Kumbakonam

Kumbakonam (formerly spelt as Coombaconum or Combaconum) is a town and a special grade municipality in the Thanjavur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located from Thanjavur and from Chennai and is the headquarters of the Kumbakonam taluk of Thanjavur district. The town is bounded by two rivers, the Kaveri River to the north and Arasalar River to the south. Kumbakonam is known as a "temple town" due to the prevalence of a number of temples here and is noted for its Mahamaham festival which attracts people from all over the country.
Kumbakonam dates back to the Sangam period and was ruled by the Early Cholas, Pallavas, Medieval Cholas, Later Cholas, Pandyas, the Vijayanagara Empire, Madurai Nayaks, Thanjavur Nayaks and the Thanjavur Marathas. It rose to be a prominent town between the 7th and 9th centuries AD, when it served as a capital of the Medieval Cholas. The town reached the zenith of its prosperity during the British Raj when it was a prominent centre of European education and Hindu culture; and it acquired the cultural name, the "Cambridge of South India". In 1866, Kumbakonam was officially constituted as a municipality, which today comprises 45 wards, making it the largest municipality and second largest local civil body in Thanjavur district.
Etymology.
The name "Kumbakonam", roughly translated in English as the "Pot's Corner", is believed to be an allusion to the mythical pot ("kumbha") of the Hindu god Brahma that contained the seed of all living beings on earth. The "kumbha" is believed to have been displaced by a "pralaya" (dissolution of the universe) and ultimately came to rest at the spot where the town of Kumbakonam now stands. This event is now commemorated in the Mahamaham festival held every 12 years. Kumbakonam is also known as Baskarashetram and Kumbam from time immemorial and as Kudanthai in ancient times. Kumbakonam is also spelt as Coombaconum in the records of British India. Kumbakonam was also formerly known by the Tamil name of Kudamukku. Kumbakonam is also identified with the Sangam age settlement of Kudavayil.
History.
The region around Kumbakonam was inhabited as early as the Sangam Age (3rd century BC to 3rd century AD). The present-day Kumbakonam is believed to be the site of the ancient town of Kudavayil where the Early Chola king Karikala held his court. Some scholars identify Kumbakonam as the site of the fabled prison of Kudavayir-kottam where the Chera king Kanaikkal Irumporai was imprisoned by the Early Chola king Kocengannan. Kumbakonam is identified with the town of Malaikūrram which had served as the Chola capital as early as the 7th century and with the town of Solamaligai which had also served as a Chola capital. According to the Sinnamanur plates, Kumbakonam was the site of a battle between the Pallava king Sri Vallabha and the then Pandya king in 859 and between the Pandya king Srimara Pandya and a confederacy of the Cholas and Gangas.
Kumbakonam came into the limelight during the rule of the Medieval Cholas who ruled from the 9th century to the 12th century. The town of Pazhaiyaarai, from Kumbakonam was the capital of the Chola Empire in the 9th century.
Following the decline of the Chola kingdom, Kumbakonam was conquered by the Pandyas in 1290.
Following the demise of the Pandya kingdom in the 14th century, Kumbakonam was conquered by the Vijayanagar Empire. Krishnadevaraya (1509–29), the emperor of Vijayanagara visited the town in 1524 and is believed to have bathed in the famous Mahamaham tank during the Mahamaham festival. Kumbakonam was ruled by the Madurai Nayaks and the Thanjavur Nayaks from 1535 to 1673 when it fell to the Marathas. Each of these dynasties had a considerable impact on the demographics and culture of the region. When the Vijayanagar Empire fell in 1565, there was a mass influx of poets, musicians and cultural artists from the kingdom.
According to the chronicles of the Hindu monastic institution, the Kanchi matha, the "matha" was temporarily transferred to Kumbakonam in the 1780s following an invasion of Kanchipuram by Hyder Ali of Mysore. When Tipu Sultan invaded the east coast of South India in 1784, Kumbakonam bore the brunt of his invasion. The produce fell sharply and the economy collapsed. Kumbakonam did not recover from the calamity till the beginning of the 19th century.
Kumbakonam was eventually ceded to the British East India Company in 1799 by the Thanjavur Maratha ruler Serfoji II (1777 -1832) and reached the zenith of its prosperity in the late 19th and early 20th century when it emerged as an important center of Brahminism, Hindu religion and European education in the Madras Presidency. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 fostered trade contacts with the United Kingdom. In 1877, railway lines were completed linking Kumbakonam with the ports of Madras, Tuticorin and Nagapattinam. The Tanjore district court was established in Kumbakonam in 1806 and functioned from 1806 to 1863.
Kumbakonam continued to grow even after India's independence though it fell behind the nearby town of Thanjavur in terms of population and administrative importance. The population growth rate began to fall sharply after 1981. This decline has been attributed to limited land area and lack of industrial potential. However the peripheral areas of Kumbakonam population increased as evident from the successive census data. During the Mahamaham festival of 1992, there was a major stampede in which 48 people were killed and 74 were injured. On 16 July 2004, a devastating fire accident in the Sri Krishna school killed 94 children.
Geography.
Kumbakonam is located at . It is situated south of Chennai, east of Tiruchirappalli, and about north-east of Thanjavur. It lies in the region called the "Old delta" which comprises the north-western taluks of Thanjavur district that have been naturally irrigated by the waters of the Cauvery and its tributaries for centuries in contrast to the "New Delta" comprising the southern taluks that were brought under irrigation by the construction of the Grand Anicut canal and the Vadavar canal in 1934. It has an average elevation of 26 metres (85 ft). The town is bounded by two rivers, the Cauvery River on the north and Arasalar River on the south.
Although the Cauvery delta is usually hot, the climate of Kumbakonam and other surrounding towns is generally healthy and moderate. Kumbakonam is cooler than Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu. The maximum temperature in summer is about while the minimum temperature is about . Kumbakonam receives an annual rainfall of every year. The region is covered with mainly alluvial or black soil which is conducive for rice cultivation. Other crops grown in Kumbakonam include mulberry, cereals and sugarcane.
The town of Kumbakonam is surrounded by extensive paddy fields. Methods of irrigation were considerably improved following the opening of the Mettur Dam in 1934. The fauna of the Cauvery Delta is limited to cattle and goats. The town is situated at the western flank of the Kumbakonam-Shiyali ridge which runs along the Kollidam river basin separating the Ariyalur-Puducherry depression from the Nagapattinam depression. This granular ridge projects further eastwards penetrating the Puducherry depression and forms a hard layer of cretaceous rock underneath the sedimentary top soil.
Temples.
Kumbakonam is known for its temples and "matha"s (monasteries). There are around 188 Hindu temples within the municipal limits of Kumbakonam. Apart from these, there several thousand temples around the town thereby giving the town the sobriquets "Temple Town" and "City of temples".
Adi Kumbeswarar Temple is considered to be the oldest Shaiva (the sect of the god Shiva) shrine in the town, believed to be constructed by the Cholas in the 7th century. The Nageswaraswamy Temple has a separate shrine for the Sun god Surya who is believed to have worshipped Shiva at this place. Adi Kumbeswarar temple, Nageswaraswamy temple and Kasi Viswanathar temple are Shiva temples in the town revered in the "Tevaram", a Tamil Shaiva canonical work of the 7th–8th century. Kumbakonam has one of the few temples dedicated to the god Brahma.
Sarangapani temple is the largest Vaishnava (the sect of the god Vishnu) shrine present in Kumbakonam. The present structure of the temple having a twelve storey high tower was constructed by Nayak kings in the 15th century. It is one of the "Divya Desams", the 108 temples of Vishnu revered by the 12 Alvar saint-poets. The Ramaswamy temple, which has scenes from the Hindu epic "Ramayana" depicted on its walls, was constructed by Govinda Dikshitar, the minister of successive Nayak rulers, Achuthappa Nayak (1560–1614) and Raghunatha Nayak (1600–34). He added a commercial corridor between the temple and the older Chakrapani temple, which in modern times is called Chinna Kadai Veethi, a commercial street in the town. Pilgrims from all parts of India take a holy dip once every 12 years during the Mahamaham festival in the Mahamaham tank. Over 40 lakh pilgrims participated in the festival during the 2016 event which is also known as the Southern Kumbha mela. Govinda Dikshitar constructed the sixteen mandapams (shrines) and stone steps around this tank.
Kumbakonam also has a number of "matha"s. The Sri Sankara matha of Kanchipuram was moved to Kumbakonam during the reign of Pratap Singh (1739–63) and remained in Kumbakonam until the 1960s. There are also two Vellalar mathas in the nearby towns of Dharmapuram and Thiruppanandal and a Raghavendra matha in Kumbakonam. There is also a branch of the Vaishnava Ahobila mutt in Kumbakonam.
The Thenupuriswarar Temple at Patteeswaram, the Oppiliappan Kovil, the Swamimalai Murugan temple and the Airavateswarar temple at Darasuram are located in the vicinity of Kumbakonam. The Airavatesvara Temple built by Rajaraja Chola II (1146–73) during 12th century is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur, the Gangaikondacholisvaram Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram that are referred as the Great Living Chola Temples.
Demographics.
According to 2011 census, Kumbakonam had a population of 140,156 with a sex-ratio of 1,021 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 12,791 were under the age of six, constituting 6,495 males and 6,296 females. The average literacy of the town was 83.21%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. There were a total of 9,519 workers, comprising 32 cultivators, 83 main agricultural labourers, 1,206 in house hold industries, 7,169 other workers, 1,029 marginal workers, 24 marginal cultivators, 45 marginal agricultural labourers, 212 marginal workers in household industries and 0 other marginal workers.
Kumbakonam has a strong Hindu majority; but it also has sizeable Muslim and Christian populations. Among Hindus, Kallars, Vanniyars Brahmins and Dalits are the numerically dominant Tamil-speaking groups. Brahmins are more numerous and affluent in Kumbakonam than in other parts of Tamil Nadu. There are also large populations of Moopanars, Konars and Nadars. Amongst Muslims, the Sunnis are dominant. However, there is also a significant Shia minority. Most of the Muslims are Marakkayars or Labbays. The majority of Muslims in Kumbakonam are involved in commerce or maritime trade. Kumbakonam also has a large population of Protestant Christians largely due to the efforts of the German missionary Christian Friedrich Schwarz. The Catholics in Kumbakonam are mainly affiliated to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kumbakonam which was separated from the Archdiocese of Pondicherry in 1899.
The population of Kumbakonam is predominantly Tamil-speaking. The commonly used dialects is the Central Tamil dialect. There are significant minorities speaking Thanjavur Marathi, Telugu, Kannada and Saurashtra as their mother tongue.
Residential areas make up 32.09% of the town's total area while commercial enterprises and industrial units make up 2.75% and 1.21% respectively. The non-urban portion of the town constitutes about 44.72% of the total area. Kumbakonam has a total of 45 slums with a population of 49,117.
As per the religious census of 2011, Kumbakonam had 86.07% Hindus, 9.57% Muslims, 3.99% Christians, 0.% Sikhs, 0.% Buddhists, 0.23% Jains, 0.13% following other religions and 0.% following no religion or did not indicate any religious preference.
Municipal administration and politics.
The Kumbakonam municipality was officially constituted in the year 1866. Initially, the municipality exercised its jurisdiction over an area of and its affairs were administered by a town-level committee or municipal committee. Later it was constituted special-grade municipality and currently, exercises its authority over an area of out of the town's total area of . It comprises 45 wards and is the biggest municipality in Thanjavur district.
The functions of the municipality are devolved into six departments: General, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, Town planning and the Computer Wing. All these departments are under the control of a Municipal Commissioner who is the supreme executive head. The legislative powers are vested in a body of 45 members, one each from each of the 45 wards. The legislative body is headed by an elected Chairperson who is assisted by a Deputy Chairperson.
Kumbakonam is a part of the Kumbakonam Legislative Assembly constituency and elects a member to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly once every five years. Despite being a hub of militant Communism in the 1950s, Kumbakonam voted for the Indian National Congress in the first five state elections held between 1952 and 1977. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam won the elections in 1977 and between 1977 and 1989, the seat was alternatively held by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or the Indian National Congress. Since 1989, barring an interregnum of five years between 1991 and 1996, the seat has been held by Ko. Si. Mani of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. Kumbakonam was a part of the Kumbakonam Lok Sabha constituency from 1952 till 1977, when the constituency was disbanded. The assembly segments in the erstwhile Kumbakonam Lok Sabha constituency were included in the Mayiladuthurai Lok Sabha constituency and have remained so ever since.
Law and order in Kumbakonam in maintained by the Thanjavur sub division of the Tamil Nadu Police headed by a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP). There are four police stations in the town, one of them being an all-women police station. There are special units like prohibition enforcement, district crime, social justice and human rights, district crime records and special branch that operate at the district level police division headed by a Superintendent of Police (SP). Suburban localities are under the jurisdiction of Swamimalai, Patteswarm, Nachiyarkovil, Tiruvidamarudhur, Thiruneelakudi police stations. Recently government has announced to establish one police station at Cholapuram by reorganizing kumbakonam Taluk, Swamimali and Thirupanandal Police station
Economy.
The important products of Kumbakonam include brass, bronze, copper and pewter vessels, silk and cotton cloths, sugar, indigo and pottery. Kumbakonam is considered to be the chief commercial centre for the Thanjavur region. In 1991, around 30% of the population was engaged in economic activity. Rice production is an important activity in Kumbakonam. Of 194 industrial units in Kumbakonam, 57 are rice and flour mills. Kumbakonam is also a leading producer of betel leaves and nuts; the betel leaves produced in Kumbakonam are ranked amongst the best in the world in terms of quality. The A. R. R. Agencies, a leading manufacturer of arecanut slices has its factory in Kumbakonam. The main administrative offices of T. S. R. & Co., a cosmetic company, are also based in Kumbakonam. Kumbakonam is also famous for its metal works. The Tamil Nadu Handicraft Development Corporation had been established in the nearby town of Swamimalai in order to train bronze artisans. Kumbakonam is an important silk-weaving centre and more than 5,000 families were employed either directly or indirectly in silk weaving. Silk weaved in Kumbakonam is regarded as one of the finest in the subcontinent. They are largely used in the manufacture of Thirubuvanam silk sarees. Kumbakonam was also an important salt-manufacturing area during British rule. The town lends its name to the Kumbakonam Degree Coffee, a blend of coffee prepared using undiluted pure milk. In recent times, Kumbakonam has emerged as an important manufacturer of fertilizers.
Apart from its manufactures, tourism is also a major source of income for the town. Many Lodges and resorts from budget to high end category are functioning in kumbakonam. The Hindu temples and colonial-era buildings have been recognised for their tourism potential. The 12th-century Airavatesvara Temple in the town of Darasuram near Kumbakonam is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kumbakonam is also frequented by art collectors interested in handloom cloth and other curios. Banks such as the Axis Bank, Bank of Baroda, IDBI Bank, State Bank of India, Tamilnad Mercantile Bank, Canara Bank, Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Bank of India, Union Bank of India, Corporation Bank, Lakshmi Vilas Bank, ICICI Bank, ING Vysya Bank, Karur Vysya Bank, Punjab National Bank, Syndicate Bank and Vijaya Bank have their branches in Kumbakonam. The City Union Bank was founded in Kumbakonam in 1904 as the Kumbakonam Bank Limited and it is headquartered in the town.
Transport and utility services.
Kumbakonam is well-connected by road and rail with the rest of India. The National highway NH-32 connects Vikravandi - Manamadurai, passes through this town. The nearest international airport is at Tiruchirapalli, which is from Kumbakonam. The nearest seaport is located at Nagapattinam which is about away. The town has around of roads, 544 municipal roads making up . There are also around of state highways running through Kumbakonam. Over 87% of the municipal roads are paved. There are regular government and private bus services to Chennai, Thanjavur, Mannargudi, Tiruchirapalli, Chidambaram, Thiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Coimbatore, Palani, Tiruppur, Thoothukudi, Rameswaram, Tirechendur, Salem, Edapaddi, Vellore, Kumuli, Cumbum, Karaikudi, Pudukkottai, Neyveli, Madurai, Sivagangai, Puducherry, and Tirunelveli. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and State Express Transport Corporation (Tamil Nadu)(SETC) operates daily services from Bengaluru and mysuru to Kumbakonam. On 1 March 1972, the Cholan Roadways Corporation was established by the Government of Tamil Nadu with its headquarters in Kumbakonam in order to improve transportation facilities in the districts of central Tamil Nadu. The organisation acquired the fleets of buses earlier owned by private operators – Sri Ramavilas Service, Raman and Raman Limited and Sathi Vilas. On 1 July 1997, the organization was renamed Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, Kumbakonam and presently forms division no. 1 of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation. The corporation runs a reconditioning unit and a tyre re-threading unit in Kumbakonam. Kumbakonam is connected by rail with most important towns and cities in South India. The Mysuru- Mayiladuthurai Express connects Kumbakonam with Mysuru and Bengaluru. There are regular express trains that connect Kumbakonam with major cities in the state like Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and Tiruchirapalli. There are passenger trains that connect Kumbakonam with Thanjavur, Tiruchirapalli, Chidambaram and Mayiladuthurai. The upgrading of NH-32 from two-lane to four-line is under progress, which upon completion will greatly reduce to time of travel to Thanjavur and Chennai.
The traditional modes of transportation are bullock carts. It is recorded that as late as the 1950s, landlords and rich farmers travelled mostly by bullock carts with the exception of rare long journeys which they undertook by buses or motor vehicles. Kumbakonam has an efficient local bus transportation system. The town bus stand is located situated just opposite to the moffusil Bus Station Kumbakonam|Arignar Anna Bus Stand where the long-distance buses are stationed. There are occasional ferries that transport people and goods across the Cauvery. Till the beginning of the 20th century, students of the Government Arts College used to cross the Cauvery on coracle ferries in order to attend college. Since the construction of a bridge in 1944, the practice of transporting men and goods by coracles has greatly diminished.
Electricity supply to Kumbakonam is regulated and distributed by the Kumbakonam circle of Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB). Power Substaions are existing viz. Kumabakonam Urban 33/11 kV SS at Rajan Thottam, Kumbakonam Township (Nagariyam) 110 kV at Needamangalm Road, 110 kV SS at Sakottai and Patteswaram 230/110 kV. Water supply is provided by the Kumbakonam municipality from Cauvery river and Coleroon river; the distribution is managed through head works located at Valayapettai and Kudithangi, supplying of water to the town. About of solid waste is collected from the town everyday; 53% domestic wastes and 32% commercial wastes. The collected wastes are dumped in yards outside the town and segregated to produce organic manure. Kumbakonam municipality has partial underground drainage connectivity and the municipality is implementing the underground drainage to the uncovered areas. The major sewerage system for disposal of sullage is through septic tanks and public conveniences. Roadside drains carry untreated sewage out of the town to let out raw into the sea or accumulate in a low-lying area.
Kumbakonam comes under the Cauvery River Delta Area (CRDA) of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), India's state-owned telecom and internet services provider. Apart from telecom, BSNL also provides broadband internet service. Kumbakonam is having the District Head Quarters hospital, Thanjavur District at Kumbakonam and Coronation municipal hospital, Melakaveri Urban Primary health centre, 34 private hospitals & clinics and numerous medical shops catering to the healthcare need of the town.
Education.
The Raja Veda Padasala, established by Govinda Dikshitar during 1542 in Kumbakonam, teaches Sanskrit vedic scriptures in specialised fields of Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, "Agamas" and "Sastras". Kumbakonam emerged as an important centre of education in the late 19th century and was known as the "Cambridge of South India". The Government Arts College, established in Kumbakonam in 1867, is one of the oldest educational institutions in the Madras Presidency. It began as a provincial school on 19 October 1854, before being upgraded to a government college in 1867. It was affiliated to the Madras University in 1877. One of the early principals of the college was William Archer Porter, a Cambridge Wrangler, who, along with T. Gopala Rao, was instrumental in its elevation to a government college. He is also credited with framing the college's acclaimed educational policy. In 1881, it became a full-fledged college and high school courses ceased to be taught. Notable faculty members included U. V. Swaminatha Iyer (1855–1942) while the Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887–1920) who studied from 1904 until 1906 when he dropped out and V. S. Srinivasa Sastri (1869–1946), an Indian politician and administrator, are its notable alumni. The Government Arts College for Women was started in 1963 and had a total strength of 2,597 pupils in February 2006. The college offers various undergraduate courses and one post-graduate course and is affiliated to the Bharathidasan University. Other colleges in Kumbakonam include Idhya Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Annai College of Arts and Sciences, Annai Engineering College, Mass College, Sankara Arts college, PRIST University Kumbakonam Campus, Government College Of Fine Arts and Arasu Engineering College, KSK Engineering college, As Slam Engineering college at nearby Thirumanglakudi. The Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology & Research Academy has a satellite campus based in Kumbakonam where all disciplines of Engineering, arts and sciences are taught.
The Native High School, founded in 1876, and the Town Higher Secondary School, one of whose students was Srinivasa Ramanujan, were some of the oldest schools in the Madras Presidency. At present, there a total of 36 government and private schools in Kumbakonam.


Cisalpina Private Natural Heritage Reserve

The Cisalpina Private Natural Heritage Reserve is a private natural heritage reserve in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
It contains an area of marshland at the head of the reservoir of the Eng Sérgio Motta Dam on the Paraná River.
Location.
The Cisalpina Private Natural Heritage Reserve (RPPN) is in the municipality of Brasilândia, Mato Grosso do Sul.
It is from Campo Grande, the state capital, and from Brasilândia.
It has an area of .
The reserve is in the region where the Rio Verde and Paraná River converge, and contains a complex system of interconnected lagoons, streams and channels connected to the channel of the Paraná, which has shifted its bed to the east over time.
There are traces of old channels of the Paraná dating back 10,000 to 40,000 years.
The terrain is gently undulating.
There are two important prehistoric archaeological sites.
History.
The Cisalpina Private Natural Heritage Reserve was created as partial compensation for the land flooded by the Companhia Energética de São Paulo (CESP) with the Eng Sérgio Motta Dam on the Paraná River, which would flood of the Lagoa São Paulo Reserve and of the Great Pontal Reserve.
The area once included the Fazenda Olímpia, which was acquired in the 1950s by the Grupo Cisalpina Agrícola S/A.
This in turn was acquired by CESP.
CESP also acquired the Fazenda Flórida.
These formed the Cisalpina/Flórida Complex.
The idea of converting the complex into a private natural heritage reserve was described by CESP in a document of 26 November 2003.
The proposed reserve had an area of .
This would be part of a larger managed area of .
The reserve proper was limited to the land above the waterline allowed for seasonal operation of the reservoir.
The Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) began the process of analyzing the request on 7 June 2004.
The municipal chamber of Brasilândia approved creation of the reserve on 16 November 2005.
The state of Mato Grosso do Sul formally created the reserve on 6 June 2016 with an area of , this being the sum of the areas of the Fazenda Flórida and Fazenda Olímpia properties.
Land ownership is fully regularized, and the reserve's boundaries are surrounded.
As of 2016 the management plan was being completed.
Environment.
The climate is hot and humid, with one to three dry months.
The reserve covers an extensive area of várzea that is periodically flooded in the rainy season.
The circulation in the area was drastically changed when the reservoir of the Eng Sérgio Motta Dam filled, changing the equilibrium of the system.
As of 2012 the vegetation was still adapting to the new conditions of moisture.
The region had been slowly becoming drier, but is now returning to moister conditions.
The mix of cerrado species is probably changing due to the rise in the level of the groundwater.
The vegetation has a wide variety of species caused by climate and geomorphological changes during the Quaternary, the reserve's diverse environments and previous human occupation.
There are at least 95 plant species, 171 bird species, 25 species of terrestrial fauna, 44 species of fish.
Cactus plants are found some areas, probably remnants of an earlier climate.
Use for farming and ranching introduced exotic species of grass.
In the drier parts there are plants of the "cerrado" and "cerradão" forests.
These areas are being partially reforested in a program that is also releasing native animals. The vegetation is still in the process of regenerating.
Fauna include marsh deer ("Blastocerus dichotomus"), maned wolf ("Chrysocyon brachyurus"), broad-snouted caiman ("Caiman latirostris"), giant anteater ("Myrmecophaga tridactyla") and southern tamandua ("Tamandua tetradactyla").
Sanitation in the municipality is poor.
The soil and groundwater are contaminated and untreated sewage flows via the Aviação and Bom Jardim channels into the reservoir.
Environmental crimes by local residents indicate a lack of awareness of the importance of the reserve.
The reserve would be part of the proposed Trinational Biodiversity Corridor, which aims to provide forest connections between conservation units in Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina in the Upper Paraná ecoregion.


Bethel Beach Natural Area Preserve

Bethel Beach Natural Area Preserve is a Natural Area Preserve located in Mathews County, Virginia, near the Chesapeake Bay. It contains beach, low dune, and salt marsh habitats, and provides a haven for rare marsh and colonial nesting birds, The preserve also protects habitat for two globally rare species, the northeastern beach tiger beetle and sea-beach knotweed.
The preserve is owned and maintained by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, and is open to the public; however the preserve is largely undeveloped with the exception of a gravel parking area for visitors.


Cheylesmore Memorial

The Cheylesmore Memorial is a Grade II listed outdoor stone memorial dedicated to British Army officer Herbert Eaton, 3rd Baron Cheylesmore, located in the Victoria Embankment Gardens in Westminster, London, England. The memorial was designed by Edwin Lutyens and unveiled in 1930.
At the dedication ceremony on 17 July 1930, the memorial was unveiled by Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, the third son of Queen Victoria. Those attending included John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe and Paul Methuen, 3rd Baron Methuen.
The memorial is made of Portland stone and has seats backing on to a decorative screen facing a small pond. An inscription at the centre of the screen reads:


Jheel Park

The Jheel Park or Society Jheel Park (), is situated near Tariq Road in P.E.C.H Society, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
The park is constructed on of land. There is a natural pond of water in the park where in the olden days people used to come to hunt migratory birds. The park has 2 main entrances, one on Hamid Hussain Farooqi road and the other on Allama Iqbal road.


Central Suriname Nature Reserve

The Central Suriname Nature Reserve () is a conservation unit in Suriname.
It preserves an area of tropical rainforest. The reserve is a pristine condition.
History.
The Central Suriname Nature Reserve was created in 1998 by Conservation International and the government of Suriname from the fusion of three existing nature reserves: Ralleighvallen, Tafelberg and Eilerts de Haan gebergte. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 for its pristine tropical rainforest ecosystem.
The forest received material support from Microsoft co-founder Jeff Harbers.
Environment.
The reserve is in the Guianan moist forests ecoregion.
It contains of both montane and lowland primary tropical forest including sections of the Guyana Highlands.
It is known for its rapids and bird species, including the Guiana Cock of the Rock ("Rupicola rupicola"). Over 5,000 different plants have been identified, and large mammals like the jaguar, giant armadillo, and eight species of primates. A research station is located at the foot of Voltzberg and the area is tourist attraction.
Some of the most outstanding features in Central Suriname Nature Reserve are several granite domes - uplifted monoliths of granite rising high above the surrounding rainforest. Barren surface of dark-colored granite is exposed to impact of Sun thus creating unique xerophytic biotope which includes also endemic plant species. The best known granite dome is the 245 m high Voltzberg.
Other attractions include the Julianatop (1230 m), the highest mountain in Suriname, the Tafelberg (Table Mountain, 1026 meters), the Hendriktop (908 m), the Van Stockumberg (360 m), and Duivelsei ("Devil's Egg"), a rock seemingly balanced on the edge of a mountain.
Eilerts de Haan Nature Park is named for Johannes Gijsbert Willem Jacobus Eilerts de Haan, an explorer who died in Suriname's interior.


Central Siberia Nature Reserve

Central Siberia Nature Reserve () (also Tsentralnosibirsky) is a Russian 'zapovednik' (strict nature reserve). With over 1 million hectares of protected area, it is one of the largest forest reserves in the world. The reserve is located in the middle Yenisei, lower Bakhta and lower Stony Tunguska river valleys, of the Central Siberian Plateau. Notably, the territory covers both banks of the Yenisei for over 60 km. The reserve is situated in the Turukhansky District of Krasnoyarsk Krai.
Topography.
The Central Siberia Reserve has a terrain that is mostly taiga (about 80% of the territory) and Yenisei floodplain meadows and wetlands (20%). It is located towards the northern edge of the taiga belt, and on the low hills of the west of the plateau. The reserve is covers both sides of the Yenisei, and runs parallel to the Stony Tunguska river to the south.
Climate and Ecoregion.
Central Siberia is located in the "East Siberian taiga" ecoregion, a vast region between the Yenisei River and Lena River. Its northern border reaches the Arctic Circle, and its southern border reaches 52°N latitude. The dominant vegetation is light coniferous taiga with Larix gmelini forming the canopy in areas with low snow cover. This ecoregion is rich in minerals.
The climate of the Central Siberia Reserve is "Subarctic climate, without dry season" (Köppen climate classification Subartic climate (Dfc)). This climate is characterized by mild summers (only 1-3 months above ) and cold, snowy winters (coldest month below ).
Flora and fauna.
The plant life of the reserve has aspects of both boreal and arctic floral communities, and are representative of the low hills of the Central Siberian Plateau dominated by taiga forests. Typical trees are the Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica). At the latitude of the Central Siberian Reserve (60 degrees North), the Siberian pine grows at 100–200 meters in altitude; farther south into Mongolia it is a mountain tree growing at 1,000-2,000 meters. There are stands of larch and other pine in the reserve. There are also lesser numbers of Siberian spruce (Picea obovata), mixed in stands with fir and cedar. Common understory bushes are blueberries, cranberries, and rhododendrum, with oxtails and sedges. The river valleys support extensive wetland meadows with reed-grass and forb plant communities and aquatic plants of the shallow oxbow lakes. Scientists on the reserve have recorded over 500 species of vascular plants.
The reserve is known for large concentrations of elk along the Yenisei during winter. Overall, the terrestrial animal life of the reserve is that of the north central boreal forest: sable, reindeer, etc. The Yenisei is a flyway for migratory birds, and the reserve supports bird-watching excursions.
Ecoeducation and access.
As a strict nature reserve, the Central Siberia Reserve is mostly closed to the general public, although scientists and those with 'environmental education' purposes can make arrangements with park management for visits. There are four 'ecotourist' routes in the reserve, however, that are open to the public, but require permits to be obtained in advance. Two of these routes are rafting trips on streams of the reserve, one is to river-side rock formations, and one is for birdwatchers. The main office is in the village of Bor ("Forest"), just to the south on the Yenisei.


Lough Yganavan and Lough Nambrackdarrig

Lough Yganavan and Lough Nambrackdarrig (Irish: "Loch Gaineamháin agus Loch na mBreac Dearg") are two lakes of ecological importance in County Kerry, Ireland. In 1988, Lough Nambrackdarrig and the southern half of Lough Yganavan were designated as National Nature Reserves (areas in ha: 3.9 & 25.3). Since 1998, the lakes have been included in a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) of , which protects land in private ownership and the two state-owned nature reserves. The habitats in the SAC include fixed dunes, a type of machair.
Fauna.
The SAC is one of a small number of areas in which the rare Kerry Slug and Natterjack Toad are found.


Cunyarie Conservation Reserve


Bridal Cave

Bridal Cave is a cave located near Camdenton, Missouri, in Lake of the Ozarks.
Bridal Cave takes its name from the Osage Native American legend of Conwee, the son of an Osage chief who desired to marry the daughter of the chief of the opposing tribe. He is said to have kidnapped her for this reason. She committed suicide, and later her companion was wed to Conwee's brother Prince Buffalo in Bridal Chapel.
Historically, the first couple to be married were married in June 1949, just one year after the cave was opened to the public. Over 3000 weddings have taken place in this cave.


U.S. Route 264

U.S. Route 264 (US 264) is an east–west United States highway that runs for from Raleigh to Manns Harbor, completely in the state of North Carolina.
Route description.
U.S. Route 264 begins at the Raleigh Beltline (which carries US 64 and Interstate 440 or I-440) and travels to the east from a directional T interchange, concurrently with both I-87 and US 64 along with it on a freeway alignment. It meets the eastern terminus of I-540, which features several unused stub ramps. The I-87 concurrency ends at the Rolesville Road interchange in Wendell. The route curves to the northeast, paralleling North Carolina Highway 97 (NC 97), until it passes by Zebulon. At the north side of town, US 64 continues to the northeast, while the US 264 freeway continues east through a long wooded stretch. It curves to the south just before it meets I-95/I-795, just west of Wilson.
As the freeway loops south of Wilson, the short concurrency of I-795 splits-off towards Goldsboro as US 264 continues east to Greenville. In Greenville, the freeway downgrades to expressway grade at the US 13/NC 11/NC 903 interchange. After completing the loop north around Greenville, it continues east, on Pactolus Highway, through a largely undeveloped area and passes through Washington and US 17.
The route continues east on a two-lane road, cutting through mostly farmland. It begins to curve to the northeast after meeting NC 99, entering Pantego on Main Street. Within the town, it curves to the east again and then south toward Belhaven, where it bypasses north of town while US 264 Business goes through it. After Belhaven, US 264 continues eastward once again entering Hyde county, passing south of Lake Mattamuskeet through an area dominated by farmland and through the community of Engelhard. Turning north, US 264 goes through the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge before finally reaching Manns Harbor, where US 264 ends at intersection with US 64.
Scenic byways.
Pamlico Scenic Byway is an byway from Washington to Manns Harbor. US 264 overlap several sections of the byway. The byway is noted for its history, scenic views, and the three national wildlife refuges that the route goes through. Other roads and highways that make-up the byway are: NC 32, NC 45, NC 92, and NC 94.
History.
Established in 1932, US 264 started from US 64/NC 90, in Zebulon, to the community of Engelhard, in Hyde County. The route was overlapped entirely with NC 91 and was paved west of Swan Quarter. In 1934, NC 91 was removed along the route; in 1935, US 264 was paved from Swan Quarter to Engelhard.
Sometime between 1948-'50, US 264 was moved south around Wilson, on Ward Boulevard; the old route became US 264 Alternate, which later became US 264 Business in 1960 till 1980-'84.
Sometime between 1951-'52, US 264 was extended east from Engelhard to Manns Harbor, where it connected back with US 64. It continued east, overlapped with US 64, ending at Whalebone Junction with US 158 and NC 12.
Sometime between 1953-'54, US 264 was bypassed Farmville and Greenville; the old routes became US 264 Alternate, eventually both were decommissioned by 1990. By 1958, US 264 was moved north around Swan Quarter, replaced by NC 45 and NC 94. In 1962-'63, US 264 was bypassed north around Belhaven, old route through town becoming US 264 Business.
Between 1972-'78, US 264 was moved onto a Super-2 routing north of Sims, Bailey, and Middlesex. Much of the old route become US 264 Business, which is today part of US 264 Alternate. In 1979, the Super-2 was upgraded to freeway standards.
Between 1987-'90, US 264 was moved onto new freeway south of Wilson; the old route along Ward Boulevard became part of the current US 264 Alternate route. Also during this time, US 264 was upgraded to freeway standards east of Farmville to Greenville. Between 1991-'93, US 264 was moved north onto new freeway, bypassing Farmville.
Sometime between 1994 and 1999, US 264 was extended west from Zebulon, to the junction with I-440 in Raleigh. This would later change on July 8, 2005, when the Knightdale Bypass was completed.
In August 2002, US 264 was truncated east at Manns Harbor.
In 2004, US 264 was rerouted, between I-95 and NC 121, onto new freeway, south of Wilson. In 2007, part of this route was overlapped with I-795.
In 2016, construction began on a bypass between U.S. 264 in Greenville, where it connects with the city's Stantonsburg Road, to North Carolina Highway 11 as it passes through Ayden.
Future Interstate 587.
In January 2013, the mayors of Greenville, Kinston, and Ayden announced that they would push to change the designation of US 264 between Wilson and Greenville to an interstate.
On September 7, 2016, Gov. Pat McCrory said he would ask for the section of US 264 between Zebulon and Greenville to be designated an interstate highway. Justification for interstate was that Greenville was the tenth largest city in the state and had no interstate connecting it. On November 14, AASHTO approved the Future I-587 designation; followed by FHWA approval on November 21. In April 2017, NCDOT began posting Future I-587 signs along the length of the route.
Special routes.
Middlesex-Greenville alternate route.
Established around 1984, US 264 Alternate was a renumbering of the Middlesex business loop, which followed the original alignment of US 264 from Middlesex to Wilson. In 2004, it was extended east to Greenville, absorbing US 264 alternate between Farmville and Greenville.
Middlesex business loop.
Established by 1978, it was a renumbering of mainline US 264, which was moved onto new routing north of Bailey, Middlesex, and Sims. Originally, US 264 business ran from NC 581 to near Interstate 95; it was extended west to NC 39 in 1979. In 1984, the entire route was redesignated to US 264 Alternate.
Wilson alternate route.
Established around 1950, it was a renumbering of mainline US 264 through downtown Wilson, via Raleigh Road and Nash Street. It was renumbered in 1960 to US 264 Business.
Wilson business loop.
Established in 1960 as renumbering of US 264 Alternate, it remained unchanged till 1984, when it was decommissioned.
Farmville alternate route.
Established around 1954 as a renumbering of mainline US 264, it traversed through downtown Farmville, via Wilson Street and Moye-Turnage Road. It was decommissioned by 1990 when US 264 bypassed north of Farmville and its former alignment south of Farmville became its alternate route. NC 121 replaced the eastern half of the former route from US 264 Alt to Main Street.
Wilson–Greenville alternate route.
Established around 1990 as a renumbering of mainline US 264; which traversed from Farmville to Greenville. In 2002, it was extended west of Farmville to Wilson, replacing part of NC 121 and NC 91. In 2004, it was absorbed by the Middlesex-Greenville alternate route.
Greenville alternate route.
Established by 1954 as a renumbering of mainline US 264, it traversed through downtown Greenville via Dickenson Avenue and East 10th Street. In 1960, it was renumbered as US 264 Business.
The route of the Greenville and Raleigh Plank Road, which was established in 1853, became part of the route of US 264 between Greenville and Wilson, North Carolina. Although no longer maintained after the company went bankrupt in 1861, the route was still used as an unpaved track and Right of way by horse and motor traffic. State senator James Leonidas Fleming, who established East Carolina University in Greenville, was killed in an early automobile accident along the plank road in 1909.
Greenville business loop.
Established in 1960 as a renumbering of US 264 Alternate, it remained unchanged till 1990, when it was decommissioned.
Belhaven alternate route.
U.S. Route 64 Alternate (US 64A) was established around 1954-1957 as a renumbering of mainline US 264, it traversed through downtown Belhaven, via Main Street and Pamlico Street. In 1960, it was renumbered as US 264 Business.
Belhaven business loop.
U.S. Route 64 Business (US 64 Bus) was established in 1960, the route follows the original US 264 alignment through downtown Belhaven, via Main Street and Pamlico Street.
Manns Harbor–Manteo Bypass.
U.S. Route 264 Bypass (US 264 By-pass) was established in 1999 as a new primary routing bypassing Manns Harbor and Manteo, while also providing direct access between Nags Head and the mainland. Its main feature is the Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge, which is a divided four-lane bridge crossing over the Croatan Sound. Sharing a complete concurrency with US 64 Bypass throughout its existence, it was removed in 2003 when US 264's eastern terminus was relocated further west.


The Mall in Columbia

The Mall in Columbia, also known as the Columbia Mall, is the central shopping mall for the planned community of Columbia, Maryland, United States. It has over 200 specialty stores and the anchor stores are AMC Theatres, Main Event Entertainment, Barnes & Noble, JCPenney, Macy's, and Nordstrom. There are two vacant anchor stores that were once Sears and Lord & Taylor, which closed in 2018 and 2020, respectively. Restaurants include PF Chang's, Maggiano's Little Italy and The Cheesecake Factory. It is located in the Town Center area of the city and attracts shoppers from surrounding counties in Maryland.
History.
Architect Frank Gehry designed The Rouse Company Columbia exhibit building, and was initially selected to design the neighboring mall centerpiece. Gehry was later rejected by Rouse for lack of experience, and the firm of Cope, Linder, & Walmsley was contracted for the project.
The Mall opened in 1971 with two major anchor stores: Hochschild Kohn's (which was replaced by Hecht's in the mid-1970s) and Woodward & Lothrop (a.k.a. Woodies, which closed in late 1995 and was replaced by JCPenney in July 1996), as well as a McCrory's and Lerner's, which were minor anchors. Howard Research and Development was probed shortly after opening for purchasing bulk energy contracts on electricity while charging market rates to tenants.
Of the original 102 stores, those still in operation at the mall as of January 2020 include: Edward Arthur Jeweler and GNC.
The Mall has undergone several major expansions since its opening, with the Sears wing opening in 1981, along with an expansion of approximately and about 55 specialty stores.
In 1997, the Hecht's store (now Macy's) added a third level. The Lord & Taylor wing opened in November 1998 (along with two new parking garages); the Nordstrom wing opened in September 1999. Also at this time, 20 to 30 stores opened in a new wing near Hecht's. The interior was renovated by replacing the floors, lighting, skylights and air conditioning units by the end of 1998.
A Cheesecake Factory restaurant opened on The Mall property near the movie theaters in late 2005. The Mall's Hecht's store became Macy's on September 9, 2006.
The Mall was sold to General Growth Properties by The Rouse Company in 2004.
A December 2007 decision by local General Growth Properties managers to abandon The Mall's traditional "Poinsettia Tree" Christmas display sparked a grassroots movement by several hundred Columbia residents for the return of the display which had come to be viewed as a local tradition. The story was picked up by "The Washington Post", and the publicity led mall managers to reverse their decision and return the popular display in 2008. Part of what makes the "tree" unique is its watering system and plant specifications. In 2017, the large water fountain within which the "tree" had been installed each year, was replaced with at-grade flooring.
In early 2013, construction began on an addition to the outdoor "Plaza at The Mall in Columbia" to replace the L.L. Bean store (which closed in May 2013) with additional stores and restaurants. The first phase of the outdoor expansion opened in November 2013. On April 28, 2015, Howard County Police announced an increased presence at village centers and malls following protests and riots the day before that affected General Growth's Mondawmin Mall in Baltimore.
In May 2018, a Main Event Entertainment facility opened on the south side of the mall, featuring 22 bowling lanes and over a hundred virtual reality video games.
On October 15, 2018, it was announced the Sears store would be closing as part of a plan to close 142 stores nationwide as a result of the retailer's filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
In August 2020, it was announced that Lord & Taylor would also be closing as part of a plan to close all 38 locations nationwide. The store closed on December 29, 2020, leaving JCPenney, Macy's, Main Entertainment, and Nordstrom as the remaining anchors. Akira Ramen, Lidl, Pizza Hut and Under Armour will open.
Incidents.
2014 shooting.
On January 25, 2014, at around 11:15 a.m., 19-year-old Darion Marcus Aguilar entered the Zumiez store on the second floor of the mall, armed with a Mossberg 500 12-gauge shotgun with a pistol grip, and fired six to nine shots, killing two employees—21-year-old Brianna Benlolo and 25-year-old Tyler Johnson and shot another person before committing suicide. Four others were injured unrelated to the shooting. Police arrived within two minutes to find an extensive amount of ammunition and crude explosive devices next to Aguilar's body, which were disabled safely. All of the injured were treated and later discharged from the Howard County General Hospital.
2015 shooting.
Former Jessup correctional officer Hong Young was arrested on March 2, 2015, on suspicion of shooting at the Columbia AMC theater building and gunfire incidents at the National Security Agency, Arundel Mills Costco, Inter-county Connector and Laurel Walmart.


Binsuluk Forest Reserve

Binsuluk Forest Reserve is a protected forest reserve on the Klias Peninsula, in Beaufort District of Interior Division, Sabah, Malaysia. It was designated as a Class 1 Protection Forest by the Sabah Forestry Department in 1992. Its area is . The reserve is mostly flat, consisting mostly of peat swamp forest, with a small area of mangroves. The peat forests within this reserve, along with those in the nearby Klias Forest Reserve, are the last peat forests in Sabah.
Being mostly peat forest, the reserve faces high fire risks. Large fires occurred in 1997–98, burning most of the park. In 2016 large fires in peat bogs, which were caused by fires spread to Binsuluk and other forest reserves from nearby open burning, contributed to the 2016 Malaysian haze. Over half of the reserve were burnt during this event. Open burning caused yet another forest fire in 2020, this time burning .
Flora.
Binsuluk and Klias Forest Reserves have a combined species richness of at least identified 134 tree species. Four species of "Nepenthes" pitcher plants have been recorded. Some tree species are "Dryobalanops rappa", "Shorea platycarpa", "Dactylocladus stenostachys" and "Gonystylus bancanus". However the status of these species is uncertain given the fires and logging activities. An IUCN assessment in 2019 did not include Binsuluk as part of the species habitat for "Dryobalanops rappa".
Fauna.
Binsuluk Forest Reserve is home to mammals including wild boar, sambar deer and macaque monkeys. There are five amphibians found between the two forest reserves, "Hoplobathracus rogulosa", "Rana erythraea", "Rana glandulosa", "Polypedates coletti", and "Polypedates leucomystax". Saltwater crocodiles are present on the peninsula. 66 butterfly species have been discovered within the peat forests.


Garvellachs

The Garvellachs (Scottish Gaelic: Garbh Eileaich) or Isles of the Sea form a small archipelago in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Part of the Argyll and Bute council area, they lie west of Lunga and northwest of Scarba and have been uninhabited since World War II.
The islands include Garbh Eileach, Dùn Chonnuill and Eileach an Naoimh.
Overview.
The waters surrounding the islands are extensively used for leisure sailing. A good knowledge of the area is required, with weather conditions likely to change very quickly. Due to the array of separate tidal races produced by the underwater topography there are some treacherous stretches of water. These include the Grey Dogs between Scarba and Lunga and the Gulf of Corryvreckan, between Scarba and Jura in which is located the infamous Corryvreckan whirlpool, which is the third largest whirlpool in the world.
The area is part of the Scarba, Lunga and the Garvellachs National Scenic Area, one of 40 such areas in Scotlands, which are defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure its protection by restricting certain forms of development. The Scottish plant collector, Clara Winsome Muirhead surveyed the plant life of the islands and published "The Flora of Easdale and the Garvellachs" in 1962.


Agate House Pueblo

Agate House is a partially reconstructed Puebloan building in Petrified Forest National Park, built almost entirely of petrified wood. The eight-room pueblo has been dated to approximately the year 900 and occupied through 1200, of the Pueblo II and Pueblo III periods. The agatized wood was laid in a clay mortar, in lieu of the more usual sandstone-and-mortar masonry of the area.
The ruins of Agate House were reconstructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933-34 under the direction of C.B. Cosgrove Jr. of the New Mexico Laboratory of Anthropology. Room 7 was fully reconstructed with a new roof. Room 2's walls were rebuilt to a height of five feet, but not roofed, and the remaining walls were rebuilt to a height of two or three feet.


Union station (TTC)

Union is a subway station on Line 1 Yonge–University of the Toronto subway in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It opened in 1954 as one of twelve original stations on the first phase of the Yonge line, the first rapid transit line in Canada. It was the southern terminus of the line until the opening of the University line in 1963, and is today the inflection point of the U-shaped line. Along with Spadina station, it is one of two stations open overnight to support late-night streetcar routes.
Union station is located on Front Street between the Yonge Street and University Avenue sections of the line. It is named for and directly connects to the railway station and regional bus terminal of the same name, serving all GO Transit train lines and train-bus services as well as Via Rail intercity routes (including Amtrak's "Maple Leaf" service to New York City). It connects to the Union Pearson Express (UPX), a dedicated rail link to Toronto Pearson International Airport. It is the only subway station with a direct connection to Via services.
Based on Toronto's street grid, Union is the southernmost subway station and the closest to Lake Ontario; however, using standard compass directions, Kipling and Islington stations are further south. It serves approximately 100,000 people a day, ranking it as the fourth-busiest station in the system, after Bloor–Yonge, St. George, and Sheppard–Yonge, and the busiest served by only one line. Adjacent to the subway station is an underground terminal loop for the 509 Harbourfront streetcar.
In 2007, Union subway station became the first location on the TTC where Presto cards could be used, as part of a trial. Wi-Fi service has been available at this station since 2014.
Entrances.
North side entrances:
South side entrances:
History.
The station opened as the southern terminus of the original Yonge subway line on March 30, 1954.
On February 28, 1963, Union became a through station with the opening of the University section of the Yonge–University line.
On June 22, 1990, Union became the terminus of route 604 Harbourfront LRT, now part of the 509 Harbourfront and 510 Spadina streetcar routes. A new underground streetcar platform was built south of the subway tracks, connected to the station concourse by a 30-metre pedestrian tunnel and a flight of stairs.
Elevators were installed in 1996, making Union one of the first wheelchair-accessible subway stations in Toronto. An elevator was added to the streetcar platforms, even though streetcars were not accessible themselves. By the time accessible streetcars began serving the station in 2014, the elevator had been replaced as a part of the station expansion.
On August 18, 2014, a second subway platform was opened to serve Yonge line trains, leaving the existing platform to serve only University line trains.
Station expansion.
In 2003, planning began on a station expansion to address overcrowding in the station. Despite being one of the busiest stations in the system, the station had only one narrow island platform serving both the University and Yonge lines, and a small concourse area.
The plan was to build a new subway platform on the south side of the tracks to serve the Yonge portion of the line, leaving the existing island platform to serve only the University portion. This new platform would feature a step-free connection to the streetcar platform. The project also included an expansion of the concourse level, the replacement of all finishes and signage, installation of public art, as well as improved connections to the adjacent Union Station and the PATH network.
At a cost of $137million, construction began in February 2011, with the new second platform opening on August 18, 2014. The project was completed in 2015 with the completion of the station renovation.
In 2019, as part of the rebuilding and expansion of the adjacent Union Station, large glass canopies were installed in the "moat" that connects the subway station to the rest of the Union station complex. This weather-protected route connecting to the main concourses at Union Station ensures that commuters do not need to go outside when entering or leaving the TTC station.
Station decor.
When the station opened in 1954, the wall coverings were glossy yellow Vitrolite tiles with red lettering and trim, and the station name on the walls was in the TTC's unique Toronto Subway Font. During renovations in the 1980s, the yellow Vitrolite tiles were replaced with brown ceramic tiles and vinyl siding, and the station font was changed to Univers.
The 2011–2015 station expansion replaced these tiles and panels with white tiles and black trim, and the font used to render the station name was returned to its original Toronto Subway typeface.
As part of the second platform project, a glass wall was built to block off the southern side of the old platform, since it now only serves the University line. It features the art piece "Zones of Immersion" by Stuart Reid, a professor at the OCAD University The work comprises 166 large glass panels, each measuring more than one by two metres, extending along the length of the platform. Mostly transparent, it is visible from both the Yonge and University platforms. Each panel contains images or words, many based on sketches that Reid drew while riding the subway. Public reaction towards the art piece has been mixed, with some users of the station finding it "tragic" or "dark and depressing".
Subway infrastructure in the vicinity.
The station lies on an east–west axis along Front Street. It is one of three stations on Line 1 with an east–west orientation, the others being and . Leaving the station eastbound, the Yonge leg of the line runs briefly under Front Street and turns 90 degrees north to run under Yonge Street; leaving westbound, the University leg also runs under Front Street, and shortly after turns 90 degrees north to run under University Avenue.
This station is one of only three that have a slightly curved platform (the other two being and stations). The station is also noted as being one of only three where a signal is publicly accessible (the others being and stations). The signal is located on the east (trailing) end of the University line platform. It is an interlocking signal that protects the crossover to the northbound Yonge Line and is only occasionally used to reverse Yonge Line trains at Union.
Streetcar loop.
Union Station Loop was opened for streetcar service in 1990. It is located at the north end of a tunnel under Bay Street from the underground Queens Quay station at the street named Queens Quay. The tunnel is over 500 metres long. Union Station Loop is currently inadequate for the volume of customers it currently handles because of its single track and its curved, narrow platform. The present loop will not be able to handle the peak demand of 3700 people per hour projected for 2041.
A 2010 Environmental Assessment (EA) for the East Bayfront LRT (a proposed streetcar line) approved rebuilding the existing streetcar loop plus the construction of a connection from the streetcar tunnel to the East Bayfront LRT on Queens Quay East. The EA design would rebuild the loop to have four platforms, each with a bypass track, so that a streetcar could bypass other streetcars loading or unloading. Design work was 30% complete, but the project was never funded. Expansion of the loop's capacity is needed in order to support an East Bayfront LRT.
, two options are being considered to increase capacity:
Nearby landmarks.
Nearby landmarks include the Union Station railway station, the Royal York Hotel, Scotiabank Arena, Rogers Centre, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the CN Tower, Royal Bank Plaza, Brookfield Place, the Hockey Hall of Fame, and the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts.
Surface connections.
A direct connection between the subway and streetcars within the fare-paid zone is provided for these routes:
Access to these routes is also available while the subway is not running, as the station is open overnight.
A transfer is required to connect between the subway or streetcars and these bus routes at curbside stops:


Bhagwanpur (Uttarakhand Assembly constituency)

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


Spring Creek Lodge

The Spring Creek Lodge is a historic former restaurant at 18389 Old Glenn Highway in the Chugiak area of Anchorage, Alaska. Vernon and Alma Haik built the Spring Creek Lodge in 1949. It served as an essential eatery and community center in southcentral Alaska from 1949 to 1974. The lodge was famous for its homemade bread and banana cream pies, and it was the place to go for a hearty Sunday dinner. For 25 years, the lodge served homesteaders, hunters from the Matanuska Valley, and military personnel from the Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson in Anchorage. The lodge stands at Mile 20 on the two-lane Palmer Highway (now called Old Glenn Highway) halfway between Palmer and Anchorage. It also served as the first community center for the early settlers of Chugiak. On September 9, 2001, the Spring Creek Lodge was inducted to the National Register of Historic Places "in recognition of its contributions to the cultural heritage of Alaska." The restaurant was a local landmark until its location was bypassed by the new Glenn Highway in 1969, after which it closed.
The Haiks.
Facing the hardships of the Great Depression, Vernon and Alma Haik set out to Alaska in search of new opportunities. The Haiks were among the many men and women who left economically depressed cities to homestead rural areas and create self-sustained communities. When the Haiks arrived in 1936, the valley they had hoped to homestead was closed off for the Matanuska Valley Project – an experimental farming community which was part of a New Deal resettlement program. Their plans were delayed until, ten years later, a post-World War II construction boom at Fort Richardson promised jobs and a stable infrastructure in Anchorage. The Haik family moved to Anchorage in 1946 and Vern Haik worked as a surveyor at Fort Richardson.
Community involvement.
As one of six families in the area between Palmer and Anchorage, the Haik family were very involved in their small community of homesteads and they headed up many initiatives. Alma and Vernon Haik were instrumental in founding the town of Chugiak, establishing telephone lines, petitioning for a local schoolhouse, and bringing electricity to the area. Vernon also served as the first mayor when Chugiak was established as a town.
Telephone lines.
After unsuccessfully petitioning the Matanuska Telephone Association to establish a telephone system in Chugiak, the Haiks and six Chugiak families were determined to do it themselves. They went to the army auction in Anchorage and bid on surplus telephone field wire and two types of hand-crank phones from the army: one phone could be carried on the shoulder into battlefields, the other phone was made of oak and could be mounted on the wall. In the dead of winter, the families used dogsleds to string wire "up and down the highway between homesteads and made up a system using long and short rings." Starting at the Spring Creek Lodge, they transported a telephone line to a captain's house in Birchwood – this provided Birchwood residents with a place to call in the event of fire, since the line also tied into the volunteer fire department at Moosehorn.
Chugiak's first school.
Because Anchorage and Palmer were quite a distance away, the Chugiak families needed a local school for their children. After petitioning the territorial government, they were promised a school teacher if they could find a schoolhouse. Their attempts to find a location were thwarted by the railroad depot and the U.S. commissioner in Juneau, who didn't believe the community had enough people to warrant a school precinct. At about the same time, Justine Parks was spearheading the campaign to establish a local voting precinct in Chugiak so the residents could cast votes locally. On October 12, 1948 – for what they hoped would be the last time – the Chugiak community trekked up to Anchorage to make their voices heard. They cast a total of 31 votes, much more than the commissioner expected, and Chugiak was granted a local voting precinct. Two years later, the territorial government recognized their burgeoning community and agreed to build their school. Vernon Haik had always been an active advocate for the cause, and he was appointed the first school agent for Chugiak Elementary. In preparation for the first wave of 66 students, Vern tracked down school materials and books at Fort Richardson. Chugiak's first school was ready in October 1951.
Chugiak's first mayor.
A driven man with an aptitude for organizing, Vern Haik was elected Chugiak's first mayor. He quickly planned a day of celebration for the hard-working community, and he announced that the coming Memorial Day weekend would be the Chugiak Spring Carnival. The entire town threw themselves into preparations for the festivities, as mayors from neighboring cities, the Governor, and people from all over Alaska were invited. During the opening day ceremonies, instead of presenting the Governor with a key to the city, Vern Haik presented him with an axe. He explained that it was a more appropriate symbol of the community, "who had hewn their homes from raw land." The three-day celebration was an enormous success; the crowds enjoyed motorcycle races, food booths, beauty contests, fortune tellers, and carnival games under sunshine and clear skies. The local paper called it "the miracle of Chugiak" and an editorial in the "Anchorage Times" declared, "There's a new town on the map of Alaska today ..."
Early years.
Electricity was still a luxury household utility in 1949. For the first year of business, the Haiks ran the Spring Creek Lodge off-the-grid, employing the natural landscape to provide refrigeration. The creek was frigid year-round with a high of 38°, so the hamburger and milk were stored in a 10-gallon crock pot submerged in the freezing creek. When a food order was received, one of the Haik sisters would sprint to the creek and fetch the amount needed for cooking. At night, the cabin was lit with Coleman gas lanterns and Aladdin lamps.
Menu.
Breakfast patrons looking for a quick pick-me-up might have chosen two doughnuts and a cup of coffee for 35 cents, according to an early menu that has been preserved in family scrapbooks. Hungrier customers would have dug deeper into their pockets for a full, cooked breakfast for $1.85.
A typical dinner at the lodge consisted of sirloin steak, baked ham or barbecued spare ribs, along with potatoes, candied yams, a side of vegetables, and tea or coffee. The Haiks included homemade bread in every dinner order — and of course, pie. Most dinners cost $2.85.
Patrons eating just dessert paid 35 cents for a piece of cake or a slice of pie, another nickel would buy you the house specialty. Although it sounds like steal by today's standards, the Lodge was not considered cheap eats at the time. It was a special occasion to eat out and many families made a ritual of going to the Lodge for Sunday lunch after church. Due to the remote location, many food items required a freight charge. As many ingredients as possible were locally sourced. The rich cream used in the banana cream pies came from the Matanuska Maid dairy co-op just down the road, but items like bananas had to be transported all the way from Seattle.
Customers.
Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson.
After World War II the military shifted its centers to address the new Soviet threat; subsequently, Alaska became one of the main theaters of operation for the Cold War. Because of its vicinity to the Soviet Union, the military mission in Alaska centered on maintaining a deterrence against Soviet aggression and providing a training environment for Arctic, cold region warfare. On June 8, 1940, construction began to establish Elmendorf Air Force Base as a permanent military airfield. Two months later, the first Air Corps personnel arrived. The field played a vital role as the main air logistics center and staging area; as the base expanded, it eventually merged with the nearby Fort Richardson. With the influx of military personnel, the Spring Creek Lodge quickly became the go-to destination. The lodge was famous for its cozy atmosphere with smells of homemade bread and meals served by the Haik sisters. Meetings were held over dinner and pie and it was not uncommon to see military drills being performed in the parking lot.
The Homestead Acts in Alaska.
The Homestead Act of 1862 was signed by Abraham Lincoln to prompt western expansion. The act offered up to 160 acres of free land in western states or territories to people who were willing to live on the land for 5 years, develop it for agriculture, and build a house on the land. If the requirements had been accomplished, after 5 years that person could receive full ownership of their 160-acre parcel. This opportunity would continue for over 123 years and prove instrumental in not only developing the western states but allowing millions of Americans to own their own private parcel of land.
As the more developed eastern states endured the growing pangs of industrialization, the government initiated new legislation to encourage citizens to move West and seek out new opportunities. Although the Alaskan land had been free since 1898, many prospective homesteaders were deterred by the difficult realities such as poor soil, weather, and transportation. By 1914, less than 200 applicants had been received in Alaska.
After WWII and the Vietnam War, applications increased as reunited young families sought out land ownership opportunities. On October 21, 1976, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 repealed the Homestead Act of 1862, but a provision permitted homesteading to continue in Alaska until 1986.
Construction.
The one-story building is made of peeled logs and has a T-shaped plan with a shallow cross-gable roof. The logs are milled on two sides to provide level surfaces for stacking them. The logs retain round ends that extend a foot past the corners. A butt joint is used to join the logs at the corners. The gable ends have split log vertical siding applied over milled wood framing. The building's main section measures 20 by 36 feet. The kitchen and storeroom section, added on the back of the building in 1950, measure 10 by 24 feet.


Centro Cicogne e Anatidi, Racconigi


Boulon Forest

Boulon Forest is a protected forest in Burkina Faso.
It is located in Comoé Province.
It is located at an altitude of 313 meters. Boulon Forest is situated south of Sadara.


Queen station

Queen is a subway station on Line 1 Yonge–University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located under Yonge Street north from Queen Street to Shuter Street. Wi-Fi service is available at this station.
History.
Queen Station opened in 1954 as part of the original stretch of the Yonge subway line from to stations. The original address given to the station, 171 Yonge Street, is still commonly used in Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) system maps, but this address is not used for any nearby buildings and points to the actual intersection. The address provided by the TTC website, 3 Queen Street East, is located across from the Maritime Life Tower, by the 1 Queen Street East subway entrance.
In 1997, this station became accessible with elevators.
On December 13, 2013, the Toronto Police were called in after gun shots were fired on board a subway train at the station. The Passenger Assistance Alarm was pressed, and the station was evacuated soon after. A man in his 20s was shot and was rushed to nearby St. Michael's Hospital in life-threatening condition, but stable on the day after. The station continued to be closed on December 14, 2013, with subway service from to stations being replaced by shuttle bus service.
Lower Queen.
Early subway expansion plans called for an east–west subway for streetcars under Queen Street, and a lower Queen station for these was roughed-in under the subway station. Priorities changed and the line was never built, but many people unknowingly pass through this lower station every day; the tunnels that go under the station so that riders can move between northbound and southbound platforms use portions of this intended station, with most of the excess infrastructure walled off.
What exists is a roughed-out second set of platforms built underneath a currently-operating station. It is located directly underneath the existing station. The station was designed as part of a planned but never-built streetcar subway that would have run east and west along Queen Street. A similar station was planned underneath the existing (also situated along Queen Street). Although underground pipes and conduits were specifically routed around this intended site, construction was never started.
The trackway was planned for streetcars rather than dedicated subway trains, similar to the much newer streetcar-only underground track originating at Union station used for the 510 Spadina and 509 Harbourfront routes. The Queen subway would have allowed streetcars from the 501 Queen, 504 King, 503 Kingston Road, and 505 Dundas to avoid centre-city traffic, and then surface to run on regular streets in outlying areas.
The plan to build a streetcar subway under Queen Street was delayed and then cancelled in favour of an east–west line further north, which became Line 2 Bloor–Danforth. As a result, the Lower Queen Station was never put into service. Unlike the abandoned platform at Lower Bay, this station is not used in any way save as an occasional storage facility and film set, and the aforementioned passageway.
Plans for the future Ontario Line subway would see the activation of Lower Queen, providing platforms for the new east–west line that would run from Exhibition to Science Centre.
Station description.
The station lies under Yonge Street north of Queen Street to Shuter Street. The station has seven entrances from street level, which includes accessible entrances from inside the Eaton Centre and the Maritime Life Tower. Other entrances include a sidewalk staircase entrance from Shuter Street, and other entrances from 1 Queen Street East, 8 Queen Street West, by The Bay, and from the north entrance outside the Eaton Centre.
Below street level are the concourses, with one above and across the north end of the platforms and at the south there is one on each side at track level with an underpass to connect them.
The only tenant in the station is Gateway Newstands, and there is one located on both platforms inside the fare-paid area.
Architecture and art.
The station contains painted murals by John Boyle at the platform level entitled "Our Nell", featuring depictions of Nellie McClung, William Lyon Mackenzie, as well as the former Simpson's and Eaton's department stores.
Nearby landmarks.
Nearby landmarks include the Hudson's Bay Company's Queen Street store, the south end of the Eaton Centre, the Old City Hall courts, Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto City Hall, the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres, and Massey Hall.
Surface connections.
A transfer is required to connect between the subway system and these surface routes:
TTC routes serving the station include:
Future.
Metrolinx plans to construct the Ontario Line – a rapid transit line connecting the south loop of Line 1 Yonge–University to the east wing of Line 2 Bloor–Danforth and north to Science Centre station, where the line will interchange with Line 5 Eglinton. The preferred route of the line is from Science Centre to Exhibition. Queen station is a planned station on this new line and will make use of the roughed-in section of Lower Queen station.


Speedwell Cavern

Speedwell Cavern is one of the four show caves in Castleton, Derbyshire, England.
The cave system consists of a horizontal lead miners' adit (a level passageway driven horizontally into the hillside) 200m below ground leading to the cavern itself, a limestone cave. The narrow adit is permanently flooded, so after descending a long staircase, access to the cave is made by boat. At the end of the adit, the cavern opens up with fluorspar veins, stalactites and stalagmites, and the so-called "Bottomless Pit". This chamber has an underground lake with a high waterfall and an extremely deep vertical shaft, now choked to within of the surface by rock spoil dumped by miners. The original depth of the shaft has been estimated, from the amount of spoil placed in the shaft over the years, at around .
The mine was developed in the 1770s but the limited lead ore deposits meant that it was not profitable and it was closed down by 1790.
At the foot of Winnats Pass, it is a popular tourist attraction with an underground boat trip to the cavern. Originally the guide propelled the boat by pushing against the walls with his hands, later the boat was legged through, and now it is powered by an electric motor.
A connection was discovered in 2006 between the Speedwell Cavern system and Titan, the largest natural shaft in the UK, which is high.


Castle Rocks State Park

Castle Rocks State Park is a public recreation area encompassing in Cassia County, Idaho, United States. The state park is located in Big Cove at the base of Cache Peak in the Albion Mountains. It is next to the Albion Division of Sawtooth National Forest and about from the border of City of Rocks National Reserve.
History.
In 2000, the Castle Rock Ranch Acquisition Act was passed, and money from the Conservation and Access funds were used to purchase the private ranch at Castle Rocks. Following the purchase by the National Park Service, the lands were transferred to the state of Idaho:
The park was expanded by in 2007.
Wildlife.
This state park is home to birds and mammals which are moose, cougar, coyote, mule deer, sage grouse, pinyon jay and Virginia's warbler.


Virginia State Route 22

State Route 22 (SR 22) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 250 in Shadwell east to US 522 and SR 208 in Mineral. SR 22 is one of two primary east–west highways in Louisa County, connecting the county seat of Louisa with Charlottesville and Mineral. The state highway runs concurrently with US 33 through Louisa and with SR 208 between Louisa and Mineral.
Route description.
SR 22 begins at a tangent intersection with US 250 (Richmond Road) in the community of Shadwell in eastern Albemarle County. The state highway heads northeast as Louisa Road, a two-lane road that parallels CSX's Piedmont Subdivision and passes under Interstate 64. The state highway and railroad diverge in the hamlet of Keswick. SR 22 meets the southern end of SR 231 (Gordonsville Road) in Cismont and crosses over the Piedmont Subdivision rail line in Cobham before entering Louisa County. The state highway intersects US 15 in the hamlet of Boswells Tavern, also known as Waldrop, and crosses the upper reaches of the South Anna River.
SR 22 begins to run concurrently with US 33 (Spotswood Trail) at Trevilians, where the state highway begins to parallel the railroad again. The two highways enter the town of Louisa as Main Street. At the east end of the downtown area, SR 22 and US 33 intersect SR 208 (Courthouse Road), which joins the two other highways east a short distance to where US 33 diverges as Jefferson Highway. SR 22 and SR 208 continue east parallel to the railroad along Davis Highway, which passes to the north of Louisa County Airport. East of Louisa County High School, the two highways turn south into the town of Mineral, where the two highways follow Piedmont Avenue. SR 22 reaches its eastern terminus at the highways' intersection with US 522. US 522 heads south as Mineral Avenue through downtown Mineral. The northbound direction of the U.S. Highway and SR 208 turn east onto 1st Street, cross the railroad tracks at grade, then turn north on Louisa Avenue to exit the town.


Varanasi North (Assembly constituency)

Varanasi North is a constituency of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly covering the city of Varanasi North in the Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh, India.
Varanasi North is one of five assembly constituencies in the Varanasi (Lok Sabha constituency). Since 2008, this assembly constituency is numbered 388 amongst 403 constituencies.
As of now, this seat belongs to Bharatiya Janta Party candidate "Ravindra Jaiswal" who won in 2017 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Elections by defeating Indian National Congress candidate "Abdul Samad Ansari" by a margin of 45,502 votes.


Private natural heritage reserve (Brazil)

A private natural heritage reserve ( – RPPN) is a type of preservation area in Brazil.
The land is owned privately and may be used for research, education, eco-tourism and recreation.
However, this use must be compatible with the goals of preserving the environment and maintaining biodiversity.
Although the private reserves have been criticized, they are a valuable complement to publicly owned reserves.
History.
The concept of a private natural heritage reserve (RPPN) has its origin in the "Protective forest" defined in the Forest Code of 1934, an inalienable tax-exempt area that remained the property of its owner. The term was dropped from the Forest Code of 1965, and the tax exemptions dropped the next year.
However, the Hunting Code of 1967 gave property owners the ability to prevent hunting on their property.
In 1977 the legal entity of a "Private Refuge for Native Animals" was introduced, in which hunting would be banned.
This was replaced ten years later by "Private Fauna and Flora Reserve" to cover protection of flora and marine fauna in addition to wild animals.
In 1990 the new name "Private Natural Heritage Reserve" was adopted with new rules, including the possibility of recognition of RPPN's by state environmental agencies, a more democratic and perhaps less bureaucratic process.
Finally, the concept of the RPPN was spelled out in Law No. 9.985 of 18 July 2000, which established the National System of Conservation Units (SNUC).
As of January 2009 it was estimated that there were between 856 and 930 RPPN's in Brazil covering about , including units recognized at the federal, state and municipal levels.
As of September 2009 there were 532 federally-recognized RPPN's covering .
Various regional associations provide technical support to RPPN owners.
Definition.
A private natural heritage reserve is a sustainable use conservation unit under SNUC.
Such units allow sustained use of renewable environmental resources, maintaining biodiversity and other ecological attributes.
The reserves are established in private areas in perpetuity to preserve biodiversity.
The owner is given incentives such as tax exemption.
The SNUC specifies that sustainable use of the renewable environmental resources must be compatible with the essential ecological processes, maintaining biodiversity and ecological attributes.
Sustainable use in this case includes scientific research and public visits for tourism, recreation and education.
Value.
RPPN's have been criticized for failing to conform to an overall plan for conservation at a national or regional level, for being dependent on the will of the owners, for being too small to have any effect in such a huge country and for lack of monitoring of RPPN management or effectiveness.
On the other hand, RPPN's may have value due to their independence of political forces and their creation of additional protected areas on private land that may provide landscape connectivity, wildlife corridors and buffer zones around the other protected areas.
Private and public agencies can help protect, manage and monitor an RPPN.
And an RPPN, which is created without expropriations and gives value to the owner, may create less conflict than publicly owned units and more community involvement and awareness of the value of environmental conservation, restoration and research.


Cocklebiddy, Western Australia

Cocklebiddy is a small roadhouse community located on the Eyre Highway in Western Australia. It is the third stop after Norseman on the journey east across the Nullarbor Plain. The area is noted for its caves and lakes.
It is the nearest locality to the south coast feature of Twilight Cove, which is 26 km to the south. Cocklebiddy follows the time zone used by Eucla of .
History.
Cocklebiddy started as an Aboriginal mission station, of which only the stone foundations remain today. The area was thought to be a potential water source and, during World War II, Army engineers attempted to tap fresh water from the lakes, but it was found that a thin skin of fresh water overlay a vast volume of saline water.
The Eyre Telegraph Station, located south of the settlement, operated from 1897 until 1929. Unlike most others, it remained in a relatively well-preserved state due to its isolation and protection from the Southern Ocean, and in 1976, when the State Government created the Nuytsland Nature Reserve, the facility was converted into a wildlife observatory, known as Eyre Bird Observatory, which opened in 1978. The observatory offers basic camping facilities. Over 230 species of birds have been spotted there.
Present day.
Like other locations in the Nullarbor Plain area, the area consists of little more than a roadhouse. The current business name of the roadhouse is the Wedgetail Inn and like most other Nullarbor establishments has access to satellite television, as well as providing caravan park, and hotel motel facilities.
The Cocklebiddy area is noted for its caves, the most notable of which is Cocklebiddy cave – a single passage more than 6 km long, of which around 90% is underwater and only accessible via cave diving. In August 1983, a French team set a world record here for the longest cave dive in the world. In October that year, the French record was beaten by an Australian team when Hugh Morrison of Western Australia pushed another 280 metres beyond where the French had tied off. In 1995 South Australian cave diver Christopher Brown went another 20 metres further again, and in late 2008 much of the cave's more distant regions were explored, mapped (using radio-location "pingers" designed and operated by Ken Smith) and videotaped by Craig Challen and Richard Harris et al. using rebreather technologies. (Challen and Harris would later be better known for their involvement in the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue.)
Cocklebiddy was visited in 2007 by the Australian comical duo, Hamish and Andy.
A number of five unique species of Restionaceae (a tussock-like plant) named "Harperia", "Loxocarya", "Onychosepalum", "Platychorda" and "Tremulinawere " exist 15–20 kilometres in a somewhat south westerly direction of Cocklebiddy.


Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness

The Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness (BRCW) is located in western Colorado with a small portion extending into eastern Utah, USA, within the arid Colorado Plateau region approximately west of Grand Junction, Colorado. The wilderness lies on the northwest flank of the Uncompahgre Plateau. It is characterized by the high, east-west trending Black Ridge dissected by seven major canyon systems, draining into the Colorado River in Ruby Canyon. Elevations range from above sea level along the river to . Canyons vary in length from several miles to twelve miles in length and may contain interesting side canyons. Geological features in these canyons include spires, windows, giant alcoves and desert varnish. Canyons may reach a depth of almost , forming spectacular redrock cliffs. Spring runoff and summer thunderstorms create glistening waterfalls and plunge pools. Rattlesnake Canyon contains the second largest concentration of natural arches in the country. Mee Canyon is even more remote, and contains Arch Tower.
Vegetation in the meandering canyon bottoms includes grasses, pinyon, juniper, cottonwood, willow and box elder. The upland mesas contain dense stands of pinyon and juniper with some sagebrush parks. Cryptobiotic soils are well developed in the upland areas. Wildlife viewing may include deer, mountain lion, desert bighorn sheep, along with golden and bald eagles. The wilderness area is of which are in Colorado and are in Utah. It was designated by the U.S. Congress in 2000 and is administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness forms the core of the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area.
Access.
There are three main access points for the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness: the front country (Fruita urban-interface), the high country (Black Ridge via Glade Park) and via the Colorado River. Visitors have easy access the front country area year round while the high country and Colorado River access remain accessible only to the most dedicated visitors.
Front Country.
The front country area of the BRCW is located a few minutes from the town of Fruita, Colorado via State Highway 340. This area, known as the "wilderness-urban interface," is a popular destination for local residents and their dogs looking for daily exercise. The Bureau of Land Management maintains three trailheads in this area - Devils Canyon, Fruita Paleontological Area and Pollock Bench.
High Country.
The high country of the BRCW is accessible from the community of Glade Park, Colorado. Visitors to this area are treated to a true wilderness experience in a rough, remote land that provides outstanding opportunities for solitude. The Rattlesnake Canyon area is home to the world's second-largest concentration of natural arches (after Arches National Park).
Mee Canyon contains a deep alcove that is accessible only by way of a difficult hiking trail which requires and scrambling over many exposed ledges. Knowles and Jones Canyons offer visitors a true wilderness experience, with outstanding opportunities for solitude and a primitive and unconfined type of recreation.
Colorado River.
The Colorado River bisects the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area and forms the northern boundary of the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness as it winds its way through Horsethief and Ruby canyons. The river itself is not a part of the wilderness, however floaters are able to hike up many of the main canyons of the area including Rattlesnake Canyon, Moore Canyon, Mee Canyon, and Knowles Canyon. The most popular put in to float this section of the river is the Loma boat launch in Loma, Colorado. Most river users take out in Westwater, Utah, although some continue on through the Class III and IV rapids of Westwater Canyon (permit required).


The Greene Town Center

The Greene Town Center, (also known as The Greene), is a mixed-use development located in Beavercreek, Ohio (an eastern suburb of Dayton in Greene County).
The complex is an established mixed-use, office, retail, dining and entertainment center and serves as the third major shopping mall in the Dayton region. The co-owner and developer, Steiner + Associates, is known for creating similar town centers such as the Easton Town Center in Columbus as well as other centers in the Cincinnati-Newport, Milwaukee and Kansas City regions.
Development.
The Greene was built in two phases over of land at a cost estimated exceed $200 million when complete. The developer provided the majority of the funding, but based on the $186 million estimate, the public's share is $14.8 million, or eight percent of the total cost. This is the lowest percentage bond financing in their portfolio. The location of the property is within the southeast boundaries of Indian Ripple and Stroop Roads, just off the exit to I-675.
Phase I was completed 2006. The first phase includes tenants such as Lane Bryant, White House Black Market, Cheesecake Factory, Chico's, Sephora, and numerous other retailers and/or restaurants, some new to the Dayton area. The architect of record for the majority of the project was Meachem and Apel.
The development for Phase I also included: a comedy club (The Funny Bone), a fitness club (Urban Active), as well as an upscale movie theater (Rave Cinemas). Phase I also includes of second-floor office space overlooking the town square and approximately 136 residential loft apartments. The mixed-use residential buildings were designed by Torti Gallas and Partners.
Phase II focused on fashion which include the anchor department store, Von Maur. Von Maur is sometimes described as the Nordstrom of the Midwest and features fashion, accessories and beauty products, but not furniture or other department store goods. Like Nordstrom, Von Maur is also known for a high degree of customer service, including handwritten notes from employees following purchases. Phase II was completed in fall 2008. Along with Von Maur, several other stores and shops have filled some vacant space in the complex. In 2014, The Greene announced it would construct a 35,000sq.ft. building for the national retailer Nordstrom Rack.
The environment of The Greene is that of a civic center which hosts outdoor concerts, holiday events and a family gathering space during both the summer and winter, in particular children playing in the main fountain during the summer. Research from other Steiner projects has evidenced that the number of visitors is essentially unaffected by seasonal weather. All metered parking benefits a charitable foundation. Parking in lots and garages is free.
The affluent areas of Beavercreek, Bellbrook, Kettering, Oakwood, Centerville, and Springboro are the core market for the shopping complex.
Controversy.
During construction, the shopping center was a controversial topic among people in the cities surrounding the development. The land was once a heavily wooded property and Beavercreek officials debated on the economic impact. Opponents also question if the area could support The Greene, The Mall at Fairfield Commons and the Dayton Mall.
Security.
The Greene has an age-restricted curfew of 9:00 p.m. everyday. Persons under the age of 16 are not permitted on the premises of the center without an adult present.
Tornado.
On May 26, 2015, several stores within the area of The Greene and The Greene Crossing shopping centers were damaged by a brief EF1 tornado, which flipped cars and uprooted trees. Two individuals suffered minor injuries and a Kmart parking lot was evacuated. Ten cars were overturned in the parking lot of a Japanese restaurant and a Waffle House restaurant was also damaged. The tornado was part of a wider system that affected greater Dayton, Ohio area, downing trees and wires and damaging roofs. Video of the tornado was captured by security cameras of The Greene Town Center. The tornado was on the ground for approximately one minute and traveled half a mile. Winds reached speeds of over 100 MPH. As of the next morning, power was still out to several businesses affected by the tornado. A franchise of Fitworks, a gym with locations in Ohio and Kentucky, was reported as possibly having the most damage. The Waffle House had power, but remained closed due to damage to its roof.


Yarrabee Wesfarmers Reserve

Yarrabee Wesfarmers Reserve is a 9.23 km2 nature reserve in south-west Western Australia. It is 120 km north-east of Albany and 481 km south-east of Perth. It lies on the eastern boundary of the Stirling Range National Park, and is managed by Bush Heritage Australia (BHA), by which it was purchased in 2006 with the financial assistance of Wesfarmers. It is jointly owned by BHA and by Greening Australia (WA), and forms part of BHA's Gondwana Link project.
Flora and fauna.
The reserve protects a large area of remnant vegetation, including tall marri and jarrah woodland, low mallee and "Banksia" woodland. About 600 ha of the reserve was previously cleared and is being revegetated by Greening Australia. Animals expected to be present include malleefowl, western pygmy possums and honey possums, as well as many other species of birds and reptiles.


Bismarck Conservation Area

Bismarck Conservation Area consists of southwest of Bismarck, Missouri. The area surrounds DiSalvo Lake. The lake was constructed in 1944 by Hanna Mining Company, and the Missouri Department of Conservation acquired the land from Hanna Mining Company in 1981.
Bismarck Conservation Area includes a parking areas, boat ramp, two designated trails, and fishing dock. The area is open to hunting and fishing.