Tai Mo Shan

Tai Mo Shan is the highest peak in Hong Kong, with an elevation of . and located at approximately the geographical centre of the New Territories.
The Tai Mo Shan Country Park covers an area of around Tai Mo Shan. It is located to the north of Tai Lam Country Park. The Long Falls is the highest waterfall in Hong Kong.
Geography.
The whole Tai Mo Shan mountain range, known as Guan Fu Mountain (官富山, named after the salt field Kwun Fu Cheung (官富場) in present-day Kowloon Bay) in Ming and Qing dynasties, covers over 350 square km, and stretches from Tai Lam Chung Reservoir in the West near Tuen Mun and Ma On Shan in the east and the mountains of Kowloon and Clear Water Bay in the south. Two other significant coastal peaks, the Lantau Peak (934m) on Lantau Island and Mount Wutong in Shenzhen (943.7m) are approximately 27 km to the southwest and 21.5 km to the northeast respectively.
Subpeaks.
There are a few subpeaks that are given names in the Tai Mo Shan area, including:
Geology.
Tai Mo Shan is an inactive volcano dating from the Jurassic period. A small hill known as "Kwun Yam Shan" near the mountain still vents warm air through cracks in the rocks that lead all the way to the mantle. The holes that exhale warm air are known as "hot pots". When the surface temperature is cold, and the warmth of the expelled air is clearly discernible, this phenomenon is referred to by locals as "dragon's breath". If the air temperature at the summit is 6 degrees Celsius, then the air emerging from the interior of Kwun Yum Shan is somewhere between 13 and 21 degrees Celsius. These "hot pots" are remnants of the active volcano's superheated steam vents. The area's volcanic rocks are mainly coarse ash crystal tuff.
Climate.
Under the Köppen climate classification, Tai Mo Shan features a humid subtropical climate ("Cwa"), bordering a subtropical highland climate ("Cwb"). Due to the height of the mountain, Tai Mo Shan is claimed to be Hong Kong's most misty area, as it is often covered in clouds. In summer it is frequently covered with cumulus clouds, especially on rainy days, and in winter stratus clouds and fog often cover the peak. It is not uncommon for temperatures to drop below freezing point during the winter. A record low of negative 6 Celsius was seen in the January 2016 East Asia cold wave.
Vegetation.
In the past, Tai Mo Shan was famous for a type of green tea, called "mist" or "cloud" tea, which grew wild on the mountain side. Occasionally, local people can still be seen picking the tea shoots for brewing green tea.
More than 1,500 species of plants have been recorded in Tai Mo Shan including 27 species of native wild orchids, the protected Chinese Lily ("Lilium brownii") which mostly grows on the east side of the Mountain, 24 species of native ferns, including tree ferns, of which a total of only 4 tree ferns species have been recorded around the entire mountain, 19 species of native grasses, and 7 species of native bamboos. "Camellia sinensis var. waldenae" (formerly "Camellia waldenae") are also found on the mountain.
A few types of wild orchids also grow in the streams of Tai Mo Shan including the Chinese pholidota orchid, Hong Kong's most common orchid, and the bamboo orchid, so called because of a distinct stem that looks like bamboo, which also grows in the streams of Tai Mo Shan.
During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in World War II, most of the trees in the park were cut down and extensive reforestation was carried out after the war. Trees that were planted are mostly non-native such as "Pinus massoniana", "Acacia confusa", "Lophostemon confertus", and paper bark tree. The area has now become one of the major forest plantations in Hong Kong.
Wildlife.
Local wildlife comprises birds, snakes and butterflies. There are also freshwater crabs, feral dogs, feral cats, oxen, Porcupines and wild boar.
History.
In 1986, a 34-hour blaze destroyed 282,500 trees at Shing Mun and Tai Mo Shan and ravaged 7.40 km² of countryside.
Tai Mo Shan Country Park was formally designated on 23 February 1979.
Access.
It is rather easy to hike to the peak as there is a road all the way at a comfortable gradient. Visitors cannot access the highest point on Tai Mo Shan, as it is occupied by a Hong Kong Observatory (ex-RAF) weather radar station. It was reported in July 2014 that the station additionally houses facilities of the People's Liberation Army.


List of World Heritage Sites in Colombia

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. Colombia accepted the convention on 24 May 1983, making its historical sites eligible for inclusion on the list. As of 2018, there are nine World Heritage Sites in Colombia, including six cultural sites, two natural sites and one mixed site.
The first site in Colombia, Port, Fortresses and Group of Monuments, Cartagena, was inscribed on the list at the 8th Session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1984. Los Katíos National Park was inscribed as the first natural site in 1994. Chiribiquete National Park – "The Maloca of the Jaguar" was added to the list in 2018 as Colombia's latest inscription.
World Heritage Sites.
Tentative list.
In addition to sites inscribed on the World Heritage list, member states can maintain a list of tentative sites that they may consider for nomination. Nominations for the World Heritage list are only accepted if the site was previously listed on the tentative list. As of 2016, Colombia lists eighteen properties on its tentative list:


List of threatened ecological communities of Western Australia

This is a list of threatened ecological communities of Western Australia, as approved by the state Minister for the Environment in December 2006.


Elafonisi

Elafonisi ( "deer island") is an island located close to the southwestern corner of the Mediterranean island of Crete, of which it is administratively a part, in the regional unit of Chania. When the weather is fine it is possible to walk to the island through the shallow water. The island is a protected nature reserve.
It is known for its pink sand beaches, created by tidal and wave-induced deposits of pigmented microorganisms living in a symbiotic relationship with native seaweed.
Greek War of Independence.
At the highest point on the island there is a plaque that commemorates a tragic event. On Easter Sunday of 18 April 1824 several hundred Greeks, mostly women and children, were killed on Elafonisi by Ottoman soldiers. To avoid advancing Turkish Ottoman troops, forty armed men had taken refuge on the island with women, children and old folk where they were waiting for a ship to take them to the Ionian Islands. The Ottoman soldiers had decided to camp on the beach opposite the island. One of their horses walked along the shallow water to the island and the people hiding on the island were discovered. According to several sources there were between 640 and 850 people in total, most of whom were killed and the remaining survivors were sold into slavery in Egypt.
Shipwreck of the "Imperatrix".
A large wooden cross commemorates a shipwreck from 22 February 1907. It was an Österreichischer Lloyd passenger steamer, called the "Imperatrix". Due to strong northwest winds 38 people died in a lifeboat that tried to reach the shore. They were all buried on the island. The "Imperatrix" still lies on the seabed in front of the island's cliffs and was the reason that a lighthouse was built on an island hilltop.
The lighthouse was destroyed during the Second World War by the occupying German troops.
Monastery.
On the mainland the 17th century Chrysoskalitissa Monastery is approximately from the island.
External links.
See Chania Region for maps


Popo Agie Wilderness

Popo Agie Wilderness is located within Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming, United States. The wilderness consists of on the east side of the continental divide in the Wind River Range. Originally set aside as a primitive area in 1932, in 1984 the Wyoming Wilderness Act was passed securing a more permanent protection status for the wilderness. The wilderness is a part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
U.S. Wilderness Areas do not allow motorized or mechanized vehicles, including bicycles. Although camping and fishing are allowed with proper permit, no roads or buildings are constructed and there is also no logging or mining, in compliance with the 1964 Wilderness Act. Wilderness areas within National Forests and Bureau of Land Management areas also allow hunting in season.
The Popo Agie Wilderness is a primarily sub-alpine and alpine region with the minimum elevation of . Twenty mountains exceed , with the highest being Wind River Peak at . Perhaps the most visited area within the wilderness and the entire Wind River Range is the Cirque of the Towers due to the impressive granitic mountains and sheer cliffs which attract climbers from all over the world. Overuse has led to camping restrictions within the wilderness, especially in the proximity of Lonesone Lake which is located in the Cirque of the Towers. The wilderness spans a section of the southern Wind River Range.
Over 300 lakes and several tributaries of the Wind River are located in the wilderness. Rare reports of wolves have been documented and are considered to be from the wolf recovery efforts commenced in the late 20th century in Yellowstone National Park to the north. Additionally, reports of grizzly bears have been documented but they too are rare. Black bears, moose, elk, and pronghorn are the more commonly sighted megafauna. Trumpeter swans, bald eagles, hawks, and falcons inhabit the wilderness, especially near lakes and streams. Eight species and subspecies of trout, including a few found only in the Yellowstone region exist as well. The forest is dominated by lodgepole pine and Douglas fir, Engelmann Spruce, and subalpine fir at higher elevations up to the tree line.
The closest town is Lander, Wyoming. Access into the wilderness from the north via the Wind River Indian Reservation requires obtaining a permit before entering.


Madagascar National Parks

Madagascar National Parks, formerly known as "l'Association Nationale pour la Gestion des Aires Protégées" (ANGAP), was founded in 1991 and is charged with managing a network of 46 National Parks, Special Reserves and Integral Nature Reserves in Madagascar. It is a private association that is legally recognised to have a public function, and it operates under the supervision of the ministry responsible for the environment, which, in June 2008, is the Ministry of the Environment and Forests (MEF).
The association's mission is "To establish, conserve and sustainably manage a national network of parks and reserves representative of the biological diversity and the natural heritage of Madagascar."


Mwabvi Wildlife Reserve

With an area of 135km² Mwabvi Wildlife Reserve is Malawi’s smallest national park, and its least accessible. Nevertheless, it has a wide variety of habitats, including Mopane, Combretum and brachystegia woodland, as well as open savanna, dambo, and riverine areas. Mwabvi was the last natural home to Malawi's Black Rhino population, but both wildlife and woodland have been poached over recent years. However many species of antelope, including kudu, sable, impala and nyala, are present, and even leopard and hyena have been seen. Buffalo still bathe in the Mwabvi river, and, although the number of human tourists is low, lions from neighbouring Mozambique are regular visitors. The scenery is spectacular, with views over the Shire River and the Zambesi river, and the magnificent sandstone outcrops give an almost lunar feel to the landscape.
Mwabvi is located in Nsanje District, at the very southernmost point of Malawi, right against the border with Mozambique. It includes a portion of the Matundwe Range, which form the border with Mozambique, and the adjacent Shire River lowlands. The park lies at a low elevation and summer temperatures are extreme. The best time for game viewing is during Malawi's cooler winter months. Mwabvi is not far from Lengwe National Park and the Majete Wildlife Reserve.
Travel through the park is only possible on foot or with a robust 4x4, but the park is manned and thanks to PAW's extensive road building programme both game walks and game drives are available and can be arranged with the game scouts or via Chipembere Camp, the base for Project African Wilderness.
Project African Wilderness, a not for profit organisation, was formed in 2004 with the express purpose of protecting and restoring the Mwabvi reserve, working with the local communities and improving their livelihoods as a result. In February 2007 Project African Wilderness signed a management agreement with the Malawi Government's Department of National Parks and Wildlife to take over the conservation and development of the park. Because of poaching, the park has seen a substantial depletion of its larger animal population, although efforts are underway to restore the park's infrastructure and diversity.
In 2010, as a result of the work done by project African Wilderness and their Malawian sister company the Mwabvi Wildlife and Community Trust (MWCT) Mwabvi opened Njate Lodge, with six en-suite chalets, and, for the more adventurous traveller, Migudu campsite, which has plots for 6 tents and provides washing and camp fire facilities.


Hill of White Hamars


Sacred Nagi Tree of Kumano Hayatama Taisha

The Sacred Nagi Tree of Kumano Hayatama Taisha is one of the Natural Monuments of Japan and is situated in Kumano Hayatama Taisha in Shingu city, Wakayama, Japan. Kumano Hayatama Taisha is one of three Kumano Sanzan shrine/temple sites, and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range". The nagi tree, "Nageia nagi", is also called the broadleaf podocarpus.
It is said that this tree, which has grown to a height of 17.6 m and a circumference of 5.45 m, was planted as a memorial by Taira no Shigemori in Heiji 1 (1159).


Ashkelon National Park

Ashkelon National Park () is an Israeli national park along the shore of the Mediterranean Sea southwest of the city of Ashkelon.
The national park is situated in the heart of ancient Ashkelon. It is surrounded by a wall built in the mid-12th century by the Fatimid Caliphate. The wall was originally 2,200 meters in length, 50 meters in width and 15 meters in height. The remains of the wall are located in the eastern and southern parts of the national park.
The site contains archeological remains of the different civilizations that lived in the area, including Canaanites, Philistines, Persians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Muslims and Crusaders. Roman remains include marble and granite columns and capitals, a Roman basilica and Roman statues. The site also features a Middle Bronze Age gate with the world's earliest arch, dating back to approximately 1850 BCE.
Archaeology.
In 1815, Lady Hester Stanhope's expedition to Ashkelon constituted the first modern archaeological excavation in Palestine. Using a medieval Italian manuscript as her guide, she persuaded the Ottoman authorities to allow her to excavate the site in search of a large hoard of gold coins allegedly buried under the ruins of the Ashkelon mosque. The governor of Jaffa, Abu Nabbut (Father of the Cudgel) was ordered to accompany her. On the second day of digging, the lower foundation walls of the mosque were discovered at a depth of three or four feet, along with fragments of marble pillars, a Corinthian capital, a faience vessel, and two small pottery phials. Further exploration revealed several distinct phases in the history of the structure, leading to the conclusion that the site had originally been a pagan temple converted into a church and then a mosque. Stanhope's main find was a seven-foot headless marble statue, which was smashed and thrown into the sea.
In 1921, the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem began excavations at Ashkelon, focusing on the same columns and semi-circular wall explored by Lady Hester. They dated the earliest structure, featuring Corinthian columns and a row of pedestals, to Herod. The foot and arm of a colossal marble statue were found at this level. The British excavators identified the structure as a municipal council hall.
In 1985, Harvard University archaeologist Lawrence Stager led an excavation of the seaport. Beginning in 2007, excavation projects have focused on the Early Iron and Late Bronze Age phases in Grid 38, the only area with a sequence that traces all periods, from Early Bronze through the Islamic and Crusader eras. This area also provides a complete record of Philistine occupation, from their arrival in the early 12th century BC to the destruction of Ashkelon by Nebuchadnezzar in 604 BC.
In 2007, ground penetrating radar (GPR) was used to find remains of the Islamic ramparts and a major basilica in the Roman Forum. In 2009, GPR and probes were used in combination to study the city's medieval fortifications.
Excavations have revealed the largest known dog cemetery in the ancient world.


Joan Root

Joan Root (18 January 1936 – 13 January 2006) was a Kenyan conservationist, ecological activist and Oscar-nominated filmmaker.
 With her film-maker husband, Alan Root she made a series of acclaimed wildlife films. The couple divorced in 1981 and Alan Root settled in Nairobi afterward.
Early life.
Born in Nairobi in 1936 as Joan Wells-Thorpe, Root was the daughter of Edmund Thorpe, a British banker who immigrated to Kenya to start a new life and became a successful coffee planter. Mother Lilian (Johnnie) Thorpe née Walker
Work.
Decades before wildlife films such as "March of the Penguins", Joan and Alan Root pioneered filming animal migrations without interference from human actors. Their movies were narrated by such distinguished actors as Orson Welles, David Niven, James Mason and Ian Holm. Their 1979 "Survival" documentary, "Mysterious Castles of Clay", was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary.
The Roots introduced Dian Fossey to the gorillas she would later die trying to save, took Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis over Kenya in their balloon, and covered much of Africa in their famous single-engine Cessna, their amphibious car, and their balloon, at one time equipped with a raft for water landings."
Following the Roots' divorce, she received the Lake Naivasha farm, along with their airplane and a cash settlement for the films they had made together.
After her divorce Joan Root became very involved in conservation projects at and around Lake Naivasha, included supporting scientists and volunteers from the Earthwatch Institute who were monitoring environmental conditions. She also chaired and funded an anti-poaching "Task Force" in the area. The Task Force strictly enforced fishing restrictions around Lake Naivasha, arresting fishermen and confiscating and burning nets, in an attempt to stop overfishing and in particular catches of undersized fish. This was however controversial with locals who saw Lake Naivasha as a necessary and communal resource of food.
Murder.
On 13 January 2006, five days before her 70th birthday, Joan Root was murdered at her home in Lake Naivasha by four men who came to her door carrying AK-47s. There were many suspects such as disgruntled former employees, criminal gangs, organized crime rackets, poachers, those whose economic interests were threatened by her activism and even Task Force members. The four men who were arrested and charged with her murder pleaded not guilty and were acquitted in August 2007. Some involved in the case believe it was a contract killing, but the question of who paid for it remains unanswered.
Biography.
Mark Seal's biography of Joan Root, "Wildflower: An Extraordinary Life and Mysterious Death in Africa" was published by Random House in 2009. The book sprang from researching an article for "Vanity Fair" in 2006 when Seal was intrigued by a news report about the wildlife pioneer's death. Working Title Films optioned the movie rights for Root's story before the book was written.


Audubon Society of Haiti

The Audubon Society of Haiti is a non-governmental, non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the conservation and restoration of Haiti’s biodiversity and natural ecosystems . Through the organization’s strides toward conservation of the environment, they are also working towards improving the quality of life for the Haitian people. Their activities include scientific research, education, outreach, and establishing local and international partnerships. The organization was founded in July 2003 by Philippe Bayard, Jacky Lumarque and Florence Sergile. It was named in honor of John James Audubon, an ornithologist, naturalist and native of Les Cayes, who painted, cataloged, and described birds of North America in the famous elephant folio book "Birds of America".
Research.
Like Audubon, the Audubon Society of Haiti specializes in ornithology and has published three books about birds in Haiti: "A La Décourverte des Oiseaux d’Haiti", "Birds of the Dominican Republic and Haiti", and "Ti Zwazo Kote wa Prale".
Since 2004, research surveys and biological expeditions have been conducted in unprotected areas of Haiti, abundant in biodiversity and vulnerable to extinction due to the loss of habitat. Their research is in collaboration with local partners, University of Haiti and Quisqueya University, and international partners, Vermont Center for Ecostudies, Conservation International, Sliven Institute of Ecology, Technical University in Zvolen, Hispaniolan Ornithological Society, Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens, Cornell Ornithology Lab, the Center for Biodiversity at Temple University, and the Philadelphia Zoo.


James Roy Kinghorn

James Roy Kinghorn (12 October 1891 – 4 March 1983), generally known as Roy, or J. R. Kinghorn, was an Australian naturalist, a longtime curator at the Australian Museum, and a noted lecturer and broadcaster.
Early years.
Roy Kinghorn was born in Richmond, New South Wales, the youngest of three children of Rev. James Kinghorn (1861–1912) and his wife (Bertha) Ethel, née Campbell (ca.1866–1942). He was educated at Ellengowan School, Bathurst, All Saints' College, Bathurst and the Sydney Church of England Grammar School.
In 1907 he was accepted as a cadet at the Australian Museum, Sydney, specialising in crustaceans. He attended lectures at Sydney University and studied part-time at Sydney Technical College, but after failing an examination at the College, was transferred to a clerical position at the Museum.
Wartime and later career.
Kinghorn enlisted with the AIF in June 1915 and served during World War I in Egypt and Lemnos with the Dental Corps and with the Field Artillery Brigade, mostly as a driver, but after receiving a severe knee injury in December 1917 was repatriated to Australia, and was discharged as permanently medically unfit in July 1918. He was to serve as recruiting officer for the 2nd AIF during the Second World War.
He returned to the Australian Museum in 1918 and was appointed zoologist in charge of reptiles and amphibians; three years later birds were added to his portfolio.
He was appointed Assistant Director of the Australian Museum around 1951 and retired in 1956.
Lecturer and broadcaster.
Kinghorn was a popular and prolific lecturer on zoological subjects, beginning around 1924.
His interest in broadcasting began around the same time, with talks and stories on the Children's Hour on Farmer's Radio Service (later 2FC). Among his last media appearances was (as "Linnaeus" the naturalist) in a weekly spot during the last decade of ABC radio's Argonauts' Club.
He was a regular on Captain Fortune Show, a pioneering TV series of the 1950s and the "Spying on Nature" segment of "Wednesday Wonderbox" children's show on ABC-TV (which also featured Mr. Squiggle) in the 1960s.
Family life.
Kinghorn married Winifred Mance (died 1977) on 12 November 1921. They had no children.
Recognition.
A species of snake, "Simalia kinghorni", was named for him, as well as a species of lizard, "Proablepharus kinghorni".


Pendjari National Park

The Pendjari National Park () lies in north western Benin, adjoining the Arli National Park in Burkina Faso. Named for the Pendjari River, the national park is known for its wildlife and is home to some of the last populations of big game like the African forest elephant, lion, hippopotamus, African buffalo, and various antelopes in West Africa. The park is also famous for its richness in birds.
The Pendjari National Park is an area of in the far north-west of Benin. The park is part of the WAP complex (W-Arli-Pendjari) which is a vast protected area in Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger. The hills and cliffs of the Atakora range make the north-west one of the most scenic areas of Benin. They provide a wonderful backdrop to the Pendjari National Park, which, in its isolation, remains one of the most interesting in West Africa.
In March 2009 it was nominated as a tentative site for UNESCO's World Heritage Site program, and in July 2017 it was officially inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of a transnational extension of the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex.
Ecology.
The rocky cliffs of the area are sparsely wooded with "Burkea africana", "Detarium microcarpum", "Lannea acida", "Sterculia setigera" and "Combretum ghasalense". On the deep soils of some of the summits and the Atakora escarpment one finds a greater variety of plant species with "Isoberlinia doka" and "Afzelia africana". The Pendjari River has an impressive gallery forest. The park includes both Sudan and Northern Guinea savannas, with areas of grassland dominated by "Acacia sieberiana" and "Mitragyna inermis" or "Terminalia macroptera". There is a high annual rainfall of around ; The park is open year-round, although from June–November rainfall can be heavy and certain parts of the park may be inaccessible.
Fauna and Flora.
Mammals.
Pendjari National Park has a relatively large population of elephants, which was stable over the last decades and counted more than 800 individuals between 2005 and 2010. Including neighboring W National Park and Arly National Park (WAP Complex), the whole population includes more than 3,800 elephants, making it the largest elephant concentration in all of western Africa.
The second largest species of the park is the hippopotamus. There are also large populations of several other large herbivores like African buffalo ("Syncerus caffer brachyceros"; c. 2,700 animals in 2000), western hartebeests ("Alcelaphus buselaphus major"; c. 1,500 in 2000), roan antelope (c. 2,000 in 2000), kob antelope (c. 2,600 in 2000), and warthogs. Some other antelope species like korrigum ("Damaliscus lunatus korrigum"), bushbuck, and reedbuck are relatively rare. Smaller bovids are the red-flanked duiker, oribi, and common duiker. Primates are represented by olive baboon, patas monkey, and tantalus monkey.
One of the rarest large predator in the protected area is the Northwest African cheetah ("Acinonyx jubatus hecki"). As of 2007, there were only about 5–13 individuals left in the national park and neighboring W National Park.
By 2009, the lion ("Panthera leo leo") population in the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex comprised about 100 animals and was possibly the largest in West Africa at the time.
The endangered West African wild dog ("Lycaon pictus manguensis") was recorded in Pendjari National Park during a survey in April 2000, as well as African leopard, spotted hyena, side-striped jackal, and African civet.
The number of waterbucks ("Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa") decreased from about 3,000 in the 1970s to only 120 in 2004.
Birdlife.
The hooded vulture ("Necrosyrtes monachus") is resident in the protected area, but in small numbers.
The park is renowned for its abundance of bird species.
Some 300 different species are present. Pallid harrier ("Circus macrourus") and lesser kestrel ("Falco naumanni") are occasionally recorded and there are a few isolated records for lappet-faced vulture ("Torgos tracheliotus"). Fox kestrel ("Falco alopex") is not uncommon, while the African swallow-tailed kite ("Chelictinia riocourii") is a not uncommon dry season visitor. The booted eagle ("Hieraaetus pennatus") has also been recorded here. BirdLife notes that "the Pendjari is notable for large conspicuous species such as African openbill stork ("Anastomus lamelligerus"), Abdim's stork ("Ciconia abdimii"), saddle-billed stork ("Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis"), and seasonally, flocks of up to 60 European white storks ("Ciconia ciconia"). The African fish eagle ("Haliaeetus vocifer") and Pel's fishing-owl ("Scotopelia peli") can also be found."
Among the more notable species recorded are pied-winged swallow ("Hirundo leucosoma"), white-crowned robin-chat ("Cossypha albicapillus"), Botta's wheatear ("Oenanthe bottae"), familiar chat ("Cercomela familiaris"), white-fronted black-chat ("Myrmecocichla albifrons"), mocking cliff-chat ("Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris"), common rock thrush ("Monticola saxitilis"), Senegal eremomela ("Eremomela pusilla"), blackcap babbler ("Turdoides reinwardtii"), red-winged pytilia ("Pytilia phoenicoptera"), black-rumped waxbill ("Estrilda troglodytes"), bush petronia ("Petronia dentata") and Togo paradise-whydah ("Vidua togoensis").
Grey tit-flycatcher ("Myioparus plumbeus") has been recorded as well as several other species of the undergrowth. White-throated greenbul ("Phyllastrephus albigularis") has been recorded at Tanguiéta and the white-throated francolin ("Francolinus albogularis"), a rare resident, has been spotted in farmland south of Natitingou. South of the park there is a large semi-protected zone known in French as "La zone cygnetique de la Pendjari" where a number of other species have been spotted. The National park and the bird habitat is protected by the government in Benin.
Other bird species include:


Bamberg

Bamberg (, , ) is a town in Upper Franconia, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main. The town dates back to the 9th century, when its name was derived from the nearby "" castle. Cited as one of Germany's most beautiful towns, its old town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993, with Bamberg being home to Europe's largest intact old city wall.
From the 10th century onwards, Bamberg became a key link with the Slav peoples, notably those of Poland and Pomerania. It experienced a period of great prosperity from the 12th century onwards, during which time it was briefly the centre of the Holy Roman Empire. Emperor Henry II was also buried in the old town, alongside his wife Kunigunde. The town's architecture from this period strongly influenced that in Northern Germany and Hungary. From the middle of the 13th century onwards, the bishops were princes of the Empire and ruled Bamberg, overseeing the construction of monumental buildings. This growth was complemented by the obtaining of large portions of the estates of the Counts of Meran in 1248 and 1260 by the see, partly through purchase and partly through the appropriation of extinguished fiefs.
Bamberg lost its independence in 1802, following the secularization of church lands, becoming part of Bavaria in 1803. The town was first connected to the German rail system in 1844, which has been an important part of its infrastructure ever since. After a communist uprising took control over Bavaria in the years following World War I, the state government fled to Bamberg and stayed there for almost two years before the Bavarian capital of Munich was retaken by "Freikorps" units (see Bavarian Soviet Republic). The first republican constitution of Bavaria was passed in Bamberg, becoming known as the "Bamberger Verfassung" (Bamberg Constitution).
Following the Second World War, Bamberg was an important base for the Bavarian, German, and then American military stationed at Warner Barracks, only closing in 2014.
History.
During the post-Roman centuries of Germanic migration and settlement, the region later included in the Diocese of Bamberg was inhabited for the most part by Slavs. The town, first mentioned in 902, grew up by the castle "" which gave its name to the Babenberg family. On their extinction, it passed to the Saxon house. The area was Christianized chiefly by the monks of the Benedictine Fulda Abbey, and the land was under the spiritual authority of the Diocese of Würzburg.
In 1007, Holy Roman Emperor Henry II made Bamberg a family inheritance, the seat of a separate diocese. The Emperor's purpose in this was to make the Diocese of Würzburg less unwieldy in size and to give Christianity a firmer footing in the districts of Franconia, east of Bamberg. In 1008, after long negotiations with the Bishops of Würzburg and Eichstätt, who were to cede portions of their dioceses, the boundaries of the new diocese were defined, and Pope John XVIII granted the papal confirmation in the same year. Henry II ordered the building of a new cathedral, which was consecrated 6 May 1012. The church was enriched with gifts from the pope, and Henry had it dedicated in honor of him. In 1017 Henry also founded Michaelsberg Abbey on the Michaelsberg ("Mount St. Michael"), near Bamberg, a Benedictine abbey for the training of the clergy. The emperor and his wife Kunigunde gave large temporal possessions to the new diocese, and it received many privileges out of which grew the secular power of the bishop. Pope Benedict VIII visited Bamberg in 1020 to meet Henry II for discussions concerning the Holy Roman Empire. While he was here he placed the diocese in direct dependence on the Holy See. He also personally consecrated some of Bamberg's churches. For a short time Bamberg was the centre of the Holy Roman Empire. Henry and Kunigunde were both buried in the cathedral.
From the middle of the 13th century onwards, the bishops were princes of the Empire and ruled Bamberg, overseeing the construction of monumental buildings. In 1248 and 1260 the see obtained large portions of the estates of the Counts of Meran, partly through purchase and partly through the appropriation of extinguished fiefs. The old Bishopric of Bamberg was composed of an unbroken territory extending from Schlüsselfeld in a northeasterly direction to the Franconian Forest, and possessed in addition estates in the Duchies of Carinthia and Salzburg, in the Nordgau (the present Upper Palatinate), in Thuringia, and on the Danube. By the changes resulting from the Reformation, the territory of this see was reduced nearly one half in extent. Since 1279 the coat of arms of the city of Bamberg is known in form of a seal.
The witch trials of the 17th century claimed about one thousand victims in Bamberg, reaching a climax between 1626 and 1631, under the rule of Prince-Bishop Johann Georg II Fuchs von Dornheim. The famous "Drudenhaus" (witch prison), built in 1627, is no longer standing today; however, detailed accounts of some cases, such as that of Johannes Junius, remain.
In 1647, the University of Bamberg was founded as ".
Bambrzy (") are German Poles who are descended from settlers from the Bamberg area who settled in villages around Poznań in the years 1719–1753.
In 1759, the possessions and jurisdictions of the diocese situated in Austria were sold to that state. When the secularization of church lands took place (1802) the diocese covered and had a population of 207,000. Bamberg thus lost its independence in 1802, becoming part of Bavaria in 1803.
Bamberg was first connected to the German rail system in 1844, which has been an important part of its infrastructure ever since. After a communist uprising took control over Bavaria in the years following World War I, the state government fled to Bamberg and stayed there for almost two years before the Bavarian capital of Munich was retaken by "Freikorps" units (see Bavarian Soviet Republic). The first republican constitution of Bavaria was passed in Bamberg, becoming known as the "Bamberger Verfassung" (Bamberg Constitution).
In February 1926 Bamberg served as the venue for the Bamberg Conference, convened by Adolf Hitler in his attempt to foster unity and to stifle dissent within the then-young Nazi party. Bamberg was chosen for its location in Upper Franconia, reasonably close to the residences of the members of the dissident northern Nazi faction but still within Bavaria.
In 1973, the town celebrated the 1,000th anniversary of its founding.
Geography.
Bamberg is located in Franconia, north of Nuremberg by railway and east of Würzburg, also by rail. It is situated on the Regnitz river, before it flows into the Main river.
Its geography is shaped by the Regnitz and by the foothills of the Steigerwald, part of the German uplands. From northeast to southwest, the town is divided into first the Regnitz plain, then one large and several small islands formed by two arms of the Regnitz ('), and finally the part of town on the hills, the "Hill Town" (').
The seven hills of Bamberg.
Bamberg extends over seven hills, each crowned by a church. This has led to Bamberg being called the "Franconian Rome" — although a running joke among Bamberg's tour guides is to refer to Rome instead as the "Italian Bamberg". The hills are Cathedral Hill, Michaelsberg, Kaulberg/Obere Pfarre, Stefansberg, Jakobsberg, Altenburger Hill and Abtsberg.
Climate.
Climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. The Köppen climate classification subtype for this climate is "" (Marine West Coast Climate/Oceanic climate), with a certain continental influence as indicated by average winter nighttime temperatures well below zero.
Economy.
In 2013 (latest data available) the GDP per inhabitant was €56,723. This places the district 10th out of 96 districts (rural and urban) in Bavaria (overall average: €39,691).
Attractions.
The Town of Bamberg was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993 due to its medieval layout and its well preserved historic buildings. Since the Middle Ages, urban gardening has been practiced in Bamberg. The Market Gardeners’ District together with the City on the Hills and the Island District is an integral part of the World Heritage site. In 2005, the Municipality established a unit to coordinate the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in Bamberg. In 2019, a Visitor Centre opened for the interpretation of the World Heriage site.
Some of the main sights are:
Bamberg Cathedral is a late Romanesque building with four towers. It was founded in 1004 by Emperor Henry II, finished in 1012 and consecrated on 6 May 1012. It was later partially destroyed by fire in 1081. The new cathedral, built by Saint Otto of Bamberg, was consecrated in 1111 and in the 13th century received its present late-Romanesque form.
The cathedral is long, wide, high, and the four towers are each about high. It contains many historic works of art, such as the marble tomb of the founder and his wife, considered one of the greatest works of the sculptor Tilman Riemenschneider, and carved between 1499 and 1513. Another treasure of the cathedral is an equestrian statue known as the Bamberg Horseman (""). This statue, possibly depicting the emperor Conrad III, most likely dates to the second quarter of the 13th century. The statue also serves as a symbol of the town of Bamberg.
The ' (New Residence) (1698–1704) was initially occupied by the prince-bishops, and from 1864 to 1867 by the deposed King Otto of Greece. Its ' (Rose Garden) overlooks the town. It has over 4500 roses.
The is located on the highest of Bamberg's seven hills. It was mentioned for the first time in 1109. Between 1251 and 1553 it was the residence of Bamberg's bishops. Destroyed in 1553 by Albert Alcibiades, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, it was used, after scanty repairs, only as a prison, and increasingly decayed.
In 1801, A. F. Marcus bought the castle and completely repaired it. His friend, the famous German writer E.T.A. Hoffmann, who was very impressed by the building, lived there for a while. The next owner, Anton von Greifenstein, in 1818 founded an association to save the castle. This society still maintains the whole property today. The Altenburg today houses a restaurant.
Other churches are the ', an 11th-century Romanesque basilica; the '; the ' or ' (1320–1387), which has now been restored to its original pure Gothic style. The ', 12th century Romanesque (restored), on the Michaelsberg, was formerly the church of the Benedictine Michaelsberg Abbey secularized in 1803 and now contains the ', or almshouse, and the museum and municipal art collections.
Of the bridges connecting the sections of the lower town the ' was completed in 1455. Halfway across this, on an island, is the ' or town hall (rebuilt 1744–1756). The lyceum, formerly a Jesuit college, contains a natural history museum. The old palace ("") was built in 1591 on the site of an old residence of the counts of Babenberg. Monuments include the Maximilian fountain (1880), with statues of King Maximilian I of Bavaria, the emperor Henry II and his wife, Conrad III and Saint Otto, bishop of Bamberg.
There are also tunnels beneath the town. These were originally constructed as mines which supplied sandstone which could be used for construction or as an abrasive cleaner. Mining came to an end in 1920 but a tunnel network remained. The tunnels were used as an air raid shelter during World War II. A part of the network can be visited on a guided tour.
Beer.
Bamberg is known for its smoked Rauchbier and is home to nine breweries, , , Brauerei Heller-Trum (Schlenkerla), Brauerei Kaiserdom, , Klosterbräu, and , and one brewpub, Ambräusianum and some new smaller breweries. Every August there is a five-day "", a kirmess celebrated with beers.
Education.
The University of Bamberg, named Otto-Friedrich University, offers higher education in the areas of social science, business studies and the humanities, and is attended by more than 13,000 students. The University of Applied Sciences Bamberg offers higher education in the areas of public health. Bamberg is also home to eight secondary schools (gymnasiums):
There are also numerous other institutes for primary, secondary, technical, vocational and adult education.
Infrastructure.
Transport.
Railway.
The InterCityExpress main line No. 28 (Munich – Nuremberg – Leipzig – Berlin / – Hamburg) and the main line No. 18 (Munich – Nuremberg – Halle – Berlin / – Hamburg) run on the Nuremberg–Bamberg and the Bamberg–Hof lines through the Bamberg station. It takes less than two hours to Munich on the train and with the Nuremberg–Erfurt high-speed railway through the Thuringian mountains finished in 2017 less than three hours to Berlin. Two intercity trains of line no.17 (Vienna – Warnemünde) and line no. 61 (Leipzig – Nuremberg – Karlsruhe) also run through Bamberg.
East-west connections are poorer. Bamberg is connected to other towns in eastern Upper Franconia such as Bayreuth, Coburg, and Kronach via the Bamberg–Hof line with trains usually running at least every hour. Connections on the Würzburg–Bamberg line to the west are hourly regional trains to Würzburg, which is fully connected to the ICE network. Tourists arriving at Frankfurt International Airport can take advantage of the new direct connection from Frankfurt main station.
Motorways.
Bamberg is not near any of the major (i.e. single-digit) autobahns. But it is nevertheless well connected to the network in all directions: the A70 from Schweinfurt (connecting to the A7 there) to Bayreuth (connecting to the A9) runs along the northern edge of the town. The A73 on the eastern side of town connects Bamberg to Nuremberg (connecting to the A9) and Thuringia, ending at Suhl.
Air transport.
Bamberg is served by . Mostly public aircraft operate there. It used to be a military airport. (IATA-Code: ZCD, ICAO-Code: EDQA) It is also possible to charter public flights to and from this airport.
Most international tourists who travel by plane arrive at Frankfurt International Airport or Munich Airport. The nearest major airport is Nuremberg Airport which can be reached within 45mins by car or one hour by train and subway.
Water transport.
Both the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal and its predecessor, the Ludwig Canal, begin near Bamberg. The Ludwig Canal was opened in 1846 but closed in 1950 after damage during the second world war. With the completion of the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal in 1992, uninterrupted water transport was again made possible between the North Sea and the Black Sea.
Local public transport.
Local public transport within Bamberg relies exclusively on buses. More than 20 routes connect the outlying quarters and some villages in the vicinity to the central bus station. In addition, there are several "Night Lines" (the last of these, though, tend to run around midnight) and some park-and-ride lines from parking lots on the periphery to the town centre. A short-lived tram system existed in the 1920s.
Military bases.
Bamberg was an important base for the Bavarian, German and then American military stationed at Warner Barracks. Warner Barracks was closed in the fall of 2014, with the last battalion leaving being the 54th Engineer Battalion and returned to the German government. In 2016, a large part of the facility was taken over by the German Federal Police for training purposes.
Muna Kasserne was a small base occupied by the 504th Maintenance Company, 71st Maintenance Bn. It was part of Warner Barracks although located separately.
Governance.
Bamberg is an urban district, or "kreisfreie Stadt". Its town council ("Stadtrat") and its mayor ("Oberbürgermeister") are elected every six years, though not in the same year. Thus, the last municipal election for the town council was in 2014, for the mayor in 2012. As an exception to the six-year term, the term starting in 2012 will take eight years to synchronize the elections with those in the rest of Bavaria.
As of the elections of 16 March 2014, the 44 member strong town council comprises 12 CSU councillors, 10 SPD councillors, 8 Green councillors, 4 councillors of the "Bamberger Bürger-Block" and 4 of the "Freie Wähler" (Free Voters), both local political movements. These five parties achieved the number of councillors necessary to form a parliamentary group. In addition, there are 3 councillors of the "Bamberger Unabhängige Bürger" and the 1 councillor each of the "Bamberger Realisten", the FDP and the "Bamberger Linke Liste".
The previous council, elected on 2 March 2008, was composed of 15 CSU councillors, 10 SPD councillors, 7 Green councillors, 5 councillors of the Bamberger Bürger-Block and 3 of the Freie Wähler (Free Voters), both local political movements. These five parties achieved the number of councillors necessary to form a parliamentary group. In addition, there were 2 councillors of the "Bamberger Realisten" and one of the FDP and the Republikaner, making them ineligible for caucus status.
Twin towns – sister cities.
Bamberg is twinned with:


Nieuw Land National Park

Nieuw Land National Park ("New Land National Park"; Dutch: "Nationaal Park Nieuw Land") is a national park in the Dutch province of Flevoland.
It was established on October 1, 2018, when Minister Carola Schouten visited the province to make the announcement. The national park is managed by the organizations Flevo-landschap, Staatsbosbeheer, and Natuurmonumenten. The total surface area amounts to , of which over 75% is water. The land, mostly wetlands, is part of the artificial island Flevopolder. Nature reserves that are part of the national park include the Oostvaardersplassen, the Lepelaarplassen, the lake Markermeer, and the artificial archipelago Marker Wadden. Some of those areas were already protected Natura 2000 sites before the park's creation. Nieuw Land National Park is visited by numerous species of migratory birds.
In 2019, governments and nature organizations agreed that they are committed to spend €470 million in the next twenty years to develop the park and to connect its separate parts.


Ropsha

Ropsha () is a settlement in Lomonosovsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated about south of Peterhof and south-west of central Saint Petersburg, at an elevation of to . The palace and park ensemble of Ropsha are included in the World Heritage list as a constituent of Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments.
History.
The settlement was first mentioned in the documents of the Novgorod Republic in the 15th century, when its name was spelled as "Khrapsha". It passed to Sweden following the Treaty of Stolbovo but was recaptured by Peter the Great during the Great Northern War. Upon hearing about the curative properties of Ropsha's mineral springs, the tsar planned to make it his summer retreat; a timber palace and small church were built there. Subsequently, when he discovered a more favourable location of Strelna and contrived a system of pipes to bring water from the Ropsha heights to the fountain cascades projected in Peterhof, he abandoned his previous plans for Ropsha and made a present of it to his senior associate, Prince Fyodor Romodanovsky, or the "Caesar-Pope" as he was wont to style him.
Nest of Gentry.
Prince Romodanovsky was an old man of harsh disposition, who kept tame bears in his palace to scare infrequent visitors. Being in charge of Peter's secret police, he would bring political prisoners to a torture chamber arranged in Ropsha Palace and their screams would spook the neighbourhood. Despite macabre stories of his cruelty and misdeeds, a neighbour, Chancellor Golovkin, found it prudent to arrange the marriage of his son to Romodanovsky's daughter. After the 1722 wedding, Ropsha Palace was overhauled and expanded under the supervision of Golovkin's friend, Ivan Yeropkin.
In connection with the Lopukhina Conspiracy, the Golovkins fell into disgrace and their possessions were seized by Empress Elizabeth, who asked a court architect, Bartolomeo Rastrelli, to prepare plans for a new palace at Ropsha. As Rastrelli was busy with other projects, his designs for Ropsha were never executed. Towards the end of her reign, Empress granted the estate to her nephew and heir, the future Peter III of Russia. It was there that he was brought under guard after the coup d'état of 1762, and it was there that Peter III was allegedly murdered under shady circumstances.
Later the same year, Catherine the Great resolved that "Ropsha is not to be mentioned again" and presented the ill-famed place to her lover, Count Grigory Orlov. The reputation of the manor was too sinister for any improvement on the grounds to be effected and Orlov soon ceded the palace to Admiral Ivan Chernyshev, who sold it for 12,000 roubles to Ivan Lazarev, a jeweller of Armenian origin. It is widely believed that Lazarev was just a figurehead who acted at the behest of Catherine's son Paul. The latter, unable to overtly acquire the grounds for fear of his mother's ire, was still drawn to the place where his father had been murdered.
Imperial estate.
It was only after Catherine's death that Tsar Paul took over Ropsha from Lazarev. During the Paul's reign, the Ropsha palace was rebuilt in a Neoclassical style to a design by Georg von Veldten. A large paper factory was built nearby and the English gardener Thomas Gray laid out an English park with a mosaic of ponds full of fish. Paul apparently planned to rename Ropsha, in commemoration of the dramatic events of 1762, but was assassinated himself before this came to pass.
Although the ponds of Ropsha remained an imperial fishing ground under his sons, they rarely visited the place. It was more popular with noble anglers who even named a special breed of scaly carp after Ropsha.
Isaac Oldaker (1772 - c.1852), who was born in Marston Montgomery, Derbyshire, was 'Gardener to his Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias,' in charge of the gardens at Ropsha Palace from 1804 to 1812, when he retired on pension because of ill health, returned to England, and subsequently worked for the notable botanist Sir Joseph Banks at Spring Grove House at Isleworth in London.
When Alexandre Dumas, père visited the estate in 1858, the palace belonged to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. In the ensuing decades, it was seldom inhabited, though Grand Duchess Xenia, the last tsar's sister, chose to spend her wedding night there.
Nicholas II turned Ropsha Palace and parks into his favorite hunting and fishing retreat. The Tsar was seen here surrounded by aristocratic milieu coming from all over Europe for hunting, fishing, and dining in Russian style. Ropsha also had a military garrison. Imperial cavalry division was stationed here until 1918.
During the Russian Civil War Ropsha saw some heavy fighting, as General Yudenich wrested it from the Bolsheviks on two occasions.
Siege of Leningrad.
From September 1941 to January 1944, during the siege of Leningrad, Ropsha was occupied by the troops of Nazi Germany. During World War II, from 1941 to 1944, Ropsha was mentioned in the Nazi military reports to Adolf Hitler's office as an important commanding hill with a strategic artillery post having unobstructed direct view on central Leningrad. From the artillery positions in Ropsha the Germans continued artillery bombardments of Leningrad and its southern suburbs for two years. During that time, the Germans robbed and vandalized the imperial estate; a special unit looted the palace and moved its valuable art collection to Nazi Germany. Then the palace was destroyed by the Nazis using explosive devices.
On January 19, 1944, Ropsha was retaken from the Nazi occupation as part of the Leningrad–Novgorod Offensive ending the siege. However, the palace remained in ruins and was in disrepair due to the magnitude of German damage in World War II.
Inscribed with other imperial estates into the World Heritage List, the edifice may still be viewed in its half-ruined state. Re-building the Ropsha Palace and park to its original grandeur remains a difficult task due to severe damages and losses that require a costly reconstruction, and also because of risks related to remaining land-mines and other explosives left after the Nazi siege of Leningrad.
Today.
, Ropsha Estate was deserted and at the verge of collapse. On January 9, 2015 five columns of the porch and the roof above them collapsed.
On October 2016 the palace was rented to the state-owned Rosneft oil corporation for 99 years. The company promised to restore the palace and to create access for tourists to the estate after restoration.


Fish River Canyon

The Fish River Canyon (Afrikaans: "Visrivier Canyon" or" Visrivier Kuil", ), is located in the south of Namibia. It is the largest canyon in Africa, as well as the second most visited tourist attraction in Namibia. It features a gigantic ravine, in total about long, up to 27 km wide and in places almost 550 meters deep.
The Fish River is the longest interior river in Namibia. It cuts deep into the plateau which is today dry, stony and sparsely covered with hardy drought-resistant plants. The river flows intermittently, usually flooding in late summer; the rest of the year it becomes a chain of long narrow pools. At the lower end of the Fish River Canyon, the hot springs resort of ǀAi-ǀAis is situated.
Public view points are near Hobas, a camp site 70 km north of ǀAi-ǀAis. This part of the canyon is part of the ǀAi-ǀAis/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park. The other 90 km of this canyon are privately owned.
Geology.
The Fish River canyon consists of an upper canyon, where river erosion was inhibited by hard gneiss bedrocks, and a lower canyon formed after erosion had finally worn through the gneisses. Both parts have been declared a national monument in 1962.
Upstream, the river runs through horizontal dolomite strata; these metamorphic rocks formed part of the canyon. About 650 million years ago (Mya), plate movement formed a north-south graben, or lowered area, along which the ancient Fish River could flow and eventually erode a flat plain, which is today's upper canyon. Glaciation at around 300 Mya, part of the Dyka glaciation during the Karoo Ice Age, further deepened the canyon. About 60 Mya, South America and Africa separated (due to continental drift) and Africa rose significantly; the consequentially increased gradient of the Fish River enabled it to erode the lower canyon into the hard gneisses, forming the current deeply twisting, meandering system of the lower canyon.With the separation of the continent Gondwana about 120 million years ago and the uplifting of the African continent the gradient of the Fish River increased allowing it to erode even deeper into the rock. Today the deepest point of the canyon is 549 metres deep.
The Fish River Canyon Hiking Trail.
The Fish River Canyon hiking trail is one of the more popular hiking trails in Southern Africa. The immense scale and rugged terrain has drawn many visitors from all over the world to experience what hiking or trail running the canyon can offer.
Apart from the 2 kilometre descent west of Hobas and some optional short cuts, the trail generally follows 88 kilometres of the Fish River through to ǀAi-ǀAis and is usually completed within 5 days. Although there are a number of footpaths through the canyon, the trail is not fixed leaving the hiker to decide where and how long to hike.
There are no amenities on the trail and hikers have to carry all their needs with them. Open fires are not allowed on the trail.
In times of inclement weather, some shelter in a run-down building can be found at the Causeway () but otherwise sleeping is outdoors.
The weather is usually mild and typical temperatures vary between 5 °C and 30 °C with little humidity. Extreme weather, such as flash floods, stormy winds and rain occasionally play havoc during the hiking season.
Permits.
Due to flooding and extremely hot summer temperatures reaching 48 °C in the day and 30 °C at night, permits are only issued between 1 May and 15 September.
Prior to arriving at Hobas a hiking permit must be obtained from Namibia Wildlife Resorts for groups not smaller than 3 and not larger than 30.
All hikers must be older than 12 years and a certificate of fitness, completed by a medical doctor must be presented at the offices of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism at Hobas.
In recent years the trail has become popular, particularly during school holidays and long weekends, and permits should be requested well in advance.
Bookings for the following year's season open 1 May.
Trailhead campgrounds.
Hobas () houses the Ministry of Environment and Tourism offices as well as Namibia Wildlife Resorts offices and a little shop for curiosities and basic necessities.
Camping underneath Camelthorn trees with ablution blocks is available for hikers who plan to overnight at Hobas.
The trail ends at ǀAi-ǀAis where a resort with hotel rooms, chalets and camping grounds can be found.
A shuttle service runs approximately every three hours between ǀAi-ǀAis and Hobas. It should be booked in advance through the offices of Namibia Wildlife Resorts at ǀAi-ǀAis.
The trail.
The trail starts from the car park () 13 kilometres west from Hobas.
The descent is steep and chains are provided to assist hikers over the first 100 meters.
Thereafter the unmarked path follows a gravel trail to the beach at the bottom ().
On the descent some misleading game trails lead to the north and should be avoided.
The trail can be divided into three notable sections:
Optional short cuts are available. They offer little in beauty but may be a welcome change of scenery and terrain.
Popular short cuts are found at:
The river.
The river flows stronger early in the season and by September usually dries up to form a chain of stagnant pools.
Water is safe to drink, however the use of water purifying tablets is recommended.
River crossings are a notable feature with more than 20 crossings over the course of the trail, and crossings may become a major consideration when water levels are high.
Emergencies.
There is no mobile phone reception in the canyon and only two emergency exits are available.
Evacuation from the deep canyon is done via stretcher on foot or helicopter and vehicles in the later parts of the trail.
Emergency exits can be found:
Trail running in the Canyon.
Documented running through the canyon started in 1990. A group of hikers in running gear attempted to complete the 5 day, 90 kilometer hiking trail in 24 hours.
They achieved their goal in a time of 11hrs 42min. In August 2003 this time was lowered to 10hrs 54min.
Then in August 2012, after a previously abandoned attempt in 2011, Ryan Sandes completed the course in 6hrs 57min.
The Fish River Canyon Ultra Marathon.
Unofficial running through the canyon has subsequently evolved into the annual Fish River Canyon Ultra Marathon which held its inaugural race on 27 August 2011.
This technical marathon follows most sections of the current hiking trail, testing the athlete's capabilities to the extreme.
The route starts close to Hobas and after a short section on the rim of the canyon steeply descends 500 meters to river level. Thereafter the contestants mostly follow the river to ǀAi-ǀAis. They are allowed to plan their own routes and take short-cuts through the canyon provided they reach a number of predefined checkpoints. Shortcuts may greatly reduce the total distance of the race but may also cost the contestant dearly in effort.
Due to the remoteness of the trail, all competitors are required to be self-sufficient for the duration of the event and are expected to have adequate nutrients as well as the stipulated survival gear.
Water is generally sourced from the river which is always close by.
Previous trail runners have commented on the difficulty of the terrain:
"The canyon is one of the most beautiful places I have seen but at the same time is one of the harshest environments I have run in.
I really battled in the canyon due to the extreme heat and terrain and running in there was one of the toughest days of my athletic career."
"This canyon is not for the faint hearted and an attempt to run it should not be taken light-heartedly."


Dorothy van Dyke Leake

Dorothy Lois Van Dyke Leake (born 6 September 1893, Columbus Junction, d. 23 July 1990, Aurora, Missouri) was an American botanist, botanical illustrator, writer, conservationist, and educator. Leake earned bachelor's and master's degrees in biology from Drury College, and a PhD from the University of Oklahoma in 1944. She taught biology at several institutions, including Phillips University, Monett Junior College, Southeastern State Teachers College, University of Oklahoma, Central Missouri State Teachers College, Jefferson City Junior College, and Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College. Leake provided botanical illustrations for Ruth Nelson's 1969 "Handbook of Rocky Mountain Plants". She also received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Drury College in 1982, and the Ellen Swallow Richards Award in 1985.


Wielkopolski National Park

Wielkopolski National Park (, or the National Park of Greater Poland) is a National Park within the Wielkopolska (Greater Poland) region of west-central Poland, approximately south of the regional capital, Poznań. It gets its unique nature from post-glacier lakes, surrounded by dense pine forests, characterised by its spectacular location. Together with the protective zone around it, it includes part of the Poznań Lakeland ("Pojezierze Poznańskie") and parts of Poznań's Warta Gorge ("Poznański Przełom Warty").
The Park has its headquarters in the village of Jeziory.
History.
Created in 1957 on an area of , the Park currently covers , of which over half (46.17 km2) is forested. Waters (mainly small lakes) cover , and other types of land . The Park contains 18 strictly protected areas.
The idea of creating a preserve here was first raised by Professor A. Wodziczko in 1922. After 10 years of efforts, in 1932 two reserves were created: the first at Puszczykowo (original area 2.39 km2), and the second around Kociołek lake (1.89 km2). In 1933 on the hilltop of Osowa Góra a symbolic opening of the Wielkopolska National Park took place, however the Park was not officially created until 1957.
Landscape.
The landscape of the Park was strongly influenced by a glacier, which covered this area 70-10 thousand years ago. It is mainly flat - its highest hill - Osowa Góra, reaches only above sea level. The Park is split by several tunnel-valley lakes, which were created by the glacier. Among them there is one regarded as the most beautiful - Góreckie Lake, with two islands.
Of other interesting land formations, one must emphasize numerous, round hills as well as long, narrow hills which resemble rail mounds. Also, there are huge rocks, the biggest of which - Głaz Leśników, is regarded as a nature's monument and as such is protected.
Plants.
The main element of Park's flora are species of Euro-Syberian kind, like pine (making up 70% of Park's forests) as well as other forest plants. Soil here is of poor quality, only around waters it is better which enables plant life there to be more heterogeneous. Unique in its character is Skrzynka Lake, which is partly covered by a thick layer of peat-bogs.
Animals.
Park's fauna is characterized by richness of kinds, the best represented are insects with more than 3 thousand species. Forests are full of beets, also very rich is the world of spiders. In lakes, there are several fish - trout, pike and eel. In Park thrive all kinds of amphibians which can be met on Polish plains and 5 species of reptiles, including lizards and grass-snake. Also, there are around 190 species of birds, with black woodpecker and buzzard. Mammals are represented by 40 species, with numerous kinds of bats.
Human habitation.
Among most precious monuments there are: a wooden church in Łódź (17th century), churches in Komorniki, Puszczykowo, Stęszew and Wiry. At Szreniawa and at Trzebaw there are 19th-century manor houses. Interesting relic are ruins of a castle built in 1827 by Tytus Działyński on the Zamkowa Island on Góreckie Lake.
The Park is visited by more than a million tourists a year. It is crossed by 7 tourist trails and the richness of its fauna and flora is presented in Ośrodek Muzealno-Dydaktyczny Wielkopolskiego Parku Narodowego (Wielkopolska National Park Museum and Educational Center) in Jeziory.
References.
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Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary

Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary () is a wildlife sanctuary in northern Thailand, located in the Phu Luang mountain area, in the south of Loei Province. The area around the mountain is part of the Luang Prabang montane rain forests ecoregion.
It covers an area of 897 km², covering area of the "tambon" Pla Ba and Tha Sala of Phu Ruea District, Phon Sung, Wang Yao and I Pum of Dan Sai, Nong Ngio and Saikhao of Wang Saphung, and Phu Ho of Phu Luang District.
History.
The wildlife reserve was established in 1974. In 1985 it was further enlarged by 97 km². The reserve is named after its highest mountain, which peaks at 1,571 m. The reserve covers the whole mountain plateau around the peak, which has an elevation of around 1,200 m. To west of the reserve the Loei River originates. "Phu Luang" means "large mountain" or the "mountain of the king", formed by an uplift of the earth's crust and a slide of soft soil down to lower elevations.
Environment.
There are three seasons at Phu Luang. Summer runs from February to April with an average temperature of 20-24 °C. During this season, flowers such as dendrobiums, white wild orchids, white and red rhododendrons bloom. The rainy season is from May to October, when the temperature is equal to or slightly higher than in summer. There will be tiny wild flowers in purplish pink scattered in the savanna. The temperature drops during the winter to 0-16 °C in November – January. On some days, the temperature can drop to -4 °C. During this season, "kuam daeng" ("Acer calcaratum") will turn red and shed their leaves. "Kradum ngoen" ("Eriocaulon henryanum" Ruhle) and lady's slipper orchids ("Paphiopedilum sukhakulii" Schoser & Senghas) make up the undergrowth of the hill evergreen forest. On the east side of Phu Luang dinosaur footprints on the rock, aged more than 120 million years, were discovered.
There are various kinds of forests such as mixed deciduous forest, dry evergreen forest, and hill evergreen forest. The most prominent ones at Phu Luang are "Pinus merkusii" and Khasi pine forests, savanna on plains, mounds, and stone terraces. The wildlife sanctuary has organised the Phu Luang Nature Study Route, starting from Amphoe Phu Ruea at Khok Nok Kraba, passing Lan Suriyan, Pha Somdet, and the dinosaur footprints.
The reserve is home to an estimated 100 wild Asian elephants. The Elephants Rehabilitation Project within the wildlife reserve is under the patronage of Queen Sirikit.
The Phu Luang cliff frog ("Huia aureola") was found within the reserve in 2006, notable for its ability to change color. Also more than 160 species of orchids grow in the area.


John Hay (nature writer)

John Hay (August 31, 1915, Ipswich, Massachusetts – February 26, 2011, Bremen, Maine) was an American author, naturalist, and conservation activist. Hay co-founded the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster, Massachusetts and served as its president from 1955 to 1980. He composed 18 books from his "writing shack" on Dry Hill at his home in Brewster, Massachusetts, including two autobiographies, "A beginner's faith in things unseen" (1995) and "Mind the Gap: The Education of a Nature Writer." (2004).
Hay was born in Ipswich, Massachusetts in 1915 and grew up in New York City. His grandfather was Secretary of State John Milton Hay. He attended Harvard University and served in the army during World War II. During most of his career, he lived in Brewster, Massachusetts and Bremen, Maine, and he worked on conservation in the northeast. In 1955, he helped co-found the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History and served as its president from 1955 to 1980. He later served on the Brewster Conservation Commission, where he worked on conservation of the town's salt marshes.


Gulf of Drin

The Gulf of Drin or Bay of Drin ( or "Pellgu i Drinit") is an ocean basin of the Adriatic Sea within the Mediterranean Sea along the northern coast of Albania. Roughly scythe-shaped, it extends immediately from the Delta of the Buna in the north, across the port city of Shëngjin, to the Cape of Rodon in the south. The shoreline of the gulf is a shallow combination of sandy beaches, sand dunes, capes, salty and fresh water wetlands, estuaries, pine and coastal forests, reed beds and coastal meadows.
The shoreline of the gulf has a length of approximately 60 kilometres and is dotted with cliffs and beaches fed by fluvial imputes. The region is drained by numerous rivers and has formed a characteristic ecosystem and biodiversity. It is named after the Drin River that runs through a mountainous area towards the coast, however, the Ishëm and Mat drains into the gulf. In consideration to the flat landscape, the gulf's shoreline are dotted with extensive wetlands and lagoons that continuously change in size and shape.
The biodiversity of the gulf is relatively high and several protected areas have been established along the coasts amongst them the Buna River-Velipoja Protected Landscape in the north, Kune-Vain Nature Reserve in the centre and Patoku-Fushë Kuqja Nature Reserve in the south. It is also classified as an Important Bird and Plant Area, because it supports numerous bird and plant species. The region lies mainly within the catchment area of the Drin that is officially recognized as an important biodiversity hotspot.
The gulf is one of the most important places in the Adriatic Sea for sea turtles. Its beaches are nesting and foraging grounds for 2 important and endangered species of sea turtles including the green sea and loggerhead sea turtle. Apart from the famous endangered sea turtles, which are to be found in almost all the coasts, it hosts whales such as the cuvier's beaked whale and dolphins amongst them the striped dolphin, risso's dolphin and common bottlenose dolphin.


List of World Heritage Sites in Jordan

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. Jordan accepted the convention on 5 May 1975, making its historical sites eligible for inclusion on the list. As of 2016, five sites in Jordan are included.
World Heritage Sites.
Tentative list.
In addition to sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, member states can maintain a list of tentative sites that they may consider for nomination. Nominations for the World Heritage List are only accepted if the site was previously listed on the tentative list. As of 2016, Jordan lists fourteen properties on its tentative list:


Tresticklan National Park

Tresticklan National Park () is located in the municipality of Dals-Ed in northwestern Dalsland, Sweden, along the Norwegian border. "Trestickel" means "trident", possibly a reference to the shape of Lake Stora Tresticklan. This national park contains one of the few remaining areas of old-growth forest in southern Scandinavia. The park was established in 1996 and has an area of . The park's highest point is the Orshöjden (276 m.a.sl).


Hare and Dunhog Mosses

Hare and Dunhog Mosses is a nature reserve near Selkirk, in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, in the former Selkirkshire.


Rosaschi Air Park

Rosaschi Air Park is a public use airport owned by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and located two nautical miles (4 km) north of the central business district of Smith, in Lyon County, Nevada, United States.
Facilities and aircraft.
Rosaschi Air Park covers an area of 482 acres (195 ha) at an elevation of 4,809 feet (1,466 m) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 7/25 is 4,800 by 32 feet (1,463 x 10 m) with an asphalt surface and 17/35 is 3,700 by 64 feet (1,128 x 20 m) with a dirt surface.
For the 12-month period ending June 30, 2009, the airport had 5,840 aircraft operations, an average of 16 per day: 99.7% general aviation and 0.3% military.
At that time 10 aircraft were based here: 70% single-engine, 20% ultralight, and 10% multi-engine.


Sucre

Sucre () is the constitutional capital of Bolivia, the capital of the Chuquisaca Department and the 6th most populated city in Bolivia. Located in the south-central part of the country, Sucre lies at an elevation of 2,810 meters (9,214 feet). This relatively high altitude gives the city a subtropical highland climate with cool temperatures year-round.
Its pre-Columbian name was Chuquisaca; during the Spanish Empire it was called La Plata.
Before the arrival of the Spanish, the city of Chuquisaca had its own autonomy with respect to the Inca Empire (the Charcas were the only people that did not pay the ransom for the Inca captive).
History.
On November 30, 1538, Sucre was founded under the name "Ciudad de la Plata de la Nueva Toledo" (City of Silver of New Toledo) by Pedro Anzures, Marqués de Campo Redondo. In 1559, the Spanish King Philip II established the "Audiencia de Charcas" in La Plata with authority over an area which covers what is now Paraguay, southeastern Peru, Northern Chile and Argentina, and much of Bolivia. The "Audiencia de Charcas" was a subdivision of the Viceroyalty of Peru until 1776, when it was transferred to the newly created Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. In 1601 the Recoleta Monastery was founded by the Franciscans and in 1609 an archbishopric was founded in the city. In 1624 St Francis Xavier University of Chuquisaca was founded.
Very much a Spanish city during the colonial era, the narrow streets of the city centre are organised in a grid, reflecting the Andalusian culture that is embodied in the architecture of the city's great houses and numerous convents and churches. Sucre remains the seat of the Roman Catholic Church in Bolivia, and a common sight is members of religious orders dressed in traditional habit. For much of its colonial history, Sucre's temperate climate was preferred by the Spanish royalty and wealthy families involved in silver trade coming from Potosí. Testament to this is the Glorieta Castle. Sucre's University (Universidad Mayor Real y Pontificia de San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca) is one of the oldest universities in the new world.
On May 25, 1809 the Bolivian independence movement was started with the ringing of the bell of the Basilica of Saint Francisco. This bell was rung to the point of breakage, but it can still be found in the Basilica today: it is one of the most precious relics of the city.
Until the 19th century, La Plata was the judicial, religious and cultural centre of the region. It was proclaimed provisional capital of the newly independent Alto Peru (later, Bolivia) in July 1826. On July 12, 1839, President José Miguel de Velasco proclaimed a law naming the city as the capital of Bolivia, and renaming it in honor of the revolutionary leader Antonio José de Sucre. After the economic decline of Potosí and its silver industry, the Bolivian seat of government was moved from Sucre to La Paz in 1898. Many argue Sucre was the location of the beginning of the Latin American independence movement against Spain. The first "Grito Libertario" (Shout for Freedom) in any Western Hemisphere Spanish colony is said to have taken place in Sucre in 1809. From that point of view, Bolivia was the last Spanish imperial territory in South America to gain its independence, in 1825. In 1991 Sucre became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The city attracts thousands of tourists every year due to its well-preserved downtown with buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries. Nestled at the foot of the twin hills of Churuquella and Sika Sika, Sucre is the gateway to numerous small villages that date from the colonial era, the most well-known of which is Tarabuco, home of the colorful "Pujllay" festival held each March. Most of these villagers are members of one of the indigenous ethnicities. Many dress in clothing distinctive to their respective villages.
Government.
Together with La Paz, Sucre is one of two governmental centers of Bolivia: It is the seat of the judiciary, where the Supreme Court of Justice is located. As designated in the Constitution of Bolivia, Sucre is the true capital of the nation, while La Paz is the seat of government. Sucre is also the capital city of the department of Chuquisaca.
The government of the City of Sucre is divided into executive and legislative branches. The Mayor of Sucre is the executive head of the city government, elected for a term of five years by general election. The legislative branch consists of the Municipal Council, which elects a President, Vice President and Secretary from a group of eleven members.
The mayor of Sucre is Enrique Leaño of the Movement for Socialism, who defeated Horacio Poppe in elections held on March 3, 2021.
The Municipal Council is the legislative branch of the government of the municipality of Sucre, the constitutional capital of Bolivia. The council consists of eleven elected members, and it elects its own President, Vice President and Secretary. The members of the municipal council elected on May 3, 2021 are:
Geography and territorial organization.
Sucre is divided into eight numbered districts: the first five of these are urban districts, while Districts 6, 7, and 8 are rural districts. Each is administered by a Sub-Mayor (), appointed by the Mayor of Sucre. The rural districts include numerous rural communities outside the urban area.
Sucre is served by Alcantari Airport, situated to the South.
Climate.
Sucre has a subtropical highland climate (Köppen: Cwb), with mild temperatures year round. Rain generally falls in summer thunderstorms.
The highest record temperature was while the lowest record temperature was
The City of Four Names.
Each of the well known names represent a specific era of the city's history.
Sports.
Sucre has the most important sport facilities in Bolivia, and the most practiced sport in the city is football. Sucre has the second-biggest football and Olympic stadium in the country, the Estadio Patria. As of the 2019 Apertura, the 2008 champion club Universitario de Sucre was relegated from the Bolivian professional league, leaving the city without a first-division team.
Other sports are also practiced, such as swimming at la Piscina Bolivariana, basketball at numerous courts around the city, as well as taekwondo, kung fu, volleyball, tennis and racquetball.
Education.
Sucre is home to the second oldest public university in the Americas, the Universidad Mayor Real y Pontificia de San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca; often abbreviated USFX. The university draws students both nationally and internationally, and different departments can be found scattered around the city. Degree areas at USFX include law, political science, medicine, odontology, chemistry, business administration, financial sciences, and more.
The city also features other academic institutions such as a campus of the private university Universidad Privada del Valle also known as Univalle, the National Teachers School (Escuela Nacional de Maestros "Mariscal Sucre"), the Universidad Privada Domingo Savio, and the Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar.
Architecture.
The city of Sucre contains many old and classic buildings:
The House of Freedom.
Built in 1621, it is perhaps the most important building of the nation. The republic was founded in this building by Simón Bolívar who wrote the Bolivian Constitution.
The "Salón de la Independencia" houses the Bolivian Declaration of Independence.
National Library.
Built on the same year of the foundation of the Republic, it is the first and the most important historical, bibliographical and documentation center of the country. The National Library has documents that date from 16th century.
Metropolitan Cathedral.
Built between 1559 and 1712, the cathedral has the "Museo Catedraliceo" which is the first and most important religious museum of the country. The "Pinacoteca" has a vast collection of paintings by Colonial and Republican masters and also by Europeans such as Bitti, Fourchaudt and Van Dyck. The Cathedral contains a vast amount of jewelry made of gold, silver and gemstones.
Archbishop's Palace.
Built in 1609, was an important religious and historic institution during colonial times.
Departmental Autonomous Government of Chuquisaca.
One of the best buildings of republican architecture, this was completed in 1896. It was the first Palace of Government of Bolivia but when the government was moved to La Paz it became the Chuquisaca Governorship Palace.
Supreme Court of Justice.
On July 16, 1827 the Supreme Court of the Nation was established. Its first president was Dr. Manuel Maria Urcullo. Others prominent in its history include Dr. Pantaleon Dalence, who was twice president of the Supreme Court and through his qualities became known as the 'Father of Bolivian Justice'. This institution was installed in several places before moving to its current building. It was designed in the neoclassical style under the canons of French academicism and was inaugurated on May 25, 1945.
General Cemetery.
Some of the areas date from the late nineteenth century. Ornate mausoleums, tombs and gardens with magnificent old trees populate the space that is home to the graves of important people in the arts, sciences and the history both of Bolivia and of Latin America. Because of the tranquility offered by the site, many students choose to study here.
Transportation.
The city is served by Alcantarí Airport with multiple domestic destinations on three commercial airlines.


Kenting National Park

Kenting National Park (), commonly known as Kenting (), is a national park located on the Hengchun Peninsula of Pingtung County, Taiwan, covering Hengchun, Checheng, and Manzhou Townships. Established on 1 January 1984, it is Taiwan's oldest and the southernmost national park on the main island, covering the southernmost area of the Taiwan island along Bashi Channel. Administered by the Executive Yuan's Ministry of the Interior, this national park is well known for its tropical climate and sunshine, scenic mountain and beach, the Spring Scream rock-band festival held in every March, and has long been one of the most popular tourist destinations in Taiwan with 5.84 million visitors in 2016.
Etymology.
Kenting (墾丁, Kun-ting in Taiwanese) means pathfinders or pioneers.
Geography.
The park covers about of land, of sea, weighing in at combined. Nan Wan and Banana Bay (香蕉灣) is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Taiwan Strait, and the Luzon Strait. The park is away from Kaohsiung, away from Tainan.
The landscape boasted by Kenting National Park is divided into two parts by the long and narrow Hengchun Longitudinal Valley Plain that extends from north to south. With coral sea cliffs teemed with fringing reefs along the west coast, the park features a large number of mountains in the north, and coral tablelands and foothills in the south. The plain, which is formed by fault valleys, has a vast lake called Longluan Lake, together with rising coral tablelands and limestone caves to the east. The east side of the coral tablelands features unique sand rivers and sand waterfalls formed by the combined effects of winds and rivers, as well as coral cliffs, sunken caves and stalactites.
Climate.
Kenting is known for its tropical climate with warm to hot weather year-round. Along with the rest of Pingtung, the climate is geographically classified as a tropical monsoon climate.
Biodiversity.
The park hosts rich terrestrial biodiversity of fauna and flora including 15 species of mammals, 310 species of birds, 59 species of reptiles and amphibians, 21 species of freshwater fish, 216 species of butterflies, and various insects.
Eluanbi Park or Oluanpi Park (鹅鑾鼻公園) is located at Cape Eluanbi. Nature reserves such as the Longkeng Ecological Protection Area (龍坑生態保護區) protecting coral reefs and virgin forest of Banana Bay and Hengchun Peninsula. 26 species of land crabs inhabit in the area and which is the highest diversity of terrestrial crabs in single areas in the world. 34 species of terrestrial mammals including 5 locally extinct such as Formosan clouded leopard, and 4 introduced such as water buffalo, have been recorded. Formosan sika deer which became extinct in wild in 1969, was first reintroduced into Kenting National Park in 1994. Aside from sika deer, 6 species of terrestrial mammals were once thought to be extinct in the area, while critically endangered Chinese pangolin were rediscovered a decade after.
Ocean current which flows off the park provides rich diversities of marine ecosystems including sea birds, sea turtles including critically endangered hawksbill turtles, sharks such as bull sharksmanta-rays, and whale sharks, and smaller to medium-sized cetaceans. The area was once a major wintering ground for sperm and baleen whales especially humpback whales that migrated into Nan Wan and Banana Bay. Japanese whaling during Japanese colonial days, led to severe depletions or disappearances of whales in consequence. Today, no or very few whales may constantly migrate along Hengchun Peninsula and into the park's waters. Dugongs, thought to be either fully or functionally extinct in Taiwan, were reported in the 1950s and 60s, and these were some of the last report of the species in Taiwanese waters.
Lighthouse.
Eluanbi Lighthouse was completed in 1883, following requests from the American and Japanese governments to the Chinese government after several shipwrecks occurred in the 1860s (including the Rover incident). Chinese troops had to be sent to protect the lighthouse during construction from attacks by local tribesmen, and the lighthouse was surrounded by a fort with cannons and a ditch for protection. It is one of the rare examples in the world of a fortified lighthouse. The lighthouse itself is high and its light is above the tidal high water. The light flashes every 10 seconds and its range is .


Austin Airport (Nevada)

Austin Airport is a public use airport owned by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management five miles southwest of Austin, in Lander County, Nevada.
Many U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the FAA and IATA, but this airport is TMT to the FAA and ASQ to the IATA (which assigned TMT to Porto Trombetas Airport in Pará, Brazil).
Facilities.
Austin Airport covers 1,205 acres (488 ha) at an elevation of 5,735 feet (1,748 m). Its single runway, 18/36, is 6,000 by 75 feet (1,829 x 23 m).
In the year ending August 31, 2012 the airport had 1,400 aircraft operations, average 116 per month: 93% general aviation and 7% military. Six aircraft were then based at this airport, all single-engine.


Lorentz National Park

Lorentz National Park is a national park located in Papua, Indonesia, in the southwest of western New Guinea. With an area of 25,056 km2 (9,674 mi2), it is the largest national park in southeast Asia. In 1999 Lorentz was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
An outstanding example of the biodiversity of New Guinea, Lorentz is one of the most ecologically diverse national parks in the world. It is the only nature reserve in the Asia-Pacific region to contain a full altitudinal array of ecosystems ranging through marine areas, mangroves, tidal and freshwater swamp forest, lowland and montane rainforest, alpine tundra, and equatorial glaciers. At 4884 meters, Puncak Jaya (formerly Carstensz Pyramid) is the tallest mountain between the Himalayas and the Andes.
Birdlife International has called Lorentz Park “probably the single most important reserve in New Guinea”. It contains five of World Wildlife Fund's "Global 200" ecoregions: Southern New Guinea Lowland Forests; New Guinea Montane Forests; New Guinea Central Range Subalpine Grasslands; New Guinea Mangroves; and New Guinea Rivers and Streams.
Lorentz Park contains many unmapped and unexplored areas, and is certain to contain many species of plants and animals as yet unknown to Western science. Local communities' ethnobotanical and ethnozoological knowledge of the Lorentz biota is also very poorly documented.
The park is named for Hendrikus Albertus Lorentz, a Dutch explorer who passed through the area on his 1909–10 expedition.
Fauna.
Lorentz National Park has 630 documented species of bird (around 95% of the total number of bird species in Papua) and 123 mammalian species. Birds include two species of cassowary, 31 dove and pigeon species, 500 species of cockatoo, 60 species of kingfisher and 145 species of sunbird. Six bird species are endemic to the Snow Mountains including the Snow Mountain quail and Snow Mountains robin, 26 species are endemic to the Central Papuan Ranges while three are endemic to the South Papuan Lowlands. Threatened species include the southern cassowary, Alpine woolly rat, southern crowned pigeon, Pesquet's parrot, Salvadori's teal and Macgregor's giant honeyeater.
The mammal species include the long-beaked echidna, short-beaked echidna, and four species of cuscus as well as wallabies, quolls and tree-kangaroos. Endemic to the Sudirman Range is the dingiso, a tree-kangaroo species only discovered in 1995.
Human habitation and culture.
The area of the national park has been inhabited for more than 25,000 years. The forests of Lorentz encompass the traditional lands of eight indigenous ethnic groups, including the Asmat, Amung, Dani, Sempan, and Nduga. Estimates of the current population vary between 6,300 and 10,000.
It is widely acknowledged that conservation management strategies for the park will have to incorporate the needs and aspirations of these peoples if the park is to succeed in protecting biodiversity. Moreover, cultural diversity is another important measure of success for the park.
Ecological threats.
The main threats to the biodiversity of Lorentz are from commercial logging, forest conversion for plantation agriculture, smallholder agricultural conversion, mining/oil/gas development, illegal road construction, and the illegal species trade. Global warming also poses a substantial threat.
As of 2005, there was no reported commercial logging or other large-scale threats present inside the park. There are no currently active forest conversion projects, and agricultural conversion is minimal. The illegal species trade is known to be a serious problem. The large Freeport gold/copper mining operation has been active for decades to the west and north of the park but is not active inside the park boundaries. Oil exploration inside and to the northeast of the park is ongoing.
The overall health of the biodiversity of Lorentz Park is currently excellent. While logging and other threats have yet to materialize, it is likely that this will become a threat in the future. Climate change poses a very real threat, but its specific implications for Lorentz are uncertain.
Conservation.
The first formal protection of a 3,000 km² core area of the Lorentz landscape was applied by the Dutch Colonial Government in 1919 with the establishment of the Lorentz Nature Monument. In 1978, the Indonesian Government established a Strict Nature Reserve with an area of 21,500 km². Lorentz National Park was established in 1997, with a total area of 25,056 km², including an eastern extension and coastal and marine areas.
Lorentz National Park was listed as a natural World Heritage Site in 1999, however an area of about 1,500 km² was excluded from listing due to the presence of mining exploration titles within the park.
As of 2005, there were no park staff or guards assigned to Lorentz. However, the park's success largely depends on local communities' understanding of and support for conservation, rather than external enforcement alone. Several conservation organizations are working in the Lorentz area.
In 2006, the Minister of Forestry established a managing structure for Lorentz National Park, the Lorentz National Park Bureau with headquarters in Wamena. The Bureau became functional only in 2007, and reached a staffing of 44 in mid-2008. However an UNESCO Monitoring Mission in 2008 acknowledged that the capacity of the Bureau was seriously limited due to lack of funding, equipment and experience.


Marine parks in Hong Kong

The Marine Parks Ordinance protects and conserves the marine environment and a rich collection of aquatic animals and plants, such as corals, sea grasses and dolphins. The ordinance also provides the legal framework for the designation, control and management of marine parks and marine reserves. The Marine Parks and Marine Reserve Regulation provides for the prohibition and control of certain activities in marine parks and marine reserve.
The Marine Parks/Reserve.
These areas covers a total area of 34 km². They comprise scenic coastal areas, seascapes and important marine habitats. Marine parks and reserve are managed for conservation, education, recreation and scientific studies. In marine parks, visitors are encouraged to appreciate the beauty and diversity of marine life. Diving, snorkeling, swimming, canoeing, sailing, underwater photography and school visits are popular activities in marine parks.
Conservation and education.
In marine parks, a multiple use approach is adopted. Activities compatible with the objectives of marine parks and non-destructive to the marine environment are allowed. Activities destructive to marine environment and coastal features such as trawling, unauthorised fishing, hunting or collecting of marine life are prohibited. On-site information boards, mooring buoys and markers are installed. Educational activities such as guided tours, beach clean-ups, seabed clean-ups and public lectures are regularly organised. In marine reserve, recreational activities are prohibited and the area is protected for nature conservation and scientific studies. AFCD is exploring the possibility for further extension of marine parks to place more important marine habitats under protection.
Conservation concerns.
The major concerns in relation to Hong Kong's marine parks, as announced by various green groups include:
Green groups point towards the following factors as needing attention.


Phou Hin Poun National Biodiversity Conservation Area

The Phou Hin Poun National Biodiversity Conservation Area, formerly known as the Khammouane Limestone National Biodiversity Conservation Area, is one of 21 National Biodiversity Conservation Areas of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. Located in a limestone tower karst region of the Annamite Range in Khammouane Province, it is home to a number of rare or newly discovered species. National Biodiversity Conservation Areas are not protected by the government of Laos in any meaningful way; the budget for each is about $500. The human population of the NBCA is 29,603.
Flora and fauna.
The vegetation of Phou Hin Poun National Biodiversity Conservation Area is shaped by its tropical savanna climate, and the rugged, cave-riddled and porous karst terrain. Over 50% of the landscape is estimated to be rocky outcroppings, and most of the rest is dry evergreen forest and scrubland. This diverse landscape is home to 113 species of mammal, 160 species of bird, 81 species of reptile, 47 species of amphibian and 145 species of fish. There are 41 known species of bats in Phou Hin Poun National Biodiversity Conservation Area, with a single cave, Tam Houay Si, used by 22 species.
The most striking discovery coming from the Phou Hin Poun NBCA is the Laotian rock rat ("Laonastes aenigmamus"), so unusual that it was first assigned to its own family and later to a family previously thought to be extinct for 11 million years. Another species discovered in the Phou Hin Poun NBCA, "Saxatilomys paulinae", represents a new genus of the Murinae subfamily, the Old World rats and mice.
Mammals known or suspected to live in Phou Hin Poun include the Indian elephant ("Elephas maximus indicus"), the Indochinese tiger ("Panthera tigris corbetti"), the critically endangered saola ("Pseudoryx nghetinhensis"), the giant muntjac ("Muntiacus vuquangensis"), the Assam macaque ("Macaca assamensis"), François' langur ("Semnopithecus francoisi laotum"), and the black giant squirrel ("Ratufa bicolor"). Birds found in Phou Hin Poun NBCA include the grey peacock-pheasant ("Polyplectron bicalcaratum"), the hill myna ("Gracula religiosa"), red-collared woodpecker ("Picus rabieri"), the sooty babbler ("Stachyris herberti"), and the wreathed hornbill ("Rhyticeros undulatus").


Historical parks of Thailand

Historical parks in Thailand () are managed by the Fine Arts Department, a sub-division of the Ministry of Education. There are currently eleven parks, with four them registered as World Heritage Sites by the UNESCO.