Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge

The Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge on Anaho Island in Pyramid Lake, Nevada. The refuge was established by President Woodrow Wilson in 1913 as a sanctuary for colonial nesting birds. It is home to one of the two largest colonies of pelicans—American white pelicans—in the western U.S. Other birds found on the island include California gulls, Caspian terns, double-crested cormorants, great blue herons, black-crowned night herons, and snowy egrets.
No boats are allowed within 1000 feet of the refuge. Refuge staff and volunteers visit the island to keep track of birds and band juvenile pelicans. An estimated 8-10,000 pelicans used to return to Anaho Island each spring from their winter homes in Southern California and Baja California, Mexico. In recent years the number of pelican nests have dropped dramatically, due to water diversions affecting the fish runs of the endangered cui-ui, a staple food of the pelican.


Roland Park Shopping Center


Market Hall, Monmouth

The Market Hall, in Priory Street, Monmouth, Wales, is an early Victorian building by the prolific Monmouth architect George Vaughan Maddox. It was constructed in the years 1837–39 as the centrepiece of a redevelopment of part of Monmouth town centre. After being severely damaged by fire in 1963, it was partly rebuilt and is now the home of Monmouth Museum (formerly the Nelson Museum). At the rear of the building are original slaughterhouses, called The Shambles, opening onto the River Monnow. The building is Grade II listed as at 27 June 1952, and it is one of 24 buildings on the Monmouth Heritage Trail. The Shambles slaughterhouses are separately listed as Grade II*.
Original building and associated development.
By the 1830s, the main road into the centre of Monmouth from the north, Church Street, had become increasingly congested and insalubrious. The street was narrow, and was used by most of the town's butchers. According to local tradition, a local gingerbread maker, Mrs Syner, was closing the shutters of her shop on Church Street one evening when the mail coach to Liverpool went through at a gallop. Her apron strings were caught in one of the horses' harnesses, and she was dragged along the ground for some distance. Escaping serious injury, she grabbed the coachman's whip, knocked out some of his teeth with the handle, and marched back to her shop to begin organising a petition for a new road to be built to bypass Church Street. The Borough Council then organised a competition for the best scheme, with a prize of £10 for the winner. The scheme also needed to include a new Market Hall, as the traditional site of the town's produce market, beneath the arches of the Shire Hall, faced disruption because of the need to extend the accommodation for the Assizes.
The prize was won by local architect George Vaughan Maddox, who proposed a new road running to the west of the town centre, immediately above the bank of the River Monnow. Maddox's scheme was for a carriage road—now Priory Street—supported by a viaduct built upon the river bank. A new Market Hall was to be built on one side of the road, supported by the arches. The town's slaughterhouses or "shambles" would be sited beneath the arches, and the waste from them would drain directly into the river. Maddox is also believed to have been responsible for new buildings on the opposite side of Priory Street.
Work began on the new road in 1834. Construction of the New Market Hall started in 1837, and it opened in January 1840. Maddox designed a crescent-shaped frontage, in a "grandiose and scholarly Greek Doric" style, with an Ionic cupola and clerestory above the central part of the building, the whole being constructed of Bath Stone. The town's Post Office was located in the building from 1874 and, after 1876, the first floor of the building was used as the offices and printing works of the local newspaper, the "Monmouthshire Beacon". The curved arcade of slaughterhouses beneath the Market Hall, facing onto the river, was built of Old Red Sandstone. The piers of the 24 arches were slightly inclined to give additional stability. The arches opened into deep storage rooms, vaulted in brick. The Shambles have an independent Grade II* listing.
Fire and later uses.
In March 1963, the entire central part of the Market Hall building was destroyed by a fire which started in the newspaper's paper store, on the first floor. The Borough Council, on the casting vote of Monmouth's mayor, decided that the building should be restored rather than demolished to provide space for car parking, although lack of funds meant that the upper storey and clock tower could not be replaced. A new flat roof for the single storey building, together with a Modernist metal and glass façade at the rear, overlooking the Monnow, were provided in 1968–69 by architects Donald Insall Associates.
Six years after the fire the restored Market Hall opened to house the Nelson Museum and the post office. It was intended that the library would also move in but that remained at the Shire Hall. Apart from the museum—now the Monmouth Museum—and post office, the remaining parts of the building have at various times housed the county court, a labour exchange, Monmouthshire County Council offices, and a café.
The slaughterhouses, which are visible from the railings behind the southern end of the Market Hall, remain physically intact but are disused, dilapidated, and increasingly vandalised. Many of the original slaughterhouse fittings remain in place. Various schemes have been put forward to re-use the slaughterhouses, without success. A feasibility project to investigate the site's potential was proposed by the County Council in 2009.


Ngilgi Cave

Ngilgi Cave, previously known as Yallingup Cave, is a karst cave to the northeast of Yallingup, in the southwest of Western Australia.
In many sections of the cave a red layer of soil can be seen; this is called paleosol.
Discovery.
The local Wardandi people have long known of the existence of the Ngilgi cave. The Wardandi believe the caves to be their passage to the after life.
Edward Dawson was the first European to enter the cave when he went searching for stray horses in 1899. He acted as a guide to the cave from December 1900 to November 1937.
It was frequently promoted and was highlighted in early twentieth century tourism promotion materials.
Naming.
It was originally named for the nearby town of Yallingup but later renamed to acknowledge the cave's part in Australian Aboriginal mythology. Ngilgi (pronounced Neelgee) was a good spirit who triumphed in battle against an evil spirit Wolgine.
The story is part of the heritage of the Wardandi people who are the custodians of the caves in the area.


Hidden Springs State Forest

Hidden Springs State Forest is a conservation area on in Shelby County, Illinois, United States.
2008 closing.
Hidden Springs State Forest was one of eleven state parks slated to close indefinitely on November 1, 2008 due to budget cuts by then-Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. After delay, which restored funding for some of the parks, a proposal to close seven state parks and a dozen state historic sites, including Hidden Springs, went ahead on November 30, 2008. After the impeachment of Illinois Governor Blagojevich, new governor Pat Quinn reopened the closed state parks in February. In March 2009 Quinn announced he is committed to reopening the state historic sites by June 30, 2009.


Llanos de Challe National Park

Llanos de Challe National Park is located on the Pacific coast of the Atacama Region, Chile. The park's mountains are moistened by the Camanchaca, creating a fog and mist-fed ecosystem called lomas (Spanish for "hills."). The park is one of the southernmost locations of the lomas which are scattered along the coastal desert from northern Chile to northern Peru. The highest elevation in the park is "Cerro Negro" at 950 m.
This fragile coastal desert ecosystem is habitat for rare and beautiful plants species, including the threatened "Leontochir ovallei", known locally as "Garra de León". In addition to, cactus are abundant in the park.
The park is one of the best place for contemplating the natural phenomenon known as "desierto florido" (flowery desert), which occurs occasionally as a consequence of El Niño-Southern Oscillation.
The park has the largest population of guanacos in the Atacama Region. Park's seashore and surrounding area feature unspoiled white sand beaches and a coastal wetland, which shelters common moorhens, red-gartered coots, black-necked swans and flamingos.


Billudden

Billudden is a nature reserve in Uppsala County, Sweden.
Billudden is the outermost part of Uppsalaåsen; here the esker forms a promontory into the sea before disappearing from sight underwater. The nature reserve is characterised by the hilly form of the esker, which is still rising with as much as per century due to post-glacial rebound. Areas of windblown sand and sparse Scots pine woods can also be found in the nature reserve. The nature reserve furthermore contains the largest concentration of common sea buckthorn in Europe and several unusual fungi. There are two nature trails with information about the nature of the reserve intended for the educational use of both grown ups and children in the reserve.
There is a former fishing hamlet called Billhamn on the promontory. It lies next to a natural harbour which formed during the last ice age when an ice block of unusually large proportions melted here, creating a circular indent in the shoreline. Today there are no permanent residents and the houses are used as holiday homes.


Oachira Temple

Oachira Temple is an ancient temple located in Oachira in Kollam district in the South Indian state of Kerala. According to the Puranas, this temple is one of the famous sacred places of Kerala and India. Oachira is on the border of Kollam and Allappuzha districts, next to the National Highway 47. This temple is known "DakshinaKashi"(SouthaKashi).This very ancient pilgrimage center is centered on the ParaBrahma temple (that is dedicated to the Para Brahman (or Param Brahman) or Ohmkaram, the Universal Consciousness), and covers thirty-six acres of land.
Every year the Oachira Vrischikam Festival is celebrated during December and January. "Oachirakali" is a famous ritual performed here during June and it involves mock-fighting in muddy water by traditional martial art experts. And "Irupathattam onam" (28 days after Onam) is also celebrated. It is the festival of cattle. In this festival, huge "Eduppu kala" (gigantic idols of bull madeof cloth&hay) are made. They are then pulled on giant wheels to the Oachira Temple from the site where they are made. Normally there are around 50 such structures. It is the biggest festival in "Onattu Kara" which is an area of a few square miles. "Oachirakkali" was actually a war exercise performed annually by soldiers of Kayamkulam Raja. Nearby, about 108 Kalaries were in 52 karas up to the beginning of the 20th century. Soldiers belonging to the above Karas met together at Oachira in the Malayalam month of "Mithuna" every year and performed war-like exercises. This is what is called Oachirakkali.
Ward and Conner, two British officials entrusted to survey of Travancore in the beginning of the 19th century, made their observations about Oachira in their report. In the report it was made clear that there was a very old and damaged temple on the eastern side of the "Padanilam". It was also disclosed that there was a large reservoir at the center of the vast ground on which the temple stands, (which was now known as Kallukettuchira), and which is outside the temple compound today.
Toponymy.
There are many beliefs as to why this place is called Oachira. Some people believe that the place name came from the word "Omkarachira" and some others believe that the name is originated from the name "Oymanchira". Also there are strong beliefs that the name derived from "Uvachanchira" as Uvachan means Lord Siva as per belief. All these assumptions are based on myths.
The real reason for arriving at the name of Oachira is possibly different. For that, we should understand the observations made by the two British officials, Ward and Conner, who conducted a survey in the erstwhile Travancore during the beginning of the 19th century. In their survey report, it was mentioned that there was a large reservoir at the center of the large ground called Padanilam. This reservoir (tank/pond/chira) was at the center of the Padanilam. This chira was used by the soldiers in olden days for bathing and for supplying water to the horses used in the war exercises. This "chira" might have been known in olden days as "Onattuchira", as the place belonged to the Kayamkulam Raja who was also called the "Odanattu Raja" or simply "Onattu Rajah". The Headquarters of Kayamkulam Raja was at that time at Krishnapuram, very near to the Padanilam (which is hardly 1 km away from Oachira). So it is believed that the word "Onattuchira" was gradually accepted as the place name and as time passed by further, that word was corrupted into "Oachira". This is quite a plausible explanation as there are so many examples in known history about the transformation of place names.
The Oachira Temple is unique in the sense that it does not have covered structures for temples. People worship the Para Brahma (the original formless power lord shiva) under neatly preserved trees.


E4 European long distance path

The E4 European long distance path or E4 path is one of the European long-distance paths. Starting at Tarifa Andalusia, located at the southernmost end of the Iberian Peninsula, across the Strait of Gibraltar facing Morocco, it continues through Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece to end in Cyprus. It also visits the Greek island of Crete.
It is more than long, but the route through Romania and part of Bulgaria is not yet completely defined. An alternative route through Serbia, instead of Romania, has been defined.
Spain.
From: Tarifa, the southernmost point of mainland Spain through mountains of Andalucia, Murcia and Valencia via Ronda, Alhama de Granada, Moratalla, Alcoi, Requena, Morella (GR7)
2300 km
Puigcerda in Pyrenees E of Andorra
Catalan coast at Ulldecona (GR8), Tarragona via Catalan coast path (GR92), Montserrat (GR172), then GR4 into Pyrenees
450 km
France.
Montagne Noire via Mont Canigou and Carcassonne (GR 36),
Villefort through Haut Languedoc and Cévennes (GR 71, GR 7, GR 72),
Ardèche and Rhône valleys east via GR 44, GR 4, GR 42, GR429, Swiss border near Geneva
North through Vercors, Grenoble, Chartreuse and Culoz (GR 9)
1100 km
Switzerland.
Follows the Jura ridgeway through the north of the country ending at village Dielsdorf (300 km).
From Dielsdorf, the E4 continues along the southern shores of Lake Constance via the following settlements to the village of Rheineck on the German border (150 km):
Niederglatt – Bülach – Freienstein-Teufen – Irchel – Buch am Irchel – Dorf – Andelfingen – Truttikon – Oberstammheim – Stein am Rhein – Mammern – Steckborn – Berlingen – Mannebach – Ermatingen – Gottlieben – Kreuzlingen – Münsterlingen – Güttingen – Uttwil – Romanshorn – Egnach – Arbon – Steinach – Tübach – Goldach – Rorschacherberg – Buchberg – Rheineck
Germany/Austria.
Alternative 1:
On the route of Nordalpine Weitwanderweg 01 (Nordalpine route 01) are exposed stretches - for experienced mountain walkers only
1. Western section of the route – 495 km
through Bregenzer Wald, Lechquellengebirge, Lechtaler Alps, Wetterstein-gebirge, Karwendelgebirge and Rofangebirge:
Bregenz (440 m) – Lustenauer Hut (1250 m) – 22 km, moderately difficult
Lustenauer Hut (1250 m) – Damüls (1428 m) – 33 km, difficult
Damüls (1428 m) – Biberacher Hut (1846 m) – 18 km, very difficult
Biberacher Hut (1846 m) – Göppinger Hut (2245 m) – 16 km, difficult
Göppinger Hut (2245 m) – Ravensburger Hut (2234 m) – 31 km, very difficult
Ravensburger Hut (2234 m) – Stuttgarter Hut (2303 m) – 20 km, difficult
Stuttgarter Hut (2303 m) – Ansbacher Hut (2376 m) – 28 km, very difficult
Ansbacher Hut (2376 m) – Memminger Hut (2242 m), 25 km, very difficult
Memminger Hut (2242 m) – Steinsee Hut (2040 m) – 20 km, very difficult
Steinsee Hut (2040 m) – Anhalter Hut (2040 m) – 25 km, difficult
Anhalter Hut (2040 m) – Fernpass (1209 m) – 35 km, difficult
Fernpass (1209 m) – Ehrwald (994 m) – 20 km, moderately difficult
Ehrwald (994 m) – Meiler Hut (2366 m) – 39 km, difficult
Meiler Hut (2366 m) – Scharnitz (964 m) – 30 km, moderately difficult
Scharnitz (964 m) – Falken Hut (1846 m) – 30 km, moderately difficult
Falken Hut (1846 m) – Maurach am Achensee (958 m) – 35 km, moderately difficult
Maurach am Achsensee (958 m) – Steinberg am Rofan (1010 m) – 25 km, difficult
Steinberg am Rofan (1010 m) – Kufstein (504 m) – 43 km, easy
2. Middle section of the route – 441 km
through Kaisergebirge, Chiemgau Alps, Loferer Steingebirge, Hochkönig and Steinernes Meer, Tennengebirge, Dachstein Mountains and Totes Gebirge:
Kufstein (504 m) – Stripsenjoch Haus (1580 m) – 19 km, moderately difficult
Stripsenjoch Haus (1580 m) – Straubinger Haus (1598 m) – 35 km, moderately difficult
Straubinger Haus (1598 m) – Schmidt-Zabierow Hut (1966 m) – 39 km, difficult
Schmidt-Zabierow Hut (1966 m) – Lofer (626 m) – 16 km, moderately difficult
Lofer (626 m) – Ingolstatter Haus (2199 m) – 31 km, moderately difficult
Ingolstatter Haus (2199 m) – Riemann Haus (2177 m) – 8 km, moderately difficult
Riemann Haus (2177 m) – Franz-Eduard-Matras Haus (2941 m) – 25 km, very difficult, on glacier
Franz-Eduard-Matras Haus (2941 m) – Werfen (548 m) – 27 km, difficult, on glacier
Werfen (548 m) – Lungötz (828 m) – 33 km, moderately difficult
Lungötz (828 m) – Adamek Hut (2196 m) – 29 km, very difficult
Adamek Hut (2196 m) – Simony Hut (2206 m) – 12 km, very difficult, on glacier
Simony Hut (2206 m) – Bad Goisern (500 m) – 32 km, moderately difficult
Bad Goisern (500 m) – Loser Hut (1497 m) – 34 km, moderately difficult
Loser Hut (1497 m) – Pühringer Hut (1638 m) – 25 km, moderately difficult
Pühringer Hut (1638 m) – Priel Refuge Hut (1422 m) – 20 km, difficult
Priel Refuge Hut (1422 m) – Vorderstoder (660 m) – 18 km, moderately difficult
Vorderstoder (660 m) – Spital am Pyhrn (647 m) – 38 km, moderately difficult
3. Eastern section of the route – 478 km
Through Rax, Semmeringgebiet, Bucklige Welt and Rosaliengebirge
Spital am Pyhrn (647 m) – Admont (641 m) – 24 km, moderately difficult
Admont (641 m) – Hess Hut (1699 m) – 35 km, moderately difficult
Hess Hut (1699 m) – Radmer an der Stube (702 m) – 20 km, difficult
Radmer an der Stube (702 m) – Eisenerz (769 m) – 20 km, moderately difficult
Eisenerz (769 m) – Sonnschien Hut (1525 m) – 25 km, moderately difficult
Sonnschien Hut (1525 m) – Voisthaler Hut (1660 m) – 17 km, moderately difficult
Voisthaler Hut (1660 m) – Turnaueralm (1570 m) – 25 km, moderately difficult
Turnaueralm (1570 m) – Neuberg, Krampen im Mürztal (756 m) – 31 km, moderately difficult
Neuberg, Krampen im Mürztal (756 m) – Schneealpen Haus (1788 m) – 31 km, moderately difficult
Schneealpen Haus (1788 m) – Karl-Ludwig Haus (1803 m) – 21 km, difficult
Karl-Ludwig Haus (1803 m) – Waxriegel Haus (1361 m) – 12 km, moderately difficult
Waxriegel Haus (1361 m) – Maria Schutz (760 m) – 30 km, moderately difficult
Maria Schutz (760 m) – Hochwolkersdorf (625 m) – 48 km, easy
Hochwolkersdorf (625 m) – Mattersburg (256 m) – 17 km, easy
After town Mattersburg the route of the E4 leaves the Nordalpine Weitwanderweg 01, and goes on other paths further.
Mattersburg (256 m) – Rust (123 m) – 32 km, easy
Rust (123 m) – Drassburg (234 m) – 20 km, easy
Drassburg (234 m) – Kobersdorf (320 m) – 28 km, easy
Kobersdorf (320 m) – Hochstrass (421 m) – 25 km, easy
Hochstrass (421 m) – Köszeg (271 m, border crossing point in Hungary) – 17 km, easy
Remark:
Generally there are detours on the route of E4 to avoid the very difficult sections.
You can find map sketches and description about the whole route in the book „Vom Neusiedler See zum Bodensee – Nordalpiner Weitwanderweg 01” in German.
Continue 2:
Subalpine route
to: Salzburg
Through Allgäu and Upper Bavaria via Neuschwanstein, Unterammergau, Bavarian Lakes (04)
550 km
to: Wienerwald
via Salzkammergut (04)
550 km
to: Hainburg an der Donau
E Austrian border path (07)
150 km
Hungary.
On the route of the Országos Kéktúra (National Blue Trail) – 1118 km
Through the Little Hungarian Plain and along the Transdanubian Mountains and the North Hungarian Mountains.
Town Kőszeg (border crossing point) – peak of Irottkő – town Sárvár through the Mountains of Kőszeg and the Little Hungarian Plain – 70 km
Town Sárvár – town Sümeg through the Little Hungarian Plain – 70 km
Town Sümeg – town Keszthely and Lake Balaton through the Highland of Balaton – 47 km
Town Keszthely – town Tapolca – village Nagyvázsony through the Basin of Tapolca and the Highland of Balaton. On the basin the path climbs almost every spent volcano: Badacsony, Gulács, Csobánc and Szent György Mountain – 83 km
Village Nagyvázsony – village Városlőd – town Zirc – village Bodajk through the Bakony Mountains – 118 km
Village Bodajk – village Szárliget through the Vértes Mountains – 48 km
Village Szárliget – town Dorog through the Hilly Country of Gerecse – 67 km
Town Dorog – Budapest through the Pilis Mountains and Mountains of Buda – 40 km
Budapest – peak of Dobogókö (700 m) – village Visegrád, Danube Bend through the Buda and Pilis Mountains – 61 km
Village Visegrád – village Nagymaros – with ferry across the Danube
Village Nagymaros – peak of Hegyes-kö (centre mountain of Danube Bend) – village Kóspallag – peak of Csóványos (938 m) – village Nógrád through the Börzsöny Mountains – 38 km
Village Nógrád – village Becske – village Hollókő, it is a World Heritage Site – village Mátraverebély through the Hilly Country of Cserhát – 119 km
Village Mátraverebély – peak of Galyatetö – peak of Kékestető, 1014 m, the highest point of Hungary – village Sirok – village Szarvaskő through the Mátra Mountains – 65 km
Village Szarvaskő – village Bélapátfalva – village Bánkút – village Putnok – through the Bükk Mountains – 55 km
Village Putnok – village Aggtelek, its stalactite cave is a World Heritage Site – village Bódvaszilas through the Hilly Country of Aggtelek – 62 km
Village Bódvaszilas – village Boldogkőváralja through the Hilly Country of Cserehát – 65 km
Village Boldogkőváralja – town Sátoraljaújhely through the Zemplén Mountains – 55 km
In Sátoraljaújhely the route of the E4 leaves the path of the National Blue Trail and goes further on the route of Blue Tour of the Plain
On the route of Alföldi Kéktúra (Blue Tour of the Plain) – 262 km
Through the Great Hungarian Plain
Town Sátoraljaujhely – town Kisvárda – 63 km
Town Kisvárda – town Nyirbátor – 46 km
Town Nyirbátor – town Bánk – 75 km
Town Bánk – village Nagykereki – 78 km
After village Nagykereki the E4 leaves the path of Alföldi Kéktúra and goes to village Ártánd (border crossing point) – appr. 6 km
Remark:
You can find detailed hiker maps and travelogues about the section of the Országos Kéktúra in Hungarian in the following books:
Az Országos Kéktúra Írottkötöl Budapest, Hüvösvölgyig
Az Országos Kéktúra Budapest, Hüvösvölgytöl Hollóházáig
There are websites of Hungarian hikers about the completion of the Országos Kéktúra:
Romania.
The route of the E4 through Romania is not yet clearly defined. No organization is responsible for the trail's upkeep in Romania.
Serbia.
As an alternative to Romania a route for the E4 through Serbia has been described by the Serbian Mountain Association (Planinarski Savez Srbije). This starts from border post from Hungary at the Serbian village of Dala. To reach this point in Hungary the route continues along the Alföldi Kéktúra from Nagykereki to Szeged. In Serbia the E4 crosses Vojvodina to reach Belgrade then follows the River Danube and various mountain ranges to the Bulgarian border at Dimitrovgrad, Serbia. The E4 has not been defined between the Serbian border and Sofia but the Sultans Trail route can be followed.
The trail in Serbia is not waymarked and the published booklet does not describe the route in detail.
Bulgaria.
In Bulgaria, the marked trail begins on the village square of the Sofia suburb of Dragalevtsi. It passes the terminals of the Dragalevtsi chairlift, the ski resort Aleko and the highest peak of the Vitosha mountains, Cherni Vrah, and then leads down the other side of Vitosha, through the Verila hills to Rila.
In the Rila and Pirin Mountains, it is not marked as such, but the main trail leading through those mountains, marked in red, should be followed. Coming from Verila, the trail enters Rila following the Saparevska Vada irrigation ditch. It passes through the Seven Rila Lakes area and then climbs onto the ridge passing Malyovitsa peak. It continues via the shelter Kobilino Branishte, the hut at Ribni Ezera and the hut Macedonia towards the Predel saddle which separates Rila from Pirin.
From Predela, it reaches the main ridge of Pirin via the hut Yavorov and follows it via the three highest peaks of Pirin (Banski Suhodol, Kutelo and Vihren) and the ridge Koncheto, before descending to the Vihren refuge. It continues on the ridge until the Vinarska Porta saddle, and then runs along Tevno Lake and down the Zhelezina stream towards Pirin hut. From there it is the only marked trail leading through the Central Pirin range, passing the peak Orelyak and the hut Popovi Livadi. It ends at Petrovo near the Greek border, where a bus to Kulata on the border can be taken. Total length within Bulgaria is 250 km.
Greece.
Introduction.
An overview of walking in Greece, including sections of E4, can be found in "Trekking in Greece" (2018) by Tim Salmon and Michael Cullen and there is a guide book in German to the E4 in the Peloponnese by Rolf Roost (see bibliography). However, additional, current local information should be sought whenever possible and while a route exists from the Bulgarian border to the foot of the Peloponnese peninsula, it may be inadequately marked. E4 continues, via ferry from Yithio (Gythio), through Crete. E4 had originally been planned to start out from North Macedonia rather than Bulgaria.
The Greek National Tourist Office suggest that: "The E4 is ideal for hiking from May 15 until early October". However, spring comes to the Peloponnese in April, and "in northern parts and at the higher altitudes ... in June and even July". The north can still be rainy in May, but it should be more settled in Central Greece and the Peloponnese by early May. "There can be snow above 1600-1800m and on north-facing slopes until mid- to late May, [though] not enough to trouble experienced winter hill-walkers". Snow may be a problem on Mount Olympus until mid-June. The Tourist Office comments further: "The areas have a typical Mediterranean climate, with warm dry summers and considerable differences in day and night temperatures. Snowfall starts in November and snow is likely to linger into June".
A walk can take longer than anticipated because of poor way marking, or because paths are blocked, or dangerously eroded, and streams and rivers may be impassable. Walkers should therefore be prepared for long diversions, and never presume that you will reach the intended destination, including the final one, on time, or on a specific day. Flexible planning is advisable. Some sections follow paved roads, but there should be little traffic, in the spring and autumn.
Accommodation is not available every night, so that lightweight camping, or bivouac gear, is necessary, as well as several days supply of food. The Peloponnese "has the advantage of board and lodging for every night of the 14 days that it takes". Bears and wolves are found in the far north of Greece, "but you are much more likely to see signs of their presence than ever catch a glimpse of them". However, the safely guidelines for hiking in bear country should be followed, especially with regard to the storing of food. The Cicerone guide offers invaluable advice on sleeping and eating. In spring, in some areas, there may be springs and/or fast flowing streams, though ample reserves of water should still be carried. With regard to accommodation maps should not be trusted and even if there is a hotel it may only open in July and August, or at weekends. Mountain refuges may not be open. Coffee shops may provide simple meals. Some mountain villages are uninhabited in the winter and will only begin to come alive again after Easter, and not fully until high summer.
The Hellenic Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing is the organisation, along with associated clubs, which has established and maintains E4, and it has published a leaflet about E4 with text in English, French and German, as well as descriptions of E4 and E6, with maps, in English and German.
Maps.
Maps from Anavasi cover much of the route and some can be bought with a guide book, including the Taygetos 1:50,000 sheet.
Route of E4 in mainland Greece.
From Kulata (Bulgaria) the way crosses the border to Promachon (Promachonas). The route was originally planned to cross from North Macedonia to Florina.
Waymarking.
Aluminum signs: on white background a yellow rhombus with black outline, with the words E4/6 in black. Coloured signs on rocks and trees: white background, a yellow parallelogram on the left and a black on the right.
Placenames.
Because of the transliteration from the Greek alphabet, the spelling of place names can be confusing (some places also have an official and a local, or old, name).
Northern Greece.
Promachon (Promachonas), Rodhopoli, Doirani, Archangelos, Pella, Loutraki, Skopos, Florina (300 km).
Nymphaeo, Amyntaeo (Amyndeo), Rizomata, Dion, Litochoro (Litohoro), Olympus, Kokkinopilos, Meteora, Agrafa, Krassochori, Viviani (Viniani).
Central Greece.
Karpenissi, Artotina, Kaloskopi, Delfi (Delphi), Itea (900 km, from Florina)
Peloponnese.
Diakofto, Kalavryta, Vytina, Tripoli, Ano Doliana, Sparti, Mystras, Refuge of Taygetos, Kastania, Gythio[n] (Yithio) (300 km).
Ferry to Kastelli Kissamou, Crete.
Crete.
The first organized mapping and signage effort of the whole E4 in Crete was made by Giorgis N. Petrakis (Architect - Spatial Planner - Cartographer), and some indicative information on the segments of the trail can be found at : http://www.destinationcrete.gr/en/explore-the-island/e4-at-crete
Cyprus.
Introduction.
This new section of the E4 was inaugurated in 2005, and is 539 km long. It connects Larnaka and Pafos international airports, traversing the Troodos mountain range and Akamas peninsula. A brochure has been published by the Cyprus Tourist Organisation (for online information, see external links above).
In 2014 the Orientaction club produced 1/25000 hiking maps of the mountainous region of Cyprus which include a large part of the E4 trail.


Lorraine Regional Natural Park

Lorraine Regional Natural Park (French: "Parc naturel régional de Lorraine") is a protected area of pastoral countryside in the Grand Est region of northeastern France. The park covers a total area of . The parkland spreads between the cities of Metz and Nancy and spans three departments.
Ancient ruins and modern monuments are common throughout the area. The land was officially designated a regional natural park in 1974.
Member communes.
There are 193 communes within the parkland boundaries.


Baredine Cave

Baredine Cave is a geomorphologic monument of nature and the first speleologic locality and tourist cave in Istria opened for visits since 1995.
It is situated in western part of Istria 6 km north-east from Poreč, Croatia.
Sightseeing.
The sightseeing lasts 40 minutes, visitors descend along a 300m long pathway up to 60m below the ground and an underground lake and visit 5 beautifully decorated chambers.
An interesting detail of this adventurous trip is also the encounter with the underground world of animals: visitors will see the cave olm (Proteus anguinus Laurenti), endemic in this dinaric karst region- an animal that can be found only in this karst area.
In one of the chambers you will pass along a 4m wide passage that leads 66m vertically down reaching the deepest point of the cave at 132m.
The cave is well-lit and ordered, the pathway and the stairs have firm rails. The temperature is very pleasant 14°C.
Guided tours start every 30 minutes with a guide (included in price) in the following languages: Croatian, Italian, German, English, Russian (with prior announcement Slovenian and French are available).
Terrain description.
The Baredine cave got its name from the expression for the nearby terrain (baredine), which probably comes from the word bared, used in the local dialect to denote untreated land. The Baredine Cave is situated in the western part of Istria between Višnjan and Poreč, only 5km away from the coast. The karst region, where it was created, is a sea sediment covered by red soil (terra rossa). From the vertical entrance into the cave situated at 117m above the sea level there views over olive and grape vine plantations all the way to the sea.
History.
First explorations.
The cave has been known and visited since times immemorial.
The first documented explorations were conducted by speleologists from Trieste at the beginning of the 20th century when those explorers went as far as 80 m into its depth.
Explorations of SD Proteus.
It was in the year 1973 that the members of Poreč's Caving Club Proteus went to the lower part of the cave where they discovered a passage which made it possible for them to go as far as the underground lakes, i. e. to what is today considered to be the total depth of the cave. It was at their initiative that, in 1986, the Baredine Cave was, owing to its very special characteristics and exquisite beauty, proclaimed a monument of nature.
Newer explorations and valorization.
The first concrete efforts to adapt the cave started at the beginning of the 90's. In May 1995 the cave was opened for tourist visits. In the following years the infrastructure was improved, which created conditions for a pleasant stay in and around the cave.
Since the first proper explorations in the Baredine cave in 1973 until today there have been additional explorations with the aim of finding new, unexplored spaces. Surface pottery has been collected in soil sediments bearing witness to the fact that human beings entered the cave in ancient times and used to live there. Subterranean fauna has also been explored and studied.


Llanganates National Park

Llanganates National Park () is a protected area in Ecuador situated in the Cotopaxi Province, Napo Province, Pastaza Province and Tungurahua Province. Located within the park is Cerro Hermoso ("beautiful mountain"), a 4570 meter high peak that is a popular hiking destination. The park is famous for the Treasure of the Llanganatis.
The park can be accessed from a number of directions, but visitors usually come come through towns such as Salcedo, Patate, Pillaro, Baños, and Rio Verde.
Ecology.
The park is divided into two ecological zones, the western zone and the eastern zone. The western zone is located in the Andean páramo, high above the eastern zone, containing a deserted landscape of mountainous peaks and high valleys. The area is populated mainly by South American camelids like vicuñas, llamas and alpacas.
Thee eastern zone is located on the eastern flanks of the Andes, with montane forests characterized by a rich diversity of plants and animals among the twisted forests of the upper Amazon. This area is highly unreachable, and is usually traversed only by foot. The large number of rivers, emptying out the Andes also makes this area difficult to cross. In recent years, several new species of plants have been discovered here, including several species of rare Andean "Magnolia".
Exploration.
In 2013, explorers from Ecuador, Britain, France, and America discovered and unearthed a 260 ft tall by 260 ft wide structure, made up of hundreds of two-ton stone blocks, and believe there could be more, similar constructions over an area of about a square mile. The area is 20 miles from the town of Baños but the trek takes around eight hours through swampy and mountainous jungle. The area of discovery is at an altitude of 8,500 ft above sea level and in cloud forest.


Bryansky Les Nature Reserve

The Bryansk Forest Nature Reserve () (also, Bryansky Les) is a nature reserve in Bryansk Oblast, Russia along the Nerussa River (a tributary of the Desna River) near the Russian border with Ukraine.
The forest is a nature reserve ("Zapovednik"), and is integral part of the Nerussa-Desna Woodland UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve, important for protecting the "diversity and integrity of the broadleaf forest in European Russia." It is one of the last remaining unbroken forests on the southern end of the European broadleaf forest, supporting abundant wildlife in the forests and bogs. The reserve covers an area of .
Topography.
The Bryansk Nature Reserve is part of the Nerusso-Desna woodland, a UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve. This biosphere has been established on the bases of a well-developed network of protected areas, which are connected ecologically. The Bryansk Forest is located in the basin of the middle reaches of the Desna river, a left tributary of the Dnieper River on the border of Ukraine). The terrain is flat: the minimum height above sea level - 134.5 m (at the level of the Nerussa River; the maximum is 189.4 m. The dry land is dominated by sandy and loamy soils; in flood plains, meadows and alluvial lowlands there are bog soils. The Bryansk forests have diminished in size over time, and were once considered dense.
Across the Ukrainian border is the Ukraine's Desnyansko-Starogutsky National Park, which has a forested section that has similar habitat similar to Bransksy's.
Ecoregon and Climate.
Bryansky Les is located in the "Central European mixed forests" ecoregion, a temperate hardwood forest covering much of northeastern Europe, from Germany to Russia.
The climate of Bryansky Les is "Humid continental climate, warm summer" (Köppen climate classification (Dfb)). This climate is characterized by large swings in temperature, both diurnally and seasonally, with mild summers and cold, snowy winters. Average annual precipitation is .
Plants and animals.
The vegetation in the reserve features widespread pine and pine-oak forests on poor, sandy soils. Zonal spruce and deciduous broad-leaved forests are rare. The forest contrasts with the surrounding agricultural landscape. The reserve has a buffer zone of . In the areas adjacent to the reserve there is an established network of state reserves and natural monuments of regional importance, the protection and administration of which is carried out jointly with the reserve land users. This includes the state nature reserve of federal importance "Kletnyanskoy", with an area of .
The animals in the reserve are typical of the southern range of the mixed boreal-forest subdomain of the Palaearctic region: grouse, boreal owl, hare, lynx, brown bear, and others. Bison were brought to the reserve in 2011.
The Bryansk forest is the only place in Europe where there are all ten of the European woodpeckers: great spotted woodpecker, middle spotted, lesser spotted woodpecker, Syrian, white-backed, black woodpecker, grey, green, three-toed and Wryneck.


Ambodivahibe Marine Reserve

Ambodivahibe Marine Reserve is a new marine protected area that was identified during a marine Rapid assessment (RAP) in the north-east of Madagascar as an unusually rich zone for marine biodiversity. A cool upwelling from the deep bay is thought to provide natural resilience to coral bleaching and this may explain the unusually pristine coral habitat.
The area also hosts nationally-important areas of mangrove and seagrass habitat as well as endangered marine species including sea turtles and dugongs
Conservation International is the protected area manager although in recent years, there has only been a skeleton staff present at the site.
The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund has supported a number of small-scale initiatives to continue management of marine protected area since 2015.
Graine de vie is a Belgian NGO that has developed reforestation programmes for mangrove and forest habitats.
C3 Madagascar is a local NGO that has been increasingly active in the marine protected area, particularly working closely with communities and endangered species. The NGO received substantial funding from the European Union's Ecofish programme in 2020 to develop community based fisheries management programme at sites in the Ambodavahibe Marine Reserve as well as Nosy Hara Marine Park on the Northwest coast of Madagascar.


Catfish Lake South Wilderness

Catfish Lake South Wilderness was designated in 1984, and it covers in the Croatan National Forest in eastern North Carolina. The Wilderness Area is a vast wetland, and it lacks trails and campsites. Travel through this wilderness is difficult.


Dunkeld

Dunkeld (, , from , "fort of the Caledonians") is a town in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, a historic cathedral "city" on the north bank of the River Tay, opposite Birnam. It lies close to the geological Highland Boundary Fault, and is frequently described as the "Gateway to the Highlands" due to its position on the main road and rail lines north. Dunkeld has a railway station, Dunkeld & Birnam, on the Highland Main Line, and is about north of Perth on what is now the A9 road. The main road formerly ran through the town, however following modernisation of this road it now passes to the west of Dunkeld.
Dunkeld is the location of Dunkeld Cathedral, and is considered to be a remarkably well-preserved example of a Scottish burgh of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Around 20 of the houses within Dunkeld have been restored by the National Trust for Scotland, who run a shop within the town. The Hermitage, on the western side of the A9, is a countryside property that is also a National Trust for Scotland site.
Over the centuries there have been several bridges linking Dunkeld with neighbouring Birnam, and the current bridge, designed by Thomas Telford and financed by the 4th Duke of Atholl, was completed in 1809.
History.
Early history.
The name "Dùn Chailleann" means "Fort of the Caledonii" or "of the Caledonians". The 'fort' is presumably the hill fort on King's Seat, slightly north of the town (). Both these place-names imply an early importance for the area of the later town and bishop's seat, stretching back into the Iron Age.
Dunkeld ("Duncalden" and variants in early documents) is said to have been 'founded' or 'built' by Caustantín son of Fergus, king of the Picts (d. 820). This founding likely referred to one of an ecclesiastical nature on a site already of secular importance, and a Pictish monastery is known to have existed on the site. Kenneth I of Scotland ("Cináed mac Ailpín") (843–58) is reputed to have brought relics of St Columba from Iona in 849, in order to preserve them from Viking raids, building a new church to replace the existing structures, which may been constructed as a simple group of wattle huts. The relics were divided in Kenneth's time between Dunkeld and the Columban monastery at Kells, Co. Meath, Ireland, to preserve them from Viking raids. The 'Apostles' Stone', an elaborate but badly worn cross-slab preserved in the cathedral museum, may date to this time. A well-preserved bronze 'Celtic' hand bell, formerly kept in the church of the parish of Little Dunkeld on the south bank of the River Tay opposite Dunkeld, may also survive from the early monastery: a replica is kept in the cathedral museum.
The dedication of the later medieval cathedral was to St Columba. This early church was for a time the chief ecclesiastical site of eastern Scotland (a status yielded in the 10th century to St Andrews). An entry in the "Annals of Ulster" for 865 refers to the death of Tuathal, son of Artgus, "primepscop" (Old Irish 'chief bishop') of Fortriu and Abbot of Dunkeld. The monastery was raided in 903 by Danish Vikings sailing up the River Tay, but continued to flourish into the 11th century. At that time, its abbot, Crínán of Dunkeld (d. 1045), married one of the daughters of Máel Coluim mac Cináeda (1005–34) and became the ancestor of later Kings of Scots through their son Donnchad (Duncan I) (1034–40).
Middle Ages.
The see of Dunkeld was revived by Alexander I (1107–24). Between 1183 and 1189 the newly formed diocese of Argyll was separated from that of Dunkeld, which originally extended to the west coast of Scotland. By 1300 the Bishops of Dunkeld administered a diocese comprising sixty parish churches, a number of them oddly scattered within the sees of St Andrews and Dunblane.
The much-restored cathedral choir, still in use as the parish church, is unaisled and dates to the 13th and 14th centuries. The aisled nave was erected from the early 15th century. The western tower, south porch and chapter house (which houses the cathedral museum) were added between 1450 and 1475. The cathedral was stripped of its rich furnishings after the mid-16th century Reformation and its iconoclasm. The nave and porch have been roofless since the early 17th century. They and the tower in the 21st century are in the care of Historic Environment Scotland.
Below the ceiling vault of the tower ground floor are remnants of pre-Reformation murals showing biblical scenes ("c". 1490), one of very few such survivals in Scotland. The clearest to survive is a representation of the Judgement of Solomon. This reflects the medieval use of this space as the Bishop's Court. Within the tower are preserved fragments of stonework associated with the cathedral and the surrounding area, including a Pictish carving of a horseman with a spear and drinking-horn, and a number of medieval grave-monuments.
The cathedral museum is housed in the former chapter house and sacristy, on the north side of the choir. After the Reformation this chamber was used as a burial aisle by the Earls, Marquises and Dukes of Atholl, and contains a number of elaborate monuments of the 17th-early 19th centuries. Also preserved within the museum are two early Christian cross-slabs, a number of communion and other items, and a display on the history of Dunkeld and the cathedral. In June 2005, there was a major theft from the cathedral museum. Items stolen included a quaich, communion cups, and 'a cast-bronze beadle’s bell with a wooden handle, that was used in the cathedral from the 17th century.'
Battle of Dunkeld (1689).
Most of the original town was destroyed during the Battle of Dunkeld when, in August 1689, the 26th Foot (Cameronian Regiment) successfully fought the Jacobites shortly after the latter's victory at the Battle of Killiecrankie. Holes made by musket-ball strikes during the battle can still be seen in the east gable of the cathedral.
Later history.
Dr George Smyttan FRSE HEIC (1789-1863) was born and raised in Dunkeld and retained links to Birnam all his life.
The High Street drill hall in Dunkeld was completed in 1900.
The alignment of the town was radically altered in 1809 by the building of a new stone bridge over the River Tay by Thomas Telford at the east end of the town, and the laying out of a new street (Bridge Street–Atholl Street) at right angles to the old alignment. This street, which retains much of its Georgian appearance, was part of the main route north to Inverness until Dunkeld was bypassed in 1977, along with Birnam, by the A9.
Townscape.
The rebuilt town of Dunkeld is one of the most complete 18th-century country towns in Scotland. Many of the harled (rough-cast) vernacular buildings have been restored by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS). The present street layout of the older part of town consists of a 'Y-shaped' arrangement, parallel with the River Tay, comprising a single street (Brae Street/High Street) sloping down from the east into the long 'V' of the market place, known as The Cross. Closes (lanes) leading off this main street give access to the backlands of the houses (a traditional arrangement in Scottish towns). On the site of the traditional market cross, the fanciful neo-Gothic Atholl Memorial Fountain (NTS) was built in 1866, as a monument to George Murray, 6th Duke of Atholl (1814–64). The Fountain is notable for its heraldry and Masonic symbolism, the 6th Duke having been Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, 1843–64.
At the west end of The Cross is the Ell Shop (NTS), built 1757, which takes its name from the iron ell (weaver's measure) fixed against one corner. This building is said to have been built on the site of the town's medieval hospital, dedicated to St George. At the north-west corner of the same row is the Duchess of Atholl Girls' School, erected 1853 in neo-Gothic style, designed by R & R Dickson. It is generally known as the Duchess Anne after its founder Anne Home-Drummond (1814–97), spouse of the 6th Duke of Atholl and Mistress of the Robes to Queen Victoria. The building is used for exhibition and other purposes, notably the popular annual Dunkeld Art Exhibition in summer.
The left arm of the 'Y' leads along Cathedral Street to the medieval cathedral, and the right arm (now largely blocked off) originally led to Dunkeld House, built by Sir William Bruce in 1676-84 for the 1st Marquis of Atholl. Demolished in 1827, this was one of Scotland's major 17th-century mansions. A neo-Gothic replacement was begun on the same site but never completed (no visible remains). The area around the cathedral was the original focus of settlement in Dunkeld in medieval (and doubtless earlier) times. Here stood the manses of the Cathedral clergy, with the Bishop's Palace to the west of the church. This was also the position of the medieval bridge over the River Tay.
Surrounding countryside.
Dunkeld is situated in an area of Scotland marketed as "Big Tree Country". The area is heavily wooded, and has some notable trees, including the Birnam Oak, believed to be the only remaining tree from the Birnam Wood named by Shakespeare in his play "Macbeth":
Other significant trees in the area include Niel Gow's Oak, the tree under which Niel Gow, a fiddler under contract to three of the Dukes of Atholl, composed many of Scotland's famous strathspeys and reels. It stands near Gow's home at Inver. The Parent Larch near Dunkeld cathedral is the sole survivor from a group of larches collected from the mountains of the Tyrol mountains in 1738, and which were the seed source for large-scale larch plantings in the local area.
Much of the countryside surrounding the town is designated as a national scenic area (NSA), one of 40 such areas in Scotland, which are defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure its protection by restricting certain forms of development. The River Tay (Dunkeld) NSA covers . Parts of the area also form part of the Tay Forest Park, a network of forests managed by Forestry and Land Scotland that are spread across the Highland parts of Perthshire. About northeast of the town is the Loch of the Lowes nature reserve, managed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust.
There are many walks in the area. The summit of Birnam Hill (on Murthly Estate) lies south of the railway station and is easily ascended from there, or from a car park to the east.
Ossian's Hall of Mirrors is a folly located in the pleasure grounds known as The Hermitage, located close to Dunkeld. The site is owned by the National Trust for Scotland, and has walks in the wooded scenery surrounding the River Braan.
Transport.
The A9 through Dunkeld as bypassed by a new section of road in 1977. The town is now approximately one hour from Glasgow and Edinburgh, and two hours from Inverness, by car. There are regular bus and coach services to Birnam and Dunkeld along the A9, with long-distance coaches operated by Scottish Citylink. There is access by rail at Dunkeld & Birnam railway station on the Highland Main Line route between Perth and Inverness. Most services on the route extend to either Edinburgh Waverley or Glasgow Queen Street; on Sundays only a southbound train operated by the East Coast Main Line operator extends to London King's Cross via Edinburgh, although there is no corresponding northbound service from London. A daily (except Saturday) London service is offered by the overnight Caledonian Sleeper trains to and from London Euston.


Pig Trail Scenic Byway


Primark Town Center

Primark Town Center is engaged in the development of Public Market and Town Center of LKY Group, one of the Philippines' largest land developers. The management is handled by Philippine Primark Properties, Inc., and headed by Wilbert T. Lee as the company's President and CEO.
Etymology.
Primark is a combination of words "Primary" and "Market". The name is in line to the company's vision by providing prime retail facilities and in providing the basic and primary needs of the community.
History.
The company was established since 1996 as LKY Prime Builders Inc, a company under LKY Group that offers construction services and real-estate development. Eleven years later, they engaged in mall business with an investment of PhP 1.2 B as their initial public offering (IPO). The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) gave them a go signal and proceed with their mall expansion to 12 community malls in the county at their first year. Their mall expansion started with their first mall opened in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija on November 28, 2014 followed by Echague, Isabela on April 2015. It then grew with three branches in Sorsogon City in which one of those was bought from the defunct Sorsogon Shopping Center, to the cities of Cauayan, and Tuguegarao in Cagayan provinces, Binmaley, Pangasinan, Antipolo and Teresa in Rizal, and Muñoz, Nueva Ecija. Primark's major tenants to these branches were SM Savemore Market, Ace Hardware, BDO and Chinabank, and McDonald's, and they plan to have them on their future malls.
On their initial investment of PhP 1.2 B, About PhP 867 M gone to the construction of their first 12 malls in 2015. The remains will be for their future sites across the country.
In early 2016, Primark announced their first malls in Visayas and Mindanao. Tacloban City, Leyte will be Primark's first in the Visayas while Tacurong will be their first in Mindanao following their purchase to the Tacurong's MS Store.
Currently, the operations and management Primark Town Centers are handled by the Philippine Primark Properties Inc., with LKY Group as their parent company.


Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway

The Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway (also Dinosaur Diamond Scenic Byway) is a National Scenic Byway in the U.S. states of Utah and Colorado. The highway forms a diamond-shaped loop with vertices at Moab, Helper, Vernal and Grand Junction.
The segment within Utah is known as the Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway. The segment within Colorado is known as the Dinosaur Diamond Scenic and Historic Byway. Notable features surrounding the Dinosaur Diamond include Dinosaur National Monument, the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, Canyonlands National Park, Arches National Park, Natural Bridges National Monument, Colorado National Monument, and several national forests.
The path of Interstate 70 (I‑70) in Colorado is derived from two previous highways, U.S. Highway 6 (US 6) and US 40. US 40 was an original piece of the U.S. Highway system commissioned in 1926. The portion now numbered US 6 came about in 1937 when the route over Vail Pass was paved. The first route through the path of I-70 in Utah was the Old Spanish Trail, a trade route between Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Los Angeles, California. The trail was in common use before the Mexican–American War in 1848.
Route description.
Colorado.
The following Colorado routes are included in the Colorado portion of the Dinosaur Diamond Scenic and Historic Byway:
The easternmost starting point of the Dinosaur Diamond (DD) begins in Grand Junction, Colorado, on I-70. In the vicinity of Grand Junction are the White River, Uncompahgre, and Grand Mesa National Forests. Other notable features nearby include the Powderhorn Resort, and the geologic features of Book Cliffs and Grand Mesa.
Traveling about westbound on I-70 will lead to Fruita, a small town within view of the Colorado National Monument, which features numerous scenic hiking trails. From the trails, one may view attractions such as the Book Cliffs and Coke Ovens overlooks, and unique rock formations such as Independence Monument and the "Kissing Couple". Fruita is also the home of Mike the Headless Chicken, and hosts an annual festival in his honor every May. A small statue dedicated to Mike can also be seen in the town.
Just west of Fruita, the byway turns north onto SH-139, traveling to the next town of Rangely, and traversing the Douglas Pass. Nearby attractions include the Rangely Outdoor Museum and the Cañon Pintado ("painted canyon") Historic District petroglyphs, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The byway continues northwest on SH-64, to the small town of Dinosaur. Nearby Dinosaur is the "crown jewel" of the DD, the Dinosaur National Monument, which claims to be the most productive Jurassic Period dinosaur quarry in the world. The monument includes a walkway where visitors can view a sandstone wall embedded with over 2,000 dinosaur bones, and watch paleontologists chip away the sandstone to expose the fossilized dinosaur bones. Visitors can also see the preparation laboratory where dinosaur fossils are cleaned and preserved.
Upon leaving Dinosaur, the DD continues west on US 40 and crosses the border into Utah.
Utah.
The Utah portion of the Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway is routed along these highways:
Traveling west of Dinosaur, Colorado, the Dinosaur Diamond encounters the small city of Vernal, Utah. Vernal borders the western end of the Dinosaur National Monument; other notable attractions nearby include Steinaker State Park, Red Fleet State Park, Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, and the Ashley National Forest.
Continuing along the Dinosaur Diamond, US 40 and US 191 converge within Vernal, heading west for to the city of Roosevelt. Roosevelt is located on the edge of the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation. Heading to the west is the county seat of Duchesne, located within the reservation. Nearby Duchesne are Starvation State Park and Kings Peak (the highest point in Utah), which is part of the Uinta Mountain range. The Uinta Mountains are one of the few mountain ranges in the contiguous United States which run east–west, and are the highest range to do so.
Within Duchesne, US 40 and US 191 diverge, and the DD continues south along US 191 over an unnamed mountain pass, through the small town of Helper, and into the larger city of Price. The numerous attractions surrounding Price include College of Eastern Utah Prehistoric Museum, Manti-La Sal National Forest, Huntington Lake State Park, Scofield State Park, and Ninemile Canyon which features numerous petroglyphs. Also nearby is the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry, a prehistoric mud trap which claims to be the densest concentration of Jurassic dinosaur fossils in the world.
Traveling southeast along US 191, the DD encounters the city of Green River. Notable features surrounding Green River include the San Rafael Swell, Green River State Park, and Goblin Valley State Park. Also nearby is Crystal Geyser, a rare (but man-made) cold water geyser caused by the expansion of carbonized "soda pop" water within. Within Green River, US 191 converges with I-70 for a short while and diverges again, south towards the city of Moab, from Green River.
Just south of the junction of US 191 and SR-128, the city of Moab features a number of nearby attractions. Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse Point State Park, and the Newspaper Rock and Potash Road petroglyphs.
Leaving Moab, the DD continues north along SR-128 to its terminus with I-70 in Cisco. Traveling east along I-70, before completing the "diamond" back in Grand Junction, Colorado.
History.
The segment within Colorado was designated the Dinosaur Diamond Scenic and Historic Byway by the Colorado Transportation Commission in 1997. The segment within Utah was designated the Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway by the Utah State Legislature in 1998. The highway was approved as a National Scenic Byway in 2002.
National Scenic Byways must go through a nomination procedure, and must already be designated as a state scenic byway in order to be nominated (However, roads that meet all criteria and requirements for national designation but not state or designation criteria may be considered for national designation on a case-by-case basis).
To be considered for designation "a road or highway must significantly meet at least one of the six scenic byways intrinsic qualities". The qualities are scenic, natural, historic, cultural, archeological, or recreational. A "corridor management plan" must also be developed, with community involvement, and the plan "should provide for the conservation and enhancement of the byway's intrinsic qualities as well as the promotion of tourism and economic development". The final step is when the highway (or highways) is approved for designation by the Secretary of Transportation.
Colorado history.
The path of I-70 in Colorado is derived from two previous highways, US 6 and US 40. US 40 was an original piece of the U.S. Highway system commissioned in 1926. The portion now numbered US 6 came about in 1937 when the route over Vail Pass was paved. A portion of this route was also numbered US 24 at the time.
In the 1920s, SH-139 was an unimproved road from US 6 at Fruita north to SH-64 in Rangely.
Utah history.
The first route through this portion of Utah was the Old Spanish Trail, a trade route between Santa Fe, New Mexico and Los Angeles, California. The trail was in common use before the Mexican–American War in 1848. Although the trail serves a different route than I-70, they were both intended to connect southern California with points further east. I-70 generally parallels the route of the Old Spanish Trail west of Crescent Junction.
The Utah State Road Commission took over US 40 from Kimball Junction to Colorado in 1910 and 1911, and assigned the SR-6 designation to this route by the mid-1920s. In late 1926, the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) assigned the designation of US 40 to this cross-state route, consisting of most of SR-4 and all of SR-6. (The SR-6 designation remained until the 1977 renumbering; SR-4 became SR-2 in 1962 and was eliminated in favor of I-80 in 1977.)
The road connecting Colton on SR-8 (US 50, now US 6) with SR-6 (US 40) in Duchesne became a state highway in 1910. The southwest end was moved from Colton to Castle Gate in 1912, and in 1927 it was numbered State Route 33. Few changes were made to the roadway, and in 1981 it became part of US 191.
Access between Moab and Castle Valley was originally via a pack trail called the Heavenly Stairway. This trail, named for a dramatic descent of over , was described as beautiful, but difficult to navigate. Isolated from Utah's population centers, this area depended on Grand Junction and other cities in Colorado for both everyday supplies and a market for agricultural products. Moab residents pushed for a road to be built along the riverbank. By 1902, the trail was replaced with a toll road, called King's Toll Road, after Samuel King. King was an early settler who also operated the toll ferry used prior to the construction of the Dewey Bridge. Rocks inscribed with "Kings Toll Road" can still be found along the roadway. While the road did improve travel, it was not built high enough above the river level and was often flooded.


Jamia Salafia, Varanasi

Jamia Salafia, Varanasi (الجامعـۃ السلفیـ) is an Islamic jamia or seminary university located in the city of Varanasi in India. It was set up in 1966 by the Jamiat-Ahle Hadith-e-Hind. The then ambassador of Saudi Arabia to India Yusuf Al-Fauzan inaugurated the Jamia. It is the largest Salafi-Ahle Hadith institution in India. The university is funded by government of Saudi Arabia and most of the teachers are graduated from Saudi Arabian Islamic universities. Saudi government prescribe Indian muslims to take education from the university. The institution follows Salafi doctrine.


Bardiya National Park

Bardiya National Park is a protected area in Nepal that was established in 1988 as "Royal Bardia National Park". Covering an area of it is the largest and most undisturbed national park in Nepal's Terai, adjoining the eastern bank of the Karnali River and bisected by the Babai River in the Bardiya District. Its northern limits are demarcated by the crest of the Siwalik Hills. The Nepalgunj-Surkhet highway partly forms the southern boundary, but seriously disrupts the protected area. Natural boundaries to human settlements are formed in the west by the Geruwa, a branch of the Karnali River, and in the southeast by the Babai River.
Together with the neighboring Banke National Park, the coherent protected area of represents the "Tiger Conservation Unit (TCU) Bardia-Banke" that extends over of alluvial grasslands and subtropical moist deciduous forests.
History.
In 1815, Nepal lost this region to the East India Company through the Sugauli Treaty. For 45 years it was a part of British India and returned to Nepal in 1860 in recognition for supporting the suppression of the Indian Independence movement in 1857. Today, this annexed area is still called "Naya Muluk" meaning "new country". An area of was set aside as Royal Hunting Reserve in 1969 and gazetted as "Royal Karnali Wildlife Reserve" in 1976. In 1982, it was proclaimed as Royal Bardia Wildlife Reserve and extended to include the Babai River Valley in 1984. Finally in 1988, the protected area was gazetted as national park.
The approximately 1500 people who used to live in this valley have been resettled elsewhere. Since farming has ceased in the Babai Valley, the natural regenerated vegetation makes the area a prime habitat for wildlife.
Vegetation.
About 70% of the park is covered with forest, with the balance a mixture of grassland, savannah and riverine forest.
The flora recorded in the park comprises 839 species of flora, including 173 vascular plant species comprising 140 dicots, 26 monocots, six fern, and one gymnosperm species.
Fauna.
The wide range of vegetation types in forest and grassland provides excellent habitat for 642 faunal species. The Karnali-Babai river system, their small tributaries and myriads of oxbow lakes is habitat for 125 recorded species of fish. A small population of gharial inhabits the rivers. Apart from the mugger crocodiles, 23 reptile and amphibian species have been recorded.
Mammals.
The Bardiya National Park is home to at least 53 mammals including rhinoceros, wild elephant, Bengal tiger, swamp deer, and Gangetic dolphin.
A rusty-spotted cat was sighted for the time in summer 2012.
A fishing cat was recorded in Babai River valley in winter 2017.
Rhinoceros: Translocation of rhinos from Chitwan to Bardia National Park commenced in 1986, with 58 individuals relocated until 2000. From 1994 to 2000, hunters have been unsuccessful at poaching rhinos. In April 2000, there were 67 rhinos in the park, most of them resident in the Babai Valley. In May 2006, a reconnaissance survey was carried out in the Babai River floodplain, which revealed an alarming decline in the rhino population. Poaching was suspected to be the main cause of this decline. Subsequent surveys in 2007 and 2008 have confirmed the complete disappearance of rhinos from Babai Valley. In different habitats of the Karnali floodplain 25 rhinos were recorded based on direct observation and indirect signs of rhino dung and tracks. They were mostly congregated in the floodplain grassland, riverine forest and wetlands. In March 2008, only 22 rhinos were counted, and two of them were poached after the count. The World Wide Fund for Nature reported that by 2015, the rhino population had risen to 29, mainly because of increased security measures.
Elephants: In 1985, two large elephant bulls were spotted for the first time in the park, and named "Raja Gaj" and "Kanchha". They roamed the park area together and made occasional visits to the females. "Raja Gaj" stood tall at the shoulder and had a massive body weight. His appearance has been compared to that of a mammoth due to his high bi-domed shaped head. His forehead and domes were more prominent than in other Asian bull elephants. In 1993, five elephants were seen entering the park, and one year later another 16 individuals arrived. A population count in summer 1997 revealed 41 resident individuals. In 2002, more than 60 individuals were estimated to reside in the Karnali floodplain and the Babai Valley.
Birds.
Current checklists include 407 bird species, among them the Bengal florican, white-rumped vulture, peafowl, and bar-headed geese, which are symbolic of the park. Lesser florican and sarus crane are present; grey-crowned prinia, jungle prinia, pale-footed bush warbler, aberrant bush warbler, striated grassbird, golden-headed cisticola and chestnut-capped babbler occur in the park's grasslands.


Sycamore Land Trust

Sycamore Land Trust (Sycamore) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit member-supported land trust headquartered in Bloomington in the U.S. state of Indiana that seeks to preserve the disappearing natural and agricultural landscape of southern Indiana. Sycamore's service area includes 26 southern Indiana counties: Bartholomew, Brown, Clark, Crawford, Dubois, Daviess, Floyd, Gibson, Greene, Harrison, Jackson, Knox, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Morgan, Orange, Owen, Perry, Pike, Posey, Scott, Spencer, Vanderburgh, Warrick, and Washington.
Conservation Successes.
Since its founding in 1990, Sycamore has protected more than 9,000 acres of land on 100 parcels. Sycamore protects land by owning nature preserves, and by holding permanent conservation easements on privately owned land. Properties span fifteen Indiana counties, including Bartholomew, Brown, Crawford, Gibson, Greene, Harrison, Knox, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Morgan, Orange, Owen, Pike, and Vanderburgh Counties. Many of the properties that Sycamore owns outright have hiking trails and are open to the general public.
In September 2012, in its largest land protection project to date, Sycamore Land Trust acquired 1,043-acre tract adjoining the Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge and Management Area, one of three national wildlife refuges in Indiana. The property features forested wetlands, upland forests, and planted prairies which provide habitat for several threatened species such as the Indiana bat, bobcat, river otter, and copperbelly watersnake.
In August 2012, Sycamore partnered with Capriole Farm in Greenville, Indiana, to permanently protect the historic farmstead that gave rise to the internationally recognized Capriole Goat Cheese. Capriole is now the last working dairy farm in Floyd County. Earlier that summer, Sycamore acquired its first property in Vanderburgh County, Eagle Slough Natural Area. Due to its landscape of wetlands and bottomland forest, Eagle Slough provides an excellent habitat for more than 150 different species of birds. The property is also home to some of the largest bald cypress trees in the state of Indiana.
Nature Preserves.
Place markers on the Sycamore preserve map indicate preserves that are accessible to the general public for hiking and exploring. Other preserves may not be accessible to the public because of limited road access and parking.
The most accessible Sycamore properties include Beanblossom Bottoms Nature Preserve and the Amy Weingartner Branigin Peninsula Preserve in Monroe County, the Cedars Preserve in southern Monroe County, Columbia Mine Preserve in Gibson and Pike Counties, Eagle Slough Natural Area in Evansville, IN, the Jeremy K. Oakley Preserve in northeastern Lawrence County, the Laura Hare Nature Preserve at Downey Hill, Bob Klawitter Lake Lemon Woods in northeastern Monroe County, Porter West Preserve in western Monroe County, Powell Preserve in northwest Monroe County, Scarlet Oak Woods in central Monroe County, Tangeman Woods in western Bartholomew County, Touch the Earth in central Bartholomew County, and Canyon Forest Nature Preserve in northeastern Greene County.
Environmental Education Program.
Sycamore has an active and award-winning Environmental Education Program that helps people in southern Indiana build an understanding of Indiana's natural heritage and the Earth's delicately balanced living systems. Sycamore believes that nature is the ultimate educator and offers lessons that reinforce school curriculum as well as program for families and the community.
The Environmental Education program focuses on three approaches: individual teachers and classes; larger scale projects; and cooperative projects. Through classroom work, Sycamore leads outdoor discovery activities, hiking, exploring, math or science lessons, and reflective writing. Larger projects include a watershed study project on Beanblossom Creek and cooperative field days that create a dynamic learning environment.
Awards.
In 2007 Sycamore received a National Arbor Day Award in the Project category for planting over 50,000 trees throughout southern Indiana. Also in 2007 Sycamore received an Indiana Achievement Award in the Impact category for excellence in land protection and restoration, and environmental education. In 2009 Sycamore's Environmental Education Program was again honored, receiving the Governor's Award in the Outreach or Education category. In 2010, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels proclaimed the week of February 22–28 Sycamore Land Trust Week.


Haridwar (Uttarakhand Assembly constituency)

25-Haridwar Legislative Assembly constituency () is one of the seventy electoral Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly constituencies of Uttarakhand state in India. It includes Haridwar City area.
Laksar Legislative Assembly constituency is a part of Haridwar (Lok Sabha constituency).
Members of Legislative Assembly.
Key


Cascade Valleys Scenic Byway


Dewey Soper Migratory Bird Sanctuary

Dewey Soper Migratory Bird Sanctuary, or Dewey Soper, is a migratory bird sanctuary in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is located in western Baffin Island, from Bowman Bay to the Koukdjuak River, and is named in honour of zoologist J. Dewey Soper. It is an area that was classified a wetland of international importance via the Ramsar Convention on May 24, 1982. The bird sanctuary supports nearly 30% of the breeding geese in Canada, making it the largest goose colony in the world. Up to two million birds of various species use the area for summer nesting, and it is also "habitat for one of Canada's major barren-ground caribou herds". The sanctuary was established in 1957, and is subject to the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, which defines and governs ownership, land use and hunting rights in the area .
It is an intertidal zone on a broad coastal plain with raised, slightly sloping beaches, spotted with circular shallow lakes and a marsh plain.


Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation

Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation is a non-profit land trust, established in 1998 to protect natural and scenic land in Tennessee. It is accredited by the Land Trust Alliance's Land Trust Accreditation Commission. The foundation is supported by membership donations, individual philanthropy, and gifts of land from private landowners.
The foundation's mission is to conserve natural monuments such as waterfalls, bluffs and caves. Conservation of such features usually creates relatively small reserves that are not environmentally sustainable in isolation, so the foundation also aims to create corridors of conserved land to link these features and larger reserves (such as national parks and state parks), which are also called greenways.
Acquisitions.
Stillhouse Hollow Falls, a tract including a waterfall, was acquired by the foundation in 2006 for $130,000 (). The tract was sold to the State of Tennessee for $97,500 () for perpetual preservation as a natural reserve.
Randolph Park Historic Park was established by the foundation in 2008 from the $378,000 () purchase of of the second Chickasaw Bluff by the Mississippi River. The intention was to expand this to along the Mississippi River through further acquisitions financed by gifts and government grants.
In 2010, the foundation established Cummins Falls State Park, a day-use park of including a waterfall popular for its natural swimming hole. The natural pool was named by Travel + Leisure as one of America's best swimming holes.
In 2017, the foundation entered into a conservation easement with Swan Conservation Trust to permanently preserve of forest known as the Big Swan Headwaters Preserve, adjacent to The Farm in Lewis County, Tennessee. The same year, the foundation purchased 1,000 acres of Grassy Cove, one of North America's largest sinkholes. A portion of the Grassy Cove, known as Karst Area, was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1973, and the foundation raised $2.2 million to preserve the area.


Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is in the South Island of New Zealand, near the town of Twizel. Aoraki / Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest mountain, and Aoraki/Mount Cook Village lie within the park. The area was gazetted as a national park in October 1953 and consists of reserves that were established as early as 1887 to protect the area's significant vegetation and landscape.
Even though most of the park is alpine terrain, it is easily accessible. The only road access into Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is via , which starts near Twizel, at distance the closest town to the park, and leads directly to Mount Cook Village, where the road ends. The village is situated within the park, however, it consists only of a hotel and motels, as well as housing and amenities for the staff of the hotel and motels and other support personnel.
Geography.
The park stretches for about along the southwest-northeast direction of the Southern Alps, covering on the southeastern side of the main spine of the Alps. The valleys of the Tasman, Hooker, and Godley glaciers are the only entrances into this alpine territory that lie below .
Glaciers cover 40% of the park area, notably the Tasman Glacier in the Tasman Valley east of Aoraki / Mount Cook. Eight of the twelve largest glaciers in New Zealand lie within Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, all of which terminate at proglacial lakes formed in recent decades due to a sustained period of shrinking.
In the area surrounding Aoraki / Mount Cook, the Tasman Glacier, Hooker Glacier, Murchison Glacier, and Mueller Glacier all terminate in lakes, while further north in the park, the Godley Glacier, Classen Glacier, Grey Glacier and Maud Glacier also end in proglacial lakes. Tasman Lake and Hooker Lake are easily accessible via walking tracks and are the only two of these lakes that have official names. At an area of 7 km², Tasman Lake is the largest of the proglacial lakes and hosts boat trips for tourists.
Of New Zealand's 20 peaks over 3,000 metres, all except Mount Aspiring / Tititea lie in the park. These include New Zealand's highest mountain, Aoraki / Mount Cook, at 3,724 metres. Other prominent peaks include Mt Tasman, Mt Hicks, Mt Sefton and Mt Elie de Beaumont. The mountains of the Southern Alps in general are young, less than ten million years old, and are still building. Uplift in the region of the national park is at the rate of 5–10 mm per year. It's estimated that approximately 25 km of uplift has occurred, however the rate of uplift has been countered by erosion.
The park borders Westland Tai Poutini National Park along the Main Divide. Together they form part of Te Wahipounamu South Westland World Heritage Site, recognised for its outstanding natural values.
Flora and fauna.
More than 400 species of plants make up the vegetation in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, which include more than 100 introduced plant species such as the colourful Russell lupin, the wild cherry and wilding pines. Under normal circumstances, forest grows to about 1,300 m, however, most parts of the park are either at higher altitudes above the tree line or in the proglacial valleys such as the Hooker Valley and Tasman Valley, where the rocky soil of the valley floors and moraine walls do not support forest growth. As a result, the only pockets of forest and native bush in the park are along the southern edge of the Hooker Valley and the lower slopes of Sealy Range.
The plant life in the majority of the park consists mostly of alpine plants. Between 1,300 m and 1,900 m and in the valleys, the vegetation is predominately snow tussock grassland, as well as golden speargrass, large mountain daisies/tikumu ("Celmisia semicordata", "Celmisia coriacea"), and Mount Cook lily, ("Ranunculus lyallii"), the largest buttercup in the world. All of these plants flower in the warmer months from November to February – early in the season in the valley floors, and late at higher altitudes. At the highest rocks of Aoraki / Mount Cook, around 14 species of lichen have been found.
The native vegetation continues to be under threat by introduced plant species ranging from non-native trees through to lupins, broom and non-native grasses. These are mostly contained in the valley floors of the Tasman and Hooker Valley, since they are the most accessible parts of the park.
There are about 35 to 40 species of birds in the park and include the kea, the only alpine parrot, and the well-camouflaged pipit. The tiny rock wren/pïwauwau, a threatened species, is the only permanent resident high on the mountains. It is unrelated to the rock wren of North America. Small insectivores such as the riflemen/tïtitipounamu and the New Zealand fantails/pïwakawaka live in the low forest and scrub, along with small numbers of two larger birds, the wood pigeon and morepork. Introduced species such as finches and sparrows live throughout the bush near Mount Cook Village. The black stilt or kakī, rarest wading bird in the world, lives in the braided riverbed of the Tasman.
The park is home to many invertebrates, including large dragonflies, crickets, grasshoppers, 223 recorded moth species and 7 native butterflies. A black alpine wētā, also known as the Mount Cook flea is found above the snowline. The jewelled gecko lives in the park but is rarely seen. Introduced red deer, chamois and Himalayan tahr can be hunted.
Climate.
Temperatures in Mount Cook Village range from to , and typically fall just over 1 °C for every 200 metres of altitude.
Rainfall is similarly variable, with the driest months receiving around precipitation per month, but recorded maxima of in one day and in a single month. Snow falls on about 21 days per year.
During the coldest months of the year, Mueller Glacier Lake, Hooker Lake, and Tasman Lake usually freeze over at least partially.
The weather conditions in the park, in particular at higher altitudes can be unpredictable and change rapidly. Anyone venturing further than the walking tracks is strongly advised to notify their intentions at the Visitor Centre on the day you start. This is part of a formal intentions process that operates in the park and is used to initiate formal search operations.
Recreation.
The park is popular for mountaineering, hunting, tramping/hiking, skiing and ski touring. The Department of Conservation administers activities in the park, including the White Horse Hill camping ground.
Mount Cook Village is the start of several walks ranging from easy walking tracks such as the popular Hooker Valley Track to tramping tracks like the steep track to the Sealy Tarns. Some of these tracks also offer guided walking tours, and the nearby Tasman Lake hosts boat trips for tourists. The park contains close to twenty huts, mostly in alpine terrain. The huts range from basic shelters to serviced huts, with the most accessible hut being Mueller Hut, which can be reached from Mount Cook Village within 4 hours.
A visitor centre in the village features interpretation exhibits about the area's natural environment and history as well as an artwork collection.
Mountaineering.
The spectacular peaks of the Aoraki / Mount Cook region have attracted climbers from all over the world for the last 100 years. The dramatic nature of these mountains provides a rare challenge. The combination of heavy glaciation, tremendous vertical scale and unpredictable weather means that they are not readily won. To climb successfully here requires skill, fitness, patience, and a great respect for the mountains. Mountaineering on the Aoraki / Mount Cook massif is a hazardous activity.
Other mountaineering routes include crossing the Aroarokaehe Range via the Copland Pass, the Mount Cook Range via the Ball Pass, and routes crossing the Tasman Saddle further north. All of these routes still require significant alpine mountaineering experience.
On the opposite side of the Hooker Valley, Mt Ollivier was Sir Edmund Hillary's first major climb, in 1939, and since the establishment of a tramping track to Mueller Hut, not far below the summit, is now one of the easiest accessible mountains in the park.
Another mountain popular for mountaineers of intermediate skills is Sebastopol, the closest mountain to Mount Cook Village. At 1,468 m height, it is only 750 m above Mount Cook Village, with the lower half of the ascent following the Red Tarns tramping track. Sebastopol offers one of few view points taking in both the Hooker Valley and the Tasman Valley.
Area history.
At the end of the most recent ice age, around 13,000 years ago, the Mueller Glacier, Hooker Glacier, and Tasman Glacier were all tributaries to a much larger glacier covering all of Hooker Valley and Tasman Valley in hundreds of metres of ice and reaching as far as the extent of today's Lake Pukaki, up to south of Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park.
As the glacier retreated, it filled the hollowed out valleys with rocks and gravel, leaving behind the flat-bottomed valleys seen today.
Transport.
Rodolph Wigley's Mount Cook Motor Co was formed in 1906 to provide services to the area from the railhead at Fairlie. A small airfield, Mount Cook Aerodrome, southeast of Mount Cook Village has been served by the Wigley family's New Zealand Aero Transport Company and successor Mount Cook Airline sporadically since 1921.
Road access into the park is via State Highway 80, along the western shore of Lake Pukaki. The road ends at Mount Cook Village, with a connecting road leading to the White Horse Hill camping ground. Another small road leads to a car park near Tasman Lake, the start of a short walking track and the Ball Hut Route.
Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is the starting point of the Alps to Ocean Cycle Trail to Oamaru. The 300 kilometre cycle trail has been constructed from 2010 onwards by the New Zealand Cycle Trail project. the cycle trail still includes 15 kilometres along public roads.


Valle Canal Novo

Valle Canal Novo is a nature reserve near Marano, a small town in the north east of Italy. Consisting primarily of a lagoon (or "valle"), which was historically used for fishing, it is 121 hectares in size and in the same protected area as the Foci dello Stella.


Lahaina Gateway

Lahaina Gateway is a shopping mall located in Lahaina, Hawaii. The mall was completed in April 2008 and covers approximately of retail space on two floors. It has been managed and owned by various companies, and the mall itself has been in foreclosure on two occasions. Some of the current tenants at the center include Barnes & Noble, Lahaina's Department of Motor Vehicles offices, and a Foodland Farms grocery store. Lahaina Gateway was inspired by traditional Hawaiian architecture, with some of the buildings' facades featuring stucco accents.
Background.
Lahaina Gateway opened in April 2008, becoming the largest shopping center in western Maui. The mall was developed by Western Partitions, Inc. with Kiewit Construction serving as its contractor. It took approximately 13 months to construct the of retail space across 11 acres, with the developer investing $2.8 million USD in the project. TNP Strategic Trust acquired the center, which had gone into foreclosure, in 2011 for approximately US$32 million. However, TNP Chief Executive Anthony Thompson remarked that despite news of foreclosure, the center was receiving strong leasing inquiries. The company bought the mall after selling its other property, Oahu's Waianae Mall, for US$25.7 million. In November 2012, the center went into foreclosure again and was purchased by Strategic Retail Trust from TNP's backers, the Central Pacific Bank. Lahaina Gateway is currently managed by The Festival Companies, according to their official website.
Events.
Maui Gift and Craft Fair every Sunday 9–2. Several limited events and fundraisers have occurred at the shopping center since its construction. Annually, during the month of October, Lahaina Gateway hosts various events as part of their "Pineapples & Pumpkins" Halloween festival. The mall also hosted a classic car show that took place in March 2015. In addition, the annual Wiki Wiki Run takes place near the shopping center.
Design and tenants.
The shopping center is designed in the image of traditional Hawaiian towns. It consists of various buildings, some of which have a "plantation style" appearance while others are more influenced by modern architecture. Furthermore, some of the structures contain stucco on their exteriors. Lahaina Gateway is anchored by a Foodland Farms grocery store that sells organic and Maui-grown foods and drinks. Other tenants at the shopping mall include women's retailer Passion 4 Fashion Boutique, the largest Barnes & Noble location in Hawaii, and Lahaina's official Department of Motor Vehicles offices. Cultural center Na Lio Maui was open at the center for a limited run in 2015. Its purpose was to inform tourists and visitors about the history of horses in Hawaiian culture. The Melting Pot, a fondue restaurant, closed at Lahaina Gateway on February 24, 2013, leaving approximately 30 workers unemployed.


Anna Cave

The Anna Cave (also called "Petőfi Cave") is a natural limestone cave in Miskolc-Lillafüred, Hungary, near the waterfall.
The cave was discovered in 1833, when opening a shaft in the limestone in order to provide the iron furnace at Hámor with water. It soon became a tourist attraction, even Sándor Petőfi visited it in 1847. However, in the second part of the century, when the iron furnaces were closed, the cave was forgotten.
It was opened again in 1912. In 1927, when the Palace Hotel was built, new caverns were found. The entrance that's used today was constructed then.
The cave has not only nice limestone structures, but also plant fossils.
The cave can be visited all year round.


Blue Lake (Utah)

Blue Lake is a large geothermal pond located about south of Wendover, Utah at . The lake is deep, approximately in size and at an elevation of above sea level. It is located on the Utah Test and Training Range, which is controlled by the United States Air Force, but the lake and its immediate surroundings are publicly accessible wetlands that are managed by the United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The BLM permits public access and use but does not permit the erection of permanent structures.
Scuba diving.
Blue Lake is a popular spot for area divers. Since its water is warm year-round and reasonably clear, the lake is heavily used on the weekends for dive training, with programs such as the University of Utah Scuba Program. Other nearby high-mountain lakes are clear but cold even in early fall; and lower, warmer lakes tend to be murky. Blue Lake's constant high-volume flow of clear springwater provides underwater visibility of up to at (rare) times, and year-round bottom temperatures of approximately . Surface temperatures vary from the high 60s (~20 °C) in winter to the high 70s (~25 °C) in summer.
The lake supports warm-water fish, mostly bass, tilapia, sunfish and bluegill. In addition, divers have placed objects on the bottom, such as large metal sculptures of marine animals, boats, a chair and TV set, to add interest. The bubbling thermal spring on the lake floor is also an interesting site for exploration.
Late fall or early spring provides the best overall diving conditions, since the water is clear (the summer algal bloom is absent), daytime air temperatures are somewhat mild, and the summer's insects are absent. The algal bloom can reduce underwater visibility to a meter or less. However, it is not severe enough to damage the other marine life. During the winter, the lake's water is also clear, but area temperatures make diving unpleasant.
The Utah DWR allows fishing in the lake; bass (6 fish limit), bluegill (50 fish limit), and tilapia (no limit, mandatory keep and kill). The tilapia criteria reflect the fact that this species was introduced to Blue Lake illegally, and it competes with the native game fish for habitat.


Mount Napier State Park

Mount Napier State Park is a state park in the Australian state of Victoria. It is 20 km northeast of Mount Eccles; its centerpiece is Mount Napier, a true volcanic cone. The park was established in 1987, and today encompasses 2800 hectares of land. The local Aboriginal name for the mount is Tapoc.


Suusamyr Forest Reserve

The Suusamyr Forest Reserve is located in Jumgal District of Naryn Region of Kyrgyzstan. It was established in 1990 with a purpose of conservation of forests in flood-plains of Suusamyr River and Karakol (West) River including willow, English elm, Prunus padus as well as Ribes janczewskii.


Talas Complex Nature Reserve

Talas Complex Nature Reserve is a reserve located in Bakay-Ata District and Talas District of Talas Province of Kyrgyzstan. It was established in 1986 to conserve and rehabilitate remarkable landscapes and unique nature complexes in floodplain forests of Talas River basin. The reserve occupies 2511 hectares.
The backbone of this reserve and the province, the river Talas was formed at the confluence of the Karakol and Uch-Koshoy. It flows west into Kazakhstan.


The Streets of Tanasbourne

The Streets of Tanasbourne is an outdoor shopping mall located in the Tanasbourne area of Hillsboro in the U.S. state of Oregon. Opened in October 2004, the center provides shopping to the Hillsboro/Beaverton area west of Portland, near the Sunset Highway. The $55 million center is an open-air complex designed to mimic older downtown shopping districts and has 55 store locations.
History.
Plans for a specialty retail center in the Tanasbourne area were originally announced in 1999. The original plan had construction beginning in June 2001 on the project that would have two parking garages. In all, these plans called for a $60 million project on to open in the summer of 2002. Hillsboro approved the project in 2000, but construction was delayed.
Eventually developed by Continental Real Estate and designed by Field Paoli, The Streets of Tanasbourne cost $55 million to complete. This shopping complex was the last development in a larger Hillsboro project titled Tanasbourne Town Center. Originally The Streets of Tanasbourne were to be named the Shops of Tanasbourne. However, the project's name was changed when Continental Real Estate acquired the project from Federal Realty Investment Trust. Macy's (formerly Meier & Frank and one of the center's anchor stores) signed up as planned, however very little had been done to attract other tenants by 2002.
Construction on the project began in 2003. The Meier & Frank opened in early October 2004, while other stores finished construction later that month. The grand opening for the shopping complex was November 6, 2004. The 55-store complex is designed to resemble a standard Main Street style shopping district with open air, free-standing stores complete with parallel parking on the streets within the complex. When it opened it was the first of the lifestyle centers to open in the Portland metropolitan area.
Details.
The shopping center is a outdoor lifestyle center. As a lifestyle center, the target customer for the center are upper-income shoppers. Designed to look like Main Street, the center includes retail and restaurants. Retailers include anchors Macy's (formerly Meier & Frank) and REI, while restaurants include Buffalo Wild Wings, Macaroni Grill and P. F. Chang's, among others. While not situated along a highway or MAX Light Rail, the center was estimated to have approximately 225,000 people within five miles in 2005. An apartment complex abuts the shopping center on the west. The Streets of Tanasbourne had 49 tenants as of March 2010.


Big Island Lake Wilderness

Big Island Lake Wilderness is a remote protected area in the Munising Ranger District of the Hiawatha National Forest in the Upper Peninsula in the state of Michigan in the United States. The wilderness area is located about one-half mile (0.8 km) northwest of the community of Steuben and northwest of Manistique and about southeast of Munising in Schoolcraft County. The area is roughly bordered by County Road 437 on the south and County Road 445 on the west. The northeast boundary is Forest Road 2303 and the southern boundary is the abandoned railroad grade—Haywire Grade - Forest Road 8109.