Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi Coast () is a stretch of coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea, located in the Gulf of Salerno in Southern Italy.
The Amalfi Coast is a popular tourist destination for the region and Italy as a whole, attracting thousands of tourists annually. In 1997, the Amalfi Coast was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
History.
During the 10th–11th centuries, the Duchy of Amalfi existed on the territory of the Amalfi Coast, centred in the town of Amalfi. The Amalfi coast was later controlled by the Principality of Salerno, until Amalfi was sacked by the Republic of Pisa in 1137.
Geography.
Like the rest of the region, the Amalfi Coast lies in a Mediterranean climate, featuring warm summers and mild winters. It is located on the relatively steep southern shore of the Sorrentine Peninsula, leaving little room for rural and agricultural territories. The only land route to the Amalfi Coast is the long Strada Statale 163 which runs along the coastline from the town of Vietri sul Mare in the east to Positano in the west. Thirteen municipalities are located on the Amalfi Coast, many of them centered on tourism.
Economy.
The Amalfi Coast is known for its production of limoncello liqueur as the area is a known cultivator of lemons, known as "sfusato amalfitano" in Italian, which are grown in terraced gardens along the entire coast between February and October. Amalfi is also a known maker of a hand-made thick paper which is called "bambagina". Other renowned local products are a particular kind of anchovies (local Italian: alici) from Cetara, and the colorful handmade ceramics from Vietri.
Transport.
There are buses and ferries along the Amalfi Coast. There are also boat excursions from Positano and Amalfi.
Airport.
The nearest airport is the Salerno Costa d'Amalfi Airport. However, the most used airport to reach the area from abroad is Naples International Airport (Napoli-Capodichino).
In popular culture.
The rulers of Amalfi are the central figures in John Webster's Jacobean tragedy "The Duchess of Malfi". The Dutch artist M.C. Escher produced a number of artworks of the Amalfi coast, and Spike Milligan describes his time in Amalfi during a period of leave in the fourth part of his war memoirs, "".
The Amalfi Coast was used for scenes of Federico Fellini's 1972 film "Roma" and for the 2017 American superhero film "Wonder Woman", where it was depicted as the Amazon island of Themyscira.
The Amalfi Coast serves as a setting for fictional tracks in the "Forza Motorsport 3", "Forza Motorsport 4 " and "Gran Turismo 4".
The city of Positano is featured in John Steinbeck's 1953 short story "Positano". The city is also featured in "Under the Tuscan Sun", Christopher Nolan's "Tenet" and the Kath and Kim movie "Kath & Kimderella".


Northern Jaguar Project


Mu Ko Phetra National Park

Mu Ko Phetra is a marine national park in the Strait of Malacca off Thailand, covering mostly intact coastal line, open water, and about 30 islands of the southern part of Trang Province and the northern part of Satun Province. Established on 31 December 1984, it is the 49th national park and 14th marine national park of Thailand.
The majority of the park, about 94.74% or 468.38 km² out of 494.38 km² is open water. The two largest islands of the park are Ko Phetra () and Ko Khao Yai (). Several islands are marine turtle egg laying sites. Rich coral reefs are present around islands. Many of the islands consist of steep limestone rocks and little beaches. They are used as temporary refuges by fishermen during fishing season.
In the caves of the cliffs high above the ground on some of the islands are where swiftlets build their nest and breed. Several islands were placed under concession for decades to collect bird nests. They are highly valuable and closely guarded with firearms. Traveling to those islands should be done with local tour companies as their boats are recognized and ignored by guards.
The Thai name Phetra comes from Malay "Pulau Petra" (the island of Petra).
The continued existence of the park is threatened by the proposed Pak Bara deepwater seaport.


Sayram-Ugam National Park

Sayram-Ugam National Park (, "Saıram-Ógem ulttyq parki"), also Sairam-Ugam, is a mountainous region of the Western Tian Shan Mountains, on the border with Uzbekistan. Ugam-Chatkal National Park of Uzbekistan is across the border, and Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve of Kazakhstan is directly to the northeast along the border. The area has high levels of species diversity, covering floral communities from steppe to high altitude zones. It is particularly known for stands of juniper forests, and stands of fruit and nut trees. Sayram-Ugam is located in Kazygurt District, Tole Bi District and Tulkibas District of South Kazakhstan Region. The park boundary is southeast of the regional city of Shymkent, and 50 km northeast of the Uzbekh capital of Tashkent.
Topography.
Sayram-Ugam is situated on the northern slopes and spurs of the Western Tain Shen Mountains, including the Ugam Range, the Karatau Mountains, Boraldaytau and Talas Alatau. The name draws on the nearby historic town of Sayram, and the Ugam Range.
The park is officially divided into four sectors: an environmentally protected zone (55%), a zone of limited economic activity, a zone for recreational and tourist activities (13%), and an area of environmental stabilization (9%).
Ecoregion.
The park is in the Gissaro-Alai open woodlands ecoregion (WWF #0808), which covers the mountainous area at the meeting points of southern Kazakhstan, western Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, in the Panir and Tian Shen mountain ranges. The ecoregion is known for a climate favorable for fruit and nut trees, such as walnut, pistachio, pears, almonds, apples and cherries.
Climate.
The climate in the Sayram-Ugam region is "Cold, Semi-Arid Climate" (Koeppen Classification BSk). This climate is characteristic of steppe climates intermediary between desert and humid climates. Typically, precipitation is just above evapotranspiration.
In the Sayram-Ugam region, Temperatures can range from an average of in January to in July. Average precipitation is 362 mm per year, with variations due to altitude and location.
Plants and animals.
The park has seven natural altitude zones, ranging from mountain steppe to alpine and glaciated peaks. Approximately one-third of the park is forested, including sparse forests of juniper. The non-forest land includes rocky peaks and over 11 km2 of glaciers. The area is known for having many wild varieties of well-known cultivated fruit and nut trees: apple, pear, walnut, plum, and grape. Scientists have recorded 1,635 species of plants in the park, 35 of which are endemic. Of the 59 known mammal species in the park, 22 are rodents, including the house mouse, the wood mouse, and the Turkestan rat. Predators include fox, wolf and jackal. Mountain goats, wild boar, and roe deer are present, but hunting in the past has reduced their presence on some ranges.
Tourism.
Though much of the area is protected for nature conservation, there are 10 tourist routes in the park. The routes support hiking, horseback, and on some lengths, buses. Hiking trails range from 7 to 72 km. Facilities include campsites, hiking trails, viewing platforms, baths and saunas, yurts to let (without services), a hotel, and access to guides and translators.


Alaska Conservation Foundation

Founded in 1980, the Alaska Conservation Foundation (ACF) is a nonprofit organization located in Anchorage, Alaska. Its focus is in finding ways to sustain Alaska's wildlife, coastlines, and mountains from the effects of climate change. ACF's largest contributions come from the funding that they provide for organizations around Alaska that follow a similar pursuit of environmental conservation. As of 2020, it is the "only" public foundation dedicated to conservation in Alaska. Through the support of individuals and foundations for nearly 40 years, ACF has awarded more than $52 million in grants to over 200 grassroots organizations and individuals working to protect and manage Alaska’s natural resources.
Funding for the Alaska Conservation Foundation come primarily from grants and donations. These come from individuals, organizations, businesses, other foundations, etc... Donations come from in and out of the state of Alaska, with larger grants and donations typically coming from out-of-state organizations.
Smaller environmental organizations use the ACF to their advantage by applying for grants that they offer. The Alaskan Conservation Foundation then decides if and how much they will grant a certain organization. Typically, the groups that end up receiving funds are dedicated to public lands such as Bristol Bay, the Tongass, and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Mission.
ACF builds strategic leadership and support for Alaskan efforts to take care of wild lands, waters, and wildlife - which sustain diverse cultures, healthy communities, and prosperous economies. The Alaska Conservation Foundation provides financial support, among many other things, for Alaskan organizations and individuals that protects the state's natural environment. Those that are receiving grants provided by the ACF are focused on limiting and ultimately eliminating threats to Alaskan ecosystems. These threats include climate change, pollution, and soil degradation. The ACF has provided support for several organizations that are working on Alaska's most notable environmental situations, such as the protection of Bristol Bay from Pebble Mine. In 2019, the proposed Pebble Mine raised concern for many Alaskans as it threatened over 14,000 jobs, more than 30 Alaska Native Tribes, and a sockeye salmon fishery that's valued at more than $1.5 billion.
Along with Pebble Mine, two other initiatives have been prioritized by the Alaskan Conservation Foundation as of 2020. First, the preservation of the Tongass National Forest. Located in Southeast Alaska, the Tongass Natural Forest is the largest natural forest in the World. It currently faces a threat from the Alaskan Congressional Delegation which opened sections of the forest to dangerous logging procedures. This is notable because the Tongass draws a significant amount of excess carbon from the atmosphere, meaning that destruction to the forest could contribute to the current climate crisis. The Alaskan Conservation Foundation has provided funding to numerous organizations and individuals that are advocating for the conservation of the Tongass.
Another large focus of the ACF's is the preservation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a region of land that's home to a multitude of wildlife. In 2017, after being protected since 1960, Congress and President Trump opened the Arctic Refuge to drilling for oil and gas. This process taking place causes a lot of concern for environmental activists due to the effect it can have on the land and its wildlife with heavy machinery, housing, and more. The Alaskan Conservation Foundation has expressed concerns towards the amount of research and intent that is going into this process. As they have done in similar situations, the ACF has provided funding towards organizations that are hoping to prevent these actions from taking place.
Organization.
ACF is a non-profit organization with approximately 13 full-time employees located in Alaska. It is governed by a national, 18-member volunteer board of directors. Nancy Lord, Alaska's poet laureate from 2008–10, was elected to serve as board chair in 2010. The board of trustees includes Jimmy Carter and Doug McConnell.
History.
ACF was founded the same year the United States Congress passed the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. Co-founders Celia Hunter and Denny Wilcher were veterans of that campaign to protect more than of Alaska’s parks, refuges and national forests. In 1979 a group of environmental directors, lead by Paul Lowe from Alaska, Bob Allen of Kendall Foundation in Boston, Dick Cooley, a professor at UC Santa Cruz, and Denny Wilcher of the Sierra Club Staff in San Francisco, met outside of Fairbanks, Alaska to discuss the early developments of a foundation that would assist in funding Alaskan conservation efforts. The prospective foundation would receive funding from other organizations across the United states through donations and grants. The funds earned would then be disbursed to organizations in Alaska that needed assistance. Typically, the money went towards an organizations operating expenses such as rent, utilities, payroll, etc...
Developments of this project took place quickly. Those who were involved early in the process were appointed positions within the foundation. The dean of Alaskan Conservationists, Celia Hunter, was named the chairperson of the trustees. Denny Wilcher was named president, making both Wilcher and Hunter the founders of the Alaska Conservation Foundation. Other early members were expanded and appointed to advising positions of their own.
By the end of 1983, The Alaska Conservation Foundation had received a total of $1,156,000 in funding. This led to them being able to disburse grants to 26 different Alaskan conservation organizations, totaling $610,000 in grants by the end of 1983.
Capacity building.
Alaska Conservation Foundation seeks to build the influence of Alaska’s conservation movement through its "community capacity" initiative. Organizational capacity grants promote effective operations and leadership within Alaska's conservation organizations. The new Alaska Native Fund, launched in partnership with an Alaska Native steering committee, advances Alaska Native priorities for protecting our land and sustaining our ways of life. The conservation internship program focuses on developing the next generation of conservation leaders.
Investments in the Future.
The Alaska Conservation Foundation hires interns each Summer and appoint them to a non-profit organization. These organizations are devoted to conserving Alaskan land.
ACF is directly involved in the Arctic Youth Ambassador program, a system that puts young people from different Arctic regions in a position to learn about conservation efforts. They're then able to participate in conversations and conferences that cover climate change, subsistence, and other conservatory efforts.
ACF also houses staff members that represent the Northern Latitudes Partnership (NLP). The NLP collaborates with organizations from Alaska and Western Canada to find indigenous-lead solutions to issues in arctic regions. The NLP works to design resources and strategies that will mitigate the effect of floods and storms, while spreading knowledge about the perseverance of rural Alaska and different regions of Canada.
Recognition.
ACF received a four-out-of-four star rating from Charity Navigator, an independent organization that rates non-profits.
In 2010, ACF met the Better Business Bureau's 20 standards for charity accountability.
The watchdog service American Institute of Philanthropy awarded ACF an "A-" rating as one of the nation’s top rated environmental nonprofits.
GuideStar recognizes ACF as a valued partner in the Guidestar exchange.
ACF received a Green Star Award for demonstrating strong environmental and business ethics by implementing the eight Green Star Standards.


Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests

The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (SPNHF) is a private, non-profit, land conservation and sustainable forestry organization based in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. It purchases or is given easements on property, or obtains outright ownership, as a way to conserve land for wildlife, recreation, sustainable forestry and sustainable agriculture. It also performs advocacy and education services. It was established in February 1901, with Frank W. Rollins as its first president. Philip W. Ayres was appointed the first Forester. During the 1920s, the SPNHF raised over $100,000 towards the purchase of land in Franconia Notch.
As of 2017, the society owns more than 180 properties covering , including The Rocks and Bretzfelder Memorial Park. It also holds conservation easements on more than 700 pieces of property covering , and has land transferred with deed restrictions on 94 properties, covering . Among other properties it owns are the Lost River Reservation in Woodstock, and the Mount Monadnock Reservation, in Jaffrey and Dublin, New Hampshire.
In addition to holding easements, SPNHF acts as a resource for landowners and other, smaller conservation land trusts. Staff make presentations and host seminars for the public and other local land trusts. One of its larger events is an annual "Saving Special Places" workshop. Members of the public, town conservation commissions and land trusts attend seminars presenting information ranging from tax laws and conservation easement creation to fundraising techniques and marketing a land trust. From its inception, it has produced occasional publications for guidance and information, such as "A New Hampshire Everlasting and Unfallen" (1969) and "At What Cost? Shaping the Land We Call New Hampshire: A Land Use History", edited by Richard Ober (1991).


Carpathian Large Carnivore Project

The Carpathian Large Carnivore Project (CLCP) was a project to develop and implement an extensive protection program for large carnivores (bear, lynx and wolf) in Romania.
Impact.
During its term and beyond its lifetime the project caused the development of various national institutions directly or indirectly:


Wilkie v. Robbins

Wilkie v. Robbins, 551 U.S. 537 (2007), was a United States Supreme Court case that concerned the scope of qualified immunity for government officials working in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Specifically, the Supreme Court held that BLM employees could not be liable for an alleged retaliation claim against Robbins, a farm owner, because other avenues for relief were available. Though these workers may have been tough in negotiations with Robbins over access over his land, none of that rose to the level of a constitutional violation.
Background.
In 1994, Frank Robbins purchased a Wyoming dude ranch which functioned as a commercial guest resort. The original owner of the property had signed an agreement with the BLM granting an easement along a road which crossed the ranch. The Bureau failed to record the easement, and it ceased to exist when the property was transferred to Robbins. Robbins continued to graze cattle in the area, leading to a BLM employee demanding a new easement to replace the old one. At trial, Robbins claimed that employees of the BLM engaged in a "campaign of harassment and intimidation aimed at forcing him to re-grant the lost easement."
In 1998, after a series of further conflicts with BLM officials, Robbins filed a lawsuit. He claimed that the BLM actions violated the RICO statute, a law which bars racketeering. Additionally, he argued that the federal officials violated his Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights.
The District Court dismissed all of Robbins' claims on the grounds that there were other alternative means of relief, absent a lawsuit. The Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit reversed, finding that judicial relief was open for "constitutional violations committed by individual federal employees unrelated to final agency action." After a series of proceedings between the District Court and the Court of Appeals, the BLM officials sought review before the Supreme Court.
Opinion of the Court.
Justice David Souter wrote the majority opinion which reversed the Tenth Circuit and held that the BLM agents were not liable for the alleged retaliation.
In reaching that finding, Souter wrote that "we think [that] any damages remedy for actions by Government employees who push too hard for the Government's benefit may come better, if at all, through legislation." The harms of "illegitimate pressure" were simply too ambiguous for courts to handle them. Additionally, Souter rejected the RICO claim, finding that none of the BLM actions could be "generically classified as extortionate."
Thomas' concurrence.
Justice Clarence Thomas wrote a short concurring opinion, joined by Justice Scalia. While he joined the entirety of Souter's majority opinion, he stressed that attaching liability to government officials' conduct was "a relic of the heady days in which this Court assumed common-law powers to create causes of action."
Ginsburg's dissent.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote a dissenting opinion, with which Justice John Paul Stevens joined. Ginsburg focused on the Fifth Amendment property issues in the case, arguing that "the Fifth Amendment provide[s] an effective check on federal officers who abuse their regulatory powers by harassing and punishing property owners who refuse to surrender their property to the United States without fair compensation." Therefore, she argued, Robbins had a cause of action against the government and his case should have been allowed to go forward.


Aachen Cathedral Treasury

The Aachen Cathedral Treasury () is a museum of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Aachen under the control of the Cathedral chapter, which houses one of the most important collections of medieval church artworks in Europe. In 1978, the Aachen Cathedral Treasury, along with Aachen Cathedral, was the first monument on German soil to be entered in the List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Treasury contains works from Late Antique, Carolingian, Ottonian, Staufen, and Gothic times. The exhibits are displayed in premises connected to the Cathedral cloisters.
Collection and arrangement.
In 1995, the Cathedral Treasury was completely refurnished in accordance with the newest conservation and pedagogical knowledge. An area of over 600 m2 contains over a hundred artworks, divided into five thematic groups.
One conceptional area is the documentation of the Cathedral as the church of Charlemagne. The late gothic silver-gilt Bust of Charlemagne, a model for countless later reliquaries stands in the centre of this section. The Persephone sarcophagus, the Roman marble sarcophagus of the early third century in which Charlemagne was buried in the Cathedral is also here.
Among the objects in the Cathedral Treasury which were connected with Charlemagne is an Olifant from eleventh century (Saracen) Southern Italy or the east, which was long considered the Hunting Horn of Charlemagne. There is also the so-called Hunting Knife of Charlemagne, dating to the eighth century. It and the Petrusmesser in the Bamberg Cathedral Treasury are the only known Medieval knives that were kept above ground and therefore had a special significance from the beginning. All other similar pieces have been found in archaeological contexts. The hunting knife, made of Damascus steel is classified as Anglo-Saxon or Scandinavian. The associated sheath probably dates to the eleventh century and bears an Old English inscription, reading "BRHTZIGE MEC FECID" (Brythsige made me).
The second section contains objects connected to the liturgy, including the Cross of Lothair (still used today on special occasions), the Aachen Altar, the Carolingian Treasury Gospels, a masterpiece of medieval illumination. In addition there is also the late gothic pieces of goldsmith Hans von Reutlingen.
Artworks which were used at Aachen at the Coronations of the Holy Roman Emperor between 936 and 1531 form a third thematic category, including the masterfully produced ivory situla, a vessel for Holy water made in Trier around the year 1000 and decorated with rich reliefs, as well as the Ottonian Liuthar Gospels which are exemplary of their period.
The relics of the Cathedral and the pilgrimage to Aachen (particularly the Aachen pilgrimage) and the cathedral as a church of Mary are the fourth and fifth categories. The reliquaries and the so-called "Hungarian Donations", as well as pictures and sculptures of the Theotokos are displayed here. Gems which donors and patrons (often clergy) gave to the Cathedral treasury are displayed in vitrines.
Items from the rich textile collection of the treasury are in constant rotation in the basement, with the coronation cloak, the Cappa Leonis (c.1520), falsely named after Pope Leo III in the centre.
History.
Treasury.
"Since I have seen every royal marvel, [I know that] no-one living has seen a more marvellous thing," wrote Albrecht Dürer in his travel diary, when he visited Aachen in 1520 on the occasion of the Coronation of Emperor Charles V. By some miracle, the unique collection, the most important north of the Alps, has survived intact in the Cathedral and its Treasury to this day. Its outstanding position is due to the fact that Aachen Cathedral hosted the coronations of thirty Kings of the Romans between 936 and 1531. Only after being anointed at Aachen could the ruler be crowned Holy Roman Emperor in Rome. Countless precious objects entered the collection as royal donations, others were essential parts of the coronation ceremonies.
As they grew over the centuries, the contents had a tumultuous history. They were sent away during the Thirty Years' War and again in 1794 when the French Revolutionary troops occupied Aachen and incorporated it into the "département" of the Roer. In August of that year the treasure was taken to the Collegium Liborianum, the Capuchin monastery in Paderborn, where the three items of Imperial Regalia hitherto in the possession of the Cathedral college (the Carolingian Coronation Gospels, the Sabre of Charlemagne and St. Stephen's Purse were separated and taken to Vienna. Since then the Aachen Imperial Regalia has remained in the Imperial Treasury, Vienna. Disputes over the ownership of these items continue to this day.
In 1804 Marc-Antoine Berdolet, the first Bishop of Aachen, gave two pieces of the collection to Empress Joséphine, when she visited Aachen to bathe, as a thanksgiving for the return of the Treasure to Aachen which had been arranged by her husband Napoleon Bonaparte. Of these gifts, the Staufen arm-reliquary is now in the Louvre in Paris and the Talisman of Charlemagne is in the treasury of Reims Cathedral.
Towards the end of the First World War the Treasure was once again taken to Paderborn on account of imminent air raids. It was returned in 1922.
At the beginning of the Second World War, the Treasury was taken to Bückeburg Palace along with the treasure of other churches in the diocese and of the Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum. However, the palace soon proved unsuitable for the storage of such important artworks. Therefore, in 1941, Heinrich Himmler had a list of "Items important to the Reich and items unimportant to the Reich" drawn up and the fourteen "Items important to the Reich" were taken to Albrechtsburg in Meissen. These items included the Karlsschrein, the Marienschrein, Bust of Charlemagne, the Cross of Lothar, the ivories, the codices, and the two great Gothic reliquaries (Charlemagne's reliquary and Three Towers reliquary). The rest of the collection was sent back to Aachen Cathedral where they were carefully walled up in the south tower of the Westwerk. At the urging of the Reichskonservator Robert Hiecke and Provinzialkonservator Franz Wolff-Metternich who was in close contact with Cathedral chapter and the civic administration, the pieces stored at Albrectsburg were taken to Siegen on 13 September 1944 (as the citizens remaining in Aachen were being evacuated to Thuringia) and were stored there, in Hain Tunnel, along with the Essen Cathedral Treasury, the Trier Cathedral Treasury, the most valuable items of the Rheinish Museums and the wooden doors of St. Maria im Kapitol.
On Easter Monday 1945, the young vicar Erich Stephany, accompanied by the American art protection officer Walker Hancock, set out for Siegen, to inspect the six boxes of stored Treasure. On 7 May he left for Siegen again, to bring the Treasure back to Aachen. However, the delivery was delayed by the Capitulation of the Wehrmacht signed the same day. The collection was only returned on 26 May thanks to Hancock, who prevented their transfer to Marburg, loaded the Treasure, copies of the Imperial Regalia, and the wooden doors of St Maria in a lorry without authorisation and transported them to Aachen and Cologne.
Treasury Chamber.
Until 1979, the Treasure was housed in a 90 m2 room from Carolingian times on the east side of the cloisters. In 1975, on account of the significance of the Aachen Cathedral Treasury, the Federal Ministry of Regional Planning, Building and Urban Development decided to erect a "Test Bunker for the Protection of Artefacts". Because only a short journey could guarantee a safe transfer in an emergency, the cathedral chapter decided to build a new Treasury on the west side of the cloisters in the immediate proximity of the bunker. Planning and construction took place from 1975 to 1979. In 1979 the new exhibition room came into service. The items were exhibited to the public in chronological order in three rooms with a floorspace of 490 m2. In time, however, technical shortcomings presented themselves, which endangered the masterpieces. Therefore, a new arrangement was organised in 1995, to meet conservation, technical, and safety requirements.


Yancheng Coastal Wetlands

The Yancheng Coastal Wetlands is the largest coastal wetlands nature reserve in China. It is situated close to Yancheng, Jiangsu province, China.
Location.
The reserve is located in the east part of Yancheng, Jiangsu Province and in the coastal area of SheYang, DaFeng, XiangShui, BinHai and DongTai counties. The coast is 582 kilometers long and the area covers 453,000 hectares. The reserve faces the south of Yellow Sea and backs by the north flatland of JiangSu Province.
It is named after the Dongbei and Liao Rivers is connected to the Songnen Plain through the Yellow River Valley; a small plain lies north of Dongting Lake in the west.
Species.
It has more than 600 kinds of natural vegetation, 379 kinds of birds, 281 kinds of shellfish, 590 kinds of insects, 47 kinds of mammal and another 490 kinds of plants. In 1992, The Nation Rare Birds Nature Reserve was built in Yancheng Wetlands. The Yancheng Nature Reserve is especially known for the red-crowned cranes. Every winter, hundreds of red-crowned crane migrate to wintering sites in the Yancheng Nature Reserve. There are about 3,000,000 birds fly through Yancheng. Among these birds, more than 500,000 birds overwinter in Yancheng Nature Reserve.


Lava Lake Institute for Science and Conservation

The Lava Lake Institute for Science and Conservation is a not-for-profit organization with a mission to increase scientific knowledge and advance conservation in the Pioneer Mountains (Idaho) and Craters of the Moon National Monument region of south-central Idaho. The Institute is engaged in research and conservation projects.
Founding.
The Institute was established in 2004 by Brian and Kathleen Bean, owners of Lava Lake Ranch who had conducted research and habitat restoration projects on their own deeded and leased public lands. As their own conservation programs increased in size and scope, they recognized the need for an independent non-profit that would promote and conduct scientific research and implement more ambitious conservation projects throughout the region.
Projects.
The major project areas of the Lava Lake Institute include land conservation, scientific research, education, and collaboration with partners.
Examples of the Institute's work include:


Foothill Conservancy

On July 21, 2000, Foothill Conservancy, a nonprofit organization based in Amador County, California, was among the parties signing the historic settlement agreement with PG&E that formed the basis for a new 30-year operating license for the Mokelumne River Project. Every nonfederal hydroelectric project in the country operates under license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). As a project's license expires, the licensee begins a relicensing process that generally leads to a new license with updated terms. The new license lasts 30 to 50 years.
The relicensing of PG&E's Mokelumne River Project (Project 137), which began in 1972, was the longest such process in FERC history. Meanwhile, PG&E had been running its project, which stretches from Blue Lakes west to Electra Powerhouse, on annual licenses with few requirements for protecting the health of the river or providing river recreation.
The 101-page settlement addresses the ecological and recreation effects of stream flows in all of the river reaches and creeks affected by the project. It balances the needs of the environment, recreation, and power generation. Other parties to the settlement are the California Department of Fish and Game, California Department of Boating and Waterways, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, Friends of the River, Bureau of Land Management, Natural Heritage Institute, and American Whitewater.
The settlement led to the first removal of a PG&E dam in the Sierra Nevada (U.S.) in modern history.
The Foothill Conservancy successfully secured California Wild and Scenic River designation for 37 miles of the North Fork and main Mokelumne River with the passage of Senate Bill 854 in 2018. The designation bars new dams and major diversions on the river from just below Salt Springs Reservoir to just upstream of Pardee Reservoir. Earlier, the Conservancy laid the groundwork for that designation by working for the passage of Assembly Bill 142 in 2015. That legislation mandated a state wild and scenic river study of the Mokelumne River and provided interim protections from new dams and diversions.


Lemur Conservation Foundation

The Lemur Conservation Foundation (LCF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and conservation of the primates of Madagascar through managed breeding, scientific research, education, and art. It was founded in 1996 by Penelope Bodry-Sanders under the advisement of paleoanthropologist Ian Tattersall. The foundation's reserve in Myakka City, Florida, United States, is home to more than 50 lemurs of several different species, most of which are critically endangered or endangered, including ring-tailed lemurs, red ruffed lemurs, mongoose lemurs, collared brown lemurs, common brown lemurs and Sanford's lemurs.
The Lemur Conservation Foundation maintains an active office in northeastern Madagascar and supports conservation initiatives with a focus on community and habitat protection programs in and around Anjanaharibe-Sud Reserve and Marojejy National Park. LCF offers internship opportunities in primate husbandry and research. The organization has initiated more than a dozen community-based conservation programs including several silky sifaka research projects.
History.
Lemur Conservation Foundation was founded by Penelope Bodry-Sanders as the Lower Primate Conservation Foundation in 1996. Bodry-Sanders was alerted to the need for conservation effort for lemurs by paleoanthropologist Ian Tattersall, her colleague at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. They contacted Duke Lemur Center and received assurances from the research center that they would be provided with the primates to inhabit a reserve located in the United States. She purchased several acres of land in Myakka City, Florida, using a $35,000 inheritance as the initial funding source. In 2001, the organization was renamed the Lemur Conservation Foundation.
Reserves and operations.
LCF is certified by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums as a related facility. For the first 14 years of its history, Bodry-Sanders served as LCF's executive director until her retirement from the position in 2010. She was succeeded by Lee Nesler and later by Alison Grand, the current executive director since 2016.
Myakka City.
The first 11 lemur residents of the reserve in Myakka City arrived in 1999 from the Duke Lemur Center. The Florida-based facility had its opening ceremony in 2000. Two years later, the reserve had its first birth, a mongoose lemur named Alexandro.
Initially, the reserve primarily focused on behavioral research. By 2005, it had grown into a well-established conservation and research institution housing about 20 lemurs in a section bordered by a chain-link fence. The facility was already being utilized by the University of Miami and New College of Florida for training and research. In the summer of 2005, the reserve completed construction on a larger second enclosure.
As of 2016, the foundation owns more than where there are two free-range forests of and each, with the remaining land serving as native wildlife habitat or buffer zone for the reserve. There were plans to add a third enclosure of about 15 acres (6.1 ha) to include a clinic and a larger quarantine area.
Programs in Madagascar.
LCF operates several community-based conservation initiatives in Madagascar. Home to 11 species of lemurs, the Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve is 108 square miles (280 square kilometers) and 90% primary forest. LCF supports several conservation efforts in the reserve located in a mountainous region of northeastern Madagascar. One such program is Camp Indri ecotourist project named after a species of lemurs. Camp Indri offers educational lessons geared towards children, youths, and adults that teach environmental conservation. LCF also runs programs aimed at protecting local habitats and curbing deforestation, which included planting 6,000 trees in 2016. LCF also partners with nurses from Marie Stopes Madagascar, a healthcare non-profit, to provide sustainable agriculture training, promote fuel-efficient stoves, ecotourism, and environmental education.
In Marojejy National Park in northern Madagascar, LCF brings young students in to teach them about endangered species and threats to their habitat.
Funding.
In the early 2000s, the foundation collected more than $1.7 million in a fundraising drive. In January 2005, LCF began a new fundraising drive with a goal of $3 million to be used to expand the lemur population to 50 and open the facility to select guests by way of an observation deck. The organization also hoped to supplement its endowment fund, expand the reserves it supported in Madagascar, and add an educational center to its reserve in Myakka City. At the outset of the fundraiser, board members pledged more than half of the goal to match individual contributions.
LCF hosts an annual fund-raising gala in nearby Sarasota, Florida. As of 2018, the foundation's supporters were more than halfway to their most recent goal of raising an additional $2.2 million.


Regional Natural Monument of Pedreira do Campo

The Regional Natural Monument of Pedreira do Campo (), which singularly translated means "field quarry", is an area located west of "Pico do Facho" and "Ponta do Figueiral", in the civil parish and municipality of Vila do Porto, on the island of Santa Maria in the Eastern Group of the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. Along with other sites in Santa Maria, Pedreira do Campo is an area known for the discovery of oceanic fossils, which has allowed a specific assessment of the age of the island.
History.
The first references to this area came from the religious scholar and historian Gaspar Frutuoso who, writing in the 16th century, referred to calcareous sandstone deposits in a quarry near Figuerial, describing the sandstone as "...[having] seafood shells glued on [to] it".
Even after its modern re-discovery, by García-Talavera (in 1997), it attracted little attention, until the first international expedition "Paleontology in Atlantic Islands" (2002).
A workshop followed, entitled "Marine Fossils of the Azores: Perspectives on the Future" (presented by the Marine Biology section of the University of the Azores and the Portuguese Ordem dos Biólogos), which first suggested ""a proposal for protection and classification of Pedreira do Campo as a Natural Regional Monument".
A technical report was published (M. Cahão, et al., 2003) that eventually laid the foundation for the "Natural Monument" designation. On 25 December 2002, a resolution-in-council by the Regional Government designated Pedreira do Campo as a "Regional Natural Monument" (Resolution 203/2002), which was approved as Decree 11/2004/A on 23 March 2004.
Geography.
Pedreira do Campo is a area, once associated with a rock quarrying, but since 2004 integrated into a protected area, that includes exposed sediments, extrusive magmatic and fossil deposits deep and above sea level.
The rock formation is delimited by a composite of sedimentary rock from the Touril Volcanic Complex and magmatic rocks of the Facho-Pico Alto Volcanic Complex. These units are estimated at five million years in age, from the Miocene to Pliocene epochs. The sedimentary deposits consist of horizontal layers intercalated into volcanic material of limestones, breccias, sandstones and conglomerates, as well as sub-aerial deposits.
It is one of the areas where abundant fossilized bicarbonate rocks have been discovered, including micro- and macro-fossils of algae, coral, bi-valve mollusks, gastropods, echinoderms, as well as bio-eroded sponges and bi-valve skeletons.
In terms of natural biological species, the area is known for "Myrica faya" (evergreen shrub), "Myrtus communis" (myrtle) and the endemic "Scabiosa nitens". Migratory and marine bird species common to the area include the common buzzard ("Buteo buteo rothschildi"), the Columbian rock pigeon ("Columbia livia atlantis"), European greenfinch ("Carduelis chloris aurantiiventris") and Atlantic canary ("Serinus canaria").


Blizne

Blizne , "Blyzne" is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Jasienica Rosielna, within Brzozów County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in south-eastern Poland. It lies approximately east of Jasienica Rosielna, north-west of Brzozów, and south of the regional capital Rzeszów. The village has a population of 2,800.
The village is the site of All Saints church, built in the 15th or 16th century. This is one of the six Wooden Churches of Southern Little Poland, on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites since 2003.


Galle

Galle (; ) (formerly Point de Galle) is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the southwestern tip, from Colombo. Galle is the provincial capital and largest city of Southern Province, Sri Lanka and is the capital of Galle District.
Galle was known as "Gimhathiththa" before the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century, when it was the main port on the island. Ibn Batuta, a Moroccan Berber Muslim traveller in the 14th century, referred to it as "Qali". Galle reached the height of its development in the 18th century, during the Dutch colonial period. Galle is the best example of a fortified city built by the Portuguese in South and Southeast Asia, showing the interaction between Portuguese architectural styles and native traditions. The city was extensively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century from 1649 onwards. The Galle fort is a world heritage site and is the largest remaining fortress in Asia built by European occupiers.
Other prominent landmarks in Galle include the city's natural harbour, the National Maritime Museum, St. Mary's Cathedral founded by Jesuit priests, one of the main Shiva temples on the island, and Amangalla, the historic luxury hotel. On 26 December 2004, the city was devastated by the massive tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, which occurred off the coast of Indonesia a thousand miles away. Thousands were killed in the city alone. Galle is home to the Galle International Stadium, which is considered to be one of the most picturesque cricket grounds in the world. The ground, which was severely damaged by the tsunami, was rebuilt and test matches resumed there on 18 December 2007.
Important natural geographical features in Galle include Rumassala in Unawatuna, a large mound-like hill that forms the eastern protective barrier to Galle Harbour. Local tradition associates this hill with some events of Ramayana, one of the great Hindu epics. The major river in the area is the Gin River "(Gin Ganga)", which begins from Gongala Kanda, passes villages such as Neluwa, Nagoda, Baddegama, Thelikada and Wakwella, and reaches the sea at Ginthota. The river is bridged at Wakwella by the Wakwella Bridge.
Etymology.
Galle was known as "Gimhathitha" in ancient times. The term is believed to be derived from the classical Sinhalese term meaning "port near the River Gin". It is believed that the town got its name as "Gaalla" in the native tongue as a result of the large number of bullock carts that took shelter in the area, following the long slow journeys from remote areas of the island. "Gaala" in Sinhala means the place where cattle are herded together; hence the Sinhalese name for Galle, ගාල්ල, is a development from "Gaala". Another theory is that the word "Galle" is derived from the Latin word "gallus", which means 'rooster'. The Dutch used the rooster as a symbol of Galle, though probably the word comes from the Portuguese "galo" (rooster).
History.
According to James Emerson Tennent, Galle was the ancient seaport of Tarshish, from which King Solomon drew ivory, peacocks and other valuables. Cinnamon was exported from Sri Lanka as early as 1400 BC, and as the root of the word itself is Hebrew, Galle may have been a main entrepôt for the spice.
Ancient Greek and Roman geographers may have known about Galle, which they might have called the Cape of Birds. Ptolemy might also have known about the port which he referred to as Odoka. Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta visited Galle (or Qali as he called it) in 1342. During the 12th and 13th centuries, Sinhalese refugees fleeing Tamil armies from the north began to settle in Galle and other nearby areas.
Galle had been a prominent seaport long before western rule in the country: Persians, Arabs, Greeks, Romans, Malays, Indians, and Chinese were doing business through Galle's port. In 1411, the Galle Trilingual Inscription, a stone tablet inscription in three languages, Chinese, Tamil and Persian, was erected in Galle to commemorate the second visit to Ceylon by the Chinese admiral Zheng He. In 1502, a small fleet of Portuguese ships, under the command of Lourenço de Almeida on their way to the Maldives, were blown off course by a storm. Realising that the King resided in Kotte close to Colombo, Lourenço proceeded there after a brief stop in Galle.
In 1640, the Portuguese were forced to surrender to the Dutch East India Company. The Dutch built the present fort in 1663. They built a fortified solid granite wall and three bastions, known as "Sun", "Moon" and "Star".
After the British took over the country from the Dutch in 1796, they preserved the fort unchanged and used it as the administrative centre of the district.
Climate.
Galle features a tropical rainforest climate. The city has no true dry season, though it is noticeably drier in the months of January and February. As is commonplace with many cities with this type of climate, temperatures show little variation throughout the course of the year, with average temperatures hovering at around throughout.
Cityscape.
Wards.
Galle has twenty wards:
Governance.
The Galle Municipal Council governs the City of Galle, established under the Municipalities Ordinance of 1865. It was at the time, only the third municipal council in the country. The first mayor of the city, Wijeyananda Dahanayake, was appointed in 1939; he later became the fifth Prime Minister of Ceylon.
The last appointed mayor was Methsiri De Silva, who served from 2009 to 2016. The mayoral system has been dissolved the Galle administration, with the city presently administered by a commissioner. The main vision of the city is "Building of moderate city through the supply of relatively increased utility services to the citizens who pay taxes to the Galle Municipal Council". The other vision is to brand Galle as "Green City-Green Galle" to create and promote Galle as one of Sri Lanka's cool and healthy coastal cities with a clean green canopy.
Demographics.
Galle is a sizeable city, by Sri Lankan standards, and has a population of 101,749 the majority of whom are of Sinhalese ethnicity, with a large population of Sri Lankan Moor (Muslims), particularly in the fort area, who descend from Arab merchants that settled in the ancient port of Galle and married Sinhalese and Sri Lankan Tamil women. Galle is also notable for its foreign population, both residents and owners of holiday homes.
Government Statistics.lk
Education.
Schools.
Galle is home to some of the oldest leading schools in Sri Lanka, with twenty-nine government schools and five international schools constituting the city's educational system. Some of the schools located in Galle city are listed below.
Universities.
Three main faculties of the University of Ruhuna are located in Galle. The Faculty of Engineering is located at Hapugala, about 6 km from the city center. The Faculty of Medicine is located at Karapitiya near the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital. The Faculty of Allied Health Sciences of the University of Ruhuna is located in Uluwitike, in the city limits. A study centre of the Open University of Sri Lanka is also located in Galle, at Labuduwa junction.
Higher education institutes.
The Advanced Technological Institute in Labuduwa, Galle was started in 2000, and it planned to offer Higher National Diploma in Information Technology and Higher National Diploma in Agriculture Technology – HNDT (Agri). Since then, Labuduwa ATI has been a pioneer in technological education in Sri Lanka. The National Institute of Business Management in Galle was established in 2010 to provide higher education opportunities in the fields of information technology and business management. The Ruhunu National College of Education, operated under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, trains teachers training for government schools in Kurunduwatta, Galle. Additionally, the Amarasuriya Teachers' Training College for government school teachers is in Unawatuna, Galle.
Transport.
Galle is served by Sri Lanka Railways' Coastal Line and is connected by rail to Colombo and Matara. Galle Railway Station is a major station on the line and serves as the meeting point of the west- and south-coast segments of the line. The A2 highway, which is commonly known as the Galle Road, runs through the city and connects Galle to Colombo by the west-coast portion, and to Hambanthota by the south-coast portion.
The Southern Expressway, Sri Lanka's first E Class highway, links the Sri Lankan capital Colombo with Galle and currently reduces the time spent for travel to one hour from the three hours taken by the regular A2 highway.
Twin city.
The City of Galle is twinned with:


Newt fencing

Newt fencing is a barrier designed to control the movement of great crested newts, other amphibians or reptiles. It can also be called drift fencing or temporary amphibian fencing (TAF). It consists of a low fence of plastic sheeting, buried a short way into the ground and supported by lightweight posts usually made of wood or plastic. It is used to keep animals out of working areas, to keep them inside safe areas of their habitat, to intercept migration routes, or to control their movement to help their capture for translocation. It may be used in conjunction with pitfall traps placed at the foot of the fence. It is most commonly used in connection with building projects, to minimise harm to protected species.
Background.
Legislation.
The great crested newt ("Triturus cristatus") is an amphibian native to the United Kingdom but also widespread across Northern Europe. Whilst it is relatively widespread in the UK (in fact the UK hosts one of the great crested newt's most significant populations), it is rare on a European wide basis. The great crested newt is listed as a "strictly protected fauna species" under appendix II of the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats:
and consequently is protected under UK legislation through the Wildlife and Countryside Act and the Conservation (Natural Habitat) regulations 1994. Under these regulations it is an offence to intentionally disturb, injure or kill any great crested newt, or disturb or destroy its habitat. Likewise, the Habitats Regulations 2010 do not apply to all newts, and in the case of e.g. smooth newt species, they are protected differently, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended).
Habitat.
The great crested newt's natural habitat requirements are standing fresh water for breeding purposes, but the majority of its time is spent on dry land. They favour semi-natural habitats such as rough grassland, hedgerows and scrub woodland. An individual newt tends to have a range centred upon its breeding pool. The breeding stage of the life cycle takes place in spring, from February through to April. After this it spends much of its time on land, usually within from the breeding pond, but sometimes ranging up to . Unfortunately this life cycle and the use of both terrestrial and aquatic habitas may put the newts into conflict with humans. Brownfield sites often contain very good terrestrial habitat for great crested newts, and land within from newt breeding ponds includes a significant proportion of the UK.
Planning.
As part of the planning process for any development, an environmental impact assessment should include an ecological survey, which should in turn identify the potential for loss of habitat and the impact on the local population of great crested newts. If the assessment identifies possible loss of habitat or the potential to kill or disturb individual newts, it will be necessary for the developer to apply to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for a licence. The licence application should set out what measures will be taken to ensure that the local population is not threatened, and how potential loss of habitat can be mitigated.
Fencing and trapping.
To ensure that individual newts are not injured or killed by development activities, it may be necessary to enclose the site in a newt proof fence, trap the individuals within the site and/or remove them to a suitable release site. As the great crested newt is a European strictly protected fauna species, erection of newt fencing or any capture of the animals requires a licence.
Construction.
The newt fence usually consists of a plastic membrane partially buried in the ground (usually to about ) The above ground portion being supported by timber stakes placed at regular intervals along the line of the fence. The fence normally has a below ground horizontal return facing out of the site to minimise the risk of newts re-entering the site through the disturbed soil layer. It usually has some form of overhang along the top edge to reduce the possibility of newts climbing over the fence.
Newt fencing types.
Fences tend to fall into three basic categories, temporary (less than two years lifespan), semi-permanent (two to five years lifespan) and permanent (greater than two years lifespan). The materials used to construct them tend to vary with the length of time the fence is to remain operable. A temporary fence is normally constructed from UV-stabilised polythene sheet or woven geotextile. Semi-permanent fences are usually constructed from 1mm thick plastic panels. Permanent fences are usually constructed from rigid plastic or galvanised steel panels. In the case of temporary fencing materials, the underground return is created by folding the material at a ° angle along the base of the trench, and the top overhang by rolling the top edge of the membrane over a number of times to create a roll. For permanent fencing, the underground return is sometimes omitted and instead the fence is buried deeper (usually ). The top overhang is created by making a fold in the material at the manufacturing stage.
Newt collection and trapping.
Trapping is undertaken through the use of buried buckets (pitfall traps) placed alongside the fence material. The idea being that the newts follow the fence along until they fall into the open bucket. Carpet tiles (terrestrial refuges) may be used in conjunction with or instead of pitfall traps. Again these are placed alongside the fence and provide ideal shelter for newts whilst they are resting (daytime and during dry or cold periods).
Once an ecologist is satisfied that all of the newts have been trapped from the site and that the terms of the licence have been met, construction work can begin.


Apaa


Vega, Norway

Vega is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Gladstad. Other villages include Holand and Ylvingen.
The municipality comprises about 6,500 islands in the Vega Archipelago. The main island of the municipality is the island of Vega, and it is also the largest at . Bremstein Lighthouse is located in the southwestern part of the municipality.
The municipality is the 314th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Vega is the 322nd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,200. The municipality's population density is and its population has decreased by 6.8% over the previous 10-year period.
General information.
The municipality of Vega was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). On 1 January 1965, the Skogsholmen area (population: 196) was transferred from Tjøtta Municipality to Vega Municipality. Then on 1 January 1971, the Skålvær islands (population: 32) in the northeastern part of Vega was transferred to Alstahaug Municipality.
Name.
The municipality is named after the main island of Vega (). The name is probably derived from "veig" which means "liquid" or "fluid" (referring to the lakes and the marshes of the island). The name was written "Vegø" prior to 1891.
Coat of arms.
The coat of arms was granted on 20 November 1987. The arms show a gold-colored bailer for a boat on a red background. A bailer is an essential tool that is important to the municipality due to its dependence on the sea. An earlier suggestion for the Vega coat of arms picturing the black silhouette of a sailing boat on a yellow background is now used as the coat of arms of Nordland county.
Churches.
The Church of Norway has one parish () within the municipality of Vega. It is part of the Sør-Helgeland prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.
History.
Early settlements on the main island date back 10,000 years, making it one of the oldest places of inhabitance in Northern Norway. Agriculture and fishing are at present as they were in the past, key fields of labour. Today's inhabitants are concentrated in Holand, Valla, Igerøy, Ylvingen, and Gladstad, the latter being the location of the municipal council and most of the island's commerce.
Geography.
In 2004, the archipelago's cultural landscape was inscribed by UNESCO on the World Heritage Site list as representative of "the way generations of fishermen/farmers have, over the past 1,500 years, maintained a sustainable living in an inhospitable seascape near the Arctic Circle, based on the now unique practice of eider down harvesting." The oceanic climate and limestone bedrock has allowed 10 different species of orchids to grow in Vega, and 210 species of birds have been recorded at the archipelago.
Eidemsliene nature reserve has many warmth-loving species of plants and the most oceanic pine forest in North Norway. Holandsosen nature reserve is an important wetland area with a shallow lake and soil rich in lime; 149 species of birds have been observed in this reserve which has a rich bird life all year (many birds use this as their winter quarter). Lånan nature reserve preserves many types of coastal nature and is a very important area for many species of birds; eider down harvesting is still practiced here.
Climate.
Vega has a temperate oceanic climate marine west coast climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfb). The all-time high of was recorded July 27 2019, and the all-time low was recorded February 2010 (extremes database from 2003).
Government.
All municipalities in Norway, including Vega, are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elect a mayor. The municipality falls under the Brønnøy District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.
Municipal council.
The municipal council () of Vega is made up of 15 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:


Gatchina

Gatchina (, ) is a town and the administrative center of Gatchinsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It lies south of St. Petersburg, along the E95 highway leading to Pskov. Population:
It was previously known as "Khotchino", "Gatchina" (until February 14, 1923), "Trotsk" (until August 2, 1929), and "Krasnogvardeysk" (until January 28, 1944).
Gatchina, the largest town in Leningrad Oblast, is best known as the location of the Great Gatchina Palace, one of the main residences of the Russian Imperial Family during the 18th and 19th centuries. The historic center and Gatchina Palace are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site's "Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments". Another popular tourist attraction in Gatchina is Prioratsky Palace.
Gatchina has placed high in quality-of-life rankings in Russia.
History.
Early history.
Gatchina was first documented in 1499 under the name Khotchino as a village in possession of the Novgorod Republic. In the 17th century it was passed to Livonia and then to Sweden in a series of wars, until the early years of the Great Northern War at the turn of the 1700s when the area was returned to Russia. In 1703, Gatchina found itself in the southern vicinity of the new Russian capital, Saint Petersburg, which was being constructed north at the mouth of the Neva River. Despite technically still belonging to Swedish Ingria, in 1708, Gatchina was given by Peter the Great to his sister, Natalya Alexeyevna, and after her death in 1716 Peter founded an Imperial Hospital and Apothecary there. In 1765, it became the property of Count Orlov.
Imperial residence.
18th century.
In 1765, Catherine the Great, Empress of the Russian Empire, purchased Gatchina Manor from Prince Boris Kurakin, which featured the village and a small manor. Gatchina was gifted by Catherine to one of her favorites, Count Grigory Grigoryevich Orlov, who reportedly organized the assassination of Tsar Peter III three years earlier, resulting in her becoming empress. Between 1766 and 1788, Count Orlov built the massive Great Gatchina Palace in place of the original manor, with 600 rooms, an extensive English landscape park over , with an adjacent zoo and a horse farm. A triumphal arch was erected to a design by the architect of Gatchina Palace, Antonio Rinaldi, forming a monumental entrance. Upon Orlov's death in 1783, Gatchina Palace was bought by Catherine from his heirs, and gave it to her son Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich, the future Tsar Paul I. During his ownership, Paul made alterations to the palace, but also began developing the village of Gatchina into a town using experience from his travels around Europe. After ascending to the throne, Paul granted Gatchina the status of Imperial City, an honorary designation for towns that possessed a royal palace. Gatchina Palace was expanded and altered numerous times by its subsequent imperial owners, with the addition of Rococo interiors designed by Rinaldi and Vincenzo Brenna, and executed by Italian stucco workers and Russian craftsmen.
19th century.
In 1854, a railroad connecting Gatchina and Saint Petersburg was opened, and the territory of Gatchina was expanded with several villages in the vicinity being incorporated into the city. The following year Gatchina Palace came under the ownership of Tsar Alexander II, who used it as his second residence. Alexander built a hunting village south of Gatchina into a retreat where he and his guests could enjoy the unspoiled wilderness of northwestern Russia. Following the assassination of Alexander II in 1881, Gatchina Palace was passed to his shaken son, the new Tsar Alexander III, who was advised that he and his family would be safer in Gatchina as opposed to at the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg. Alexander spent most of his life at Gatchina Palace, which became known as "The Citadel of Autocracy" after the Tsar's reactionary policies. Here he signed decrees, held diplomatic receptions, theatrical performances, masquerades and costumed balls, and other events and entertainment. Alexander III introduced some technological modernizations new to Russia at the Gatchina Palace, such as indoor heaters, electric lights, a telephone network, non-freezing water pipes and a modern sewage system. His son, the future Tsar Nicholas II and the last Russian Tsar, spent his youth in the Gatchina Palace, although he and his family would make Tsarskoye Selo his home. His mother, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, widow of Alexander III, was the patron of the city of Gatchina, the palace and its parks.
20th century.
Gatchina was honored as the best-kept city of Russia at the 1900 World's Fair in Paris (Exposition Universelle). The quality of life, education, medical services, and public safety in Gatchina were recognized as the best, and it was recommended as an example for other cities in Russia. In 1910, one of the first airfields in Russia was established in Gatchina, with the city becoming one of the first centers of aviation and engine technology in Russia. The pilot Pyotr Nesterov was trained at the Gatchina airfield and made his first long-distance flight from Gatchina to Kiev. Gatchina Palace remained one of the official imperial residences of Tsar Nicholas II, who was presiding over annual military parades and celebrations of the Imperial Russian Army garrisons, stationed in Gatchina until 1917.
World War I.
During World War I, major medical hospitals in Gatchina were visited by the Tsar Nicholas II and Empress Maria Fyodorovna, the mother of Nicholas II, his wife the Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna, as well as their daughters Grand Duchess Olga, Grand Duchess Tatiana, Grand Duchess Maria, and Grand Duchess Anastasia.
In March 1917, the Russian Empire collapsed upon the abdication of Nicholas II following the February Revolution, leading to a decline in Gatchina's importance as the town and its palace became state property of the Russian Provisional Government, who converted it to a museum.
Russian Civil War.
Shortly afterwards, the outbreak of the Russian Civil War saw Gatchina loyal to the White Movement, and the palace was visited by President Alexander Kerensky on October 27, 1917. During Kerensky's visit, fighting broke out in Gatchina between detachments of the Red Guards and Cossack units of General Pyotr Krasnov. The Reds won the battle, which had avoided the palace, and on November 1, they held a rally outside the palace in the main square, where Pavel Dybenko encouraged the Cossack units stationed in the palace to surrender and not to oppose the Red authorities. Kerensky left Gatchina Palace that night, and it was occupied by Red troops the following day.
Interbellum.
In May 1918, the museum was re-opened by the Reds "for the victorious popular masses of the Russian Revolution" in Gatchina. From 1918 to 1941, the Gatchina Palace and parks were open to public as a national museum. On February 14, 1923, Gatchina was renamed Trotsk () by the new Soviet authorities, in honor of Leon Trotsky. After Joseph Stalin became General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Trotsky was gradually exiled, and the town was renamed Krasnogvardeysk (, "Red Guard City") on August 2, 1929.
World War 2.
Gatchina was occupied by Nazi Germany from Saturday, September 13, 1941, following the German invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II.
The Germans renamed the town Lindemannstadt, in honor of the Wehrmacht general Georg Lindemann, and looted much of the Gatchina Palace for its collections of art. On January 26, 1944, the Germans abandoned Lindemannstadt during their retreat, setting fire to Gatchina Palace and vandalizing much of the park. The town was quickly retaken by the Red Army, and two days later it was renamed back to its pre-Soviet name, Gatchina.
Rebuilding.
After the war, Gatchina was rebuilt to Soviet standards, and became home to the Petersburg Institute of Nuclear Physics. The extent of the Gatchina Palace's devastation was extraordinary, and initially was considered irreparable damage. Restoration works continued for over 60 years, and some pieces of the art collection were recovered from safe keeping and returned to Gatchina. Today, one section of the Gatchina Palace is partially completed and certain state rooms and the Arsenal Halls are now open to the public. Other areas of the palace, including those of Tsar Alexander III, remain closed and unrestored.
In 1990, shortly before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Gatchina Palace and surviving buildings in Gatchina's historic center became UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as part of the wider Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments. In 1999, Gatchina was awarded in the Most Comfortable City of Russia, a quality of life competition for Russian towns and cities, being ranked first in Category III, the category for cities with a population of under 100,000. In 2010, Gatchina's status as an Historical city of Russia was revoked.
Name.
The town has notably been known under various names during its history. As common with larger urban areas under the Soviet Union, Gatchina was renamed to reflect the changed ideals of the government. This first came in honouring Leon Trotsky. However, with the feud between Trotsky and Stalin at a high this name was to become problematic. Thus, the city was renamed again in honour of the Soviet troops. Unlike other regions that underwent this process, Gatchina has a more complex history leading to multiple variations.
Administrative and municipal divisions.
Within the framework of administrative divisions, Gatchina serves as the administrative center of Gatchinsky District. As an administrative division, it is incorporated within Gatchinsky District as Gatchinskoye Settlement Municipal Formation. As a municipal division, Gatchinskoye Settlement Municipal Formation is incorporated within Gatchinsky Municipal District as Gatchinskoye Urban Settlement.
Economy.
Industry.
In Gatchina, there are several enterprises related to timber industry, including a paper mill, and to food industry.
Transportation.
Gatchina is an important railway node. One railway, running north to south, connects the Baltiysky railway station in St. Petersburg with Dno and Nevel. Within the town limits, suburban trains in this direction stop at the platform of Tatyanino and the station of Gatchina-Varshavskaya. Another railway, also from the Baltiysky railway station, arrives to Gatchina from the northwest and has two stops, Mariyenburg and Gatchina-Passazhirskaya-Baltiyskaya. Yet another railway runs south of the town center from east to west and connects Mga via Ulyanovka with Volosovo. The railway station on this line in Gatchina is Gatchina-Tovarnaya-Baltiyskaya.
The M20 Highway connecting St. Petersburg and Pskov, crosses Gatchina from north to south. South of Gatchina, it crosses the A120 Highway, which encircles St. Petersburg. A paved road connects Gatchina with Kingisepp via Volosovo. There are also local roads.
Science.
Gatchina is the site of the Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute.
Twin towns – sister cities.
Gatchina is twinned with:


List of World Heritage Sites in Iran

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. Iran accepted the convention on 26 February 1975, making its historical sites eligible for inclusion on the list. As of 2019, twenty-four sites in Iran are included.
The first three sites in Iran, Meidan Naghshe Jahan, Isfahan, Persepolis and Tchogha Zanbil, were inscribed on the list at the 3rd Session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Paris, France in 1979. They remained the Islamic Republic's only listed properties until 2003, when Takht-e Soleyman was added to the list. The latest addition was the Hyrcanian forests, inscribed in 2019.
In addition to its inscribed sites, Iran also lists more than 50 properties on its tentative list.
World Heritage Sites.
Tentative list.
In addition to sites inscribed on the World Heritage list, member states can maintain a list of tentative sites that they may consider for nomination. Nominations for the World Heritage list are only accepted if the site was previously listed on the tentative list. As of February 2018, Iran lists fifty-six properties on its tentative list:


Geelong Field Naturalists Club

The Geelong Field Naturalists Club (GFNC) is an Australian regional amateur scientific natural history and conservation society which was founded in 1961 by Trevor Pescott. It is based in Geelong, Victoria, with the aims of:
The GFNC, with its president at the time, Jack Wheeler, was instrumental in the early 1960s in establishing the Ocean Grove Nature Reserve. The logo of the club features the small ant-blue butterfly, an endangered myrmecophilous species that used to be found in the reserve.
Publications.
The GFNC publishes a monthly magazine, the "Geelong Naturalist", as well as the annual "Geelong Bird Report". It also publishes books on the natural history of the Geelong region.


Sai Thong National Park

Sai Thong National Park () is a national park in Thailand's Chaiyaphum Province. This mountainous park features waterfalls, scenic viewpoints, and a seasonal flower field.
Geography.
Sai Thong National Park is about west of Chaiyaphum town in the Nong Bua Rawe, Thep Sathit, Phakdi Chumphon and Nong Bua Daeng Districts of Chaiyaphum Province. The park's area is . The park is in the Phang Hoei mountain range and the park's highest point is Khao Phang Hoei at . Numerous tributaries of the Chi River have their source within the park's boundaries. The park's forest types consist of mixed deciduous, dipterocarp and dry evergreen forest.
Previous inhabitants.
Shortly after Sai Thong was established in 1992, the forest dwellers who had lived there before the park was created, had their dwellings and lands annexed by the park. Indigenous forest dwellers, whose forebears were living in the area before Thailand came into being, were deemed criminals subject to imprisonment. More than 10 million persons in some 2,700 forest communities across Thailand face eviction and legal sanctions. More than 7,000 villagers are sent to jail each year for park encroachment. Forest evictions, often violent, have increased following the 2014 Thai coup d'état under the junta's "forest reclaiming" policy. The current (2019) national park law that criminalizes forest dwellers will soon be replaced by a new version that is even more oppressive. The new law gives forest officials the power to summon people for questioning and to enter their homes at any time. They will be empowered to destroy dwellings in the forest at will. Penalties will include jail sentences of up to 20 years and maximum fines of two million baht.
In 2018, 14 cassava-growing peasants, nine of them women, were found guilty by a lower court of encroaching on Sai Thong National Park after forestry authorities filed complaints against the villagers for refusing to leave. The villagers were ordered to pay compensation fees for environmental degradation ranging from 40,000 to 1.58 million baht (US$1,300-51,000) for 1 to 48 rai (0.16-7.7 hectares) of land use. Those charged with refusing to leave had settled there in the 1970s, before the national park was established in 1992.


Kaido Kama

Kaido Kama (born 18 December 1957, Viljandi) is an Estonian politician, conservationist, and teacher. He served as the Minister of Justice of Estonia from 1992 to 1994, as well as Estonia's Minister of the Interior from 1994 to 1995.
Biography.
Kama graduated from Viljandi 1st Secondary School in 1975. From 1975 to 1976, he studied architecture at the Estonian Academy of Arts. From 1982 to 1990, he worked as a conservation officer at Antsla Forest.
In 1990, Kama was elected to the Congress of Estonia. He was also a member of the Estonian Committee and the Estonian Constitutional Assembly (Estonian: Põhiseaduse Assamblee). In 1990, he was also a member of the Estonian Supreme Soviet at the time of Perestroika and the chairman of the Ownership Reform Commission. During the vote on the Estonian restoration of Independence, he was one of two members of the Soviet who did not register and walked out on the vote, the other being Klavdia Sergij. He was a member of the . In 1992, he was elected to the Riigikogu as a part of the Pro Patria National Coalition Party. He initially ran as part of The Right Wingers, but withdrew from the mandate.
Kama was the Minister of Justice during Mart Laar's term as prime minister from 1992 to 1994, as well as being the Minister of the Interior during Andres Tarand's term as prime minister from 1994 to 1995.
Kama has worked, among other things, as an advisor to former Prime Minister Juhan Parts, a counselor of the Ministry of Defense, as well as for the company Remedia and in Karula National Park.
From 1997 to 2004, Kama was the director of the Võru Institute.
Kama is also a noted conservationist, publishing numerous articles and interviews in support of conservationism in Estonia.
Personal life.
Kama currently lives in Võru County and is a follower of Maausk. He has six children: sons Susi, Põvvat, Pikne, Mõtus Lõmaš, and daughters Kärg and Põim.</ref> Pikne is the director of the Valga Museum in Valga.


Church of Saint Nicholas Orphanos

The Church of Saint Nicholas Orphanos () is an early 14th-century Byzantine church in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki.
Location.
The church is located in the northeastern corner of the old city, just inside the eastern wall, between the Irodotou and Apostolou Pavlou streets.
History and description.
The church's name, "Saint Nicholas the Orphan", is first attested in the 17th and 18th centuries, and presumably refers to its otherwise unknown "ktetor" (founder). From its interior decoration, the building is dated to the period 1310–1320. The church originally formed part of a monastery, traces of which (remnants of a gate) survive to the east.
The church was originally built as a simple, single-aisled edifice with a wooden gabled roof. Later, aisles were added on three sides. They form an ambulatory, under whose floor several graves have been found. The masonry features irregular layers of brick and stone, with a few ceramics on the eastern side and brick decoration on the eastern and western sides. In the interior, the central aisle is connected to the others with double openings decorated with reused late antique capitals. The church's original marble templon survives.
The church is most notable for its frescoes, contemporary with the church's construction, which cover almost the entire interior surface. The frescoes are an example of the Thessalonican school at the height of the "Palaiologan Renaissance", and their creator may be the same who decorated the Hilandar monastery in Mount Athos in 1314. The church has been linked to the Serbian king Stephen Uroš II Milutin (r. 1282–1321), who is known to have sponsored churches in the city, on account of the depiction in the main aisle of St George Gorgos, the Serbian ruler's patron saint, and of St. Clemens of Ohrid, a favourite motif of the Serbian churches.
The monastery continued functioning throughout the Ottoman period. The frescoes were uncovered in 1957–1960 during restoration works.


Regional Reserve (Australia)

A Regional Reserve is a type of protected area used in the Australian states of South Australia and Tasmania that allows the use of natural resources in conjunction with the protected area’s conservation function.
South Australia.
In South Australia, a regional reserve is used where crown land being considered for protection where following needs and desires for the land exist: the purpose of conserving any wildlife or the natural or historic features of that land while, at the same time, permitting the utilisation of the natural resources of that land.
As of 2014, the following regional reserves have been declared and with a total area of or 9.5% of the state’s land area:
Chowilla, Innamincka, Lake Frome, Nullarbor, Simpson Desert, Strzelecki and Yellabinna.
Tasmania.
In Tasmania, a regional reserve is used where “an area of land” being considered for protection has “high mineral potential or prospectivity” and is “predominantly in a natural state,” and the purpose for the protection meets the following requirement:Mineral exploration and the development of mineral deposits in the area of land, and the controlled use of other natural resources of that area of land, including special species timber harvesting, while protecting and maintaining the natural and cultural values of that area of land.
As of 2014, there are 148 regional reserves in Tasmania with a total area of :


Namtok Phlio National Park

Namtok Phlio National Park () is a national park in Chanthaburi Province, Thailand. The park is home to forested mountains, waterfalls, and many stupas and chedis from the reign of King Rama V. The mountains here are also known as Khao Sa Bap, a mountainous fragment of the western ends of the much larger Cardamom Mountains. The Sa Bap mountains are heavily eroded karst, rising to no more than 673 metres.
Geography.
Namtok Phlio National Park is located south of Chanthaburi town in Mueang, Laem Sing, Khlung and Makham districts. The park's area is . The highest point is Map Wa Krok peak at .
History.
During the reign of King Rama V, the Along Khon chedi was built in 1876. In 1881 a memorial stupa, housing a relic of Princess Sunanta Kumari, was commissioned by King Rama V.
On 2 May 1975, the area was declared a national park as Khao Sa Bap National Park. On 29 September 1982, the park was renamed Namtok Phlio National Park.
Attractions.
The park's main attraction is its namesake waterfall, Phlio, whose pools are home to large numbers of soro brook carp. The King Rama V era chedi and stupa are located near Phlio waterfall. Other park waterfalls include Khlong Narai, Makok and Trok Nong.
Flora and fauna.
Namtok Phlio is covered in tropical rain forest, including such species as "Aphanamixis polystachya", "Aquilaria crassna", "Scaphium scaphigerum", "Sandoricum koetjape", "Irvingia malayana", "Cotylelobium lanceolatum", "Alstonia scholaris" and "Dalbergia oliveri".
Animal species include serow, tiger, bear, barking deer, porcupine, macaque, langur, gibbon, mouse deer, pangolin, mongoose and otter.
The park is host to abundant bird species including heron, brahminy kite, shika, crested serpent eagle, besra, imperial pigeon, red turtle dove, emerald dove, hornbill, barbet, vernal hanging parrot, shrike, woodpecker, drongo, hill myna, bulbul and white-rumped shama.


Tai Lam Country Park

Tai Lam Country Park (), established on 23 February 1979, is a country park located in Tai Lam, at the south of Yuen Long Town, Kam Tin and Shek Kong and east of Tuen Mun Town, in the western New Territories of Hong Kong. This country park has an area of 54 km².
Etymology.
The country park is named after Tai Lam where the park is located nearby. A river stream also named after the area as Tai Lam Chung (). Due to the construction of a dam, the water flows into the Tai Lam Chung Reservoir. The reservoir is entirely surrounded by the country park. The reservoir is managed by the Water Supplies Department. Tai Lam Tunnel and Tai Lam railway tunnel pass through the country park underground. A village, as well as two prisons: Tai Lam Centre for Women and , all outside the boundary of the country park, are named after Tai Lam.
The "tai" () in Tai Lam means large. There is another area known as Siu Lam, which "siu" () means small in Chinese.
Highlights.
A series of barbecue and picnic sites are provided along Route Twisk, the Shek Kong, Pat Heung catchwater and the Tuen Mun catchwater. In addition, there are a lot of trails. For example, the MacLehose Trail and the Kap Lung Forest Trail start from the top of Route Twisk near the Country Park Management Centre. The Twisk Nature Trail near the Country Park Management Centre introduces the natural environment and human impacts in the area.
The fitness trail at So Kwun Wat catchwater provides 14 sets of fitness equipment for visitors and morning walkers.


Selangor State Park

The Selangor State Park (, also known as Taman Warisan Negeri Selangor) is a park located in Gombak District, Selangor, Malaysia. The 914.41 square kilometre park was gazetted on by the state on January 25, 2007. Upon its establishment, it became the second largest park in Peninsular Malaysia with the largest being the Taman Negara.
It is over 108,000 hectares in size and is the third-largest park in Peninsular Malaysia. The area was gazetted in 2007 as a state park under the National Forestry Act Enactment 2005 of Selangor and is managed by the Forestry Department of Selangor.
Role of the Park.
Selangor and the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya depend on the Park for their most basic needs of clean air, water and maintenance of the local climatic stability. The Park thus helps to guarantee the quality of life enjoyed by these communities.
Protecting Water Resource.
The forests of Taman Negeri Selangor protect and are catchment for water contributing to the upper reaches of all major rivers in Selangor. These rivers are Sungai Bernam, Sungai Selangor, Sungai Klang and Sungai Langat. The Park area also feeds the five water-supply reservoirs that provide 98% of the water supply to Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. These dams are the Sungai Selangor, Batu, Klang Gates, Langat and Semenyih dams. Ecologically, Taman Negeri Selangor helps to maintain the biodiversity in the river basins and preserve the water quality of the rivers.
Reducing Downstream Floods.
The forest cover of Taman Negeri Selangor provides the important ecological function of natural flood mitigation for Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. The forests absorb moisture through plant roots and sponge up large quantities of rainfall in their organically enriched soil system. Thus, the Park serves in water catchment and also as a natural buffer against flooding that is typically most felt in settlements and population centres farther downstream. The natural forest also helps to reduce soil erosion and sedimentation of the reservoirs.
Protecting Steep Slopes.
The majority of the State Park is highland over 300 meters above sea level, with steep slopes greater than 25 degrees. This environmentally sensitive area is particularly vulnerable to soil erosion and landslides. The thick forest, together with the leaf litter and other organic debris, help reduce the direct impact of rain on the soil. The extensive root systems of natural vegetation hold the soil in place.
A Centre for Eco-tourism, Research and Education.
The Park area provides many recreational opportunities, and it also caters to valuable educational and research activities. As one of the most accessible forest areas in Malaysia, the Park provides an invaluable retreat from the pressures of modern urban lifestyles (e.g. at Ampang Recreational Forest). The Park attracts activities of two major international research centres existing within or near its area, the University of Malaya Field Studies Centre in Hulu Gombak with its incredible forested backdrop, and the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) in Kepong.
Biodiversity.
The Park area, rich in fauna and flora, is significant in maintaining existing levels of biodiversity resources. The wealth of the biodiversity of the Park also contributes to Malaysia’s classification as one of the mega-biodiversity countries in the world. Documented within the Park are:
The Klang Gates Quartz Ridge.
Resembling the back of a dragon, the Klang Gates Quartz Ridge is a world-class geological wonder and a key feature of the Selangor State Park. Made up entirely of white milky quartz, it is one of the longest quartz outcrops of its kind in the world, measuring about 14 km long above ground and up to 50 m wide at certain sections. This Ridge can be classified as a geotope, having outstanding geological value. The Ridge is estimated to be 170 million years old. It is located just outside the north-eastern part of Kuala Lumpur, stretching from Taman Seri Gombak to Kampung Kemensah. The Klang Gates Dam was built at a small natural opening (gap) separating the two main stretches of the Ridge, namely Bukit Batu Tabor in the west and Bukit Chondong in the east.
Pressures on the Park.
The current alignment of the KL Outer Ring Road (KLORR) will have a tremendous impact on the Park, as the alignment of the highway is proposed to cut through to sections of the Park - the Klang Gates Quartz Ridge and the Ampang Forest Reserve. Some residents, community groups and NGOs have spoken out for the need to find a better solution to the KLORR.
References.
the Selangor State Park blog


Protection Area for the Remains of the Ancient Han Dynasty


Shing Mun Country Park

The Shing Mun Country Park (established 24 June 1977) is a country park of Hong Kong, hugging the Shing Mun Reservoir.
Location.
Located in the central New Territories, it covers a total of . It extends from Lead Mine Pass in the north, to the Shing Mun catchwater road in the south, and from Tai Mo Shan in the west to Grassy Hill and Needle Hill in the east.<br>
History.
As early as 1971, a "pilot scheme" was initiated and prototype picnic facilities were provided, using funds from Sir David Trench Fund for Recreation. These were well received by visitors. In 1977, the area was formally designated as a country park.
Vegetation.
At the head of the reservoir near the former Tai Wai Village, a "fung shui" grove contains a rich variety of more than 70 species of trees. It has been designated as a "special area" that merits special protection. To the west of the reservoir, both sides of the stream known as Tai Shing Shek Kan are covered with a rich variety of shrubs, grasses and trees, including several species of Camellia, "Camellia granthamiana", which bears beautiful white flowers more than 12 cm in diameter, is a rare species found only a few decades ago. It is named after a former Hong Kong Governor, Sir Alexander Grantham.
During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in World War II, most of the trees in the park were cut down. Extensive reforestation was carried out after the war. The main species was "Pinus massoniana", whilst "Pinus elliottii", "Lophostemon confertus", "Melaleuca quinquenervia" and "Acacia confusa" were introduced later. The area has now become one of the major forest plantations in Hong Kong.
Wildlife.
As the park is situated close to the densely populated urban area of Tsuen Wan, wildlife is seldom seen. Apart from a few common birds, other animals such as squirrels, barking deer, wild boars and pangolins may occasionally be discovered. Some monkeys, believed to have migrated from nearby Kam Shan Country Park, can sometimes be found along the forest tracks.
Geology.
The land in this area is composed of granitic and volcanic rocks. The latter form the highest ground, while the granitic rocks, which weather relatively easily, form the lower areas in the southern parts of the park. To the east of the park is a rich deposit of wolfram which was first mined in 1936. Mining was interrupted during World War II. With the high post-war prices, mining was resumed in 1951 and continued until 1968 when the prices again fell drastically. The highest average monthly output in the latter period was 30 tonnes, and was entirely for export. There are several abandoned lead mine workings around Lead Mine Pass, some of which date back several centuries.
Places to go.
Shing Mun Country Park Visitor Centre.
The Shing Mun Country Park Visitor Centre, is situated near the maxicab terminus.
 It provides displays on the origin and history of Shing Mun, the reservoir and the mining industry in the early 20th centuries. Animals and mineral specimens are also on display. Video programmes on Country Parks and Countryside Conservation matters are shown in the visitor centre at regular intervals.
Shing Mun Arboretum.
The Shing Mun Arboretum, occupies 14 square kilometres, is situated in the Country Park. It extends to Shing Mun Reservoir Road in the south. The western border lies in Tai Mo Shan, while Grassy Hill and Needle Hill mark the eastern margin. There are 7000 plants, belonging to over 270 species (which are native to Hong Kong or Southern China) in the Arboretum. The plants include a collection of bamboos, protected plant species, plants named after Botanists, plants first discovered in Hong Kong and Camellias found in Hong Kong Countryside, etc.
Other facilities.
At the park entrance a large information board and a direction post have been erected, providing visitors with information and guidance. Barbecue facilities are provided throughout the areas to the south and south-east of the reservoir, near the dams. Toilets, a refreshment kiosk, rain-shelters, warden posts, jogging trails, a nature trail, viewcompasses and many other facilities are also provided. Sections 7 and 8 of the MacLehose Trail run through the Park from Smugglers' Ridge in the south-east of the park to Route Twisk in the west. A campsite is provided near Lead Mine Pass for trail hikers.
Transportation.
Visitors are advised to use public transport, as there is no parking space in the park. The Transport Department also prohibits coaches and private buses from using the Shing Mun Road leading to the park because of the narrowness of the road. Minibus 82 runs between Shiu Wo Street(HairTrend), Tsuen Wan and Shing Mun Reservoir.


Juntura Airport

Juntura Airport is a private use airport owned by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and located one nautical mile (2 km) south of Juntura, in Malheur County, Oregon, United States.
Facilities.
Juntura Airport resides at an elevation of 3,034 feet (925 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 4/22 with a gravel and dirt surface measuring 1,830 by 50 feet (558 x 15 m).


Princess Sirindhorn Wildlife Sanctuary

Princess Sirindhorn Wildlife Sanctuary (), or popularly known as Pa Phru To Daeng (ป่าพรุโต๊ะแดง), or just called Phru To Daeng (พรุโต๊ะแดง) is a largest and most fertile peat swamp forest in Thailand covering an area of 125,625 rais, about in Mueang Narathiwat, Tak Bai, Su-ngai Kolok, and Su-ngai Padi districts of Narathiwat province in southern Thailand. It is about 6 km (3 mi) from Su-ngai Kolok railway station.
It is named after Khlong To Daeng, one of three main watercourses flowing through the forest. "To Daeng" is a name of one old magician Muslim woman in folklore, who disappeared in the forest and was said to have finally transformed into a crocodile.
While its officially name honours Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, who first visited here in 1990.
This peat swamp forest is a waterlogged tropical rainforest. Under the dark brown water is soft soil formed by the accumulation of decayed vegetation and animals that slowly decomposed and became peat soil with its layer's thickness of 0.5–5 m (1–16 ft). Since the soiled water is slightly acidic, the plants and wildlife species inhabiting the peat swamp forest and adaptable to the type of soil and basin that has expanded over the land for a long time.
Pa Phru To Daeng contains a variety of flora and fauna with special characteristics. The plants growing in this forest have buttresses to support the trunks to stand on spongy ground as well as strong branch roots expanding with stilt roots intertwining to support each other. Interesting plant species in this forest include Egyptian white water-lily ("Nymphaea lotus") and "Kong" ("Hanguana malayana"), a herbaceous plant with stolon that float in the water.
Pa Phru To Daeng provides habitat to flat-headed cat ("Prionailurus planiceps"), hairy-nosed otter ("Lutra sumatrana"), rufous-tailed shama ("Trichixos pyrropygus"), Malaysian blue flycatcher ("Cyornis turcosus"), especially black hornbill ("Anthracoceros malayanus"), one of 13 hornbill species in Thailand.
Fish species include "Pseudeutropius indigens", which is the world's newest species of schilbeid catfish, slender walking catfish ("Clarias nieuhofii"), and rusty squarehead catfish ("Chaca bankanensis"), a small-sized catfish that looks like a flat-headed catfish, which is popular as ornamental fish.
Natural trails at the Sirindhorn Peat Swamp Forest Nature Research and Study Centre are about long with wooden bridges. Signboards along the trails inform visitors.


Ruth Harkness

Ruth Elizabeth Harkness (21 September 1900 - 20 July 1947) was an American fashion designer and socialite, who traveled to China in 1936 and brought out the first live giant panda to the United States - not in a cage, or on a leash, but wrapped in her arms.
Harkness was born in Titusville, Pennsylvania. In 1934, her husband Bill Harkness had travelled to China in search of a panda, but died of throat cancer in Shanghai early in 1936. His widow Ruth, then living in New York City, decided to complete the mission herself.
Harkness traveled to Shanghai, and with the help of a Chinese-American explorer named Quentin Young, and Gerald Russell, a British naturalist, launched her own panda mission. After passing through Chongqing and Chengdu, the team arrived at a mountainous region, where, on 9 November 1936, they encountered and captured a nine-week-old panda cub. The panda, which they named Su Lin after Young's sister-in-law, was bottle-fed baby formula on the journey back to Shanghai and the United States. Su lin meant the phrase `a little bit of something very cute`. Quentin migrated to the US in later years and felt he never got credit for his work in finding the Panda.
The panda caused a great sensation in the American press and eventually ended up at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago.
Harkness launched two subsequent expeditions in search of the giant panda. Harkness brought back a second panda, Mei-Mei, in 1937. She did not return with a giant panda on her third and final expedition.
Following her time in China and the success of her book about her adventure with Su Lin, "The Lady and the Panda". Harkness travelled to Peru, where she chronicled her adventures in "Pangoan Diary", and Mexico, where she wrote for "Gourmet" magazine.
Harkness's friend was an editor at Gourmet and thus paid her for articles when possible. Harkness was found dead in an NY apartment building suffering from Alcoholism.
An IMAX film, "", was made about her expedition in 2001. As of 2016, "Lady and the Panda", a theatrical film about Harkness written and directed by Justin Chadwick, is in pre-production.
Writing.
Written by Ruth Harkness: