Have you ever gazed at the night sky, wondering about the celestial wonders that orbit our planet? If so, you’re in for a treat! NASA has just launched a brand-new app that will make spotting the International Space Station (ISS) an absolute breeze.
Say hello to NASA’s Spot the Station app, your personal guide to tracking the ISS in the night sky. Whether you’re an aspiring astronaut or just a curious stargazer, this app is set to revolutionize your celestial experience.
A Window to the Stars
NASA has been running the Spot the Station website for quite some time, but with the new app, the experience has been taken to a whole new level. Now, you can take the magic of space exploration with you wherever you go, thanks to the app’s availability on both iPhone and Android devices.
The app boasts augmented reality features and a user-friendly interface that provides detailed information about the ISS’s orbit and much more.
When to Look Up
The ISS is most visible during the early morning or evening when the sun is not yet up, but its gentle glow still kisses the orbiting station. The Spot the Station app takes all the guesswork out of spotting this marvel of human ingenuity.
It breaks down precisely when the ISS will pass over your location, offering insights into when it will shine its brightest, how high it will appear, and its direction of travel. It’s like having your personal ISS concierge in the palm of your hand.
Countdown to Your Celestial Encounter
The main page of the app features a countdown timer that tells you when the next possible ISS sighting will occur. You’ll also find a globe and map that display the ISS’s current position.
If you’re truly dedicated to tracking the station, the app provides a full-page tracker view to follow the ISS’s location in real-time. And to make sure you never miss an overhead pass, you can enable notifications that will alert you when the ISS is about to make an appearance.
Be sure to read some of our most recent posts about cool new gadgets and technology:
- HBO Max Subscription Changes: What Legacy Ad-Free Subscribers Need to Know
- YouTube Expands Crackdown on Ad Blockers: A User Exodus and the Battle for Uninterrupted Content
Augmented Reality: Bringing Space Closer
The second page of the app is where the real magic happens. It offers an augmented reality view that helps you pinpoint the exact location of the ISS in the night sky.
While apps like SkyView have provided AR features for exploring the night sky, NASA’s Spot the Station app is entirely free and ad-free. It’s your ticket to an immersive experience that allows you to interact with the ISS as if it were right in front of you.
Unlock a Universe of Information
But the Spot the Station app doesn’t stop at mere tracking. It also provides a treasure trove of information for those who are hungry for knowledge about the ISS. The resources page is your gateway to NASA’s extensive collection of articles available on NASA.gov.
It presents the latest news related to crew activity on the Space Station, offers additional readings about the ISS, its crew, and the history of international cooperation in space exploration. You’ll also find a fact sheet with general information about the ISS, perfect for anyone looking to dive deeper into the world of space science.
Robyn Gatens, the International Space Station director at NASA Headquarters in Washington, perfectly sums up the excitement of this new app: “Even after 23 years of continuous human presence aboard the International Space Station, it’s incredibly exciting to see the station when you look up at just the right moment. The orbiting laboratory that continues to provide so many unique, tangible benefits for humanity really isn’t that far out of reach.”
So, whether you’re a budding astronomer, a space enthusiast, or just someone who appreciates the beauty of the night sky, NASA’s Spot the Station app is a must-have. It’s your passport to experiencing the wonder of the International Space Station like never before. Download the app, look up, and get ready to spot the station in all its celestial glory.


> Mark has been with WLS since September of 2022
> Mark just recently took over the sales territory for the eastern U.S. and Quebec
Mark South, who had already been working in a sales role at WLS since September of 2022, was recently appointed the regional sales manager for WLS’s eastern U.S. and Quebec territory.
Prior to coming over to WLS, Mark was already a vital part of our organization for more than five years, as the Director of Environmental Health and Safety for ProMach.
Mark has a Bachelor of Science degree in Safety Management from the University of Central Missouri. He has a strong knowledge of our industry and products, acquired over his 6+ years of total experience with ProMach and WLS.
Mark’s territory includes Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont, as well as Quebec.


It is great to be back but I sure needed a vacation. I feel rejuvenated and refreshed. We had a great time. Here are the start of some of the pics and memories. Labor Day we went to the mountains around Fillmore, UT and rode 4Wheelers. This was a blast. The scenery was beautiful. The trees were starting to change colors and I remembered why I miss Colorado every fall.
The sky was an amazing blue and the Aspen trees were blowing in the breeze. There is nothing like the sound of Quaking Aspens.
We could not have had better weather. The Lord answered our prayers for good weather.


We travel nationwide from our HQ located in north Bristol based on a three tier system.
– If you live within 35 miles of us (e.g. Bath, Cardiff, Gloucester, Newport and Weston-Super-Mare), mileage will be included within the party cost.
– If you live within 85 miles of us, all we ask is that you pay the standard 40p/mile (for the miles outside of our 35 mile radius) in addition to the party cost. This includes Bridgend, Birmingham, Cheltenham, Dorchester, Reading, Swindon and Taunton.
– If you live more than 85 miles from us i.e Derby, London and Norwich, your still in luck, we may simply ask you to cover the cost of a cheap hotel in addition to mileage!
To see which tier your area is in, please consult our map:
How do I book?
To book a Dynamically Awesome party, simply fill out this form to the best of your knowledge and we will be in touch as soon as we can to complete the fine details before the big day!
“”The best party EVER” was the comment I received from the 16 children attending my twins 9th birthday party where Dynamically Awesome provided the party entertainment. Pippa and Nath were brilliant from start to finish. They were prompt in communicating and went over and above expectations in planning to make it the best party ever. They arrived early to set up and were totally in control of the group. The children had a fantastic time and loved all the challenges, especially beating the clock and getting a key to open one of the padlocks on the chest. I cant recommend them highly enough. Thank you Nath and Pippa for making their birthday a truly brilliant day.”
Parent at a birthday party in Bath Read more testimonials >>
Dynamically Awesome is a trading name of VEUcan Ltd - Registered in England No. 09575980


Hope you’re all enjoying the summer so far! Since our last update we’ve been laying quite low, however we did manage a fun weekend up at Skye Live, a visit to Germany for Festspiele Mecklenburg (where we also got to work with the local youth orchestra) as well as fitting in a few marathons and cycle sportifs for good measure! Now though over in Breabach HQ we’re getting the clothes packed, pipes tuned and suncream applied (optimistic) for our run of summer festivals which kicks off this coming weekend. First stop is the Byre in the Botanics series in St Andrews with our good pals – amazing Orcadian band Fara. Should be a great evening in the park! We then head straight down south to Priddy Folk Festival where we will be closing out the Sunday evening. Hope to see you there! The following weekends will see us visiting Tiree, Lewis, Trowbridge, Cambridge, Aboyne, Belladrum, Crieff and Italy. Full details below.
September sees us returning to Canada following up on last summers amazing tour. We start off with a bang at the Fort Henry Kitchen Party before heading on for a few shows at Ontario Small Halls, gigs in London ON, Peterborough ON and the Contact East Showcase in NB. Should be a fun few weeks.
Our second leg of the Astar album release tour continues in October. Some more dates still coming in but here’s a couple for you diary including a new venue for us in London at Rich Mix (27th Oct)!
You can still pickup the album now over here:
Proper Music: http://ow.ly/YzoDa
There’s also still a few t-shirts left on bandcamp if you fancy!
09/07/16 – St Andrews, Byre in the Botanics, UK BUY TICKETS
10/07/16 – Priddy, Priddy Folk Festival, UK BUY TICKETS
15/07/16 – Isle of Tiree, Tiree Music Festival, UK BUY TICKETS
16/07/16 – Stornoway, Heb Celt Fest, UK BUY TICKETS
23/07/16 – Trowbridge, Village Pump Festival, UK BUY TICKETS
30/07/16 – Cambridge, Cambridge Folk Festival, UK BUY TICKETS
05/08/16 – Aboyne, Aboyne and Deeside Festival, UK BUY TICKETS
06/08/16 – Belladrum, Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival, UK BUY TICKETS
21/08/16 – Crieff, Crieff Highland Gathering, UK BUY TICKETS
26/08/16 – Bologna, Festival Corti Chiese e CortiliItaly, IT BUY TICKETS
27/08/16- Sampeyre, Occit’amo Festival, IT BUY TICKETS
10/09/16 – Fort Henry, Fort Henry Celtic Kitchen Party, CA BUY TICKETS
15/09/16- Beckwith, Stonefields (Festival of Small Halls), CA BUY TICKETS
16/09/16 – Ottawa, ON, City Folk – Landsdowne Par, CA BUY TICKETS
17/09/16 – Maxville, St.James Church (Festival of Small Halls), CA BUY TICKETS
18/09/16 – Maberly, Maberly Community Hall (Festival of Small Halls), CA BUY TICKETS
22/09/16 – London, ON, Aeolian Hall, CA BUY TICKETS
23/09/16 – Peterborough, Market Hall Theatre, CA BUY TICKETS
24/09/16 – Saint John, NB, Contact East, CA BUY TICKETS
Hope to see you out over the summer, or later in the year!


Riding around London’s cycleways, I often forget how lucky I am to have a clear and safe cycle path to use on my daily commute. The other day I got to wondering how the cycle path that I use each day matches up to other bike lanes around the world. Are they all the same size? I took some time to look into how wide a cycle lane is in different places around the world?
In the USA, cycle lanes have a minimum width of 1.2m, the joint lowest cycle lane width for any country along with Italy. Other countries, such as the Netherlands (2m) and the UK (1.5m) have much wider cycle lanes. Within the US, some states set higher standards, for example, New York has a cycle lane width of 2m.
So, we’ve established that the USA and Italy have the lowest cycle lane width requirements of any country, but why is this? And how do countries all decide on how wide their cycle lanes should be? I take a look into the cycle lane width of many different countries as well as these topics in the rest of the article.
How wide are cycle lanes?
Cycle lanes around the world are required to meet different standards depending on the country or state in which they are located. If you take a look at the table below you can see a summary of the minimum cycle lane width in each of the most common cycling countries around the world.
|Country||Cycle Lane Width (Meters)||Cycle Lane Width (Feet)|
|England (UK)||1.5m||5 feet|
|The Netherlands||2.0m||6 feet 6 inches|
|USA (General)||1.2m||4 feet|
|USA (New York)||2.0m||6 feet 6 inches|
|Norway||2.5m (Bidirectional)||8 feet (Bidirectional)|
|New Zealand||2.4m (Bidirectional)||8 feet (Bidirectional)|
|Ireland||2.0m||6 feet 6 inches|
|Japan||2.4 (Bidirectional)||8 feet (Bidirectional)|
|Finland||2.5m (Bidirectional)||8 feet (Bidirectional)|
|Hong Kong||1.5m||5 feet|
|United Arab Emirates||2.2m||7 feet|
|Brazil||1.7m||5 feet 6 inches|
|Denmark||2.5m (Bidirectional)||8 feet (Bidirectional)|
If you notice that any obvious countries are missing from this list (for example Spain, a very popular country for cycling), that is because these countries do not have clear regulations or suggestions on the size of their cycle lanes.
So if all countries use the same bikes, why do all these countries have different size cycle lanes? The answer becomes clearer when you realize how countries calculate how large they think their cycle lanes should be in the first place.
How do countries decide on the width of their bike lanes?
Let’s take the most famous bike riding country in the world, the Netherlands as an example.
Initially, the town planners designing the cycle paths have to calculate the width of a bike, and more importantly, the widest a bike could reasonably be. In the Netherlands, this is set as 0.75m.
However, obviously, you can’t have a cycle lane that is the same width as the bike or it would not be able to cycle, so a buffer is added to allow movement from side to side as the bike is ridden. In the Netherlands, this is set as 0.25m.
So now we have come to the value of 1.0m for a cycle path while the bike is being ridden. However, the cycle paths in the Netherlands are suggested to be 2.0m minimum. So where does this extra meter come from?
First of all, you need to add on some extra space for obstacles that might be on the path (for example drains, curbs, tree roots, etc). Extra space is required on the path to allow riders to swerve and avoid these.
On top of this, you need to allow some extra room to let cyclists ride beside each other. This is important to allow a parent to cycle next to their child or allow cyclists to overtake one another on the cycle lane.
|Factor||Required Space (meters)|
|Movement while riding||0.25m|
|Extra space to avoid debris or overtake||1.0m|
As you can see, the size of a bike lane quickly adds up. But this isn’t even the end of the story. Many countries will adjust the size of cycle lanes if more cyclists are using them. For example, In the Netherlands, a cycle path with more than 150 users per hour is suggested to be 2.5m, rather than the baseline of 2m.
So why do different countries have different cycle lane widths?
The difference in cycle lane width across the world comes from the different values that each country attributes to each of these categories.
For example, a country such as Italy is likely to have allocated less space for bikes to overtake one another or to avoid debris.
If you consider that the average road size in New York is 3.7m compared to 2.75m in Italy. It is easy to understand why they would not want to be allocating as much space to a bike lane as they do in New York.
Which country has the widest bike lanes?
The largest regulated cycle lanes in the world are based in Norway, Finland, and Denmark. However, this answer is a bit disingenuous as these cycle lanes are all bidirectional. This means that they are designed for 2 bikes to be cycling past each other in opposite directions and therefore, only half of this allocated space is given to each cyclist.
When you look at the areas with the largest one-directional cycle lanes, the winners are New York, Ireland, and the Netherlands. All of these countries suggest a minimum cycle lane size of 2m (6 feet 6 inches) wide.
Which country has the narrowest bike lanes?
The countries with the narrowest suggested bike lane width were the USA and Italy, with a recommended bike lane width of 1.2m as a minimum.
However, this again needs some clarification as these minimum cycle lane sizes were (in both cases) only allowed in to be used in certain situations such as on rural roads or locations where there was no curb next to the cycle lane itself (allowing cyclists to also use part of the pedestrian pathway if the road became overused).
How wide is a two-way cycle lane?
Two-way cycle lanes have fewer regulations on them as they are used less frequently. When you look at the table above, you can see that the few countries that did specific sizes for two-way or bidirectional cycle lanes suggested that they should be between 2.4m and 2.5m depending on the country in question.
Ths increased size is actually allocating far less per person, however, it is assumed that riders can overtake one another when there is a gap in the “bike traffic” coming from the other direction. Consider it like trying to overtake in a car.
Are wider cycle lanes better?
Cycle lanes have been shown to be beneficial in almost all urban environments. Not only are these effects seen by cyclists, but they have also been shown in studies to have a positive economic impact on the local community when they are put in place. But are wider cycle lanes better?
Larger cycle lanes have been shown to increase biker confidence, especially on roads where there is a lot of daily traffic, where speeds are above 25 mph, or on streets with a large number of trucks and lorries.
On top of this, wider cycle lanes can also reduce the rate of accidents between bike riders, helping to give more leeway in case a cyclist “misjudged” the gap between riders while overtaking. It also helps car drivers to treat cyclists more predictably as there is less chance of them leaving the cycle lane to join the road.
Finally, the wider a cycle lane is, the more of a psychological effect this has on car drivers. Reminding them of cyclists’ right to also use the street, and thus may be linked to more considerate driving practices.
Are there any other requirements for bike lanes?
What happens when a bike lane cannot fit this minimum width?
What happens if a road needs a bike lane but you cannot fit one of the required size on the road without impeding traffic?
Some countries advise that when the minimum cycle lane width cannot be met, you might instead use an unmarked lane. This involves making no physical changes to the road itself but simply marking off an area of the road for cyclists to use.
While this offers no actual changes in the area given to cyclists, the marked-out section has been shown to make cyclists feel more comfortable when cycling.
What are the requirements for cycle lane surface quality?
So apart from clear recommendations on their width, what other requirements do bike lanes have to meet?
The main other area of regulation for cycle lanes relates to the type of material the cycle path is made from. Bike lanes that are in contact with a road are required to meet the same tarmac standards as the roads themselves.
This is to allow more flexibility in any future changes to the design of the road itself, for example allowing the cycle lane to be converted back to a road if necessary.
It also allows bike lanes to be used by emergency vehicles, and delivery trucks or to allow them to be used as a breakdown area.
Overall, the size of a bike lane will be very different depending on which country you are cycling in, where in that country you are cycling and whether or not the cycle lane you are riding on is designed for single file bike traffic or is bidirectional.


Highland Perthshire is a land of mountains, rivers, lochs and glens, abounding with unspoilt scenery and with a huge diversity of wildlife.
There is so much to see and do:
- Plenty of good walks and hills to climb.
- Spend a glorious day exploring Glen Lyon, the longest, loveliest and loneliest enclosed glen in Scotland.
- Visit the Scottish Crannog Centre – living history from underwater discoveries.
- Take a Highland Adventure Safari with a local Ranger.
- Explore the Birks of Aberfeldy – where the Falls of Moness so enraptured Robert Burns in 1782 he was inspired to compose his famous poem “The Birks o’ Aberfeldy”.
Or for a more active weekend a wide range of outdoor pursuits are available nearby including:
- White-water rafting.
We offer secure storage for bikes etc. Additionally we are able to offer drying facilities for any outdoor clothing or equipment on request.


The images in this gallery are the result of many excursions over a 4 year period in the desert Southwest and Great Basin regions of The United States. My mission is to bring the beauty and history of the region to you. The work is single image digital capture. I do not utilize multiple exposure or compositing. Post processing is kept to an absolute minimum to bring out the nuances of the metallic media which I have chosen to showcase my work.
I am drawn to stark landscapes with an otherworldly or surrealistic feel. When composing an image, my first thought is always of the light. I also use shadow to boil down the composition and to impart a dramatic effect.
There is a “suchness” to this region that is impossible to describe. The absolute silence of The Black Rock Desert in Nevada. The vermillion cliffs and slick rock plateaus of Utah. The harsh, arid desert terrain of Arizona. All beautiful in their own way, yet completely different. I have tried to combine my love of photography and the open road with the natural beauty and history of the region to present to you, the viewer, my personal vision. If you enjoy my art then I have succeeded. So…climb aboard the Objeto Volante (Flying Object), buckle up, and join me in an adventure!
“Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it. ” – BUDDHA
David Lorne Chandonet makes his home in Mohave County, Arizona. He has been an avid photographer since the film era. In addition to his landscape and historical work, Mr. Chandonet also specializes in food and beverage and architectural imaging. His work has been published in The Mohave County Visitor’s Guide and The National Audubon Society Field Guides. He is available for workshops, seminars and events and is currently seeking gallery representation. Should you wish to contact Mr. Chandonet you may reach him through the gallery, via his Facebook page, or by calling (928) 234-7301.


EnderGames Biomes Update
today we'd like to present you a brand new EnderGames update!
In this update, we have taken up the frequently made suggestion to expand the generated worlds with new unique biomes. In combination with the many different kits, this will expand the game experience with even more tactics and strategic moves. In addition to the expansion of the biomes, the update also includes other adjustments, which we would like to briefly explain to you below:
The biomes were adjusted as follows:New biomes:
Ice Plains Spikes
Mesa Plateau F
Biomes that continue to exist::
Extreme Hills Edge
Changes to the World Generator
The join signs in the main lobby used to show the biome that is located directly below the spawn platform on the map. In the past, this often led to confusion, because the biome displayed was sometimes only a few chunks in size and the rest of the map was generated with a different (sometimes completely opposite) biome.
This problem should be solved with the changes made in this update. The world generator has been adjusted so that the biome displayed on the join signs now appears on the map with a much higher probability and with a larger area. As a result, the information on the join signs should now be more reliable and the tactical selection of a kit for an appropriate biome should be rewarded more.
The "main biome", which is displayed on the join signs, will also be surrounded by thematically matching biomes in the future. This possibility was created by so-called biome categories. These determine which "secondary biomes" may border the "main biome". By preselecting biomes, the playability of biomes that are unfavorable in terms of resources, such as the ice plains spikes, is also ensured.
We hope you like the changes and have fun trying them out! Any feedback on the new biomes is very welcome!
Finally, we would like to thank Laubfrosch7
for implementing this update! Another thanks goes to multiduude
, who designed the image for the news text.
With kind regards
Your GommeHD.net Team


Exmoor National Park
With 267 square miles of coast and moorland stretching across West Somerset, into North Devon, the Exmoor National Park is well equipped to offer all the best aspects of the British countryside.
Originally a Royal Forest and hunting ground, Exmoor was one of the first designated National Parks in Britain. The coastline sprawls across 34 miles and offers some of the highest cliffs in the UK, incorporating the South West Coastal Path, a popular and demanding walking route from Minehead in Somerset to Lynmouth in North Devon.
Exmoor as a whole offers countless walking routes to suit all ages and abilities including events such as the North Devon and Exmoor Walking Festival - which is held over May Bank Holiday each year, the Doone Run and the 725 year old Exmoor Perambulation.
Cyclists can enjoy on and off-road routes, providing levels suitable for sensible enjoyment through to complete nutter. Bicycles are easy to hire from several stores based in Minehead and Porlock, where ordinance survey maps and cycle routes can also be bought, as well as from various information points or online. Events such as road race, The Exmoor Beast, are available for the afore-mentioned nutters, with a choice of 100 kilometres or 100-mile routes.
A third way to explore the coast and countryside of Exmoor is on horseback. Many hotels, cottages and B&B’s in the area can provide stabling for your own horse, 400 miles of bridleways snake across the face of Exmoor, giving access to many unique and secluded viewpoints.
Due to excessive claims and soaring insurance costs, very few riding schools can afford to stay open so horse hire can be difficult. Please be aware if you ride a horse, at some point you are probably going to fall off.
Equestrian events and displays are available, such as, Dunster Country Fair and Dunster Show – both held in the grounds of the medieval Dunster Castle, showcasing local produce, businesses, equine displays and much more.
Exmoor is also home to some of the best hunts in the UK including the Devon and Somerset Staghounds and Exmoor Foxhounds as well as the famous Red deer, over 80 species of resident birds, foxes, badgers, bats and Exmoor ponies and many more feathered and furry creatures. Some of these residents can be a little shy but most will put in an appearance during your stay.
Find out more about the Exmoor Ponies here
Dulverton is home to the headquarters
of the Exmoor National Park Authority.
Dulverton is also the charming southern gateway town leading in to the Exmoor
National Park, where the film "The Land Girls" was
made. It is a small, friendly town home to several good restaurants and unique shops.
The Exmoor Producers Association: The EPA was set up in 1995 to actively promote the wide range of businesses that are producing goods in the greater Exmoor area. It has around 60 members, who make a wide variety of goods for sale. Members include artists, crafts people, food producers and miscellaneous businesses that are producing goods on and around Exmoor.
Whilst many of these are selling to the tourist and resident markets through local outlets, others are selling nationally and overseas.
Find more information about Exmoor Attractions: Visit 28 different attractions like Clovelly, Cleeve Abbey, Arlington Court, Dunster Castle, Watermouth Castle, Once upon a Time, Quince Honey Farm, Sheppy's Cider Farm, Exmoor Steam Railway, Exmoor Zoological Park.
The Exmoor Society: is a registered charity dedicated to the conservation, protection and sustainability of this beautiful and unique environment.


ERNIE COWAN Outdoors
AUTHOR PAINTS LOVE STORY FOR STATE IN NEW BOOK
It was a mild summer afternoon when I sat down on the quiet patio of a Borrego Springs restaurant to chat with Obi Kaufmann.
I wanted to meet the author of the recently published “California Field Atlas” and learn about this artist-writer who had produced such a monumental work. I was not disappointed.
Your first impression of Obi is his resemblance to a younger John Muir. He’s boldly bearded, intense and educated, but his love of the outdoors and his sensitivity as a poet and artist soon shine through.
Obi was in Borrego as part of his book signing tour, and I was lucky enough to spend some time visiting.
He calls his book a love story, and the beauty of the hand-painted watercolor illustrations certainly demonstrate that. So does the volume of his work that includes over 500 pages.
Obi was born and raised in the Oakland area, and grew up wandering in the beauty of Mount Diablo where he began mapping and recording what he discovered. He considers himself a different kind of cartographer. As an adult, he has explored the state he calls home and, “hiked, camped, sweated, slept, dreamed and continue to adventure in all of these places.”
“California is the land where I was born and where, having spent a happy life walking through its forests and sleeping out under it stars, I hope to someday die, far off trail under some unnamed sequoia,” he writes.
His book is not intended to be read in a single sitting, but rather “each map is a puzzle that, unlocked, reveals something specific, unique and beautifully integral about each place,” he writes. He calls his book a manual of geographic literacy, with both a scientific agenda and an artistic one.
“One is not political, and one is,” Obi said. The book is composed of 10 chapters dealing with the trails, water, mountains, fire and forests, weather, deserts, parks and wildlife of California. It is also beautifully illustrated and well written through the eyes of a sensitive heart and poetic perspective.
In chapter six: Of Life, Death and The Desert, Obi not only includes his illustrated maps, but paintings of birds, mammals, reptiles and spiders that live here. Readers will gain empirical knowledge about the biology and geology of a region, but also Obi’s story of his connection to California outdoors.
To someone who sees California’s outdoors as more than just a challenge, this is their book. It deals more with the spirit and inner discovery that comes from spending time and learning about the wild beauty of the state.
As Obi says, “This is not a collection of war stories. It is a catalog of an eternal face, a book written across the whole realm of California itself.”
He says it best in his introduction.
“In this book, I am participating in the wild reimagining of the place, past the scars inflicted over the past two hundred years and revealing a story about what has always been here and what will remain long after our residency is through.
“The California Field Atlas” is available from online sources or Heyday. Cost is $45.
Fall has arrived and that means it’s tarantula breeding season. So what, you ask? It means that you are quite likely to encounter these big, hairy spiders while hiking the trails in our inland valleys.
You may not be fond of spiders, but tarantulas are not dangerous, and very reluctant to bite, even when handled. There is no need to kill them if you are not a big fan. Just walk on by.
From now into October, the larger male tarantulas will emerge from their underground holes to look for females. It’s a challenging task that may cost him his life. The smaller, and more reclusive females will often try to kill and eat the male after mating is complete.
So, love is in the air along the trails of North County, and hikers along lagoon trails, around Lake Hodges, Elfin Forest trails and Escondido’s Daley Ranch are likely to spot at least a few, and sometimes dozens of the spiders just before dark.
Email email@example.com or visit erniesoutdoors.blogspot.com.
Obi Kaufmann, author of “California Field Atlas.”


Welcome to our homepage
Erkelenz is a town with many different sides... whether it be its history, culture, societies, sport or kindergarten. Read through our different pages and get to know Erkelenz as a lively and vivacious town.
We are a proud, open-minded town in the heart of Europe and the Three-Country area but also open to the world: in addition to official town twinning, our schools and societies maintain many different international contacts and friendships.
Over 46,000 people live here in Erkelenz and this number is ever-growing. The influx of new families moving here is shown by the incredible demand for housing plots. As a result, we are investing in our town: kindergartens, sports complexes, multi-use complexes, the fire brigade, to name a few. We see it as our duty to invest this money, in order to secure our future and this is thanks to our solid budgetary policy, which enables us to do so. Erkelenz is a town that has a lot to offer everyone.
We are always there for you: the first point of call is the citizen’s registration office but the other departments will also be more than happy to help you professionally.
All our services and the corresponding contact person in the town-hall can be found in the Online Citizens Portal.
If you have any requests, suggestions or criticism then you can speak to me personally. All you need to do is call my secretary and make an appointment. (0049 2431/85-215). I will take the time for you.
With the kindest regards from our town-hall,


- Aquaculture Compliance Monitoring. Government certified for data collection, analysis and reporting as per federal government regulations and protocols
- Habitat Information Requirements (HIR)
- Baseline Environmental Assessment
- Environmental benthic monitoring to federal standard
- Environmental performance monitoring
- Underwater video by ROV or scuba divers can be utilized to provide photos and videos of the seabed or underwater structures. ROV pilots and tenders are in house. Data analysis and reporting
- Oceanographic sensors. Deployment, design and implementation
- Water column sampling Device deployment and data analysis
- Sub-bottom profiling. Sedimentary seabed structure and sonar scans
Bathymetry surveys are accomplished through the use of good survey/mapping practice and a custom data collection system. A detailed site survey can be very time consuming so we have integrated a system of sonar technology and processes that automate much of the data collection. To survey a site quickly and accurately we are making extensive use of DGPS technology to carry out all the positional tasks of the survey.
Associate Tony Piepjohn of Coast Spatial GIS & Mapping Specialists has been using GPS technology in resource surveying since 1994 for many different purposes and clients. All GPS related work is carried out to the BC Resource Inventory Committee (RIC) standards for GPS surveys. RIC standards are what all provincial agencies use to ensure any GPS related work is carried out with suitable methods and equipment. Mr. Piepjohn has the RIC certification Level 4 (good for all aspects of GPS from field work, processing, mapping, and survey design) and can ensure GPS activities are being carried out properly.
With accurate site details it is possible to begin designing an efficient and robust anchoring system or installation. Through the use of GIS and CAD we develop the complete model for the system so that every part of a system is located, engineered, and specified appropriately. The computer model is important in that you can quickly build a system to generate accurate material and cost schedules, working drawings, fully 3D models to view, evaluate, and change parts of the system.
This GIS/CAD component also ensures that license holders put their best foot forward with regulatory agencies in that installations are designed and built using proper and defensible techniques. Very important is that these GIS/CAD models will serve as the database for future compliance monitoring of the system and site in an environmental context. Mooring Systems designed to date for depths to 655metres.
Structural and Condition Surveys
Underwater surveys, including ultrasound thickness scanning and video by ROV or divers, can be undertaken for structural integrity and condition analysis of floating and fixed structures.
Project Management and Installations
Ocean Dynamics Canada Ltd. can contract to manage the installation and/or mooring of floating and fixed structures, hydro and communications cable installations. Working relationships with tugs, barges cranes etc. for any area around Vancouver Island and surrounding areas.
- Government - Municipal, Provincial, Federal
- Energy - Hydro, Dams
- Search and Recovery


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From midtown Manhattan to Italy to South Korea, FILA teams around the globe are constantly developing the most innovative ways to celebrate life in motion. And we couldn't be more excited to share our stories.
Welcome to the FILA NewsMarket, a hub for our brand history, the latest company updates, high resolution photography, videos, and more. It's the perfect place to immerse yourself in everything for which we stand and strive–and play a part in the next legendary FILA chapter.


Grindul Lupilor area is located in the Southern part of the reservation having the same name, it has a surface of 2,075 hectares, being neighbored by Zmeica lake in the North-Western part, by Sinoe Lake in the Eastern, Southern and South-Western parts, by Channel 2 in the Western part and by Golovita lake in the Northern part.
The aquatic environment is predominant, from here arising the less ordinary character of the flora and fauna, which have adapted to this environment. The terrestrial environment is represented by sand banks, droughty areas in which grow a flora and fauna specific for the East - European steppes with Mediterranean influences.
Between these two environments (aquatic and terrestrial) it is interposed the swampy easily flooded area, bearer of a flora and fauna with possibility of alternative adaptation (water, land), depending on the hydrological conditions, seasonal and yearly. The area represents an important shelter for nesting and nourishment for about 300 species of birds. Especially during fall migration, the area becomes an impressing concentration of ornitofauna and, especially, of the winter guests.
Grindul Lupilor is the sanctuary of some natural curiosities which confer it, in certain places, the aspect of a real tropical jungle. The underground water is near surface, fact which favours the formation of a humid soil. The forests are disposed in narrow strips called "hasmacuri" (in Turkish language).
Advanced bulwark of Greek culture and civilization and furthermore of Latin culture, Dobrudja represents - through its antique monuments - a museum itself, and the micro-region Grindul Lupilor (Wolves Sand Bank), represents perhaps, the most fabulous and attractive window of this museum, the result of one-century researches of Romanian archaeologists.
Here, on the shore of Sinoe Lake, there lays Histria citadel, the first Greek colony on the Western shore of Pontus Euxinus and the oldest city on the territory of our country. As a toponym, Histria derives from Istros, the Greek name of Danube river, the city being located at '500 stadia far from the sacred spring of Istros', upon the notices of antique historian and geographer Strabon, on the sea shore. Set up in the middle of VIIth century b. Chr. by the colonists from Milet, Histria had a continuous development from the Greek period until the end of Roman period (beginning of VIIth century a. Chr.), justified by the favorable conditions of fishing, agricultural land and easy ways of communication with inland, the city being for a long time the most important economic and cultural center of our region
The tourist visiting Grindul Lupilor (Wolves Sand Bank) pension must know that at only 10 km South from Sinoe village, can be visited the beautiful and impressive citadel and the modern museum of Histria, in which he will discover the charm and grace of an era long gone. Here there can be seen the material proofs of existence of human communities in the area since paleolithic (35000-10000 b.Chr.). There can be admired also in the glass cases of the museum tools and ceramic receptacles from Aeneolithic and Bronze eras, discovered on the territory of current villages Sinoe, Mihai Viteazu, Cheia, Istria-Sat, Gura Dobrogei, Cogealac, Corbu.
Upon the end of Bronze Era and in the first Iron Era (XIIth - Vth centuries b.Chr.) in Dobrudja, so also in the region of Sinoe lagoon, there is developed a characteristic culture, firstly Thracian and then Getic, autochthonous, which will interact with the Greek colonists in the VIIth century b. Chr. Histria will be raised in the middle of native Thracian-Getic population, as a colony having tight commercial, cultural and religious relationship with the Southern world, as proved by the ceramic receptacles manufactured in Milet, Atena, Rhodos and Corinth, and discovered here. The temples and inscriptions dedicated to Zeus, Afrodita, the Muses, Dionissos or to Apollo are proofs of rich spiritual lives of the Histrians.
Starting with Ist century a.Chr. Histria will pass through a new period of development, the nowadays territory of Dobrudja being integrated into the Roman State. The thermal baths, the precincts and most of the buildings that can be admired nowadays in the citadel pertain to this period. An epigraphic document issued by the governor Laberius Maximus, in year 100 a.Chr., was mentioning the borders and the rights of the citadel - the center of the Histrian economic life consisted in cultivation of agricultural land and in fishing.
Inside the territory controlled by the citadel there was also vicus Quintionis, a village developed on the property of a Roman colonist, Quintio, located on the territory of present village of Sinoe. The inhabitants of the antique village from Sinoe were "veterani et cives Romani et Bessi consistentes", as reminded by an inscription from IInd century a.Chr., meaning veterans and Roman citizens together with bessi, Thracian population brought by the Roman state from the Balkans. The heads of the village were two magisters, chosen by the inhabitants from the wealthy persons. The inscriptions are presenting the names of some mayors as: Tiberius Saturninus and Bizienis, from year 144 a.Chr., Aelius Bellicus and Mucaporus Ditugenti from year 167 a.Chr., Iulius Florus and Derzenus Bitti from year 177 a.Chr. a.s.o.. There can be observed the good fellowship and the yearly character of the mayor position (magister vici), one being elected from the veterans and roman citizens and the other one from Thracian community.
For the financial part of antique city from Sinoe, the mayors were assisted by a quaestor, chosen by alternation, one year from the Romans and one year from bessi. For instance, in year 167 a. Chr., quaestor was Claudius Ianuarius, and in year 175 a.Chr. a Thracian Dotus Zinebti.
In vicus Quintionis there was an auditorium - hall of audience and trial - mentioned in an inscription from the times of emperor Antoninus Pius.
The aerial photographs showed the existence of some roads that were connecting the village to Histria city and to the settlements from Fantanele, Mihai Viteazu or Istria. Furthermore, like in the case of other rural cities from Roman epoque, the village from Sinoe was provided with water brought through aqueduct.
The Roman settlement from nowadays territory of Sinoe ceased its existence in the same time with Histria citadel, sometimes at the beginning of VIIth a.Chr., as proven by a coin from Heraclius (613-614 a.Chr.), once with desertion of entire Dobrudjan territory by the Roman army.
The ones going to Grindul Lupilor (Wolves Sand Bank) will be able to observe nowadays the beauty of antique world inside Histria Museum and to watch piously the funerary piles of the antique people, inhabitants of these lands, all integrated in the wild landscape from the lagoon.
Livia Buzoianu, Greek civilization in the Western-Pontic area and its impact on the autochthonous world (VIIth-IVth centuries a.Chr.), Ovidius University Press, Constantza, 2001.
Maria Barbulescu, Rural life in Roman Dobrudja (Ist-IIIrd centuries a.Chr.), The Museum of National History and Archaeology Constantza, Constantza, 2001. Livia Buzoianu,Histria, The Museum of National History and Archaeology Constantza, Constantza, 2006.


Arriving at the Espoo Cultural Centre
The main entrance to the Espoo Cultural Centre is on Kulttuuriaukio square; the street address is Kulttuuriaukio 2. Another entrance may be found by the pool (which in the winter is the Ice Garden). Obstacle-free access is through the left-hand door of the main entrance.
The Espoo Cultural Centre is easily accessible by metro and bus. The nearest metro station is Tapiola, and the nearest bus stops are Heikintori and Kontiontie. For routes and timetables, please consult the HSL route planner. There is a taxi stand in the immediate vicinity of the Cultural Centre, at Tapionaukio.


I wanted to welcome you to my new consulting webpage and say how excited I am to kick-off this new phase in my work on gender-based violence and human trafficking. I have enjoyed being a direct service provider and advocate for victims/survivors for 8 years and in the past 5 years, the experience I’ve gained as a trainer and educator has inspired me to concentrate on this part of my work with more emphasis.
I recently made the move from Washington D.C. to Denver, CO and couldn’t be more excited about living and working in Colorado and the Midwest and Western regions (though, I will travel anywhere!). While our 2 years in D.C. was a great experience for my husband and I, we are thrilled to relocate to the mountains and call Colorado home.
I hope you enjoy the website and please contact me with any questions you might have about trainings or consultations.
~Becky Owens Bullard


As leader of the Save the Poles Expedition, Polar Explorer Eric Larsen guided his team through some of the earth’s most challenging terrain. As part of their effort to raise awareness for global climate change, Eric and the expedition reached both the North and South Pole, and summited Mt. Everest in one calendar year. Atlas is proud to have sponsored and outfitted Eric and the Save the Poles expedition on their quest to raise awareness for global climate change through this incredible feat of human fortitude.
“Putting on our Atlas Snowshoes was like putting our feet in 4 wheel drive. I honestly doubt we could have reached the North Pole with out them. They offered unparalleled flotation and traction.” – Eric Larsen


My eyes gleamed when I heard that and rushed for the bats which were hanging in cloth bags. I gently rubbed my fingers on the outside of all the bags and picked the one with the smallest bat. I delicately removed the bat, holding it with just the tips of my first three fingers. This was no ordinary bat. Its head was flat as if slammed with a shoe! It had suction pads on its thumb and toes to help it cling and sleep inside thin, hollow bamboo culms. The bat in my hand was an evolutionary marvel. The Lesser Bamboo Bat (Tylonycteris pachypus) marked the beginning of a successful night. After it eight other species flew into our nets in quick succession. Borneo was beginning to justify itself as a naturalist’s dream destination.
In August 2015, I was in Sarawak to attend the 3rd Southeast Asian Bat Conference organized by Universiti Malaysia (UNIMAS), Sarawak and Southeast Asian Bat Conservation Research Unit (SEABCRU). After four intense days of talks, discussions and workshops with the most renowned bat biologists of the world, we were off to a bat lover’s ultimate pilgrimage – Gunung Mulu National Park.
Southeast Asia is one the hottest biodiversity hotspots in the world and Borneo – the third largest island in the world – is the jewel in its crown. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) estimates that more than 220 species of mammals, 420 species of birds, 200 reptiles and amphibians and close to 400 species of fish are found in Borneo. A part of this staggering diversity comprises iconic, threatened species like Bornean Orangutan, Bornean Pygmy Elephant, Proboscis Monkey and Hose’s Palm Civet which are found nowhere else on earth. Eight species of hornbills occur here and on their account, the state of Sarawak in Malayasian Borneo derives its apt title – Bumi Kenyalang – The Land of the Hornbills. However, unbeknown to many, the major contributors to the mammalian diversity of this incredible island are bats. With roughly 90 species, bats make up about 40% of all the mammals found in Borneo. Once you set foot on Gunung Mulu National Park, you know why.
Gunung Mulu National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site is the most spectacular landscape that I have seen. 20 million years ago, this stunning forest was an underwater mountain. Five million years ago, tectonic activity brought the mountain above water and what one sees today is lush-green rainforest criss-crossed by rain-fed rivers through which emerge jagged limestone mountains that give Mulu its unique pre-historic ambience. When rainwater touches upon limestone it dissolves the rock to form caves. On account of the undulating limestone hills and the heavy rainfall that Mulu receives, it has countless cave systems. Such is the vastness of this pristine and rugged limestone forest that it took 15 months and 115 scientists of the Royal Geographic Society, UK to map its topography in 1977-78!
We arrived in Mulu in the afternoon on 18 August 2015. Our plan was to assist the team of student-researchers from UNIMAS in their study on bats of Mulu. On our arrival, Ellen McArthur, a masters’ student who was working on the bats of Mulu greeted us with the delightful news that she had found something special for us during her routine morning reconnaissance. I whiled away my time watching birds and a hungry Prevost’s Squirrel gorging on leaves at the canopy until it was time to go bat hunting with Ellen. Ellen led us to the nature trail and after barely walking a kilometer she stopped abruptly in front of a wild turmeric plant. Neatly hidden inside a young, rolled-up leaf of the turmeric was a tiny bat. It was a bat high up on my wishlist – the Hardwicke’s Woolly Bat (Kerivoula hardwickii). This is a diminutive bat, hardly weighing 3-4 g. Its body is densely covered with sooty-black woolly hair. What makes this bat sui generis is its recently-discovered symbiotic association with a carnivorous pitcher plant. In the nutrient-poor peat swamp forests of Borneo, the pitcher plant Nepenthes hemesleyana has evolved to attract these bats into its pitcher. However, the plant does not eat the bat; it provides lodging and the bat pays its rent by feeding the plant with its nitrogen-rich droppings! Hardwicke’s Woolly Bats are also the supreme sopranos of the animal world. Their ultrasonic calls start at 250 kHz – that’s 12 times higher than what we can hear!
The following evening I had a date with a glorious phenomenon in nature; one that I had, hitherto, only seen on television. At 3.30 pm, a crowd assembled at the ‘Bat Observatory’ outside Deer Cave. Deer Cave—the largest cave chamber in the world—is home to an estimated three million Wrinkle-lipped Bats (Chaerephon plicatus). As dusk approached, the anticipation was building up at the observatory. I saw a handsome Bat Hawk perched on a vantage point, its eyes fixed at the cave. Suddenly there was a cheer from the audience; the bats had begun to emerge en masse. One after the other, groups of bats flew out of the cave in perfect synchrony like a flock of starlings. Each group formed a different pattern in the sky – ribbons, waves, ‘S’ and even a moustache! It was time for the Bat Hawk to get active and it launched its first successful strike in the middle of the bat group. At the mouth of the cave, I also briefly saw a large eagle, probably a Wallace’s Hawk Eagle trying to intercept emerging bats. I had watched this phenomenon in the television many years ago (even before I got interested in bats) but to see the drama unfold before my eyes was a dream-come-true.
On our last night in Mulu we beefed up our efforts to catch bats. A mistnet (a thin nylon net used to catch birds and bats for research) was spread on a bridge over a river. An ingenious trap called ‘harp trap’ was set up at a forest trail. This trap has metal frames with fine plastic strings stretched to full tension and placed in parallel rows as in a harp (hence the name). The frame sits on four legs and a collection bag is placed at its base to allow a safe landing for bats that hit the strings. The bats are then picked up from the bag to be identified. Harp traps are particularly effective for strict forest-dwelling bats that often detect mistnets through their ultrasound. One of us was also deployed with a hand-held hoop net to catch bats flying in the open air. Ours was a truly global bat trapping team with representation from 9 countries! We caught a lot of interesting species that night. Our mistnets were full of Wrinkle-lipped Bats that love feeding over wide rivers. They are the most gentle and docile of all bats that I have handled. A not-so-docile bat was the one caught in the hoop net by my Hungarian friend, Tamas Görföl – a Diadem’s Leaf-nosed Bat (Hipposideros diadema). This is a large bat that typically hawks insects in forest clearings. Its body is a rich beige or orange with characteristic white patches on the flanks. At the harp trap we caught the Cantor’s (H. galeritus) and Fawn Leaf-nosed Bats (H. cervinus) and my favourite, the Large-eared Horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus philippinensis). This is a species of dense forests. It has large leaf-shaped ears and a peculiar nose that emerges like a unicorn’s horn. Back at the base, another team had caught a pretty Spotted-winged Fruit Bat (Balionycteris maculata) – a small and timid black bat with chicken pox-like spots on its wings. The best, however, was saved for the last, the miniscule Least Woolly Bat (Kerivoula minuta) which is so tiny that when Tigga Kingston—a leading bat biologist—passed it on to me, she said, “Be careful, you’ll have to hold it like a grain of salt!” A strict inhabitant of primary forests, habitat destruction, unfortunately, has put the Least Woolly Bat in the threatened category.
On the flight back to Kuching, I was reflecting on the immensely thrilling and educative days spent in Mulu. My thoughts were distracted by the sight of a bald patch in the middle of verdant rainforest. There are several threats that bats face globally. Deforestation impacts forest-dwelling bats while granite mining affects cave-roosting species. Recent studies claim that windmills kill more bats annually than anything else and more research is likely to come up with grimmer results. Our own personal attitudes that stem from superstitious beliefs and myths do not allow us to appreciate the crucial role that bats play in the ecosystem. In Southeast Asia, hunting and destruction of vast swathes of prime rainforest are the single biggest threat to bats. In recent years, ever-increasing logging and oil palm plantations have ravaged the magnificent Southeast Asian rainforests with catastrophic impacts on Orangutans, elephants, bats and even its indigenous tribes. It would be mankind’s greatest disaster if a 140 million year old rainforest were to be imperiled by our lifestyle choices and political negligence.
Note: An edited version of this article was published in Sanctuary Asia in August 2017.


Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions, or in the distribution of weather around the average conditions (i.e., more or fewer extreme weather events). Climate change is caused by factors that include oceanic processes (such as oceanic circulation), variations in solar radiationreceived by Earth, plate tectonics and volcanic eruptions, and human-induced alterations of the natural world; these latter effects are currently causingglobal warming, and "climate change" is often used to describe human-specific impacts.
Scientists actively work to understand past and future climate by using observations and theoretical models. Borehole temperature profiles, ice cores, floral and faunal records, glacial and periglacial processes, stable isotope and other sediment analyses, and sea level records serve to provide a climate record that spans the geologic past. More recent data are provided by the instrumental record. Physically based general circulation modelsare often used in theoretical approaches to match past climate data, make future projections, and link causes and effects in climate change.
The most general definition of climate change is a change in the statistical properties of the climate system when considered over long periods of time, regardless of cause. Accordingly, fluctuations over periods shorter than a few decades, such as El Niño, do not represent climate change.
The term sometimes is used to refer specifically to climate change caused by human activity, as opposed to changes in climate that may have resulted as part of Earth's natural processes. In this sense, especially in the context of environmental policy, the term climate change has become synonymous with anthropogenic global warming. Within scientific journals, global warmingrefers to surface temperature increases while climate change includes global warming and everything else that increasing greenhouse gas levels will affect.
On the broadest scale, the rate at which energy is received from the sun and the rate at which it is lost to space determine the equilibrium temperature and climate of Earth. This energy is distributed around the globe by winds, ocean currents, and other mechanisms to affect the climates of different regions.
Factors that can shape climate are called climate forcings or "forcing mechanisms". These include processes such as variations in solar radiation, variations in the Earth's orbit, mountain-building and continental drift and changes in greenhouse gas concentrations. There are a variety of climate change feedbacks that can either amplify or diminish the initial forcing. Some parts of the climate system, such as the oceans and ice caps, respond slowly in reaction to climate forcings, while others respond more quickly.
Forcing mechanisms can be either "internal" or "external". Internal forcing mechanisms are natural processes within the climate system itself (e.g., the thermohaline circulation). External forcing mechanisms can be either natural (e.g., changes in solar output) or anthropogenic (e.g., increased emissions of greenhouse gases).
Whether the initial forcing mechanism is internal or external, the response of the climate system might be fast (e.g., a sudden cooling due to airborne volcanic ash reflecting sunlight), slow (e.g.thermal expansion of warming ocean water), or a combination (e.g., sudden loss of albedo in the arctic ocean as sea ice melts, followed by more gradual thermal expansion of the water). Therefore, the climate system can respond abruptly, but the full response to forcing mechanisms might not be fully developed for centuries or even longer.


In 2017, Porsche delivered more than 71,000 vehicles in China. This represents an increase of ten percent on the previous year. For the second time in succession, this makes China the largest individual market for Porsche. The most popular model is the Macan, with around 8,500 deliveries in the first quarter of 2018. The largest percentage increase was achieved by the Panamera, which was up by around 680 percent on the previous year. There has also been a successful start to 2018 in China: With more than 18,600 vehicles delivered, the sports car manufacturer exceeded the results of the comparable period in the prior year by three percent.
The Porsche customers in China are particularly young when compared to the worldwide customer base – on average 20 years younger than European and American customers. The proportion of female customers in China is also relatively high (approx. 30 percent in China vs. approx. 20 percent in the USA and approx. ten percent in Germany). Chinese women show great interest in two-door sports cars in particular (42 percent of 911 drivers in China are female). There are also many customers who are motorsport fans. The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia is now the largest in the world.
The distribution network in China consists of a total of 103 Porsche Centers. With the opening of the Porsche Studio in Guangzhou, the sports car manufacturer crossed the 100 sales location threshold at the end of 2017. In addition, the sports car manufacturer has piloted new sales formats in China: The newly opened Porsche City Service Center in Shenzen offers customers an even more central location for a range of services for all models.
By opening the Porsche Experience Center Shanghai, Porsche is expanding the offering for customers and fans even further. The customer experience center, which is located in the immediate vicinity of the Shanghai International Circuit, offers a range of driving programs on different stretches of track.


Thu, 23 July|
Australia's Place in a Changing World
Time & Location
23 July 2020, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
About The Event
You’re invited to join Labor’s Senate Leader and Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Penny Wong and Senator Jenny McAllister for a discussion about navigating Australia’s place in a changing world.
Senator Wong recently published an article in the Australian Foreign Affairs journal titled “The end of orthodoxy: Australia in a post-pandemic world,” where she calls for a policy shift to address a fast-changing Asia-Pacific. You can read more about it here.
Navigating Australia’s place in a changing world
Date: Thursday July 23, 2020
Time: 6pm–7pm AEST
How: We will be conducting this briefing via Zoom – further details will sent prior to the event.


Drop by our store to request more information about Carpet Network Inc. & Renovations in Kenner, Louisiana, to see how we can help you with your flooring installation.
Providing Service in New Orleans and New Orleans Metro Area, Kenner, Metairie, Jefferson, River Ridge, Laplace, Harahan, Algiers, Westwego, and Harvey
Four Blocks from the New Orleans International Airport
Hours of Operation
Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.


The Brewery is accessible by both the Summit Road & Shernhall Street entrances to Ravenswood Industrial Estate.
Victoria Line : Walthamstow Central is located 10 minutes walk from the Brewery doors
Liverpool Street - Chingford Line: Wood Street Station is less than 10 minutes Walk
W19, W15, Routes 20 & 357 have stops on Shernhall Street,
W16, W12, W11, Routes 212, 230, 97, 34, N26 & N73 all have stops within half a mile of the Brewery
Wild Card Brewery
Unit 7 , Ravenswood Industrial Estate
Walthamstow, E17 9HQ


There is just something about Tuscany that will always feel a little – okay a lot – magical. The rolling hills of wheat, the lush vineyards, the Medieval and Renaissance era walled cities…this central-northern state in Italy has had a pull on romantics worldwide for decades that is showing no signs of stopping. I fell in love with Tuscany in 2015, when my best friend and I were galivanting around Europe post-college. First, Siena wooed us with her perfect, winding Medieval streets and lively Piazza il Campo, then Prato called us to stay a while after the tourist madness of Florence. Now, in 2022, I am back and just as smitten. This time around we have come with family, so it’s a little less laissez-faire than seven years ago, but just as beautiful. If you are keen to step back in time to a world of siestas, macchiatos, wine, and so, so much art, then you must come to Tuscany; however, there are a few things that you should know before you go. Take it from me, these few tips will make your trip more ‘under the Tuscan sun’ and less, getting eaten alive by mosquitos in a 13th century convent.
Get off the beaten path – remember, there is more to Tuscany than Florence
Okay, so not to bag on Florence, but it is a very touristy city. When I was there in 2015 it was very hard to find affordable and tasty food, because everything was targeted at international tourists. Cost of accommodation sky rockets as well and there are lines for everything. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the art of that famous city (David is one sexy statue), but there are simply too many tourists in Florence for it to retain its Tuscan magic. If you are an art historian, definitely go to Florence, but for those who’s ideal trip consists of sitting in a piazza sipping a macchiato and listening to the lovely lilt of Italian conversations that you can’t understand, then Lucca or Prato might be more your style. Prato is very close to Florence (about 20 minutes by train), but a world away in atmosphere. It is a tiny town with little to no sightseeing, but ample grappa, cured meats, and espresso to entertain anyone craving ‘il dolce far niente’ – the sweetness of doing nothing.
Lucca strikes a bit more of a balance between sightseeing options and quiet ambiance, and is a town I would heartily recommend to almost anyone. It is big enough to have sightseeing options, but small enough to walk around easily and quiet enough to find a piazza to yourself for your summer lunch of melon and prosciutto, even in the height of the tourist season. Lucca’s walls are its real treasure though – massive Renaissance style walls that encircle the entire old town with a lovely circular park, complete with a wide tree lined path and plenty of benches for taking in the views. Lucca’s walls were added to in the 16th century over a worry that Florence would invade and then became the perfect promenade you see today in the 19th century post-Italian unification (nerd note – you can tell the difference between the Medieval walls of a place like Siena from Renaissance era ones by their size, the Medieval ones were rather thin as they did not need to repel significant cannon blasts).
Check the weather – summer can be quite warm if you aren’t used to the heat
Tuscany can get down right hot in summer (between the months of June and August), so plan your accommodation accordingly. Temperatures are routinely over 30 C/86 F during the day and have even climbed to 37 C/97 F since we’ve been here. Tuscany is also humid mostly year round (though it is the lowest in summer, but let’s be honest, not by much) so consider this when looking at temperatures. It averages about 60% humidity, which isn’t horrible for those coming from humid climates (Tuscany humidity has nothing on Malaysia), but it can be a real struggle for those used to dry heat. Also, note that most of Europe does not have screens on their windows so it can be hard to deal with the heat just by opening windows, especially in the countryside where there are more insects, such as the ever annoying mosquitos that just love to take the invitation of an open window to feast on your blood. If you are heat sensitive at all I would strongly suggest only booking accommodation that has air conditioning. Kane and I can deal without it, but we are used to the heat in the north of Australia, if you are coming from some place cold, beware.
Rent a car if you want to stay in a villa in Tuscany
Ah the romance of opening your personal villa’s window and breathing in that fresh country air…until a wasp flies into your face sending you running around the very old, very rustic villa flapping your hands like a deranged bat. Villas in Tuscany are beautiful. They are alluring. But, and this is the key, villas are – mostly – very old buildings rather a long way into the countryside. Italian buses are unreliable at best and your only option to get into town for supplies or just an afternoon macchiato will be taxis, which are not cheap. So, I’d suggest that, unless you are renting a car, staying within walking distance of the city centre of these smaller towns is really the best option.
Use the Trainline App for less stressful travel
Trains are the lifeblood of the European continent and Italy is no exception. Most of your intra-country travel will be on trains as the distances are just too small for flights so you need to figure out how to navigate this system with relative ease. Buying tickets at the train station can be exceptionally slow, not due to lines (most of the time), but due to the painfully lethargic ticket machines that really, really like to contemplate every change of screen for at least a minute or so before moving on to the sixth screen you need to click through to buy your ticket. We have missed trains due to these machines and I would highly recommend that, for any larger journey than say moving between the towns of the Cinque Terre, you buy your tickets in advance using the Trainline app. It does not cost more, everything is translatable to English, and you can even track your trains on the app to help you know when to get off and about any delays that are occurring (delays are common in our experience).
Don’t tip all the time, but do check for a coperto
As an American living in Australia, I have come to love the fact that tipping is not customary once you get far enough away from the USA. In countries where staff get paid well there is no need for the customer to tip in any sort of obligatory way (in the USA if you don’t at least tip 10-15% your waiter will consider you the scum of the earth). Italy falls somewhere between Australia (almost never tip) and America (always tip) in the tipping customs. We’ve had this confirmed by local friends of ours who say that, one, you definitely do not need to tip all the time, as most restaurants will charge a coperto (cover charge) anyway, and two, that if you do get really, really good service and want to tip that you must give it directly to the person you want to tip, otherwise it just goes back to the restaurant owner. Even in the second case, where you’ve had really good service 10% is plenty to tip in these instances. Also, one last note on the coperto – sometimes the menu will say in fine print how much it will be, other times you only learn how much the coperto is once you get the bill, but it varies from one euro per person in smaller establishments to a few euros per person in a big city, tourist area. The coperto covers the bread they give you at the start of the meal, but that’s about it, still expect to pay for everything else, including water.
Share dishes when eating out to get a balanced meal
Italians seem to have a moral aversion to combining meat, carbs, and vegetables in the same dish. Chicken with pesto pasta and vegetables in one dish? It is impossible, and, quite possibly sacrilegious in Italy; okay I’m being a bit dramatic on this, but when you order a meat dish (often found in the secondi section), do not expect anything more than meat. The same goes for your pastas, which are found in the primi section, and any side dishes, found in the contorni section. Despite what you may have read online, most Italians do not order a primi, secondi, and contorni, it would just be way too much food. Instead, sharing dishes is very common here, so common that if two of you order the same dish they will often bring it in one big bowl to share. Kane and I have had no issues ordering a primi and a secondi to share between the two of us for our whole time in Italy, it’s pretty much the only way to get protein and pasta at the same time.
Go to Siena, just not during Palio time, unless you love crowds
Oh Siena, the magical Medieval city that started my love affair with Tuscany. This is a beautiful town south of Florence that has so much going for it, from the stunning Duomo to the hilly cobblestones streets filled to the brim with enotecas (wine shops) and gelaterias. My favourite time of day in Siena is just after sunset, which is around 8:30 pm in summer, sitting in the Piazza il Campo and watching the swifts that live in the bell towers dance across the sky while locals and tourists alike relax on the brick Piazza like they are lounging at the beach. However, Siena is known around the world for something a bit more hair raising than dodging swift poop while snacking on your evening gelato – the Palio. The Palio is a famous horse race that has all the contradas dressed up in their best Medieval finery cheering their neighborhood’s horse to a hopeful victory after three mad laps around the Piazza with a jockey clinging on sans saddle.
When I first traveled to Siena it was well outside of Palio time, and while there was a lot to learn about the contradas and their fiercely local spirits, it was still mostly a quiet, smaller town. Yes, there were tourists, but there were locals too and pretty much no waits for anything. This latest trip to Siena was a bit different though, as we went about a week and a half before the first run of the Palio (they run the race twice a year, once in early July and once in early August). Our first couple of nights in the city were the slow magic that I had remembered, but when the clock started ticking down to 8 days before Palio, 7 days before Palio, the city erupted. The first signs of the change where the contrada bands and flag throwers practising in the streets – when you hear those drums, follow the sound for an entertaining sneak peak of what is to come in the following week. Then, a week before the race they started packing tons and tons of dirt into the path around the Piazza il Campo and overnight it goes from a cobblestone path for meandering to a race track fit for a mad man. They even put mattresses up along the narrower sides to protect both the shop fronts and the race participants from the inventible falls that come with racing bareback. Finally, the crowds of tourists and locals alike descend on Siena in the week leading up to the Palio, making previously relaxed streets almost impassable in places. One final note, the Palio is very much for the locals, so if you choose to go, please be respectful of what this event means to them, it is the most important event of the year.
We considered staying to see the race, but after looking up how much it would cost to get any view that wasn’t crammed into the center of the Piazza for five hours with negative personal space, we decided it wasn’t for us. I’m not a fan of crowds on a good day and, for me, a huge part of the magic of Siena its leisurely pace – which changes completely come Palio. If you love pageantry, neighbourhood rivalries, and can stand serious crowds, then come to Siena during Palio time and tell me how it is, I’m keen to hear. If crowds, lines, and expensive everything isn’t your cup of tea, then do as we did and avoid the area for at least a week before Palio time.
Stay elsewhere and day trip to big tourist sites
Given it’s my second time in Tuscany and we were staying in Lucca, I thought it was high time that I see Pisa. Yes, I’d heard it before, the leaning tower of Pisa is mostly a glorified tour bus photo op, but I wanted to see it for myself. However, I didn’t want to waste a whole day on a disappointing destination without at least enjoying the journey so we hired e-bikes in Lucca and rode to Pisa. Our path wound along the Serchio River, through Tuscan farmland, and over some rather bumpy gravel/rocky roads (maybe get the mountain e-bike next time) and it was hands down the best way to see Pisa, because we got to spend a lovely day in the countryside, stop in at tourist mayhem, see the tower, then run away back to the countryside. It cost us 35 euro each for the day of e-bike hire and took us about 4 1/2 hours all up, you could do it on a normal bike for less money, but I would double the time needed to get there and back (it’s about a 50 km round trip and you need to budget time for getting lost). You don’t need to ride a bike to get to Pisa from Lucca, there is a train that is cheap and quick, but whatever you do, I would recommend making places like Pisa a day trip rather than a multi-day stay to avoid expensive accommodation, food, etc.
Learn a little Italian, especially if you’re heading to smaller towns
In the big cities and main tourist attractions it’s a safe bet that most people will speak at least a little English, however, this bet gets significantly longer odds the further you go into the countryside of Tuscany. I know it can be hard to learn another language just for a trip, but a few buongiorno’s, grazie’s, and buonasera’s go a long way towards ingratiating yourself to the locals and it shows respect of their culture and language. The words we have used the most are as follows:
- Buongiorno – good morning, use this until about 1/2 pm
- Buonasera – good afternoon, safe to use anytime after 1 pm and you can use it well into the night
- Buonanotte – good night. This is really only used for saying good bye at night, like if you are walking into your hotel room for the evening you can say buonanotte to the reception staff
- Un tavolo per due, per favore – A table for two, please. Use this at restaurants and do not forget to say per favore, you will be rude if you don’t. Swap the number for however many people you have in your group (uno – 1, due – 2, tre – 3, quattro – 4, cinque – 5, sei – 6, sette – 7, otto – 8, nove – 9, dieci – 10)
- Vorrei… – I would like… Use this for ordering and follow with what you would like, if you are struggling with pronunciation double up by pointing at what you want on the menu while you are trying to say it in Italian. They appreciate the effort, but sometimes our Anglo-pronunciations are atrocious and the pointing helps to avoid culinary confusion.
- Mi scusi – Excuse me. Scusi is a very versatile Italian word and can help you, politely, get the attention of waitstaff, move around people in a crowd, or ask strangers for directions.
- il conto, per favore – The bill, please. Unless you are eating at a real fast food type of place (like a pizza by the slice joint where you eat standing up), you will need to ask for the bill. Italian waitstaff consider it rude to bring you the bill without you asking first, so don’t just wait for them to bring it like you would in America, you need to ask. If you can’t speak to them because it’s too crowded, catching their eye and doing the universal air scribble, while mouthing ‘il conto, per favore’ mostly does the trick too.
Don’t rush it, enjoy the pace of life in Tuscany
Tuscany, and Italy as a whole, is about ‘il dolce far niente’ so don’t rush your trip here. Spend at least three nights anywhere you stay so you aren’t constantly dealing with the stress of moving around and, if you have the vacation time, try to spend a good chunk of time in a single location (I would say a week) to really get a feel for the place and to unwind into the culture. I know this can be hard for Americans given the paltry amount of vacation days most people get, but even with say, only ten days to travel, you can manage to avoid the frantic rush-rush by limiting yourself to no more than three destinations (I would even say two would be better than three if you only have ten days, but I know the concept of slow travel can be hard for some to embrace).
Whatever you do, enjoy your time in Tuscany, it is a beautiful area of the world that will always make my romantic soul sing – oh and you must enjoy the food and wine, but that is obvious to anyone traveling Italy. I strongly recommend Sangiovese (Brunello, Montepulcianos, Montalcinos, etc.) and focaccia (you will never look at bread the same way again).


Kerala 03 Night / 04 Days Tour Package Mini Kerala - Woods and Backwaters
A holiday with your family with the beauty of nature at Thekkady along with the Houseboat cruise on the backwaters of Kerala. This short Kerala tour covers both wild life as well as the backwater cruise. Ideal for nature lovers and families who like to spend a whole night in the backwaters of Kerala.
Day 01 : Arrive at Cochin - Thekkady ( 5 Hours drive)
After arriving in Cochin, drive to proceed to Thekkady. Thekkady is one of the Indias most fascinating wildlife destination of Kerala. En route, visit Idukki dam. On arrival, check in to your hotel. Periyar wildlife sanctuary is home to nomadic tribes of wild elephant, boar, deer, the great Indian tiger and more. Have a comfortable overnight stay at the hotel
Day 02 : Thekkady
Morning after breakfast, enjoy boating through the Periyar Wildlife sanctuary. You can visit the rare species of plants and animals. In the afternoon, visit spice plantations of cardamom, cinnamon, pepper, coffee, tea estates etc. On your way back to the hotel, stop at the local market and pick up some fragrant spices. Have a comfortable overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 03 : Thekkady - Alleppey
After breakfast checkout and proceed to Alleppey, This town is considered to be the oldest planned town in this region and the lighthouse built on the coast of the town is the first of its kind along the Arabian coast. Referred to as the Venice of the East, Alappuzha has always enjoyed an important place in the maritime history of Kerala. Today, it is famous for its boat races, backwater holidays, beaches, marine products and coir industry. Alappuzha beach is a popular picnic spot. Check into the houseboat on arrival (check in time 12.00 Noon). Enjoy the day with a backwater cruise on the Vembanad Lake. Overnight stay is on the houseboat.
Day 04 : Cochin Depature
Morning at leisure on House Boat experience the pollution free air and after a good breakfast at 09:00 am check out from houseboat and we transfer you Cochin - Airport / Railway station for your onward journey.
Accommodation using Double Room
Breakfast at all the hotels. (CPAI)
A/c Houseboat with all meals (APAI) Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Tea, Snacks and Dinner.
A/c Vehicle for all transfers and sightseeing exactly as per the itinerary.
Toll & Parking, Driversbata and Tax.
All Hotel Taxes Except Service Tax 3.09%, which will be charged extra on all the packages.
Any meals other than those mentioned above.
Any Airfare / Train fare.
Entrance fees to Amusement parks & Boating charges.
Any portage at airports and hotels, tips, insurance, wine, mineral water, telephone charges, and all items of personal nature.
Any services not specifically mentioned in the inclusions.
Expenses caused by factors beyond our control like rail and flight delays, roadblocks, vehicle malfunctions,political disturbances etc.


Flowers by Number is located in Los Angeles California. We are happy to assist you in any way we can regarding your floral arrangements. Please reach out to us by filling out the form on this page with your contact information and question and we will get back to you in a timely manner.
Flowers By Number, LLC
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So, big news. I'm officially moving on from my role at Jack Morton in Australia. My last day here is on Friday (3 April).
I'm not going far though (at least not professionally). On Monday 13 April, I'll be starting in my new role as Director of Strategy and Planning for Jack Morton in New York.
The other exciting bit of news is who's replacing me...Katie Chatfield (author of the Get Shouty blog) came on board this morning as our new Creative Strategist here in Australia. All change then, and all good.


Ciao a tutti!
My name is Giacomo Cattaneo, I'm a Swiss doctoral student in innovation management and a passionate traveller. Sometimes I try to take some nice picture that I feel like sharing with you on this website ;)
This website started to showcase the 50 pictures I had been blessed to exhibit in December 2013. I had travelled for 8 months around the world after the end of my studies and before the start of my doctoral program. Primarily triggered by the many comments and incitements of friends and family, I decided to do something with these pictures I shot from Japan to Antarctica. Not tolerating the thought of gaining anything from whatever I wanted to do (I had gained way too much through travelling), I decided to create a charity exhibition that would offer all the proceedings to the foundation Fior di Loto in Pushkar. I did not know such foundation before I visited them in my last weeks in India, but they impressed me with their seriousness and drive to make change happen. They now support more than 300 girls and their education, and I wanted in my own way contribute to such project. I called the exhibition "A World for Lalita". The name Lalita from the exhibition's title comes from a sweet girl I got to know at the foundation, and of whom I am still today the "sponsor". The idea was to show her the world in 50 pics, hence the name. The exhibition then came to be, and not only gave me the great opportunity to finally share my travels with many dear people, but also made it more meaningful.
The trip around the world was simply an incredible experience, difficult to put into words. It allowed me to expand my view to a world full of wonders, and to get closer to my inner "me" in a journey of self-discovery. It is only when you find yourself immersed in a completely different world and out of your comfort zone that you finally see your own true colours. I got my jaw dropping when visiting amazing places or standing in front of stunning landscapes, but it was eventually the kindness of the people and the smiles they shared with me that made that trip unique, and mine. If you would like to hear some stories about it, I am happy to invite you check out Spinning Around, the travel blog I wrote during my trips with tips and stories from my wanderings.
Today I keep on updating the website through my blog and by adding the best shots to the photography section, which is aimed at supporting the cause of the Fior di Loto Foundation. You find more information about how to support the project here.
Do not hesitate to contact me for any question you might have. I'll be happy to get in touch with you as soon as possible.


Bewersdorf PLC is pleased to announce that for the sixth straight year, the firm’s founder, Ryan Bewersdorf, has been named to the 2020 Michigan Super Lawyers list in the area of business litigation. Prior to first being recognized in 2015, Ryan was named a 2012, 2013, and 2014 Michigan Super Lawyers “Rising Star”.
Super Lawyers is a peer reviewed listing of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The recognition is reserved for top attorneys in the state of Michigan. No more than 5.0 percent of the lawyers in the state of Michigan are named to this list.


Participants will explore a government-designated historical site, the ruins of the port city of Tosaminato, which flourished in the Middle Ages and was closely connected to Oshu-Dewa Tosaminato, one of the major three bays and seven ports listed in Japan's earliest marine law, and the to the head of the Ando clan under the title of Hinomoto Shogun. Tours also include visits to the ruins of Fukushima Castle and Sannoubou, both of which had historical connections to Tosaminato. This is a guided tour starting from a michinoeki or roadside station. With a local tour guide, participants will be first introduced to an overview of the area at the Shiura History and Folklore Museum in the Jusanko Nakanoshima Bridge Park, and then set off for the ruins.
From July 1 to October 31
2,000 yen up to a 4-hour tour. *Museum admission fee is required separately


To provide for the protection and conservation of ecologically viable areas representative of South Africa’s biological diversity and its natural landscapes and seascapes; for the establishment of a national register of all national, provincial and local protected areas; for the management of those areas in accordance with national norms and standards; for intergovernmental co-operation and public consultation in matters concerning protected areas; for the continued existence, governance and functions of South African National Parks; and for matters in connection therewith.
Last update: January 2019
Copyright: This Act reproduced under Government Printers Copyright Authority 10154 dated 20 March 1996
Disclaimer: This Act is presented "as is". Please read our Disclaimer before continuing.
The National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, 2003 (Act No. 57 of 2003) has been updated by Proclamations, Declaration of Land to be Part of Table Mountain National Park as per Proclamation No. 3 of GG42185 dated 25 January 2019.
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www.Cnautotool.com Cnautotool Website and Webhosting Information
We found that the organization hosting www.Cnautotool.com is Virtono Networks SRL in Bucharest, Bucuresti, Romania.
A more detailed IP address report for www.Cnautotool.com is below. At the time you pulled this report, the IP of www.Cnautotool.com is 126.96.36.199 and is located in the time zone of Europe/Bucharest. The context of www.Cnautotool.com is "Cnautotool" and could reflect the theme of the content available on the resource. More IP details of www.Cnautotool.com are shown below along with a map location.
IP Address of Cnautotool is 188.8.131.52
|Organization:||Virtono Networks SRL|
|ISP/Hosting:||Virtono Networks SRL|
|User Rating:||Rated / 5|
|Local Time:||10/19/2017 08:51 PM|
Map location for www.Cnautotool.com | Cnautotool
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Targeting project developers and business champions from East Africa and investors from all over the world, the first Forest and Landscape Investment Forum (FLIF) starts on Tuesday in Kigali.
The 2-day forum is organized by the Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism (FLRM) of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation in conjunction with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), the Rwanda Development Bank (BRD), as well as the Agriculture Exports Board (NAEB), the Rwanda Environment Management Agency (REMA) and the environment fund Fonerwa.
This event will promote a broad spectrum of investments in forests and landscapes for environmental, social, economic and financial returns and directly contributes to FAO’s strategic objective 2 on sustainable agriculture, and strategic objective 4 on value chains.
The forum feeds into the global development agenda, specifically sustainable development goal 15 on life on land (Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss), The Bonn Challenge (to bring 150 million hectares of the world’s deforested and degraded land into restoration by 2020, and 350 million hectares by 2030), and the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100),
FLIF provides a unique opportunity to bring together project developers, business champions, and investors in lively debate on business opportunities and challenges in agroforestry and forestry.
The ambitious restoration goals set by the global development agenda require large investments. According to a recent FAO-UNCCD analysis, between USD 36 and 49 billion of investments are needed every year to achieve these goals. FLIF will be a marketplace for effective forest and landscape investment opportunities.
However, investments in forests and landscapes are unevenly distributed worldwide. While most are made in Latin America, only 1% are in Africa. It is therefore critical to build fora and platforms to intensify interactions among project developers, business leaders and investors. FLIF offers a unique platform for exploring the potential of finance to enhance livelihoods, protect the environment and ensure food security benefits.
FLIF targets project developers and business champions from Eastern Africa, in particular from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, as well as investors from all over the world who seek business opportunities in sustainable landscapes. It will showcase business opportunities in forests and landscapes, in particular through agroforestry and forestry value chains (wood and non-wood forest products) such as coffee, tea, timber, macadamia, silk, and cassava
The forum will host a wide-range of debates and discussions over the two days, including:
Beyond plenary sessions, a booth exhibition and targeted side-events will facilitate further dynamic interactions between participants.


My name is Dunia Muhindo Moise. “Dunia” means “world” in Swahili, but funny enough my world was limited to DRC until very recently. I began the journey to becoming a Q Grader.
As many may already know, the journey is long and arduous, not so much on the physical movement for most, but more the difficulty in the mental and emotional upheaval in getting this tough and coveted international qualification that literally sets you apart both as an individual as well as a professional in the coffee world. Well for some of us, it was a mixture of all. To top it up, DRC is a French speaking nation, so we needed to overcome the challenge of the language barrier, as the course was being delivered in English. Luckily we also speak Swahili and Kenya has it as a national language.
We were informed about the Q Grader course to be held in Nairobi Kenya, about 10 days to the event. Previously we had had very few trainers coming from all over the world to teach us about coffee, a commodity that DRC is so rich in, in addition to the other natural endowments of minerals and other resources. But as many know, this can be a blessing as well as a curse. DRC has been experiencing civil strive for several years which has made it difficult to access quality services in all sectors, not excluding my sector, coffee. The Q Grader course was something I had heard about, but it looked like an unachievable dream, until we got the call from Eastern Congo Initiative.
5 of us were selected to travel to Kenya to try our hand at this course. Of the 5 of us that were selected, only 3 of us eventually managed to get logistically organized and mobilized to get to Nairobi in time. My colleague Ismael from a place known as Kinyezire, myself from a place known as Minova and Linda from Bukavu.
We all journeyed by almost all means of transport known to man. I met with my colleague Ismael at a place called Minova. We got on a motor bike for 54 kilometres and rode for approximately 2 hours. The roads are inaccessible hence the only way to maneuver is by motor bike. Getting to Goma on the border of DRC and Rwanda, we had to take another bike together to take us over to Gisenyi, a border with the neighbouring country Rwanda. This took us 30 minutes and the tedious immigration process but afterwards we got on a long distance bus to Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda. The bus ride was smooth, but due to the hilly nature of Rwanda, the land of 1,000 hills, it is quite winded and can stir up everything you have eaten and digested in previous days. We arrived in Kigali in the evening and had to spend the night at a hotel / lodge. The following day we made our way to the Kigali International Airport and took the flight to Nairobi which took us 1 and a quarter hours.
On arrival Nairobi, we hoped to be received by the hotel, but unfortunately our time of arrival had not been communicated. We called a fellow countryman based in Nairobi and he was courteous enough to call the number on the emails which happened to be of our soon to be Instructor, Ms. Mbula Musau. He managed to talk to her and informed her that we had proceeded to the hotel mentioned in the communication. We settled at the hotel and our instructor made arrangements to ensure our facilitated stay and movement to and from the training venue.
The next 6 days were overwhelming to say the least. However the format and instruction was enabling. By the end of the 3rd day we felt ready to take on the 20 exams required to get the qualification. One after another I tackled them, and by the end of it I was overjoyed to learn that I had been successful on my first attempt! I really thank my instructor for going out of her way to facilitate and encourage us to attain the Q Grader qualification that I had crossed lakes, mountains, skies and valleys for. At least even if the return journey was similar, the biggest mental and emotional barriers had been conquered. And just like that, Dunia became the first ever Q Grader from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)!
I plan to apply the skills I learnt to my personal career development, my organization and my country as a whole. What I learnt about coffee in the one week I was in Kenya will go a long way to getting my fellow youth to embrace this gift we give to the world and make the very best out of it.
Thank you Eastern Congo Initiative, Muungano Cooperative, Coffee Quality Institute and Utake Coffee Limited. Indeed, it takes not only a village but the whole entire Dunia.