Mata do Jambreiro Private Natural Heritage Reserve

Mata do Jambreiro Private Natural Heritage Reserve () is a state-regulated private natural heritage reserve to the south east of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
History.
The reserve contains of seasonal forest in the municipality of Nova Lima in the state of Minas Gerais.
There was concern that the Aguas Claras Mine, opened in the 1970s, would cause environmental damage.
The Vale mining company therefore leased the area to the government of Minas Gerais for twenty years, while taking responsibility for conservation measures.
The Mata do Jambreiro Biological Reserve (Reserva Biológica Mata do Jambreiro) was established on 26 January 1979 when a special committee was set up to implement the reserve to preserve the local ecology.
After the lease expired the mining company regained control, and created the Jambreiro Private Natural Heritage Reserve (Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural do Jambreiro).
 of high biodiversity continue to be preserved.
It is administered by the State Forestry Institute in partnership with the MBR mining company.
Because it does not meet regulatory requirements, the station is not eligible for the ICMBio Ecological incentives.
Ecology.
The reserve is part of the Southern Environmental Protection Area, certified as a Brazilian biosphere reserve by UNESCO.
It lies in the transition zone between the cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes.
Most of the area was deforested in the first half of the 20th century, and the forest has also suffered from fires, so much of the vegetation is secondary regrowth.
In most of the forest the canopy is high, with emergent trees such as Cariniana estrellensis, Copaifera langsdorffii and Nectandra oppositifolia.
Higher up there are stony fields with sparse shrubs such as Lychnophora ericoides and Mimosa calodendron, and herbaceous plants such as Pleurothallis teres, Sophronittis crispata, Sophronittis caulescens, Epidendrum secundum and Oncidium gracile.
The reserve is home to the Coimbra Filho's titi (Callicebus coimbrai), lontra, southern tamandua (Tamandua tetradactyla), white-throated hummingbird (Leucochloris albicollis) and blue manakin (Chiroxiphia caudata).


Anclote Key Preserve State Park

Anclote Key Preserve State Park is a Florida State Park and historic site, located on Anclote Key three miles (5 km) off Tarpon Springs along the Atlantic coastal plain. This state park is only accessible by boat. Amenities include primitive camping on the northern portion of the island as well as picnic pavilions and grills. Wildlife includes the American oystercatcher, bald eagle and piping plover. The park is unique in that a lighthouse, built in 1887, is on the southern end of the key in Pinellas County, Florida. Three Rooker Island, south of Anclote and part of the preserve, remains an important Gulf Coast beach-nesting bird sanctuary.
Recreational activities.
The park has such amenities as beaches, birding, primitive camping, boating, fishing, hiking, picknicking areas and wildlife viewing.
References.
Florida Online Park Guide -Anclote Key Preserve State Park, Southwest- Visit our Florida State Parks. Online. January 7, 2006.


Rostov

Rostov () is a town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, one of the oldest in the country and a tourist center of the Golden Ring. It is located on the shores of Lake Nero, northeast of Moscow. Population:
While the official name of the town is Rostov, it is popularly known to Russians as Rostov Veliky (, "Rostov the Great") to distinguish it from the much larger city of Rostov-on-Don. The name of the town railway station is Rostov Yaroslavsky, due to its location in Yaroslavl Oblast.
History.
Rostov was preceded by Sarskoye Gorodishche, which some scholars interpret as the capital of the Finnic Merya tribe. Others believe it was an important Viking trade enclave and fortress guarding the Volga trade route. Scythians also settled there. These different ethnicities, such as the Vikings, Scyths, Slavs and Finns, were likely the ancestors of many of today's people in that region. First mentioned in documents in the year 862 as an already important settlement, by the 10th century Rostov became the capital city of Vladimir-Suzdal, one of the most prominent Russian principalities. It was incorporated into Muscovy in 1474.
After losing its independent status, Rostov was still an ecclesiastic center (from 988 it was the see of the Diocese of Yaroslavl, one of the first Russian bishoprics. In the 14th century, the bishops of Rostov became archbishops, and late in the 16th century, metropolitans. One of those metropolitans, Iona (Jonah) Sysoyevich (ca. 1607–1690), commissioned the town's main landmark: the kremlin. This is regarded by some as the finest outside that of Moscow.
Ravaged by the Mongols in the 13th and 14th centuries (last sack by Edigu in 1408), and the Poles in 1608, Rostov survived as a medium-sized town. Late in the 18th century, the metropolitan see was transferred to Yaroslavl.
Rostov is renowned for manufacturing enamels.
Administrative and municipal status.
Within the framework of administrative divisions, Rostov serves as the administrative center of Rostovsky District, even though it is not a part of it. As an administrative division, it is incorporated separately as the town of oblast significance of Rostov—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts. As a municipal division, the town of oblast significance of Rostov is incorporated within Rostovsky Municipal District as Rostov Urban Settlement.
Main sights.
 The architecture of the city shows many examples of early Russian Orthodox architecture. The central square of Rostov is occupied by the Assumption Cathedral. It is unknown when the present building was erected, the mid-16th century being the most likely date. Lower parts of the cathedral walls are dated to the 12th century. The ponderous bell-tower was constructed mostly in the 17th century. Its bells are among the largest and most famous in Russia - each has its own name. The largest bell, cast in 1688, weighs . It is named Sysoy to honor the city's founding father. The church is home to the incorrupt body of Saint Leontius of Rostov.
An area situated between the cathedral square and the lake was chosen by Iona Sysoevich as a place for his fairy-tale residence. All the construction works were carried out between 1667 and 1694. Major buildings include the ornate Savior Church-na-Senyakh (1675), the sombre Church of St. Gregory (1670), and the barbican churches of St. John the Apostle (1683) and of the Resurrection of Christ (1670). The residence, often erroneously called kremlin, also includes eleven ornate tower bells, numerous palaces, several small belfries, and the diminutive baroque Church of Our Lady of Smolensk (1693). All the churches are elaborately painted and decorated.
The cathedral and four tall kremlin churches with their silver "blind" domes were imitated throughout the city. This is particularly evident in the Savior-on-the-Market church and the cathedral church of the Nativity convent, both dating from the 17th century and situated near the kremlin walls. The oldest church within the town center was consecrated to St. Isidore the Blessed in 1565. They say that Ivan the Terrible had the architect executed, because his church was so much smaller than its predecessor.
The kremlin is flanked by two monasteries, both facing the Lake Nero. To the right from the kremlin stands the Abraham monastery, founded in the 11th century and one of the oldest in Russia. Its cathedral, commissioned by Ivan the Terrible in 1553 to commemorate the conquest of Kazan, inspired numerous churches in the region, particularly in Yaroslavl.
Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery, situated to the left from the Kremlin on the town's outskirts, has been venerated as the shrine of St. Dmitry of Rostov. Most of the monastery structures were built in the late 18th and early 19th centuries in the fine neoclassical style. There are also two 17th-century churches: the Conception of St. Anna, and the Transfiguration of Our Savior. Unlike most other churches in the town, the monastery belongs to the Russian Orthodoxy and houses a theological seminary.
Surroundings.
The vicinity of Rostov is rich in old architecture. For example, an old wooden church (1687–1689) may be seen in Ishnya. One of the best preserved monasteries in Russia, named after the saints Boris and Gleb, is situated in Borisoglebsky, about west of the town. The monastery was favored by Ivan the Terrible, who personally supervised the construction of towered walls and bell-tower around an even more ancient cathedral. The only addition made to the monastery after Ivan's death is a barbican church, commissioned by the metropolitan Iona Sysoyevich.
Further reading.
Website of Rostov Kremlin==External links==


Nashik Central (Vidhan Sabha constituency)

Nashik Central is one of the 288 Vidhan Sabha (Assembly) constituencies of Maharashtra state in Western India. It is one of the six assembly segments under Nashik (Lok Sabha constituency).
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Election results.
General elections 2009.


George Washington Memorial Parkway

The George Washington Memorial Parkway, colloquially the G.W. Parkway, is a parkway that runs along the south bank of the Potomac River from Mount Vernon, Virginia, northwest to McLean, Virginia, and is maintained by the National Park Service (NPS). It is located almost entirely within Virginia, except for a short portion of the parkway northwest of the Arlington Memorial Bridge that passes over Columbia Island within the District of Columbia.
The parkway is separated into two sections joined by Washington Street (State Route 400) in Alexandria. A third section, which is the Clara Barton Parkway, runs on the opposite side of the Potomac River in the District of Columbia and suburban Montgomery County, Maryland. A fourth section was originally proposed for Fort Washington, Maryland, but never built. The parkway has been designated an All-American Road.
Virginia's official state designation for the parkway is State Route 90005.
Route description.
Southern section.
At Mount Vernon, the parkway begins at a traffic circle, where it joins/leaves SR 235. Most of this route was taken from the Washington, Alexandria and Mount Vernon Railway's right-of-way. The southern section is a limited-access highway, but with at-grade intersections. It extends from Mount Vernon, past Fort Hunt to South Washington Street at the southern end of Alexandria. The Mount Vernon Trail parallels the southern and middle sections of the parkway (from Mount Vernon to Theodore Roosevelt Island), and is often filled with recreational and commuter cyclists and runners. Points of interest on or near the parkway are Mount Vernon Plantation, Huntley Meadows Park, P. O. Box 1142, Fort Hunt Park, Dyke Marsh, Hunting Creek, Jones Point, and the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.
Although designated as part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, Washington Street in Alexandria still belongs to and is maintained by the City of Alexandria. In 1929, the city and the federal government entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA). The MOA gave the federal government a permanent and irrevocable easement over Washington Street. It also called for the construction of roundabouts at both the north and south ends of Washington Street as transition points between the rural and urban sections of the parkway. Finally, the MOA required Alexandria to adopt zoning regulations so that construction along Washington Street would be "of such character and of such types of buildings as will be in keeping with the dignity, purpose and memorial character of said highway".
Commercial vehicles, such as trucks, are prohibited from the George Washington Memorial Parkway. However, taxicabs and airport shuttles are allowed to operate on the parkway.
Northern section.
The northern section extends from North Washington Street at First Street, at the northern end of Old Town Alexandria, to its terminus at Interstate 495 (I-495, Capital Beltway), in Fairfax County, just south of the Potomac River. It follows the Potomac River, passing through Arlington County, and serves as the primary access point to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The Parkway also provides automobile access to Theodore Roosevelt Island, the LBJ National Grove, Gravelly Point Park, Fort Marcy, Columbia Island Marina and Turkey Run Park. There are scenic view rest areas for those wishing to view the Georgetown skyline and the Potomac Palisades. The cloverleaf interchange with the 14th Street Bridge, dating to 1932, is one of the oldest cloverleaf interchanges in the United States. The Spout Run Parkway connects the George Washington Memorial Parkway to US Route 29 (US 29), providing an indirect connection to I-66. The portion of the parkway north of National Airport and SR 233 is part of the National Highway System.
History.
Early efforts to build a road.
The trip by DC area residents to see George Washington's family estate at Mount Vernon was seen in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a patriotic duty as well as an opportunity to learn about American history and democratic values. In the late 19th century, most people took a steamboat excursion from DC (it also made a stop in Alexandria). By the 1920s, 200,000 people a year were visiting Mount Vernon.
In the 1880s, officials in Alexandria, Virginia, attempted to boost local commerce by advocating for a "national road" to Mount Vernon. They formed the Mount Vernon Avenue Association in September 1887, to promote this idea. Congress appropriated $10,000 for a survey in 1889. The United States Army Corps of Engineers conducted the survey, and in its report agreed that a superior, no-expense-spared road from Alexandria to Mount Vernon was necessary. However, construction of the Washington, Alexandria, and Mount Vernon Railway (an inexpensive commuter trolley/streetcar system) between 1892 and 1896 dealt a serious blow to the plan.
During the Alexandria Sesquicentennial in 1899, several Alexandria civic boosters called for a bridge to be built between Alexandria and Washington, DC. This reignited interest in a roadway to Mount Vernon. The idea generated interest among many of the individuals active in the City Beautiful movement, Colonial Revival architecture movement, and groups dedicated to promoting local and national history. Soon, the idea of a roadway became a call for a grandiose, monumental avenue lined with Beaux-Arts memorials, tombs, and roadside attractions. The idea received even more impetus when the Daughters of the American Revolution took up the cause. In 1902, the McMillan Plan endorsed a road along the Virginia side of the Potomac River shoreline. Although Virginia was outside the plan's scope, the Senate Park Commission (which drafted the plan) saw a Mount Vernon avenue as an extension of the DC park system as well as a means of protecting the Great Falls of the Potomac River and the Potomac Palisades. The McMillan Plan, however, focused not on a monumental avenue but on tree-lined boulevards and quiet carriage paths designed to relax and calm.
First efforts by Bureau of Public Roads.
The Mount Vernon Avenue Association disbanded some time during World War I, but the concept of a Mount Vernon roadway was now championed by the federal Bureau of Public Roads (BPR). The BPR seized on the idea in the 1920s as a means of demonstrating the latest highway construction technology. Its first proposals were merely to upgrade the existing roads in the area and perhaps add a tree-lined boulevard, with formal, uninspired masonry bridges. But the BPR's proposals quickly evolved into much more. The agency hired Gilmore David Clarke and Jay Downer, who had designed the highly celebrated Central Westchester Parkway in New York, as consultants. They quickly proposed a more elaborate system of plantings, historic roadside pullouts, and scenic overlooks, and a more sinuous road design. The BPR began calling the road a "highway" rather than a parkway to de-emphasize its commemorative nature in the hope that Congress would fund its construction.
As the bicentennial anniversary of the birth of George Washington approached in 1932, the BPR took advantage of the national interest in the nation's first president to push its idea for a Mount Vernon roadway. It changed its approach, now re-emphasizing the commemorative nature of the road. It also began publishing books, pamphlets, and technical drawings; printing photographs; displaying models in the Capitol Rotunda; and exhibiting Washingtoniana alongside its materials in a well-organized public relations push designed to build public support for the project and win congressional approval. It even commissioned a 30-minute film lauding the idea.
The establishment of the George Washington Bicentennial Commission was the critical event which got the highway bill through Congress. During hearings in the House of Representatives on the issue, the American Civic Association, the National Council for the Protection of Roadside Beauty, and other groups testified that the existing roads to Mount Vernon were heavily lined with tawdry billboards, tourist traps, garish filling stations, and fast food joints. Representative R. Walton Moore introduced legislation in early 1924 to build a memorial highway to Mount Vernon, which was endorsed by the District of Columbia Chapter of the Colonial Dames of America and Charles Moore, chairman of the United States Commission of Fine Arts. During House hearings in April 1924, the BPR drew attention to the poor condition of the existing roads, and their inability to handle more traffic. Although the existing Mount Vernon Avenue from Arlington National Cemetery to Alexandria was in good condition, the roads from Arlington Memorial Bridge to Mount Vernon Avenue and from Gum Springs to Mount Vernon were not. The BPR said a highway along the existing ridge-top route would cost $890,000 to $1.2 million (and it recommended the latter). But the 1924 bill went nowhere.
Rep. Moore introduced another bill in 1926. Although this bill also failed, the House Committee on Roads passed a bill authorizing BPR to survey "a route" and provide cost estimates for construction. Historic American Buildings Survey historian Sara Amy Leach has suggested that BPR's emphasis on an extremely wide right-of-way indicates that the agency was willing to abandon the inland, ridge-top route in favor of one along the Potomac River's edge. Just who suggested the river's edge route is not clear, but Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. of the famed nationally known park landscaping firm from New York, is known to have suggested it in March 1926, to Commission of Fine Arts chairman Moore, who passed it along to Rep. Moore, who in turn passed it on to BPR. But in May 1926, the BPR issued a draft report in which it still favored the ridge-top route. BPR then abandoned this idea, and produced a final report in January 1927, advocating the river's edge route. The river's edge route was relatively flat (unlike the ridge-top route, which had steep grades), had few intersecting roads, needed few underpasses and overpasses, and nearly all the land was already owned by the federal government. It was admittedly more expensive than the ridge-top route ($4.2 million, or 25 percent more). The Secretary of War, Commission of Fine Arts, National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Virginia Highway Commission, and Alexandria Chamber of Commerce all supported the BPR proposal. Opposition to the river's edge route came from Fairfax County merchants, who pointed to the ridge-top route's extensive vistas, the need for extensive land reclamation at several points (Fourmile Run, Roaches Run, and Great Hunting Creek), and the proximity of the route to the railroad tracks and industrial buildings at the Potomac Yards.
The Mount Vernon Memorial Highway of 1928.
In 1928, Moore and Senator Claude A. Swanson introduced identical bills (S.1369 and H.R. 4625) to build a memorial highway from Arlington Memorial Bridge to Mount Vernon at a cost of $4.5 million. The Washington Bicentennial Commission would oversee the project, with support from the United States Department of Agriculture with surveys, architectural and engineering plans, land acquisition, construction, etc. The bicentennial commission was also authorized to determine the route. Proponents of the ridge-top route pressed their case, but Moore pointed to the 1927 BPR report, as expert proof that the river's-edge route was preferable. Support for the Moore-Swanson bill also came from President Calvin Coolidge, the bicentennial commission, the US Senate, the Bureau of the Budget, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association. S. 1369 passed the Senate on March 6, 1928. (No vote totals were reported.)
In the House, the cost of the bill, the use of federal funds for a local infrastructure project, and concerns that a highway was not the appropriate way to commemorate George Washington all were raised as objections to the bill. Rep. Louis C. Cramton, leader of a coalition of interests that wanted to protect the Potomac River banks from any development, criticized the damage to the environment the highway would cause, the stuffy architectural designs, and the elaborate roadside attractions which had been proposed. But patriotic concerns won the day. The House voted in favor of HR 4625 by a margin of 177 to 61 on May 22, 1928. President Calvin Coolidge signed the measure into law on May 24.
The legislation authorizing construction of the George Washington Memorial Highway is Public Law 493. Its formal title is "An act to authorize and direct the survey, construction, and maintenance of a memorial highway to connect Mount Vernon, in the State of Virginia, with the Arlington Memorial Bridge across the Potomac River at Washington." After the law's passage, BPR issued yet another report advocating the river's edge route. On January 25, 1929, the bicentennial commission decided the highway should follow the river route.
Expansion into the current parkway.
The parkway's original name was the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway. But Congress renamed it the George Washington Memorial Parkway in 1930, and authorized its extension to the "Great Falls of the Potomac River". The idea for a large George Washington Memorial Parkway came from Rep. Cramton, who introduced legislation in January 1929, to construct a larger system of roads and parks. In the US Senate, the bill was amended by Sen. Carter Glass to include a bridge across the Potomac at the Great Falls. Congress enacted the "Act of May 29, 1930" (46 Stat. 482)—more commonly known as the Capper-Cramton Act—to establish the George Washington Memorial Parkway. The Act appropriated $13.5 million to acquire land and build a Parkway on the Virginia southern shoreline from Mount Vernon to the Great Falls" (excluding the city of Alexandria), and to also build a parkway on the Maryland northern shoreline from Fort Washington, Maryland, to the Great Falls of the Potomac (excluding the District of Columbia). A bridge across the Potomac at or near the Great Falls was also included in the final bill. Included in the parkway were to be lands to extend the park and playground lands of the National Capital Parks system, and for the acquisition and preservation of the Patowmack Canal and a portion (below Point of Rocks) of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.
The George Washington Memorial Parkway was built in stages between 1929 and 1970. The first segment, the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, stretches from Arlington Memorial Bridge to Mount Vernon and was completed in 1932. That segment of highway was informally opened on January 16, 1932. The dedication ceremony was headed by President Herbert Hoover who became the first person to drive it, leading a small party of 12 cars across the Arlington Memorial Bridge and down the George Washington Parkway to Mount Vernon as a kick-off for Washington's 200th birthday celebration. Due to a lack of lights, ongoing construction and poor connections on the Virginia side, the bridge and highway were only open during daylight hours on Saturday and Sunday. Weekend-only operations ended on March 16, 1932. Though temporary lights were added in time for the 200th birthday, the highway wasn't opened for day and night use until both the bridge and highway were officially illuminated on May 6, 1932.
The northern sections of the Parkway were mostly completed in the 1950s-1960s. The portion of the parkway from Glebe Road to I-495, was built primarily to provide access for workers at the new Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, Virginia, in 1959. The portion of the parkway just north of the Key Bridge was considered a model of modern highway design, and it was featured in many scholarly papers, engineering journals, and textbooks of the day. The Capper-Cramton Act received significant amendments in 1946, 1952, and 1958, both funding and terminating significant portions of the unbuilt parkway. The most significant changes came when Congress declined to fund construction of the segments from Fort Washington to the District of Columbia, from I-495 in Virginia to the Great Falls, and from MacArthur Boulevard/Carderock north to the Great Falls. Significant opposition to these segments emerged from the Izaak Walton League, the Wilderness Society, and other groups, which argued that the environmental damage caused by these segments would be too severe to justify their construction.
Over time, small additions were made to the parks and roads included in the larger areas administered by the George Washington Memorial Parkway. These included Memorial Drive (the short section of roadway from the Arlington Memorial Bridge to the entrance of Arlington National Cemetery, at Theodore Roosevelt Island (added in 1933), and the LBJ Memorial Grove on Columbia Island in 1974.
Administrative history.
The parkway was authorized May 29, 1930, and transferred from the Office of Public Buildings and Public Parks of the National Capital on August 10, 1933. On November 28, 1989, the portion in Maryland was renamed the Clara Barton Parkway. The parkway also administers other National Park Service features and areas in the vicinity. Parkway sites include:
Information, brochures, maps, and stamps are in the Parkway headquarters located next to the US Park Police station in McLean, Virginia. The Park Police is the primary police agency responsible for patrolling the George Washington Parkway, the Clara Barton Parkway, and the above listed areas.
Previously proposed connection.
The Clara Barton Parkway is administratively part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. It was signed and designated as the George Washington Memorial Parkway until 1989, when it was renamed to overcome motorist confusion with the main segment in Virginia.
The parkways on the two sides of the river were originally supposed to be joined by a bridge at the Great Falls of the Potomac River. However, opposition from preservationists led to the cancellation of that bridge. Instead, traffic between the two parkways uses the American Legion Bridge downstream. The Virginia side of the Potomac River at Great Falls is managed by the Superintendent of the parkway as a national park site, known as Great Falls Park. Some elements of the proposed final parkway configuration—such as the concrete bridge that would have carried northbound traffic at the Glen Echo turn-around—were built but have never been used.
External links.
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Homolovi State Park

Homolovi State Park is a state park of Arizona, United States, preserving over 300 Ancestral Puebloan archaeological sites. Homolovi or Homol'ovi (the Hopi spelling of the word) is a Hopi word meaning "place of the little hills". The park is located just over a mile north of Winslow, Arizona, and features historical exhibits, interpretive programs, birdwatching, and hiking. There is a year-round campground, restrooms with showers and an RV dump station. The park was closed to visitors from February 22, 2010 to March 18, 2011 due to state budget cuts.
From 1986 to its 2011 reopening, the name of the park was Homolovi Ruins State Park. The Hopi tribe lobbied the Arizona parks board to remove "Ruins" from the name, as the Hopi tribe considers them spiritually alive. During a meeting in Winslow on March 17, 2011, the board unanimously voted to change the name and to add the tagline "ancestral Hopi villages" to the park.
History.
The Homol'ovi cluster of archaeological sites includes seven separate pueblo ruins built by various prehistoric people, including ancestors of the Hopi people, between approximately 1260–1400. This fertile area is on a floodplain of the Little Colorado River, and the inhabitants grew cotton, corn, beans, and squash.
The people of this period are called Hisat'sinom, which is the Hopi word for "long-ago people". They are often referred to as Anasazi, as the Navajo guides who helped nineteenth-century anthropologists and archaeologists called them. However, the word "Anasazi" is Navajo for "enemies of our ancestors", and the present-day Hopi population prefer to refer to them as the Hisat'sinom.
Four of the sites are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Exhibits and activities.
The visitor center displayed pottery sherds, baskets, and other artifacts, as well as offering an introduction to the human history of the park area. Information could also be found about the flora and fauna of the park, and there were books and authentic Hopi art work for sale.
Out of the seven Homolovi ruins, two were open to visitors. Homolovi II, the largest and most thoroughly excavated site, has a sidewalk and interpretive signs. It was occupied between 1330 and 1400, and has about 1200 rooms. Archaeologists believe that the inhabitants were trading cotton for pottery with the inhabitants of the Hopi Mesas. This ruin also features three large rectangular plazas and about forty kivas (underground ceremonial chambers). There are also several clusters of pit-houses, occupied before 1260, which appear as mere depressions in the earth. Petroglyphs may be seen along certain sections of a nearby trail (Tsu'vo).
Sunset, Arizona—one of a series of farming communities along the Little Colorado River in the late 1870s—was established by Lot Smith and his Mormon followers. Frequent floods forced the settlers to abandon Sunset in the early 1880s, and the community was eventually washed away. The cemetery, located on a small hill overlooking the river, survived and can be visited. Three of Lot Smith's children are among the cemetery population.
Hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders could use the of unshaded dirt roads in the park along with the trails leading to archaeological sites.
Wildlife.
A bird checklist, available at the visitor center, listed of over 100 species that can be found in the area. These include notable species such as hawks, golden eagles, killdeer, Gambel's quail, great blue herons, and red-shafted flickers. Many mammals can also be seen in the park, such as gray foxes, bobcats, badgers, prairie dogs, desert cottontails, jackrabbits, and porcupines. Reptiles found in the area include the Hopi rattlesnake, western king rattlesnake, horned lizards, common collared lizards, bull snakes, and desert spiny lizards.
Location and visitor information.
The entrance to the park is located on Arizona State Route 87, north of Exit 257 off of Interstate 40.


Victoria Embankment Gardens

The Victoria Embankment Gardens are a series of gardens on the north side of the River Thames between Blackfriars Bridge and Westminster Bridge in London.
History.
Between 1865 and 1870 the northern embankment and sewer was built by Sir Joseph Bazalgette. In 1874 gardens were created on the reclaimed land on the inward side of the roadway named "Victoria Embankment". There were four sections created, the Temple Garden to the east, the Main Gardens to the west (originally known as the Adelphi Gardens), and two other sections to the south following the bend of the Thames. The gardens are now under the control of the City of Westminster.
Features.
The gardens are fully fenced and are open during designated hours. They open at 07:30 throughout the year, but close at varying times between 16:30 during the coldest months and 21:30 at the height of summer. All gardens have gravel paths that are well lined with seats mainly given as memorials. The river side of the gardens is lined with mature trees. Grass and flower beds are spread throughout the gardens, and on warm days workers from near-by establishments can be seen having picnic lunches both on the seats and the grass.
Statues.
In the Temple section there are statues to Isambard Kingdom Brunel and John Stuart Mill. The main section has memorials Sir Arthur Sullivan, Robert Burns, Sir Wilfred Lawson, Robert Raikes and the Imperial Camel Corps. The southern section has memorials to General Sir James Outram, General Gordon, Air Marshal Lord Trenchard, and the Chindit Memorial which also commemorates Orde Wingate.
A memorial to the British soldiers in the Korean War was unveiled in Victoria Embankment Gardens, between the River Thames and the Ministry of Defence headquarters in London, England, in December 2014.
Although not strictly a statue, there is an equatorial sundial made from stainless steel in the main garden under the Savoy, dedicated to Richard D'Oyly Carte.
Other facilities.
In the main garden there is a café, open in the warmer periods, and a band shell where concerts are held daily in June and July. A charge is made for seats in the enclosure, but the concerts can easily be heard outside on the paths' seats. The York Water Gate can be seen adjacent to the Villier Street entrance. This marks the original bank of the Thames, which is now 135 metres away. Public toilets are outside the gardens' Embankment gate next to the underground station.


Scarba

Scarba () is an island, in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, just north of the much larger island of Jura. The island was owned by Richard Hill, 7th Baron Sandys, and has not been permanently inhabited since the 1960s. It is now covered in heather and used for grazing animals. Kilmory Lodge is used seasonally as a shooting lodge, the island having a flourishing herd of red deer.
The island's name is from the Norse and may mean "sharp, stony, hilly terrain" or "cormorant island".
Description.
Scarba is not served by any public ferries, but access from Craobh Haven or Crinan Harbour is possible by arrangement with local boatmen. The rough summit ridge can be accessed from the harbour at the north end, from where a vehicle track leads up past Kilmory Lodge to a height of about 200 metres. After that, there are no paths or well defined routes, and the terrain becomes rough and boggy. The island rises steeply to a peak (Cruach Scarba) of . A cylindrical triangulation point marks the highest of several summits, which are surrounded by several small lochs.
Geology.
The western two-thirds of Scarba is formed from the Neoproterozoic aged coarse-grained quartzites of the Jura Quartzite Formation ascribed to the Islay Subgroup of the Dalradian Argyll Group. Separated from these rocks by a north-south aligned geological fault, the bedrock of the eastern third is the Neoproterozoic Scarba Conglomerate Formation, and the subordinate Jura Slate Member belonging to the Easdale Subgroup of the Argyll Group. North-south aligned dykes of amphibolite are found throughout the Jura Quartzite whilst lamprophyre dykes of Siluro-Devonian age and basalt and micro-gabbro dykes forming part of the Palaeogene age ‘Mull Dyke Swarm’ cut through both the Quartzite in the west and the conglomerate in the east.
Raised marine deposits of sand and gravel occur on the northeast coast, a legacy of late Quaternary changes in relative sea-level. Peat deposits are common within the island’s interior.
Corryvreckan.
Between Scarba and Jura lies the Gulf of Corryvreckan, known for its whirlpool. Writing in 1549, Dean Monro wrote of "Skarbay" that between it and "Duray":
Ther runnes ane streame, above the power of all sailing and rowing, with infinite dangers, callit Corybrekan. This stream is aught myle lang, quhilk may not be hantit bot be certain tyds. This Skarbay is four myles lange from the west to the eist, and an myle breadth, ane high rough yle, inhabit and manurit, with some woods in it.
Scarba and a few nearby islets (Lunga and the Garvellachs) are collectively the Scarba, Lunga and the Garvellachs National Scenic Area, 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.


Krog Street Tunnel

The Krog Street Tunnel is a tunnel in Atlanta known for its street art. The tunnel links the Cabbagetown, Reynoldstown, and Inman Park neighborhoods. It is very popular among cyclists, and is proposed to be used as part of the BeltLine, for bicyclists and pedestrians to cross Hulsey Yard.
2014 Protest.
In October 2014, The Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces planned a masquerade which was to be a private and ticket-only event. The event was voted down at the local Neighborhood Planning Unit, but a permit was approved by the city anyway. This move angered neighbors, who would not have access to the tunnel during the masquerade. Local artist Peter Ferarri stated, "I think artists were upset that their work was being used to promote and sell tickets to this party without any compensation to them."
At 10pm on October 22, 2014, a hundred protesters gathered to paint over all of the art with grey paint, rendering the tunnel art-less for the masquerade.


Hunchun National Nature Reserve

Hunchun National Nature Reserve is a protected area in the Changbai Mountains in northeastern China's Jilin Province. It was established in December 2001 and covers of deciduous and coniferous forests. Wildlife recorded in the reserve include Siberian tiger, Amur leopard, sika deer, roe deer, red deer and wild boar.


Florida State Road 544

State Road 544 (SR 544) is a west-east state road in the U.S. state of Florida. It runs from Auburndale to Haines City.
Route description.
SR 544 breaks off at a diagonal from U.S. Route 92 (US 92) in Auburndale and heads east-southeast toward Winter Haven as Havendale Boulevard; the name derives from the two cities it connects. In Winter Haven, it straightens out eastward as Avenue T North, conforming to Winter Haven's systematic road-naming grid plan.
As SR 544 leaves Winter Haven, it becomes Lucerne Park Road, also going by the title Scenic Highway. It winds north and east around Lake Conine, Lake Smart, and Lake Fannie, and bypasses the community of Lucerne Park, on its way toward southern Haines City. SR 544 crosses US 27 and enters the Haines City city limits shortly afterward, passing by a landmark tall-steepled First Presbyterian Church. SR 544 also bypasses Alta Vista Elementary School, then intersects with SR 17; the Haines City Post Office marks a corner of this junction. SR 544 ends at SR 17; across this intersection is County Road 544 (CR 544), which leads toward Grenelefe.
Related roads.
County Road 544.
County Road 544 (CR 544) exists in two separate places:
County Road 544A.
County Road 544A (CR 544A), called Derby Avenue, serves as a sort of extension of SR 544 to the west. Its western terminus is Recker Highway (SR 655) in western Auburndale; it then runs parallel to US 92 until reaching SR 544 just east of its junction with US 92.


Fazenda Pacatuba Private Natural Heritage Reserve

The Fazenda Pacatuba Private Natural Heritage Reserve () is a private natural heritage reserve in the state of Paraíba, Brazil. It protects a population of red-handed howler monkeys.
Location.
The Fazenda Pacatuba Private Natural Heritage Reserve in the municipality of Sapé, Paraíba in the Mata Paraibana mesoregion.
It has an area of , part of the larger Fazenda Pacatuba.
The property belongs to the Japungú distillery.
The reserve is from the municipal seat.
History.
The Fazenda Pacatuba Private Natural Heritage Reserve was created by decree 110-N of 29 December 1995.
Its purpose was to protect the red-handed howler ("Alouatta belzebul"), a primate that weighs about , lives in the trees and eats fruit and leaves.
The primate is endemic to Brazil and has two unconnected populations, one in the eastern Amazon region and the other in the Atlantic Forest north of the São Francisco River.
Environment.
The reserve is in the Paraiba River basin.
Soil is Tertiary sediments of sand or sand-clay, with low fertility.
Altitudes are .
The climate is northeast coast tropical, dominated by humid air masses from the Atlantic Ocean.
Average annual rainfall is , falling mainly in the late summer and early winter.
The reserve contains one of the few remaining fragments of Atlantic Forest in the state of Paraíba.
Vegetation is mainly seasonal semi-deciduous forest, with two types of formation.
One is drier, wooded savanna and the other is more humid, with emergent trees up to and trunks up to in circumference, carrying abundant epiphytes.
A study published in 2013 reported 24 species of ferns in 18 genera.


A535 road

The A535 road is a non-primary route in England that runs from Holmes Chapel, Cheshire to Alderley Edge, Cheshire. It passes through the Dane River valley. It is the main road that gives access to the Jodrell Bank Observatory and the Quinta Arboretum, planted by Sir Bernard Lovell in 1948.
History.
In medieval times part of the existing A535 route provided access to Chorley Old Hall and moat near Alderley Edge, a Grade I listed building and scheduled monument. This part of the road is known as "Ryley's Lane". The original part of the house was built around 1330 by Robert de Chorley. The Stanley family carried out alterations around 1640 and built a bridge across the moat. Just past the hall, a lane leads off to the east which is named after the hall, Chorley Lane. In historical times, this lane leading off what is now the A535 road was the main road leading to Macclesfield from Alderley Hall, and was the continuation of the Macclesfield Road. This stretch is now the B5087 road. From the 16th to the 18th century, the Booth family were the major landowners in the southern part of the road in the Twemlow area. They built a grand mansion at Twemlow Hall in the area which can be viewed along the A535 road from Holmes Chapel to Goostrey on a hill top.
In 1831, Corbishley Bridge was erected along the road to the northeast of Chelford, to the west of the hamlet of Corbishley to facilitate the railway line. In 1898, the Cheshire County Council erected a signpost near Withington Hall along the road.
From September 1952, the road became the main road of transport of shifting building materials for the building of the Jodrell Bank Observatory. The first major constructional work was completed in the summer of 1957, and eventually five telescopes were installed at the centre under the guidance of Sir Bernard Lovell. Lovell acknowledged that delivering the telescope parts over the level crossing along the A535 may have been problematic but he didn't anticipate any major difficulties. Jodrell Bank Observatory has since become the main tourist attraction of the area.
During the summer of 2010, the construction of the A34 Alderley Bypass affected the road network in the area and meant that as one road was closed off, traffic had to frequently be diverted. The road used to connect to the A34 at a junction in Alderley Edge, but with the opening of the A34 Alderley Bypass in November 2010, the A535 now terminates at the roundabout on the A537 in Chelford. The part of the A535 from the Chelford roundabout to Alderley Edge was joined with the section of the old A34 from Alderley Edge to the Whitehall Bridge roundabout and renamed B5359.
Route.
Starting at a double mini-roundabout in the centre of Holmes Chapel at , the road heads eastwards where it is initially known as Macclesfield Road, before heading northeastwards and crossing the Crewe to Manchester branch of the West Coast Main Line. It passes the village of Twemlow Green, running alongside the Twemlow Viaduct. After the gentle climb out of Twemlow, the Lovell Telescope of Jodrell Bank is in view, with access to the site being from a sharp left turn into Bomish Lane. At Jodrell Bank is a road leading off to the east which is initially called Farm Lane, leading to Lower Withington. This is part of the B5392 road which eventually joins the A537 at Broken Cross in the western suburbs of Macclesfield.
After passing through the village of Withington Green, a lane passes off the east called Catch Penny lane which leads to Deans Rough Farm and a Catch Penny lake. Further north is Farm Wood Quarry on its left, an area which the road passes which has had several notable geological examinations conducted into it.
The road continues to past Astle Hall, site of the annual 1000 Engine Rally in June, and also the Astle Park Steam Rally (at Astle Park) in August, to Chelford, where it terminates at the A537 roundabout.
Originally the A535 continued from the roundabout on the A537 towards Alderley Edge, but this section of the A535 was downgraded and renamed B5359 following the opening of the new A34 bypass in 2010. Shortly after leaving Chelford the B5359 passes under the Crewe to Manchester line at Corbishley Bridge, and continues through the village of Alderley Edge and finally ends at the Whitehall Bridge roundabout on the new A34.


Orange Route

The Orange Route (, ) is a holiday route, that runs from Amsterdam in the Netherlands through North and Central Germany and returns to Amsterdam. It is 2,400 kilometres long and crosses the Netherlands and nine of German federated states. The Orange Route runs through towns and regions that linked the House of Orange-Nassau for centuries.
States.
The Orange Route runs from the Netherlands initially through the states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse, first in a southerly, then in a northeasterly direction in order to head for Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg and Berlin. From there it heads northwest through Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and then turns westwards through Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen and Lower Saxony once again along the North Sea Coast near Amsterdam.
Landscapes.
The holiday route crosses a great variety of different landscape types: the North Sea coast and the plains of the Netherlands, the Lower and Middle Rhine Valley, the green, sometimes rugged, sometimes gently Central Uplands, the Havelland, the Mecklenburg Lake District and finally the broad North German Plain. In detail, the regions are, starting from Amsterdam:
Sights.
Picturesque towns, castles, palaces and gardens may be found everywhere along this holiday road. Here are some of the places and sights that were linked to the House of Orange-Nassau:


North Las Vegas Strip


Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge

The Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Alaska whose use is regulated as an ecological-protection measure. It stretches along the southern coast of the Alaska Peninsula, between the Becharof National Wildlife Refuge on its east and the end of the peninsula at False Pass in the west. In between, however, it is broken into sections by lands of the Aniakchak National Monument and Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is administered from offices in King Salmon, Alaska and was established to conserve Alaska Peninsula brown bears, caribou, moose, marine mammals, shorebirds, other migratory birds and fish, and to comply with treaty obligations.
History.
The refuge was established on December 2, 1980, by the Alaska National Interest Land Conservation Act (ANILCA) following designation as a national wildlife monument in 1978 by the then President Jimmy Carter. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 1983, the Fish and Wildlife Service undertook the responsibility to manage the Becharof Refuge, along with the Ugashik and Chignik units of the Becharof National Wildlife Refuge.
In 1989 the park area was affected by the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill which devastated the Alaska Peninsula.
In an effort to determine species presence, distribution, habitat use, and migratory patterns, extensive
studies have been conducted in the refuge. Biologists have studied extensively in the biologically rich Naknek River basin which provides an important habitat for thousands of ducks, geese and swans. From mid-March through mid-May, refuge biologists monitor waterfowl from established points from Naknek Lake to Kvichak Bay in Naknek. Biologists have been working in the area since 1992 to count waterfowl by species approximately four times a week.
Species common to the refuge include common merganser, common goldeneye, tundra swan, greater white-fronted goose, mallard, northern pintail, American and Eurasian wigeon, American green-winged teal, Canada goose, greater scaup, northern shoveler, red-breasted merganser, black scoter, and long-tailed duck. Working with Boreal Partners in Flight, the Institute for Bird Populations (IBP), and Earthwatch, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service undertook comprehensive landbird studies at Mother Goose Lake from 1994 through to 2001.
Between 1994 and 1999 over 110 Earthwatch volunteers used the scheme to educate themselves in bird biology. In conjunction with the National Audubon Society, the park has also hosted an annual Christmas Bird Count between December 14 and January 5 annually since 1986 to register birds in the corridor from the Kvichak Bay beach at Naknek to Lake Camp at the mouth of Naknek Lake. The refuge has sponsored a North American Migration Count on the second Saturday in May since 1998.
Geography.
The refuge covers an area of and lies in the Alaska Peninsula. It spans Aleutians East Borough, Kodiak Island and Lake and Peninsula Borough. The Alaska Peninsula Refuge contains a number of geologic and scenic features, with a mixture of volcanic activity juxtaposed alongside glacial valleys and coasts under erosion.
The refuge contains the Chiginagak and Veniaminof volcanoes, the latter of which is one of Alaska’s active volcanoes, and last erupted in 1995. The crater which is approximately in diameter contains a ice field, making it the most extensive crater glacier in North America. In 1967, Mount Veniaminof was designated as a National Natural Landmark. The Upper Sandy River has its source at Mount Veniaminof and flows down to form a delta above Sandy Lake.
In contrast to the volcanic landscape of the refuge, the Pacific coast of the protected area is characterised by rugged cliffs, bays, fjords, and streams. In particular the Castle Cape Fjords in the Chignik area is an extremely pronounced feature, with a strong erosion by the sea, with rocks shaded in contrasting dark and light tones. Notable streams drain into Agripina Bay and Port Wrangell from the glaciers and through the valleys of the refuge.
Wildlife.
The park supports a diversity of fish and wildlife and are an important nesting site for seabirds such as puffins, cormorants, kittiwakes, and guillemots, emperor geese, harlequin ducks, Steller's eider, and notably the bald eagle.
All five species of Pacific salmon spawn including the commercially productive sockeye salmon run into the Chignik system. Sea lions, gray whales, harbor seals and sea otters can all be found along the coast. Alaskan brown bears are a common sight in the coastal meadows in spring and summer when they come to feed on the spawning salmon. Often as many as 500 bears may inhabit the Black Lake-Chignik Lake Area during August, making it one of the most dense seasonal concentrations of grizzly bears in North America. Caribou and moose are also under protection in the park. The moose in particular inhabit the Mother Goose Lake and the lines of the King Salmon River, also supporting populations of wolf packs, beaver, wolverine, river otter, two species of fox, snowshoe hare and Canadian lynx.


Hawaii Land Trust

The Hawaii Land Trust (HILT) is a non-profit organization established in Hawaii to “protect the lands that sustain us for current and future generations". The organization works with landowners to protect important areas by restricting commercial or other development. This protection is provided either by the landowner accepting a conservation easement on the land or by selling the land to HILT. As of 2018, the organization protected more than 18,000 acres across the state.
History.
In January 2011, HILT was formed from the merger of the Kauai Public Land Trust, the Oahu Land Trust, the Maui Coastal Land Trust, and the Hawaii Island Land Trust.
The first executive director was Dale Bonar, followed by Ted Clement, Kawika Burgess, and then Laura Kaakua.
Originally named Hawaiian Islands Land Trust, in 2021 the organization renamed itself as Hawaiian Land Trust. while retaining its acronym.
Services.
In addition to its core function of conserving important lands for future generations, HILT provides educational services, research and opportunities for recreation.
Talk Story on the Land.
HILT offers a series of educational walks on its properties across the state.
Recreation.
HILT properties are generally open to the public for activities such as fishing, camping and hiking.
Research.
HILT staff conducts research on Hawaii's unique anchialine ponds and on the culture that surrounds them.
Properties.
HILT protects multiple properties on O'ahu, Kauai, Maui and Hawaii Island, totalling more than 17,000 acres. Protected lands include coastal areas, farms, ranchlands, cultural sites and more.
Waihee coastal dunes and wetlands refuge.
The Waihee coastal dunes and wetlands refuge protects over 277 acres of land on Maui. the refuge includes of coastal, spring-fed wetland, of sand dune ecosystem, over of shoreline and more than of riparian habitat, totaling . It is located on the windward side of Maui, Hawaii.
The Maui Coastal Land Trust took ownership of this site in 2004 with support from Maui County. The property passed to HILT with the merger.
Active restoration programs have replaced invasive vegetation with native species, enhanced wildlife habitat and preserved archaeological and cultural resources. Restoration employs primarily volunteer labor, managed by professional staff.
The refuge is an important historical site, once hosting kingly residences, battles and Hawaiian legends. The refuge once hosted two fishing Hawaiian villages, an extensive inland Hawaiian fish ponds and several heiau (Hawaiian temple).
The refuge incorporates the last of Maui's large sand dunes that once stretched from Waihe'e to Makena, which once led to the island's nickname of "Sahara in the Pacific". The dunes are some high.
Acquisition.
The purchase was funded by Maui County (which provided $2,000,000), the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) (which contributed a further $2 million) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (which provided $800,000). Management funding came from FWS, the National Resource Conservation Service Wetlands Reserve Program, NOAA, other grants and private funding from foundations, individuals and groups.
Climate change.
Expected rising sea levels could inundate the sand dunes with seawater or transform them into sandy beaches. A rise is expected to submerge 50-60% of the refuge. Adaptations that would preserve environmental and cultural values have yet to be developed/discovered. It is possible that the return to pre-development ecological status will provide sufficient resilience to provide protection.
Agriculture.
Restoration plans include restoration of the fishpond and production of historically farmed crops such as taro. Nine taro patches are undergoing restoration, occupying about .
Some 200 sheep live in the refuge.
Conservation.
Six endangered taxa, two endangered plants, and two endangered insects were found on the site. Eight endangered species have repopulated the refuge, including aeo (stilt), alae keokeo (coot), koloa (duck) and nene (goose).
When the property was first protected, 95% of the plants were invasive species. As of 2014, 70% of the flora in the wetland are native species.
Culture.
Many of the important cultural and archaeological sites are located in sand dunes at or near the water. The dunes contains multiple burial sites. The dunes were fenced off to reduce foot traffic and exclude invasive predators. Thereafter endangered bird species began to nest on the dunes, acting as a natural vector and fertilizer for native plants.
Nu'u.
HILT purchased the 82-acre Nu'u Preserve in 2011. The preserve provides habitat for endangered bird species and is home to numerous pre-contact archaeological sites, including petroglyphs and traditional house sites.
Nisei Veterans Peace Park.
In 2015 the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center donated a 4.5 acre parcel in Kahului to HILT, Maui and turned it into a memorial park to commemorate the service of the Nisei Veterans in World War II.
Maunawila Heiau.
In 2015, HILT took ownership of Maunawila Heiau located on 9 acres in Hau'ula, Hawaii and began to restore it
Kahili Beach Park.
In 2013, the Trust acquired a 12.2-acre parcel at Kahili beach in Kilauea.
Wainiha.
In 2008, HILT acquired a .4-acre parcel at Wainiha at Halelea.
Easements.
HILT owns multiple conservation easements on 'Oahu, Maui, Hawaii Island and Kauai.
Champions of the land.
Each year HILT honors a major contributor to the environment as a Champion of the Land.
HILT gave a separate honor to former Board Chair Peter Merriman in 2018.


Tiruchanur

Tiruchanur (also known as Alamelu Mangapuram, Chirtanur) is a census town in Chittoor district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the mandal headquarters of Tirupati (rural) mandal. It forms a part of Tirupati urban agglomeration. The town is a religious destination for Hindu pilgrims due to the presence of Padmavathi Temple.
Etymology.
It is originally called as AlaruMeluManga Puram as we see from Thousands of Inscriptions in and around Tirupathi, much later corrupted to Alamelu Mangapuram Hence, it got the name as Alamelu Mangapuram.
History.
Tiruchanoor formed a part of Tiruvenkatam under the rule of Pallavas and was a part of Rajendra Cholamandalam, under the Cholas..
Transport.
Alamelu mangapuram is located about 4 km from Tirupati central bus station and . provides rail connectivity and is one of the satellite railway station for , which is under process of upgradation to a "B category" station.
Education.
The primary and secondary school education is imparted by government, aided and private schools, under the "School Education Department" of the state.


Toro River Protected Zone

Toro River Protected Zone (), is a protected area in Costa Rica, managed under the Central Conservation Area, it was created in 1994 by decree 22838-MIRENEM.


Prisursky Nature Reserve

Prisurski Nature Reserve () (also Prisursky) is a Russian "zapovednik" (strict ecological reserve) in the northern Volga Uplands of the East European Plain. It protects for study an area of forest-steppe and mixed forest, with sections in different parts of Chuvashia. The largest sector is the Alatyrski Nature Reserve, located in the valley of the Sura River (mixed coniferous and deciduous forests), and two small steppe sections to the southeast (Batyrevski and Jaltsjikski reserves). The reserve is situated in the Alatyr, Chuvash Republic District of the Chuvash Republic. It was set aside as a reserve in 1995 to protect the largest and least disturbed area of southern taiga lowland forest in Chuvashia, as well as steppe habitat at the northern edge of its range. A particular concern was protecting habitat of the muskrat and seasonal waterfowl. The reserve covers an area of .
Topography.
The Prisurski Reserve has a terrain that is mostly a hilly plain with mixed forest on sandy-clay soil. Where the landscape is cut by streams there are gullies and ravines. The general terrain is at an elevation of 130–180 meters, with a highest point of 221 meters about sea level. The three sections of the reserve are:
Surrounding these are buffer zones totaling .
Climate and Ecoregion.
Prisurski is located in the "East European forest steppe" ecoregion, which is a transition zone between the broad-leaf forests of the north and the grasslands to the south. This ecoregion is characterized by a mosaic of forests, steppe, and riverine wetlands.
The climate of Prisurski 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. The average temperature in January is , while the average temperature in July is . Annual precipitation is 430 to 75 mm/year. The growing season is 153 days.
In Prisursky, 80% of the precipitation falls in the spring, leading to extensive spring floods, with stable winter and low water in summer.
Flora and fauna.
In the Alatyrski site, the floral communities are northern deciduous forests (66% of the ground), with smaller conifer forests of Scots pine and spruce (33% of the territory). The age structure of the trees (as of 2013) was 24% young, 53% middle-aged, 10% maturing, and 13% mature and beyond. Scientists on the reserve have recorded 722 species of flowering plants.
The animal life of the reserve is representative of mixed deciduous forests and meadow steppes. The reserve is known in particular for the population of Bobak marmots on the Batyrevski tract. Scientists on the reserve have recorded 44 species of mammals, and 175 species of birds.
Ecoeducation and access.
As a strict nature reserve, the Prisurski Reserve is mostly closed to the general public, although scientists and those with 'environmental education' purposes can make arrangements with park management for visits. There are two 'ecotourist' routes in the reserve, however, that are open to the public, one each on the Alatyrski (forest) and Batyreski (marmot colony) sites. These routes require permits to be obtained in advance. The main office is in the city of Cheboksary.


Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge

The Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife conservation area along the coast of Texas (USA), east of the towns of Angleton and Lake Jackson, Texas. It borders Christmas Bay and the Intracoastal Waterway, separated from the Gulf of Mexico by Follet's Island.
Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1969 and provides quality habitat for wintering migratory waterfowl and other bird life. The refuge contains a freshwater slough which winds through salt marshes.
In winter, more than 100,000 snow geese, Canada geese, pintail, northern shoveler, teal, gadwall, American wigeon, mottled ducks, and sandhill cranes fill the numerous ponds and sloughs to capacity.
In summer, birds which nest on the refuge include 10 species of herons and egrets, white ibis, roseate spoonbill, mottled duck, white-tailed kite, clapper rail, horned lark, seaside sparrow, black skimmer, and scissor-tailed flycatcher.
Three national wildlife refuges on the Texas coast - Brazoria, San Bernard and Big Boggy - form a vital complex of coastal wetlands harboring more than 300 bird species.


Livradois-Forez Regional Natural Park

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Livradois-Forez Regional Natural Park (French: Parc naturel régional Livradois-Forez) is a regional natural park located on three French department : Puy-de-Dôme, Haute-Loire and Loire. The two biggest urban areas are Thiers (19,000 inhabitants) and Ambert (11,000 inhabitants). Courpière, Billom and Vic-le-Comte have a secondary place in the territory.
Presentation.
The park is managed by several structures on a cooperation basis. There is the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Puy-de-Dôme, Haute-Loire and Loire's departments, by 24 EPCI (French: Établissements publics de coopération intercommunale, which are Public institutions of intercommunal cooperation) and also by 164 towns certified parc naturel régional (Regional natural park). Since March 2008, Tony Bernard, Châteldon's mayor, presides the park. The certified zone of the park covers an area of 311,035 hectares. Its population is of 103 948 inhabitants.
History and creation of the park.
Its headquarters, originally in Thiers, is now located in the municipality named Saint-Gervais-sous-Meymont.
Geography.
Located between the old Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes regions, the park extends 110 km from north to south, in three departments (Puy-de-Dôme, Allier and Haute-Loire). It's composed of 176 municipalities gathering 103,172 inhabitants in 2014.
The high point of the park (1634m) corresponds to the high point of the Mountains of Forez and is located in Pierre-sur-Haute on the territory of Job's municipality, in Puy-de-Dôme's department (IGN 2732 E).
Some big geographic zones:
Demography.
List of the biggest cities of the park on 1 January 2015
The park is constituted of two major cities, Thiers and Ambert. There are other urban areas but less important.
The majority of the biggest cities in the park tend to see its population decrease. Meanwhile, Thiers the biggest city of the park, increase.
Fauna.
We can find various raptors in the Livradois-Forez regional natural park : pigeons, hawk, circaete Jean-le-Blanc, red kite, buzzard, harrier Saint-Martin, gray buzzard, tengmalm owl, little owl, etc.
The Black woodpecker and the Ring ouzel can also be seen in the park.
Publications.
Apart from its punctual participation as a supporter, editor of numerous books (historics, etc.) published by various editors of the region, the Park released a twice yearly 8 page magazine, "Journal du Parc naturel régional Livradois-Forez", which contents are linked to the environment protection, social life, traditions and culture.


Pointe Saint-Gildas

The Saint Gildas Point (, ) is a rocky point located on the Côte de Jade, in the far west of the Pays de Retz, in the municipality of Préfailles (Loire-Atlantique), France. The point lies at the south of the Loire estuary and the port of Saint-Nazaire lies on the opposite, north, bank. The Baie de Bourgneuf and island of Noirmoutier lie to the south.
Toponymy.
It owes its present name to Saint Gildas who landed in the sixth century. It was formerly known as "Terra de Chevesché", "Pointe de Chevesché" or "Pointe de Chevêché" until 1750. The term " is a deformation of , which formerly designated in ecclesiastical terminology the one who supervised the 'chevet' (apse or chancel) of a church and who, by extension, had custody of the treasury. This religious dignitary who received the income from an abbey (in this case that of Pornic ), lived in a ".
Activities.
A summer tourist destination (300,000 visitors per year), the point hosts some facilities for holiday-makers. Features include::
hotels, campsites, and restaurants.
World War II.
During the Battle of France, many allied troops were evacuating via the port of Saint-Nazaire. The Pointe Saint-Gildas overlooks the sea where, on 17 June 1940, the RMS Lancastria was sunk with huge loss of lives. A monument and information panel near the main car park commemorates this tragic event.
Soon after, the Germans set up a major submarine base in Saint-Nazaire at the same time as the defences intended to ensure its protection. This defence was assigned to the MAA 280 (), responsible for prohibiting entry the port of Saint-Nazaire and the mouth of the Loire.
The MAA 280 had 5 batteries, one of which, the fifth, was located on Pointe Saint-Gildas. This battery had two establishments, one on the Saint-Gildas point armed with four 75mm guns and a heavy battery armed with two 240mm guns located above the Raize beach.
These two guns were old pieces of railed artillery used in the First World War. The installation was made at a fixed position with a cannon at the top of the and another halfway down to the sea. The entrance to the known shelters was located at the level of second cannon. Referred to as the “underground hospital”, these shelters were in fact a network of underground bunkers, comprising an infirmary, a radio control post, and a logistics command centre.
Most of the above-ground features are still very visible and some are open for public access. The subterranean shelters, located under what is now the Eléovic campsite mobile home area, are not publicly accessible. The rest of the barracks, as well as the commander's accommodation, were on the site of the campsite.
Following the Normandy landings and Operation Cobra, the area remained under German occupation within the Saint-Nazaire pocket and was not liberated until its surrender on 11 May 1945.
Environment.
Much of the coastal area of Pointe Saint-Gildas was declared a Regional Nature Reserve in 2014. The reserve has been the subject of a major rehabilitation program, in order to reduce the gradual destruction of the biotope by tourist activity. Numerous marked paths have been defined and the moor has been reseeded and stabilized.


Serras de Aire e Candeeiros Natural Park

Serras de Aire e Candeeiros Natural Park (PNSAC) is a natural park in Portugal. It is one of the 30 areas which are officially under protection in the country. It is the most important repository of limestone formations in Portugal (with karst erosion giving rise to characteristic geological formations such as caves, algars, dolinas, uvala, polje, fields of lapiás, sinks, among others).
Location.
The park is located in the central region of Portugal marking the border between the provinces of Beira Litoral, Ribatejo and Estremadura. It comprises part of the municipalities of Alcanena, Ourém, Rio Maior, Santarém, Torres Novas (in district of Santarém), Alcobaça, Batalha, Leiria and Porto de Mós (in district of Leiria).
This area was made a protected area in 1979 with the intend to protect the existing natural aspects and architectonic heritage.
PNSAC is mainly composed by mountain ranges ("Serra") and plateaus: Serra de Aire in the northeast, Serra de Candeeiros in the west, adjacent to Aire, between Porto de Mós and Rio Maior, the Santo António plateau in the centre and part of the São Mamede plateau in the north.
Characteristics.
Due to the extreme permeability of the limestones, the park is absent of shallow watercourses, instead, it has a vast network of underground galleries, being perhaps one of the largest freshwater reservoirs in the country, giving rise to some important water courses, such as the Alviela and Lena rivers. Another striking characteristic of the landscape is the consequent dryness, to which faults, escarpments and rocky outcrops give the park a vigorous and harsh trace.
This nature park is evidenced by the relief, as a prominent mass that rises about relative to its surroundings and for its geological constitution of highly permeable limestone targets, to which results its great dryness. And water, which is practically invisible on the surface, the main erosive agent, modeler of this unusual morphology. The character of these landscapes is also associated with presence of countless stone walls, depressions (poljes) with a varied agricultural use and the olive groves on stony and difficult to work slopes, for which pits are opened and terraces or stone walls are built to hold the scarce existing soil.
The relatively abundant rains quickly disappear through the cracks in the stripped rocks where installs a Mediterranean vegetation of "Quercus coccifera", "Pistacia lentiscus", wild olive and aromatic herbs.
In the low areas or in the depressions where water is collected and accumulates from infiltration at the higher surfaces, there are processes that have similarities with the river dynamics that enriches the flood beds with sediments - after the accumulation period, of water in the poldjes, the depressions are emptied which gives rise to a fertile "terra rossa" plain where maize, potatoes, vines are grown, a variety of other crops and even vegetable gardens, resulting in a mosaic of colors and textures with great seasonal dynamics.
The karst landscape still has a high aesthetic value due to the fact that erosive phenomena, both superficial as well as underground, gives rise to expressive and unexpected “natural sculptures”.
The settlement is originally concentrated on the periphery of the limestone massifs and is largely determined by availability of water. Currently, with the population less dependent on agricultural and pastoral activities, there has been a dispersion of buildings in the landscape, both for housing and for support of other economic activities. This diversification of the economy is partly responsible for the abandonment of the most traditional activities.
Geology.
The park is located in the Estremenho Limestone Massif where complete sedimentary series of several Jurassic floors and tectonic accidents that testify not only to the distensive phases of opening the Lusitanian Basin during the Mesozoic, but also the alpine compressive regimes that were installed from the end of the Cretaceous. Among the testimonies of high scientific value in the park, the paleontological heritage, with an exceptional set of dinosaur ichnofossils, stands out. Also the occurrence of geological cuts and the unique exposure of representative lithostratigraphic sequences in the evolution of depositional environments and the occurrence of some imposing fault cliffs. However, it is with regard to the elements of nature that the PNSAC stands out the most, being considered as the most important karst region in Portugal. The scarce runoff from the waters gives rise to an extensive and complex underground drainage system which results in a unique speleological heritage, represented by countless algars and caves.
Flora.
The natural park hosts more than 600 different plant species, most are Mediterranean while others are Atlantic, the typical cover includes: "Quercus coccifera", "Quercus rotundifolia", "Quercus faginea", "Quercus suber", "Phillyrea latifolia", "Phillyrea angustifolia", "Rhamnus alaternus", "Pistacia lentiscus", "Olea oleaster", "Olea europaea", "Lavandula stoechas", rosemary, oregano, "Hedera hibernica", "Erica arborea", "bay laurel", "Arbutus unedo" and the occasional maritime pine and stone pine forests.
It has 27 different species of orchid, about 50% of all the species native to Portugal.
It also provides habitat for various flora that is uncommonly found in Portugal including: "Iris subbiflora", "Paeonia broteri", "Paeonia officinalis", "Jonopsidium abulense", "Orobanche latisquama", "Scrophularia sambucifolia", "Antirrhinum linkianum" "Teucrium chamaedrys", "Salvia viridis", "Inula montana", "Aristolochia pistolochia", "Teucrium fruticans", "Ophrys fusca", "Fritillaria lusitanica" and some Portuguese endemics such as "Silene longicilia", "Arabis sadina", "Arrhenatherum pallens", "Ulex jussiaei", "Narcissus calcicola", "Ulex airensis", "Saxifraga cintrana" and a newly described species in Portugal, "Arenaria grandiflora", which is currently only known to exist in the park.
Fauna.
Although lacking any water courses, the park has a surprising amount of amphibians, 13 species are known, which include the marbled newt, the Iberian ribbed newt, the western spadefoot, the common midwife toad, the Iberian painted frog, the Mediterranean tree frog, the Iberian frog, the Perez's frog, among others.
Reptiles include the spiny-footed lizard, the horseshoe whip snake, the Carbonell's wall lizard, the Iberian wall lizard, the Spanish psammodromus, the ocellated lizard, and the Lataste's viper.
Bats represent almost half of the mammal species in the park, with 21 known different species.
Climate.
The park has a Mediterranean climate, with mild, rainy winters and warm to hot, dry summers but variations in temperature, precipitation and insolation occur. Areas closer to the Atlantic have warm summers (with average summer highs around ) whilst areas that border the Ribatejo tend to have hot summers (with average summer highs around . Altitude also plays a role, at altitudes above , precipitation is plenty, with values above per year, but can go down to at lower altitudes. Average temperature ranges from at the top of Serra de Aire, to at the lower plains.
Fog is very common in winter, and in the summer, morning fog is also usual. Average relative humidity is very high in the winter and values in the summer can have extreme variations, often below 40% during the day and above 80% at night. Temperatures at night are generally cool year-round but the high humidity along an absence of wind can make it more pleasant. Insolation varies between 2300 hours in the northwest mountains (south of Porto de Mós) and 2650 hours in the east. In general, Serra dos Candeeiros has a more Atlantic influenced climate, whereas Serra de Aire has a more Mediterranean influenced climate.
Paleontology.
The park contains two Middle Jurassic tracksites, the sauropod footprints of Serra de Aire and the dinosaur footprints of Vale de Meios, both are the oldest known dinosaur footprints in the Iberian Peninsula. The Serra de Aire tracksite is one of the few sites in the world where Middle Jurassic sauropod dinosaur tracks can be found. The Cave of Aroeira near the park has the earliest recorded human trace in Portugal, along with deer, equids, rhinoceros, bear, a large bovid, a caprid, and a Testudo tortoise. The Jurassic Beach of São Bento, discovered in 2003, has a variety of fossilized echinoderms. Squeletal remains of Pleistocene brown bears have also been discovered in Algar do Vale da Pena, near the village of Moita do Poço. There are also Roman remains, notably a road in Alqueidão da Serra, Porto de Mós which dates between the centuries I AD and I BC.
Threats.
Even though a protected nature area was created to protect the existing natural aspects and architectonic heritage, the construction of quarries and wind turbines have increased since then, placing many of the local fauna and flora at risk. Every year, dozens of birds and bats are killed by the blades of wind turbines and severe numbers of reptile and amphibian species are roadkilled. Some measurements taken to prevent this include the investment in nature tourism, scientific investigation and agriculture, particularly biological farming.


Southern Swamps Byway

The Southern Swamps Byway is a Louisiana Scenic Byway that follows several different state highways, primarily:


Peter A. Beachy House

The Peter A. Beachy House is a home in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois that was entirely remodeled by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1906. The house that stands today is almost entirely different from the site's original home, a Gothic cottage. The home is listed as a contributing property to the Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District, which was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
History.
The original home, a Gothic cottage, was almost entirely replaced when banker Peter A. Beachy commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to "remodel" the home. The house is set at right angles to the street to utilize part of the cottage's original foundation and take full advantage of a southern exposure. Wright built this house after returning from a trip to Japan, and the exterior has several Japan-inspired elements.
Architecture.
Though the Beachy House incorporates an earlier structure, the original building is completely obliterated on the interior. The only points that the original house, known as the Fargo House, still exist are found in the basement of the Beachy House. The house has seven gables and sits on the largest residential lot in Oak Park. Much of the furniture in the house was also Wright designed but the windows contained only wooden muntins, no leaded or colored glass. However, Wright designed leaded-glass light fixtures which are used throughout the house.
Significance.
The Peter A. Beachy House is an example of Wright's prairie design work. It is listed as a contributing property to the Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District. The historic district joined the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The Peter A. Beachy House is one of three homes in Oak Park that Wright was commissioned to "remodel." The other two are the 1906 Hills-DeCaro House, which was under renovation when the Hills House was built, and the William H. Copeland House, also on Forest Avenue.


List of Baywatch episodes

Below is a list of all the episodes from "Baywatch" (1989–2001). The actual beach location in the series is located in California.
Series overview.
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