Lakshmi Temple, Khajuraho

Lakshmi temple (Devanagari: लक्ष्मी मंदिर) is dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi, consort of Lord Vishnu.
This structure is one of the monument among Khajuraho Group of Monuments, a World Heritage Site in India.
Location.
The temple is located in the Western Group of Temple Complex Khajuraho. Inside the temple complex, it is located north to Varaha Temple and opposite Lakshaman Temple.
Khajuraho is a small village in Chattarpur District of Madhya Pradesh, India.
Architecture.
Temple structure rests on square shaped modest ("chabutara"). It has small sanctum.
The side and back walls do not have any sculptures.


El Nido, Palawan

', officially the ' (, ), is a in the province of , . According to the , it has a population of people.
It is about south-west of Manila, and about north-east of Puerto Princesa, Palawan's capital. A managed resource protected area, it is known for its white-sand beaches, coral reefs, limestone cliffs and as the gateway to the Bacuit archipelago.
El Nido is currently ranked #4 in "Condé Nast Traveler"s list of ""20 Most Beautiful Beaches in the World"." CNNgo has called it the Best Beach and Island destination in the Philippines for its "extraordinary natural splendor and ecosystem."
Geography.
El Nido is situated in Bacuit Bay and covers a land area of . It is in the northernmost tip of mainland Palawan and is bordered by the Linapacan Strait in the north, the Sulu Sea in the east, and the South China Sea in the west. El Nido includes 45 islands and islets, each with its own unique geological formations. The highest peak is at Cadlao Island, towering up to above sea level.
Together with Sulu Archipelago, Sabah, and South China Sea, El Nido, being part of Palawan, is located in the tectonically active and seismically active Sunda Plate, a plate that is entirely separate from the Philippine Mobile Belt to which the rest of the Philippines belongs. The Permian to Paleogene rocks and limestone cliffs of El Nido are similar to those that can be found in Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, Guilin in China, as well as Krabi in Thailand, all of which are part of the Sunda Plate.
Barangays.
El Nido is politically subdivided into eighteen barangays. Four of which are situated in the "Población" (town proper), and are also known by their respective zones.
Población (Town proper).
The "Poblacion", consisting of barangays Buena Suerte, Corong-corong, Maligaya and Masagana, sits in a sheltered bay with a pier at one end along a crescent beach, and is flanked by the area's famous limestone cliffs on the eastern section and hills on the western side. It is a small town center with tree-lined streets, and the lifestyle is laidback.
The Municipal Building, which houses the offices of the head of the municipality, the local legislature and several local government agencies, is located at the middle of the town square between Calle Real and Abdulla Street. It is interconnected with other buildings that house other government facilities such as the Rural Health Unit, Municipal Circuit Trial Court, El Nido Post Office, just to name a few.
Climate.
The climate in El Nido is distinguished by two seasons: generally dry, from December to May, and wet, from June to November. April and May are typically the driest months, while the heaviest rainfall occurs around August. The Northeast wind blows from December to March, occasionally interchanging with the North wind during December to February. The Southwest wind is felt from June to October while the East wind, the mildest of all winds, blows during the months of April and May.
The average surface temperature ranges from a low of to a high of . The coolest temperatures are usually experienced during the month of January, while the hottest temperatures are felt in April and May.
Sea conditions.
The current in El Nido differ from very slight to moderate depending on tidal conditions. Divers and snorkellers can swim back to the boat without difficulty since currents are usually very manageable.
The average water temperature ranges from during the months of December to March and during the months of April to November.
Water visibility ranges from from December to February, from March to May, and from June to November. The best time for diving at El Nido is during the months of March to May, as surface conditions are good.
History.
El Nido has been inhabited by humans as early 2680 BC, or even up to 22,000 years ago. This was confirmed by the fossils and burial sites, dating back to the Late Neolithic Age, that can be found in many caves and excavation sites surrounding the municipality, particularly in Dewil Valley's Ille Cave in New Ibajay. Chinese traders had been regularly visiting the area of Palawan for its edible birds' nests during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). The island was mentioned in Chinese records of 1225. Chau Ju-Kua, a trade commissioner of the port of Chuan wrote about the island, "Pa-Lao-Yu" or "Land of Beautiful Harbors" in his book "Chu Fan Chi."
The town traces its roots from a small Tagbanwa village called "Talindak." Some time in the 16th century, waves of migrants from Cuyo Islands came here to settle. In the 1800s, the Spaniards arrived, and they moved to the part where the present-day Población and Mabini are located. The first Spanish families were the Canovas, Vázquez, Ríos and Rey. In 1890, the Spaniards renamed it as "Bacuit". At the time, the center of the town was Cabigsing, then known as Inventario. Chinese families moved into the area about the same period, first settling in Langeblangeban. The first Chinese settlers were named Lim, Chin, Liao, Edsan, Ambao, Que-Ke, Lim Piao, Yu His, Pe Phan and Pe Khen.
During the Spanish colonization of the Philippines, the town was under the jurisdiction of the Municipality of Taytay, which was the capital of the former "Province of Calamianes" from 1818, and the "Province of Castilla", the area of what is now known as northern Palawan, from 1858. It remained part of Taytay until 1916 when it formally became an independent municipality. The new municipality was then known as Bacuit.
On June 17, 1954, Republic Act No. 1140 was approved changing the name of the town from Bacuit to its present name El Nido after the edible nests of swiftlets ("collocalia fuciphaga"), found in the crevices of its limestone cliffs. These nests, "nido" in Spanish, the main ingredient for the gourmet nido soup, are being sold at approximately US$ 3,000 per kilogram.
In 1957, the following barrios were created:
Demographics.
In the , the population of El Nido was people, with a density of .
The first town census of 1918 showed El Nido having a population of 1,789. In the period between 1980 and 1990, the population grew up to 18,832. Based in the 2000 census, the annual growth rate is 3.58% . This is higher than the average annual population growth rate for the whole country for the periods 1990 to 2000 and 2000 to 2007, which was only 2.34% and 2.04%.
According to the 2007 census, El Nido has a population of 30,249 people in 6,311 households in its eighteen barangays. Eighty-five percent of the population are living in the rural barangays, while only fifteen percent of them are in the Población area.
Ethnic Groups.
The original settlers of El Nido were the Tagbanwas and Cuyunons. Throughout the centuries, there has been a constant migration of Tagalogs, Hiligaynon, Bicolanos, Ilocanos, Chinese and Spaniards. There are also a small number of Germans and Koreans. Intermarriage between ethnic and linguistic groups are not uncommon in El Nido. Norwegian French Dutch and many Europeans residence in Calitang, Bucana El Nido Palawan.
Languages.
The main language is Filipino, which is largely based on Tagalog. In addition, many people are very proficient in English, Hiligaynon, other Visayan languages, and Bicolano. A small but significant percentage of the population speaks or comprehends Cuyonon, the native language of the Cuyo Islands and most parts of Palawan.
Economy.
The main industries of El Nido are fishing, agriculture and tourism, being a popular diving location. Edible nest-gathering is also an economic activity, although it is seasonal. Coconut, palay, cashew, banana, and mango are its major products.
Government.
El Nido is governed by a Mayor and a Vice Mayor, who are elected to three-year terms. The Mayor is the executive head and leads the municipality's departments in executing the municipal ordinances and improving public services. The Vice Mayor heads the legislative council consisting of eight councilors, or more commonly known as Sangguniang Bayan members. The Municipal Council is in charge of creating the municipality's policies in the form of Ordinances and Resolutions.
Seal.
The municipality seal shows a silhouette of the territory of El Nido inside an armor-shaped picture. The famous marble and limestone cliffs represents the nestling ground of the swiftlets. Behind it is the oil rig, representing the areas within its administrative boundaries that are found to be rich in oil and natural gas such as the Malampaya Sound, which is 50 kilometers within its borders, and the Cadlao Oilfield in Bacuit Bay area. At the bottom of the picture is the ricefield, with the carabao head superimposed at the center, and on the other side, the sea, with the fish and the squid in situated the middle, representing farming and fishing, the two main industries of its people.
Protected Area status.
Establishment.
In 1984, the then Ministry of Natural Resources issued the Administrative Order No. 518, establishing a maritime area in El Nido as a turtle sanctuary. In 1991, the rest of the Bacuit Bay, including its island and islets, was proclaimed by the Philippine government as a marine reserve. A year later, by virtue of Administrative Order No. 14 Series of 1992 of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, this area was expanded even more. In 1998, its status was elevated to that of a protected area, and it included even the terrestrial ecosystem of El Nido and portions of Taytay.
Extent and scope.
The so-called El Nido-Taytay Managed Resource Protected Area is the largest marine sanctuary in the entire Philippines. The Protected Area status accords the areas of El Nido and portions of its neighboring town of Taytay a place among the eight priority sites in the country in need of conservation. The Protected Area covers a total of 903.21 square kilometers, of which 40% are terrestrial and 60% marine.
The provincial government has mobilized its citizenry to actively participate in various environmental conservation and protection programs, such as the "Bantay Gubat" for forest protection, and the "Bantay Dagat" for the marine life preservation. Patrolling within the Protected Area especially in the marine zones is regularly conducted with the help of the World Wildlife Fund - Philippines that allocates funds to support the said activity. Other logistic support is by the concerned municipal governments. The Palawan Council for Sustainable Management (PCSD) provides legal assistance during the litigation of cases filed by the Protected Area Office (PAO).
As a protected area, the Philippine government needs approximately US$ 180,000 annually to protect and manage its natural resources. Tourists are encouraged to pay US$ 0.50 per day as conservation fee for the duration of their visit at the Municipal Tourism Office or the Office of the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB), which are housed in the Municipal Building in Calle Real. This was embodied in the PAMB Resolution No. 08 series 2000 from the National Integrated Protected Area Program (NIPAP) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
El Nido, being one of the most diverse ecosystem in the country, is protected for its unique flora and fauna, and pristine geologic formations. These include:
Infrastructure.
Transportation.
Air.
El Nido Airport also known as Lio Airport is the primary and sole airport serving the town of El Nido.
Roads.
The main roads of El Nido are organized around a set of radial and circumferential roads that radiate and circle in and around the town proper and its rural barangays. Its interconnected roads are connected to the major highway that leads Puerto Princesa, Palawan's capital. Daily Buses and jeepneys depart at San Jose Terminal in Puerto Princesa for El Nido. Tricycles are used for short-distance trips around the town proper.
The 60 km national road between Taytay and El Nido was rehabilitated, and this has helped boost tourism and business activity in the area.
Seaports and piers.
The main port in El Nido, which is under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), is located in Buena Suerte (Zone II), although a number of small and accessible wharfs, such as the San Fernando pier, are being used in other rural barangays. A number of ferry and other sea vessels owned by Atienza Shipping Lines and San Nicholas Shipping Lines have regular trips from Manila to El Nido.
Communication.
There are no telephone lines that operate in El Nido. Resorts and other tourist facilities use satellite telephone systems, while majority of the population rely on cellular networks Smart Communications and Globe Telecom. There is a telegraph facility at the El Nido Post Office, and Wi-Fi and Internet access in a number of establishments.
El Nido town is currently served by a permanent Smart Communications tower in the neighboring mountains. As of June 2017 a temporary Globe Communications tower sits on a private lot along Rizal St with plans to construct a permanent tower in the works.
4G LTE signal is strong in El Nido town but fails to reach much further down the road. The signal from both carriers barely reaches Corong-Corong.
Utilities.
The Población area is part of the service areas of electric utility, Palawan Electric Cooperative (PALECO), a division of the National Power Corporation operating with .423 megawatts of electricity. Other barangays use solar panels and electric generators. The island resorts generate their own electricity. Water services are accessible in protected water tables and facilities. Ten percent (10%) of the population can avail of the 'Level II Water System', or communal faucet, by the municipal government, while majority of them are still dependent on deep wells and natural springs. Internet services is available in few establishments with wireless broadband access.
Medical facilities.
The government-run Rural Health Unit, manned by a doctor and support medical staff, provides health services for the whole municipality. It is capable of providing health services such as minor surgeries, and diagnosis and treatment of common diseases. Patients requiring more complex medical services are either flown to Manila or Puerto Princesa from El Nido or taken to the Taytay District Hospital, which is about 55 kilometers away. Antipyretic, cold and cough medicines, and other over-the-counter medicines as well as a limited supply of prescription drugs are available in El Nido.
Security.
In charge of the overall security of El Nido is the multi-sectoral security network composed of the Philippine Navy, Philippine Air Force, and Philippine Army under the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Western Command in Puerto Princesa, the Philippine National Police Maritime, the Philippine Coastguard, the Provincial Government, the local government units, members of the local community, and the Palawan Tourism Council.
Being the closest municipality to the protected Malampaya gasfield, El Nido serves as the headquarters of the Philippine security force tasked to supplement the local security force already in place in El Nido. This special security force commands personnel, navy vessels, speedboats, and aircraft. The El Nido Resorts, being one of the top tourist destinations in Asia, also maintains an effective unit of security personnel duly licensed by the Philippine National Police Maritime They are in charge of monitoring the activities within the resort areas, as well as conducting day and night patrols and surveillance activities within the resorts and nearby islands.
Places of interest.
From the towering marble cliffs and lagoons to its 100 white sandy beaches, jungle and mangrove forest, prehistoric caves and waterfalls, El Nido is one of the top tourist destinations in Palawan, which is often referred to as the "Philippines' Last Frontier". In the November–December 2007 issue of the "National Geographic Traveler" magazine, Palawan was chosen as one of the best travel destinations in the world, and particularly, it recommended El Nido and the Calamianes Islands. In 2012, CNNGo, the travel news website of the international news agency Cable News Network, declared El Nido as the Philippines' Best Beach and Island destination.
Seven Commandos Beach.
An isolated beach that is located on the mainland, but only accessible by water, due to the mountainous terrain.
Unlike most remote destinations in Bacuit Bay, there is a multi-story, high end resort here in addition to cottages and tent camping sites right on the beach. There are quite a number of small permanent structures throughout Seven Commandos. It is also a popular stop on island hopping tours.
Simizu Island.
A small island surrounded by clear waters of El Nido, rock formations and a scene of towering mountains. A good place as a lunch area for Island Tour A.
Bacuit Bay.
Bacuit Bay is dotted with islands and islets, most of which are inhabited. Its clear blue waters are teeming with marine life. It is home to dugongs, turtles, manta rays, species of fishes, coral reefs, and the occasional whale sharks. There are over 30 dive sites ranging in depth from six to more than thirty meters.
Cadlao Island.
Cadlao is the largest island in El Nido, occupying a land area of 10.06 square kilometers. Among all islands, it is the closest to town proper and has the highest peak that towers up to 640 meters above sea level. It is known for its white sand beaches, gradually sloping sea floor, hidden lagoons, and nature trails through its forest cover. One of these nature trails leads to the saltwater Makaamo Lagoon. which is surrounded by mangroves.
There are a number of beaches on Cadlao, including that at Bocal Point, Natnat, and Paradise Beach on the southern side of the island. Sabang Beach in the north-east offers good snorkeling opportunities, though some visitors may recognize it as one of the settings for the Scandinavian TV show "Robinson Expedisjonen", the predecessor to "Survivor".
Dilumacad Island.
Dilumacad Island has a white sand beach stretching to some 300 meters on its South Eastern side. There is an underwater tunnel at its northern side and a fringing reef on its southern end. The island is also called Helicopter Island because its limestone cliffs resemble the shape of a helicopter when it is viewed from a considerable distance. The island itself is small by land mass, but is rich in vegetation and has a thick, dense rainforest, along with some bare rock, that seems to rise directly out of the deep blue sea.
Pangulasian Island.
Pangulasian has wide stretch of powdery white beaches in El Nido. The waters fronting the beach have clusters of coral reefs. A trail located in the middle of the island ends at the peak of the island and provides and a 360-degree view of the Bacuit Bay and nearby islands.
Vigan Island.
Located near Pangulasian Island, Vigan is also referred to as "Snake Island," because of the natural sandspit (s-shaped sandbar) that "snakes" off it shores. The sandspit is clearly visible only when the tide is low. On both sides of the sandspit are shallow swimming areas.
Cudugnon Point.
Cudugnon Point is an important anthropological site, where jewelry and pottery dating back to the Song dynasty (960-1279 CE) were yielded. The anthropologists believe that the cave dwellers were from Borneo, and travelled across the ancient land bridge that connected Palawan from Borneo. The crevices of its cave roof are inhabited by barn swallows and insectivorous bats.
Matinloc Island.
Matinloc Island, the longest slim island in El Nido, has a secret beach, which is a pocket of white sand beach at the corner of a sinkhole, that is inaccessible by boat and surrounded by steep rock walls. To reach it, divers must swim underwater through a narrow crevice in a rock wall. At noon, the sun streams in through the opening, allowing a play of light and shadow against its limestone walls. The beach floor drops abruptly. According to local legend, this beach inspired Alex Garland's novel "The Beach", which was written while the author was in El Nido.
Aside from the Secret Beach, the island is also famous for the Kulasa Beach, a 100-meter beach strip of fine white sand located at one of its coves. The sea floor surrounding the beach slopes gradually and the water deepens only after about 10 meters.
There are four dive sites around the island with the one at the south tip of Matinloc being the deepest at 39 meters.
Pinasil Island.
Pinasil Island has a cathedral-like cavern accessible by dinghy and kayak. Its cool interior is lit at certain times of the day by sunlight coming through an opening at its peak. This one of important sites for the "busyadors" or the birds' nest gatherers.
Aberawan River.
Aside from its several islands and beaches, tourists can also enjoy a mangrove tour along the Aberawan River where they can watch egrets roost among the mangrove trees at the mouth of the river.
Ille Cave.
12,000 years ago, El Nido was inhabited already by humans. Archaeologists found human and animal bones, potteries and even traces of 8,000-year-old cremation at Ille Cave. Ille is located at New Ibajay, a 45-minute drive from the town center, and is frequented by tourists.
Población (El Nido town proper).
Nestled around the towering marble and limestone cliffs and green hills, the town proper is a thriving tourist center where most cottages, bars, and souvenir shops can be found.
Maremegmeg Beach (Las Cabanas).
Just one kilometer south of Corong Corong, Maremegmeg Beach is home to one of El Nido's very first resorts. Named Las Cabanas Resort, tourists began incorrectly referring to Maremegmeg as Las Cabanas Beach, and the name stuck. There is a zip-line between the coast and a nearby island that you can access via a footpath behind the beach.
Balay Tubay.
A 90-year-old house turned into a bar along Calle Real where paintings and handicrafts of local artists are put on display. Every night, live music is performed there then. Originally owned by Sabas C. Robles, the grandfather of Judge Sabas Robles Acosta, father of Andrei Ustares Acosta - the Palawanologist.
Nacpan Beach.
A stretch of powdery white sand and pristine azure waters which is 45 minutes to an hour away from downtown El Nido via tricycle. This rocky peninsula offers views of the twin beaches after a short vertical hike up the trail, but the land was purchased by a private developer in 2016. The developer has plans to build a luxury resort on the grounds. Protests to the sale and the building have come in the form of squatters attempting to reclaim the land. The battle between these two parties has resulted in the property being watched 24 hours by an armed security guard. Nacpan beach is formally known by the villagers as Nagpan beach, later on it was named as Nacpan beach. Nacpan is located at Sitio Calitang, EL Nido, Palawan. It is also part of the Nacpan beach is the Twin Beach in Calitang and Nacpan El Nido Palawan.
Duli Beach.
A surfing spot of El Nido with good waves every September to March. During the summer season there are little to no waves. Nacpan has a similar wave pattern but less crowded than Duli.
Education.
El Nido has more than ten public elementary and secondary schools located in most of its barangays. El Nido Central School and El Nido National High School, which are both located at the Poblacion, have the largest facilities and number of students, among these schools. Recently, the Palawan State University opened its El Nido campus in New Ibajay, offering extramural programs and studies. Some of the lower grade school located in Calitang. Calitang Elementary School, Pasadeña Elementary School, Barutoan Elementary School, Bucana Elementary School and Lamoro Elementary School.


Huaytapallana mountain range

The Huaytapallana mountain range (possibly from Quechua "wayta" wild flower, a little bunch of flowers, "pallay" to collect, "pallana" an instrument to collect fruit; collectable, "Waytapallana" "a place where you collect wild flowers") lies in the Junín Region in the Andes of Peru. It extends between 11°47' and 11°56'S and 75°00' and 75°05'W for about 17 km. The surface area of the zone is 378'40 km². The range is located in the provinces of Concepción and Huancayo.
In 2011 Huaytapallana was declared an Area of Regional Conservation by Supreme Decrete No. 018-2011-MINAM. The area of 22,406.52 ha is situated in the districts of El Tambo, Huancayo, Pariahuanca and Quilcas of the Huancayo Province and in the Comas District of the Concepción Province.
Mountains.
The highest mountain in the range is Huaytapallana at (Lasuntay). Other mountains are listed below:
Lakes.
The zone contains six lakes:
Accessibility.
The Huaytapallana mountain range is about 2 hours drive from the city Huancayo in the Junín Region. It is located 8 hours north-east of Lima.
For mountaineers in the mountain range, the departure point is called "Virgen de las Nieves" (Virgin of the Snow), located at . At the "Virgen de las Nieves" there are two itineraries after which the ascent to the tip of the Huaytapallana can be completed.


Palazzo Porto, Vicenza

Palazzo Porto is a palace built by Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio in Contrà Porti, Vicenza, Italy. It is one of two palaces in the city designed by Palladio for members of the Porto family (the other being Palazzo Porto in Piazza Castello). Commissioned by the noble Iseppo da Porto, just married (about 1544), this building had a rather long designing stage and a longer and troublesome realization, partially unfinished.
In 1994, UNESCO included the palazzo in a World Heritage Site, the "City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto".
History.
It is very probable that Iseppo (Giuseppe) Porto's decision to undertake construction of a great palace in the Contrà (Contrada) dei Porti was taken to emulate the edifice that his brothers-in-law Adriano and Marcantonio Thiene had begun to erect, in 1542, only a stone's throw away. It is also possible that it was Iseppo's very marriage to Livia Thiene, in the first half of the 1540s, which provided the concrete occasion for summoning Andrea Palladio.
Allied with the Thiene, the Porto were one of the city's rich and powerful families, and the palaces of the family's various branches were ranked along the Contrada which today still bears their name. Iseppo was an influential personality, with various responsibilities in the public administration of the city, responsibilities which on more than one occasion were intertwined with the assignments entrusted to Palladio.
Relations between the two must very probably have been closer than between patron and architect, if we consider that thirty years after the project for Iseppo's city palace Palladio designed and began to build a great villa for him at Molina di Malo, subsequently never completed. The two friends died in the same year, 1580.
Architecture.
The palace was inhabitable from December 1549, though less than half the façade was standing and would only be completed three years later, in 1552. Numerous autograph drawings by Palladio record the complex design process. They show that right from the beginning Palladio planned for two distinct, residential blocks, one to lie along the street and the other contiguous to the back wall of the courtyard. In "I quattro libri dell'architettura" (1570) the two blocks are interconnected by a majestic courtyard with enormous Composite columns: this is quite clearly a re-elaboration of the original idea in the interests of publication.
Compared with the Palazzo Civena, only built a few years earlier, the Palazzo Porto fully illustrates the extent of Palladio's evolution after the journey to Rome in 1541 and his acquaintance with both antique and contemporary Roman architecture. The Bramantean model of Palazzo Caprini is here reinterpreted, with Palladio observing the Vicentine custom of living on the ground floor, which is higher as a result. The splendid, four-columned atrium represents Palladio's reinterpretation of Vitruvian spaces, but one where traditional Vicentine typologies also survive.
The two rooms to the left of the atrium were frescoed by Paolo Veronese and Domenico Brusasorzi, while the stuccoes are by Bartolomeo Ridolfi. On the palace attic, the statues of Iseppo and his son Leonida, in antique Roman garb, keep watch over the entrance of visitors to their house.


Witu Forest

The Witu Forest, is a protected area in Lamu District, Kenya, East Africa. It was formed in 1927 by combining the Utwani Forest Reserve with the adjacent Gongoni Forest Reserve, although the previous names remained in use. The independent Kenyan government confirmed the reservation, gazetting the forest in 1962, with more gazetted in 2002. The forest covers of gazetted land, with approximately of additional un gazetted, but enclosed, forest. The adjacent Mungajini Forest on the Nairobi Ranch contains approximately . , there was no management plan for the forest, although it is to be managed under the Forests Act, 2005, by the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) which replaced the prior Forest Department in 2005.
Geography.
The Witu Forest is bounded to the northeast, and east, by the Pangani Swamp and to the east and southeast by the Nairobi Ranch, including the Mungajini Forest. To the south and southwest it is bordered by Witu settlement areas. The settlement areas were established in 1995 for agricultural development for the local people.
Issues.
In 2004 illegal logging in Witu forest was reported as being extensive, and a much more serious problem than local hunting for bushmeat. Illegal logging continued and was noted still in 2011.


Protected areas of Namibia

The protected areas of Namibia include its national parks and reserves. With the 2010 declaration of Dorob National Park, Namibia became the first and only country to have its entire coastline protected through a national parks network. Protected areas are subdivided into game reserves and/or nature reserves, such as special protected area, wilderness areas, natural areas, and development areas. There are also recreation reserves. Facilities in the national parks are operated by Namibia Wildlife Resorts. Over 19% of Namibia is protected, an area of some 130,000 square kilometres. However, the Ministry of Environment & Tourism auctions limited hunting rights within its protected areas. The Namibia Nature Foundation, an NGO, was established in 1987 to raise and administer funds for the conservation of wildlife and protected area management. Communal Wildlife Conservancies in Namibia help promote sustainable natural resource management by giving local communities rights to wildlife management and tourism.
Nature reserves.
Cape Cross Seal Reserve.
Cape Cross is a protected area under the name Cape Cross Seal Reserve. The reserve is the home of one of the largest colonies of Cape fur seals in the world.
Cape Cross is one of two main sites in Namibia where seals are culled, partly for selling their hides and partly for protecting the fish stock. The economic impact of seals on the fish resources is controversial: While a government-initiated study found that seal colonies consume more fish than the entire fishing industry can catch, animal protection society Seal Alert South Africa estimated less than 0.3% losses to commercial fisheries.
Daan Viljoen Game Reserve.
The Daan Viljoen Game Reserve is a game reserve near Windhoek, situated in the hill area of Khomas Hochland. Over 200 species are found here, typical of the Namibian highlands, including Hartmann's mountain zebra, blue wildebeest, kudu, gemsbok, springbok, impala, rockrunner, white-tailed shrike, Monteiro's hornbill, Bradfield's swift, Rüppell's parrot and Carp's tit. In the 1990s a number of indigenous people in the area were resettled by the Namibian government. The park has many walking paths and allows tourists to travel around by themselves. It closed in 2010 to allow for the construction of the Sun Karros Daan Viljoen Lodge but has since reopened.
Hardap Recreation Resort.
Hardap Recreation Resort surrounds Namibia's largest Hardap Dam, which opened in 1964 as a recreational area. Listed under IUCN Category IV, as of 2004 the park it covered an area of , of which about 10% formed the lake area. As Reader's Digest said though, "ironically, although Hardap is one of Namibia's best-known resorts, the nature reserve is unfamiliar to the large majority of visitors." It contains over 100 species of birds.
Popa Game Park.
The Popa Game Park is a small park where the Popa water fall, which drops by only 3 m over rapids on the Okavango River, is situated. Its thunderous sound is heard over a long distance. Bird species are a common sight and hippopotamus inhabit the river.
Communal Area Conservancies.
Ehirovipuka Conservancy.
Ehirovipuka Conservancy is a gazetted communal area conservancy situated in the Kunene Region. It was established in January 2001 and covers an area of . The reserve consists of mainly semi-desert and savannah woodlands, and the Ombonde River flows through the area. Animals living there include African bush elephant, African leopard, lion, South African cheetah, common eland, kudu, duiker, warthog, steenbok, gemsbok, Angolan giraffe, springbok, South African ostrich, and Hartman's mountain zebra. It contains a meat processing plant supplying tourist lodges. Other economic activity includes forestry and the sale of traditional craft products. Ehirovipuka Conservancy received a 20-year tourism concession in 2010.
Private Game Reserves.
Erindi Private Game Reserve.
The Erindi Game Reserve ('Erendi' meaning "Place of Water") is in the heart land of Namibia and covers an area of 70,000ha. It is located 40 km to the east of Omaruru town and lies between the Erongo Mountain Rhino Sanctuary Trust of Namibia and the Omataku Mountains. Habitats recorded are of mountainous areas, riverine vegetation, inselbergs ("island mountains") and grassland savannahs. Leopard research is an important activity in the reserve. It also has a notable population of south-western black rhinoceros, lion, brown hyena, leopard and cheetah.
Gamsberg Nature Reserve.
Gamsberg Nature Reserve is in central Namibia, located west of Rehoboth. It surrounds Gamsberg, Namibia's fourth highest mountain, with a peak elevation of .
Naankuse Wildlife Sanctuary.
The Naankuse Wildlife Sanctuary covers an area of 3,200 ha which is a sanctuary for orphaned animals. Some of the animals tended are lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs, caracals and baboons. The animals reported in the wild of the sanctuary are giraffe, zebra, kudu, hartebeest, springbok, eland, jackal and also wild cheetahs and leopards. The sanctuary has developed a new method to identify cheetahs in the wild based on their paw prints. This is done in association with Wildtrack, AfriCat and Chester Zoo.
NamibRand Nature Reserve.
The NamibRand Nature Reserve is a private nature reserve (largest such reserve in Africa) covering an area of 202,200 ha with four habitats of dunes and sandy plains, inselbergs and mountains gravel plains, and sand and gravel plains interface. The largest number of oryx gazelle ("gemsbok" or oryx) (3,200) and "Antidorcas marsupialis" (springbok) (12,400) are the dominant mammal species in the reserve. 150 bird species of birds are also reported. Other wild animals which are predators, recorded in the reserve are leopard, spotted and brown hyena, black-backed jackal, aardwolf, bat-eared fox, Cape fox, Southern African wildcat, caracal and genet.
Tsaobis Leopard Park.
The Tsaobis Leopard Park is the only nature reserve in Namibia to conserve leopards in particular. Situated south of Omaruru and east of Swakopmund, it was established in 1969.
Sandfontein Nature Reserve.
Sandfontein Nature Reserve is located in southern Namibia near the Orange River. The nature reserve covers an area over 200,000 acres and is home to many species of animal including aardvark, aardwolf, baboon, black backed jackal, cape clawless otter, eland, gemsbok (oryx), giraffe, Hartmann’s zebra, klipspringer, kudu, leopard, ostrich, red hartebeest, rock hyrax, springbok, steenbok and wild donkey.
Transboundary Protected Areas.
The protection is not necessarily limited to inside the borders of Namibia. In 2007 the Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, an international peace park, was created through the joint management of the Ai-Ais Hot Springs park, which includes parts of Fish River Canyon, and the Richtersveld National Park in neighbouring South Africa. Fauna includes rock hyrax, ground squirrel, jackal buzzard and Hartmann's mountain zebra.
In 2006, the countries of Namibia, Angola, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana signed an agreement creating the Kavango–Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, a vast expanse of land designated primarily "'to establish a world-class transfrontier conservation area and tourism destination in the Okavango and Zambezi river-basin regions within the context of sustainable development", by linking different habitats and allowing animals the freedom of movement throughout this region of Africa.
In addition, there is ongoing discussion between the governments of Namibia and Angola regarding the creation of a trans-border coastal park, formed from the concatenation of the Skeleton Coast National Park, and Angola's Iona National Park.


Khlong Yan Wildlife Sanctuary

Khlong Yan () is a wildlife sanctuary in southern Thailand, located in the west of Surat Thani Province. It is located between the Khao Sok and Kaeng Krung National Park within the hills of the Phuket mountain range.
It covers an area of , covering area of the "tambon" Pak Chalui of Tha Chang district, Ta Kuk Tai and Ta Kuk Nuea of Vibhavadi, Nam Hak, Tha Khanon and Ka Pao of Khiri Rat Nikhom, and Khao Pang of Ban Ta Khun.
The wildlife sanctuary is named after the river ("Khlong") Yan, a tributary of the Phum Duang River. The valley of the 70km long river marks the center of the wildlife sanctuary. The main attraction within the sanctuary is the Vibhavadi waterfall.


Jack Thwaites

John Barrass (Jack) Thwaites (1902–1986) was a British Australian pioneer Tasmanian bushwalker and conservationist. He made lifelong contributions to the community through his work with the National Fitness Council, Hobart Walking Club, Youth Hostels of Australia and his service on several National Parks Boards. Thwaites Plateau near Federation Peak in Tasmania's South-West National Park is named after him.
Biography.
Jack Thwaites was born in 1902 at Kendal in northern England. In 1913 he emigrated with his family to Hobart, Tasmania, where he was educated at the Friends' School. During these formative years the principles of the Quaker faith and a love of the outdoors helped shape the future direction of his life. On leaving school in 1919 he joined the Government Printing Office as an apprentice compositor. In his spare time he immersed himself in bushwalking and skiing, and from 1928 began undertaking major journeys into remote areas of the state. Within a decade Jack's passion for adventure and wild places made him a desirable choice as a member on National Park Boards. He held these board memberships in addition to his day job in the Public Service. On completing his apprenticeship he was appointed Costs Officer in the Government Printing Office. On 6 April 1935 he married Cecilie Marion Cripps at St. Georges Church, Battery Point; they had one daughter and one son. In 1946 Thwaites accepted the position of Administrative Officer of the Photographic Branch of the Lands and Surveys Department. In 1958 he took up a full-time appointment as Inspector of Scenic Reserves for the Scenery Preservation Board (forerunner to the National Parks and Wildlife Service). He held the joint positions of Secretary and Superintendent of Scenic Reserves for the Scenery Preservation Board at the time of his retirement in 1967.
By nature a man of peace, Jack chose to avoid confrontation wherever possible. Nevertheless, he fought tirelessly for the preservation of Tasmania's wilderness regions throughout his life. An amiable personality and courteous, self-effacing manner endeared him to people from all walks of life. A great raconteur, Jack drew on an inexhaustible fund of bush experiences and personalities as he dispensed billy tea round the campfire. An untiring belief in young people and his work with them stands today as one of his most valued gifts to the community. In 1977 he was awarded the Order of Australia medal for his conservation work. Jack was an active member of many organizations throughout his life – Tasmanian Field Naturalists Club, Royal Society of Tasmania, Tasmanian Historical Research Association (THRA) and the Royal Geographical Society. His greatest contributions, however, were made to Youth Hostels of Australia (YHA) and to the Hobart Walking Club. At the latter he held every position in the club from its foundation in 1929 until his death in 1986. He was made third Honorary Life Member of the Hobart Walking Club in 1948. In later life his charismatic personality and courteous demeanour led many walkers to address him, endearingly, as 'Gentleman Jack'. He remained an active bushwalker and conservationist until his death in 1986.


Julian Hector

Julian Hector (born 1958) is a British television and radio producer and executive who is Head of the BBC Natural History Unit. During his career, he has been producer of "David Attenborough's Life Stories" on BBC Radio 4, producer of the "Tigers about the House" television series, writer and producer of the "Lakes and Rivers" episode in the BBC’s "Wild Africa" series, producer of "World on the Move", and instrumental in establishing the BBC's "Tweet of the Day". He was described by Sir David Attenborough as ‘one of the most inventive producers in radio’ and during his award of an honorary Doctorate from the University of Bristol was credited with bringing ‘live natural history programming to Radio 4’.
Early life and education.
Julian Alan Lowther Hector was born in 1958 in Nairobi, Kenya and educated at Bedford Modern School. He read Zoology at the University of Bristol, graduating in 1981, obtained a PhD from Bristol in 1985 and was made an honorary Doctor of Science by the University of Bristol in 2014.
In the later stage of his days as an undergraduate, Hector worked as a seabird ecologist with the British Antarctic Survey in South Georgia, an unpopulated British island 1400 km from the Falkland Islands. The project involved studying the breeding patterns of Albatrosses on Bird Island under the ultimate directorship of John Croxall and Sir Brian Follett. The project's work was ‘pioneering’ and uncovered why Albatrosses only breed every two years. Unfortunately the project coincided with the Falklands War which led to the four-man team being stranded on Bird Island as South Georgia was then occupied by the Argentine Army. The team was eventually rescued by the Royal Navy.
Career.
After a spell as an academic and working for various conservation organisations, Hector joined the BBC Natural History Unit in 1993 as a producer where he is credited with bringing ‘live natural history programming to Radio 4’ and Sir David Attenborough described him as ‘one of the most inventive producers in radio’. He became head of the BBC Natural History Unit and has been the producer of many popular series including "David Attenborough's Life Stories", writer and producer of the "Lakes and Rivers" episode in the BBC’s "Wild Africa" series, "Migration Live", "World on the Move", "Saving Species" and "Shared Planet", at all times ‘connecting the natural and human environments to tackle questions of conservation and social justice’. For television, in 2014 he was Executive producer of the "Tigers about the House" series.
Hector interviewed Sir David Attenborough at the Edinburgh International Television Festival (2017) in the 60th year of the NHU about the past, present and future of the NHU and its cultural contribution to the understanding and value of the natural world.
In 2019, Hector addressed the UN in Geneva at a panel on Circular Economy, Oceans and Plastics Pollution and talked about the "Blue Planet II Effect". The series full of emotional storytelling, captivated, entertained and surprised viewers and showed how devastating this very modern polluting phenomenon is having on marine creatures in our shared world.
In November 2019, the Chatham House Prize was jointly awarded by Her Majesty the Queen to Sir David Attenborough and BBC Studios NHU for the impact that "Blue Planet II" has had on tackling ocean plastic pollution. In his acceptance speech Hector said, "No one is immune to the upheaval caused by shifting climate. …Winning this prize and recognition for the work that we do at BBC Studio's Natural History Unit feels particularly significant this year, 2019, when the environment is the biggest story of them all."
Personal life.
Julian Hector is married to Mary Colwell and has five children, three from a previous marriage (Rowena, Hannah and Elkie) and two with Mary Colwell (Dominic and Gregory) and five grandchildren. He is a qualified diver, sportive cyclist and sails a Wayfarer class dinghy.


El Pino Lake

El Pino Lake is a lake in Guatemala. It is located 30 km south-southeast of Guatemala City, in the municipality of Barberena in the Santa Rosa Department. The lake has a surface area of 0.72 km² and a maximum depth of 18 m. The lake waters are used for subsistence fishing, sport fishing, and swimming.
Laguna El Pino National Park.
In 1955 the lake, and a minor part of the lake shores, were designated a national park. The park, including the lake, covers an area of 0.73 km² and is managed by the National Forestry Institute (INAB) in conjunction with representatives of the local population. 20% of the lake shores are government property and 80% is privately owned.
Vegetation consists mainly of floating beds of Water Hyacinth ("Eichhornia crassipes"), submergent beds of Waterweed ("Elodea canadensis"), and marshy areas with Spikerushes ("Eleocharis elegans") and Giant Bulrush ("Scirpus californicus"). The lake shores have some wooded areas with "Casuarina" species, "Cupressus lusitanica", "Inga xalapensis" and "Pinus" species. The surrounding area has coffee plantations.
Species of waterfowl breeding in the lake area include Pied-billed Grebe ("Podilymbus podiceps"), Egret ("Bubulcus ibis"), Waterhen ("Gallinula galeata"), American Coot ("Fulica americana") and Northern Jacana ("Jacana spinosa").


Sustainable Bolivia

Sustainable Bolivia is a nonprofit organization registered in the United States and with offices Riberalta, Bolivia and initiatives in the Bolivian Amazon. In 2016, Sustainable Bolivia secured protection for and established the Aquicuana Reserve, a reserve of more than 20,000 hectares of rainforest. Inside the Reserve, Sustainable Bolivia partners with local institutions and communities and oversees projects focused on community-based ecotourism, conservation and resource management, and environmental education/research. In the city of Riberalta, the organization aims to provide Bolivian NGOs with human and financial resources by offering internship and volunteer opportunities. Volunteers and interns have access to accommodation, language classes, and local excursions.
Mission.
Sustainable Bolivia's main goal is to develop cooperation and connections between diverse actors. SB wants to promote economic, social and environmental sustainability through international collaboration with local Bolivian initiatives. To accomplish this goal, SB has set several objectives:
History.
Sustainable Bolivia was founded by Erik Taylor after receiving a joint master's degree in social science from the Universities of Freiburg (Germany), KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) and Jawaharlal Nehru (India). Originally developed as an independent organization to promote community-based ecotourism programs in Bolivia and created in 2007. It was originally based in the city of Cochabamba and moved in 2017 to Riberalta. In 2018, Sustainable Bolivia started with its volunteer program in Riberalta.
This allowed the foundation to create its own projects and supports grass-roots initiatives in the Bolivian Amazon and to be involved in the creation of the Aquicuana Reserve.


M. K. Prasad

Professor M. K. Prasad (Malayalam: പ്രൊഫസര് എം.കെ. പ്രസാദ്) is one of India’s best known evangelists for sane environmental management and the harnessing of technology for empowering those on the wrong side of the so-called ‘digital divide’.
Biography.
A biologist by qualification (with a master's degree in Botany), Prasad spend over 30 years in the academic arena holding various positions in the Kerala higher education system including Principal of the Maharaja’s College Ernakulam, Kochi and Pro Vice Chancellor of Calicut University. During these years, he also won recognition as the guiding spirit behind what is possibly India’s most respected grassroots environment voluntary group, the Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) in its landmark struggle to save the Silent Valley tropical rain forest in Southern India. He had helped strengthening the KSSP’s Integrated Rural technology Centre in Mundur, Palakkad district, Kerala and as the Director for three years, oversaw the institute’s many innovations in the area of non-conventional energy device for rural house holds. Prof Prasad has been a member of the United Nations’ Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Board throughout its five-year-long tenure and remains a life member and active participant in the activities of the World Wide Fund of Nature (WWF) – India and of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN-CEC).
In India, Prof Prasad Chairs the Programme Advisory Committee of the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation’s (MSSRF) Agro Biodiversity Centre, in Wayanad, Kerala and serves as a member of the Governing Council of the Centre for Environment Education (CEE) and of the Kerala State Biodiversity Board.
Prof. Prasad has authored numerous books and monographs in Malayalam on environmental issues and popular science and co-authored a techno-economic and socio-political assessment of the Silent Valley Hydro Electric project (1979). Prof Prasad makes his home in Kochi, 62 Giri Nagar, Kochi 682020, Kerala, India


Horton Plains National Park

Horton Plains National Park ( "Hortan Thanna Jathika Udyanaya") is a national park in the central highlands of Sri Lanka that was designated in 1988. It is located at an elevation of and encompasses montane grassland and cloud forest. It is rich in biodiversity and many species found here are endemic to the region. It is also a popular tourist destination and is situated from Ohiya, from the world-famous Ohiya Gap/Dondra Watch and from Nuwara Eliya.
The Horton Plains are the headwaters of three major Sri Lankan rivers, the Mahaweli, Kelani, and Walawe. In Sinhala the plains are known as Maha Eliya Plains (මහ එළිය තැන්න). Stone tools dating back to Balangoda culture have been found here. The plains' vegetation is grasslands interspersed with montane forest and includes many endemic woody plants. Large herds of Sri Lankan sambar deer feature as typical mammals and the park is also an Important Bird Area with many species not only endemic to Sri Lanka but restricted to the Horton Plains. Forest dieback is one of the major threats to the park and some studies suggest that it is caused by a natural phenomenon.
The sheer precipice of World's End and Baker's Falls are among the tourist attractions of the park.
In 20th century there are some records of elephants again in the park.
Physical features.
Horton Plains is located on the southern plateau of the central highlands of Sri Lanka. The peaks of Kirigalpoththa () and Thotupola Kanda (), the second and the third highest of Sri Lanka, are situated to the west and north respectively. The park's elevation ranges from . The rocks found in the park belong to the Archaean age and belong to the high series of the Precambrian era and are made up of Khondalites, Charnockites and granitic gneisses. The soil type is of the red-yellow podsolic group and the surface layer is covered with decayed organic matter.
The mean annual rainfall is greater than . Frequent cloud cover limits the amount of sunlight that is available to plants. The mean annual temperature is but the temperature varies considerably during the course of a day, reaching as high as during the day time, and dipping as low as at night. During the southwest Monsoon season, the wind speed sometimes reaches gale force. Although some rain falls throughout the year, a dry season occurs from January–March. The ground frost is common in February. Mist can persist in the most of the day during the wet season. Many pools and waterfalls can be seen in the park, and Horton Plains is considered the most important watershed in Sri Lanka. The Horton Plains are the headwaters of important rivers such as the Mahaweli, Kelani, and Walawe. The plains also feeds Belihul Oya, Agra Oya, Kiriketi Oya, Uma Oya, and Bogawantalawa Oya. Due to its high elevation, fog and cloud deposit a considerable amount of moisture on the land. Slow moving streams, swamps, and waterfalls are the important wetland habitats of the park.
History.
The original name of the area was Maha Eliya Thenna (මහ එළිය තැන්න - "great open plain"). But in the British period
the plains were renamed after Sir Robert Wilmot-Horton, the British governor of Ceylon from 1831 to 1837, who travelled to the area to meet the Ratemahatmaya of Sabaragamuwa in 1836, in 1834 by Lt William Fisher of the 78th Regiment and Lt. Albert Watson of the 58th Regiment, who 'discovered' the plateau. Stone tools dating back to Balangoda culture have been found here. The local population who resided in the lowlands ascended the mountains to mine gems, extract iron ore, construct an irrigational canal and fell trees for timber. A pollen core extracted from a mire revealed that in the late quaternary period the area had a semi-arid climate and a species-restricted plant community.
Since Sri Lanka has a long non-written history, there is a significant and logical folk story, which also goes with the epic 'Ramayana' with some deviations. It is believed that Thotupala mountain in Horton plain to be the place where King Rawana landed his aircraft, 'Dandumonaraya'. According to the story King Rawana kidnapped "Sitha", who was the wife of Rama as a revenge for cutting King Rawana's sister, "Suparnika"'s nose. It provoked Rama in India and he led an army that consisted of monkey like humans, whose leader was Hanuman. In the story, Hanuman set fire to Horton plains and that fire lasted for a long time. The original name, Maha Eliya Thenna carries the meaning, 'The hugely lighten ground'. Even now the upper layer of soil can be seem in a blackish grey colour. There had been some soil tests done by local universities, and it revealed that upper layer contains a high amount of Calcium Carbonate and Potash. For Sri Lankans, Horton Plains is very significant in their History and Culture.
Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker had advised the British Government "to leave all Montane Forests above 5000 ft. undisturbed" and an administrative order to this effect had been issued in 1873 that prevented clearing and felling of forests in the region. Horton Plains was designated as a wildlife sanctuary on 5 December 1969, and because of its biodiversity value, was elevated to a national park on 18 March 1988. The Peak Wilderness Sanctuary which lies in west is contiguous with the park. The land area covered by Horton Plains is . Horton Plains contains the most extensive area of cloud forest still existing in Sri Lanka. On July 2010, the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka which incorporates Horton Plains National Park, Peak Wilderness Sanctuary and Knuckles Mountain Range was inscribed on the World Heritage List.
Flora.
The vegetation of the park is classified into two distinctive groups, of wet patna (Sinhalese: ,
montane grasslands) and of subtropical montane evergreen forests. Nearly 750 species of plants belonging to 20 families have been recorded from the park. The forest canopy reaches the height of and features "Calophyllum walkeri", forming communities with varieties of Myrtaceae species such as "Syzygium rotundifolium", and "S. sclerophyllum", and Lauraceae members including "Litsea", "Cinnamomum", and "Actinodaphne speciosa". The undergrowth layer is characterised by "Strobilanthes" spp. The thickness of the "Strobilanthes" vegetation hinders the development of a herb layer. Dwarf bamboo species such "Indocalamus" and "Ochlandra" also found in the undergrowth layer. "Rhodomyrtus tomentosa" bushes specially grow in forest margin and near the mountain peaks. Species such as "Gordonia" and "Rhododendron arboreum" have spread to Sri Lanka, along the Western Ghats of South India from the Himalayas and are now common. Nearly 54 woody plant species have been recorded from the park, of which 27 (50%) are endemic to Sri Lanka.
Frequent fire and grazing characterises Plagioclimax communities of the grassland flora. Grasslands are dominated by "Arundinella villosa" and "Chrysopogon zeylanicus". Waterlogged swamps or slow moving streams are found in low-lying areas, and macrophytes such as "Aponogeton jacobsenii", sedge species "Isolopis fluitans" and "Utricularia" spp. are found near the slow moving streams. The bamboo "Chimonobambusa densifolia" thrive along the banks of the streams, and near the swampy areas grass species such as "Juncus prismatocarpus", "Garnotia mutica", "Eriocaulon" spp. and "Exacum trinervium" are common. Tussock grasses such as "Chrysopogon zeylanicus" and "Cymbopogon confertiflorus" are found in the wet hollows. Herbaceous flora of the grasslands include temperate species including "Ranunculus", "Pedicularis", "Senecio", "Gentiana" and "Alchemilla" and also tropical species such as "Eriocaulon" and "Ipsea speciosa" (a rare endemic daffodil orchid). The most widespread boreal herbaceous plants of the park are "Viola", "Lobelia", "Gaultheria", "Fragaria", and "Plantago".
Tree trunks and branches are ornamented with many species of ferns, "Lycopodium", lichens, and orchids. Old man's beard ("Usnea barbata") hanging from branches adds to the beauty of the forests. About 16 of the orchid species being endemic. Other notable plants include shrubs such as "Rhodomyrtus tomentosa", "Gaultheria fragrantissima", herbs, "Exacum trinervium", "E. walkeri", "Drosera indica", and tree ferns "Cyathea" spp. "Anzia", a foliose lichen genus belonging to the family Parmeliaceae, which had not been recorded in Sri Lanka before, was discovered here in 2007. There are conflicting views on how the grasslands of the park came into being, whether man-made or natural. It is now believed that the grasslands on the dry slopes were created by forest clearance and fires while grasslands in low-lying areas were naturally created by wet conditions, frost and soil erosion.
Fauna.
The vertebrate fauna of the region includes 24 species of mammals, 87 species of birds, nine species of reptiles and eight species of amphibians. The Sri Lankan elephant disappeared from the region in the 1940s at the latest. At present, the largest and the most commonly seen mammal is the sambar deer. Some research findings estimate the population of sambar deer to be around 1500 to 2000, possibly more than the carrying capacity of the plains. Other mammal species found in the park include Kelaart's long-clawed shrews, toque macaques, purple-faced langurs, rusty-spotted cat, Sri Lankan leopards, wild boars, stripe-necked mongooses, Sri Lankan spotted chevrotains, Indian muntjacs, and grizzled giant squirrels. Fishing cats and European otters visit the wetlands of the park to prey on aquatic animals. A subspecies of red slender loris, the Horton Plains slender loris ("Loris tardigradus nycticeboides" formerly sometimes considered as "Loris lydekkerianus nycticeboides") is found only in highlands of Sri Lanka and is considered one of the world's most endangered primates. In July 2010 a group of researchers from the Zoological Society of London was able to photograph the mammal for the first time.
In 2016, rusty-spotted cats ("Prionailurus rubiginosus") were recorded in Horton Plains National Park for the first time, at altitudes of .
Along with Ohiya, Pattipola and Ambewela, Horton Plains forms one of the Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in Sri Lanka. Together with the adjacent Peak Wilderness Sanctuary, Horton Plains contains 21 bird species which occur only on Sri Lanka. Three, the dull-blue flycatcher, Sri Lanka white-eye, and Sri Lanka wood pigeon, occur only in Horton plains, while other endemic species include Sri Lanka blue magpie, Sri Lanka spurfowl, Sri Lanka junglefowl, yellow-fronted barbet, orange-billed babbler, Sri Lanka bush warbler, and Sri Lanka whistling-thrush. Many birds migrate here in winter including swiftlets, and alpine swift. Crested serpent eagle, mountain hawk-eagle, black-winged kite, and peregrine falcon are among the birds of prey found in Horton Plains. Harriers are among the migratory raptors. This is a key wildlife area. All six highland endemic birds are found here, including dull-blue flycatcher, Sri Lanka white-eye, Sri Lanka wood pigeon, and Sri Lanka bush warbler. Yellow-eared bulbul and black-throated munia are widespread throughout the highlands.
Sri Lanka is considered a herpetological paradise in the world. Possibly about 15 amphibian species inhabit the park. Among them are "Microhyla zeylanica", "Uperodon palmatus", "Zakerana greenii", "Hydrophylax gracilis", "Pseudophilautus alto", "Pseudophilautus femoralis", "Pseudophilautus frankenbergi", "Pseudophilautus microtympanum", "Pseudophilautus schmarda", and "Taruga eques". De Silva has observed five endemic reptiles from the plains. They are "Calotes nigrilabris", Rhino-horned lizard, "Cophotis ceylanica", "Lankascincus taprobanensis" and common rough-sided snake. Two fish species found in the park, common carp and rainbow trout; both are introduced species. Horton Plains is also home to many endemic crustaceans including "Caridina singhalensis" and "Perbrinckia" species. The endemic freshwater shrimp "Caridina singhalensis" is found only in streams that have a temperature of less than 15 degrees C and is now restricted to only a stretch of 10 km of one stream.
Threats and conservation management.
Horton Plains was a part of a large system of plains and forest cover that included Agra-Bopats, Moon Plains and Elk Plains. Between 1831 and 1948, it became a Sambar deer hunting ground. Elephants and Wild Boar were also hunted to a lesser extent. During this period lower slopes were cleared initially for coffee and then for tea plantations. As a result, Horton Plains and Peak Wilderness became isolated from other forest and grassland areas. Potatoes were cultivated in the grasslands but planting ceased in 1977. After being declared a National Park, these areas were reinstated as grasslands. Tourism-related issues such as plant removal, littering, fires and noise pollution are major conservation issues. Gem mining, timber logging, the collection of plants for ornamental and medicinal purposes, encroachment, poaching and vehicle traffic are the other threats. The spread of invasive alien species such as gorse ("Ulex europaeus"), Mist Flower ("Ageratina riparia"), Crofton Weed ("Ageratina adenophora"), ("Austroeupatorium"), Blue Stars ("Aristea ecklonii"), brackens, and "Pennisetum" spp. threaten the native flora. The introduced rainbow trout may have affected endemic species of fish, amphibia and crustaceans.
Owing to the relatively small size of the Horton Plains National Park, it was predicted that most male leopards have activity centers that were outside the park. Hence, continued protection of the national park and integrated management of landscapes outside of the national park is essential for conservation of the species there.
Some sambar deer have died due to eating polythene litter that blocked their food passages, and visitors are banned from bringing polythene into the park. Sambar have benefited from the introduced "Pennisetum" grass species.
A recent threat, first reported in 1978, is forest dieback. In some areas, especially in the peripheral region, this has been severe with nearly a 50% in vegetation. Water deficiency has been attributed as the main cause of dieback as droughts are becoming more frequent. Regrowth of forest is hindered by frost which is increasingly severe. The forest dieback has affected 22 species of plants with "Calophyllum walkeri" being the most affected. A study has suggested that low calcium causes soil acidification and increased toxicity caused by metallic elements such as aluminium may be causing the dieback. Leaching of nutrients and the resulting imbalance in soil micronutrients may also be contributing to the dieback.
Tourist attractions.
Horton Plains is a popular tourist destination, with World's End being the key attraction. In the six months ending in August 2009, Horton Plains National Park earned a revenue of Rs. 20.1 million ( 0.17 million). The park is accessed by the Nuwara Eliya-Ambewela-Pattipola and Haputale-Boralanda roads, and there are railway stations at Ohiya and Ambewela.
World's End is a sheer precipice with a drop. It is situated at the southern boundary of the park. Another cliff known as the Lesser World's End of is located not far from World's End.
Baker's Falls, a waterfall formed by Belihul Oya, a tributary of the Walawe River is named after Sir Samuel Baker, a hunter and explorer who attempted to establish a European agricultural settlement at Nuwara Eliya. The waterfall is high. Slab Rock Falls is another well-known waterfall in the plains. The waterfall can be reached by walking on one of the main trails; the trail is a bit steep at the end but the difficulty level is medium to easy.


Lagoon of Patok

The Lagoon of Patok () is a lagoon of the Adriatic Sea on the Mediterranean Sea in the central coast of Albania.
Created during the Holocene period, this area was characterized by a geo-morphologic dynamism. Its development spanned four phases, which correspond to the formation of four lagoons, separated by littoral cordons. The fourth lagoon is the current one. A fifth lagoon (the current outer lagoon) is in an active formation process, also influenced by a rapid development of the littoral cordon in the western part. The whole area is flat and characterized by an intensive tectonic process and numerous underground water bodies.
During the second half of the twentieth century, human activities played an important role in the changes of this ecosystem through activities such as drainage, dam construction and deforestation. The area's physical and geographical characteristics are the main basis for its development potential. It has a relatively mild winter and fresh summer. The sun shines for an average of 2,479 hours per year. The average annual temperature is 15.5 °C, and average annual rainfall is .
Biodiversity.
The physical characteristics and habitat diversity of the lagoon are closely related to the biodiversity of the wetland complex. The most common marine plants are the underwater meadows of fucus virsoides and posidonia oceanica. The vegetation is mainly characterized by microalgae, driven by nitrogen and phosphorus availability. One indicator of this condition is the large amount of diatoms.
The macrophages of the lagoon belong to chlorophyta and pheophyta. The grasslands of phanerogams cover about 40% of the lagoon. They are mainly zostera noltei, but in the shallow waters ruppia spiralis is found. This phytocoenosis has an important role in the lagoon.
The hygroscopic and hydrophilic vegetation covers a considerable area of the lagoon's peripheral parts. They are dominated by the three main associations of "Phragmites", "Typha" and "Scirpus".
Halophilous vegetation is most common in the northern and southern parts. This vegetation belongs to several associations, of which the most important are those with "Arthrocnemum" and "Juncus".
The vegetation of the dunes is mainly found in the western part, with diverse species. The shores of the lagoon are dominated by "Tamarix", Konopica Vitex and "Rubus" berries.
The invertebrate fauna of the lagoon and its catchment basin—including surrounding freshwater bodies, canals, marshes, estuaries and shores—are characterized by a variety of groups and species, from molluscs to mammals to crabs and insects. Many fish species are of economic interest.
Amphibians and reptiles are found more in forests, swamps and canyons around the lagoon. Many "Caretta" water turtles live on the shore near the lagoon and the green turtle "Chelonia mydas" is also present.
References.


Kaeng Tana National Park

Kaeng Tana National Park is in Khong Chiam District in Ubon Ratchathani Province, northeastern Thailand. It is on the Mun River. It was established on 13 July 1981 and is an IUCN Category II protected area.
Geography.
The park is in size. The park is highland and is watered by the Mun and Khong Rivers. The average elevation is about 200 meters. The park is characterized by plateaux and undulating hills. The highest peak, Ban Tad, stands at 543 meters.
Flora and fauna.
The park is covered by deciduous forest, which has dwarf Shorea obtusa, Shorea siamensis, and Dipterocarpus obtusifollus. There are some dry evergreen forests around Huay (stream) and Don (prominence) Tana. Main plants are Eugenia cumini, Pterocarpus macrocarpus, Xylia kerril, teak, grassland, and bamboo. Wildlife includes wild pigs, barking deer, civet, macaque, gibbon, birds, and fishes.


National Scenic Area (United States)

A National Scenic Area in the United States is a federally designated area of outstanding natural and scenic value that receives a level of protection that is less stringent than wilderness designation. Scenic areas are typically occupied or used in some manner by people and either cannot be considered for wilderness designation, or are seen as suitable for a wider range of uses than those permitted under wilderness designation.
The first National Scenic Area in the United States was Mono Basin National Scenic Area in 1984, followed by the much larger and more ambitious Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area in 1986. The Columbia River Gorge was in a region of outstanding natural beauty that was already heavily used by people. The designation of the Columbia Gorge was controversial, as it imposed a significant amount of federal control on public and private lands that had previously not been significantly regulated. Subsequent scenic area designations have been significantly less far-reaching, typically involving existing federal lands.
Proposed National Scenic Areas.
Several proposals have been advanced for additional National Scenic Areas:


Waterton Lakes National Park

Waterton Lakes National Park is a national park located in the southwest corner of Alberta, Canada. It borders Glacier National Park in Montana, United States. Waterton was the fourth Canadian national park, formed in 1895 and named after Waterton Lake, in turn after the Victorian naturalist and conservationist Charles Waterton. Its range is between the Rocky Mountains and prairies. This park contains of rugged mountains and wilderness.
Operated by Parks Canada, Waterton is open all year, but the main tourist season is during July and August. The only commercial facilities available within the park are located at the Waterton Park townsite. This park ranges in elevation from at the townsite to at Mount Blakiston. It offers many scenic trails, including Crypt Lake trail. In 2012/2013, Waterton Lakes National Park had 402,542 visitors.
The park was the subject of a short film in 2011's "National Parks Project", directed by Peter Lynch and scored by Cadence Weapon, Laura Barrett and Mark Hamilton.
History.
William Pearce, a Dominion Land Surveyor was the first to suggest a park be established in the vicinity of Waterton Lakes in his 1886 annual report, although no action was taken by the government. In 1893, Frederick William Godsal, a rancher who resided north of the lakes wrote Pearce referencing his 1886 report and suggested the area be turned into a park reserve, Pearce forwarded the proposal, noting the land had no value for agricultural and minimal grazing potential. Minister of the Interior Thomas Mayne Daly came across the proposal and directed a park reserve be created in the area. Finally on May 30, 1895, Order-in-Council 1895-1621 established a unnamed forest park under the "Dominion Lands Act".
While oil had been found in the area since the late 1880s, the government began approving reservation and sales of land for prospecting in 1898. In 1901, John Lineham of Okotoks organized the Rocky Mountain Drilling Company. In 1902 he drilled the first oil exploration well in Alberta on the site of oil seeps near Cameron Creek. Despite a small recovery of 34° API sweet oil, neither this well nor seven later exploration attempts resulted in production. The oil well and surrounding area was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1965. By 1905 more than half of the sections of land compromising the park had been sold or reserved for oil exploration. On September 21, 1905 Frederick William Godsal wrote the Secretary of the Interior requesting he consider expanding the park reserve for scenic and recreational purposes. The "Dominion Forest Reserves Act" which came into force in 1906 established the Kootenay Lakes Forest Reserve under the authority of the Superintendent of Forestry.
In 1911 Minister of the Interior Frank Oliver introduced the "Dominion Forest Reserves and Parks Act" which designated all existing mountain parks, Elk Island and Buffalo Parks into forest reserves, with the authority to designate all or part of the reserve a "Dominion Park" (later National Park). On June 8, 1911, Order-in-Council P.C. 1338 designated of the area of Waterton Lakes Forest Reserve as Dominion Park, much smaller than expected by resident staff, and only a small portion of the original 1895 reserve of . In 1914, Frank Oliver's successor as Minister of the Interior, William James Roche, significantly expanded the area of Waterton Lakes Park to .
In 1920 William Thomson, the designer and head professional of the original golf course in Banff National Park was brought to Waterton to design a nine hole golf course. A clubhouse would be constructed in 1928 and the course was expanded to 18 holes between 1931 and 1936. Further renovations to the course in the 1950s were designed by golf course architect Stanley Thompson.
Prince of Wales Hotel.
The Prince of Wales Hotel, one of Canada's grand railway hotels, was constructed between 1926 and 1927 adjacent to Upper Waterton Lakes, by the Great Northern Railway of the United States in an attempt to lure American tourists during the U.S. prohibition era. The hotel which opened in July 1927 is the only grand railway hotel in Canada to be constructed by an American railway company. The hotel was named after the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), in a transparent attempt to entice him to stay in the hotel on his 1927 Canadian tour, but the prince stayed at his own nearby ranch in Pekisko, Alberta instead. The hotel was designated as a National Historic Site of Canada on 6 November 1992.
Later History.
In 1932, Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park was formed from Waterton Lakes National Park and Glacier. It was dedicated to world peace by Sir Charles Arthur Mander on behalf of Rotary International on 18 June 1932, whose members from the Alberta and Montana chapters lobbied for the formation of the park. The Peace Park was the first of its nature in the world, and was intended to promote goodwill between nations and underscore the international nature of protection of wilderness. The Peace Park was inscribed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. In 1979, Waterton became Canada's second biosphere reserve and the first Canadian national park to take part in this UNESCO program. Biosphere Reserves are created to achieve a better understanding of the relationship between humans and the natural environment.
In September 2017, a large forest fire forced the evacuation of the townsite and park. The fire burned through 200 km2 of the park, destroying the visitor centre, stables and other buildings. Some 80% of hiking trails were affected and several remained closed for the 2018 season.
Geology.
The oldest rocks in the park are marine sediments dating back 1.5 billion years. These rocks are composed of limestone, dolomite and igneous rocks. There are fossilized sea beds as well as salt pseudomorph. There are numerous stromatolite formations that are 1.3 billion years old.
Unlike the Canadian Rockies, whose sedimentary strata are more or less inclined, the Waterton sediments are characterized by a single overlap. The Lewis Overthrust allowed sediment Proterozoic to move as a unit, more or less, horizontally on the rocks of the Cretaceous period dating from about 70 million years ago on a remote 100km south-east of the mountain's present location. The fact that older rocks end up on younger rocks is a rare occurrence in geology. Under the Proterozoic layer, there is a layer dating from the Upper Cretaceous which is mainly composed of schist.
Although there are no glaciers left in Waterton, aside from a few expanses of eternal snow, the landscape has been greatly shaped by the Wisconsin glaciation. The park has many glacial troughs, the hanging valleys, the ridge, the cirque, the kame and esker. Since the end of the last ice age, the Cameron and Blakiston rivers have formed two alluvial fans at their mouths.
Ecology.
Waterton Lakes National Park spans four ecoregions, foothills parkland, montane, subalpine and alpine. Waterton is the only National Park in Canada with the foothills parkland ecoregion, which comprises approximately 10 percent of the Park and occupies a narrow band along the eastern edge of the foothills of Alberta from Calgary to Waterton and into parts of the United States. Animals that inhabit this national park include wolverines, bighorn sheep, bald eagles, white-tailed deer, mule deer, mountain goats, elk, moose, foxes, timber wolves, bison, coyotes, beavers, river otters, cougars, lynxes, bobcats, snowshoe hares, pikas, hoary marmots, grizzly bears and black bears.
Climate.
Waterton Lakes National Park Cameron Falls weather station has a humid continental climate (Koppen: Dfb), bordering relatively closely on a subarctic climate (Dfc). Summertime is mild with cool nights, while winter is chilly with highs around freezing. Snowfall is heavy, averaging 481.5 cm (189.6 inches).
Biosphere Reserve.
In 1979, Waterton and bordering Glacier National park in the US were designated as World Biosphere reserves, preserving mountains, prairie, lakes and freshwater wetlands ecosystems. Habitats represented in the parks' range include: prairie grasslands, aspen grove forests, alpine tundra/high meadows, lower subalpine forests, deciduous and coniferous forests.
World Heritage Site.
The park is part of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, designated as World Heritage Site in 1995 for their distinctive climate, physiographic setting, mountain-prairie interface, and tri-ocean hydrographical divide. They are areas of significant scenic values with abundant and diverse flora and fauna.


Kara Moana Healey

Kara Moana Healey (23 June 1904 – 10 June 2006) was a field collector, conservationist, preservationist and naturalist and the first female National Park Ranger in Victoria, Australia.
Born Kara Moana Elizabeth Vernon in Kawhia, New Zealand. The name Karamoana is said to be Maori, meaning "Rippling waters" and Kara was given this name in honour of her Maori nurse.
Kara's family (William John Vernon and Mary Vernon née Dunstone) were Australian and had moved to New Zealand for a few years for work. Her father was a blacksmith, however was in New Zealand working for the Timber industry installing boilers to power saw mills. Two years after Kara's birth the family returned to Australia (1906) and settled in Mysia, north west of Bendigo.
Early life.
Kara was awarded a scholarship to attend Bendigo High School. After finishing school Kara became a teacher's assistant at Stuart Mill State School near St Arnaud, Victoria until she met and married William Stanley McGreevy (known as Stan) in 1925. Stan joined the army at the outbreak of World War 2. Stan served four years in the army and saw action in the Middle East. Stan was affected by his war experiences and declining health, Stan returned to Melbourne and the couple divorced in 1946.
Kara sought work at the Yarram Hospital as a cook. After some time Kara met Jim Healey, the caretaker at Tarra Valley National Park. Kara and Jim Healey married in 1948. Jim Healey died in 1952
Tarra-Bulga National Park.
Kara applied and was successfully appointed the Park Ranger at Tarra-Bulga National Park. Kara responded to a call from the CSIRO to collect specimens for identification for the National Herbarium.
Over ten years Kara collected specimens. Exploring, alone, deep into the Tarra Valley vegetation and frequently into dangerous areas where the best-unspoilt specimens were and the egg laying nests of the lyrebird could be found. Kara became one with the natural environment around her. By 1961 Kara had collected over 160 specimens which included types of toadstool and fungi. Significantly, two new types of fungi were named after her – "Poria healeyi" and "Lambertella healeyi". "Poria healeyi", which was a previously unidentified fungus causing yellow straw rot in Mountain Ash, and the second, "Lambertella healeyi" was a fungus growing on another fungus. Further, Kara collected animal and insect specimens using dead animals that she found and forwarded those as well. In total over 500 specimens were collected which also included 80 species of moss. Subsequently Tarra Valley is the most thoroughly studied and recorded area in Australia at the time.
Scientific contribution.
Neville Walters, a scientist at the CSIRO, described Kara's contribution as "easily the best" of the 150 or more collectors Australia wide, and further commented "She knew every lyrebird in the park as well as many of the pilot birds, Crimson Rosellas and yellow robins. She wasn't afraid of the snakes, insects and numerous mammals - nor were they frightened of her." Kara also contributed specimens to the National Museum of Victoria, the University of Melbourne and the National Herbarium. Kara became quite a celebrity through newspaper articles about her and her work, and she was acquainted with many of the leading naturalists of the day.
Walters and a colleague visited Mrs Healey, as she was known, had vivid memories of her little cottage. The scientists and Kara had endless conversations regarding the natural flora and fauna of the area and Kara showed the scientists examples of where specimens were collected.
Kara observed and noted the activities of the birds and animals within the park. Particularly the mating habits of the Lyrebird where the male lyre bird constructs mounds by scratching the earth, sticks and other debris into areas where he then performs his dance with his magnificent tail feathers on display to attract a female.
Kara sketched all the specimens, animals and birds within the park. Photography was also used in latter years to record the specimens in their natural state. Kara had the films made into "slides" which was state of the art at the time. All of Kara's specimens and photographic libraries were handed over to Parks Victoria who have since restored, converted to digital and archived all salvageable items.
At times Kara's house was an animal hospital as she rescued orphaned wombats, possums, birds and other animals, which were returned to the wild when they recovered or grew old enough to fend for themselves.
Her duties at the Park included sweeping the tracks daily as the animals and birds plus the natural fall a debris covered the tracks. Visitors were greeted and the parking fee collected.
As word spread in the naturalist world car loads and bus loads of people came to the park. Kara delivered a nature talk describing the plants and animals within the park. Occasionally she would summon a wild bird from high up in the tree to fly to her hand to collect a reward.
Retirement and life final stages.
In 1963, Kara married Tom McKean, a widower. They made residence Yarram. Kara continued her contact with an active role with the Red Cross, the Yarram Hospital and the Save the Children's fund. Tom McKean died in 1986.
In 1995 Kara became a resident of the Heytesbury Lodge nursing home at Cobden which was close to other members of the family.
Kara was awarded a certificate of merit for outstanding support by the Save the Children Australia. Her daughters attended with her in a special ceremony held in Melbourne 30/11/1995. Kara was always keen to raise money for and support charities that helped the less fortunate such as Save the Children Fund, the Red Cross and The Yarram Hospital .
Milestone birthdays were celebrated with her family, including her 100th birthday, at Timboon, which was attended by over 100 friends and family.
Kara died 13 days short of her 102nd birthday. A service was held in Yarram attended by hundreds of people including members from Parks Victoria including Craig Campbell, the current Ranger at Tarra Valley, who spoke to the congregation.
Commemoration at the centenary of Tarra-Bulga National Park.
In 2007 a special ceremony was held at Tarra Valley Park, now part of Tarra-Bulga National Park, as part of the centennial celebrations, to unveil a special tribute to the first woman park ranger and the contribution she made to the understanding of the ecology of the valley known as Tarra Valley.


Hallasan National Park

Hallasan National Park () is located in the province of Jeju-do, South Korea. It was designated as the 9th national park in 1970. It features the highest mountain in South Korea, the shield volcano Hallasan on Jeju Island. It was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2002, and a World Heritage Site in 2007.
Hallasan National Park is managed by Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. It is the only out of 22 national parks that is not managed by the Korea National Park Service.
Trails.
Hallasan has 7 trails: Eorimok Trail (6.8 km), Yeongsil Trail (5.8 km), Seongpanak Trail (9.6 km), Seokgulam Trail (1.5 km), Gwaneumsa Trail (8.7 km), Donnaeko Trail (7 km), and Eoseungsaengak Trail (1.3 km). The longest trail is Seongpanak Trail which takes about 4.5 hours.
Topography.
Hallasan comprises 153.112 km2 of the Jeju Island. It rises 1.950 m above the sea level which means the highest mountain in South Korea. This mountain was formed in the fourth Cenozoic era by an outburst of a volcano. It is mostly composed of basalts. It is extending east and west, and it has high and gradual descent. On the other hand, the south part of the mountain is steep. In the summit, there is a crater lake called “Baekrokdam.”
Since the mountain has high altitude, there are a number of alpine plants and animals. 1800 kinds of plants, including 400 kinds of specimen plants and 50 kinds of special plants, are living in Hallasan. So the Jeju island is designated by Biosphere Reserve in 2002 and Hallasan National Park is one of the region of Jeju Bioshere.


Laem Phak Bia

Laem Phak Bia (, ; , formerly: Chulai Point) is a coastal area in Ban Laem District, Phetchaburi Province, Thailand. The shore is a large, open area of mudflats and salt pans, with some mangrove areas and scrub, tipped by a sand spit. The area is not a national park, the land being privately owned, but it is a favoured location for bird-watchers where they can see a wide variety of shorebirds. The area is administered as Laem Phak Bia Subdistrict, and is home to a village of the same name.
Geography.
Laem Phak Bia is located on the western shore of the northern end of the Gulf of Thailand in Phetchaburi Province, Thailand. A road runs parallel with the coast and provides access to the shore via various tracks. Near the village of Pak Thale in the north of the area lies the Pak Thale Shorebird Conservation Area and areas of salt evaporation ponds. South of this is the Laem Phak Bia Environmental Research and Development Project (known as the king's project), mudflats, patches of scrub and of mangroves, and a sand spit jutting out into the bay. Further south lies the village of Laem Phak Bia, and beyond that the beach resort of Hat Chao Samran which has accommodation and facilities for visitors.
Fauna.
This area is famed for its bird-watching opportunities. Important species include the critically endangered spoon-billed sandpiper, the endangered Nordmann's greenshank and black-faced spoonbill, and the white-faced plover. On the saltpans nearby, the spoon-billed sandpiper is reliably present from November to March, inclusive, and the painted stork, the red-necked phalarope and the pied avocet can also often be seen. The sand spit is a wintering area for such gulls as the Pallas's gull, the Heuglin's gull and the Vega gull, and the Malaysian plover the Chinese egret are often present. Passerines that can be seen in the mangroves, swamps and enclosures at the research centre include the golden-bellied gerygone, the dusky warbler, the racket-tailed treepie, various reed warblers, the common snipe, the pin-tailed snipe, the ruddy-breasted crake and the slaty-breasted rail.
Environment.
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This area receives effluent discharged by the Phetchaburi municipal wastewater treatment plant. The king's project has researched the heavy metal accumulations and how they can best be mitigated. The narrowleaf catstail ("Typha angustifolia") has been found to accumulate large quantities of lead and remove the contamination from the soil.
A 2004 proposal to build the Laem Phak Bia bridge over the Bay of Bangkok, the northern tip of the Gulf of Thailand, were shelved in 2005 on environmental grounds after concern from King Bhumibol.


BlueVoice.org

BlueVoice.org is an ocean conservation organization founded in 2000 by Hardy Jones and Ted Danson. Its mission is to protect dolphins, whales and other marine mammals and to raise popular awareness about the plight of the oceans.
BlueVoice campaigns against the hunting of dolphins in Japan and to expose the harmful levels of toxins in the marine environment. Through production of films such as "When Dolphins Cry" and "The Dolphin Defender", BlueVoice has reached millions of people worldwide with its message.
BlueVoice work.
BlueVoice combines field research with dolphins, scientific and medical information with television and Internet productions, DVD and networking components to energize the public and governments to effect needed change. Latest efforts include the study of pollution levels and emerging diseases in marine mammals and humans. Correlations have been found between high toxic levels and incidence of cancer, Parkinson's disease, obesity, diabetes and other diseases in humans who consume marine mammals.
BlueVoice executive director Hardy Jones began working more than thirty years ago to stop the hunting of dolphins in Japan.
BlueVoice has published a White Paper entitled “A Shared Fate” – a fifty-page compendium of toxins in the oceans, marine mammals and human beings correlated with associated diseases.
In 2001 a BlueVoice live webcast of the slaughter of 40 pilot whales achieved 300,000 Internet page views and generated a massive international protest.
The NATURE/PBS film, "The Dolphin Defender" was seen by 4-million people during its first PBS broadcast in May 2005. The program has been rebroadcast repeatedly and is now in international distribution.
Recent recognitions.
During 2007 - 2008 Hardy Jones/BlueVoice received the following recognitions:


Dniester Canyon

Dniester Canyon – the Dniester River canyon, located at the territory of Dniester River Valley in Ukraine. On February 3, 2010, the Regional landscape park "Dniester Canyon" was promoted to the status of the National Nature Park.
Overview.
The Dniester River is the second largest and the most ecologically clean river in Ukraine . The canyon is partly flooded by reservoir waters. At its deepest it reaches around 50 meters. Dniester Canyon is a river segment from the mouth of Zolota Lypa River to the mouth of Zbruch. Here the Dniester flows in a canyon valley with a depth of .
The steep canyon slopes are of limestone and it was chosen as one of 7 natural wonders of Ukraine.
Within the canyon there are more than ten karst caves and grottoes. Small waterfalls of so-called "maiden's tears", run along copse thick bryophyte rocks.
Landscape.
The most valuable and picturesque part of the whole Dniester is the 250 km-stretch from the mouth of the river Zolota Lypa to the mouth of the river Zbruch, which is called the "Dnister Canyon". The nature of the Dniester Canyon is specific and original. These are first of all picturesque landscapes and their versatility which impart contribute to the originality of these routes. The steep rocky or wooden banks with the heights to , unique travertine rocks and geological exfoliation, caves and grottoes with signs of human settlement upon them, waterfalls, picturesque islands, monuments of nature, history, architecture, ethnography – all these can be seen miles and miles. And all this is a wild and virginal nature which gives a perfect possibility to plunge into the world of silence and calmness.
Canyon segments.
Dniester Canyon is a segment of Dniester River from the mouth of "Zolota Lypa" to the mouth of "Zbruch".
Protection.
The "National Nature Park Dniester Canyon" was established along the Dniester River course by Presidential Decree 2010 and Decree of the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources on December 12, 2011.
Tourism.
The Dniester Canyon attracts thousands of water tourists each year.
Alloy on the Dniester river is one of the most interesting trips in Ukraine. Picturesque landscapes include steep rocky or forest banks of 200 m high, unique travertine rocks and geological removed layers, caves and grottoes, waterfalls, islands, monuments of nature, history, architecture, and ethnography.
Skydiving.
The villages of Isakiv and Odaiv that are located at the canyon attract skydivers not only from Ukraine, but also from Belarus, Russia, Poland, Germany, and many other countries. Twice a year All-Ukrainian and International skydiving competition takes place here.