Bicuari National Park

Bicuari National Park (Portuguese: Parque Nacional do Bicuar; also called Bicuar National Park or Bikuar/Huila National Park) is a national park in Angola. It is located in the south-west region of the country on the Huila Plateau, about 120 km SE of Lubango. The park is an area of sandy hills and shrub thicket character. The climate is tropical semi-arid. Bicuar was established as a hunting reserve in 1938, and reformed as a national park in 1964. Historically known for its large mammals, such as the black buffalo, the park suffered heavily in the Angolan Civil War (1975-2002). During this time the animals were mostly or entirely exterminated, but the Angolan Government is now undertaking efforts to rebuild the infrastructure and resettle the animals.
Natural features.
The park is bordered on the east by the Cunene River, one of the few perennial rivers in the region. The dominant vegetation is described as Angolan miombo woodlands and Angolan mopane woodlands, an area of savanna and woodlands on the plateau east of the coastal hills. Portions of the park are seasonally wet or wetland swamps and dambo grasslands.
The Bicuar stands at the northern end of a distinct ecoregion known as the Angolan mopane woodland. The area is known for high species richness, variable rainfall, and the importance of mopane trees to the animals and people of the region.
The climate of Bicuari is described under the Köppen climate classification system as "Temperate highland tropical climate with dry winters" (Cwb), and the warmest months temperatures averaging below 22 °C. Average rainfall is 600–800 mm/year.
Animal life.
The area has historically been known for large herds of common antelopes, elephants, and other large mammals. All species populations are believed to have been severely reduced during the war (the park was reportedly used as a practice artillery range), poaching, and human encroachment. Since cessation of hostilities, work has begun by the Huila provincial government to rebuild the infrastructure of the park to attract and protect animals.
As of 2013, it has been reported that some of the large mammals are returning to Bicuar. The park administrator noted that "We are happy with the return of herds of elephants into the municipalities of Quipungo, Matala and Gambos, as the animals are recognising their habitat and are reproducing inside the park.". Besides elephants, the park also reportedly supports Spotted hyenas, Lions, antelopes, elands, gnus and zebras.


Mols Bjerge National Park

Mols Bjerge National Park or Nationalpark Mols Bjerge is a Danish national park in the area known as "Mols Bjerge" (Mols Hills, lit.: Mols Mountains) in Syddjurs Municipality, Central Jutland, inaugurated on 29 August 2009. The protected area, measures in size. The Mols Hills, reaching a height of , are centrally located in the park, and take up 2,500 ha. "More than half of all wild Danish plant species" can be found at Mols Bjerge.
Legal status.
The creation of the park - Denmark's second - was announced by Minister of the Environment Troels Lund Poulsen on 17 January 2008. It was proposed that the park would be established under the Executive Order 789, dated 21 August 2009, into national law. The park was finally inaugurated by Queen Margrethe II on 29 August 2009.
Geography.
The park comprises most of the southern parts of the headland of Djursland. It is bounded on the east by the sea of Kattegat, the forests of Kaløskovene in the west and to the south by multiple inlets, coves and plains of glacially generated moraine. The town of Ebeltoft, along with villages and summer house residence areas, is considered part of the park. Land in the national park is held under both private and state ownership. Nearly 33% of the park is cultivated and 80% of the hill area is under private ownership. In addition to the natural attractions, the park also features an 18th-century manor and ruins of a 14th-century castle. Accessible by road, bicycle tracks and hiking trails, there are a number of designated parking areas throughout the park area.
Mols Bjerge National Park has a rolling and widely varying topography of woodlands and open countryside, created at the end of the last ice age. Elevation in the park area varies, rising to a maximum of in Mols Hills, with many types of habitats such as heath, forests, pastures, bogs, meadows, a variety of coastal habitats and sea.
Attractions.
Some of the attractions in the park are the forest areas of Skovbjerg, Strandkær, the ruins of Kalø Castle, Ørnbjerg water mill, Jernhatten, Ahl Plantation, Bjørnkær-Egedal Forest, and the Kalø woodlands.
As standing witnesses to the ancient Stone Age human habitation of the area, granite barrows, dolmens and passage graves used for burials of chieftains, can be seen throughout the landscape. The well-preserved burial mound of Stabelhøje (lit: Stack-hills), dates to the Bronze Age.
The castle ruins in the southwest of the park area, are the remains of the old and once important Kalø Castle. It is situated strategically on the small island of Kalø and the route to the castle ruins includes a stretch of medieval road on a cobblestone embankment. The marina of Nappedam is located in the cove east of the embankment and on the shores of the mainland lie the Kalø woodlands of Hestehave and Ringelmose. Hestehave Wood presents opportunities for bird-watching and the Stone Age (Funnelbeaker culture) long barrow of Store Stenhøj. The coastal cliffs at Hestehave Wood supplied the clay for bricks, when Kalø Castle was built in the early 14th century and the forest here was probably planted later on in the 1500-1600s. Further inland, the former manor of Kalø Gods from the early 18th century and the hunting lodge of Jagslottet designed by architect Hack Kampmann in 1898 can be found. Jagtslottet was originally owned by the German Jenisch-family who used it for summer retreats. The Jenisch was well-liked in the region apparently, but after WW II German property in Denmark was confiscated in order to pay an estimated compensation claim of DK 11.6 billion. Now the secretariat of the national park takes residence at Jagtslottet, while Kalø Gods is owned by the state and holds several schools and an environmental administration.
The old farm of Strandkær in the middle of the park comprise the houses of Øvre and Nedre Strandkær (Upper and Lower Strandkær). Nedre Strandkær was built around 1730. The farmhouse now house the research activities on the national park and also functions as a training center for nature guides. Øvre Strandkær holds the Visitor Centre of the Danish Forest and Nature Agency. A trekking path leads from Strandkær through forests of pinewood and deciduous trees and across old grasslands pastures with grazing cattle.
The protected landscape south and east of the Strandkær visitor centre has a high concentration of tumuli. The open heath and grassland together with the many hill tops, offers grand vistas of the entire region. Patches of woodland grows here and there, most of them young plantations, but the deciduous wood of Skovbjerg presents one of the few remnants of the ancient forest in the national park. Further south lies the cove of Begtrup Vig and the peninsula of Helgenæs. Begtrup vig is a protected Natura 2000 area, but visitors are welcome and the shallow cove offers good and safe opportunities for snorkeling and windsurfing. Helgenæs is not part of the national park.
Mols used to house several water mills. The village of Femmøller (lit.: Five-mills) a few kilometres north of Strandkær, sprawled around a total of five water mills. None of the mills are left today, but the millponds and the timber-framed houses of the old village can still be experienced. Nowadays Ørnbjerg Mølle further east, is the only functioning water mill in the park area. Located to the south of Feldballe and enclosed within a forested area, it is run by a group of volunteers. The current timber-framed buildings date to 1833, but there has been a mill here since the 16th century. It works as a grain mill, powered by the Ulstrup Stream. The path to the mill follows the valley to Stubbe Lake, the largest lake in Djursland.
Jernhatten (English: The Iron Hat) is a view point on the coast of the Kattegat sea, in the eastern parts of the park. The cliff above the sea has a drop of . The formation is very hard and not erodible by sea waves. From the car parking area, the site is approached along a track passing through the beechwood of Troldeskoven (English: The Troll Forest). The hill offers panoramic views of the surrounding area and across the Kattegat sea with the small island of Hjelm in the southeast. The path to Jernhatten leads onwards to the hills of Hyllested Bjerge, the forest of Bagskoven and down to the beach. The seafloor along the coast here, comprise a cold water stony reef with an extensive kelp forest known as the "Blak", offering good snorkeling opportunities in the summer months. Harbour porpoises may be visible as well.
The woodlands of Bjørnkær-Egedal Forest and Ahl Plantation are both situated near Ebeltoft. Just south of Ebeltoft is also the small woodland of Tolløkke Wood. It is the only remaining patch of old forest on the entire Ebeltoft-peninsula and presents many large and old trees. Deciduous trees such as beech, oak, ash, black alder and willow dominate and the forest floor is covered with plants that can only thrive in ancient woodlands, such as the white-flowered Wood Anemone, the purple Early Dog-violet or the yellow Lesser celandine. Many trees are covered with the non-parasitic common ivy and cavity nesting birds like great spotted woodpecker thrives here. Tolløkke Wood has been in possession of the citizens of Ebeltoft for centuries and it used to house summertime celebrations at "Skovpavillionen" - a dance pavilion in the midst of the forest.
Bjørnkær-Egedal Forest was previously an important oak forest owned by the Crown, but it was deforested for firewood to produce salt during the wars of the 1660s and 1670s with Sweden. The forest was replanted in 1940-45 during the German occupation of World War II, as a labour project for the unemployed. Now species of conifer dominate, but various deciduous trees are mixed in, such as beech. Bjørnkær-Egedal Wood is situated just east of Ebeltoft in the hilly terrain of "Skelhøje", offering scenic views of the landscape of this region.
Ahl Plantation is a coastal forest planted in the later part of the 19th century on a large depositional protrusion southwest of Ebeltoft and comprise both salt marsh and woodland. The sturdy Mountain pine dominate the 110 ha forest, but oak and birch is mixed in. Green woodpecker is common here, indulging in the many ant-heaps of the forest. The northward shores are very shallow and attracts flocks of foraging gulls and wading birds such as Lapwing, Curlew, Oystercatcher and Ringed plover. Some of the trenches and bunkers built here during the war of 1801–1814 against England, can still be seen today. Similar constructions exists at Ebeltoft, Havmøllen at Jernhatten, Randers and Stavns Fjord on the island of Samsø.
Flora and fauna.
Mols Bjerge National Park contains many rare or threatened species and nature-types and a large part of the park is to be preserved as Natura 2000. One of the reasons to establish the park was to protect and collectively administer separate and fragmented areas.
Agriculture has marked the entire landscape and ecosystem of Mols very heavily for centuries and only small patches and remnants of the former ancient woodland exist nowadays. It can still be experienced here in forests like Tolløkke Skov or Skovbjerg (lit: Wood-Hill), an oak-dominated woodland. Even though Skovbjerg is an ancient woodland, the habitat has been subject to a cyclical use of “grazing and timbering” for centuries and young scrub and open grasslands are around. In recent years, an area of has been subject to beef cattle grazing to a moderate degree. In Denmark, 10% of the forest-preserved land is allowed to be used for wood pastures in order to maintain and create stable woodland ecosystems. The forest habitat of Skovbjerg consists of old acidophilous woodland of pedunculate oak ("Quercus robur"), characterized by a low diversity of vascular plants, but many different epiphytic lichens. Roe deer are the only larger grazing animal observed here. It has a population density of 20 deer per km2.
Important wildlife flora in the national park includes plants such as the pasque flower, catchfly, and cudweed. Threatened nature habitats like beach meadows, coastal heath and salt marshes holds important flora and fauna to be protected. A large number of rare and threatened fungi species has been found in Mols Bjerge National Park, some of them nowhere else in the country.
The wildlife fauna comprise Fox, hare, deer, and important reptiles like lizard and viper. There are rich and varied populations of birds in the park area, ranging from sea birds, waders, forest birds, cavity nesting birds to birds of prey at the top of the food chain.


Anaphalis javanica

Anaphalis javanica or Javanese edelweiss is a flowering plant species endemic to Indonesia. They are found mostly in mountainous regions of Java, southern Sumatra, southern Sulawesi and Lombok. Although a mature plant can reach eight metres in height, most specimens are less than a metre tall. The flower are generally seen between April and August. A bird species, the Javan whistling thrush ("Myophonus glaucinus"), nests in the plant's branches.
Threat.
Known as "bunga abadi" in Indonesian, literally means eternal flower, this plant is popular among tourists. Dried flowers are often sold as souvenirs. This could lead to the destruction of the wild grown species. In the Bromo-Tengger region in East Java this plant is considered extinct. This species is constantly decreasing in number and is currently protected in Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park.
The plant has been protected under Indonesian law since 1990.


List of Tanzanian conservation organisations

This is a list of conservation, natural resource and ecology-related organisations in Tanzania, including both Tanzanian based organisations and international organisations represented in Tanzania.


Ugashik Bay Airport

Ugashik Bay Airport is a public use airport located 11 nautical miles (13 mi, 20 km) south-southwest of the central business district of Pilot Point, near Ugashik Bay in the Lake and Peninsula Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is owned by the Bureau of Land Management.
As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 180 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008, 207 enplanements in 2009, and 187 in 2010.
Facilities and aircraft.
Ugashik Bay Airport has one runway designated 12/30 with a gravel surface measuring 5,280 by 125 feet (1,609 x 38 m). For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2005, the airport had 50 aircraft operations, an average of 4 per month, all general aviation.
Airline and destination.
The following airline offers scheduled passenger service:


Coastal Reserve (Ukraine)

The Coastal Reserve was a former conservation area in Ukraine that was under protection from 1930 to 1933. It was primarily a bird sanctuary and officially became part of the Askania-Nova reserve in 1933.
History of creation.
H. A. Bryzhalin proposed the idea of creating bird sanctuaries in the Ukraine in 1919, along the shores of the Black Sea and the Azov Sea. Bryzhalin was inspired by examples of similar American bird sanctuaries and reserve areas.
On July 14, 1927, the Soviet resolution "Narodnykh kommisarov", or "SNK USSR No. 172", was adopted to "protect the natural environment of the Black Sea and the Azov Sea", including the "defense of birds" from predators during flight and nesting. The reserve area included Churyuk Island in the Syvash, Dzharylhach Island in the Black Sea, Solonoozerna dacha, and the Kinburnsʹka, Kryva, Bilosaraysʹka and Obitochna Spits. The total area of the reserves covered 32,000 hectares of coastal ecosystems along the coastline of the Black Sea and The Sea of Azov. The term "Azov Reserve", though technically incorrect, is sometimes used as an alternative to "Coastal Reserve".
Notable leaders of the 1920s environmental movement who took part in coastal reserve creation include I.Kurylo-Krimchak, director of the Melitopol museum of local lore; Ye.Lavrenko, Kharkiv Regional Inspector of Natural Monument Protection; and A. Brauner.
By 1927, the creation of coastal reserve areas was considered the best way to protect natural monuments. Many articles about reserve areas were published and many research expeditions were organized.
In the 1920s and 1930s, some parts of the reserve area were classified as independent reserves. These included the Obitochna Spit Reserve, Dzharylhach Reserve, and Churyuk Island Reserve.
The Ukrainian Committee for Natural Monuments Protection (UCNMP) aimed to create reserve administrations and special departments for protection. Their attempts were unsuccessful. In 1928, state gravel reserve areas were established, covering a number of individual sandy areas in the lower Dnieper Valley, and in 1929, Coastal Reserve areas were discussed at gatherings of UCNMP. However, no reserve administrations were established, so by 1932, independent coastal reserves were incorporated into the Askania-Nova reserve. From January 1, 1933, Askania-Nova was divided into two regions, each an independent institution. These were the Black Sea State Reserve and the Azov-Syvash State Reserve, today known as the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve and the Azov Syvash National Nature Park.
History of research.
In 1928, a detailed description of individual parts of coastal reserves was released to the public in "Protect Natural Sites in Ukraine," a book issued by UCNMP.
In 1927, on behalf of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, M. Sharleman led an expedition to study newly created coastal reserves. A freelance researcher from the Zoological Museum of the Ukranian Academy of Sciences, A. K. Shepe, participated in the first excursion, which was held between June 10 and 23, 1927. The second excursion, which was held between September 3 and 14, brought on board A. K. Shepe, O. YU. Borzakovskyy, and research workers from the Chapli Reserve who had attended the previous excursion. They were the head of department of the Scientific Zoological Station, O.O. Schumer, and an entomologist, S.I. Medvedev.
In his report of the expedition, Sharleman noted the urgent need to strengthen reserve protection and educate nearby villages about environmental protection. He also acknowledged the need for a more detailed study of coastal reserves and the need for permanent research stations in reserve areas. In 1928, all territory in the coastal reserves areas was intensively studied by the Odessa Regional Inspector for the Protection of Nature, V.H. Averin, and ornithologists S.I Snihirevskyy and L.A. Portenko.
In 1932, describing the value of state coastal reserves, Sharleman noted: “The great flyways of the birds of our union are near the seaside and the islands. The protection of health-arterial routes influences greatly on the number of birds in most parts of the union.” This prompted the construction of ornithological stations for studying bird migration in the coastal reserves.
External links.
The Ukrainian Committee for Natural Monuments Protection (UCNMP)
M. Sharleman in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine
Branta: Transactions of the Azov-Black Sea Ornithological Station


Pamela Malhotra

Pamela Gale Malhotra is an American animal sanctuary owner who lives in India. She was awarded India's highest award for women, the Nari Shakti Puraskar for her work at the SAI Sanctuary.
Life.
Pamela Gale was born in about 1952 in Red Bank, New Jersey She met and married an Indian restaurant owner while she was working at an all-night cafe. On their honeymoon in Hawaii they decided to buy land there. She went to work for a pharmaceutical company whilst they shared their dream of owning a forest and her husband went into the mortgage business. They lived off one person's wages whilst her husband's sales commissions were saved to buy land in Hawaii.
They decided to leave Hawaii and use their funds in India. The couple first went to the Himalayas, but they were only allowed to buy 12 acres so they came south to start the SAI (Save Animals Initiative) Sanctuary Trust.
The wildlife on their sanctuary includes Bengal Tigers, Asian Elephants, Hyena, Wild Boar, Leopards, Sambhar and the Giant Malabar squirrel.
On International Women's Day in 2017, she was in New Delhi where she was awarded the Nari Shakti Puraskar by President Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Each of the awardees received a citation and 100,000 rupees.


Palazzo Barbaran da Porto

Palazzo Barbaran da Porto is a "palazzo" in Vicenza, Italy designed in 1569 and built between 1570 and 1575 by Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio.
Since 1994 the palace is part of the "City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto" World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
In the palace is located the Museo Palladio and the Centro internazionale di studi di architettura Andrea Palladio (CISA).
History.
The sumptuous residence realised between 1570 and 1575 for the Vicentine noble Montano Barbarano is the only great city palace that Andrea Palladio succeeded in executing in its entirety.
In his "History of Vicenza" of 1591, Iacopo Marzari records Montano Barbarano as a man "of belles lettres and most excellent musician". Various flutes figure in the 1592 inventory of the palace, confirming the existence of an intensive musical activity there.
At least three different autograph projects survive, preserved in London, which document alternative hypotheses for the building's plan, all quite different from the actual one and testimony to a complex design process. Barbarano, in fact, requested Palladio to respect the existence of various houses belonging to the family and already existing on the area of the new palace. Moreover, once the project was finalised Barbarano acquired a further house adjoining the property, which resulted in the asymmetrical positioning of the entrance portal. In any case, the constraints imposed by the site and by a practical patron became the occasion for courageous and refined solutions: Palladio's intervention is magisterial, elaborating upon a sophisticated project for "restructuring" which blended the diverse pre-existing structures into a unified edifice.
In 1998, after a twenty-year restoration, the Palace has been opened to the public. The exhibition activities began in March 1999.
Description.
On the ground floor, a magnificent four-columned atrium welds together the two pre-existing building lots. In realising the scheme, Palladio was called upon to resolve two problems: one statical, how to support the floor of the great hall on the "piano nobile"; the other compositional, how to restore a symmetrical appearance to interiors compromised by the oblique course of the perimeter walls from the pre-existing houses.
Departing from the model of the wings of the Theatre of Marcellus in Rome, Palladio divided the interior into three aisles, placing centrally four Ionic columns which allowed the reduction of the span of the central cross-vaults, set against lateral barrel vaults. He thus achieved a very statically efficient framework capable of bearing the floor of the hall above without any difficulty.
The central columns were then tied to the perimeter walls by fragments of rectilinear entablature, which absorb the irregularities of the atrium plan: in this way he realised a sort of system of serliane, a stratagem conceptually similar to that of the Basilica Palladiana loggias. Palladio even adopted the unusual type of Ionic capital (derived from the Temple of Saturn in the Forum Romanum) because it permitted him to mask the slight but significant rotations necessary to align the columns and engaged columns.
Decoration.
To decorate the palace, in several campaigns Montano employed some of the greatest artists of his time: Giovanni Battista Zelotti (who had already intervened in the interiors of Palladio's Villa Emo at Fanzolo), Anselmo Canera and Andrea Vicentino; the stuccoes were entrusted to Lorenzo Rubini (who contemporaneously executed the external decorations of the Loggia del Capitanio) and, after his death in 1574, to his son Agostino. The net result was a sumptuous palace capable of rivalling the residences of the Thiene, the Porto and of the Valmarana, a palace which permitted its patron to represent himself to the city as a ranking member of the Vicentine cultural élite.


Zhongar-Alatau National Park

Zhongar-Alatau National Park (, "Jońǵar Alataýy ulttyq parki"), also Jungar Alatau, or Dzungurian Alatau, was created in 2010 to protect the unique ecology of the Dzungarian Alatau, an isolated, glaciated mountain range in Kazakhstan, on the southeastern border with China. One stated reason for creating the park is to protect forests of wild fruit trees, including apricots, barberry, cherries, and currants. Approximately 1% of the land area of the park is forested with Sievers Apple trees, which are the progenitors of all cultured apple varieties in the world. The park is 300 km long (west-to-east), and spreads across Aksu District, Sarkand District and Alakol District of Almaty Region, 300 km northeast of the regional city of Almaty.
Topography.
The park sits on the northern slope of the Dzungarian Alatau, a range between the Tian Shan to the south and the Altai Mountains to the north. The park's terrain is mountainous with steep, rocky canyons and streams running from south to north. The two main rivers - the Aksu River and the Lepsy River - flow north and west from the park into Lake Balkhash. The mountains feature extensive glaciers.
Ecoregion.
The park is in the Tian Shan montane steppe and meadows ecoregion (WWF #1019), which covers the Tian Shan mountain range of central Asia, with some adjoining ranges such as the Dzungarian Alatau to the north. The ecoregion is known for its isolation and high biological diversity due to altitude zones from steppe to alpine meadows to glaciers, and as a transition zone between boreal, steppe, and desert geographic regions. At mid-elevations, there is sufficient precipitation to support forests.
Climate.
The climate in the general region of the Zhongur Alatau is "Cold, Semi-Arid Climate" (Koeppen Classification BSk), although the middle and higher altitudes receive more precipitation and are colder than the surrounding region. "Koppen Bsk" climate is characteristic of steppe climates intermediary between desert humid climates, and typically have precipitation is above evapotranspiration.
In the Zhongur Alatau, temperatures can range from an average of in January to in July. Average precipitation is 362 mm per year, with variations due to altitude and location.
Plants and animals.
The area is second only to the Altai region for biological diversity in Kazakhstan, as the area is at the meeting zone for several geographic and climatic regions, and also because of the high vertical range. Altitude zones cover desert, grassland, shrub, forest, meadow and alpine floral communities. The flora of the Zhetysu Alatau Mountains (the range covered by the park) includes 2,168 species of vascular plants, in 112 families and 622 genera. 76 of the species are endemic to the region.
While the forests are mostly pine and spruce, there are significant stands of wild fruit trees in the park. The best known is the Sievers Apple (Malus sieversii), which is considered the source of all cultivated apple varieties in the world.
The park has recorded a number of Snow Leopards in recent years.
Tourism.
Environmental education and tourism facilities are being developed. There are presently seven tourist routes in the park:


Parasu Ram Mishra

Parasu Ram Mishra (died 2001) was an Indian soil conservationist and environmentalist, credited with efforts for the transformation of Sukhomajri, a small village in Chandigarh in the valley of Shivalik Hills. He was the head of the "Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute" (CSWCRTI) at its Chandigarh centre. He was a recipient of the fourth highest Indian civilian honour of the Padma Shri.
Contributions.
A decade after the Sukhna Lake, conceptualised by Le Corbusier was built, it was detected that sedimentation through the Kansal choe, a seasonal stream, was causing reduction in the depth and size of the lake. In order to find a solution to the problem, CSWCRTI deputed a team in 1975, with Mishra as the project director to Sukhomajri, an arid village at the foothills of Shivalik Hills, in Panchkula district of the Indian state of Haryana. He worked for three years with the local villagers, educating them about the seriousness of the situation and urging them to abandon goat farming which was causing denuding of the forests and shift to cattle farming. He built two check dams across the seasonal stream for rain water harvesting, made water available to villagers for agriculture and was successful in implementing "social fencing programme", where the villagers erected fences protecting the forests from cattle grazing. With assistance from the Forest Department of Haryana and the Ford Foundation, he is reported to have transformed the village into a prosperous one. It is reported that the bare slopes of Shivalik Hills were covered with vegetation, the milk production increased nine-fold, the rate of sedimentation was reduced to 1/15th of earlier levels, crop yield increased manifold, and a corpus fund was put in place, under the care of a society, for development activities in the village. A 1992 study by S. K. Dhar, the then Chief Conservator of Forests, confirmed that the tree density also increased from 13 per hectare to 1272 per hectare.
Mishra introduced a new concept of cyclical investment, "Chakriya Vikas Pranali", where a part of the returns from a scheme becomes the capital of the next project, which is noted to have assisted in increasing rural employment and making the village self-reliant. The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) acknowledged the success of the "Sukhomajri project" by publishing a case study report, by P. R. Mishra and M. Sarin under the title "Social Security Through Social Fencing". The article was included in the 1988 book, "The Greening of aid: sustainable livelihoods in practice", published by IIED. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian award of the Padma Shri in 2000, for his services in the fields of ecology and environment.


Conservation in Angola

Conservation in Angola is centered around the protection of the country's biodiversity and natural heritage. While Angola contains a remarkably diverse array of ecosystems and species, conservation has not been a priority for most of its history. Three decades of intense conflict during the Angolan Civil War had a catastrophic effect on the nation's environment, but since the end of the war in 2002, both the Angolan government and non-state actors have gradually established programs to protect the ecological well-being of the country. However, major structural issues and lack of political will have so far kept intervention limited, and many habitats and species remain deeply threatened.
Background.
History.
Modern conservation efforts began in 1911 under Portuguese rule when a conservation fund paid into by the sale of hunting licenses was set up; this was followed in the 1930s by the establishment of natural parks and game reserves. During the early 1970s, the colonial government greatly expanded its conservation efforts, and the outlook for Angola's ecological future looked promising. At the time of independence in 1975, about 6% of Angola's land area was officially protected. However, the outbreak of war saw functionally all conservation efforts abandoned, and formerly protected areas ceased to be managed. Poaching was rampant, especially of the country's large mammals. Infrastructural and agricultural collapse caused by the war, along with the associated mass migrations within the country, dramatically reduced the environment's capacity to sustain the nation's population.
Biodiversity.
Angola is one of the most biodiverse countries in Africa, owing in large part to highly varied ecological regions within its borders. However, recent speciological data is greatly lacking, to such an extent that USAID claimed that there was less known about Angola's biodiversity in 2013 than there was in 1975. Nonetheless, a 2019 synthesis of all available data reports that the country is home to a verifiable 6,850 vascular plants, 940 bird species, 358 freshwater fish, and 291 mammal species (these numbers are expected to significantly increase as more surveys are conducted).
Major issues.
Deforestation.
Since the end of the civil war in 2002, the rate of deforestation in Angola has been increasing. During the war, mass urbanization took place as people fled the countryside, and as a result the amount of land used for agriculture decreased. When the violence died down, hundreds of thousands of people returned to their native homes and began farming and ranching on land that the forest had begun to reclaim. This deforestation presents two major problems. First, the Guinea-Congolian forest system, of which much of Angola's forests are a part, provides carbon sequestration that is vital to efforts to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions. Second, a large portion of the population lives in rural areas and relies on subsistence, which requires a healthy and diverse ecosystem to support.
Threatened species.
Angola has historically been home to a large number of African bush elephants, though their population was severely diminished during the civil war. Researchers who studied the elephant population in 2005 found their numbers to be increasing as a reasonable pace. Between 2006 and 2015, the Angolan government refused to allow surveys of elephant populations. New research conducted in 2015 revealed a 21% decline in population over the previous ten years, likely due to increased poaching and human habitat encroachment.
The giant sable antelope is a major national symbol of Angola. While it once could be found across Africa, numbers declined in the 20th century to the point that it was thought potentially extinct until one was photographed in 2004. Currently there are estimated fewer than 200 extant individuals, with habitat loss and the bushmeat trade driving this massive decline in numbers.
Government intervention.
Over the last decade the Angolan Ministry of Environment has begun taking steps to rebuild the country's conservation programs. They are currently working with the United Nations Environment Programme to rehabilitate coastal and wetland habitats as well as establish a sustainable chemical and waste management infrastructure. In an effort to restore their national parks system, in January 2020 Angola entered into a partnership with African Parks, a South Africa-based non-governmental organization that manages national parks in multiple African countries. However, strong concerns about governmental corruption persist, with officials in the past having sold off mining rights to protected lands and embezzled money through sham construction projects.


Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area

Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area () is a national scenic area located within central Taiwan, spanning Hsinchu County, Miaoli County, Taichung City, Changhua County, and Nantou County. The area is composed of three non-contiguous scenic areas (Baguashan, Shitoushan, and Lishan), which are all named after mountains, hence the name.
The three scenic areas were formerly distinct and designated as province-level scenic areas. With the deprecation of the Taiwan Provincial Government, the areas were merged into one for easier management on 16 March 2001. The management office is located outside of the scenic area in Wufeng District, Taichung.
Baguashan.
Baguashan () is located within Changhua County and Nantou County and encompasses the entire Bagua Plateau. The scenic area is most known for its 26 m tall Buddha statue and a nearby skywalk. The plateau is also known for producing pineapple, turmeric, dragon fruit, and tea. The area also contains Shoutian Temple, a popular temple dedicated to Xuantian Shangdi.
Shitoushan.
Shitoushan () is located in Hsinchu County and Miaoli County. The scenic area's namesake is known for its many Buddhist and Daoist temples that are built into cliffs. A 5 km historic hiking trail known as the Shishan Path (獅山古道) connects the eleven temples. Also within the area is Nanzhuang Old Street, a Hakka settlement in Miaoli and tourist attraction. The scenic area is also home to the Atayal people and Saisiyat people.
Lishan.
Lishan () is located entirely within Heping District, Taichung. The area is historically inhabited by the Atayal people and is known for its high-altitude agricultural products, notably peaches, Asian pears, apples, and various vegetables. Guguan, a hot spring town, is also located within the scenic area.


Luo Scientific Reserve

The Luo Scientific Reserve () is a protected area situated in the Ikela territory of Tshuapa province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The reserve covers .
The reserve is in the territory of the Bongando people.
A Japanese team first started researching the bonobo population near the village of Wamba in 1973, and the Luo Scientific Reserve was established in 1990.
However, research was discontinued after political disorders started in 1991 followed by civil war in 1997, resuming only in the mid-2000s.


Bluff Island

Bluff Island, indigenously known as Sha Tong Hau Shan (), also known as Ung Kong (), is an island in Port Shelter, south of Sai Kung Peninsula of Hong Kong. It is an important area for corals and other marine life. The island is zoned as Site of Special Scientific Interest since 1979. The surrounding water has not yet been legally protected and thus the corals are damaged by anchors of holiday visitors.
Together with Basalt Island and Wang Chau, it forms the Ung Kong Group () and is part of Hong Kong National Geopark.
Geography.
The elongate Bluff Island, which is oriented northeast to southwest, reaches a maximum elevation of a little over 140 meters. The island is asymmetrical, forming a high ridge on the south-eastern side with a cliffed coastline. In contrast, the north-western aspect of the island slopes more gently towards a rocky coastline. The 140-meter high cliffs that fringe the south-eastern-facing coast of Bluff Island are the highest sea cliffs in Hong Kong.
Fan Tap Pai () in the south of the Island is one of the most spectacular coastal scenes in Hong Kong. This huge sea cave cuts right through the island and it is just wide enough for a boat to sail past.
An open U-shaped bay, Ung Kong Wan (), is located at the north of the island.


Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes

The Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes is a World Heritage Site in South Korea. It was inscribed as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2007 because of the Geomunoreum Lava Tube System and the exhibition of diverse and accessible volcanic features which are considered to demonstrate a distinctive and valuable contribution to the understanding of global volcanism.
Jeju, also known as Jejudo, is a volcanic island, 130 kilometers from the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula. The largest island and smallest province in South Korea, the island has a surface area of 1,846 square kilometers.
Formations.
A central feature of Jeju is Hallasan, the tallest mountain in South Korea and a dormant volcano, which rises 1,950 meters above sea level. The main volcano includes 360 satellite volcanoes. Volcanic activity on Jeju began approximately in the Cretaceous and lasted until the early Tertiary period. The most recent eruptions are estimated to be about 5,000 years ago, which puts the volcano into the active classification, meaning eruptions in the last 10,000 years. The designation as active is not agreed by all, as more monitoring and study are needed to better understand the volcano. The island is covered in volcanic rock and volcanic soil produced by Hallasan (Hangul: 한라산). Baengnokdam (Hangul: 백록담), the crater, and lake in it are located at the peak of Hallasan, which was formed over 25,000 years ago.
Jeju is scientifically valuable for its extensive system of lava tubes (also known as lateral volcanoes or in Korean as "Oreum"). These natural conduits through which magma once flowed are now empty caves that are some of the largest in the world. The caves provide opportunities for scientific research and are also popular tourist destinations.
Off the shores of the city of Seogwipo are a vast belt of pillar-shaped rocks that are examples of the natural beauty of Jeju. Shellfish and animal fossils discovered in this area are also very valuable as scientific resources. Beom Island (Beomseom 범섬, sometimes still misspelled Pomsom) and Mun Island (Munseom 문섬, sometimes spelled Munsom), also off the city seacoast, are also well preserved and scenic areas.
The variety of animal and plant species on Jeju is also an important reason for its value as a natural reserve. Half of all Korean vascular plants grow naturally on the island while another 200 species of plants indigenous to Korea have been transported here. However, half of these species face extinction. The polar plants which came from the south during a glacial period and inhabit the peak of Jeju is one example. Other plants in the subtropical forest and lower regions of the island are also endangered.
Mt. Halla National Park.
Hallasan is located in the central part of the island. Since 1966, any area 800 meters above sea level has been designated as a nature reserve. The park is mostly unspoilt nature with hiking paths and park managerial facilities being the only man-made modifications in the area.
The flora at the Mt. Halla National Park is unique. 1,565 vascular plant species have been recorded in the area thus far and is the highest number of plants in any mountain, 33 which are endemic to the island. Unlike most other Korean mountain environments, Hallsan has a unique vertical distribution of plants in three different zones: the subtropic, temperate, and frigid zones.
Over 17 mammals, 198 types of birds, 8 types of amphibians, 8 types of reptiles, and 947 insect species have been catalogued in the nature reserve. Endangered species include the "Capreolus capreolus pygargus" and "Felis bengalensis Manchuria", and a resident population of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins and finless porpoises. Historically, the island and adjacent waters had been migration colliders and resting areas for large whales such as western gray whales, North Pacific right whales, humpback whales, blue whales and fin whales. Now possibly extinct Japanese sea lions might have colonized on the island as well. Some pinnipeds still occur occasionally. Since the island was last connected to the Korean Peninsula 10,000 years ago, animals endemic to the island appeared at that time and this separation from the mainland is also of biological significance.
A famous part of the Mt. Halla Nature Reserve is the Pillemot Cave, a site dating to the Paleolithic period. The caves are significant because of the archaeological remains found there. Archaeological evidence from the cave suggests that people have occupied the island since the Paleolithic period.


Victorian National Parks Association

The Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA) is the prime supporter of nature conservation in the Australian state of Victoria. VNPA meets regularly with heads of government agencies and State Government ministers in order to promote and achieve various conservation goals.
History.
The Victorian National Parks Association was formed in 1952 when Victoria had 13 national parks and lacked any legislation governing these parks. As of 2007, Victoria had 52 national parks (including 13 marine national parks), 30 state parks, three wilderness parks, and 11 marine sanctuaries protected under the National Parks Act. The expansion of the state's parks has led to VNPA encouraging the state government and other private entities to provide additional funding for the conservation of these important areas.


Hongan-ji

, also archaically romanized as Hongwanji, is the collective name of the largest school of Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism (which further sub-divides into the Nishi and Higashi branches). 'Hongan-ji' may also refer to any one of several actual temple buildings associated with the sect.
Early history.
The Hongan-ji was established as a temple in 1321, on the site of the Otani Mausoleum, where Shinran, the founder of the Jōdo Shinshū ("True Pure Land") was buried. The mausoleum was attended by Shinran's grandson (through daughter Kakushinni), Kakue. Kakue's own son, Kakunyo, became the first chief priest of the Hongan-ji and third monshu (spiritual leader), and dedicated it to the worship of Amitābha ("Amida"). The Hongan-ji first gained power and importance in the 15th century, when Rennyo became its eighth monshu. However, the Tendai based on Mount Hiei saw this expansion as a threat and attacked the Hongan-ji three times with their army of sōhei. Rennyo fled to Yoshizaki-gobō, where he established a new temple compound.
During the Sengoku period, fearing the power of the monks of the Hongan-ji, Oda Nobunaga tried to destroy it. For ten years, he laid siege to the Ishiyama Hongan-ji in Osaka, one of the two primary temple fortresses of the sect. In 1580, the abbot of the Ishiyama Hongan-ji, Kennyo, surrendered, while his son Kyōnyo refused to surrender, for which he was publicly disowned.
After the death of Nobunaga in 1582 and the ascent of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Kennyo was rewarded for his opposition to Nobunaga by being granted land in Kyoto, at the site of modern-day Nishi Hongan-ji (西本願寺, "Western Hongan-ji"; sometimes called the "Honpa Hongan-ji" 本派本願寺). He was succeeded by his legitimate son, Junnyo, as abbot in 1592. While his brother Kyōnyo re-established the Osaka Hongan-ji in 1596 with local support, owing to his refusal to surrender to Nobunaga earlier. After the death of Hideyoshi in 1598, Kyōnyo openly supported Tokugawa Ieyasu, who became "shōgun" in 1602. In reward for his loyalty, Kyōnyo was rewarded with land for a temple in Kyoto to the east of Nishi Honganji, which then became known in 1603 as Higashi Honganji (東本願寺 "Eastern Hongan-ji"). In 1619 the government recognized the two entities as separate congregations. It is popularly believed, however mistakenly, that the institution was split in two in order to maintain control of the order.
Modern divisions of the Hongan-ji.
Nishi Hongan-ji.
Formally known as the Jodo-Shinshu Honganji-ha, it is the largest of all the Jodo Shinshu branches. Compared with the Higashi Hongan-ji, it has a history of institutional stability that accounts for high membership figures, and a larger geographical reach, but fewer well-known modern thinkers. The Nishi Hongan-ji has a sizable number of overseas temples in the United States, South America, Hawai'i, Canada, and Europe which are organized into several kyodan ("districts"). The largest of these is the Buddhist Churches of America.
The Hongwanji International Center, to the east of Nishi Hongan-ji, coordinates dialogue with Jōdo Shinshū organizations around the world and produces translation work.
The Nishi Hongan-ji operates the Hongwanji Publishing Company which produces books, music, films, and anime about Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism. They also publish a bimonthly newspaper, the Hongwanji Journal and their website includes, among other things, a TV channel devoted to explaining Buddhism and Hongan-ji's everyday operations.
Higashi Hongan-ji.
Higashi Hongan-ji is one of the two dominant subsects of Jōdo Shinshū, the other being the Nishi Honganji.
During the Meiji Restoration in the 1860s, the government set down new guidelines for the management of religious organizations. An organization called Ōtani-ha was put in control of Higashi Hongan-ji. In 1987, this temple was renamed "Shinshū Honbyō" "Shinshū Mausoleum", although the earlier name is still used. The buildings have not been changed or moved, and of course the historical cultural and religious significance of the place has not changed.
Due to opposition to the creation of the Ōtani-ha, and a number of other controversies and disputes such as the Ohigashi schism, several new Higashi Hongan-ji branches came into existence such as the Higashiyama Hongan-ji, founded in Kyoto in 1996 by Otani Korin, and the Tokyo Higashi Hongan-ji, whose current leader is Otani Koken. Despite, or perhaps even because of, this climate of instability, the Higashi Hongan-ji movement has also produced a significant number of controversial but influential thinkers, such as Soga Ryōjin, Kiyozawa Manshi, Kaneko Daiei and Akegarasu Haya, amongst others.
The largest Higashi Hongan-ji grouping, the Ōtani-ha has approximately 5.5 million members, according to statistics.
Joint activities.
In recent years some members of the Honganji sects have been involved in high-profile protests against the visits of Japanese politicians to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine.
Along with the other non-Honganji Jōdo Shinshū subsects, the Honganji issued a statement opposing the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Important Hongan-ji buildings.
Higashi Hongan-ji.
The Shinshū Honbyō, the mausoleum of Shinran, is now owned by the Ōtani-ha but is still commonly called Higashi Honganji (東本願寺) by Kyoto visitors and locals. The massive Goei-dō (also known as "Mie-dō"), or Founder's Hall Gate, is often one of the first things one sees walking north from JR Kyōto Station. Nearly identical to the Nishi Hongan-ji head temple in layout, it too features an Amida-dō, and a larger Mie-dō. The Mie-dō at Higashi Hongan-ji dates from 1895 and vies with a number of other structures for the claim of largest wooden building in the world.
A few blocks from the main grounds of the Higashi Hongan-ji is the Shosei-en garden, owned by the temple. Poet-scholar Ishikawa Jozan and landscape architect Kobori Masakazu are said to have contributed to its design in the 17th century.
Nishi Hongan-ji.
The Nishi Honganji, like the Higashi Honganji, features a huge Goeidō (御影堂), Kaisando and a smaller Amida-dō (阿弥陀堂) or Amitābha hall housing an image of Amitābha. Nishi Hongan-ji's "Kura" (倉), or storehouse, houses many National Treasures, most of which are not on view for the public. The "shoin" (書院), or study hall, is also quite famous; it is split into two sections, the "shiro-shoin"(白書院), or white study hall, and the "kuro-shoin"(黒書院), or black study hall.
Nishi Hongan-ji also contains a large "shōgun" complex from the medieval period, which was largely moved into the temple from elsewhere in Kyoto in the 16th century. This includes Hiunkaku (飛雲閣), a large tea pavilion, four Noh stages, one of which is thought to be the oldest in existence and the other being the largest outdoor Noh stage, and the Kokei no Niwa (虎渓の庭) garden.
Some medieval parts of Nishi Hongan-ji are now independent organizations: Ryukoku University and Kōshō-ji.


Protected area mosaic (Brazil)

A protected area mosaic () or conservation unit mosaic () in Brazil is a mosaic of nearby, adjoining or overlapping protected areas of Brazil that are managed as a whole.
Definition.
The National System of Conservation Units (SNUC) law defines a mosaic as a collection of protected areas of the same or different categories that are near to each other, adjoin each other or overlap, and that should be managed as a whole.
Given the different categories of conservation unit and other protected areas in a mosaic, including fully protected and sustainable use units, the different conservation goals must be considered.
A mosaic may include private lands and indigenous territories.
Examples.
The Jacupiranga Mosaic is in the Ribeira Valley and the south coast of the state of São Paulo, with 14 conservation units of various categories.
It was created to reconcile the goals of conserving the Atlantic Forest and improving the living conditions of the traditional populations of the area.
It originated with the Jacupiranga State Park, created on 8 August 1969, and includes the Rio Turvo and Caverna do Diabo state parks.
It also includes four environmental protection areas, five sustainable development reserves and two extractive reserves.
The Itatiaia National Park, created in 1937 as the first national park in Brazil, is part of the Mantiqueira Mosaic and the Mantiqueira Ecological Corridor, part of the larger Serra do Mar Ecological Corridor, which in turn is part of the UNESCO-recognised Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve.
The park is a vulnerable "conservation island" due to its location between the major cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.
Brazil has created a mosaic of federal and state conservation units along the BR-319 highway through the Amazon rainforest in an effort to better prevent deforestation when the highway is paved through more efficient management of a larger area.
However, WWF-Brazil has pointed out that it is not enough to simply create the protected areas on paper.
They must be staffed, delimited, legal owners compensated and so on.
The Terra do Meio Mosaic is in Pará state between the Xingu and Tapajós rivers.
It was created after the death of Sister Dorothy Stang, who was campaigning against illegal exploitation of the forests.
It includes the Terra do Meio Ecological Station, a strictly protected conservation, created despite the presence of long-standing residents.
The residents, who live along the Iriri River, have been placed under intense pressure to evacuate the area.
The Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park in the state of Goiás, Brazil, was expanded by Federal Decree in September 2001 and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in December 2001.
In 2003 the expansion was successfully challenged and 72% of the national park lost its protection status.
The park is part of the Cerrado Biosphere Reserve.
Brazil has outlined plans for a mosaic of new conservation units with different management categories covering an equivalent area to the expanded National Park, but UNESCO has questioned whether the mosaic will be sufficient to ensure the statutory protection required for the World Heritage properties.


Chiltepe Peninsula Natural Reserve

Chiltepe Peninsula Natural Reserve (Spanish: "Reserva Natural Península de Chiltepe") is a nature reserve in Nicaragua. It is one of the 78 reserves which are officially under protection in the country.
Located on the south shore of Lake Managua, it is 15 kilometers Northwest of Managua, the capital, and consequently a popular destination for visitors from the city.
The peninsula was formed by Apoyeque stratovolcano, one of whose domes is Chiltepe volcano (Volcán Chiltepe).
Local fauna includes coyotes, deer, raccoons, rabbits and other small mammals, as well as iguanas and lizards, which have been disappearing under pressure from hunting. At its coasts live ducks, herons, cormorants, and such birds as sargentillos (Agelaius), cowbirds (Molothrus Tangavius), Clariona (Cassidix mexicanus), and zanatillo (Cassidis nicaraguensis). The latter species is endemic to the coasts of lakes in Nicaragua.
Among the threats affecting the conservation of the protected area are frequent forest fires and the expansion of agricultural areas at the expense of the nature reserve.


Protected areas of the United Kingdom

Protected areas of the United Kingdom are areas in the United Kingdom which need and /or receive protection because of their environmental, historical or cultural value to the nation. Methods and aims of protection vary depending on the nature and importance of the resource. Protection operates at local, regional, national and international levels, and may be backed by legislation and international treaty, or less formally by planning policy.
Within the United Kingdom, different approaches are taken to some forms of protection within the constituent countries of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, while other forms of protection are more consistent across the UK. Protected areas can be divided according to the type of resource which each seeks to protect. Primarily, these are: scenic or landscape value; biodiversity value (species and habitats); geodiversity value (relating to geology and geomorphology); and cultural or historic value. Several types of protected areas are focused on more than one of these areas.
Besides protected areas, a number of individual features are protected through other designations, such as tree preservation orders, listed buildings, and protected shipwrecks.


Merja Zerga

Merja Zerga or Lagune de Moulay Bou Selham is a tidal lagoon on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, 70 km north of the city of Kenitra. Classified as a Permanent Biological Reserve in 1978, it is managed by several government agencies.
The lagoon, which covers 4,500 hectares, receives water from the Oued Drader and from the local water table. Its average depth is 1.5 metres. The area's annual rainfall (600–700 mm) results in winter floods that inundate the surrounding areas.
A Ramsar Convention site, the lagoon hosts 100 bird species and has been identified as a key site on the East Atlantic Flyway. Between 15,000 and 30,000 ducks overwinter at the lagoon, and it regularly holds 50,000 to 100,000 waders. Its permanent species include "Asio capensis". Winter visitors include ruddy shelduck, common shelduck, gadwall, Eurasian wigeon, northern shoveler, marbled teal, greater flamingo, common coot, pied avocet, grey plover, and slender-billed curlew.


Calilegua National Park

The Calilegua National Park () is a federal protected area in Jujuy Province, Argentina. Established on 19 July 1979, it houses a representative sample of the Southern Andean Yungas biodiversity in good state of conservation.
Located at the Ledesma Department on the eastern slopes of the Calilegua hills. and with an area of , it is the largest national park in the Argentine Northwest.
History.
This area was occupied a long time ago by native groups. Their settlements were located in the lower knoll, near the farming grasslands. The archaeological pieces and sites found in the park, such as pottery and polished stone axes, are related to the communities that inhabited the Yungas region. From the 15th century on, this territory was occupied by the Incas. At present, this region is inhabited by Kolla communities.
The park has a beautiful landscape, which you can see when transiting the Provincial Route 83 that runs through it. Along the route, you see three different environments: the jungle foothills, mountain forest and mountain woods, each with their own characteristic vegetation.
It is also possible to see certain species of birds and mammals in particular, which makes this site an ideal place to observe wildlife, especially birds, about 270 species were identified and its estimated that 230 more could inhabit the area, which makes Calilegua the home of 50% of all bird species in the country and a paradise for birdwatching. The park is home to the jaguar, the largest South American predator, along with other cats like the jaguarundi, the ocelot, the puma and the pampas cat. The largest mammal in the Yungas, the tapir, also inhabits the reserve.
Calilegua National Park and nearby towns offer a wide range of activities, with varying degrees of difficulty. The tours relate to ecotourism and active tourism, but the area offers a strong cultural imprint and you may visit several towns where the local contact is a highly valued experience for those interested in ethnic diversity and the discovery of local cultures.
Climate.
The park has a subtropical climate with a dry winter season. Mean temperatures fluctuate between in winter to in summer. Summers are hot with temperatures reaching up to . In contrast, occasional frosts can occur at the high altitudes. The park receives of precipitation per year with most of it falling between November to April. During these months, rainfall is often intense.


Nature Forever Society

The Nature Forever Society (NFS) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization working for the conservation of house sparrows and other common flora and fauna since 2006. Started by Mohammed Dilawar (founder and president), Nature Forever Society was registered in 2008. The mission of the Nature Forever Society is to involve citizens in the conservation movement in India. To achieve this Nature Forever Society has been working by launching initiatives which are simple and have far reaching conservation value. Dilawar said:
"For me if we can't save a sparrow which is found around us then it is too ambitious to save a tiger. So first we have to save the sparrows and only then can we dream of saving the tiger."
Since it started Nature Forever Society has spearheaded programs and projects that are making a visible difference to sparrow populations in cities. Some of the initiatives started by Nature Forever Society are CBMI, World Sparrow Day, Project SOS, NFS Sparrow Awards and Adopt a Feeder and Nest program, among others.
Common Bird Monitoring of India (CBMI).
The Common Bird Monitoring of India program, is a pioneer project and the first of its kind in the India. Launched in Mumbai, India. on the occasion of World Sparrow Day on 20 March 2012, its objective is to monitor common birds found in India.
The program is aimed at monitoring, through detailed mapping, the 18 common bird species found across the country such as the house sparrows, house crow, rock pigeon and rose-ringed parakeet, as well as the lesser known ashy prinia and hoopoe.
It is a unique project because it is by the people, for the people and of the people. In addition to India, the project also aims to help map the common bird species in the entire Indian subcontinent, including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
World Sparrow Day (WSD).
World Sparrow Day is an initiative to celebrate March 20th every year as World Sparrow Day. World Sparrow Day was first celebrated in 2009. In less than three years, WSD has become very popular and is celebrated in more than 50 countries around the world. It is also gaining popularity in Europe and parts of South Asia.
The World Sparrow Day website has a large collection of photos and information about the twenty-two species of sparrows found around the world.
House sparrow is now the state bird of Delhi.
The Nature Forever Society proposed to the Delhi government that the house sparrow be declared the state bird of Delhi. At a campaign "Rise for the Sparrows" aimed at conserving the species, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit declared the sparrow as the “state bird” of Delhi on August 14, 2012.
Rise for the Sparrow.
Rise for the Sparrow aims to inspire, empower and involve the citizens, schools, educational organisations, government agencies, NGOs and practically anyone who is interested in contributing towards conservation of sparrows and other common birds. It aims to achieve this by providing simple choices which can be undertaken by citizens and organisations from diverse backgrounds.
Adopt Nest Box and Bird Feeders.
To involve citizens in the conservation movement and get them emotionally attached to the cause of conservation, the Nature Forever Society initiated a program where people could adopt a nest box and/or bird feeder. By doing this they would not only provide a habitat for the birds to nest in their homes but also get attached to the cause.
So far a large number of nest boxes and bird feeders have been adopted from across the country and taking inspiration from NFS, numerous organisations and individuals have initiated this across the country.
Project Save Our Sparrow (SOS).
Nature Forever Society, in association with the Burhani Foundation, implemented project SOS where 52,000 bird feeders were distributed across the world to save sparrows and other common birds. The project was recognised by the "Guinness Book of World records" for the highest distribution of bird feeders in the world. “Ours is a fight to conserve not just the diminishing sparrow count around the world, but to save all the common birds and biodiversity found in our immediate environment, which are often overlooked and abused by virtue of being too commonplace,” said Dilawar.
Sparrow Awards.
Nature Forever Society launched its first Sparrow Awards on 20 March 2011 to honour unsung environmental heroes who have been silently making a difference. From the numerous nominations received from across the country, four winners (three individuals and one organisation) are selected for the NFS Sparrow Awards from diverse fields and backgrounds.
NFS had noticed that in the conservation field, the best known conservationists consistently receive accolades for their good work, however there were many others who make consistent efforts to save the environment but are not applauded. The sentiment behind launching the Sparrow Awards was to honour such people and applaud their silent efforts.
NFS aspires to make the Sparrow Awards one of the most prestigious awards one could hold, very tough to attain and inspirational to retain.
Biodiversity Photo Competition.
Nature photography has for long been associated with glamorous species, costly cameras and traveling to exotic locations. Things have not changed much even today, people who have costly telescope lenses and DSLRs travel to far flung areas to get images, from tigers to great Indian bustards.
This has resulted in an imbalance where there are mountains of high quality images of threatened and glamorous species while images of common species are a rarity.
Through the Biodiversity Photo Competition, the NFS wanted to change this attitude in the age of digital and mobile phone cameras and wanted common people to get involved in photo documenting the common flora and fauna of the country. This also helps to increase awareness in regard to conservation of common flora and fauna which are found in and around humans and urban flora and fauna.
Other initiatives.
The Help Birds in Summer Campaign is an initiative where people forward an SMS and posters for display which urge people to provide water for birds during summer. This campaign has been immensely successful and is initiated every year on the onset of the summer.
The society has also been working for the past few years to get the catapult banned in the country. The Ban the Catapult campaign hopes to curb the use of the catapult and include the catapult as a weapon in the Wildlife act of India. They have been regularly creating awareness in regard to this through various media.
With AN aim to disseminate information about the conservation of house sparrows the Nature Forever Society has created the websites below. The websites give detailed information about the decline of house sparrows, monitoring and how citizens can play a vital role in their conservation.


National Forest Foundation

The National Forest Foundation, an American non-profit organization, was created by Congress in 1992 to be the official non-profit partner of the United States Forest Service. Its mission is to engage Americans in community-based national programs that promote the health and public enjoyment of the 193 million acre National Forest System. The foundation receives funding from Congress, soliciting additional funds from the private sector. The Forest Service is prohibited by law from soliciting outside funding, but the foundation has been expressly designated to fulfill that function.


Cuenca, Ecuador

Santa Ana de los Cuatro Ríos de Cuenca, commonly referred as Cuenca (Quechua: Tumipampa) is the capital and largest city of the Azuay Province of Ecuador. Cuenca is located in the highlands of Ecuador at about above sea level, with an urban population of approximately 329,928 and 661,685 inhabitants in the larger metropolitan area.
The center of the city is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its many historical buildings.
History.
“The plateau is a place treasured by empires," comments Jeffrey Herlihy-Mera. "The Cañari then Inca and then Spanish occupied the region in the last two millennia, each renaming it in their own language. Now the capital city is called Cuenca and the province Azuay.”
According to studies and archeological discoveries, the origins of the first inhabitants go back to the year 8060 BC in the Cave of Chopsi. They were hunters, hunting everything the Páramo offered them, and nomads, following the animals and seasons. Their culture is represented by tools such as arrows and spears, which have been found throughout the Andean valley. The culture was most present about 5585 BC.
Later the early indigenous people used the stable climate, fertile soil and abundant water to develop agriculture. They grew potatoes, melloco, chocho, squash and quinoa. They also domesticated animals such as cuys (guinea pigs) and camelids: llamas and alpacas.
Their technology was also advanced. For example, they started creating ceramics. In fact, ceramics constitute the greatest number of artifacts which archeologists use to study their culture. The period from 5000 BCE to 2000 BCE is not represented well in the archeological record. Beginning around 2000 BCE, the people developed a more highly organized society, demonstrating delegated responsibilities, such as the managing of water and control of plagues. People were specialized as administrative and religious authorities (known as "shamans"). This occurred during the periods of Chaullabamba, Huayco, Pirincay, Monjas, Putushio, Huancarcucho and Jubones. From then until 500 AD began the periods of Tacalshapa III and the Cañari people, who were absorbed into the Incas in the 15th century.
Pre-Columbian society.
Cuenca was originally a Cañari settlement called "Guapondeleg". Archeologists believe Cuenca was founded around 500 AD. "Guapondeleg" translates into "land as big as heaven." Less than half a century before the conquistadors landed, the Incas, after a bitter struggle, conquered the Cañari and occupied Guapondeleg and the surrounding area. Though the Incas replaced the Cañari architecture with their own, they did not suppress the Cañari or their impressive achievements in astronomy and agriculture. As was customary for the Incas, they absorbed useful achievements into their culture. They renamed the city "Tomebamba". The city became known as the second Cusco, a regional capital.
After the defeat of the Cañari, probably in the 1470s, the Inca emperor, Tupac Yupanqui, ordered the construction of a grand city to be called Pumapungo, "the door of the Puma". Its magnificence was said to have rivaled that of the Inca capital of Cuzco. Indians told stories to the Spanish chroniclers of golden temples and other such wonders, but by the time the Spaniards found the legendary city, all that remained were ruins. They wondered what happened to the fabled splendor and riches of the second Inca capital. After having been abandoned by the Cañari and then the Incas, Tomebamba was sparsely populated until the 1550s.
Tomebamba is considered a candidate for the mythical city of gold which the Spanish called "El Dorado". The Spanish thought El Dorado was burned by the inhabitants after they heard of the Spanish conquests. Tomebamba's destruction by its inhabitants prior to the arrival of the Spanish suggests it may have been what the Spanish called "El Dorado".
Spanish settlement.
The Spanish settlement of Cuenca was founded on April 12, 1557 by the explorer Gil Ramírez Dávalos. Andrés Hurtado de Mendoza, then Viceroy of Peru had commissioned the founding and ordered the city named after his home town of Cuenca, Spain. It was founded decades after other major Spanish settlements in the region, such as Quito (1534), Guayaquil (1538), and Loja (1548).
Cuenca's population and importance grew steadily during the colonial era.
Cuenca reached the peak of its importance in the first years of Ecuador's independence; Cuenca achieved its independence on November 3, 1820. It became the capital of one of the three provinces that made up the nascent republic. The other two capitals were Guayaquil and Quito.
Population.
As per the last INEC estimate for 2015, the population of the Cuenca canton was 580,000 inhabitants, of which 400,000 constitute the urban population (i.e., the population of the city proper). The economic development is based on industry and agricultural development.
Cuenca Metropolitan Area includes the cities of Azogues, Biblian and Deleg in the cañar province and the cities of Paute and Gualaceo in the Azuay province with a population of 730,000 inhabitants, however, Cuenca's influence in the cultural, economic and educational areas extends to all the remaining cities around.
Economy.
Cuenca is known for its textile making, as well as furniture and other crafts like hats and shoes. The straw hats known around the world as Panama hats are in fact made in Cuenca by local artisans. Cuenca also exports flowers to the United States and many countries in Europe. While farming has shrunk in the past years, it is still an important sector of the city's economy. Beekeeping has also become key for growing crops. Some of the typical crops grown here include wheat, barley, rye, oats, and corn. Since Cuenca is located in the Andes mountains surrounded by forested areas nearby, mining and logging are industries there. Some of the common mined resources are kaolin, plaster, limestone, sand, specialized rocks, and carbon. Cuenca is also known for making car tires.
The tourism industry continues to grow. Cuenca has many cathedrals that are a part of the cultural heritage of the city and some important national parks. Cuenca is also the home to its main university, La Universidad de Cuenca.
For the future, Ecuador has been working on producing electrolytic hydrogen to better use resources that are environmentally friendly.
At the turn of the century, the country's economy was affected by the change in currency, from sucre to USD.
Geography and location economy.
"Cuenca", capital of the province of Azuay, is located in the sierra of the Andes in the "Austro" or southern region of Ecuador. It is approximately nine hours south of Quito and four hours east of Guayaquil. The city ranges from above sea level.
The dominant features of the city's geography are also the source of its name in Spanish: the four rivers of "Cuenca" (meaning a basin made by a confluence of rivers). These rivers are the Tomebamba (named after the Inca culture), Yanuncay, Tarqui and Machangara, in order of importance. The first three of these rivers originate in the Páramo of Parque Nacional Cajas to the west of the city.
Parishes.
Cuenca Canton contains the following parishes:
Climate.
Cuenca features a subtropical highland climate (Cfb) under the Köppen climate classification. Like the rest of the Ecuadorian Andes, Cuenca enjoys a mild climate year-round. Days are generally warm and nights are cool enough that sweaters or jackets are usually desired. The average daily temperature is 14.7 °C (58.5 °F). There are two seasons: rainy and dry. The dry season, with some variation, falls between June and December. The rainy season, which is characterized by bright sunny mornings and afternoon showers, falls between January and May. The heaviest rains come in the "invierno" (wet season) of March, April and May.
Education.
Universities.
The first university in the city was established in 1867 and is the Universidad de Cuenca. It is considered the third oldest university of the country, right after the Universidad Central del Ecuador (1836) and the Universidad Nacional de Loja (1859). Ever since, the city has been growing and more universities were created with new careers. This led to the declaration of Cuenca as the City of Universities by the National Assembly of Ecuador on January 4, 2011.
The city has the following Universities:
The first one is classified as an A category university the next three are B category. This was stated by the Council for Evaluation, Validation and Assurance of the Quality in Superior Education of Ecuador (CEAACES)
Primary and secondary schools.
International schools:
Main sights.
Most tourists visit the historic area, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, between the river Tomebamba and the street Gran Colombia to the north, General Torres to the west, and Hermano Miguel to the east. This area's compactness, grid-like layout, and numerous readily identifiable monuments make it easy to navigate. Outside this area the city can be confusing, as there are dozens of narrow colonial streets with similar buildings.
Major fiestas of Cuenca come at the time of the "Mass of Children" that is carried out the day of the Arrival of Kings (January 6 - Epiphany Day), or in the commemoration of the independence of the city (November 3), during which processions, cultural acts and dances are organized.
The nearby Cañar plantation (in the county of the same name) features the biggest Inca ruins in Ecuador.
Culture.
Festivities.
One of the festivities celebrated in Cuenca and in other parts of Ecuador is "El Carnaval". This is celebrated three days prior to Ash Wednesday. Families get together to celebrate what started as a "pagan ritual". Now it is celebrated by wetting friends and random people with water balloons and spraying "Carioca" a nonstaining foam.
Additionally, Cuenca's Independence Day is celebrated at the beginning of November. The festivities span a number of days and consist of various parades, concerts, cultural events, and artisan fairs.
Gastronomy.
The gastronomy of Cuenca shares characteristics with other mountainous parts of Ecuador. As in other regions of Ecuador, cuy (guinea pig) and hornado are popular traditional dishes. Additionally, dishes made from potatoes and corn (mote (food)) such as Llapingachos, mote pillo, mote pata, and morocho are popular. Trout, which can be caught in nearby El Cajas National Park, is another popular dish.
In Cuenca, lunch is the largest meal of the day and is typically served in two courses. The first course is soup which is followed by a plate of stewed or grilled meat and rice.
Transport.
Bus station.
Cuenca's inter-provincial bus station, called the Terminal Terrestre as it is in most cities, is well organized and clean. It is located on Avenida España in the northeastern corner of the city, a twenty-minute walk or a brief taxi ride from the historic center. Also, many City buses provide frequent service as indicated by the "Terminal Terrestre" placard on the windshield.
Buses arrive and depart throughout the day. Service is available to major cities, such as Guayaquil and Quito and also to nearby cities such as Loja, Riobamba, or Machala. The distance to Guayaquil is 243 km. and the bus takes nearly 4 hours on the highway Durán-Pto.Inca-Molleturo (I582W), a scenic ride through the Cajas National Park. Quito is 497 km from Cuenca and the trip takes around 10 hours on the Road Pan-American Highway (I35N). Many prefer to travel by bus at night. Those who choose to travel overnight should exercise caution due to reported bus hijacks which have resulted in armed robbery.
Airport.
The airport, named Aeropuerto Mariscal Lamar (Mariscal Lamar International Airport), is due east of the Terminal Terrestre (bus station) on Avenida España. It's a five-minute walk from the bus station. Two airlines currently serve Cuenca; AeroGal, LAN Ecuador fly to Quito. It is Ecuador's third-busiest airport. Over 1,400,000 passengers a year pass through its gates.
Tram.
A tram/light rail line is completed in early 2019, the tram opened May 25, 2020.
The line runs a total of 10.5 km.(7 miles) with 27 stations starting at Cuenca Industrial Park on the north, crossing the Historic Center of Cuenca and ending south in the entrance to Baños.
Cuenca public transportation statistics.
According to the Moovit Public Transport Index, Cuenca's bus system compares extremely favourably with other cities in Latin America. The average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in Cuenca, for example to and from work, on a weekday is 51 minutes, with only 7% of public transit riders riding for more than 2 hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a bus stop or bus station for public transit is 11 minutes, while a mere 9% of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is 3.8 km, while 0% travel for over 12 km in a single direction. In 2018, the flat-rate bus fare is 30 US cents, 15 cents for children, students, seniors, and the disabled.
International relations.
Twin towns – Sister cities.
Cuenca is twinned with:


Andrew Raven

Andrew Owen Earle Raven OBE (22 January 1959 – 4 October 2005) was a British conservationist and an influential contributor to modern land policy in Scotland.
The eldest son of John Raven, a Cambridge University classics don, and grandson of Charles E. Raven, Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge, he developed professional expertise in land management. He was a trustee of the John Muir Trust from 1989 to 1995, a time when the charity started to acquire land in the Scottish Highlands. In 1995 he became their Director of Land Management.
In 1992 he became a member of the Council of the Rural Forum, a highly influential group which for the first time brought together rural communities and Scottish policy-makers. Three years later he joined the Scottish Consumer Council, seeing himself there as the voice of rural Scotland in consumer affairs. In 2000, he was appointed a Commissioner of the Forestry Commission, becoming the chairman of its National Committee for Scotland in 2003.
Raven was awarded an OBE in 2005.
He died of non-Hodgkin lymphoma at the age of 46 on 4 October 2005.


Nature Seekers

Nature Seekers is a community-based organization founded in 1990 with the aim of protecting nesting leatherback turtles in Trinidad and Tobago. The ultimate goal of the group was to reduce the problem of poaching which stood at 30 percent on a nightly basis. Through the efforts of tour guide services to visitors on Matura Beach, tagging of turtles, and patrolling the group has been able to reduce the percentage of poaching from 30 percent to zero. Now the group has expanded to include reforestation, waste recycling and natural jewelry with its core still being turtle conservation.
Foundation.
Prior to the foundation of Nature Seekers, the killing of female leatherback turtles by poachers had become such a serious problem that in 1990 Matura Beach was declared a Prohibited Area under the Forest Act. In order to find a long-term solution to this problem, the Wildlife Section of the Forestry Division worked together with the Matura community to establish a tour guide training program. The intent of this program was to educate the community about the need to protect the environment, and it was from this program that Nature Seekers was formed. Although initially Nature Seekers operated purely on a volunteer basis, and had great difficulty in obtaining funds, they were later commissioned by the government to patrol the beach and to provide a mandatory tour guide service to visitors. While Nature Seekers has remained a non-governmental organization, they have frequently worked in cooperation with the government to protect the leatherback turtles.
Projects.
The main project of Nature Seekers is the Matura Turtle Conservation Programme, which is also their first project that was begun with the foundation of the organization. This project consists of several smaller programs aimed at the protection of leatherback turtles in Trinidad. One of these programs involves patrolling the beach in order to protect the turtles from poachers and assist with the nesting process, as well as providing tour guide services to visitors in order to promote greater awareness of the necessity of conservation. In addition to tours of the beach, they also conduct tours of several other natural attractions in the area.
Another important project under the Matura Turtle Conservation Programme is the Pilot Sea Turtle Tagging Project, which is carried out in association with the Forestry Division, WIDECAST (Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Network), and the Institute of Marine Affairs. This project involves tagging sea turtles to track their migration patterns and gathering data from hatched nests.
The Trinidad Leatherback Project is another part of the Matura Turtle Conservation Programme. This project involves an association with Earthwatch, which sends volunteers to help the Nature Seekers as a form of volunteer travel. In addition to providing volunteers and funding for Nature Seekers, this project also helps create more global awareness of the endangered status of the leatherback turtles.
The Matura Turtle Conservation Programme also consists of an annual effort to clean up Matura Beach and a study of methods of reducing the impact of tourism on turtles and their nests. Both are part of an effort by Nature Seekers to make Matura Beach a suitable place for both the turtle and the visitors. They also run an Adopt a Turtle program, which provides funds for other projects and educates participants about the turtles they adopt.
Besides the Matura Turtle Conservation Programme, Nature Seekers also participate in the National Reforestation and Watershed Rehabilitation Programme. The organization manages one of 55 projects in Trinidad as part of this program, which involves reforestation and the development of ecotourism activities that have a low impact on the environment.
Impact.
At first, there was much opposition in the Matura community towards the new conservation efforts. Many people made a living off of turtle meat and eggs, and were worried that the restrictions of the beach would interfere with their ability to survive. Even more resented the beach being closed off during nesting season, as many locals used the beach for recreation. However, over time, Nature Seekers has had a positive effect on the community. In addition to creating jobs within the organization, the increased tourism brought to Matura by Nature Seekers created a strong tourism industry in the village, with many villagers operating bed and breakfasts and other tourism-related businesses. Nature Seekers has also been successful in generating community awareness about the importance of conservation. Even some poachers and their families became convinced of the importance of conservation, and some even joined the Nature Seekers. Through this and their patrolling efforts, Nature Seekers claims to have brought down the rate of turtles being slaughtered from 30% to zero. Because of the effectiveness of the conservation efforts, Nature Seekers has become a model for similar programs in other parts of Trinidad.
Turtle Village Trust.
In 2006, Nature Seekers joined other community organizations as well as the Forestry Division and BHP Billiton Trinidad & Tobago to form an organization called Turtle Village Trust. The stated goal of the organization is to establish Trinidad & Tobago as “the Premier Turtle Tourism Destination.” It plans to accomplish this goal by assisting in the formation of partnerships between conservation groups and local communities, the like of which was responsible for the success of Nature Seekers in the Matura community.
Awards.
Nature Seekers has received numerous awards for their efforts in conservation and protecting Trinidad's leatherback turtles. Some of these awards include the Conservation Award from the Caribbean Conservation Association, two Certificates of Appreciation from the Environmental Management Authority, the British Airways Tourism For Tomorrow Award, the Goldsborough Environmental Award, the First Product Innovation & Sustainability Award from the Caribbean Tourism Organization, the Award of Merit Gold from the President of Trinidad and Tobago, and the Green Apple International Award from the Green Organisation. Nature Seekers manager Dennis Sammy also received the President's Hummingbird Award for conservation, which is a great honor in Trinidad and Tobago. In addition, the group was also the recipient of a $62,000 grant from the Japanese government which will be used to expand the group's facilities.


Semsvannet

Semsvannet is a lake in Asker municipality in Viken county, southwest of Oslo, in Norway. The lake is situated close to, for the Norwegians, famous places such as the ridge Skaugumsåsen, the old cultural house Tangen and Skaugum the official residence of the heir to the throne of Norway, i.e. the crown prince or princess of Norway. The status of Semsvannet as a nature reserve was upgraded when the area was protected as a conservation area October 2, 1992. The lake and its vicinity was elected a millennium site in the year 2000.
Numbers.
Lake Semsvannet is and is situated at a height of above sea level. The greatest depth is . To the lake flows the river "Gupelva". From the lake flows the river "Askerelva". Regarding the inhabitants of the lake, fish, there are: Northern pike "(Esox lucius)", European perch "(Perca fluviatilis)" and Roach "(Rutilus rutilus)". There are also smaller populations of Brown trout "(Salmo trutta)", Arctic char "(Salvelinus aplinus)" and European whitefish "(Coregonus lavaretus)".
Sports and Outdoor Pursuits.
For generations, Semsvannet has been utilized as a lake for swimming, especially among the, at the time, permanent residents at Tangen, et cetera. It is possible to perform cross-country running around the lake or – according to the Norwegian expression – "gå på tur" [eng. do a walkabout, to trek]. The distance is then . For outdoor and athletic people there are summer trails and winter ski trails, into the "Vestmarka", that begins here.
Landscape of Nature, Agriculture and Culture.
Countryside of Nature and Agriculture.
Semsvannet and vicinity belongs to the Norwegian natural, agricultural and cultural history.
The estates Sem, Store Berg and Tveiter are to be found nearby the lake. However, situated even closer to the lake, by far – at the foot of the ridge Skaugumsåsen – is the cultural house Tangen, which during the first half of the twentieth century was the domicile of the Family Kaspersen; who among others frequently was visited by the Norwegian cultural personality and friend Alf Prøysen at social gatherings and feasts arranged by the family.
Culture and Songs Dedicated to The Area.
To have the songwriter, troubadour and friend Alf Prøysen nearby, made a mutual impact, and inspired the just a few years younger son of Tangen, Karsten Kaspersen. Who in his turn wrote several songs dedicated to the area, and how it was to live and grow up close to the lake Semsvannet and at Tangen in the first half of the twentieth century (i.e. around the years 1900 to 1950). From Karsten Kaspersen’s musical production, the following songs dedicated to the area around Semsvannet can be noted:
Place of The Millennium.
The old house of Tangen was culturally protected in 1992, and it and the Semsvannet area are much-loved destinations in nature for the Norwegians. In 1998, the Millennium Committee of Asker arranged the Millennium Election for its community residents, regarding the most favoured place in nature. Among the many nominations, Semsvannet and its surrounding area was chosen as the finest and most beautiful.


Grachtengordel

The Grachtengordel (known in English as the Canal District) is a neighborhood in Amsterdam, Netherlands located in the Centrum district. The seventeenth-century canals of Amsterdam, located in the center of Amsterdam, were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in August 2010. The Amsterdam Canal District consists of the area around the city's four main canals: the Singel, the Herengracht, the Keizersgracht, and the Prinsengracht. From the Brouwersgracht, the canals are generally parallel with one another, leading gradually southeast into the Amstel river.
Many of the canal houses in the Amsterdam Canal District are from the Dutch Golden Age, 17th century. Many of these buildings, however, underwent restoration or reconstruction in various centuries, meaning that these building display many different architectural styles and facades.
History.
Until the end of the 16th century, the city of Amsterdam encompassed the area inside the Singel and what is now Kloveniersburgwal. After the Alteration and change in management, the city expanded explosively. This led to Amsterdam's expansion in four stages between 1585 and 1665. In 1613, during the Twelve Years' Truce, reclamation of Herengracht, Keizersgracht, and Prinsengracht began.
After the Peace of Westphalia, Amsterdam created new space for investment and new plans were developed to expand the city. From about 1660, the canals were extended to the Amstel; these extensions bear the names: Nieuwe Herengracht, Nieuwe Keizersgracht and Nieuwe Prinsengracht. With this expansion, the city formed its iconic crescent shape.
World Heritage.
In July 2006, the city of Amsterdam announced its intention to nominate the canal ring as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Because of new administrative requirements for the nomination, however, the nomination was delayed until December 2008. On August 1, 2010, at the 34th session of the World Heritage Committee added to the World Heritage List.
Amsterdam's canal belt has been named a World Heritage site under the criteria I, II, and IV; “to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius;” “to exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design;” and “to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history,” respectively.
In 2013, Amsterdam celebrated the 400th birthday of the Canal Ring.
Museums and tourist attractions.
The area is known for its small bridges going over the canals and 17th-century canal homes. The Anne Frank House is located in the Grachtengordel neighborhood on Prinsengracht.
Other museums in the area include Het Grachtenhuis, Museum Van Loon, Museum of Bags and Purses, Museum Willet-Holthuysen, Museum Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder, Bijbels Museum, Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet & Smokiana, Huis Marseille, and Museum Geelvinck-Hinlopen.


Loch Hoil

Loch Hoil is a small freshwater lochan located between the shallow hills between Strath Braan and Strath Tay valley's in Perth and Kinross. Aberfeldy is located to the north.