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Grădiștea Muncelului - Cioclovina represents a protected area with the status of “natural park.” Its scope is to protect and conserve the natural habitat with respect to fauna, flora, forestry, hydrology, geology, speology, paleontology and pedology.
Prosper Sabongo a PHD student measures the circumference of a Funtunia Africana in the forest reserve near the village of Masako. Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Photo by Ollivier Girard/CIFOR
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A Cameroon Greenbul (Andropadus montana) named Virenci in the Forest Reserve of Yoko. They are near threatened due to loss of habitat.
Photo by Ollivier Girard/CIFOR
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Accuracy is very important for this research. CIFOR’s scientists and staff from the ministry had measured a sedimentation and carbon stock with measurement tool called the Rod Surface Elevation Table Marker Horizon (RSET-MH).
Photo by Aulia Erlangga/CIFOR
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Perspective
Neighbor Mountain is a mountain in Page and Rappahannock Counties, Virginia. It is part of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Its summit lies in Page County, within Shenandoah National Park. This photo was taken from Jeremy's Run along Skyline Drive, looking down the south-western arm of the mountain.
Geology
Geologically speaking, the mountain is situated in the northern subprovince of the Blue Ridge Province of the Appalachian Highlands. It is part of the Crystalline Appalachians. Neighbor Mountain is separated from parallel Knob Mountain to the west by a stream known as Jeremy's Run.
Political Boundaries
The crest of the northern arm of Neighbor Mountain forms part of the border between Page and Rappahanock Counties. Page County is to the west of the ridge, whereas Rappahannock County is to the east. As the mountain curves south-west, the county border follows the topographical spine of the Blue Ridge from Neighbor Mountain onto Pass Mountain to the south, and the south-western arm lies entirely within Page County. On this south-western arm are a series of knobs known as "Three Sisters."
Visiting Neighbor Mountain
Neighbor Mountain is is accessible via Skyline Drive, which runs along the ridge of the mountain's northern arm. The Appalachian Trail also runs parallel to Skyline Drive along this part of the mountain. The south-western arm of the mountain is accessible from the Appalachian Trail via the Neighbor Mountain Trail. Skyline Drive offers two scenic overlooks on the mountain. Jeremy's Run Overlook is situated on the northern arm, while Thornton Hollow Overlook is situated near the summit.
Photo by Kevin Borland.
All aboard! Done with Maya Bay, it's time to move on at last. I am on the Phi Phi islands tour, just off the island of Phuket, Thailand. and we have made our first halt here, which was much longer than I had bargained for. Maya Bay was the location where the 1999 Hollywood movie The Beach was filmed. The beaches around Maya Bay are closed till 2021 at least due to over tourism consequent to the movie being released, but that has not stopped scores of tour boats still disgorging scores of passengers here day in and day out to swim in the waters around Maya Bay. Our two tour guides- the happy couple I had taken pictures of (see previous pictures earlier in this album) have settled in on their seat now and you can see the girl looking at her pictures which I'd shot with my iPhone and sent to her by AirDrop. Detailed notes about the Phi Phi Islands National Park appeared earlier in this album. (see previous pictures). (Phuket, Thailand, Oct/ Nov. 2019)
So here we are then at Khao Phing Kan at last, known more popularly as James Bond Island, as this was where the 1974 Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun was shot. Almost all tour operators out of Phuket or Krabi organize many different tours around the Phang Nga National Park. Most of them follow the standard route around the bay passing weird rock formations, limestone outcrops, hidden lakes, tiny beaches and caves. Tours usually go to Khao Ping Gan (Leaning Rock) which was featured in the James Bond movie The Man With the Golden Gun as the bad guy Scaramanga's hideaway. Ko Tapu in front of James Bond Island is a popular pillar rock (called a 'stack' in geological terms). It is often used as a symbol of Phang Nga. On the James Bond Island, the beach is littered with trinket vendors trying to sell you something and the experience of seeing the island may be somewhat disappointing and diluted. Getting out of and onto the boat in knee deep water several times during this tour meant that my trouser legs are permanently rolled up, sadly unevenly (which I didn't notice at all till my friend pointed out when I showed him these photos back in Dubai), and this sadly ruined several of my selfies. Oh well. (Phuket, Thailand, Oct/ Nov. 2019)
Another shot from the boat as we speed away from yet another halt. on the Phi Phi island cluster on the Phi Phi Islands speedboat tour. This is the Viking Cave, supposedly with Western style line drawings inside. Detailed notes about Viking Cave appeared earlier in this album. (see previous pictures). Although the boat does not actually stop here, and only slows down, which makes it impossible to take pictures for reasons explained in detail in an earlier caption. (see previous picture), Viking Cave is now used, in season, to what is arguably one of the profitable of local industries: the harvesting of swiftlet birds’ nests. Particularly prized in Chinese culture, these edible nests are believed to promote good health and to be specifically good for the skin. A local legend says that long time ago, sailors lost their boat during a storm and got stuck without food on one of the limestone islands lying in the mouth of the Phang Nga Bay. A cave located on this island was home to a colony of swiftlet, and the men could survive by eating their nests which gave them enough power to wait for rescue. The harvest of bird’s nests is rather a risky job: scaffolds are built with bamboo on which the hunters climb in the darkness to collect these precious items. Bird’s nests are sold on average, for US$2,500 per kilo! If you view this picture in full screen or expanded mode, you might be able to make out faintly some of the props and ropes and stuff. I really salute the brave individuals who sleep in the cave at night during season and risk their lives on those ropes and rope ladders in a huge, cavernous and dark cave, full of other dangers like snakes, centipedes etc. Ouch! (Phuket, Thailand, Oct/ Nov. 2019)
"Plitvice Lakes National Park is the oldest national park in Southeast Europe and the largest national park in Croatia.
The national park was founded in 1949 and is situated in the mountainous karst area of central Croatia, at the border to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The important north-south road connection, which passes through the national park area, connects the Croatian inland with the Adriatic coastal region.
The protected area extends over 296.85 square km (73,350 acres). About 90% of this area is part of Lika-Senj County, while the remaining 10% is part of Karlovac County.
In 1979, Plitvice Lakes National Park was added to the UNESCO World Heritage register among the first natural sites worldwide. Each year, more than 1,200,000 visitors are recorded." (source: Wikipedia)
Sandbags are placed along the coast to resist abrasion and make room for the mangrove to grow in sedimentation soil.
Photo by Aulia Erlangga/CIFOR
If you use one of our photos, please credit it accordingly and let us know. You can reach us through our Flickr account or at: cifor-mediainfo@cgiar.org and m.edliadi@cgiar.org
Seeds on the forest floor in Danum Valley, Sabah.
Photo by Greg Girard/CIFOR
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My hotel grounds in Sauraha were impressive- I loved the landscaping, though I was in my heart of hearts rather apprehensive when walking from my room to the dining area at night for dinner- I was hoping I wouldn't encounter- or worse still- step on- some slithering creepy crawlies, especially after a massive thunderstorm which came on on the night of my arrival. Fortunately I did not meet any local residents of the slithering variety. Once the car enters the gates of the hotel, there is a building to the right which is the dining hall (one of the waiters also serves as a receptionist) which also serves as an assembly point. There is a kitchen/ sanitary block and staff accommodation at the rear (the standards of hygiene were not particularly up to the mark sadly) and accommodation for tour guides and drivers of the guests. Opposite that is the waiting area for tour bus passengers and more staff accommodation. One then needs to walk down a cobble stoned path to the single storeyed building housing the hotel rooms, which were also pretty rustic. This is the central lawn in the hotel grounds- to get to your rooms, you can walk on the footpaths flanking either side of the lawn- both paths lead from hotel rooms to the reception area. Although we encountered wild rhinos directly behind my hotel rooms (see subsequent pictures later in this album), as the rear of the hotel opens directly into the bush, no Rhinos ventured onto this lawn for grazing. The good driver-guide would have none of the accommodation provided for him and opted to find a separate hotel for him outside the resort. (Sauraha, Chitwan, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)
As we come in to dock, here is a distant view of the Moslem fishing village of Ko Panyi near Phuket, Thailand. This is the lunch stop on the Ao Phang Nga National Park tour, more popularly known as the James Bond Islands tour out of Phuket. Ko Panyi is a Moslem fishing village built on stilts. The mosque that you see here, and the graveyard are the only places which are built on ground. The village was set up by wandering Indonesian Moslem fishermen who found the fish supply here in abundance and appreciated the safety of the sheltered by. Although there are still a handful of fishermen here, Ko Panyi has now become a tourist trap during the day as many tours call here during the day. There are scores of souvenir and trinket stalls in the village, most of which were closed at the time of our visit. Some tours also give you the option of staying overnight in the village. Some bloggers say that it may actually be preferable opt for the night stay in order to really experience the village as it should be, as life here returns to normal in the evening once all the tour boats have gone away and the souvenir stalls close. Staying on the island gives you a chance to see more of the village outside of tourist hours and eat at local stalls. Many of Ko Panyi's residents are now outsiders, which has probably compromised the authenticity of the village somewhat. Many of these outsiders have come in from the poorer Isaan region in northern Thailand, a region known for it's rice fields (and abundant supply of Thai bar girls- but that's another story altogether!) Notes about the Ao Phang Nga National Park, appeared earlier in this album (see previous pictures). (Phuket, Thailand, Oct/ Nov. 2019)
More adult Gharial long shout crocodiles in the conservatory in the Chitwan National Park in Nepal The Gharial is the most thoroughly aquatic crocodilian- it leaves the water only very rarely, for basking on riverbanks or for nesting. Being a cold-blooded animal, the Gharial seeks to cool down during hot times and to warm up when ambient temperature is cool. Gharials bask daily in the cold season, foremost in the mornings, and prefer sandy and moist beaches. They change their basking pattern with increasing daily temperatures; they start basking earlier in the mornings, move back into the river when it is hot, and return to the beach later in the afternoon. Groups comprising an adult male, several females and sub-adults (juveniles) have been observed to bask together. Adult males dominate groups but do tolerate immature (juvenile) males. Large groups of young, sub-adult and adult Gharials form generally in December and January to bask. Adult males and females mate by mid February. Detailed and extensive notes about the unusual Gharial crocodiles appeared earlier in this album. (see previous pictures). (Sauraha, Chitwan, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)
Sandbags are placed along the coast to resist abrasion and make room for the mangrove to grow in sedimentation soil.
Photo by Aulia Erlangga/CIFOR
If you use one of our photos, please credit it accordingly and let us know. You can reach us through our Flickr account or at: cifor-mediainfo@cgiar.org and m.edliadi@cgiar.org
Different sets of toursts inside the Eravikulam National Park in Kerala in south India. One set of tourists are posing for photos while others are relaxing on the stone wall. Since this is a National Park, all construction is stricly controlled and you expect a lot more greenery in the location. There are a couple of children sitting on the ground, and the ladies are wearing traditional dress, either the saree or salwar kameez. Eravikulam National Park is a relatively small national park located in the Idukki district of Kerala, being a part of the Western Ghats. Small because the area of the park is 97 sq. km, while traditionally the sanctuaries located in other parts of India can be many hundreds of sq. km or more. The park is interesting to visit, since it is located at a higher altitude, with the park being located at a height of around 2000 meter, on a hill plateau. The park has a number of animals, the most famous inhabitants of the park being the endangered Nilgiri Tahir (Nilgiritragus hylocrius) with a number of different predators also being found in the area. The park has 3 different regions of greenery - forests in some of the lower sections, grasslands and shrublands (located at higher levels and in rocky areas). Visitor vehicles are not allowed inside the park, with entry into the park being through mini-buses that are run by the park authorities. These buses take the visitor to a higher point, and from there visitors can climb higher on the turning and winding road and even come into contact with the Nilgiri Tahir who come close to the road.
Another goofy post opposite the Koh Tapu pillar rock (known as a 'stack' in geological terms) on Ko Phing Kan- the James Bond Island, courtesy my guide. After being rather rude, and sarcastic all morning, my guide surprisingly opened up later in the day and took several pictures of me on James Bond Island. This is the exact spot where 007 (Roger Moore) and the bad buy Scaramanga (Christopher Lee) have a duel in the 1974 Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun. Another tour group was making their guests pose at the spot with dummy golden guns (see previous pictures earlier in this album). No golden gun here, my guide had me pose like I am holding one! I am here as part of the Ao Phang Nga/ James Bond islands speedboat tour out of Phuket, Thailand, and this is the fourth stop on the tour. . We had got off at other islands in ankle deep water due to which my trouser legs are rolled up, killing the shot somewhat. And since I was wearing jeans, it was even more difficult to manage the heavy fabric, and so the trouser legs were rolled up rather unevenly- one more than the other. That drew much flak from my good friend and colleague Lijo Jose, who grumbled that I have managed to kill the picture and it's more of a comdey relief than a serious selfie! Luckily I managed to edit this pic to cut out those dreaful unequally rolled up trouser legs. This island was the base of the film’s bad guy Scaramanga. Detailed notes about the movie, as well as about the Ao Phang Nga Bay National Park appeared earlier in this album. (see previous pictures). (Phuket, Thailand, Oct/ Nov. 2019)
Local resident takes advantage of brackish water ponds that surrounded Pulau Dua Nature Reserve to catch fish. If the mangroves vegetation in Pulau Dua Nature Reserve are gone then the abrasion of sea water would threaten the existence of this brackish water pond.
Photo by Aulia Erlangga/CIFOR
If you use one of our photos, please credit it accordingly and let us know. You can reach us through our Flickr account or at: cifor-mediainfo@cgiar.org and m.edliadi@cgiar.org