Paoay Church

The Saint Augustine Church (Spanish: "Iglesia de San Agustín de Paoay"), commonly known as the Paoay Church, is a Roman Catholic church in the Municipality of Paoay, Ilocos Norte in the Philippines. Completed in 1710, the church is famous for its distinct architecture highlighted by the enormous buttresses on the sides and back of the building. It is declared as a National Cultural Treasure by the Philippine government in 1973 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the collective group of Baroque Churches of the Philippines in 1993.
History.
The earliest historical record of the area dates back to 1593, becoming an independent Augustinian parish in 1686. Building of the present church was started in 1694 by Augustinian friar Father Antonio Estavillo, completed in 1710 and rededicated in 1896. Some portions of the church was damaged in the 1865 and 1885 earthquakes but was later restored under the initiative of former First Lady Imelda Marcos.
Architecture.
Paoay church is the Philippines' primary example of a Spanish colonial earthquake baroque architecture dubbed by Alicia Coseteng, an interpretation of the European Baroque adapted to the seismic condition of the country through the use of enormous buttresses on the sides and back of the building. The adaptive reuse of baroque style against earthquake is developed since many destructive earthquakes destroyed earlier churches in the country. Javanese architecture reminiscent of Borobudur of Java can also be seen on the church walls and facade.
Buttresses.
The most striking feature of Paoay Church is the 24 huge buttresses of about thick at the sides and back of the church building. Extending from the exterior walls, it was conceived to a solution to possible destruction of the building due to earthquakes. Its stair-like buttresses (known as "step buttresses") at the sides of the church is possibly for easy access of the roof.
Walls.
Its walls are made of large coral stones on the lower part and bricks at the upper levels. The mortar used in the church includes sand and lime with sugarcane juice boiled with mango leaves, leather and rice straw. Its walls suggests Javanese architectural styles.
Facade.
The stone facade appear as massive pediment rising from the ground and is built leaning towards the front. Square pilasters and stringed cornices divide the facade vertically and horizontally respectively. Its bottom part is plain. Gothic features are also present through the use of finials while the triangular pediment shows Chinese elements and Oriental strokes. Crenellations, niches, rosettes and the Augustinian coat of arms can also be seen. Facade is made of brick on the lower level and coral stones on the upper level.
Bell Tower.
Adjacent to the facade is a three-storey coral bell tower constructed separately from the church building on the right side resembling a pagoda. It was in 1793 when the cornerstone of the bell tower was laid. It stands at some distance from the church as a protection against earthquake. It served as observational post for Filipino revolutionaries against the Spaniards in 1898 and by Filipino guerrillas against Japanese soldiers during World War II. According to historians, the bell tower also served as a status symbol for the locals. It is said that the bell would ring more loudly and more times during the wedding of a prominent clan that it would during the wedding of the poor.
Restorations.
Several projects for the restoration of Paoay Church were sought by government and non-government organizations due to possible question on its structural integrity. The local government of Ilocos Norte through resolution is seeking the reconstruction of the church's convent presently in ruins and retrofitting of the church.
Conservation of the church's exteriors was begun by NHCP in the second quarter of 2019 and completed on June 2020. Work focused on the historic stone masonry walls and buttresses. Vegetation was removed from the exteriors to prevent stone erosion and lime grout loss. Major structural repair was done on the stairway of the bell tower. The entire roof system was also rehabilitated. Repairs on the interiors are still ongoing and expected to be completed by end of 2020.
Declarations.
By virtue of Presidential Decree No. 260, Paoay Church was declared as a National Cultural Treasure by the Philippine government in 1973. The church was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with San Agustin Church in Manila; Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion Church in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur; and Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Parish Church in Miagao, Iloilo on December 11, 1993.
External links.
Getting to Paoay from Laoag via Jeepney


Karkonosze National Park

The Karkonosze National Park () is a National Park in the Karkonosze Mountains in the Sudetes in southwestern Poland, along the border with the Czech Republic.
The park is located in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in the highest part of the Sudetes. It was created in 1959 to cover an area of 55.10 km². Today it is slightly larger at , of which 17.18 km² is strictly protected. The majority of the park area, around 33.80 km², consists of forests. In 1992 Karkonosze National Park, together with the neighbouring Czech Krkonoše National Park, became part of the Krkonose / Karkonosze biosphere reserve under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MaB) programme. Also, 40 hectares of peat bogs were designated a Ramsar international wetland site.
Geography.
The Karkonosze Mountains are the highest range of the much broader Sudetes mountains stretching horizontally from south-western Poland along the northern border of the Czech Republic to eastern Germany. Its highest peak is Śnieżka at above sea level, forming a triangle with (similarly sounding) Śnieżnik, , as well as Ślęża peak, further apart. They are connected by a red hiking trail only for qualified tourists. The characteristic features of its landscape are the glacial kettles with boulders and ponds hidden inside. Weathered granite rocks shaped like mushrooms or maces can also be found on the mountainsides.
The Krkonose/Karkonosze Mountains are situated on the division of the European water system between the basins of two major rivers – the Elbe and the Oder – which means that it also separates the basins of the Baltic Sea and North Sea. Many of the Karkonosze’s streams come down the hills, creating waterfalls, the largest of which in the Polish part of the mountains (300 m) is created by the Łomniczka stream.
There are about 100 various birds living in the park, the most numerous of animal species living there. In the higher parts of the mountains there are fewer species of them; in the lower levels there are 100 varieties, but in the peaks there are not more than 10. The park has four species of fish, six species of amphibians, and five species of reptiles. The park's attraction are mouflons, brought here at the beginning of the 20th century.
Karkonosze National Park is visited by more than 1.5 million tourists yearly. They can use 112 kilometres of walking paths, 10 ski lifts and 12 guest houses. The Park has its headquarters in the town of Jelenia Góra.


Maglavit

Maglavit is a commune in Dolj County, Oltenia, Romania. It is composed of two villages, Hunia and Maglavit.
History.
In mid-1935, local Romanian Orthodox shepherd Petrache Lupu claimed to have seen and spoken with God. Over the following three years, some two million pilgrims came to Maglavit, 10 million lei in donations were raised and King Carol II ordered the construction of a church on the site of the reported miracle. However, interest in the story had withered by autumn 1938, the church remained largely unbuilt and the funds were embezzled. The episode was exploited by the far-right: Iron Guard supporter Nichifor Crainic eulogized Lupu, while his "Sfarmă-Piatră" was still mentioning him in April 1941. Meanwhile, in 1935, Iron Guard sympathizer N. Crevedia claimed Lupu had cured him of uncontrollable blinking.


Greater Yellowstone Coalition

The Greater Yellowstone Coalition is a conservation organization protecting the lands, waters and wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.
Founding.
The Greater Yellowstone Coalition was founded in 1983. Its core premise is that “an ecosystem will remain healthy and wild only if it is kept whole.” It aims to protect one of the last largely intact temperate ecosystems in the United States. Its founding president was conservationist Rick Reese.
Organizational goals.
The organization seeks to protect the lands, waters and wildlife of the 20-million-acre (81,000 km2) Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. It advocates for “conservation, sound science, and protective management.”
Some of the causes for which the GYC have advocated are river and waterway protections, defense of grizzly bear populations and institution of human-bear coexistence policies, and battles against gold mining in the Paradise Valley north of Yellowstone National Park. They have also pushed for improved land use plans and protections for wild trout in the Greater Yellowstone Area.
In addition, the GYC led the fight against the New World gold-silver-copper mine, which was proposed to be sited only about four miles from the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park, during the early 1990s.
Current organization.
The current organization encompasses land around Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park, including Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. It covers over 20 million acres (34,000 square miles) with Yellowstone National Park at its center. This area is used recreationally by large numbers of people every year, which “puts strains on its environment, wildlife and infrastructure."
The main office of the GYC is based in Bozeman, Montana, and the organization has other offices in Jackson, WY, Cody, WY and Idaho Falls, ID. Its current director is conservationist Scott Christensen.
Currently, the Montana State University Library holds the papers of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition from 1984 to 2018, which document the organization’s efforts of the majority of its existence.


Padas River

The Padas River () is a river in Interior Division, southwestern Sabah of Malaysia. It has a total length of from its headwaters in the mountains of northwest Sabah to its outlet at the South China Sea, southwest of Beaufort town. Its source is originated from the mountains in the interior Beaufort, Keningau and Tenom Districts, which part of the Crocker Range system.
Features.
The river is important to provide water supply to Labuan and both districts of Beaufort and Tenom including as the main source of hydroelectric power to entire west coast of Sabah. The river is among the destination for water rafting activities in Sabah aside from Liwagu and Kiulu River.


Mae Wang National Park

Mae Wang National Park () is located in Chom Thong District, Doi Lo District and Mae Wang District in Chiang Mai Province. The park covers four national reserved forests in Chiang Mai province: Mae Khan, Mae Wang, Chom Thong and Mae Chaem forests.
Topography.
Landscape is mostly covered by mountains and forests, the height ranged from to . Doi Pha Tang is with 1,909 m the highest peak in the park. This part of the Thanon Thong Chai Range is the origin to tributaries of the Mae Chaem, Mae Wang and Mae Tuen rivers, which flow into the Ping River.
Climate.
The park is generally cool all year round, average temperature is throughout the year. Rainy season is from June to November, average rainfall is /year. Winter is from December to February, average temperature is between , lowest average temperature is . Summer is from March to May.
History.
A preliminary survey of the area was set up in June 2001.
Later on 20 November 2009 Mae Wang National Park with an area of has been declared the 112th national park.
Flora.
The park is home to the following forest types:

Evergreen forest include:
Deciduous forest include:
Dipterocarp forest include:
Fauna.
Wild animals found in the park are:

Sorts of mammals, include:

Species of reptiles, include:
Sorts of amphibians, include:
Species of birds, include:


Protected areas of Poland

Protected areas of Poland include the following categories, as defined by the Act on Protection of Nature ("") of 16 April 2004, by the Polish Parliament:
National parks.
There are 23 national parks in Poland. These were formerly run by the Polish Board of National Parks ("Krajowy Zarząd Parków Narodowych"), but in 2004 responsibility for them was transferred to the Ministry of the Environment. Most national parks are divided into strictly and partially protected zones. Additionally, they are usually surrounded by a protective buffer zone called "otulina".
Landscape parks.
According to the Act on Protection of Nature ("Ustawa o ochronie przyrody") of 2004, a Landscape Park ("Parki Krajobrazowe") is defined as "an area protected because of its natural, historical, cultural and scenic values, for the purpose of conserving and popularizing those values in conditions of balanced development." As at 9 May 2009 there are 122 designated Landscape Parks throughout Poland, covering a total area of approximately .
Nature reserves.
Nature reserves cover a total area of , representing 0.53% of the territory of Poland. As of 2011, Poland has 1469 nature reserves. The Nature reserves in Poland are divided into categories: fauna (141), landscape (108), forest (722), peat-bog (177), flora (169), water (44), inanimate nature (72), steppe (32) and halophyte (4). Another division is into the regular and strict nature reserves; the strict ones see no human activity, whereas the regular one see limited maintenance.
Protected areas.
Protected landscape areas ("") belong to some of the least restrictive zones of protection, with focus on qualified tourism and outdoor recreation. There were 419 protected landscape areas in Poland as of December 31, 2008 covering an area of , or slightly over 23% of the country.
Natura 2000 designated areas.
About 500 Natura 2000 sites, ecological network of protected areas in the territory of the European Union including:
Other designated sites.
Poland also has the following internationally designated sites:
Biosphere Reserves.
UNESCO Biosphere Reserves are environment-protected scientific-research institutions of international status that are created with the intent for conservation in a natural state the most typical natural complexes of biosphere, conducting background ecological monitoring, studying of the surrounding natural environment, its changes under the activity of anthropogenic factors.
Biosphere Preserves are created on the base of nature preserves or national parks including to their composition territories and objects of other categories of nature-preserving fund and other lands as well as including in the established order the World Network of Biosphere Reserves in the UNESCO framework "Man and the Biosphere Programme". There are 9 Biosphere Reserves in Poland.
World Heritage Sites.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place (such as a forest, mountain, lake, island, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that is listed by UNESCO as sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of humanity. There are fourteen World Heritage Sites in Poland (1 Natural and
13 Cultural). The first two sites were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1978. Three of the sites, Belovezhskaya Pushcha / Białowieża Forest, Wooden Tserkvas of Carpathian Region in Poland and Ukraine and Muskauer Park / Park Mużakowski are shared with neighboring countries (Belarus, Ukraine and Germany). Poland also has six sites on the Tentative List.
Ramsar Convention sites.
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural, scientific, and recreational value. Since the convention became effective in Poland on 22 March 1978, the designation of Wetland of International Importance has been applied to thirteen locations in the country, which combine to form an area of .


List of World Heritage Sites in Scotland

World Heritage Sites in Scotland are locations that have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Programme list of sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of humankind. Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for 'cultural' sites as part of their wider responsibility towards the historic environment. The Environment Directorate is responsible for natural sites.
There are currently six sites in Scotland, with a further two undergoing a process of formal evaluation. Informal discussion of a site for "Þings" (Norse parliaments) has taken place.
Existing sites.
The six existing sites are mapped to the right and described in detail below. They are:
St. Kilda is a small, out-lying archipelago of Hebridean islands which was inscribed as a "natural" site in 1986. In 2004, the site was extended to include a large amount of the surrounding marine features as well as the islands themselves. In July 2005 it became one of the few World Heritage Sites to hold joint status for its natural and cultural qualities. The islands were bequeathed to the National Trust for Scotland in 1957. They are also a Biosphere Reserve and a National Scenic Area.
"Edinburgh Old and New Towns" were together inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1996. The former includes the medieval Royal Mile which runs from Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and is bordered to the north by the neo-classical 18th century "New Town" which includes Princes Street. It is managed by the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust.
"The Heart of Neolithic Orkney" includes Maeshowe, the Ring of Brodgar, Skara Brae, the Standing Stones of Stenness and other nearby sites. It was inscribed in 1999 and is managed by Historic Scotland.
New Lanark was inscribed in 2001. It is a restored 18th century industrial cotton mill village in South Lanarkshire constructed by Robert Owen as an experiment in utopian socialism. Restoration was organised by the New Lanark Conservation Trust, which was formed in 1974.
The Antonine Wall was inscribed in July 2008. It is an extension to a wider series of sites in Austria, Germany and Slovakia entitled "Frontiers of the Roman Empire". The Wall is the remains of a defensive line made of turf c. 20 feet high, with nineteen forts. It was constructed after 139 AD and extended for 37 miles between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde. The wall was overrun and abandoned soon after 160 AD, then occupied again for a brief period after 197 AD.
The Forth Bridge was inscribed as a World Heritage Site on 5 July 2015. Its three iconic diamond-shaped towers form a cantilever bridge completed in 1890 carrying a dual-track railway line above the waters of the Firth of Forth north-west of Edinburgh over a distance of . Network Rail, the current owners of the bridge, made their initial opposition to a nomination clear, being concerned this could impose "additional burdens" on their ability to operate it. Nonetheless, the bridge was nominated for inclusion in early 2014. The listing recognised it as "an extraordinary and impressive milestone in bridge design and construction during the period when railways came to dominate long-distance land travel."
Commenting on World Heritage Day in 2008, Linda Fabiani the then Scottish Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture stated: "We can... take the opportunity to reflect upon the contribution of our own World Heritage Sites and their place in the global story of humanity. We can celebrate, with justified pride, Scotland's contribution".
A year later the then Culture Minister Mike Russell MSP announced at Mount Rushmore in the United States that Historic Scotland had launched a project called the Scottish Ten. This was to use laser scanners to create digital models of Scotland's five World Heritage Sites and for another five sites elsewhere, including the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The aim is to use the digital imagery to aid in the "conservation, maintenance and management of these globally important sites". The amount of data stored will be significant. Similar work recently done on Rosslyn Chapel near Edinburgh resulted in the storage of terabytes of data, the scans being made up of 8 billion individual points. This information will be held on special secure servers and a budget of £1.5 million has been allocated to the project.
Also in 2009, the Clydesdale Bank commemorated Scotland's sites on the reverses of a new series of banknotes: an image based on a historical photograph of St Kilda residents appeared on the £5 notes; of the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh on the £10 notes; of New Lanark on the £20 notes; of the Antonine Wall on the £50 notes; and of Neolithic Orkney on the £100 notes.
Tentative list.
The United Kingdom tentative list comprises sites which may be nominated for inscription over the next 5–10 years. Including the now-inscribed Antonine Wall, four Scottish sites were on the 2006 list. Several sites were then added in 2010, of which only three were selected for a short list created in 2011.
The two short-listed candidates remaining after designation of the Forth Bridge in 2015 are:
The 2010 applications to join the Tentative List that were not carried forward were: Arbroath Abbey; Buildings of Charles Rennie Mackintosh in Glasgow; and St Andrews, Medieval Burgh and Links. (Arbroath Abbey's application was made on the basis of its link with the 14th century Declaration of Arbroath. The signing of the declaration is celebrated in the Abbey each year on 6 April, an event that now coincides with Tartan Day in the US.)
In 2010 Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore said: "All these sites have something special that draws people to them and they are recognisable across the world. I am delighted that so many of Scotland’s attractions have stepped forward and answered the UK government’s call for world heritage status.
The Minister for Culture and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop MSP (who took on the post from Fabiani in 2009) said: "Many groups, individuals and local authorities across Scotland put work into nominating places that mean a lot to them and I would like to thank them for the enthusiasm they have shown for our historic environment".
Mike Cantlay, the chairman of VisitScotland said: "We sell Scotland to the world, bringing millions of visitors and billions of pounds to the economy and World Heritage status certainly helps make Scotland an even more attractive option for visitors in search of interesting things to see and do". The Heart of Neolithic Orkney site has certainly been a marketing success, with annual tourist numbers visiting Skara Brae alone now exceed 55,000 per annum. However some applications have drawn criticism based on the potential costs involved. The Cairngorm Mountains, a massif at the heart of the Cairngorms National Park was on the 2006 Tentative List, but is no longer under active consideration.
Other explorations.
In April 2010 delegates of the THING project (which is supported by the EU's Northern Periphery Programme) explored the possibility of a transnational World Heritage nomination, based on an expansion of Iceland's existing World Heritage Site Thingvellir. Shetland Amenity Trust place names officer, Eileen Brooke Freeman, said: "We can identify many of the assembly sites throughout areas of Scandinavian influence by their common ting, thing, ding and fing place names". Examples quoted include Gulating (Norway), Tinganes (Faroe Islands), Tingwall in both Shetland and in Orkney, Dingwall (Highland) and Tynwald (Isle of Man). It has also emerged that Thynghowe in Sherwood Forest, England is a contender to be part of such an initiative.
In May 2010, just a few weeks before the announcement of The Crucible of Iron Age Shetland's application, the Shetland Islands Council sponsored "Move.Shetland" newsletter publicised the Thing initiative, and listed various Shetland "Thing" districts such as Aithsting, Sandsting, Nesting, Lunnasting and Delting and the islet of Law Ting Holm, the former location of the national þing, or Norse parliament of Shetland.
Public sector involvement and support.
According to Historic Scotland "Scottish Ministers identify and put forward sites to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for nomination". In August 2010 Hyslop stated that guidance on the revised application process would become available from Historic Scotland in due course. They have stated that "the participation of a wide variety of stakeholders, including site managers, local and regional governments, local communities, NGOs and other interested parties and partners" is encouraged.
Assistance to local authorities is available from LAWHF - Local Authorities Working Together for World Heritage. Established in 1996, this organisation represents communities across the UK "which have existing or potential World Heritage Sites within their areas." Historic Scotland and LAWHF have liaison meetings from time to time.
Edinburgh World Heritage is a charity funded in 1999 through donations, from the City of Edinburgh Council and Historic Scotland, with the role of conserving, enhancing and promoting the city's World Heritage Site. In 2010 it was announced that Edinburgh City Council are considering a 2% "transient guest tax" on visitors staying in larger hotels. If implemented, the tax could raise £3 million or more, which would be used for marketing the city and on maintenance work designed to retain the existing World Heritage Site status.
After the 2008 inscription, the "Access to the Antonine Wall" project was created by the Central Scotland Forest Trust, North Lanarkshire Council and Falkirk Council. It has provided better information about the best routes to visit the Wall and provides information about other local facilities.


Muiravonside Country Park

Muiravonside Country Park is 170 acres of woodland and parkland open to the public all year round with marked trails, picnic sites and a play area. It is situated in the south-east corner of Falkirk (council area), approximately south of Maddiston, south-east of Linlithgow and about north of Armadale and Bathgate. It was once the grounds of Muiravonside House and the country estate owned by the Stirling family of Falkirk.
Description.
The park forms part of the River Avon Heritage Trail past the historic Avon Aqueduct and relics of industry and farming, including a Lime Kiln, hydro-powered sawmill and restored listed 17th-century doocot. The old Home Farm now forms the visitor centre, which is closed for renewal. The Newparks Farm has been transformed into an animal attraction with many breeds of animals and birds. Over 90 species of bird have been recorded at the park.
In 2016, a Heritage Lottery grant and money from a nearby landfill site allowed the park to expand and improve its trails, with the introduction of seven specially commissioned sculptures.
History.
Reginald Prat de Tindale gave the estate to his daughter, Margaretta, upon her marriage to Richard de Miville in 1189. The hub of the estate was the, now ruined, Anglo-Norman 'Maiden Castle' located just outside the country park. Around this time the land is referred to as "Murgunessete" or 'the abode of Morgan'.
In 1471, the estate came into the Ross family by marriage. Sir John Ross fell at the Battle of Flodden in 1513, who was heir to the estate. the estate stayed in the Ross family, during which time the first Muiravonside House was built in 1609. This was extended in the 18th and 19th centuries.
McLeods.
In 1724, the estate was sold to John MacLeod, an Edinburgh advocate. This family had a long history of supporting the return of the Stuarts to the throne, Alexander McLeod, who stayed at Muiravonside, was one of Bonnie Prince Charlie's aide de camp. Leading up to the Jacobite rising of 1745 these Jacobite sympathisers were amongst those plotting the return of the Stuarts. Also involved was a leading Scottish advocate and friend of the Macleods, Lord Grange, whose wife, Rachel Chiesley, threatened to expose his Jacobite sympathies and his plot for the crown. After being abducted on 22 January 1732, she was held at Muiravonside house temporarily, before being incarcerated in various remote locations on the western isles of Scotland, including the Monarch Isles, Skye and the Hirta, an island of St Kilda.
Stirlings.
In 1835, the estate was sold to Charles Stirling whose sixteen children included General Sir William Stirling K.C.B. This was a time of agricultural improvement in Scotland and Sir Charles Stirling aimed to make the estate as self-sufficient as possible. He built the lime kilns, that can still be seen on the estate, and his own clay drain works. He turned an old grain mill into a sawmill and oversaw the Muiravonside Coalfield, which had been operating since the 18th century. Charles was not the first to marry his cousin and Charles married Charlotte Dorothea Stirling who was the daughter of the late Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Stirling in 1835. They had four sons and three daughters. When Charles died in 1867 at Muiravonside, the estate went to his eldest son Andrew who was a lawyer.
During World War I, 11 British soldiers were billeted in the house, which was, by then, partially let out. Thomas Willing Stirling, last of the Stirlings to be buried in the family burial ground on the estate died in 1930, the estate went to his eldest son Sir Arthur Charles Stirling, who remained there until his death on 21 February 1967. It was his intention, having no male heir, the estate should go to his sister. However Stirling's cousin, Sir Norman Charles Stirling objected on the grounds of entail, which resulted in long and protracted court proceedings. Ten years later the case, "Stirling TRS vs Stirling," was settled in favour of Sir Arthur Charles will, by then the house was ruined. A considerable amount of money would be needed to make the estate again viable. The new owner being of considerable age and with no intimate concern for the estate, sold part of the estate to what was then Falkirk District Council in 1977. The once grand house was deemed unsafe and it was demolished as part of the estate's restoration as Falkirk's first country park in the 1970s.
In 1980, the Countryside Ranger Service began its mission to educate and to provide information as well as to maintain the park's woodland and its walks. This has included helping with the installation of sculptures around the park. The sculptures are funded by the operators of a local landfill site.


Kevin Kiernan (geomorphologist)

Kevin Kiernan is an Australian writer, geomorphologist, and conservationist.
He has written about the West Coast Range and Mount Field National Park of Tasmania.
He was an academic geomorphologist at the University of Tasmania.
He was one of the individuals present at the change of the focus of the former South West Tasmania Action Committee that led to the founding of the Tasmanian Wilderness Society in 1976, and was the first director.


NQ Dry Tropics

The NQ Dry Tropics (formerly Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM) operates as a community based, not-for-profit company delivering on-ground Natural Resource Management (NRM) activities since 2005 to enhance the community's involvement in those issues throughout the Dry Tropics Region in northern Queensland Australia.
The economy of the NQ Dry Tropics region is heavily reliant upon natural resources based industries, particularly agriculture. Agriculture is by far the most important employer in the rural areas of the region. Other major industries include mining and tourism.
History.
The National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality (NAPSWQ) and the Natural Heritage Trust Extension (NHT2) were natural resource management programs established by the Australian Government, in partnership with State Governments, to address the declining condition of natural resources in Australia. The long term objectives of these programs was to halt and reverse the decline in the condition of the natural resource base. It also recognised that the long term success of Natural resource management activities depended on involvement of sectors of the community.
The election of the Rudd Government saw development of the Caring for our Country program. It was a commitment of $2.25 billion in funding over the first five years commencing 1 July 2008.
Goals.
Land care programs and sustainable farming.
Geography.
The NQ Dry Tropics region is located in north eastern Queensland, covering an area of approximately 133,432 km² and is primarily defined by the catchment area of the Burdekin River plus the associated coastal and marine areas. The region has a population of approximately 190 000 which predominantly urban with up to three quarters based within the major population centres including Townsville, Ayr, Bowen and Charters Towers. Away from the major centres the region is sparsely populated.
Major Watercourses.
Major water courses in this catchment include:
Bioregions.
There are 6 of 15 bioregions (as defined by Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia) that exist within the Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM region. These are:


Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve

Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States, is a wetlands area along the Tualatin River in Washington County, Oregon. Located on the south end of the city along Highway 219, this lowland area is a designated Important Bird Area and hosts such birds as buffleheads, dusky Canada geese, and tundra swans.
History.
The Atfalati band of the Kalapuya people, who were the first inhabitants of the area, hunted and gathered in the area including hunting waterfowl and digging up camas roots. Then when European pioneers settled the area beginning in the 1830s farms were established in the area, with the wetlands area usually not being used due to the annual flooding. However, bridges were built across the river and steamboats plied the river before the railroads came to the valley.
In 1910 the city of Hillsboro began using the Jackson Bottom area for water waste disposal. By the 1930s farmers in the community protested the water pollution that resulted from waste dumping into the river. Then in 1939 the city purchased part of the area and began using it as a sewer farm that produced a variety of produce and the city made some money off the venture. By the 1970s the city had acquired most of the land in that area, stopped using the farm, and let the area become grassland. Next, in 1980 the Jackson Bottom Coordinated Resource Management Plan was developed and the area was transformed into a wetlands area. In 1999, the wetlands received a National Wetlands Award for Education and Outreach from the Environmental Law Institute. Cougar sightings in June 2014 closed trails on several occasions.
Features.
This area contains forest areas along the river bank, a forested wetland area, ponds, marshes, meadows, slough areas, and a forest section of mixed deciduous and conifer trees. Jackson Bottom is home to a diverse group of plant and animal species. Animals that call the wetlands home include beavers, minks, nutria, ducks, blue and green herons, warblers, frogs, owls, red-tailed hawks, woodpeckers, opossums, deer, raccoons, newts, sparrows, finch, coyotes, and many other small rodents, birds, and reptiles. Migratory waterfowl include northern pintails, canvasbacks, blue-winged teal, green-winged teal, dusky Canada geese, and tundra swans. Plant life there includes dogwood trees, Douglas fir, white oak, cocklebur, Columbia River sedge, red willow, Oregon ash, and other grass and tree species.
Human oriented features of Jackson Bottom include hiking trails, an education center, environmental monitoring and research, and bird watching.
Wetlands Nature Center.
On September 27, 2003, the Wetlands Education Center opened at Jackson Bottom. The building is used to educate visitors of the wetlands and includes an exterior deck that wraps around the structure. This building houses a classroom, nature store, and exhibits.
In January 2007 the Nature center received a new natural exhibit piece. Inside the building is an intact bald eagle nest. This , 1,500 pound nest is believed to be the only intact nest on display in the United States. The nest was built in 2001 by an eagle family along the Tualatin River and removed in 2005 when the tree it was built on began falling down. Inside the nest are the remains of the animals the eagles dined on including fish and other birds.
With a grant from Intel, the Nature Center hosts a Capricorn™ Weather Station with meteorological data available to the public via Weather Underground and widgets on their website.
Jackson Bottom also conducts many education programs in cooperation with local schools, operates summer camp programs, and has a teacher education program. These are all designed to increase knowledge about wetlands, water resources, and preservation of the natural environment.


Craigtoun Country Park

Craigtoun Country Park is a country park located approximately 4 miles to the south-west of St Andrews in the county of Fife, Scotland. The site is currently owned by Fife Council, with park amenities being operated as of 2012 by the charitable organisation Friends of Craigtoun Park. The park was originally part of the Mount Melville Estate, of which was purchased by Fife County Council for £25,000 in 1947.
History.
The Mount Melville Estate, originally called Craigtoun was one of the many Melville family estates, first acquired in 1698 for General George Melville of Strathkiness. In the late 18th Century General Robert Melville oversaw extensive landscaping of the grounds including the planting of orchards and woodland. James Gillespie Graham was responsible for the reconstruction of the house between 1820-1821. The house and grounds continued in Melville family ownership until 1901 when the new owner Dr James Younger of the Younger brewing dynasty commissioned Paul W. Waterhouse to design a new mansion house and landscape the park.
Waterhouse created or modified the majority of the features which remain in the park today, including the walled garden, Cypress avenue, rose garden, Italian garden and temple (demolished by Fife County Council in 1966). In 1920 Waterhouse added a series of lakes and the picturesque island village, now known as the 'Dutch Village'. A summerhouse was also inserted into eastern boundary of the walled garden.
In 1947 Mount Melville house and gardens were acquired by Fife County Council with the mansion becoming a maternity hospital and the gardens established as Craigtoun Country Park. Attractions added since 1947 include a bowling green, stage, miniature railway, and putting green. In 2012 the Friends of Craigtoun group was formed to work in partnership with Fife Council to run the amenities in the park. The summer of 2013 saw the park reopen with amenities operated by the Friends of Craigtoun and the park grounds and gardens maintained by Fife Council.
Facilities.
The principal amenities currently in operation at the park are the 'Puffin' Billy' vintage tractor, the Craigtoun Miniature Railway, bouncy castle, putting as well as rowing boats and pedalos sited on the Dutch Village lake. The park also has a free nature trail available from the ticket office and four caches for Geocaching. Further features include a 'fairy glen', Italian garden, greenhouses and formal gardens. Every Saturday morning at 9:30 there is a free public 'Parkrun' consisting of a course around the park.
Flora and fauna.
The park comprises woodland, water and marshland habitats in addition to maintained areas of grassland, tree plantations and formal gardens. Notably there survive within the park examples of Portuguese Laurel, yew, Wellingtonia planted during the landscaping works executed by Waterhouse. Craigtoun is also home to a variety of wildlife among which include a healthy population of mute swans, mallards, grey herons, red squirrels and European water voles.


Skeleton Coast National Park

Skeleton Coast National Park is a national park located in northwest Namibia, and has the most inaccessible shores, dotted with shipwrecks. The park was established in 1971 and has a size of . The park is divided into a northern and southern section, the southern section is open to those with 4 wheel drive vehicles, they are allowed to go up (north) as far as the Ugab River Gate (where a sign with a skull and crossbones warns you to go no further). The northern section can only be reached by a fly-in safari, and the area is off-limits to all vehicles.
The list of tourist attractions in the park includes a shipwreck at the South West Seal viewpoint, Huab lagoon and the collapsed oil drilling rig.
Notes.
This park is to be included in the Iona - Skeleton Coast Transfrontier Conservation Area.


Protected areas of India

There are four categories of protected areas in India, constituted under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Tiger reserves consist of areas under national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. There are 51 tiger reserves in India. As of May 2012, the protected areas of India cover , roughly 4.95% of the total surface area.
Classification.
India has the following kinds of protected areas, in the sense of the word designated by IUCN:
National parks.
National parks in India are IUCN category II protected areas. India's first national park was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park, now known as Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand. By 1970, India only had five national parks. In 1972, India enacted the Wildlife Protection Act and Project Tiger in 1973 to safeguard the habitats of conservation reliant species.
Wildlife sanctuaries.
Wildlife sanctuaries of India are classified as IUCN Category IV protected areas. Between 1936 and 2016, 551 wildlife sanctuaries were established in the country that cover as of 2020. Among these, the 51 tiger reserves are governed by Project Tiger, and are of special significance for the conservation of the Bengal tiger.
Biosphere reserves.
The Indian government has established 18 biosphere reserves (categories roughly correspondingly to IUCN Category V Protected areas) to protect larger areas of natural habitat than a typical national park or animal sanctuary, and that often include one or more national parks or reserves, along with buffer zones that are open to some economic uses. Protection is granted not only to the flora and fauna of the protected region, but also to the human communities who inhabit these regions, and their ways of life.
Reserved and protected forests.
Reserved forests and protected forest (IUCN Category IV or VI, depending on protection accorded): These are forested lands where logging, hunting, grazing and other activities may be permitted on a sustainable basis to members of certain communities. In reserved forests, explicit permission is required for such activities. In protected forests, such activities are allowed unless explicitly prohibited. Thus, in general reserved forests enjoy a higher degree of protection with respect to protected forests.
Conservation and community reserves.
Conservation reserves and community reserves in India are terms denoting protected areas of India which typically act as buffer zones to or connectors and migration corridors between established national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserved and protected forests of India. Such areas are designated as conservation areas if they are uninhabited and completely owned by the Government of India but used for subsistence by communities, and community areas if part of the lands are privately owned. Administration of such reserves would be through local people and local agencies like the "gram panchayat", as in the case of communal forests. (See Communal forests of India)
Village and panchayat Forests.
A "Common Important Forest" in India is a forest governed by local communities in a way compatible with sustainable development. Such forests are typically called village forests or panchayat forests, reflecting the fact that the administration and resource use of the forest occurs at the village and panchayat (an elected rural body) levels. Hamlets, villages and communities of villages may actually administer such a forest. Such community forests are usually administered by a locally elected body, usually called the "Forest Protection Committee", "Village Forest Committee" or the "Village Forest Institution". Such committees are known as "Van Panchayat"s in the Kumaon Division of Uttarakhand, "Forest Co-operative Societies" in Himachal Pradesh and "Van Samrakshan Samiti"s in Andhra Pradesh. Legislation pertaining to communal forests vary from state to state, but typically the state government retains some administrative control over matters like staff appointment, and penalization of offenders. Such forests typically conform to the IUCN Category VI Protected Areas, but protection may be enforced by the local communities or the government depending on local legislation.
Maharashtra is the state with the most forest land while Haryana has the least.
Private protected areas.
Private protected areas of India refer to protected areas inside India whose land rights are owned by an individual or a corporation / organization, and where the habitat and resident species are offered some kind of protection from exploitative activities like hunting, logging, etc. The Government of India did not provide any legal or physical protection to such entities, but in an important amendment introduced by the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act of 2002, has agreed to protect communally owned areas of ecological value.
Conservation areas.
Conservation Areas in India refer to well-demarcated large geographical entities with an established conservation plan, and were part of a joint Indo-US project on "landscape management and protection". The project ran from 1996 to 2002. These areas are home to many Conservation reliant species.


Lake Stubbe

Lake Stubbe (Stubbe Sø, in Danish) is a nature conservation area, and a former fjord, which in the Stone Age entered the sea, Kattegat, at the entrance to the Baltic Sea between Denmark and Sweden in Northern Europe. The lake is the largest lake in Djursland and is located about 6 km north of Ebeltoft.
150 years ago the lake was surrounded by moor land as the original oak forest had been depleted due to human intervention. To prevent sand drift the area was afforested, and 62 square kilometers of forest surrounds the lake today, consisting primarily of Norwegian fir and spruce, with some alder in low-lying areas.
Otters, which are rare in Denmark, live by the lake, just as the lake is a resting and foraging grounds for migrating birds to and from the rest of Scandinavia. Several large species of birds of prey can be seen by the lake.
In 1963 Lake Stubbe and adjacent woodland (381 ha) was reserved as protected in order preserve the landscape. Lake Stubbe is also an EU-habitat area, just as the area is part of Mols Bjerge National Park established in 2009.
Access.
Public access to the lake is hampered by a wall of reed surrounding most of the lake. There is a 2 km unpaved public road close to the southern shore through woodland. This road is a suitable starting point for walks including mushroom picking in the woods in late summer and autumn. On the North-eastern shore of Lake Stubbe the Danish Ornithological Society has built a public bird watching tower, that can be reached by foot via a former railroad track passing the lakes eastern side leading to the town of Ebeltoft 5 km south of the lake. The Society also owns a bird sanctuary on the north side of the lake. Here public access is possible by foot to a part of the lake where there are openings in the reed belt along the shore.
Biomanipulation.
Streams leading to the lake are spawning grounds for sea trout. Lake fishlife includes perch, pike, bream, roach and walleye.
Around year 2000 a seemingly failed state-initiated biomanipulation project was carried out, in an attempt to make the lake water clearer. In summer Lake Stubbe can be green with algae. Part of the project was to fish up in the order of 1000 tons of roach and bream with nets, as these fish eat daphnia and copepods, small crustaceans, that devour the algae that make the water green. The idea was, that with less algae, the water would become clearer. Algae blossom is an indication of nutrient rich water. A large number of pike fry was also released, as pike eat bream and roach. Ditches with nutrient rich water from a summer cottage area north of the lake was also cut off.
In 2014 + 10 years after the biomanipulation effort, the lake still becomes green with algae in summer, indicating the attempt was in vain. The tipping balance between a clear lake type and a murky green lake type can be part of a natural cycle in lakes over years, alternating between the two separate biological states. A biologist has suggested that a missing factor might have been to raise the level of the lake in spring by some decimeters, thus flooding low-lying land, in order to increase the amount of suitable breeding grounds for pike, that eat bream and roach. This would have involved flooding privately owned land.


Erik Martin

Erik Martin (12 January 1936 in Neuss – 25 April 2017) was a German writer, songwriter and composer of songs. He was the founder and editor of the literature and art magazine "Muschelhaufen".
Life and work.
Erik Martin was the first-born son of Illa and Ernst J. Martin – both dentists and dendrologists; they were the founders of the Sequoiafarm Kaldenkirchen. His sister is the tree-and-bush expert Helge Breloer. Martin grew up in Kaldenkirchen, went to Aloisiuskolleg in Bad Godesberg and graduated at Thomaeum High-School Kempen. After studies in Aachen he worked as a teacher of German and Biology in Viersen, where he created schoolgardens and worked out environmental projects joining the German Waldjugend. In 1997 he received the Klaus-Gundelach-Prize for his merits concerning his environmental protection and his youth novel "Fjellwanderung".
From 1969 to 2008 Erik Martin edited "Muschelhaufen", an annual for literature and graphics. In numerous special editions he helped recover writers such as Albert Vigoleis Thelen, Margot Scharpenberg or Fritz Grasshoff. Stories and Poems by well-known writers such as Ernst Jandl, Annemarie Schimmel (honoured with the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade), Günter Kunert, Siegfried Lenz, Christoph Meckel and James Krüss were first published in Muschelhaufen. Artists like Elke Rehder or Clemens Weiss used to work for the magazine.
With great care Martin studied Werner Helwig's books and wrote essential essays on his work.
Martin's songs are well-known and often sung in the groups of the German Youth Movement, the German folk and the German Scout Movement. One of those is the popular "Wenn der Abend naht" ("When the evening comes")
. As youth leader for many years Martin led groups to whose members he was known as "Mac". Up to this day he participates in the Deutsche Waldjugend activities and has written articles for several magazines, e.g. "der eisbrecher", "scouting" and "Fang". Two CDs with Martin's songs were edited by the Waldjugend.
Erik Martin was married. He had two sons and lived in Viersen-Dülken.


StreamWatch

StreamWatch is an environmental monitoring program focused on the Rivanna River watershed in central Virginia in the United States. The data StreamWatch collects helps communities in the city of Charlottesville and in Albemarle, Fluvanna, and Greene Counties maintain healthy streams and restore damaged ones. StreamWatch believes that "when diverse sectors of the community share fundamental agreement on the condition of a resource, the chances of sound, collaborative management are enhanced."
About.
Founded in 2002 as a joint project of The Nature Conservancy, the Rivanna Conservation Society, the Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District, the Rivanna River Basin Commission and the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission, StreamWatch continues to be administered and financed by nongovernmental and governmental organizations. Conservation groups, local governments, and natural resources agencies use StreamWatch data to gauge stream conditions and to inform planning and environmental management decisions.
Volunteers.
A cadre of approximately 70 trained volunteers monitors stream conditions at representative sites throughout the watershed. Benthic invertebrate (see bioindicator), sedimentation, stream habitat, and other types of data are collected by volunteers and professionals using established scientific protocols. StreamWatch tracks land-use data, including data about agriculture, forestry, and residential and commercial development. Fieldwork, interpretation, and reporting are guided by a technical advisory committee composed of academic and resource agency scientists. StreamWatch also compiles Rivanna watershed data collected by other organizations.
Data Collection.
Beginning in spring 2007, StreamWatch set out to study relationships between land use, stream habitat, and stream biology in the Rivanna River watershed. More than 120 volunteers, interns, environmental professionals, and academics helped gather, manage, and analyze data from 51 sites and their watersheds.


Snake Shyam

M. S. Balasubramania (alt spelling Balasubramanya; born 1967), popularly known as Snake Shyam, is a snake enthusiast, wildlife conservationist and lecturer in Mysore, India. He was elected to the Mysore City Corporation in 2013, a role he served until 2018.
Though not a trained herpetologist, Shyam is known throughout the Mysore region as a "naturalist on wheels". He rescues and rehabilitates snakes and educates the public about them. He is also sometimes consulted by local hospitals to identify a species of snake prior to treating a snakebite victim.
Shyam has been widely recognized for his work. National Geographic featured him in its "Croc Chronicles: Snakes, Karma, Action" special. He has also been featured on the "Discovery" channel. Mysore city has named a street for him and has dedicated its first "urban forest" to him and fellow environmentalist Hyder Ali Khan.
Shyam is also known for his personal flamboyance and has been described by "The Hindu" as "easily the most recognisable characters [sic] of Mysore, complete with his sun hat, overflowing beads and multiple rings that adorn his fingers".
Background.
 Shyam was born to M.R.Subbarao and A.Nagalakshmi Mirle in Cheluvaamba Hospital, Krishnarajanagara, Mysore State, now in Karnataka, India. He demonstrated his interest in snakes at an early age, when a snake invaded a neighbor's home. After convincing those around not to kill the snake, he caught it and released it into the garden. From this incident, he earned his nickname.
Avocation.
By profession, Shyam was a driver, transporting children to school, but beginning in 1982 he began to be frequently called upon to retrieve snakes that had encroached on people's properties, a job for which he receives no pay. Called multiple times each day, Shyam uses a pillowcase and a badminton racquet without strings to net the snakes, which he then releases into the forest. Though his avocation to safely remove these snakes has cost him considerable expense, Shyam continues from the desire to see these snakes released rather than killed. Recently, authorities in Mysore have offered to defray some of Shyam's expenses by paying his telephone bills.
In 2004, he estimated that he may have caught and released over 40,000 snakes since he began in 1980; as of February 2008, the official record, which he began in 1980(Unofficially he has caught nearly 40,000 Snakes between 1980-1997), was 11,755. Though Shyam has only been bitten four times in his rescue work, he has developed an allergy to antivenin, which requires that he exercise great care in handling snakes.
His knowledge of snakes—he can identify 28-30 local species of snakes—is founded on personal experience, but supplemented by reading the works of or speaking to professionals such as Romulus Whitaker, J.C. Daniel and faculty at Mysore University. Shyam's van features paintings depicting snakes and also displays his slogans: "Snakes are not as poisonous as human beings" and "Care for the rare".
Snake Shyam was elected to Mysore City Corporation in the elections held in March 2013, sponsored by the BJP. In August 2018, he was expelled from the party for "anti-party activities" and chose to contest as an independent, unsuccessfully.
In 2019, he completed another record by catching 32,000 Snakes.


El Leoncito National Park

El Leoncito National Park () is a federal protected area in San Juan Province, Argentina. Established on 18 September 2002, it houses a representative sample of the Central Andean Puna and the Southern Andean steppe biodiversity in good state of conservation, as well as historical and paleontological sites (including a portion of the Inca road system). It has an area of
Description.
El Leoncito is located on the western slopes of the Sierra del Tontal in the Calingasta Department, from Barreal.
The lack of atmospheric pollution in this isolated place and the dry weather guarantee at least 300 days of unmatched sky transparency per year, making it particularly suitable for astronomy research: within the park there are two astronomical observatories: the Leoncito Astronomical Complex (CASLEO) and the Félix Aguilar Observatory ( above sea level)
The area of the current national park lay within the jurisdiction of the aforementioned Leoncito Astronomical Complex, under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. Safeguarding the atmospheric quality was a central concern for the astronomical center, which in turn required careful administration of the ecological environment. Thus in 1994 it was decided to place the area under management of the National Parks Administration as a strict natural reserve. On 18 September 2002 it was further promoted to national park status with the enactment of national law 25656 after its territory was ceded by the San Juan Province to the federal state.
The climate is cold, with permanent ice in the high Andean region. In the Puna the weather is cold and very dry with large temperature amplitude. Overall, the average annual rainfall is .
The park has almost no infrastructure for tourists, so it is recommended to stock up before visiting. There is free camping with a stove, tables, grills, barbecue, toilets and hot showers.
Besides visiting the astronomical observatories, there are trails to local water streams and waterfalls, most of them of low difficulty and short length.
Biodiversity.
The flora is mostly made up of shrubs, typical of dry mountainous areas. The fauna include important species like the guanaco and birds of prey such as the peregrine falcon.


Allerthorpe Common

Allerthorpe Common is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and nature reserve in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is located close to the town of Pocklington.
History.
Allerthorpe was mentioned in the Domesday Book AD 1086 as "Aluuarstorp", a name meaning a "thorpe" or small village belonging to a man called Alfard. Pollen counts have shown that the common has provided habitat for heather and birch, and some pine for at least 2000 years. During Anglo-Saxon times some of the trees were cleared for conversion of the land to pasture. Commoners had a right to graze cattle, cut turves, and use timber and gorse for repairs. At the time of enclosures (1750–1800), the surrounding land was enclosed and used for agriculture. The common became drier as drainage was improved in the surrounding farmland, and in the 1950s, the land was bought by the Forestry Commission. Part was drained and planted in 1963 with Scots pine, Austrian pine and Lodgepole pine. In 1965, a area was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and was set aside as a nature reserve as being one of the last tracts of semi-natural grassland in the Vale of York.
The common.
The site lies on river and lake sands, which were deposited during the last glacial period 12-10,000 years ago. The soils are acidic and a variety of habitats, including wet and dry heath, mire, grassland and woodland have formed.
The drier areas are dominated by heather interspersed with cross-leaved heath and purple moor grass. In the wetter areas purple moor grass forms dense tussocks. Common cottongrass and marsh cinquefoil occur in the wet mire conditions, and the nationally rare marsh gentian grows here. Birds that breed here include the nightjar, tree pipit and whinchat.


Protected areas of Estonia

Protected areas of Estonia are regulated by the Nature Conservation Act (), which was passed by the Estonian parliament on April 21, 2004 and entered into force May 10, 2004.
Protected areas.
According to the law, protected areas are areas maintained in a state unaltered by human activity or used subject to special requirements where the natural environment is preserved, protected, restored, researched or introduced. The following are protected areas:
As stated in §10.1: An area shall be placed under protection as a protected area or a special conservation area by a regulation of the Government of the Republic.
In addition, the law declares following special protection areas, which are designated for the conservation of habitats, for the preservation of which the impact of planned activities is estimated and activities liable to damage the favourable conservation status of the habitats are prohibited:
In the time of the Estonian SSR, there were only five protected areas categorized as "zapovedniks" ("scientific nature reserve"): Vilsandi, Viidumäe, Endla, Nigula and Matsalu.


List of extinct animals of the Philippines

The Philippines had a large and diverse group of mammalian species in the past. They are widely distributed across the archipelago, but they became extinct due to several factors. At least eight mammalian species have been extinct since the Pleistocene Epoch. A fossil species of the Sirenia has been found on Palawan and went extinct during the Miocene. Other unknown species of extinct deer, buffalo, pig, and small mammals are only known from incomplete fossil remains known from the Pleistocene. The Asian elephant was introduced to the Philippines, originally transported to the sultanates of Sulu and Maguindanao, but became extinct on those areas or were transported back to Sabah for unknown reasons sometime during the 13th to 16th(?) centuries. One former species of bat known as "Acerodon lucifer" was thought to be extinct, but is now synonymous with the giant golden-crowned flying fox. Thus, the species still thrives in the archipelago, but is locally extinct on the island of Panay.
Paleontological and archeological findings yielded information regarding the extinct mammalian species found in the Philippines through the excavation of various sites in the country.


List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest by Area of Search

The following is a list of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) by area of search, in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are areas of conservation, consisting of protected areas, recognised for their biological or geological significance. In Northern Ireland an SSSI is called an area of special scientific interest (ASSI).
The English counties were revised under the 1974 reorganisation of local government. Until the 2010s, Natural England, which maintains the database of English SSSIs, kept the listing of counties as it was in 1974, but by 2015 they had updated their lists to reflect some later changes. However, two counties abolished in 1996 are still used as areas of search by Natural England, Avon (which is now divided between Somerset, Gloucestershire and Bristol) and Cleveland (which is now divided into County Durham and North Yorkshire).


Malpelo Island

Malpelo is a small island in the eastern Pacific Ocean, located about west of the Colombian mainland with a military post manned by the Colombian Armed Forces. It consists of a sheer and barren rock with three high peaks, the highest being "Cerro de la Mona" with a height of . The island is about in length from northeast to southwest, and in width.
Geography.
Malpelo is the only island that rises above the surface from the Malpelo Ridge, which is a solitary volcanic submarine ridge that extends in a northeast-southwest direction with a length of and a width of . This island is surrounded by a number of offshore rocks. Off the northeast corner are the "Tres Mosqueteros". Off the southwest corner are "Salomón", "Saúl", "La Gringa", and "Escuba". All the rocks are surrounded by deep water, and most of the face of the main island is very steep. Soundings between are obtainable within a few kilometres of the shore and the currents are strong and changeable. As an oceanic island, it has never been connected with any other islands or the mainland.
Malpelo Island is composed of Miocene pillow lavas, volcanic breccias, and basaltic dikes that have been dated as being 16 to 17 million years old. This island and the underlying and underwater Malpelo Ridge were created along with the Carnegie Ridge in the Late Miocene by a very complex interaction between the Cocos-Nazca Spreading Centre and the Galápagos hotspot.
Natural history.
At first glance, the island seems to be barren rock, devoid of all vegetation, but deposits of bird guano have helped colonies of algae, lichens, mosses, and some shrubs and ferns establish, all of which glean nutrients from the guano.
The island has been recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports a breeding population of some 60,000–110,000 Nazca boobies, as estimated in 2007.
Malpelo is home of a unique shark population; swarms of 500 hammerhead sharks and hundreds of silky sharks are frequently seen by diving expeditions, making it a very popular shark-diving location. It is one of the few places where the smalltooth sand tiger has been seen alive; it is frequently spotted at the dive site "El bajo del Monstruo". "Acanthemblemaria stephensi", the Malpelo barnacle blenny, is a species of chaenopsid blenny found in coral reefs around Malpelo. The largest no-fishing zone in the East Pacific, measuring over 850,000 hectares, surrounds the island.
The Malpelo Nature Reserve, a plant and wildlife sanctuary, is defined as a circular area of radius centered at . A Colombian foundation is trying to preserve the biodiversity of the site. On July 12, 2006, Malpelo was declared by UNESCO as a natural World Heritage Site because of its status as an important shark reserve.


Andrew P. Hill

Andrew Putnam Hill (1853–1922) was a Californian painter and photographer best known for successfully leading an effort from 1899 to 1902 to save a forest of large redwoods in Big Basin, California, as a public park, the first in what became the California State Park System.
Life and career.
Hill was the only child of Elijah and Jane Hill, both of whom were descended from early American settlers. Born on August 9, 1853, in Porter County, Indiana, he came to California with his uncle when he was fourteen; his father had come West shortly before Andrew's birth but died of exhaustion and exposure after surviving an Indian attack. Although a Protestant, he studied for two years at the Catholic Santa Clara College, (now Santa Clara University) in Santa Clara: one year at high-school level and one at college freshman level. Forced by lack of funds to leave, he worked as a draftsman, then entered the California School of Design in San Francisco (now the San Francisco Art Institute) in 1875.
In 1876 he opened a portrait painting business in San Jose with Louis Lussier, continuing solo after Lussier's death in 1882. In 1889, he opened the Hill and Franklin Photography Studio and Art Gallery with J. C. Franklin. When Franklin left a year later, he partnered with his mother-in-law, Laura Broughton Watkins, as the Hill and Watkins Photographers Studio. For three years they were joined by Sidney Yard. In the earthquake of 1906, Hill's studio and the works there were destroyed, as was his painting "The Murphy Party", which hung in the historical room of the California Pioneers Association in San Francisco and depicted the first settlers crossing Sunset Pass. He then turned to absentee management of a goldmine in Calaveras County, with little success, but continued to paint and photograph out of his home.
Hill married Florence Maria Watkins of Santa Clara in April 1883. They had three sons, the first of whom died in infancy. Hill died in 1922.
Big Basin.
In 1899, Hill was commissioned by the English "Wide World Magazine" to photograph the scenery at what is now called Big Trees Grove at Felton in the Santa Cruz Mountains after a forest fire had been put out with wine from a local winery. He had an altercation with the landowner, who demanded payment for allowing photographs of the Coast Redwood ("Sequoia sempervirens") trees and told him that they "were destined to become firewood and railroad ties." At the turn of the century only 25% of the old growth Redwood forests remained. Hill vowed to save the redwoods for posterity. In his memoirs, he wrote of this decision:
I was a little angry, and somewhat disgusted, with my reception at the Santa Cruz Big Trees. It made me think. There were still fifteen minutes until the train time. Just as the gate closed, the thought flashed through my mind that these trees, because of their size and antiquity, were among the natural wonders of the world, and should be saved for posterity. I said to myself, "I will start a campaign immediately to make a public park of the place." I argued that as I had been furnishing illustrations for a number of writers, whom I knew quite well, that there was a latent force, which, when awakened to a noble cause, would immediately respond, and perhaps arouse the press of the whole country. Thus was born my idea of saving the redwoods.
His attention shifted to Big Basin when it was suggested that the redwoods there were taller and more important. On May 18, 1900, while camping there, he and others founded the Sempervirens Club, which decided that Big Basin should become a public park. Many prominent locals supported the effort, including Santa Clara College's president, Robert E. Kenna, S.J., Stanford University's president, David Starr Jordan, the mayor of San Francisco, James D. Phelan (Kenna's nephew), and Carrie Stevens Walter, who later served as secretary of the club. After nearly two years of lobbying legislators in Sacramento, California, in which Father Kenna's persuasion of the Catholic members, who were then in the majority, was crucial, and after securing a monetary guarantee from Phelan, a bill that allocated $250,000 to purchase the Big Basin land passed. These were enormous sums of money at the time. Supporters secured a second $250,000 from private benefactors and, with the state, created California's first state park, California Redwood Park, now Big Basin Redwoods State Park and now encompassing over of protected temperate rainforest lands. Father Kenna was appointed one of the first park commissioners. The park opened to camping in 1904. Hill spent summers there and photographed the trees until his death. He had a photography store there and in 1911 ran for park warden.
Legacy.
Hill was unable to achieve financial success, leaving his family less than $900 at his death, "but Andrew P. Hill's name and strenuous efforts will forever be associated with the preservation to the state and to humanity of the beautiful California Redwood Park", among the last 3% of old growth Redwood forests remaining today. As stated in Eugene T. Sawyer's history of Santa Clara County, "Mr. Hill had a public duty to perform, and he went at it with a singleness of purpose which has made men conquerors of fate since the beginning of time."
The California State Parks named the Hill Award for Inspiration after him.
The Victorian Preservation Association of Santa Clara Valley bought his San Jose house in 1995, moved it to History Park at Kelley Park, and has fully restored it.
Andrew P. Hill High School in San Jose is named after him.


Letaba Ranch Provincial Park

Letaba Ranch Provincial Park, is a protected area in Limpopo Province, South Africa. It is located north of Phalaborwa, next to the Kruger Park (border unfenced), and has an area of about 42,000 ha. The Great Letaba River, runs through the park.
Wildlife.
Including: African bush elephant, African buffalo, crocodile, kudu, hippo, African wild dog and giraffe.
Safari Camp.
Letaba Ranch has only one safari camp located in the reserve, Mtomeni Safari Camp. The camp is unfenced and situated on the banks of the Great Letaba River.


Gyeongju National Park

Gyeongju National Park () is located in the province of Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea, and is the country's only historical national park. It was first designated a national park in 1968. The park covers many of the principal Silla historical sites in Gyeongju City. It is divided into several non-contiguous sections: Gumisan and Danseoksan sections to the west of the city center; Hwarang, Seo-ak, Sogeumgang, and Namsan sections in the heart of Gyeongju; Tohamsan section to the east, and Daebon section on the coast of the Sea of Japan (East Sea).


Mu Ko Chumphon National Park

Mu Ko Chumphon National Park(, ) is a national park of Thailand consisting of a group of islands in the Gulf of Thailand off the coast of, and part of, Chumphon Province, southern Thailand. Its old name was Had Sai Ree. It was renamed "Mu ko Chumphon" and established as a national park in 1999 by the forestry department. The area is about . Mu Ko Chumphon National Park has many types of natural resources. Its forests, mostly tropical rainforest, are a type found only on the mountain and on large islands. They provide shelter and habitats for many living things.
There are many beautiful islands such as Hat Thung Makham and Hat Sai Ri in Amphoe Mueang, Hat Arunothai in Amphoe Thung Tako, and Hat Tong Khrok in Amphoe Lang Suan. There are nearly 40 islands which have long beaches, white sand, and clear water. There are also many colorful coral reefs which are attractive for swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving. Two of the islands are swiftlets' habitats, the birds' nests being used in birds' nest soup.


Conservation Education Centre

The Conservation Education Centre (CEC) is the education and awareness wing of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). The Conservation Education Centre is located on the BNHS Nature Reserve in Goregaon, Mumbai, India. The CEC came into existence on the BHNS Reserve in 1997.
The centre is situated on 33 acres of forest land of the BNHS Nature Reserve. This land was leased by the Government of Maharashtra to BNHS in 1983 during its centenary celebrations. The CEC was established in 1993. The BNHS Nature Reserve lies between the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Film City.
National Park (formerly known as the Borivali National Park) is the catchment area for Mumbai's lakes and is home for 25 species of mammals (including leopards), 275 species of birds, 150 species of butterflies and various species of flora. It is common to see many of the park's biodiversity occurring within the BNHS Nature Reserve as well.
Since its inception in 1997, the centre has designed and implemented 24 educational projects. It has also developed 161 educational materials, including three teachers' manuals, two student manuals, and five field guides. It has hosted 42 exhibits. It also has 573 books based on education and natural history at its library.
History of CEC.
In 1993 the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) initiated a three year Conservation Education Project (CEP) in Mumbai, Tamil Nadu and Bharatpur. The project was funded by Department of International Development, U.K. (formerly known as ODA) in technical collaboration with Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), U.K. The aim of the project was to study the biotic pressure exerted by the people living in and around three protected areas, namely Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary and Keoladeo National Park.
The outcome of the study was to provide remedies for reducing the biotic pressures involving local stakeholders. The final product of the project was to establish a Conservation Education Centre (CEC) in Mumbai for continuing education in environment education. The CEC became functional in 1997 on the BNHS Nature Reserve (BNR) which was leased by the Government of Maharashtra.
Educational programmes.
The educational programmes for students cover basic environmental aspects. As part of these programmes, CEC shows audio-video interactive presentations. The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has been actively establishing nature clubs for the past 10 years under the banner of "Hornbill Nature Club", aptly named after the BNHS mascot. The nature club activities include syllabus based programmes that are conducted throughout the year. The CEC conducts a range of indoor and outdoor activities with students and teachers.
Corporate programmes.
Corporate Programmes at CEC are customized employee sensitization workshops that include wilderness camps, eco-days celebrations and volunteering opportunities. Activities such as tree planting, habitat restoration, clean-up drive and awareness campaigns are also conducted. These workshops consist of presentations on carbon footprints, green lifestyle biodiversity plot study and E-waste.
Biodiversity surveys.
The USP of the Bombay Natural History Society has been conservation through scientific studies, which form the basis of environment education imparted by CEC. The CEC has been involved in several biodiversity surveys at various locations in and around Mumbai.
The biodiversity surveys undertaken by CEC include:
Online courses.
CEC has been conducting online year-long courses in biodiversity conservation and entomology for the past two years. In 2013, CEC launched a two more year-long online courses in basic ornithology and herpetology. The following courses are hosted by CEC:
In 2017, Conservation Education Centre, BNHS (Mumbai) is conducting five online hybrid courses with newly designed syllabi. Two of the courses are of short duration and are of six months duration.
Following are the courses of CEC, BNHS:
Training and workshops.
CEC organizes workshop and training programmes about various aspects of environmental and education. The following workshops are imparted at CEC:
Notable conservation education projects.
CEC has completed 26 conservation education projects in different streams of environment education such as implementation of nature education centres, establishing Hornbill Nature Clubs, developing environment education materials, conducting biodiversity surveys, and conducting training and capacity building programmes. The following are a few notable projects undertaken by CEC:
Ongoing projects.
Conservation Education Centre, Delhi (2005-present).
The CEC was set up at the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary. It was modeled on CEC Mumbai. This centre contains interactive educational displays, nature trails, educational resources for teachers, outreach programmes in Delhi schools, and interaction with non-government organisations and decision makers. The funding agency is the Delhi Forest Department.
Hornbill Nature Club at Gold Crest High School (2011).
The CEC launched the Hornbill Nature Club in Goldcrest High School in Vashi on June 2011. The activities in the club are based on nine themes: Biodiversity, Monsoon Diversity, Endangered Wildlife, Grassland Ecosystem, Water Conservation, Energy Conservation, Adaptation in Nature, Waste Management and Mangroves.
Completed projects.
Nature Interpretation Centre (Matheran).
This Nature Interpretation Centre aims at raising awareness about the environment and to address the need for nature conservation, besides highlighting the importance of the Eco-Sensitive zone in Matheran. Under the first phase of this project Conservation Education Centre will carry out a basic biodiversity survey of Matheran, identify nature trails, establish a butterfly and medicinal garden and train the locals as nature guides for the Matheran Municipal Corporation. The basic biodiversity survey will be conducted for the plants, insects, amphibians, reptiles and birds. The list of flora and fauna developed during the survey will be used to develop exhibits in the second phase of the projects. The nature trail identification involves a survey of the existing paths to check the biodiversity, and the possibility of conducting a nature trail on these paths will be explored. These trails will be mapped on Google Maps and will be included in the Nature Trail Manual.
Periyar Consultancy Project (1997-2000).
The project involved a complete and comprehensive awareness-attitude survey of visitors, staff and locals at the Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala. The objective was to study the awareness level and attitude of people towards forest resources, forest department and ecodevelopment activities. Based on the results of this survey, recommendations were made for new educational activities that could be carried out, new exhibits to be installed to raise the awareness level and outreach programmes to improve community relations. The funding agency was Project Tiger.
Capacity Development Programme for Teachers (1999-2002).
This encompassed the development of new educational material such as displays, signage and audiovisuals as well as training workshops for teachers. A Green Teacher Kit was then developed as a resource material for teachers on natural history and environment education. The project also initiated a series of environmental awareness programmes in schools across Mumbai. The funding agency was the Tata Education Trust.
Vacation Training Programme in Bioresources for School Children (2005-2006).
A month-long course was designed to train and enhance awareness in school children about the relevance of bioresources, and the relationship between bioresources and biotechnology. The course consisted of extensive field trips to different ecosystems within Mumbai. The funding was done by Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India.
Conservation Education Programme for Underprivileged Children (2006-2007).
The project was commenced in January 2006 and involved bringing groups of underprivileged children through NGOs for an all expenses paid visit to CEC. The CEC was visited by 2535 students form 16 NGOs and 10 schools. This project also encompassed a wide variety of innovative installations like new displays for the display room, signage for the nature trails and even a wallpaper magazine, "Dhanesh", that was distributed amongst BMC schools. The funding was done by the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Department of State, American Consulate.
Hornbill Nature Clubs for Underpriviledged Schools (2010-2011).
Named after the iconic mascot of the Bombay Natural History Society, Hornbill Clubs were designed to be conservation nature clubs. In 2007, Hornbill Nature Clubs were initiated and established in two schools for underprivileged students: Maharani Sai Bai Vidyalaya and Mangesh Vidyalaya. These nature clubs focused on imparting environment literacy through indoor and outdoor programmes. In 2008, Hornbill nature clubs were set up in two additional schools viz Harnai Vidyalaya and Gurukul Vidyalaya. The funding of this project was done by Dr. Mrudula Thakkar.
World Environment Day in Mumbai (2011).
The project aimed at creating awareness about Mumbai's environment amongst the citizens. Under this project the World Environment Day was celebrated in Mumbai and funded by Ministry of Environment and Forests and UNEP. Through this project, the Bombay Natural History Society developed 22 panel exhibition on Mumbai'seEnvironment. This exhibition was installed at CST and Churchgate stations from 2–4 June 2011.
On the eve of World Environment Day, the closing ceremony was organized at BNHS's Conservation Education Centre, wherein the book "Green Guide for Teachers" was launched by the hands of Smt. Usha Thorat, Vice-president, BNHS. The bilingual book was funded by MMR Environment Improvement Society (MMREIS) and Sir Dorabaji Tata Trust.
References.
https://web.archive.org/web/20170420231203/http://bnhs.org/bnhs/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=125&Itemid=502


Central Conservation Area

Central Conservation Area (), is an administrative area which is managed by SINAC for the purposes of conservation in the central part of Costa Rica, notably the volcanic areas of the Cordillera Central. It contains six National Parks, several wildlife refuges and other types of nature reserves.


Sonohyan-utaki

 is a sacred grove of trees and plants ("utaki") of the traditional indigenous Ryukyuan religion. It is located on the grounds of Shuri Castle in Naha, Okinawa, a few paces away from the Shureimon castle gate. The "utaki", or more specifically its , is one of a number of sites which together comprise the UNESCO World Heritage Site officially described as "Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu", and has been designated an Important Cultural Property by the Japanese national government.
While the gates were once opened only for the king, today they are always closed, and so the gates have in a way become a sacred space themselves, representative of the actual sacred space behind them. Many travellers and locals come to pray at the gates.
The stone gate was first built in 1519, during the reign of Ryukyuan king Shō Shin, though the space had been recognized as a sacred "utaki" prior to that. Whenever the king left the castle on a journey, he would first stop at Sonohyan-utaki to pray for safe travels. The site also played an important role in the initiation of the of the native religion.
The gate is said to be a prime example of traditional Okinawan architecture, and shows many signs of Chinese influence, along with a Japanese-influenced gable in the "karahafu" style. It was severely damaged in the 1945 battle of Okinawa, but was restored in 1957, and officially designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, along with a number of other sites across Okinawa Island. The "utaki", i.e. the sacred grove itself, was once much larger than it is today, an elementary school and other buildings having encroached upon the space.


Dick Balharry

Richard Balharry (3 September 1937 – 22 April 2015) was a Scottish conservationist, writer, and wildlife photographer.
Early life.
Balharry was born and brought up in Muirhead, near Dundee. In 1954, after a year of technical college and an hour in a factory in Dundee, he landed a job as kennel boy and under keeper on an estate near Tighnabruaich, Argyll. In 1956, he went to work under Archie McDonald, the head stalker of Glen Lyon, and 1959 to the Red Deer Commission.
Career.
In November 1952, Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve was declared and Jimmy Polson, an experienced deer stalker, was appointed as keeper. In May 1962, he was appointed warden where he was responsible for over 10,000 mountainous acres and Caledonian Pinewood.
In May 1964, Balharry found a greenshank nest with a five eggs, a rare find, but was unaware at the time of the significance of his discovery.
In January 1977, at the 29th Annual Conference of the Scottish Ornithologists Club, Balharry delivered a talk entitled 'The Conservation of the Golden Eagle'.
In 1985, when the Nature Conservancy Council bought Creag Meagaidh, he was their chief warden for north-east Scotland and roughly managing the same area when the Nature Conservancy Council became Scottish Natural Heritage.
In May 1991, Tam Dalyell and his wife spent a day in the Caledonian Pinewoods of Mar Lodge Estate in the company of Balharry (while senior warden of the Nature Conservancy Council for Scotland), Adam Watson (while at the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Banchory), and Dave Morris of the Ramblers Association.
In 1995, speaking of the newly formed Cairngorm Partnership, Balharry said:
Management of the Cairngorms has been failing for decades. But the time is now ripe, the money is there, the trees are still there, and we cannot contemplate the new partnership initiative failing. We are not looking to make the Cairngorms some sort of fantastic nature reserve. There has to be a living for the people in the area. But if the current landowners want estates that they can pass on with pride to their sons and daughters, then it is essential that we work together.
In 1996, he was created MBE for services to nature conservation. In 1997, he retired as SNH area manager for Badenoch and Strathspey, Moray and Nairn.
On 18 April 2015 Balharry was awarded the Royal Scottish Geographical Society's Geddes Environment medal in recognition of his outstanding contribution to conservation.
John Muir Trust.
In September 2003, Balharry succeeded Andrew Thin as chairman of the John Muir Trust.
In October 2004, at the "Sustaining Wild Land Conference" in Pitlochry, Balharry presented Adam Watson with the Trust's Lifetime Achievement Award.
In January 2005, speaking about controlling red deer numbers, he said:
My understanding is that every hind shot now costs an average of £100 after expenses if it is being shot by estate staff, while the Forestry Commission spends £5 million a year shooting deer in its forests.
If this is the case there is surely now an argument for the idea of encouraging competent local people to go to the hill to both shoot the animals for free and take away the venison.
Cairngorms Deer Advisory Group.
In April 2006, Balharry attended the first meeting of the CDAG at The Inn at Loch Ericht Dalwhinnie.
Ramblers Scotland.
In April 2009, Balharry was elected president of Ramblers Scotland, holding the post until March 2013. As president he was also a member of Ramblers Scotland's Scottish Council Executive Committee.
He took an active role in representing Ramblers Scotland on a number of issues including: ensuring the ethos of access legislation was upheld; fighting intrusions to wild land from inappropriate developments; and supporting the sound ecological management of upland areas.
In March 2014, Balharry was elected a vice-president of Ramblers Scotland, a post he held until his death.
National Trust for Scotland.
In January 2010, he was appointed chairman of the National Trust for Scotland where he brought in a period of welcome calm and stability. In June 2010 he had an Honorary Doctorate of Science conferred on him by Abertay University, Dundee, Scotland. In September 2010 he was succeeded as chairman of the National Trust for Scotland by Sir Kenneth Calman.
Death.
Although born near Dundee, Balharry lived in Newtonmore where he died of cancer on 22 April 2015, aged 77.


Berlin Modernism Housing Estates

Berlin Modernism Housing Estates () is a World Heritage Site designated in 2008, comprising six separate subsidized housing estates in Berlin. Dating mainly from the years of the Weimar Republic (1919–1933), when the city of Berlin was particularly progressive socially, politically and culturally, they are outstanding examples of the building reform movement that contributed to improving housing and living conditions for people with low incomes through innovative approaches to architecture and urban planning. The estates also provide exceptional examples of new urban and architectural typologies, featuring fresh design solutions, as well as technical and aesthetic innovations.
Bruno Taut, Martin Wagner and Walter Gropius were among the leading architects of these projects which exercised considerable influence on the development of housing around the world.


Pat Sin Leng Country Park

Pat Sin Leng Country Park () is a country park in Hong Kong located in the northeastern New Territories. Established on 18August 1978, the country park covers of natural terrain. It comprises the Pat Sin Leng mountain range and other spurs, including Wong Leng, Ping Fung Shan, Cloudy Hill and Kwai Tau Leng. Hok Tau Reservoir and Lau Shui Heung Reservoir are also within the country park.
Ecology.
The catchment forests are habitats for avian species such as crested bulbul, Chinese bulbul, hwamei, Oriental magpie robin, Chinese francolin, Japanese quail, common kingfisher, European magpie, crested myna and crows. Also dwelling in woodlands are mammals like Malayan porcupine, Chinese pangolin, masked palm civet, leopard cat and common muntjac.
Lau Shui Heung Reservoir is rimmed by Peking willow and Fortune's keteleeria.
Spots.
Stages nine and ten (ending stages) of the Wilson Trail traverse the Pat Sin Leng Country Park. The section within the park leads from Cloudy Hill to Nam Chung, travelling along the ridges of Wong Leng, Lai Pek Shan and Pat Sin Leng. The view at the top on fine days covers the Plover Cove Reservoir and the urban area of Shenzhen. Other hiking options are the Hok Tau Country Trail and Lau Shui Heung Country Trail.
Sha Lo Tung is an important habitat for dragonflies and damselflies. Ting Kok, a piece of wetland, has been declared a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Yim Tso Ha is one of the largest egretries in Hong Kong.


Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark

Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark (), formerly Hong Kong National Geopark (香港國家地質公園), was inaugurated on 3 November 2009. It is a single entity of land area over 150 km2 across parts of the eastern and northeastern New Territories. On 18 September 2011, UNESCO listed the geopark as part of its Global Geoparks Network.
The Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark consists of two geological regions:
Sai Kung volcanic rock region.
High Island.
High Island () is the home of the columnar-jointed volcanic tuff. Most of the columns are sub-vertical, straight-sided and parallel. It covers a large area around Sai Kung Peninsula in the eastern part of Hong Kong, including High Island Reservoir and Tai Long Wan.
Ung Kong Group.
Ung Kong Island Group () is located in southeastern Hong Kong, immediately to the south of the High Island peninsula and to the northwest of the Ninepin group of islands. It consists of Wang Chau (), Basalt Island () and Bluff Island (). Columnar-jointed rocks underlie these islands, giving their cliff coastline a distinctive appearance, and leading to the development of many sea caves and sea arches.
Ninepin Group.
Ninepin Group () is located on the eastern side of Hong Kong, forms a series of offshore islands. Numerous inclined columnar jointed volcanic rocks create cliffs and coastal scenery around the Ninepin Group. Columns in the Ninepin Group are as large as 3-meters in diameter.
Sharp Island.
Sharp Island () is located in the Port Shelter, to the southeast of the Sai Kung Town, from where it can easily be reached by small boat. The island is underlain by older volcanic-related sedimentary rocks. There is a tombolo reaching to a small island nearby at low tide.
Northeast New Territories Sedimentary Rock Region.
Double Haven and Port Island.
Double Haven or Yan Chau Tong () is a harbour hugged by Double Island, Crescent Island and Crooked Island with north-eastern New Territories. It contains many deep red coloured rocks formed during a period of global warming in Tertiary. Oxidation rate of iron increased due to higher temperature and humidity, forming the iron oxide (rust)
Port Island (), as the Chinese name Chek Chau implies, Port Island is a place of red earth. The ground on the entire island is rust-coloured conglomerate and siltstone formed similarly during Teritary.
North and south coasts of Tolo Channel.
The area includes the north and south shores of Tolo Channel. The oldest rocks in Hong Kong, the Bluff Head formation, formed about 400 million years ago during the Devonian Period, are at the northeastern tip of the Tolo channel. Various deformation and erosion features can be seen from these rocks. One of the famous features is the Devil's fist formed by weathering and erosion along the sandstone bedding forming the shape of the “Ghost fingers”.
Ma Shi Chau() presents the sedimentary rocks formed about 280 million years ago. Various fossils such as ammonites, corals and bivalves were found on Ma Shi Chau. Sitting right next to the Tolo Channel fault system, various sheared features and folds can be observed.
Lai Chi Chong() showcases various volcanic rocks and sedimentary rocks formed about 146 million years ago. The siltstone beds were interbedded with volcanic tuffite. Tuffite is a sedimentary rock with a volcanic origin. It formed by fine volcanic ash deposited in water, forming a sedimentary bed of volcanic ash. Other than that, there is also a black cherty mudstone on Lai Chi Chong, which is believed to be formed by mud deposited together with silica-rich materials. The black color indicated an oxygen depleted deposition environment. These black mudstones beds exhibits a slump fold structure. Large coherent mass of loosely consolidated materials might have slid down along a slope and folded the mudstone beds.
Tung Ping Chau.
Tung Ping Chau () sits in Mirs Bay in northeastern Hong Kong. It is the easternmost outlying island of Hong Kong. Tung Ping Chau is a popular holiday destination for locals. Its attractions, such as wave erosion landscape, the shale that resembles a sponge cake structure and the unusually flat lay of the island itself, draw thousands of visitors annually.