Chettikulangara Devi Temple

Chettikulangara Sree Bhagavathi temple is one of the most renowned Hindu temples in Kerala. Main deity Sree Bhadrakali, The temple is located at Chettikulangara in Mavelikkara taluk of Alappuzha district in the Indian state of Kerala. The temple is situated about west of Mavelikkara town, north of Kayamkulam city on SH6 (Kayamkulam - Thiruvalla Highway). Bhadrakali, is an incarnation of supreme mother Shakthi devi, born from the third eye of Lord Shiva, to kill the demon king Daruka. 'Bhadra' means good and 'Kali' means goddess of time. So Bhadrakali is worshipped for prosperity and salvation. Devi is considered as the creator, protector, destructor, nature, power and Kundalini shakthi.
Overview.
Chettikulangara devi is the supreme mother goddess, Shakthi devi in Hinduism.
The temple has 13 "Karas", or territories. The temple is at the centre of the oldest four Karas (Erezha South, Erezha North, Kaitha South and Kaitha North) and the rest of the Karas (Kannamangalam South, Kannamangalam North, Pela, Kadavoor, Anjilipra, Mattam North, Mattam South, Menampally and Nadakkavu) surround the temple, which is believed to be 1,200 years old.
The Thantric rights of the temple belongs to Plackudy Illom, With its Tharavadu (Base) in Ambalapuzha. Plackudy is one among the ancient Thantric families of Kerala. The Present temple Thanthric charge is for Brahmasri. Plackudy Unnikrishnan Namboothiri.
Recently UNESCO collected details about the temple and its customs (Kuthiyottam, Kumbhabharani) in order to examine whether the temple is eligible for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
This is the second largest temple in terms of income under the control of Travancore Devaswom Board, second only next to Sabarimala. It is estimated that the temple has earnings worth many crores per year. In 2009 it earned around 1.7 crore Rupees from a single type of offering called "Chanthattam". A major part of the Nellu (whole rice grain) offered to the Bhagavathi is also used to make Appam and Aravana prasadams at Sabarimala. The income from the temple is also helpful to run the daily rituals and Poojas at various temples under the Travancore Devaswom Board.
Kuthiramoottil kanji and Therummoottil kanji, are major offerings at Chettikulangara Devi temple, which received the Geographical Indication (GI) tags. Ten other names associated with the temple have been registered under the trademark and patents regime. These include Chettikulangara Amma, Chettikulangara Kumbha Bharani, Chettikulangara Kettukazhcha, Kuthiyottam, and Chooralmuriyal . The registration under the rules of protection of intellectual property rights has been made in the name of Sree Devi Vilasam Hindu Matha Convention, Chettikulangara, an organisation of 13 karas or regional societies. The organisation has also applied for design patent for kuthira and theru as well as jeevatha, the deity's palanquin. There are Similar Kettukazhcha at various temples in this Onattukara Area. Kumabha Bharani festival of this temple is being attracted by lakhs of people every year.
Early history.
There are many popular beliefs related to the origin of Chettikulangara temple. The most popular one is as follows. Many centuries ago, some local chieftains went to witness the annual festivities at the Koypallikarazhma Bhagavathi temple situated a few kilometers from Chettikulangara. The visitors were humiliated and ridiculed by the Koypallikarazhma temple authorities and the village chieftains there. Perturbed by the humiliation, and out of retribution, they decided to construct a Bhagavathi temple at Chettikulangara. People of Chettikulangara united for this cause, and headed by the Karanavars (Family Heads) of the four to five then leading families of the region decided to seek the blessings of Kodungallur Bhagavathi in this mission. They embarked on a pilgrimage visiting various temples en route and reached Kodungallur, and performed Bhajanam for 12 days to please the Goddess. It is said that the Devi came in their dreams to say that she would soon come to Chettikulangara. The next day, they happily returned to Chettikulangara with a sacred sword given by the Velichappadu of Kodungallur temple, and started civil works of the temple.
A few days later, while the kadathukaran (local boatman) of the nearby Karippuzha rivulet was winding up his work on a late evening, he heard an old woman requesting his help to ferry her to the other shore. He felt it was his duty to help this lonely lady, and decided to accompany her to Chettikulangara, the destination she was said to be heading for. On the way, they took rest beneath a wayside tree (the place now houses the "Puthusseriambalam" temple), and the Kadathukaran brought food for them from a nearby [mannan/washer man] house. Soon he fell asleep, and when he woke up by early daybreak, the lady had vanished. (It is said that this boatman was a Christian, and for helping Devi to ferry across the "Karippuzha thodu", the descendants of his family were entrusted with the job of "Vedi" (ritual fireworks at the temple). He elaborated about this mysterious incident to the people of Chettikulangara, and they felt the Devi had reached Chettikulangara.
The next day, annual maintenance works on thatched roof was going on at the "illam" (the traditional house where a community of Brahmins in central Kerala reside) adjacent to the present temple. While the "Antharjanam" of the house was serving the dish of "Kanji" (rice porridge) "muthirapuzhukku" (a local special dish with ingredients of baked Horse Gram cereal and kneaded coconut) and "Asthram" (another side dish, a paste of different locally procured vegetables) for the workers, a strange old woman joined them for lunch. Soon after the food, the old lady moved to the western side of the house, and vanished in thin air with a bright glow. Antharjanam witnessed this, and she fell unconscious. Later she elaborated her experience to the people.
The same day, Devi showed her presence to the village chieftains. They approached famous astrologers, it was confirmed that the Bhagavathi had reached Chettikulangara.
According to one version, this temple was consecrated by Padmapadacharyar (a leading disciple of Adi Shankara) on the Uthrittathi (Uttara Bhadrapada) day of Makara month in A.D. 823. There is a firm argument that the goddess here was a family deity, and later emerged as the village and regional deity. Local historians oppose the argument that the temple is not as ancient as the nearby "Kandiyoor Mahadeva" temple or Mavelikara "Krishna Swamy" temple as it had not been mentioned in "Unnuneeli Sandesam" written in the 14th century. According to late "Kandiyoor Mahadeva Shasthri", "Samudra Bandhan"–a leading courtier of "Ravi Varman", an ancient King of Venad had visited this temple and wrote poems on Bhagavathi. Similarly, they argue that "Aadithya Kulasekharan", the King of Venad (1374 A.D. to 1389 A.D.) also visited the Chettkulangara temple. In addition, one argument favours the notion that this Devi temple was an old kavu where Kadmattath Achan Nambuthiri, on his way to nearby panayanarkavu at parumala from Thevalakara, tried to control a Yakshi (demon) and found no place to give her a stay. He came and prayed to the God and was able to control her. (she's still there in the temple compound).
However, it is to be said that the present "Sreekovil" of the temple is only 450–480 years old, and the "Chuttambalam" is not more than two centuries old. Local historians say that the temple infrastructure and the surroundings were developed by various local chieftains from time to time. The present "Sreekoil" was revamped during A.D.1540. Because of a small fire at this temple, the "Chuttambalam" was slightly modified during the Malayalam year 1002.
It is also believed that Chettikulangara Amma (the main deity) is the daughter of Kodungallur Amma, brought to that place for the well being of all people at "Onattukara" (Mavelikara). And it also says that some "Chettyar" families from Tamil Nadu was related to the name "Chettikulangara".
Sub-deities.
There are many Upadevathas (sub-deities) adjacent to the temple, and a few Prathishtas were either revamped or added according to the "Deva Prashnam" by expert astrologers recently.
The main "Upadevathas" in the temple premises are
There is a small temple for Moolasthanam (primary abode).
A "Kavu" (a patch of small forest which houses the serpent Gods, and is common in central Travancore). A "Karimbana" and "Chembakam" tree on the premises are places of worship on the belief that they house Gandharvas and Yakshis, the supernatural elements who accompany "Bhagavathy", their master, during her trips, termed "Varuthu Pokku" in local parlance.
As followed for many centuries, elephants are not taken to the western side of the "Nalambalam", fearing that the fairy creatures residing at the "Chembakam" may kill them.
Festivals.
The Temple has a number of festivals. The important ones are
Parayeduppu.
In the numerous temples of Onattukara, the "Parayeduppu" period is the festival season. It all begins when the deity ("Devi") of Chettikulangara temple is taken out in procession for Parayeduppu on the "Makayriam" star of the Malayalam month "Makaram". The festivals continue to the end of "Meenam". The main part of "Parayeduppu" is the "Jeevatha" constructed in the model of the temple structure itself. This box-like carriage for the deity rests on two teakwood poles about two meters long, and is in the form of a palanquin . The front resembles "Thidambu" behind which is a kind of "pettakam" (small chest) built as per "Thachusaasthra" calculations. Up front is a woollen cloth embroidered with shining, colourful pictures and gold trinkets. Behind that is kept the deity's holy dress, starched and pleated, and decorated with small mirror pieces. More than 100 families form the entourage of Parayeduppu "Bhagavathy's" - three-month-long visit to the homes of people who lives in her "Karas"
The rhythms used during "Jeevatha Ezunnallathu" (procession) are quite noteworthy. Starting with very slow beats, it builds up a crescendo and ends in fast beats. The ensemble consists of "Veekkan chenda," "Uruttu chenda" (both drums), "Elathaalam" (cymbals).
Although Jeevatha Ezunnallathu and Parayeduppu are centuries old customs, the "Chuvadu Vechu Kali" (a peculiar dance with unique steps) is recent.
Kumbha Bharani.
The major festival at Chettikulangara is "Kumbha Bharani".
This is in the month of February or March. The date is determined according to the Malayalam Calendar "KollaVarsham". The Chettikulangara Bharani is celebrated in the month of "Kumbha" and on the day which has the star "Bharani" and hence the name "Kumbha Bharani". The highlight of the festival is Kuthiyottam and Kettukazhcha.
The preparation for "Kumbha Bharani" starts 7(seven) days before the actual day and usually that day will be the "Shivarathi". People who had pledged for Kuthiyottam will start training their children for the offering on "Shivarathi" day. All these days these people will host public get-togethers and arrange food for them. The children will be taught a special dance steps called "Kuthiyota chuvadukal". Meanwhile, the people from 13 "karas" of chettikulangara will arrange for the construction of their "Kettukazhcha" to the temple.
The "Kuthiyottam" processions starts early morning on that day and will last until afternoon. Those who had offered "Kuthiyottam" to Devi will bring their children to the temple as a procession and will offer the children before Devi as sacrifice. The boys will be playing the "Kuthiyootam" dance before the Devi.
During the evening hours it will be turn of the "Kettukazhcha". People from each area will pull the "Kettukazhcha" from the construction sites (usually in their respective "karas" itself) to the temple to present them before the Devi and after having "darshan" the parties take up their respective position in the paddy fields lying east of the temple
During the night, the image of Devi will be carried in procession to the "Kettukazhcha" stationed in the paddy fields. On the next day these structures will be taken back. A big bazaar known as "Bharani Chanda" is also held at Chetikulangara as part of this festival.
Ethirelpu Ulsavam.
This is the annual temple festival. On the tenth day following the "Kumbha Bharani" the annual festival is celebrated in the temple for 13 days. Each day of the festival is organized by residents of each "Kara" numbering 13. special rituals are held in the temple premises. Every afternoon, cultural processions start form each "Kara" to the temple premises, with the accompaniment of drums, ornamented umbrellas, "kuthiyottam" songs, display of events from the Mahabharatha and the Ramayana, classical art forms, folk art form, different type of music, decorated structures and caparisoned elephants.
During the rituals at the temple "Thottampattu" is sung. "Thottampattu" is a devotional song sung by a certain section of the community residing in the far off Trivandrum. This song is sung in the temple only during the "Etheralpu" festival.
Performance of classical arts and other temple arts are conducted in the evening in the temple premises
Aswathy Ulsavam.
The unique rituals during the "Aswathy" festival clearly convey the firm bondage and human pathos at the time of separation between the people and their beloved Bhagavathy. Held in the Aswathy day in the month of "Meenom", this festival is attracting a large number of visitors. This festival is imagined as a send off to the deity on her journey to visit her mother at "Kodungallur". In the evening, 100 odd decorated ["Kettukazhcha"] and different effigies are brought to the temple mainly made by the children.
Though the size of these "Kettukazhcha" are comparatively smaller than the ones made for Bharani festival, the number of "Kettukazhcha" provide a visual impact even challenging the aesthetic effect of Bharani.
During the day, Bhagavathy visits the four karas surrounding the temple for Parayeduppu and official Anpolis are given by Kara leaders at Kuthirachevudu, the place where Kuthiras are made. After that she visits and blesses the offerings displayed at the temple premises.
By dawn, she decides to leave, and seeks their permission to leave for Kodungallur. The people of the first four karas make "Polavilakku" (a large structure drawn on wheels decorated with tender banana stem and lighted with numerous traditional lamps) during her farewell procession. They offer her a grand farewell procession with "Aappindi" [a unique slow-paced dance carrying a pyramid shape box on head). "Aappindi" will be embellished with crackers, "pookkula" (cluster of coconut flowers - inflorescence), and will be covered with tender banana stems and "Thalapppoli" (traditional sacred lamps carried by ladies).
People from Kaitha North and Kaitha South participate in the function with "Thiruvantham". It is said that "Thiruvantham", a palanquin type structure with fireballs and carried by four people, is the light of Darika, which incenses the Bhagavathy. She scares them away. After the procession, she again visits the "Upaprathishtas" and asks the people and other gods to let her visit her mother at Kodungallur.
By dawn, she proceeds with lightning sped towards west. Normally, within the 100 meters, the Poojaris carrying the "Jeevatha" will fall down unconsciously, and the "Jeevatha" will be taken back to the temple.
The temple will remain closed for the day, and will be opened only the day after. The Aswathy festival concludes the five-month-long festivities at this temple.
Kettukazhcha.
Kettukazhcha is an offering of the people of Chettikulangara to their beloved deity known for her spontaneous blessings on true devotees as a mark of gratitude, devotion, unflinching faith, and for showering prosperity and protection to their lives. "Kettukazhcha" displays deftly sculpted and decorated forms of six temple cars known as "‘Kuthira’" (Horses), five "Theru’" (Chariots ) and icons of Bhima and Hanuman. All the temple cars, chariots and the icons are all incredibly gigantic in size and are many times larger than any other similar Kuthiras and Therus built during the festivities at other temples in the Central Travancore region.
On the move, these out of the world sky scrapping colourful decorations are electrifying, and will create an unforgettable artistic impression in union, especially during the night in the back drop of illuminated lights. Chettikulangara Kettukazhcha heralds the architectural and aesthetic acumen of the ancient people of Chettikulangara, who could convert an improbable out of the world concept to an enormous artistic reality, achieved by collective hardships and will power.
Lineage according to historians
Historians attribute the concept of "‘Kettukazhchas’" - similar to the architecture of the Buddha tradition in square, rectangular and pyramid shapes, to the remnants of the Buddha culture which was widely prevalent in the Central Travancore region a few centuries ago.
Many historians cite that the famous Chettikulangara Kettukazhcha in the present form is not more than 180 to 200 years old, and was started during the early part of the 19th century.
According to a popular legend, a group of village chieftains and their workers went for civil works to construct the Kollam–Chavara Thodu (canal), about 50 km away from Chettikulangara, in accordance to the decision from the then ruler of the region. But they could not return to their native place due to the unforeseen inordinate delay in completion of the canal. They pleaded with the authorities, but their request was turned down. During the period, they got an opportunity to visit the temple festivities at Kollam Mulankagakam temple, and were attracted by the Kettukazhcha there. They vowed to their local deity Chettikulangara Bhagavathy, that they would construct Kettukazhchas for her every year, if they were allowed to leave for Chettkulangara immediately. To their surprise, they were allowed to return to Chettikulangara the very next day, and as promised, they made huge Kettukazhchas and took them to their Bhagavathy's premises.
Kuthiras
"Kuthiras" have a height of about 70 to 105 feet, and are a union of four parts– "Adikkoottu, Kathirakal, Edakkodaram, Prabhada" and "Melkkoodaram", one above the other respectively.
"Adikkottu" the basic structure also known as Vandikkoottu, form the basic foundation which consists of four big wooden wheels interconnected with four other beams above it. Kuthiras have Thandu, two long huge wooden poles helpful to control the direction while on the move. Thandu and the basic structure are interconnected and have reinforced wooden bearings similar to the modern shock absorbers.
"Kathirukal" with about 35 feet height, consists of four long poles interconnected with Arecanut poles known as "‘Alaku’" and reinforced with coir and Panavalli knots. These are again strengthened with "‘Kuthukathrika’" or criss cross formation of Alakus. "Kathirakal" is again bifurcated to two parts–the lower portion consisting of four to five extended layers of "Thattu" and "Charippu" (slanting pyramid shaped boxes, made of interconnected "Alakus" and coir formation, then decorated with white cloth known as Vella, colourful glittering clothes and embellishments called "‘Thookku’".
"Prabhada" consists of exquisite wooden carved sculptors narrating stories from the Puranas, elephant caparisons called "Nettipattoms", "Thalekkettu" and "Aalavattom" displayed in the backdrop of colourful clothes and sculptors. Many of the "Prabhadas" have stories like "Gajendramoksham", "Vasthrapaharanam", "Krishnavatharm".
"Edakkoodaram" almost half the size of "Kathirakal" with four to five "Charippu" made as in the lower portion, comes above the "Kathirakal". It also has glittering different clothes and "Vella", interlaced with colourful "Thookku" embellishments.
"Melkkoodaram"the top structure is exactly having a pyramid shape, and pivotal to it is an extended long sculpted wooden pole in white colour known as "‘Nambu’". All the separate units are pulled up and placed one above the other with the help of wooden pulleys, giant coir ropes called Vadams with a length of over 100 fts.and with huge iron structures, drawn by hundreds of people.
Theru
"Theru" does not have the "Prabhadas" and "Edakkoodarams". Their "Illithattu" and "Charippu" are larger than that of the "Kuthiras" and diminishes in size upwards. Therus are also smaller than the Kuthiras height.
Bhima and Hanuman
The wooden icons of Bhima made by "Mattom North" and Hanuman brought by Mattom south are probably the largest of its kind in the world, and are sure to be the largest in Kerala. Bhima's icon is postured as the Pandava en route to kill Baka on "Pothu Vandi" (vehicle drawn by buffalos) with food for the Rakshasa King. Mattom south kara also brings the icon of Panjali along with Hanuman
Preparations for constructing the "Kettukazhchas" start from Shivarathri, about six to ten days prior to "Kumbhabharani". On the evening of "Kumbhabharani", the "Kettukazhchas" are dragged to the temple by hundreds of people, and are paraded at the paddy field in front of the temple. After Bhagavathi's "Ezhunnellippu" to bless the Kettukazhchas and people, the "Kettukazhchas" are taken back to the respective "Karas" by next morning. The dismantled parts of "Kettukazhchas" are kept at the 'Kuthirappura' of each "Karas".
Kuthiyottam.
Kuthiyottam is performed as an important offering to the deity. This is a ritual dance practiced and perfected through several centuries. It used to be done only in houses in the 13 "Karas" of the Chettikulangara Temple but after a recent "Deva Prashnam" it was allowed to conduct "Kuthiyottam" in the houses outside of the 13 "Karas" . The houses are decorated, and the portrait of the deity is installed in temporary structures. Kuthiyottam starts a week before Bharani day. It is a type of folk dance performed by youths with the accompaniment of folk music and other musical instruments. Young boys between 8 and 14 years are taught this ritual dance in the house amidst a big social gathering before the portrait of the deity. Feasts are also provided for all the people.
Early in the morning on Bharani, after the feast and other rituals, the boys whose bodies are coiled with silver wires, one end of which is tied around his neck and an arecanut fixed on the tip of a knife held high over his head are taken in procession to the temple with the accompaniment of beating of drums, music, ornamental umbrellas, and other classical folk art forms, and richly caparisoned elephants.
All through the way to the temple tender coconut water will be continually poured on his body. After the circumambulation the boys stands at a position facing the Sreekovil (Sanctum Sanctorum) and begins to dance. This ceremony ends with dragging the coil pierced to the skin whereby a few drop of blood comes out.


California State Route 52

State Route 52 (SR 52) is a state highway in San Diego County, California, that extends from La Jolla Parkway at Interstate 5 (I-5) in La Jolla, San Diego, to SR 67 in Santee. It is a freeway for its entire length and serves as a major east–west route through the northern part of the city of San Diego. The road connects the major north–south freeways of the county, including I-5, I-805, SR 163, I-15, SR 125, and SR 67. SR 52 passes north of the Rose Canyon Fault before traversing Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (MCAS Miramar). East of Santo Road and west of SR 125, the highway goes through Mission Trails Regional Park, a large open preserve. SR 52 is also known as the Soledad Freeway and the San Clemente Canyon Freeway.
Plans for a route between La Jolla and Santee date from 1959, and SR 52 was officially designated in the 1964 state highway renumbering. Construction began in 1966 at the I-5 interchange with Ardath Road leading to La Jolla. It continued with the building of San Clemente Canyon Road, which was later widened to become SR 52. The freeway was completed east to I-805 in 1970, and was built in two stages from there to Santo Road east of I-15; the last phase was completed in 1988.
The freeway east of Santo Road encountered delays from environmentalists over the endangered least Bell's vireo, a songbird which faced habitat destruction, as well as those concerned with the destruction of homes and businesses for the freeway right-of-way. The extension to Mission Gorge Road opened in 1993, and SR 52 was completed to SR 125 in 1998. Funding issues delayed the completion of the entire route until 2011, more than fifty years after construction began; until then, the city of Santee faced traffic snarls. A widening project was completed in 2007 between Santo Road and Mast Boulevard; further expansion has been put on hold due to state budget concerns.
Route description.
SR 52 begins just west of I-5 at the eastern end of La Jolla Parkway. Before entering San Clemente Canyon, the road becomes a freeway as it intersects I-5. The canyon is part of Marian Bear Natural Park. The freeway runs north of the Rose Canyon Fault, composed of Late Cretaceous rock estimated to be 90 million years old, and Mount Soledad. Following exits with Clairemont Mesa Boulevard / Regents Road and Genesee Avenue, SR 52 intersects I-805 before exiting the canyon and traveling along the southern edge of the MCAS Miramar military base.
From I-805 to SR 163, the highway goes through an area with visible Pliocene sedimentary rocks estimated to be 10 million years old. After passing the Miramar Recycling Center and an interchange with Convoy Street, SR 52 intersects SR 163, a freeway heading towards downtown San Diego. SR 52 intersects Kearny Villa Road before an interchange with I-15. A collector-distributor road serves these three interchanges.
After this interchange, the freeway leaves the edge of the military base and enters the San Diego neighborhood of Tierrasanta, where there is a junction with Santo Road, before traversing Mission Trails Regional Park, an open space preserve, for a few miles. The freeway ascends to Mission Trails Pass, north of the summit of Fortuna Mountain. The mountain is part of the Peninsular Range; the highway cuts through Eocene rocks estimated to be 50 million years old and marine fossils. The road on the eastern side of the mountain is carved out of "igneous granitic rocks" that are thought to be 150 million years old, an unusual formation compared to the Eocene layer.
A dedicated two-way bicycle path exists on the northern side of the roadway between Santo Road and Mast Boulevard, with access possible from both termini. East of the Mast Boulevard interchange, SR 52 crosses and begins to parallel the San Diego River. The freeway enters the city of Santee, where SR 52 was built alongside Mission Gorge Road. SR 52 intersects the northern end of SR 125, where SR 52 traffic can exit south onto SR 125. The freeway continues east through Santee, with interchanges at Fanita Drive, Cuyamaca Street, and Magnolia Avenue, before it comes to an end at SR 67.
SR 52 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System and is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System. In 2016, Caltrans officially designated the segment adjacent to Mission Trails Regional Park between Santo Road and Mast Boulevard as a scenic highway. SR 52 is not part of the National Highway System, a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the Federal Highway Administration. The entire route is known as both the Soledad Freeway and the San Clemente Canyon Freeway. In 2013, SR 52 had an annual average daily traffic (AADT) of 69,000 at the eastern terminus with SR 67, and 103,000 between Convoy Street and SR 163, the lowest and the highest AADT for the highway, respectively.
History.
In 1959, Legislative Route 279 was designated as a highway from La Jolla to Santee and incorporated into the California Freeway and Expressway System. In the 1964 state highway renumbering, this became SR 52. However, SR 52 took more than fifty years to be constructed, due to delays in the planning and construction phases.
I-5 to I-805.
A public hearing on Legislative Route 279 and on the Ardath Road connection to La Jolla was held on November 15, 1961. At the hearing, there were concerns expressed regarding destruction of vegetation. City and state officials indicated that the Soledad Freeway would be constructed in the northern part of the canyon to minimize environmental damage. On November 9, 1966, the I-5 interchange with Ardath Road opened at the western end of what would become SR 52. The original goal was to connect the interchange with San Clemente Canyon Road, which served as a predecessor to SR 52; plans were to widen the road to four lanes and designate it as SR 52. The connecting ramps were not opened that day because the aluminum guard rails had not been delivered on time. Estimates indicated that each resident of La Jolla would save 80 hours per year by using Ardath Road. A ramp from southbound I-5 to westbound Ardath Road was never completed because of a hairpin turn that would be necessary due to the towering cliff on the west side of I-5 that Ardath Road ascends as it continues to La Jolla. On November 18, San Clemente Canyon Road was connected to I-5 when the aluminum guard rails arrived and were subsequently installed. San Clemente Canyon Road was not fully opened until 1967. That year, citizens expressed opposition to the construction of the Soledad Freeway because some wanted the land to be used for a park, and did not view the freeway as "necessary."
Formal bids began in February 1969 for the first section of SR 52 between I-5 and I-805. The state ordered the construction of this section on April 28, 1969. On Thursday, May 28, 1970, the Soledad Freeway opened, connecting Regents Road and Genesee Avenue with I-5; however, it did not connect to the unopened I-805. The road was built by Kasler, Ball and Yeager for $3.9 million (about $ in dollars). The construction firm deposited dirt into "an unnamed finger canyon" against the conditions of the city permit, and the city ordered the firm to remove it. The section of I-805 from SR 52 to El Cajon Boulevard was scheduled to be dedicated on March 20, 1972.
Ardath Road was renamed La Jolla Parkway on October 15, 2002, for two reasons: a nearby residential street was also named Ardath Road, and there was a desire to draw attention to this primary route to downtown La Jolla. This required the city of San Diego to pay $20,000 (about $ in dollars) to replace the signs on SR 52.
I-805 to Santo Road.
The second phase of SR 52 from I-805 to past U.S. Route 395 (which became I-15 in 1974) was projected to cost $29.4 million (about $ in dollars). The new freeway was to provide access to Tierrasanta and reduce the traffic on I-8. The U.S. Navy was consulted in the planning process due to the road's proposed routing through MCAS Miramar that would provide a delineation against further urban development. There were no concerns expressed at the public hearing on November 17, 1970; however, construction did not begin for more than ten years, as California governor Jerry Brown stalled the construction of SR 52 from Santo Road to SR 67. In 1977, the county supervisor, a San Diego City councilman, and the mayors of La Mesa and National City wrote a letter to Brown to ask for the construction of this portion of SR 125 and other freeways, due to concerns about the types of congestion seen in Los Angeles coming to San Diego due to the incomplete freeway system. San Diego City Councilman Tom Gade wrote a telegram to Caltrans Director Adriana Gianturco about the possible deletions; in response, Gianturco clarified that the plans were only being reconsidered and had not been removed, and a CHC member criticized the tone of the original telegram, calling it "intemperate". In 1984, Leo Trombatore, the Caltrans Director under California governor George Deukmejian, requested to the California Transportation Commission (CTC) that "formal studies toward this end be initiated immediately. Route 52 has a high statewide priority." The CTC followed the director's wishes, approving the studies.
The first part of this phase, from I-805 to Convoy Street, began construction in December 1986. It was dedicated at a community celebration on July 11, 1987, and was scheduled to open to traffic a few weeks later. The first callboxes in San Diego County were installed on SR 52 near Convoy Street on June 20, 1988. On June 30, 1988, SR 52 from Convoy Street to Santo Road opened to traffic. The I-15 interchange was built with state funds from the CTC.
In 2000, Hazard Construction Company added a single westbound lane on SR 52 from SR 163 to I-805, a distance of , at a cost of $1.7 million (about $ in dollars). In 2006, the Metropolitan Transit System, in cooperation with the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), Caltrans, and the California Highway Patrol, began a pilot program to run transit buses along the shoulders of SR 52 between Kearny Villa Road and I-805. During rush hour, buses were able to use these shoulders to bypass slow traffic in the main lanes. The trial was considered successful as more than 99 percent of trips arrived on time, customer feedback was favorable and no safety concerns were encountered. On May 9, 2007, the "San Diego Union-Tribune" published a story which raised reader concerns about a dangerous dip in the freeway. The dip had developed in a section of the highway constructed on top of the Miramar Landfill, and had been caused by trash settling; it was repaired by the next day.
Planning for eastern portion.
The planning process for the remainder of SR 52 began as early as 1970, when the initial plan was to route the freeway through the city of Santee along Mission Gorge Road and the San Diego River. Planning was delayed until 1984, along with the construction of the I-805 to Santo Road segment. The City of Santee opposed the original plans, hoping to route the freeway on Prospect Avenue or north of the San Diego River. By April 1985, a second route along Prospect Avenue, proposed by Caltrans, earned the support of the City Council; however, the required demolition of many small businesses led many of those affected to start a petition against this route. On the other hand, there were objections about the "river route" costing approximately $15 million more (about $ in dollars) and cutting through a future "Town Center development". The Lakeside Chamber of Commerce preferred the route along the San Diego River, citing the proximity to that city. The environmental impact report was found to be deficient by the Federal Highway Administration in late 1986.
In January 1987, the Santee City Council voted to commence a study of a more northern route, even though local residents and workers objected that this would postpone construction. In March, the study, done by BSI Inc., supported the Caltrans decision to abandon plans for the northern path due to the increased cost from the "mountainous, undeveloped" terrain. The council voted to support a southern alignment through the town, with both the Prospect Avenue and San Diego River alternatives still viable. In the same month, the mayor of La Mesa, Fred Nagel, started a petition drive supporting the extension of the freeway due to the recurring traffic on I-8. The Caltrans environmental impact report indicated that the Prospect Avenue route would cost $89 million (about $ in dollars), compared to the river route's $121 million (about $ in dollars). The city council of El Cajon publicly supported the Prospect Avenue routing; however, some employees of the City of Santee, including some city planners and engineers, were concerned that portions of the report were "outdated." The petitions were given to the CTC in May, when San Diego officials made several arguments in support of the construction.
In June 1987, the CTC staff initially recommended against allocating money for the SR 52 segment; however, SANDAG agreed to fund the project with $1 million (about $ in dollars). Residents of Santee opposed the possible routes through the city at a public forum on June 10 because of the necessary destruction of homes to build on those routes. In late June, Caltrans considered making small modifications to the Prospect Avenue alignment to destroy fewer homes, including those in mobile home parks. On June 25, 1987, the CTC voted to support the SR 52 extension, with the requirement that $4.8 million (about $ in dollars) come from local funding sources. Finally, on September 23, the City of Santee recommended the Prospect Avenue Route to the CTC.
In July 1987, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service expressed concerns that construction near the San Diego River crossing might result in the destruction of the endangered least Bell's vireo habitat. Two of the four alternative routes considered by Caltrans passed through the Carlton Hills golf course, which the public opposed. In April 1988, the Sierra Club denounced the Prospect Avenue route; federal negotiators recommended shifting the route from Hollins Lake towards the golf course. Environmental concerns raised in June 1988 related to the least Bell's vireo included decrease of insects, a darker environment after overpasses are constructed, and the fragmenting of habitat. Nevertheless, Caltrans still desired the Prospect Avenue route over concerns of a more expensive and less traveled northern route. Upset because of the delays, the Santee City Council wrote to U.S. senators Pete Wilson and Alan Cranston, asking for their assistance. Councilman Jim Bartell alleged that the issue would affect the city council elections.
In March 1989, the Fish and Wildlife Service agreed to the project, on the conditions of altering the route to cross the San Diego River and pass east of the center of the town, and constructing 44 acres of additional habitat as mitigation. SANDAG voted against building a full bicycle lane along the route in July 1989, citing the high costs. Finally, on July 27, the final routing of SR 52 was determined, running along Prospect Avenue. In May 1990, Santee councilman Roy Woodward was censured for having a conflict of interest in voting to support the proposals for the freeway because he "held interests" in three properties that would benefit from the freeway, thus violating the Political Reform Act as these interests exceeded $10,000. One of the holdings was near Cuyamaca Street, the location of an offramp on a path that he voted to support. He was fined $2,000 (about $ in dollars) for each property, for a total of $6,000 (about $ in dollars).
Santo Road to Mission Gorge Road.
In April 1990, the Santee City Council agreed to begin purchasing land, over the environmental concerns of Councilman Jim Bartell. Construction finally began on the four-lane section of SR 52 between Santo Road and Mission Gorge Road on July 19, 1991. The work was projected to cost $52 million (about $ in dollars). For environmental mitigation, a new songbird habitat was constructed that cost $8.3 million (about $ in dollars). Fossils of "small foraging mammals" were discovered during construction in late 1991. The construction company, HDB Construction, was required to keep noise below 61 decibels to protect the birds. The project was funded primarily with revenue from a voter-approved sales tax in 1987. The opening of this portion was scheduled for December 16, 1993. This new segment ended just southeast of the Mast Boulevard interchange, after the San Diego River overpass.
The opening of this stretch of SR 52 had many effects on the transportation of the East County region. Traffic decreased significantly on I-8 in early 1994, with an estimated 30,000 commuters switching from I-8 to SR 52. Fewer cars traveled on the western part of Mission Gorge Road, leading to a decrease in revenue for businesses located along that road. On Mast Boulevard and Mission Gorge Road in Santee, much more traffic was present, leading to residents complaining to the city. In 1998, the city began to widen Mission Gorge Road between Carlton Hills Drive and Fanita Road to handle the extra traffic from the incomplete SR 52.
The year after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the military erected a fence to block a deer tunnel underneath the freeway that connected the base and Mission Trails Regional Park, since the tunnel could be used to gain unauthorized access to the base. In 2006, construction began to add a third lane on westbound SR 52 between Mast Boulevard and Santo Road. The expansion cost $3.4 million (about $ in dollars) and was funded by the state and the county TransNet sales tax. The new lane opened on May 8, 2007; however, the widening generated complaints from angry commuters facing a "bottleneck" at Santo Road. Because the additional lane was constructed in portions, the opening of the third lane between Santo Road and the existing third lane closer to I-15 was delayed; however, construction for the missing was approved in April 2007. The extension opened on July 20, 2007.
Mission Gorge Road to SR 67.
Construction on the next portion of SR 52, from Mission Gorge Road to SR 125, was scheduled to begin in late 1995, at a total cost of $60 million (about $ in dollars) for the entire project. Property acquisition began in 1994, with many property owners along the south side of Mission Gorge Road being forced to move out of the way of the freeway and subsequent road construction, as Mission Gorge Road was moved south to accommodate the new freeway. About $40 million ($ in dollars) was spent on the property acquisition. After weather-related construction delays due to the El Niño season of the winter of 1997–1998, the extension of SR 52 between Mission Gorge Road and SR 125 was dedicated on May 9, 1998. The eastbound lanes were scheduled to be opened a few days later, and the westbound lanes were to be opened in mid-July of that year. L.R. Hubbard Construction Company built the portion for $17 million (about $ in dollars).
The city of Santee faced problems in the construction of the freeway from SR 125 to SR 67. As early as 1995, it was clear that the environmental impact report was delayed and that there would be funding difficulties. SANDAG allocated $23 million dollars (about $ in dollars) in 1999 to purchase properties needed for the right-of-way. In 2001, SANDAG gave $138 million (about $ in dollars) to the expansion of SR 52 to SR 67, which was necessary for extending the freeway past Cuyamaca Street. But by 2003, the transportation committee of SANDAG voted to delay the project due to decreased state funding. The city of Santee was required to make improvements to Forester Creek to accommodate potential flooding, which cost $30 million (about $ in dollars); the work began in May 2006. Funding issues were finally resolved in 2006 with voter-approved statewide transportation bonds. In 2007, highway construction costs increased; that year, the SANDAG transportation committee voted to fund the construction, taking money from a planned reversible lanes project on SR 52.
"Heavy construction" of SR 52 from SR 125 eastward to SR 67 began in February 2008. More than 360 properties were acquired to build the freeway; at least 60 were mobile homes. This portion was divided into three construction projects: from SR 125 to Cuyamaca Street, from there to Magnolia Avenue, and the interchange with SR 67, which began construction in mid-June 2008. The middle project had to be shut down briefly in February 2009 due to funding issues. Completion was scheduled for 2010, but was postponed to early 2011 due to weather-related delays. This new portion was opened to traffic on March 29, 2011. The cost of this project was $525 million, funded with state and federal funds as well as TransNet revenue. The opening was predicted to reduce traffic on I-8 as well as Mission Gorge Road and other Santee thoroughfares. The official "ribbon cutting" ceremony took place on March 19, 2011 on the freeway at the Cuyamaca Street interchange.
Reactions to the extension between SR 125 and SR 67 were mixed. There were reports of faster transportation through the East County area, yet commuters noted a rush hour backup at SR 125 headed westbound because there were only two lanes traveling west through the interchange. Traffic along Mission Gorge Road was reported to have decreased by 20 percent.
Future.
There are plans to add one lane in each direction, as well as two reversible lanes, from I-15 to SR 125. These plans were put on hold in 2008 due to a budget shortfall. Completion is scheduled to take place by 2040. Caltrans recommends adding two more lanes between I-5 and I-805, and two HOV lanes between I-805 and I-15.


Cottonwood Forest Wilderness

Cottonwood Forest Wilderness is a wilderness area in the US state of Utah. It was designated March 30, 2009, as part of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. Located within the Dixie National Forest near the base of the Pine Valley Mountains, it is adjacent to the Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness, which is part of the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area.


Mongan Bog

Mongan Bog is a peat bog in County Offaly, Ireland. The bog is located east of Clonmacnoise, a monastic site on the river Shannon. A nature reserve covering about 120 ha protects part of the bog.
Protection designations.
As a raised bog of ecological interest, it was designated a Special Area of Conservation (covering 207 ha) in 2017.
A larger area is protected for its birdlife as a Special Protection Area (SPA): Mongan Bog SPA covers 1,843 ha and is also an Important Bird Area. This site was formerly important for wintering Greenland white-fronted geese "Anser albifrons flavirostris".
History.
The bog began to form around 9,000 years ago between two eskers. The bog remained relatively intact for most of its history, but during the 1970s machines were used to drain parts of the bog, which drastically shrunk it. This sparked the preservation movement that has led to the preservation of many bogs throughout Ireland. In the current decade, Mongan is the largest bog in the area.
Access.
The nature reserve belongs to An Taisce, an organisation which preserves examples of Ireland's built and natural heritage. The nature reserve is open by appointment for research.


Lovelock Cave

Lovelock Cave (NV-Ch-18) is a North American archaeological site previously known as Sunset Guano Cave, Horseshoe Cave, and Loud Site 18. The cave is about 150 feet long and 35 feet wide. Lovelock Cave is one of the most important classic sites of the Great Basin region because the conditions of the cave are conducive to the preservation of organic and inorganic material. The cave was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 24, 1984. It was the first major cave in the Great Basin to be excavated, and the Lovelock Cave people are part of the University of California Archaeological Community's Lovelock Cave Station.
History.
The large rock shelter is north of modern-day Humboldt Sink. Lovelock Cave is in the Lake Lahontan region, next to the former lakebed of Lake Lahontan. It was formed by the lake's currents and wave action. It was first a rock shelter. Eventually an earthquake collapsed the overhang of the mouth. Lake Lahontan was a large Pleistocene pluvial lake that covered much of western Nevada. Due to drier Holocene climate the water elevation dropped and much smaller lakes remain such as Lake Humboldt, Pyramid Lake, and Carson Lake. The dry environment of the cave resulted in a wealth of well-preserved artifacts that provide a glimpse on how people lived in the area. Lovelock Cave was in use as early as 2580 BC but was not intensively inhabited until around 1000 BC. People occupied Lovelock Cave for over 4,000 years. The initial discoveries of artifacts and excavations, in the early 20th century, were not very well executed, which resulted in a loss of archaeological information. However more recent investigations were more careful and meticulous. A wealth of knowledge pertaining to life on the Great Basin has come from this important site because many unique artifacts have been successfully recovered.
Earliest discovery of artifacts.
In 1911 two miners, David Pugh and James Hart, were hired to mine for bat guano from the cave to be used as fertilizer. They removed a layer of guano estimated to be three to six feet deep and weighing about 250 tons. Heizer and Napton's review of the excavation states “[the guano] was dug up from the upper cave deposits, screened on the hillside outside the cave, and shipped to a fertilizer company in San Francisco.” Miners had dumped the top layers of Lovelock into a heap outside of the cave. The miners were aware of the artifacts but only the most interesting specimens were saved. Unfortunately, the first exploration was unsystematic and the loss of material and damage to the site strata was considerable in large portions of the cave. L.L. Loud of the Anthropology Department at the University of California was contacted by the mining company when the refuse left by the ancient people proved so plentiful that fertilizer could no longer be collected.
First archaeological investigation.
In the spring of 1912 A.L. Kroeber sent L. L. Loud, an employee of the Museum of Anthropology, University of California to recover any materials that remained from the guano mining of the previous year. Loud excavated Lovelock Cave for five months and reportedly collected roughly 10,000 material remains. The majority of the archaeological record was gathered from three areas: a dump outside the cave left by miners, lower level deposits from the northwest end of the cave, and undisturbed refuse along the outlying edges of the cave. Unfortunately, Loud did not maintain a comprehensive report of the excavation so detailed information is not available. The method and procedure of archaeological excavations has improved over the years and Loud's excavation does not fit into the standards of today's practices. He labeled the individual dig locations as “lots” without establishing any grid system. Grid systems are used to determine origin and depth of archaeological record. Loud recorded 41 lots. Heizer and Napton tried to further detail Loud's findings but because Loud was not consistent with his methods of recording data their efforts were ineffective.
Later excavations.
Twelve years after the first excavation Loud returned to Lovelock Cave with M.R. Harrington in the summer of 1924. The Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, New York commissioned Harrington and Loud, who, assisted by local Paiute Indians, attempted to recover any materials left from previous investigations. They found leftover fragments that had been ignored by collectors in the east end and center of the cave. The team also dug to the base of the deposits in the west end. This excavation resulted in the discovery of the famous duck decoy cache.
The American Museum of Natural History sponsored Nels Nelson to conduct a surface collection of Lovelock Cave in 1936. However, no archaeological material recovered was admitted to the museum's collection.
Robert Heizer came to Lovelock Cave in 1949 to collect organic material for radiocarbon dating. He later returned in 1950 and 1965 with a field group to sift through the remains that the miners left behind in a slope in front of the cave and collect coprolites. In excavations with Lewis Napton during 1968 and 1969 disturbed human remains were discovered. The remains found were so scattered that a complete recovery was never possible. Human coprolites found at Lovelock Cave are instrumental in piecing together the cultures’ subsistence patterns, specifically the kinds of food the Indians were eating: primarily birds, fish and other fauna that lived near the lake, as well as vegetation which was collected and stored for winter months. Furthermore, because coprolites are organic material, they could be dated with the radiocarbon dating technique.
Duck decoys.
The most renowned discovery at Lovelock Cave was a cache of eleven duck decoys M.R. Harrington and L.L. Loud found when they were digging for the Museum of the American Indian in 1924 in Pit 12, Lot 4. The cache included eight painted and feathered decoys and three unfinished decoys. Items found in the same pit consisted of feathers and two bundles of animal traps. The remarkable decoys were made from bundled tule, a long grass-like herb, covered in feathers and painted.
The first attempt to date the decoys with radiocarbon dating techniques in 1969 was unsuccessful because the material got lost. Later samples could not be acquired without causing extensive damage to the decoys so they were not dated until the development of the Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dating technique. Technological advances with AMS dating meant that much smaller, milligram-size, specimens from archaeological record were ample size for dating. Samples were retrieved from two duck decoys and A. J. T. Tull of the University of Arizona, Tucson conducted the dating of the specimens. In 1984 he reported the dates to Don D. Fowler. Duck Decoy 13/4513, Lovelock Cave was dated at 2,080 +/- 330 BP (), and Duck Decoy 13/4512B was dated at 2,250 +/- 230BP ().
Prehistoric sling.
A hand woven textile sling was collected by Loud in 1912 but it was not reported or studied extensively until years later. Archaeologists are interested in the specific specimen because it is recognized as one of the earliest slings in North America. The Indians of the Northern Paiute or Paviotso were occupants of the area during historic times and they recognized the sling as a toy or used for hunting and war. Slings were known to serve different purposes such as a toy, a forehead band, or a mechanism for hunting birds. The design of the sling found at Lovelock was constructed through a simple knotting technique from a two-ply yarn. The pattern on the sling is reversible. It was likely made from various pieces of available fiber. The sling found at Lovelock is just one of the many handmade textile items of the cave. Traps and nets were also crafted to assist hunters during their search for food. Baskets and other food storage items were used to ensure that during times of resource scarcity everyone would have enough food for survival.
Dating.
The burials from Lovelock Cave do not appear to be similar to the earlier burials from Spirit Cave or to the later burials from Stillwater Marsh. The eight burials from Lovelock Cave were buried at various times between 4,500 and 900 years B.P.
There are also the similar, approximately contemporaneous Elephant Mountain Cave bundle burials from the Black Rock Desert north of Lovelock, Nevada. The site was extensively looted, and its study is difficult. A pair of sandals from the cave have been radiocarbon dated to 10,000 years ago, making them the oldest footwear ever found in Nevada and among the oldest in the world.
Life at Lovelock Cave.
Humans utilized the cave starting around 2580 BC but it was not intensively used until 1000 BC. Two competing hypotheses arose from the investigations of Lovelock Cave. Heizer and Napton supported a limnosedentary theory pertaining to life at the site. This view held that people of the area rarely moved from their base because they had access to such rich and varied resources. This theory is based on the coprolitic material found at Lovelock which revealed a primary diet of fish and diverse lakeside fare. A limnomobile view suggests that sites such as Lovelock were only occupied during certain times throughout the year and people in the area were very mobile. Lovelock Cave is believed to have been occupied extensively during the winter months. Summer months may have been plagued with insects that would make life near a marsh undesirable. The findings at the site reveal lengthy periods of occupation and also show the complicated techniques used by hunters and gatherers to acquire resources.
Lovelock Cave overlooks Humboldt Sink, a remnant of Lake Lahontan. The human coprolites recovered from Lovelock Cave reveal that 90 percent of the diet came from Humboldt Sink. All sizes of fish were eaten and hunting techniques included the use of nets, traps, and hooks made from fishbone. Dietary staples include: Lahontan Chub, ducks, and mudhens. Plants such as bulrush, cattail, and other grasses were also significant food sources. The environment of the Great Basin is very diverse. The amount of rainfall varies year to year. A wet year can potentially produce six times more vegetation than a dry year. Hunter-gatherers of the Great Basin survived on a wide variety of resources to adapt to a changing environment. The inhabitants of Lovelock Cave were fortunate to live around a rich lowland marsh, the duck and goose decoys were ideal for hunting in such areas. Mosquitoes and other insects were troublesome pests to people of the marshes during summer months.
Subsistence patterns and adaptations varied greatly among Great Basin groups. People living in mountainous areas were surviving on plants for more than fifty percent of their diets whereas people around water or in the marshes were hunting fish and other wetland wildlife. Waterfowl have been attracted to Great Basin marshes for thousands of years. Ancient hunter-gatherer inhabitants of Lovelock Cave became expert bird hunters. They used their well-designed duck decoys to lure prey then shoot birds from blinds. As hunters became more experienced they would wear disguises made from reeds or duck skin and stalk birds then surprise and grab them by the legs. The people at Lovelock recognized the importance of water fowl and utilized birds extensively. Archaeological specimens from the site show that the inhabitants collected feathers from geese, ducks, pelicans, and herons. The hunter-gathers used the feathers from the birds to create decoys which allowed the capture of more birds. Decoys are still used by local native people today in hunting water fowl.
Hunters were also able to rely on a variety of fauna such as muskrat, rabbit, and rodents as foodstuff. Gathers were harvesting vegetables and grasses in the spring and fall to supplement their rich diet. The women of the group were likely the gatherers and also responsible for crafting important items to make life easier in the marsh. Fibers from dogbane and milkweed were used to fashion yarns and baskets. Baskets were used to store food, especially vegetation that was harvested in the spring and fall to be saved for winter months. Women would occasionally collect fish with smaller baskets.
The ideal conditions at Lovelock Cave preserved deposits of feathers from various birds and textiles from nets. Common fibrous items include: nets, baskets, sandals, traps, and decoys. Manos and metates, hand held grinding stones, were abundantly used by Indians. They helped process plant foods especially seeds, nuts, and other tough material. The materials recovered from Lovelock Cave helped to demonstrate that hunting and gathering was the primary means of survival for Native Americans of the Great Basin for thousands of years. The diversity of resources allowed the people in the area to thrive using traditional methods for a long period of time, and whose material culture remained the same for thousands of years.
The cave's last use is believed to be in the mid-1800s as indicated by a gun cache and a human coprolite. The material was tested through radiocarbon dating and dated to about 1850.
Si-Te-Cah: The Legend of the Red-Haired Giants.
According to Paiute oral history, the Si-Te-Cah or Sai'i are a legendary tribe of red-haired cannibalistic giants. Mummified remains of a man "six feet six inches tall" were discovered by guano miners in Lovelock Cave in 1911. Adrienne Mayor writes about the Si-Te-Cah in her book, "Fossil Legends of the First Americans". She suggests that the 'giant' interpretation of the skeletons from Lovelock Cave and other dry caves in Nevada was started by entrepreneurs setting up tourist displays and that the skeletons themselves were of normal size. However, about 100 miles north of Lovelock there are plentiful fossils of mammoths and cave bears, and their large limb bones could easily be thought to be those of giants by an untrained observer. She also discusses the reddish hair, pointing out that hair pigment is not stable after death and that various factors such as temperature, soil, etc. can turn ancient very dark hair rusty red.


Arbor Lakes

Arbor Lakes is a commercial and residential district located in downtown Maple Grove, Minnesota, a northwestern suburb of Minneapolis. Construction of Arbor Lakes began in the late 1990s with a simulacrum of a traditional American "Main Street" designed in neotraditional style. The second phase (completed in 2003) included the "Shoppes at Arbor Lakes", Minnesota's first lifestyle center, which includes neotraditional elements. The third phase, "The Fountains at Arbor Lakes", is approximately in size and includes a Main Street-inspired entrance, with two hotels, several restaurants, and a number of junior anchors. The fourth phase, "The Village at Arbor Lakes", which will be when completed, will include a Home2 Suites by Hilton hotel, a SpringHill Suites hotel, up to 700 apartments, and some retail.
History.
The land now occupied by the Arbor Lakes district was formerly an active gravel mine owned primarily by C.S. McCrossan and Tiller Corporation. The City of Maple Grove first began planning for a civic center in the late 1980s, as identified in former comprehensive land use plans.
A special gravel mining area (GMA) report was conducted in the 1990s to analyze the socio-economic feasibility of such a project. Construction on Arbor Lakes began in 1997 with the Main Street district.
The gravel mines east of Arbor Lakes are still active. In sum, the inactive and active gravel mines total nearly , making the Arbor Lakes area the largest undeveloped urban infill site in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
Residential.
Land located in the northern part of Arbor Lakes, which was once land for a master-planned community named HighGrove, built by now defunct Rottlund Homes. The remaining land will be developed by Mattamy Homes, a Canadian building company who renamed the neighborhood, HighGrove at Arbor Lakes. A senior housing building titled, Arbor Lakes Senior Living is
Main Street.
Main Street and its accompanying anchors represent the inceptive phase of Arbor Lakes, beginning in 1997. Largely unchartered in suburban environments, city planners worked closely with developers to pioneer a relatively dense, urban commercial and residential district in the geographic heart of the city. Main Street runs north-south near the west end of the Arbor Lakes district, intersecting Elm Creek Boulevard at the south and Weaver Lake Road at the north.
Unlike more traditional, historic "main streets" (which grew little by little over the course of several decades), Maple Grove's Main Street was built over an approximate five-year time span, from 1997 to 2001. Main Street is surrounded by junior anchors (e.g., Byerly's, Babies R Us, JoAnn Etc., Sports Authority) and other retail/restaurants (e.g., Olive Garden, Buca di Beppo).
The Main Street district is directly adjacent to the Great River Energy headquarters, which is located just east of Main Street. Great River Energy relocated its headquarters from Elk River to Maple Grove in 2008, constructing what became Minnesota's first Platinum LEED building. The facility incorporates many "green" technologies such as a wind turbine, photovoltaic cells, rain gardens, rainwater re-use, green/recycled building materials, and so on.
North of Main Street is Maple Grove's public library and a Lifetime Fitness location.
The Shoppes at Arbor Lakes.
The Shoppes at Arbor Lakes is a lifestyle center located at the intersection of Hemlock Lane and Elm Creek Boulevard in Maple Grove, Minnesota. The mall was designed by KKE Architects of Minneapolis and developed by Opus Northwest in collaboration with Red Development. The center opened September 12, 2003. The Shoppes are designed to have the look and feel of a traditional Main Street. Unlike a regional mall, which would have anchor tenants (generally department stores such as Macy's or Nordstrom), the lifestyle center aims to have smaller, boutique-style stores.
In keeping with the lifestyle center tradition, the Shoppes at Arbor Lakes is made up of mainly upscale national chains such as Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, Brooks Brothers, P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Banana Republic, Talbots, Express, Lane Bryant, Victoria's Secret, The Gap, and American Eagle.
Local stores also have a presence at the Shoppes. Hot Mama, which also has a location at Edina's 50th & France shopping district, Francesca's Collections, and GoodThings represent the local presence at the Shoppes.
The primary target markets for lifestyle centers such as the Shoppes are affluent women and youth. These demographic groups also happen to have the most purchasing power in the United States of America.
In 2005, Opus and Red Development worked to open Woodbury Lakes in Woodbury, Minnesota, an eastern suburb that shares similar demographics with Maple Grove. In October 2009, Woodbury Lakes went into bankruptcy but remains open to the public.
The Fountains at Arbor Lakes.
The Fountains at Arbor Lakes is a "hybrid power center" retail concept, approximately in size (nearby Ridgedale, while an enclosed regional mall, contains approximately the same square footage).
Junior anchors include national chains such as REI, Dick's Sporting Goods, DSW and Marshall's. Anchors include Lowe's, Costco, a Venetian-themed Holiday Inn and Suites with indoor water park, Courtyard by Marriott and a Dave and Buster's entertainment facility and restaurant. The shopping center also features at its main entrance a Main Street simulacrum, which is designed to inspire an urban, pedestrian-friendly coexistence with vehicular traffic.
The retail center has several small land parcels available for development, while the majority of the center is leased.
The Village at Arbor Lakes.
As part of the most recent phase of the Arbor Lakes regional commercial center, The Village at Arbor Lakes will feature up to 700 apartment units among four high-density buildings, two hotels, one of them a 128-room SpringHill Suites Hotel, the other one a 108-room Home2 Suites room, and a pair of multi-tenant buildings. Plans for development in this area had been changing since 2007, with the first proposed development, the Reflections at Arbor Lakes, falling apart due to the Great Recession, and two other projects, one of them being called the Point at Arbor Lakes, being turned down in 2014. The Maple Grove City Council approved "The Village at Arbor Lakes" in April 2016, with construction starting two months later.


LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch

LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch is an upscale 34-acre, 300,000 square foot Main Street style mixed-use development, with 271,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. It is located at the Grand Parkway and Cinco Ranch Blvd, in Cinco Ranch, Texas. It also includes office space and apartments. It opened on . This lifestyle center serves as the conventional mall for Greater Katy.


Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park

The Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park is a coastal park in the East Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. The park is located approximately east of the capital city of Melbourne.
Location and features.
The park was established in April 1979 and is set on the east coast of Victoria, with its eastern boundary facing Bass Strait and its western boundary facing both The Lakes National Park and the eastern shores of the Gippsland Lakes. The park's northern boundary is south of and its southern boundary is north of . The park includes the Ninety Mile Beach. Since 2010, the park has been managed by Parks Victoria jointly with the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation.


Feliciano Miguel Abdala Private Natural Heritage Reserve

Feliciano Miguel Abdala Private Natural Heritage Reserve (), formerly the Fazenda Montes Claros and then the Caratinga Biological Station, is a privately owned sustainable-use protected area in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.
It contains an example of Atlantic Forest biome.
The reserve is home to rare buffy-headed marmosets and to one of the last wild populations of northern muriqui woolly spider monkeys.
History.
Feliciano Miguel Abdalla, the son of a Lebanese immigrant, obtained the Fazenda Montes Claros estate in the state of Minas Gerais in 1944 on condition that he preserve the forest on the property.
At this time the settlers in Minas Gerais were clearing the land for agriculture, and conservation was an alien concept.
For many years he had to struggle against hunters and people looking to harvest timber and hearts of palm, sometimes at risk to his life.
Towards the end of the 1960s Abdalla began to meet researchers.
The professors Álvaro Aguirre and then Celio Valle introduced the woods to the scientific community.
In 1977 professor Akira Nishimura began the first systemic study of the northern muriquis, to be followed by Russell Mittermeier and Karen B. Strier.
At the time the long-term study of the muriquis began Abdala was in his 70s.
Besides the forest, his farm included an active coffee plantation and cattle ranch, and employed over 20 families whose houses were on the farm.
Abdala put up researchers in his farmhouse until a small vacated house on the edge of the forest had been renovated.
This house became the Caratinga Biological Station (Estação Biológica de Caratinga) in May 1983.
The biological station was supported by Abdala, the Federal University of Minas Gerais, the World Wildlife Fund and the Brazilian Foundation for the Conservation of Nature (FBCN).
Researchers found buffy-headed marmosets, an endangered species, as well as healthy populations of brown howler and tufted capuchin monkeys.
Abdalla died in June 2000 at the age of 92.
The private non-profit Society for Muriqui's Preservation, "Preserve-Muriqui", created by the Abdala' family, now manages the reserve.
The Feliciano Miguel Abdala Private Natural Heritage Reserve was created by decree on 3 September 2001.
Conservation International Brazil provided technical and financial support for founding the reserve in partnership with the Caratinga Biological Reserve Association and the Biodiversity Foundation (Fundação Biodiversitas).
Environment.
The reserve is located in the municipality of Caratinga in the state of Minas Gerais.
It has an area of . It is located on the left bank of the Manhuaçu River in the Doce River basin.
The region has a rugged terrain with altitudes from . The reserve holds parts of the basins of the Jaó and Matão streams.
The climate is hot, with average rainfall of about , falling mainly in the summer (October to March).
The reserve contains an example of the Atlantic Forest biome.
About 80% of the land is covered in well-preserved forest, while the remainder holds abandoned pasturage and secondary growth forest.
Many of the neighbours also have small areas of forest beside the reserve.
The reserve holds many endemic plants and is home to various endangered birds and mammals.
Vegetation is mainly semi-deciduous forest, with the best-preserved parts in the lower areas along the two streams, where the canopy is continuous and about high with emergent trees reaching over in height.
Higher up the primary forest makes way for secondary forest and then bushy scrub at the summit.
The reserve is home to a population of endangered northern muriqui ("Brachyteles hypoxanthus") spider monkeys.
It has been estimated that there were a million of these monkeys when the Europeans arrived, but they are now on the list of 25 most endangered primates in the world.
There were about 60 spider monkeys on the reserve when it was established.
As of 2006 there were less than 1,000 surviving individuals in the world, of whom 226 were living in the reserve.
By 2011 the reserve had 320 individuals, the largest concentration in the world.
About 362 species of vertebrate have been recorded, including 79 species of mammal, 204 species of birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians.
The pit viper "Lachesis muta" and the Natterer's longwing butterfly ("Heliconius nattereri") are considered endangered.
Conservation.
The reserve is classed as IUCN protected area category IV (habitat/species management area).
It has the objective of conserving biological diversity in a private area.
Preserve-Muriqui aims to guarantee survival of the northern muriqui in its natural environment and to support research, while working with the inhabitants of neighbouring properties and providing jobs for local people.
The reserve has been the subject of many scientific studies including 22 independent research projects and ten PhD theses.
The reserve is open to eco-tourists, providing guided tours of the forest.
Fees are used to help support the reserve.
Local people are employed at competitive rates on tasks such as opening trails and following the muriquis.
This has contributed to local support for conservation and research in the reserve.
The Preserve Muriqui has started seedlings of native trees and guided the neighbours to reforest the hilltops to revitalise the springs.
It has also taught the neighbours intensive farming techniques to grow more crops while farming a smaller area.
The manager of the reserve said that the proprietors of the local farms have become the guardians of the forest.


Boyd Conservation Area

Boyd Conservation Area is a suburban land preserve owned and operated by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority in the city of Vaughan, Regional Municipality of York, Ontario, Canada. It also overlaps a life science Area of Natural and Scientific Interest of the same name.
It is a moderate-size park that offers facilities for numerous outdoor activities. The park is situated in the Humber River valley. Public operations run between late April and early October, and are funded in part by nominal fees to access the park. Optionally, individuals or families may acquire a membership, which provides access to a number of parks operated by the Conservation Authority. A little known fact concerning the park is that, upon its creation, it was given the unofficial motto "Natura exorno omnis nos postulo".
In September and October, the park is used as the venue for cross country running events, the most prominent being the OFSAA (Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations) meet which brings together the best runners in the province, a yearly event it hosted from 1960 to 1965, 1968 to 1972, 1981, 1989, and 2009.
In the summer, it is a popular destination for local residents to enjoy a picnic; businesses may also reserve one of 19 well-groomed sites in the park for corporate picnics, including a few which have sheltered areas. Bocce courts, volleyball and basketball courts, soccer fields, and children's playgrounds are found within the park for the benefit of families and youth groups.
Bird watching and nature hiking are very popular. Outdoor musical concerts are also frequent in Boyd Conservation Area throughout the summer, partly due to the sheltered outdoor sites.
The Boyd staff uniform consists of powder blue shirts bearing the TRCA crest, dark blue work pants, steel-toed boots and TRCA caps or cowboy hats. The Boyd Staff have consistently received very positive reviews on their service from patrons to the park.
Boyd Park is affiliated with the Kortright Centre and all full-time Boyd staff take up work at Kortright over the winter season. Due to limited funding, Boyd only retains a few full-time staff. The rest of their staff is made up of summer students and those who wish to complete community service outdoors, aiding in keeping the grounds clean.


Trollskogen

Trollskogen ("enchanted forest" or "troll's forest") is a windswept, grazed pine forest and nature reserve in the northeast corner of the Baltic island Öland, Sweden (Böda socken, Borgholm Municipality). The forest is on a promontory with an exposed shingle beach on the eastern side, the side of the Baltic Sea, and a sheltered bay on the western side, of Grankullaviken bay. The reserve, formerly a "Domänreservat" (protected by the Swedish government forestry agency), is part of the Böda Kronopark. Its southeastern boundary is also the north border of the nature reserve Bödakusten östra.
Description.
Öland has a unique ecology containing many endemic and rare plants not found anywhere else. Trollskogen is characterized by its lichen-covered pine trees; those close to the exposed shore (a shingle beach) have been deformed by the wind. The interior of the forest contains pine trees, up to 200 years old, interspersed with old oaks, a remnant of the former grazing pastures in the Boda forests. Today, cattle still graze here, ensuring the biodiversity of the ecosystem, native grass and herb diversity. The western edge is formed by the grazed and forested areas of the Grankullaviken bay.
The old oaks and pines are a rich habitat for lichens, insects, fungi, and mosses. The rich flora of the reserve includes endangered and rare species such as Pachyphiale carneola, Calicium abietinum, and Sphinctrina. More common plants include burr chervil, Prince's pine, and Baltic wormwood.
History.
The oldest human traces in Trollskogen are some 15 cairns and stone circles. Grankullavik, formerly called Örboviken, was a naval base in the 15th century, dominating much of the central Baltic Sea. Traces of fortifications remain to the east and west, and a stone wall (possibly used to demarcate a hunting domain), some long and dating from the reign of King John III (1537–1592), remains to the south.
The eastern shore is the site of the wreck of the "Swiks", a schooner that was wrecked on the coast on 21 December 1926; its crew of seven escaped in a lifeboat.
Visitor information.
The area has three hiking trails, with signage, one of which is accessible for strollers. A nature center at the parking area provides information on the area and its surroundings.


Bird Islands Conservation Park

Bird Islands Conservation Park is a protected area in eastern Spencer Gulf, South Australia. It is located at Warburto Point on Yorke Peninsula, about south of the town of Wallaroo. In 1991, land additions were made to the park to include the intertidal zone of both islands. In 1999, a larger, mainland section was added to support mangroves, samphire and coastal fringe vegetation.
Vegetation.
The two islands forming Bird Islands Conservation Park are fringed by grey mangrove ("Avicennia marina" ssp. "marina") woodlands and chenopod shrublands. A tall open shrubland of coast daisy-bush ("Olearia axillaris") and grasslands of introduced species occur on the sandy, higher ground. The mainland section of the park at Warburto Point is similar but with some sandy beach areas backed by dunes supporting coast daisy-bush and various "Acacia" spp. shrublands. Nine native plant species have been recorded in this park.
Wildlife.
Australia is party to international agreements regarding the conservation of migratory birds (Japan-Australia and China-Australia Migratory Bird Agreements) and several of these migrant shorebirds (listed under JAMBA and CAMBA treaties) regularly visit Bird Islands Conservation Park. These are known to include sharp-tailed sandpiper, red knot, red-necked stint, greater sand plover, grey-tailed tattler, Caspian tern and Terek sandpiper.
Additional birds of conservation significance recorded in the park include: Cape Barren goose, lesser sand plover, pied oystercatcher, rock parrot, eastern osprey and fairy tern.
Access.
The park can be accessed by car along Warburto Road. The islands can be reached by wading out at low tide or by boat at high tide. Limited 4WD access is available via a network of sandy tracks.
Activities.
In keeping with the park's conservation zoning, public use is restricted to low-impact activities compatible with the protection of natural and cultural values. Walking, interpretation and education, scientific research and nature appreciation are permitted using existing tracks and trails within the zone. Kayaking is also possible around Bird Islands. Beach fishing is permitted in the waters off Bird Island Conservation Park, provided it is not occurring within a Marine Park Sanctuary Zone.
Threats.
The Government of South Australia's Department of the Environment, Water and Natural Resources has suggested 4WD use should be monitored, as environmental damage can result from driving vehicles on the beach. As the Copper Coast District Council area's human population increases, the impacts from 4WD and other visitor impacts will also increase and will require management.


Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary

The Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary (also spelled Bumdelling or Bomdeling), which contains the former Kulong Chu Wildlife Sanctuary, covers in northeastern Bhutan at elevations between and . The sanctuary covers most of Trashiyangtse District, including Bumdeling Gewog. The sanctuary was planned in 1995 and established in 1998. It contains diverse flora, fauna, and scenery including alpine lakes and the Bumdeling Valley. The sanctuary also contains several cultural and religious sites. In the park live 3,000 resident households. The sanctuary is located in the basin of one of the largest rivers of Buthan and Kholong Chu, Drangme Chu.
The sanctuary has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because it supports black-necked cranes (it is one of the country's two wintering sites), wood snipes and grey-crowned prinias. As of 2007, there was a record of the white-tailed eagle, a first for the sanctuary. It is listed in Bhutan's Tentative List for UNESCO inclusion.
Ludlow's Bhutan Swallowtail, the only endemic butterfly in Bhutan and in the world, lives here.


Reed Flute Cave

The Reed Flute Cave (), also known as "the Palace of Natural Arts," is a landmark and tourist attraction in Guilin, Guangxi, China.
The cave got its name from the type of reed growing outside, which can be made into flutes. Reed Flute Cave is filled with a large number of stalactites, stalagmites and other rock formations. Inside, there are more than 70 inscriptions written in ink, which can be dated back as far as 792 AD in the Tang Dynasty. These aged inscriptions tell us that it has been an attraction in Guilin since ancient times. It was rediscovered in the 1940s by a group of refugees fleeing the Japanese troops. Nowadays, multicolored lighting artificially illuminates the cave.


Paradise Cave

Paradise Cave (, pronounced 'Yaskeenya Rye') is a horizontal karstic limestone cave located inside the Malik hill, to the south of Kielce, Świętokrzyskie Voivodship, Poland.
It is part of the "Red tourist trail Chęciny - Kielce" in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains (Holy Cross Mountains).
Description.
The cave has a length of and vertical range of however, only a section of length and two entrances are open to visitors. Despite its small size it is regarded as one of Poland's most beautiful caves and attracts numerous visitors. Its corridors lead through five chambers and caverns, that are ornamented with speleothems, such as stalactites, stalagmites and columns of calcified rock deposited over tens of thousands of years. In order to maintain an internal temperature of and 95 percent humidity required to preserve the cave's historical value and ecological integrity a maximum of fifteen people accompanied by a guide are admitted to enter the cave every fifteen minutes. In front of the entrance is an info center illuminated by optical fiber, that exhibits the cave's archeological and paleontological discoveries that include a replica of a Neanderthal camp, Mousterian assemblages and fossilized bones of contemporary Paleolithic fauna.
Archaeology.
History.
The cave was discovered in 1963 by Józef Kopeć and Feliks Wawrzeńczak, students of a local technical school. After extensive research and documentation by Tymoteusz Wróblewski and Zbigniew Rubinowski, geologists at the Świętokrzyskie branch of the Polish Geological Institute it was opened to the public in 1972.
Discoveries.
The five chambers of the cave were formed during the Middle Devonian epoch, approximately 350 million years ago. Inside, there are traces of occupancy by Neanderthal dating back 50 to 60 thousand years. Remains and fossils of Cave hyena and cave bear, that inhabited the cave and countless bones of mammalian species, such as Woolly rhinoceros and mammoths were unearthed at the site.


Lawrence Hargrave Drive

Lawrence Hargrave Drive, part of the Grand Pacific Drive, is a scenic coastal road and popular tourist drive connecting the northernmost suburbs of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, to Wollongong, in the south, and Sydney, in the north. The road was originally constructed in the 1870s.
Route.
The road begins at the Old Princes Highway, Helensburgh (Princes Motorway exit) and passes through Stanwell Tops to descend the steep Illawarra Escarpment at Bald Hill, the site of a spectacular lookout and hang gliding area. The road then passes south through Stanwell Park and Coalcliff to cross the Sea Cliff Bridge and adjoining Lawrence Hargrave Drive Bridge. Together, the Sea Cliff Bridge and Lawrence Hargrave Drive Bridge construction were completed in December 2005, replacing the former cliff-hugging route which was prone to rockfalls and consequent closures. Remnants of the former road can still be seen to this day, including some of the guard rail and most of the road section which is now overgrown with trees and ridden with boulders and rocks that have fallen freely since the roads closure, essentially acting as a ditch.
The road then winds its way through the coastal villages of Clifton, Scarborough, Wombarra, Coledale, Austinmer and finally Thirroul where it meets the Princes Highway at the bottom of Bulli Pass. The road was formerly known as Lower Coast Road until 1947 when it was renamed after Lawrence Hargrave, an Australian aviation pioneer and explorer who had a house at Stanwell Park and flew his devices from Bald Hill.


South Lewis, Harris and North Uist National Scenic Area

South Lewis, Harris and North Uist is a large national scenic area (NSA) in the Western Isles of Scotland. It is one of 40 such areas in Scotland, which are defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure its protection from inappropriate development. The designated area covers 202,388 ha in total, of which 112,301 ha is on land, with a further 90,087 ha being marine (i.e. below low tide level), making it the largest of the NSAs in both total and marine area. The designated area includes the mountainous south west of Lewis, all of Harris, the Sound of Harris and the northern part of North Uist.
National scenic areas are primarily designated due to the scenic qualities of an area, however NSAs may well have other special qualities, for example related to culture, history, archaeology, geology or wildlife. Areas with such qualities may be protected via other national and international designations that overlap with the NSA designation. There are several Natura 2000 sites within the designated area of the NSA.
Although the national scenic area designation provides a degree of additional protection via the planning process, there are no bodies equivalent to a national park authority, and whilst local authorities (in this case Comhairle nan Eilean Siar) can produce a management strategy for each one, only the three national scenic areas within Dumfries and Galloway have current management strategies.
Creation of the national scenic area.
Following the Second World War, a committee, chaired by Sir Douglas Ramsay, was established to consider preservation of the landscape in Scotland. The report, published in 1945 proposed that five areas (Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, the Cairngorms, Glen Coe-Ben Nevis-Black Mount, Wester Ross and Glen Strathfarrar-Glen Affric-Glen Cannich) should receive a level of protection. Accordingly, the government designated these areas as "national park direction areas", giving powers for planning decisions taken by local authorities to be reviewed by central government. Following a further review of landscape protection in 1978, additional areas, including the area of the current South Lewis, Harris and North Uist NSA, were identified as worthy of protection due to their landscape qualities. Accordingly, in 1981 the direction areas were replaced by the national scenic area designation, which were based on the 1978 recommendations and thus included this area. The defined area remains as originally mapped in 1978, but was redesignated under new legislation in 2010. Since this date there have been calls for further protection of the scenery of the area, although the Scottish Government rejected a proposal to create a national park on Harris in 2011. In 2013 the Scottish Campaign for National Parks proposed seven areas deemed suitable for national park status, one of which was Harris, but in September 2016 Roseanna Cunningham, the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform told the Scottish Parliament that the Government had no plans to designate new national parks in Scotland and instead planned to focus on the two existing national parks.
Description.
North Harris contains Clisham (799m), the highest peak in the Outer Hebrides. Steep-sided glens, with precipitous crags, have a mountainous character. Exposure and grazing prevent tree growth. Deep sea lochs in the east penetrate far into the hills. The east coast of Harris has many bays and islets. The west coast has wide, sandy beaches with machair. Rocky headlands, separating the bays, have been sculptured into geos and stacks. Scattered islands lies in the Sound of Harris between South Harris and North Uist.
On North Uist the spectacular deep peatland supports a wide variety of vegetation and birds. The settlement of Lochmaddy (an anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic "Loch nam Madadh") is a ferry terminal, and a harbour for the creel fishing and is used for salmon farms.
Conservations designations.
There are four Special Protection Areas (SPA) and five Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), within or overlapping with the NSA. The areas protected by these two Natura 2000 designations overlap, with four sites sharing both designations (although the precise borders differ to some extent).


Lake Shasta Caverns

The Lake Shasta Caverns are a network of caves located near the McCloud arm of Shasta Lake in California. It was formerly named Chalk Cave and Baird Cave, named after Spencer Fullerton Baird.
History.
The caverns are dated at least 200 million years, and were formed by flowing water. Over the years this water drained leaving the caverns seen today. The caves are made entirely of limestone and feature a wide variety of formations, including stalactites, stalagmites, soda straws, columns, and flowstone. The Discovery Room, one of eight known rooms in the cavern system, contains all types of limestone rock formation. The first recorded explorer was James A. Richardson, a federal fisheries employee. His claim of discovery is still clearly legible on the wall where he wrote it that day – November 11, 1878 – with carbide from his miner's lamp.
Until 1964, Lake Shasta Caverns were seen each year by only a handful of hardy spelunkers who inched their way through steep, restricted natural fissures to view its startling formations. Before opening to the public, a new entrance was needed, as the current was a small hole in the ceiling, barely large enough for one person to fit through. Using explosives, workers blasted a tunnel from a rock face deep into the mountain, hoping to reach the lowest known room, the Basement. However, along the way, a large rock wall was knocked down, revealing the Discovery Room, perhaps the most fascinating room in the caverns. As a result of this, the Basement Room is not the lowest room. The idea of preserving this natural phenomenon first came to Grace M. Tucker, an attorney from Chehalis, Washington. In 1955, she obtained sole ownership of the caves. In 1959, Mrs. Tucker, along with Roy Thompson and his two brothers, formed Lake Shasta Properties, Inc. The site was declared a National Natural Landmark in May 2012.
The Lake Shasta Caverns currently attract thousands of visitors every year. The only transportation to the caverns from the visitor center is a short ride on a catamaran across Shasta Lake, followed by a scenic bus ride up a steep mountain grade. The bus ride terminates at the cavern entrance.


Southern Oregon Land Conservancy

The Southern Oregon Land Conservancy is an accredited land trust that works exclusively in Southern Oregon. Its headquarters are located in Ashland, Oregon. The mission of the Southern Oregon Land Conservancy is to protect special lands in the Rogue River Basin and surrounding areas for this and future generations by working cooperatively with landowners and communities. Its service area includes all of Jackson, Josephine, Curry, Coos, and Southern Douglas Counties.
Conservation efforts.
Founded in 1978, the Southern Oregon Land Conservancy is Oregon's oldest local land trust. In 35 years, the organization has placed permanent protections on over of land, predominantly using a tool called a conservation easement.
Notable achievements include:
Private Land Conservation
Public Land Conservation