it for anything other than the legally protected areas is forbidden under this law.
Signage.
Because legal restrictions are placed on activity within German nature reserves they have to be signed on the ground. Only by this means can e.g. walkers know that they are entering a nature reserve and may not e.g. leave the tracks and paths. For historical reasons there is no standard sign used across Germany.
Nature reserves in the "old states" of the Federal Republic of Germany are marked by green signs with the silhouette of a white-tailed eagle. In the new federal states of the former East Germany they are marked with a pentagonal yellow sign bearing an image of a long-eared owl. The reunification of Germany the 36th Environmental Minister's Conference in 1991 recommended the use of the owl symbol in future in the whole of Germany to designate nature reserves. This recommendation was not universally adopted by the states, in whom the jurisdiction for conservation policy was vested. For that reason there are de facto three different signs being used alongside one another in Germany today.
Nature reserves in Germany.
At the end of 2008 there were 8,413 nature reserves in Germany with a total area of 1,271,582 hectares. That corresponds to 3.6% of the area of Germany. The lowest percentage areas are in the states of Hesse (1.8%) and Rhineland-Palatinate (1.9%). The percentage coverage in the "old" and "new" states is identical. About 60% of all nature reserves are smaller than 50 hectares in area. In such small areas experts say that the achievement of conservation goals is at risk, because negative influences from the surrounding area cannot be sufficiently mitigated. The number and size of nature reserves has increased considerably in recent decades. In 1995 there were only 5,314 "Naturschutzgebiete" in Germany with an area of 6,845 km2. Even the current coverage is seen by experts as too low to preserve the variety of species in Germany.
The following lists detail the nature reserves by state:


Hungry Bay Nature Reserve

Hungry Bay Nature Reserve is a nature reserve on the east coast of Bermuda. It was established in 1986. It is considered the best example of coastal mangrove swamp on the island. It includes the Hungry Bay area and the largest mangrove coastal swamp in Bermuda. It is protected by a Tree preservation order (T.P.O.) and designated as an official Nature Reserve within the Parks system of Bermuda.
The Hungry Bay Mangrove Swamp Reserve, a wetland site, is one of the seven Ramsar Sites in Bermuda. This designation recognises its international importance as a northerly mangrove swamp, as a habitat for its native crustaceans and as an important destination for migratory birds. Most of the reserve consists of mangrove swamp, while in the southern part there is a small area of saltmarsh. Much damage was done to the site by a storm in 2003 and residents have expressed concern about possible environmental damage resulting from pollution from the village of Seabright.
History.
The reserve was proposed as a National Nature Reserve under the Development and Planning Act of 1974. It was part of the Development Plan of 1983. While the mangroves are under the Tree Preservation Order, the reserve in general is decreed as a National Reserve under the Bermuda National Parks Act of 1986. The Hungry Bay Mangrove Swamp Reserve is one of the seven Ramsar Sites in Bermuda. It was approved as a Ramsar site of international importance on 10 May 1999, meeting the criteria (1, 2, 3, 4 and 8) for its unique characteristics. Its significance is due to being the largest northerly mangrove swamp in the Atlantic Ocean, the many migratory bird species which visit during winter, and the many native crustacean species, including the endangered terrestrial hermit crab ("Coenobita clypeatus") and giant land crab ("Cardisoma guanhumi").
During Hurricane Fabian in September 2003, the outer (western) third of the swamp, accounting for 25–30% of the total area of mangroves, suffered total destruction. Global warming has also caused rise in tidal levels resulting in damage to the swamps. More recently, residents have begun to voice concerns over the Seabright sewage outflow, which enters Hungry Bay itself. A resident of the Bay noted the persistent appearance of a "shiny slick" emanating from Seabright extending to the "reef-line a few hundred yards off".
Geography.
Bermuda's largest tidal mangrove swamp is situated in a sea bay on the east coast of Bermuda, in an enclosed coast with a narrow opening from the sea, Hungry Bay. Reported as the most northerly mangrove swamp in the world, it is shallow with a depth of about during high tide. The area is small at , of which 99% is of tidal mangrove forest and the balance 1% is made up of permanent brackish marshes. The soil conditions comprise clay, mud, peat and sand. It has perennial source of water and is of water quality varying from brackish to mixosaline, saline and euhaline in different zones.
Climatic conditions in the reserve is subtropical with mild temperatures with humidity. Storms and gales are a common feature during winter. The reserve consists of dense forest of red and black mangrove trees. A large number of sea water channels flow through the area which rise and fall with the tides. These tidal channels are an important habitat for small fish. Crabs and other marine creatures are found here. The trees are the habitat for many species of birds. Snails and insects are commonly found in the reserve.
The reserve can be reached by road, though access is limited, or by boat travelling directly through the bay. The reserve operates a small wharf capable of receiving boat traffic.
Flora.
Vegetation in the mangrove swamps consists primarily of black mangrove ("Avicennia germinans") and red mangrove ("Rhizophora mangle"). Other species of trees reported around the mangroves are buttonwood ("Conocarpus erectus"), rush ("Juncus acutus"), sea purslane ("Sesuvium portulacastrum"), sea ox-eye ("Borrichia arborescens"), sea lavender ("Limonium caroliniatum"), "Paspalum vaginatum", "Sporobolus virginicus", woody glasswort ("Sarcocornia perennis") and West Indian grass ("Eustachys petraea"). Tropical mangrove swamp characterises the northern areas of the reserve while the southern areas primarily represent temperate saltmarsh.
Invasive plants, notably among them casuarina, are adversely affecting the growth of the mangrove swamp, and therefore in addition giant land and hermit crabs, endemic snail species. Habitat restoration measures are underway to retain the mangroves and other native species.
Fauna.
The faunal species reported from the mangrove swamp include several species of crabs: the giant land crab ("Cardisoma guanhumi") ( only two colonies exists in the upper regions of the swamp), the terrestrial hermit crab ("Coenobita clypeatus") (54 individuals recorded in 1990), and the mangrove crab ("Goniopsis cruentatus").
Avifauna.
Significant avifauna reported in the reserve are the great blue heron ("Ardea herodias"), yellow-crowned night heron ("Nyctanassa violacea"), snowy egret ("Egretta thula"), mallard ("Anas platyrhynchus"), belted kingfisher, "Megaceryle alcyon" and northern waterthrush ("Parkesia noveboracensis"), which are all wintering bird species. Feral pigeons, which are displacing tropic birds from their nesting sites in cliff-holes and ledges, need to be eliminated from the reserve to preserve the native species of birds, according to efforts made to control their population thus far.


Kronotsky

Kronotsky (, "Kronotskaya Sopka") is a major stratovolcano on Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. It is located in Kronotsky Nature Reserve to the east of Lake Kronotskoye ( the largest lake in Kamchatka ). It has a particularly symmetrical conical shape, comparable to Mount Fuji in Japan and to Mayon Volcano in the Philippines. The summit crater is plugged by a volcanic neck, and the summit itself is ice-capped. It exhibits the classic radial drainage pattern, extending downward from its crater. Kronotsky is considered to be one of the most scenic volcanoes in Kamchatka. In the 20th century, the volcano had low activity, with occasional weak phreatic eruptions.


Erdemli Pine Groove

Erdemli Pine Groove is a nature park in Turkey. It is also called "Talat Göktepe Groove" to commemorate Talat Göktepe a former director of Forestry in Çanakkale who died while fighting against forest fire in 1994. It is located at to the west of Erdemli ilçe (district) of Mersin Province. It lies between the Turkish state highway and the Mediterranean Sea coast.
It was declared a picnic place in 1962 and a nature park in 2011.
The length of the grove is about in northeast to southwest direction. Its width is about . The total area is . The coastal part is a sandy beach. There are some sand dunes on the beach. The back part is a groove. Most of the trees are Turkish pine (Pinus brutia), Umbrella pine (Sciadopitys) and myrtle (Myrtus).


Buckhorn Wilderness

The Buckhorn Wilderness is a mountainous wilderness area on the northeastern Olympic Peninsula in Washington, USA. Named after Buckhorn Mountain (), the wilderness abuts the eastern boundary of Olympic National Park which includes nearby Mount Constance (), Inner Constance (), Warrior Peak (), and Mount Deception ().
History.
In 1984, the U.S. Congress established five wilderness areas within the Olympic National Forest:
Buckhorn Wilderness is the largest of the five, all of which sit on the eastern flank of the Olympic Wilderness within Olympic National Park. Buckhorn Wilderness is administered by the Hood Canal Ranger District of the Olympic National Forest.
Geography.
The lowest elevations of the Buckhorn Wilderness are found in the lower parts of the three principal drainages: at the Big Quilcene River, at the Dungeness River, and at Townsend Creek. The highest point in the wilderness is at the summit of Mount Fricaba, which lies on the western boundary of the wilderness area, shared by Olympic National Park. The tallest peak entirely within the wilderness is Buckhorn Mountain at . A notable historical site in the Buckhorn Wilderness is the Tubal Cain mine.
Ecology.
The wilderness lies within the rain shadow of the Olympic Range, resulting in a relatively drier climate. Despite this, the lowland forests (below about 4,000 feet) are still dominated by stands of old-growth western red cedar, western hemlock, and Douglas fir, in addition to numerous understory organisms such as devil's club, salal, thimbleberry, fungi, and mosses. Above about , alpine vegetation prevails where conditions are not too dry. Some slopes, such as the south side of Buckhorn Mountain, are rather arid above tree line due to fast-draining soils, sunny exposure, and low precipitation in the summer months.
Recreation.
More than of trails provide access to the wilderness for backpacking, horseback riding, mountain climbing, hunting, hiking, camping, viewing wildlife, and fishing.


Tunnel of Trees Scenic Heritage Route


Band-e Amir National Park

Band-e Amir National Park () a national park located in the Bamyan Province of central Afghanistan. It is a series of six deep blue lakes separated by natural dams made of travertine, a mineral deposit. The lakes are situated in the Hindu Kush mountains at approximately 3000 m of elevation, west of the famous Buddhas of Bamiyan.
They were created by the carbon dioxide rich water oozing out of the faults and fractures to deposit calcium carbonate precipitate in the form of travertine walls that today store the water of these lakes. Band-e Amir is one of the few rare natural lakes in the world which are created by travertine systems. The site of Band-e Amir has been described as Afghanistan's Grand Canyon, and draws thousands of tourists a year. The river is part of the system of the Balkh River.
History.
The name Band-e Amir literally means "Commander's Dam" which is believed by some to be a reference to Ali, the fourth Caliph of the Muslims. The area is dominated by ethnic Hazaras, who are estimated to make up about 10 percent of Afghanistan's population.
In her 1970 guide to Afghanistan, Nancy Dupree wrote that a full description about Band-e Amir would "rob the uninitiated of the wonder and amazement it produces on all who gaze upon it". Parts of the 1975 Bollywood film Dharmatma, with Feroz Khan and Hema Malini, were filmed at the Band-e Amir National Park.
In 2004, Band-e Amir was submitted for recognition as a World Heritage site. Efforts to make Band-e Amir a national park started in the 1970s, but were then put on hold due to the wars. In April 2009, Band-e Amir was finally declared Afghanistan's first national park. As of 2013, about 6,000 local tourists visit the Band-e Amir National Park every year. The area is protected by a small number of park rangers.
Geography.
Band-e Amir is situated at approximately 75 km to the north-west of the ancient city of Bamyan, close to the town of Yakawlang. Together with Bamyan Valley, they are the heart of Afghanistan's tourism, attracting thousands of tourists every year and from every corner of the world. The Band-e Amir lakes are primarily a late spring and summertime tourism destination, as the high elevation central Hazarajat region of Afghanistan is extremely cold in winter, with temperatures reaching as low as -20C. The six constituent lakes of Band-e Amir are:
The white travertine dams created by fault lines, which are prevalent in the Band-e Amir Valley, form the barriers between the lakes. Band-e Haibat is the biggest and the deepest of the six, with an average depth of approximately 150 metres, as estimated by the Provincial Reconstruction Team diving team from New Zealand. Another comparable lake is Band-e Azhdahar (The Dragon), located a few kilometres southeast of the town of Bamyan, which has also been created as a result of carbon dioxide rich water oozing out of the faults underground and depositing calcium carbonate precipitate to form the travertine walls of Band-e Amir.
Current status.
After the formal establishment of the park in 2009, a park office with a park warden and a group of rangers was installed to manage the conservation and protection of park natural resources. Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is the only non-government organization with an office in the park. WCS supports park staff and works with the local community to promote conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Ecotourism is expected to decrease local economic dependency on the park's natural resources. Tourists visit Band-e-Amir primarily in the summer months when the weather is warm. A poor local economy and limited outside investment have hampered efforts to attract winter tourism.
The local people in Band-e-Amir National Park rely heavily on the park's natural resources for their livelihood. Grazing of livestock, collection of shrubs for fuel and winter fodder and rain-fed farming is still widely practiced within the park boundary. Although the illegal hunting of birds and a few mammals living in the park is formally prohibited by the park office, there is no current data to evaluate the status of wildlife and biodiversity.
Important Bird Area.
A 41,000 ha tract overlapping the national park has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports populations of Himalayan snowcocks, Hume's larks, white-winged snowfinches, Afghan snowfinches and Eurasian crimson-winged finches.


Handeni Game Controlled Area

The Handeni Hill Forest Reserve (or Handeni Game Controlled Area) is a forest reserve located in Tanzania. It was established in 1973. This site is .


Mt. Rose Highway


Caohai Lake

Caohai Lake (, "Sea of Grass" in Chinese) is a natural water-body situated in Northwest Guizhou Province of Southwest China. The lake is situated on Weining Mountain, in the outskirts of Weining County. Caohai Village lies directly at the edge of the wetland.
Physical data.
The lake originally covered . However, as a result of drainage, cultivation, and climate change during the last few decades, the lake area has contracted to only . Its average depth is and it stands at above sea level.
Caohai Nature Reserve.
In 1985, the area around the lake was designated as a nature reserve at the provincial level, and in 1992 this was elevated to a national level designation. Cao Hai Nature Reserve is an Important Bird Area. The reserve area is .
Fauna.
The lake area is the largest and most important wetland of Southwest China, providing wintering grounds for black-necked cranes, the only crane species inhabiting plateaus left in the world. In addition, the lake is also inhabited by 184 bird species, including common cranes, hooded cranes, white storks, black storks, bar-headed geese, golden eagles, eastern imperial eagles, white-tailed sea-eagles, and ruddy shelducks.
One frog species, "Rana weiningensis", is endemic to this area.


Mezhuveli Temple

Mezhuveli Anandabhootheshawaram Temple is a famous Lord Shiva Temple situated at the heart of Mezhuveli village in Pathanamthitta District. This temple was built by the villagers under the leadership of famous social reformer and poet Sri.Muloor S.Padmanabha Panicker and consecrated by Sree Narayana Guru. This century old temple was built on a place called ‘Tholekavu’ which was surrounded by a small hill called ‘Meenchirakkal Hill’ on the southern side, ‘Ambottimodi’ also called ‘Kailasam’ on the east, a beautiful stream flowing on the western side near "Pottanmala" and at the north side "Padmanabhan Kunnu", a small hill. Tholekavu was a small forest, which is believed to be a part of the Pandalam Kingdom.
Sree Mahadevan is the principal deity worshipped here. Ganapathi, Subramanian, Devi, Shasthavu, Nagarajavu and Nagayakshi, Brahmarakhshassu are also worshipped here as upadevatas. A separate Guru Mandir is situated inside the temple for Sree Naryana Guru, who did the consecration of this temple. An arayaal tree is also situated inside the temple premises. Main offerings are Neyvilakku, Jaladhaara, Mrityunjaya Pushpanjali along with all other vedasooktha archanas and pushpanjalis. All other important poojas including Ganapathi Homam, Neeranjanam etc. can be done here very well, properly and effectively. Important days of visit are Mondays and Saturdays considering Shiva Pooja.
See also.
Ayyappa temple situated about 8 km from Mezhuveli


Biri Larosa Protected Landscape and Seascape

The Biri Larosa Protected Landscape and Seascape is a protected area located in Northern Samar, Philippines, about west of Catarman. It protects the Balicuatro Islands, composed of the island municipality of Biri and associated smaller islands, off the northwestern coast of Samar in the San Bernardino Strait. It also includes the coastal areas of the adjacent municipalities from which it derives the second half of its name – a combination of the first two letters of Lavezares, Rosario and San Jose.
The protected area spanned of land and sea when it was gazetted in 2000. It is famous for its natural rock formations, as well as beaches, coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangrove forests. The San Bernardino Strait, noted for its strong waves and currents, is also a popular surfing location in Samar.
Description.
The Balicuatro Islands are a group of 18 small islands situated about northeast of Balicuatro Point, the northwestern tip of Samar island. It is divided into two subgroups by the Biri Channel, with the main island of Biri on the west composed of 7 islands, and the group of Cabauan Grande (Cabaongon) on the east. The islands border the San Bernardino Strait and Philippine Sea and are separated from Samar by the Bani Channel.
Biri is the largest and northernmost of the Balicuatro Islands and is about long northwest and southeast and wide. It is generally high with a rocky perpendicular bluff on its northwestern side. Its coastline is covered with mangroves and has gravel beaches on its western side. It is surrounded by Macarite, Cagnipa, Talisay, Magesang and other smaller unnamed islands and is protected by fringing reefs. In 2000, the island municipality had a population of 8,700 distributed in 8 barangays.
The island's main attraction is its seven gigantic rock formations, namely Magasang, Magsapad, Macadlaw, Puhunan, Bel-at, Caranas and Pinanahawan. These rock formations are a result of underwater tectonic plate movements and crashing waves over millions of years. Another unique feature of the island are the natural saltwater pools at Bel-at and Caranas where visitors can enjoy swimming in clear water. To the south of Biri Channel along the coast of Lavezares are San Juan, Bani and Maravilla islands where several other white sand beaches can be found. On the coast of San Jose and Rosario are the islands of Cabaongon, Gilbert and the rest of the subgroup.
Biodiversity.
Coral reefs comprise of the Biri Larosa protected area which supports 23 different reef fish species such as the "siganid". It also contains of mangrove forests with 15 different mangrove species with "Rhizophoraceae" being dominant. They provide habitat to different local and migratory bird species such as the bridled tern, black-naped tern, greater crested tern and frigatebird, as well as several species of shellfish. Seagrasses cover about consisting of five species, including "Cymodocea rotundata", "Thalassia hemprichii", and "Enhalus acoroides".
The protected area faces threats from coral quarrying, blast fishing, and illegal cutting of mangroves.
Mythology.
Biri is a sacred place for the Waray people since ancient times. They believe that Biri is the home of the goddess, Berbinota, who was initially a beautiful mortal woman who ruled the area's vicinity. Stories say that enchanted beings kidnapped the mortal Berbinota in an attempt to make her their ruler, which eventually led to her enthronement as a goddess.


Bonilla-Bonillita Lacustrine Wetland

Bonilla-Bonillita Lacustrine Wetland () is a protected area in Costa Rica, managed under the Caribbean La Amistad Conservation Area and created in 1994 under decree 23004-MlRENEM to protect the Lake Bonilla, Lake Bonillita on the west side of Reventazón River, and Lake Lancaster Arriba and Lake Lancaster Abajo on the east side of Reventazón River.


Santiago-Comaina Reserved Zone

The Santiago-Comaina Reserved Zone () is a protected area in Peru located in the Amazonas Region, Condorcanqui Province.


Alligator Alley


Amangarh Tiger Reserve

Amangarh Tiger Reserve is a Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger in India. It is in Amangarh in Bijnor district in the state of Uttar Pradesh. It has an area of 95 km2 and is one among the only three Tiger Reserves in Uttar Pradesh, the other two being Dudhwa Tiger Reserve and Pilibhit Tiger Reserve. It is home to tigers, elephants and a wide variety of other wild animals.
History.
Amangarh Tiger Reserve was originally part of the famed Jim Corbett National Park, and after the state of Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh, Jim Corbett went to Uttarakhand and Amangarh remained in Uttar Pradesh. Amangarh Tiger reserve forms an extension of and buffer to Jim Corbett National Park. It was notified in 2012 as a Tiger Reserve. There was no human settlement inside this zone, hence the notification was easier.
Declaration of this zone as a Tiger Reserve would go a long way in conservation efforts in Uttar Pradesh as the area would henceforth get central funds and attention from National Tiger Conservation Authority and lead to more effective management and security of this zone.


U.S. Route 50 in Nevada

U.S. Route 50 (US 50) is a transcontinental highway in the United States, stretching from West Sacramento, California, in the west to Ocean City, Maryland, on the east coast. The Nevada portion crosses the center of the state and was named "The Loneliest Road in America" by "Life" magazine in July 1986. The name was intended as a pejorative, but Nevada officials seized it as a marketing slogan. The name originates from large desolate areas traversed by the route, with few or no signs of civilization. The highway crosses several large desert valleys separated by numerous mountain ranges towering over the valley floors, in what is known as the Basin and Range province of the Great Basin.
US 50 has a diverse route through the state, traversing the resort communities of Lake Tahoe, the state capital in Carson City, historical sites such as Fort Churchill State Historic Park, petroglyphs, alpine forests, desert valleys, ghost towns, and Great Basin National Park.
The route was constructed over a historic corridor, initially used for the Pony Express and Central Overland Route and later for the Lincoln Highway. Before the formation of the U.S. Highway System, most of US 50 in Nevada was designated State Route 2. The routing east of Ely has changed significantly from the original plans. The route change resulted from a rivalry between Nevada and Utah over which transcontinental route was better to serve California-bound traffic, the Lincoln Highway or the Victory Highway.
Route description.
US 50 crosses the central portion of Nevada, entering the west side of the state near Lake Tahoe and exiting the east side near Great Basin National Park. The route crosses mostly desolate terrain in its journey across the state; US 50 passes through several large desert valleys and basins. The highway crosses 17 named mountain passes that break up the Nevada desert. To crest some of the passes along US 50 requires navigating steep 8% grades and hairpin turns through pine forests to reach elevations of over .
In the stretch of highway between Fallon and Delta, Utah, a span of , there are three small towns, Austin, Eureka, and Ely. This span is roughly the same distance as Boston, Massachusetts, to Baltimore, Maryland, or Paris, France, to Zürich, Switzerland. Traffic along US 50 varies greatly. The average annual daily traffic in 2007 ranged from 52,000 vehicles per day in Carson City, to 530 vehicles per day near the Duckwater turnoff.
In addition to portions being designated the Loneliest Road and Lincoln Highway, the portion concurrent with Interstate 580 in Carson City is designated the Carson City Deputy Sheriff Carl Howell Memorial Freeway in honor of a sheriff's officer who was shot to death while attempting to rescue a victim of domestic violence from her house.
Western Nevada.
US 50 enters Nevada from California as a busy four-lane thoroughfare on the shores of alpine Lake Tahoe in Stateline, Nevada. The highway follows the eastern shore, squeezing between the lake and the crest of the Carson Range. In one narrow spot, the highway cuts through the mountains via the Cave Rock Tunnel. Eventually, the route crests the Carson Range at Spooner Summit and then descends into Nevada's capital, Carson City. Carson Street and William Street formerly carried the highway through the city; however, in 2017, US 50 was moved to a freeway alignment constructed for Interstate 580.
After Carson City, US 50 follows the Carson River towards the Lahontan Valley. This portion is also mostly four-lane, serving the commuter towns of Dayton and Silver Springs as well as passing by Fort Churchill State Historic Park and Lahontan State Recreation Area. In addition to the trails of the Pony Express and Lincoln Highway, this portion parallels the Carson River branch of the California Trail. The Carson River forms the southern edge of the Forty Mile Desert. This desert, located between the termini of the Carson and Humboldt rivers, was the most dreaded part of the California Trail, where travelers had to endure of desert heat with no usable water.
At Silver Springs, U.S. Route 50 Alternate splits from the main route. Both branches are sometimes called the loneliest road, and the promotional passport issued by the Nevada Commission on Tourism includes a stamping location at Fernley, along the alternate branch. The two branches rejoin west of Fallon. Fallon, home to the Naval Air Station Fallon or TOPGUN, is an agricultural community along the last usable water of the Carson River. The town is located just south of the river's terminus at the Carson Sink. Leaving Fallon, the highway passes by ancient petroglyph sites at Grimes Point and then Sand Mountain, a sand dune.
Fallon to Austin.
The scenery and level of traffic changes upon leaving the Fallon area. The road narrows from four lanes to two and crosses remote terrain characterized by Basin and Range topography. The summits start out low and gradually increase in elevation. The features in the first basins include Labou Flat, a dry lake used by the US Navy for low-level flight operations, and Dixie Valley, with several visible fault scarps that resulted from the magnitude 7.1 Dixie Valley/Fairview earthquake in 1954. Dixie Valley is now a US Navy Electronic Warfare Range.
The next services are in the single-building settlement of Middlegate, a roadhouse that has served as a restaurant, bar, hotel, and refueling station since the Pony Express era of the 19th century. The building features Lincoln Highway and Pony Express era artifacts as well as plaques from various historical societies confirming the station is authentic. The station is the modern turnoff to Berlin–Ichthyosaur State Park, a preserved ghost town surrounded by dinosaur remains.
Nearby is a grove of cottonwoods, which includes a shoe tree. Patrons of the bar at Middlegate are unsure of the origin of the shoe tree; however, most believe it started sometime in the mid-1980s. A legend has formed about how a young man was traveling to Reno with his bride-to-be. When she balked and got out of the car, he threw her shoes in the tree so she couldn't get away. A reporter for the "San Francisco Chronicle" began to study the phenomenon of shoe trees after seeing the one at Middlegate, stating to his knowledge this was the biggest in the world. It was discovered on December 31, 2010, that the original shoe tree had been chopped down, possibly by vandals. Since then visitors have started a new shoe tree with another tree in the grove.
East of Middlegate, the paths of the Pony Express, Lincoln Highway, and US 50 diverge, using different passes to cross the Desatoya Mountains. They rejoin west of Austin. The first paved route of the Lincoln Highway is preserved as State Route 722.
Austin to Ely.
Austin lies east of Fallon. The city, founded by Pony Express riders who discovered silver, was a mining boomtown that now describes itself as a living ghost town. In 1862, at the peak of the silver boom, Austin had a population of 10,000 people. Today, about 300 residents remain. Perched above the town and just to the south of the highway is Stokes Castle, a long abandoned monument to a prominent eastern family with local mining interests. Passing Austin, travelers encounter hairpin turns and steep grades in the ascent up Austin Summit in the Toiyabe Range. This area is inside the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, the first part of US 50 to run inside a national forest since leaving Lake Tahoe. At Hickison Summit, about east of Austin, is the Hickison Petroglyph Recreation Area, a rest area and campground featuring a walking tour of petroglyphs.
The next town is Eureka, which bills itself as the "Friendliest Town on the Loneliest Road in America". Eureka was similarly founded as a mining boom town. Although mining has diminished, it remains a large component of the community and its economy. The centerpiece of the historical district of Eureka is the Eureka Opera House, built in 1880.
Past Eureka is Ely, founded as a stage coach station along the Pony Express and Central Overland Route. Ely's mining boom came later than booms of other towns along US 50, with the discovery of copper in 1906. Though the railroads connecting the first transcontinental railroad to the mines in Austin and Eureka have long been removed, the railroad to Ely is preserved as a heritage railway by the Nevada Northern Railway and known as the Ghost Train of Old Ely. Here US 50 departs the historical routes of the Lincoln Highway, Pony Express, and State Route 2. These routes proceeded northeast towards Salt Lake City, while US 50 joins with US 6 and US 93 heading east towards the state line.
Eastern Nevada.
Ely is the last city along US 50 in Nevada. The next city is Delta, Utah, to the east; there are only two gas stations along the stretch between Ely and Delta. US 93 continues south from the junction with US 50 at Majors Place. At the Nevada–Utah border, the highway passes by Border, Nevada, with a gas station and restaurant.
This portion of the highway is mountainous with the highest point along US 50 in Nevada at Connors Pass at . This section has been designated a Scenic Byway by the Nevada Scenic Byways program. Listed attractions include the Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park and Great Basin National Park. The highway enters Utah northeast of Baker in a remote portion of the Great Basin Desert.
Mountain passes.
From west to east US 50 crosses several mountain ranges using 17 passes and one tunnel.
Cultural references.
In July 1986, "Life" magazine published an article that gave US 50 in Nevada the name "The Loneliest Road in America". The article portrayed the highway, and rural Nevada, as a place devoid of civilization. Officials from White Pine County decided to make the best of the publicity generated from the article, and convinced state authorities to do the same. Jointly, they began to use the pejorative article as a platform to market the area for visitors interested in desert scenery, history, and solitude. The Nevada Department of Transportation adopted the name in official highway logs, and placed custom Highway 50 markers along the route.
The Nevada Commission on Tourism sponsors a promotion where visitors can stop at several designated locations along the route and have the passport section of a state issued "survival guide" marked with a stamp representing that location. Visitors can mail in the completed passport and receive a certificate, signed by the Governor, certifying they survived The Loneliest Road in America. The word "survived" is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the "Life" article, which quoted an American Automobile Association spokesperson as saying, "We warn all motorists not to drive there unless they're confident of their survival skills."
Since the article was published, US 50 has gained popularity among people desiring a scenic or less traveled alternative to Interstate 80 across Nevada. This increase in popularity has caused at least one writer to dispute whether US 50 still deserves the title of The Loneliest Road in America.
Traffic counts on US 50 are now considerably higher than on US 6, just to the south in Nye County.
The 1971 road movie "Vanishing Point", notable for its on-location filming across the southwest United States, used several sections of US 50 as part of the driving sequences.
In 1991, Stephen King drove along US 50 as part of a cross country trip. He stopped at Ruth, a small town near Ely. Studying the town, King fantasized about the fate of the residents. King then heard a local legend about how the ghosts of Chinese miners, who died while trapped in a cave-in, can be seen crossing Highway 50 to haunt the city of Ruth. King merged these details into his own story, including references to The Loneliest Road in America, which became the novel "Desperation".
In 2002, Neil Peart, then taking a sabbatical from Rush, published "", his account of a long-distance motorcycle journey across Canada and the United States. He traveled across US 50 in Nevada, and remarked on the complete absence of any development on long stretches of the road, including a sign reading "No Services for 88 Miles."
In 2008, the British television show "Top Gear" featured the show's presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May driving across Nevada along US 50 in the cars of their choice. Clarkson stated he was "mesmerised by the straightness of the road."
History.
Lincoln Highway.
In Nevada, US 50 was built mostly along the route of the Lincoln Highway, the first transcontinental highway in the United States, formed in 1913. Through Nevada, the route of the Lincoln Highway had been previously used by the Pony Express, an early attempt at an express mail service, started in 1860. The Pony Express used the technique of riders changing horses at stations approximately apart to maximize speed. Many of the towns along US 50 originally served as stations along the Pony Express. The original numbered designation of this route, which appeared on Nevada Highway maps as far back as 1919, was State Route 2. Route 2 had an alternate branch, Route 2A, corresponding to a split in the Lincoln Highway near Fallon. The main and alternate branches of Route 2 are reversed from the modern routings of US 50. Mainline Route 2, the Donner Branch, terminated at Fernley along modern US 50 Alternate. State Route 2A, the Pioneer Branch, followed mainline US 50, terminating at Carson City. State Route 2, and the Lincoln Highway, used a different routing between Ely and Salt Lake City, Utah from the modern routes. The original routing used what is now US 93 from Ely to the ghost town of Schellbourne and then dirt roads towards Tooele, Utah.
In 1926, when the U.S. Highway system was announced, there was a gap in US 50 between Ely and Thistle, Utah. At the time, the states of Utah and Nevada were feuding about which of the old auto trails would be paved and used for the new U.S. Highway system. Utah officials refused to pave the portion of the Lincoln Highway west of Salt Lake City. They perceived this route as being expensive to build, with no benefit for the state. Nevada officials, and the Lincoln Highway Association, pleaded with Utah authorities to change their position, even offering funds to help offset the additional cost of paving that route. However, the Lincoln highway directed travelers destined for both southern and northern California on a route away from Utah cities, towards central Nevada. Utah instead paved the Wendover Cutoff, part of the Victory Highway (modern Interstate 80), that only directed traffic for northern California out of the state. The choice not to pave the Lincoln Highway would direct travelers bound for southern California to use the Arrowhead Trail (modern Interstate 15). This route serves numerous communities in Utah, but only Las Vegas and a few other small towns in Nevada. The final blow to the original route of the Lincoln Highway was the formation of the Dugway Proving Ground, a military base used for weapons testing, which closed the area to the public. The Lincoln Highway was re-routed to Salt Lake City along a circuitous route via Wendover and the Bonneville Salt Flats. This route was initially numbered US 50 from Ely to Wendover and US 40/50 across western Utah, but has been renumbered US 93, US 93 Alternate and I-80.
Route changes.
Most of modern US 50 was pieced together from several routes designated as Nevada State Routes in the early 20th century. The portion from Lake Tahoe to Carson City was originally a portion of State Route 3. The original designation for US 50 from Carson City to Ely was Route 2 and 2A. East of Ely was originally numbered Route 7 to the modern junction with US 93 and Route 14 from there to the Utah state line.
The modern route of US 50 has significantly changed since the highway was first commissioned in 1926. The biggest change is between Ely and Green River, Utah. The first contiguous route of the highway between these cites followed the modified routing of the Lincoln Highway to Salt Lake City. The highway returned to Green River along what is now numbered UT 201, US 89, and US 6. The route was changed when the more direct route between these cities (via Delta, Utah) was paved. The 1954 edition of the Nevada highway map was the first to show the new routing.
Previously, the road to Delta consisted of unpaved state routes. The paved route did not follow the exact route of the old dirt roads. The improved route bypassed the ghost town of Osceola and entered Utah approximately to the south of the dirt road. The border crossing was moved to facilitate an easier route across western Utah. In Utah, the old road traversed a difficult route through Marjum Canyon, while the paved route followed a simpler path along the north shore of Sevier Lake.
Three different routes have existed between Lake Tahoe and Carson City. The original, used by the Lincoln Highway, was previously known as Johnson's Cutoff or the Carson Ridge Emigrant Road. This route, which followed Kings Canyon to scale the Sierra Nevada, was severely damaged by a flood in 1997. The U.S. Forest Service still promotes this road for its historical value, but has announced that it will no longer be maintained and travel is only recommended by foot, horse, or four wheel drive vehicle. A portion in the lower part of the canyon inside Carson City limits was maintained by the state as Kings Canyon Road (SR 512) until 2009. In 1923, while still known as State Route 3, the road to Lake Tahoe was changed to follow Clear Creek Canyon, along a path that had been used for a series of tunnels and flumes, to transport timber from Lake Tahoe to the Virginia and Truckee Railroad depot in Carson City.
The iteration is now known as Old Clear Creek Road. Only a small portion of Old Clear Creek Road is currently maintained by the state as unsigned SR 705, the remainder is an access road for private residences in the canyon. The modern route, also using Clear Creek Canyon, was built in the late 1950s.
US 50 was rerouted through the eastern half of Fallon. The original route is not drivable as it runs through Naval Air Station Fallon; portions are still in public use as Harrigan Road (SR 115) and Berney Road (SR 119). Around 1967, US 50 was improved between Middlegate and Austin, to bypass steep grades and sharp curves over Carroll Summit. The original route is now SR 722. In 2017, US 50 was re-aligned onto the completed Interstate 580 bypass, replacing its former route through downtown Carson City.


Zydeco Cajun Prairie Byway

The Zydeco Cajun Prairie Byway is a Louisiana Scenic Byway that follows several different state highways, primarily:


Ansel Adams Wilderness

The Ansel Adams Wilderness is a wilderness area in the Sierra Nevada of California, United States. The wilderness spans ; 33.9% of the territory lies in the Inyo National Forest, 65.8% is in the Sierra National Forest, and the remaining 0.3% covers nearly all of Devils Postpile National Monument. Yosemite National Park lies to the north and northwest, while the John Muir Wilderness lies to the south.
History.
The wilderness was established as part of the original Wilderness Act in 1964 as the Minarets Wilderness. The Minarets Wilderness was created by enlarging and renaming the Mount Dana-Minarets Primitive Area.
In 1984, after his death, the area was expanded and renamed in memory of Ansel Adams, well-known environmentalist and nature photographer who is famous for his black-and-white landscape photographs of the Sierra Nevada.
Geography and Geology.
The Ansel Adams wilderness spans in elevation from , forming the northern end of the High Sierra.
The centerpiece of the Ansel Adams wilderness is the Ritter Range, which includes dark metavolcanic glaciated mountains such as Mount Ritter, Banner Peak, and The Minarets.
Immediately to the east of the Ritter Range is the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River, which contains Devils Postpile, a series of basaltic columns that were revealed and smoothed by glacier action. The Middle Fork originates from Thousand Island Lake, at the foot of Banner Peak, one of the largest backcountry lakes in the Sierra.
To the east of the Middle Fork canyon is the true Sierra Crest, which, at roughly of elevation is lower than the Ritter Range. This relatively low region of the Crest allows winter storms through and cause large amounts of snowfall on Mammoth Mountain, which sits in the gap. The gap also allows migration of plants and animals across the Sierra Crest.
To the west of the Ritter Range lies the canyon of the North Fork of the San Joaquin, a relatively remote and unvisited high-country area. The southern part of the wilderness contains the deep canyon of the main San Joaquin River, which flows out of the Sierra Nevada to California's Central Valley.
Ecology.
The Ansel Adams wilderness contains substantial area above treeline, at approximately . The area above treeline contains alpine meadows and fellfields, with a large number of glacial lakes. Below treeline, the wilderness is dominated by lodgepole pine, red fir, and Jeffrey pine, depending on elevation.
Recreation.
The wilderness contains of hiking trails, including portions of the John Muir and Pacific Crest Trails. The Sierra High Route, an off-trail route described by Steve Roper, runs along the base of the Ritter Range, through the wilderness.
The Middle Fork of the San Joaquin receives the most visitors: a mandatory bus is required for visitors to reach Devils Postpile from the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area during the summer.
The Minarets are a well-known area for technical rock climbing.
Winter brings various cross-country ski possibilities, accessible from both Mammoth Mountain and the June Mountain ski area.


Godachi

Godachi is a pilgrim centre located near Ramdurg Taluk, Belgaum district, in the Indian State of Karnataka. Its temples include Veerabhadra, Kalamma and Maruti. It lies 14 km from Ramdurg.
Etymology.
The name of the place is derived from that of the plant "kodachi" or "godachi" (Zizyphus xylopyrus), which grows abundantly in the area.
Temples.
The Veerabhadra Temple in Vijayanagar style has a garbhagriha with a chalukyan doorway and a spacious main hall. The Veerabhadra image is of later date. Marriages are held in the temple. People visit this place daily, and more on Amavasya or Poornima days. The Temple has choultries all around. The annual Jatra is held in honour of Veerabhadra in December, when more than 30,000 people assemble. The copper plates of Chalukya Kirti-Varman were found here. According to legend, Shivasharanas on the way to Ulvi fought a battle here. The former Jahgirdar of Torgal shinde family is the trustee of the Veerabhadra temple.


Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reefs Marine Protected Area

Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reefs Marine Protected Area (HS/QCS MPA) is a 2,410-square-kilometre marine protected area located in Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound off the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada. The marine protected area was established in February 2017 with the goal of conserving the biological diversity, structural habitat, and ecosystem function of four glass sponge reefs. These reefs were the first discovered living specimens and are the largest glass sponge reefs in the world.
History.
Prior to their discovery in 1987, glass sponge reefs were believed to have been extinct worldwide since the end of the Jurassic period. The formation of glass sponge reefs requires a combination of unique geological conditions combined with the occurrence of the reef-forming species of Hexactinellid sponges.
In 2018, the marine protected area was added to UNESCO's tentative list of World Heritage Sites.


Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve

The Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, DDCR, is a natural reserve in the emirate of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. It was established by Emiri decree on 9 January 2002 and comprises some 5% of the Emirate of Dubai's total landmass.
It is home to the Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa.


Kranji Marshes

The Kranji Marshes is a nature reserve in the northwest area of Singapore.
Background.
A freshwater marshland, derived from the damming of the Kranji River to form the Kranji Reservoir, became seen as an important habitat. Nature Society Singapore (NSS) drafted a proposal highlighting its conservation value in 1990. This was accepted and included in the government Singapore Green Plan 1993. The 54-hectare site includes woodland and wetlands. NSS adopted the stretch of wetlands in 2008 and supported by sponsorship carried out a restoration program in cooperation with PUB and NParks. It was in 2005 that the area was recategorised as a park and named "Kranji Marshes Park". The parkland was opened to the public on 1 February 2016. The area is home to a number of endangered birds, and at least 170 species have been recorded.
Getting there.
The entrance to Kranji Marshes is at Neo Tiew Lane 2, and only accessible by car, bike or the Kranji Express which leaves every hour from 1200 to 1700 daily.


Easkey Bog

Easkey Bog is a blanket bog, national nature reserve and Ramsar site of approximately in County Sligo.
Features.
Easkey or Easky Bog was legally protected as a national nature reserve by the Irish government in 1990. In 1990, the site was also declared Ramsar site number 471. A large portion of the bog has been deemed to be of international scientific interest.
The reserve contains the Cowagh River headwaters, a large plateau of highland blanket bog, with wet heath and mountain blanket bog set on the steep slopes of the Ox Mountains. There is a wide variety of diverse habitats, from quaking areas, stream, pool, flushes, heath slopes, and rock and peat lakes. Easkey Bog is one of only a small number of large areas of intermediate blanket bogs in Ireland, encompassing lowland and mountain blanket bog. It is rare in that it contains all three types of blanket bogs within close proximity. The reserve is home to red grouse and curlews, with the golden plover overwintering there. There is also a population of Irish hare. A small flock of Greenland white-fronted geese migrate to the area in the winter.


Beartooth Highway

The Beartooth Highway is an All-American Road on a section of U.S. Route 212 in Montana and Wyoming between Red Lodge and the Northeast entrance of Yellowstone National Park, passing over the Beartooth Pass in Wyoming at above sea level. It has been called "the most beautiful drive in America," by late CBS correspondent Charles Kuralt. Because of heavy snowfall at the top, the pass is usually open each year only from mid May through mid October, weather conditions permitting.
Route description.
The Beartooth Highway is the section of U.S. Route 212 between Red Lodge, Montana and Cooke City, Montana. It traces a series of steep zigzags and switchbacks, along the Montana-Wyoming border to the high Beartooth Pass in Wyoming. The approximate elevation rise is from to in in the most daring landscapes.
When driving east to west the highest parts of the Beartooth Highway level off into a wide plateau near the top of the pass, then descend to the junction with Wyoming Highway 296 (Chief Joseph Scenic Byway) near Cooke City, the northeast gateway to Yellowstone National Park. On the way one passes numerous lakes typical of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area which borders the highway along much of its route.
The highway officially opened June 14, 1936.
Snowstorms can occur even in the middle of the summer at this altitude and the pass is also known for strong winds and severe thunderstorms. Drivers should plan on a driving time of at least two hours for the trip from Red Lodge to Cooke City. It is a good idea to check with the Red Lodge Chamber of Commerce or the Beartooth Ranger District beforehand in case of road closures. Montana Traveler Information and Wyoming Travel Information Service both provide online information on Beartooth Highway travel conditions for their respective portions of the highway.
The Beartooth Highway passes through portions of Custer, Shoshone, and Gallatin national forests, and near the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness.
Despite this, and the U.S. highway number, and also connecting to highway 296, it is not maintained by Wyoming Department of Transportation or even the U.S. Forest Service, with WYDOT stating it does not meet standards for Wyoming state highways. It is instead maintained by the National Park Service, despite not being part of the park (like the Foothills Parkway or Skyline Drive) or being its own unit (like the Blue Ridge Parkway and Natchez Trace Parkway). The Montana Department of Transportation does maintain its portions in Custer and Gallatin national forests at the east and west ends of the highway, respectively.
Neither MDT nor NPS perform snow removal except for once in the spring, typically in May, but sometimes not until June if there has been heavy snowfall. Once the road does open, the Beartooth Basin Ski Area opens at the state line at Beartooth Pass, for a short summer-only season that lasts until July.
History.
In August 1872, the pass was crossed by Civil War General Philip Sheridan and 120 men returning from an inspection tour of Yellowstone National Park. Rather than take the long detour down the Clarks Fork Yellowstone River to return to Billings, Sheridan took the advice of an old hunter named Shuki Greer, who claimed intimate knowledge of the Beartooth Mountains. When the road was opened in 1936, it essentially followed Sheridan's route over the pass.
2005 closure.
Several large mudslides and rockslides on May 19-20, 2005 damaged or destroyed the Montana side of the Beartooth Highway in a dozen places between mile markers 39 and 51. The road was closed for reconstruction, and a $20.4 million construction contract issued which stipulated an October 2005 completion date. Construction was completed ahead of schedule however the highway did not reopen for a year.
An estimated of rock was removed from a section of the highway near the top of the switchbacks, and construction crews drilled down to solid bedrock to create new supports for the road.


Pacuare-Matina Forest Reserve

Pacuare-Matina Forest Reserve (), is a protected area in Costa Rica, managed under the Caribbean La Amistad Conservation Area, it was created in 1973 by decree 2886-A.


Wellington Park

Wellington Park is the protected area which encompasses kunanyi / Mount Wellington and surrounds near Hobart, Tasmania. There are numerous hiking and mountain bike tracks within the park of varying difficulty.
Protection.
Although it carries the same status as a national park (IUCN protected area category II), because the park contains private land it cannot technically be reserved as a national park.
Management.
Wellington Park is administered by the Wellington Park Management Trust established in 1993 whose members include: Hobart and Glenorchy City Councils, Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, DPIPWE, TasWater and Tourism Tasmania. The Wellington Park Management Trust is outlined in the "Wellington Park Act 1993".


Selevenj heath

Selevenj heath or "Selevenjske pustare" is a Pannonian heath type reserve in the Kanjiža and Subotica municipalities in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina in Serbia. The reserve with an area of 6.77 km2 has never been urbanised and is protected as a special nature reserve. It consists of areas criss-crossed with orchards, fields and vineyards and is primarily used for botanical conservation.
Flora.
The Selevenj heath special nature reserve is the only location in Serbia where the desert soapwort grows. Protected species of orchid and iris can be found in the reserve.
Fauna.
Internationally protected species like sand lizards, bats and rare birds live in the Selevenj heath special nature reserve. The reserve is one of few places in Serbia where the scarce large blue can be found.
Tourism.
A couple of marked trails lead through the special nature reserve. Guided rangers tours are available to discover the area.


Nykvåg/Nykan Nature Reserve

The Nykvåg/Nykan Nature Reserve () is located in the municipality of Bø in Nordland county, Norway.
The nature reserve lies between Sandvika and Nykvåg, south of the Nyke/Tussen and Frugga nature reserves. It covers an area of , of which is sea. The land area includes the west side of Langøya and three larger islands (Fuglenyken, Måsnyken, and Spjøten) as well as several smaller islands. The area is protected to safeguard many important breeding sites for seabirds. The nature reserve was established on December 6, 2002. Norwegian County Road 916 passes by a bird cliff on the northeast edge of the reserve.