#dutch national natural park

[surelookbutnothingtoseehere]

#mine #my pictures #my picture #netherlands #nederland #dutch #amateur photography #photography #photographers on tumblr #original photography blog #water #wet nature #lake #see #national park #tree #trees #forest

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - May 29, 2023

Rwanda’s life expectancy has increased by 20 years in the last 20 years

What did Rwanda change? Three developments stand out: low-cost community-based health insurance plans, national investments in rural health posts, and ramped-up foreign collaborations. In 2020, more than 90 percent of Rwanda’s people had some kind of health insurance. This stands out relative to other low-income countries, where on average 31 percent of people have health insurance.

2. Brandon School Division rejects call to remove library books on sexuality, gender identity

Loud cheers erupted inside a packed high school gymnasium after the Brandon School Division rejected a call to remove books dealing with sexuality and gender identity from libraries. Hundreds of people in Manitoba's second-largest city showed up for the marathon school division meeting, which ran into the early morning hours.

The trustees ultimately voted 6-1 to reject a proposal to create a committee of trustees and parents to review books available in division schools.

3. Lotto winner pledges to fund classrooms in his native Mali

Happiness for one lucky North Carolina resident comes not from newfound wealth from a lottery win, but using those winnings to help schoolchildren -- in this case, from Mali.

Souleymane Sana of North Carolina won $100,000 from a scratch-off ticket. Relocating to the United States from Mali -- a war-torn county in West Africa -- Sana is using his earnings to create a non-profit to help school kids from his hometown.

4. Mountain gorillas rebound thanks to Ugandan veterinarian

In 2018, as their population topped 1,000, they were removed from the critically endangered list and their status upgraded to just endangered. That positive step was due, in no small part, to Ugandan veterinarian Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka. 

Her working home is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to roughly half of the world's mountain gorillas. But early on she also realized that to help the animals and keep them free from disease and poaching, she needed to also help their human neighbours, launching successful initiatives to improve the health and well-being of the people living around the park. 

5. Imports of ivory from hippos, orcas and walruses to be banned in UK

Ivory imports from hippopotamuses, orcas and walruses will be banned under new legislation to protect the endangered species from poaching.

The Ivory Act, passed in 2018, targeted materials from elephants, but a loophole meant that animals other than elephants, including hippos, were being targeted for their ivory.

6. Solar power due to overtake oil production investment for first time in 2023

Investment in clean energy will extend its lead over spending on fossil fuels in 2023, the International Energy Agency said on Thursday, with solar projects expected to outpace outlays on oil production for the first time.

Annual investment in renewable energy is up by nearly a quarter since 2021 compared to a 15% rise for fossil fuels, the Paris-based energy watchdog said in its World Energy Investment report.

7. Paralyzed man walks naturally, thanks to wireless ‘bridge’ between brain and spine

Gert-Jan Oskam lost the ability to walk in 2011 when he injured his spine in a cycling accident in China. Six years later, the Dutch man managed to take a few short steps thanks to a small array of electrodes implanted on top of his spinal cord that delivered nerve-stimulating pulses of electricity.

Today in Nature, an international team of researchers reports giving Oskam a better fix, a way to digitally bridge the communication gap between his brain and lower body. Brain waves signaling Oskam’s desire to walk travel from a device implanted in his skull to the spinal stimulator, rerouting the signal around the damaged tissue and delivering pulses of electricity to the spinal cord to facilitate the movement. Oskam can now walk more fluidly, navigate obstacles, and climb stairs.

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#best news of last week

[elbiotipo]

If you're from Argentina, you've probably heard about the Iberá wetlands, and you know the tourist pitch: a vast expanse of natural wonders in the middle of Corrientes, full of beautiful lapachos, cute carpinchos and yacarés, and now home to the fastest-growing wild yaguareté population, all with the unique Guaraní influenced culture of rural Corrientes.

Now, things aren't as shiny as they look, since the creation and management of the new national park is still a point of contention in many ways, but you will be suprised that this kind of thinking about the Iberá is very, very recent. Most people considered it an obstacle to progress, a big bunch of swamp in the middle of what could be a very productive ranching province. In a geography book from the 1910s (unfortunately I lost the screencap) it says something like "the biggest obstacle for the development of the province is this swamp, and it should be drained"

This took me to the other side of the world, to the Netherlands. They're known for land reclamation, from literally building their country from the sea. Especially when we're facing rising sea levels because of climate change, the Dutch seem like miracle workers, a look into our future. You will find no shortage of praise about how with some windmills and dams, the Dutch took land "from the sea", and turned it into quaint little polders, making a tiny country in Europe a food exporter and don't they look so nice? But when you look about it, you can barely find anything about what came before those polders. You have to dig and dig to find any mentions of not "sea", but of complex tidal marshes and wetlands, things I've learned are ecologically diverse and protected in many places, but you won't find people talking about that at all when talking about the Netherlands. It's all just polders now. What came before was useless swamp, or a sea to be triumphantly conquered. It's like they were erased from history

The use of that language reminded me of the failed vision of draining Iberá... and the triumphing vision in the Netherlands, and many other places. Maybe those wonderful places, those unique wetlands, would have been a footnote, you wouldn't find anything unless you were a bored ecologist who looked, and not even then. Now, far it be from me to accuse the medieval Dutch, who wanted to have more space to farm, of ecocide. And don't think this is going to be a rant against European ecological imperialism either, as the most anthropized places you can find are actually in China and India. But it does get me thinking.

I work with the concept of landscape, and landscape managing. (Not landscaping, those guys get better paid than me) The concept of landscape is somewhat similar to the concept of ecosystem you know from basic biology, but besides biotic and abiotic factors, you also have to involve cultural factors, that is, humans. There is not a single area of "pristine" untouched nature in the world, that is a myth. Humans have managed these landscapes for as long as they have lived in them. The Amazon, what many people think about when they think about "unspoilt" nature, has a high proportion of domesticated plants growing on it, which were and are still used by the people who live on it, and there once were great civilizations thriving on it. Forests and gardens leave their mark, so much that we can use them to find abandoned settlements. From hunter-gatherers tending and preserving the species vital to their survival in the tundra to engineers in Hong-Kong creating new islands for airports, every human culture has managed their natural resources, creating a landscape.

And this means these landscapes we enjoy are not natural creations. They are affected by natural enviroments; biomes do exist, species have a natural distribution. But they are created and managed by humans. Humans who decide what is valuable to them and what is not. The Dutch, seemingly, found the tidal marshes useless, and they created a new landscape, which changed the history of their nation forever. We here in modern Argentina changed our perception of Iberá, decided to take another approach, and now we made it a cherished part of our heritage, which will also speak about us in the future.

Ultimately, what is a useless swamp to be drained or a beautiful expanse of nature to be cherished depends in our culture, in us humans. We are the ones who manage and change ecosystems based in our economics, our culture, our society. This will become increasingly important, as climate change and ecological degradation becomes harsher and undeniable. We will have to decide what nature is worth to us. Think about what is it worth to you.

#I REALLY had to restrain myself not to make a football joke about the netherlands #cosas mias #ecology #biology #culture #cultural landscapes

[fatehbaz]

Whales, like wolves, elephants, and beavers, are keystone species, animals who disproportionately shape ecosystems. While alive, their fecal plumes fertilize phytoplankton, the microscopic plants that oxygenate our atmosphere. In death, whales who settle on the ocean floor attract an astonishing necrobiome, the community of scavengers who feed upon the dead: hagfish, mussels, limpets, isopods, sleeper sharks, chemosynthetic bacteria. Some, like bone-eating Osedax worms, subsist exclusively on benthic carcasses. Whalefalls are oases in the abyssal wastes, as enticing to life as a Saharan watering hole. Not every dead whale, however, comes to rest in the depths.

Those whales who drift ashore -- buoyed by internal gasses, conveyed by currents -- support complex ecosystems of their own.

Vultures and seabirds peck at eyes and blowhole; sharks strip blubber in the surf. In Namibia’s coastal deserts, jackals and hyenas gnaw at dead seal pups, dolphins, and whales. When, in 2020, a minke whale -- nicknamed Godfried, for a beloved local author -- washed ashore on a Dutch islet, he was visited by 57 species of beetle, 21 of whom had never been seen on the island before. In Russia, scientists have documented 180 polar bears feasting on a single bowhead.

-------

Once, coastal necrophages could count on a steady supply of whale carcasses. (California’s famously huge grizzlies, now extinct, may have attained their gargantuan size by feeding upon the same marine mammals who supported condors.) Today, however, washed-up cetaceans are comparatively rare. In part, that’s because industrial whaling -- “the largest removal of biomass in world history,” per one researcher -- ravaged the leviathans. Blue whale populations have plummeted by up to 90 percent, and sperm whales endure at just one-third of their historic numbers. Scavengers can’t eat nonexistent animals.

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But the dearth of whales isn’t entirely responsible for the dearth of whale carcasses. We humans also tend to be overzealous morticians. Rather than letting stranded animals fulfill their ancient roles, we hastily dispose of their remains, depriving coastal ecosystems of nature’s greatest windfall. As one group of scientists put it in a recent review of cetacean carcass management, whaling and whale-removal have together “led to radical changes in the abundance and availability of large marine biomass inputs.” In other words: Our shorelines miss their whales and dolphins.

Lately, some researchers have begun to pay closer heed to the value of stranded whales, and to encourage coastal managers to let carcasses lie. Granted, not every beach is an appropriate resting place for a reeking, 50,000-pound corpse. When circumstances allow, however, permitting dead whales to decompose in situ may be preferable to disposal. [...]

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[E]very country, state, and municipality obeys slightly different protocols. Some whales are carted off to the landfill, incinerator, or rendering plant, where their oily fats may be extracted for soaps, pet foods, and biofuel. Some are towed to sea, weighed down with scrap metal, and sunk. Some are buried. Some are cleaned for museum display. In 1970, the Oregon Highway Department infamously dynamited a gray whale, flattening an Oldsmobile beneath a chunk of flying blubber [...]. Mostly, whales are removed for a prosaic reason: They stink. [...]

As a result, authorities seldom let carcasses lie. Some countries, like Belgium and France, actually require officials to usher dead cetaceans off to a waste-management facility. In the United States, Quaggiotto found that just 28 percent of cetacean carcasses remain in situ -- nearly all of these, surely, on remote beaches in wildlife refuges, national parks, and Alaska. In heavily developed Florida, Megan Stolen, a stranding investigator and scientist with the Blue World Research Institute, estimates that less than 5 percent of dead whales and dolphins get to stay put. [...]

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In May 2010, biologists in Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park spotted a 41-foot-long female humpback carcass sprawled across a beach and, sensing opportunity, set out cameras to monitor her fate.

Over the next four months, brown bears and wolves feasted almost daily, inscribing networks of pawpaths onto forest and beach. The “blubber bonanza” became a site for ursine reproduction -- cameras caught a pair of bears mating -- and even innovation. In July, a researcher observed a young bear scrubbing his muzzle with a barnacle-encrusted rock, like a post-prandial diner dabbing himself with a napkin. [...] “That carcass seemed to be a beacon calling to these huge bears -- and, of course, they got huger and huger,” says Tania Lewis, wildlife biologist at Glacier Bay. “We can never underestimate the importance of the marine ecosystem for the terrestrial ecosystem.”

The Glacier Bay humpback was both a cornucopia and an anachronism, a glimpse of the resplendent necrobiome that predated industrial whaling, coastal development, and aseptic carcass management strategies. The feast lasted until early September, when park staff severed the whale’s head to perform a necropsy. Unmoored, the body lolled into the tide and drifted away; later, it would wash up down the beach, where wolves gnawed the bones. As the whale floated into the sunset, observers on the beach noticed a passenger: a seafaring brown bear, still trying to chisel off a few last morsels of blubber before the bounty bobbed away.

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Headline and text by: Ben Goldfarb. “Humans Are Overzealous Whale Morticians.” Nautilus. 10 August 2022.

[synthsays]

Red Dead Modern AU: Synth Edition!

Sorry it took me so long to get it out there but it's here now and I love what I've made up so far >:D

They live out in the country first of all. Let's just say the town is Valentine (cuz I like the name). Dutch Hosea and Susan all co-own a big two story house (similar to the shady belle one but smaller and better kept together) and they own a decent plot of land where there's a handful of mobile home style smaller houses that the rest of the gang live in (some have tents and cars and stuff like that too) They also have cows and horses on their land too. There's and old run down church not far from the camp that's near a creek so they had a stock hold of stuff there (Reverend chills there too cuz I said so).

Now to get into the individual peeps.

So the town of Valentine is pretty far out there so they don't have a fully functioning police system, Dutch offers his men to help with standard stuff and to still have crime control without having to call out an actual squad of police (kind of like in Rhodes with the Grays) Colm Odriscoll also has a couple of his men in the basically volunteer police department so there's some rivalry there. The real rivalry started with a bar fight in the 90s between Colm and Dutch that ended with Annabel and Colm's brother both dying (they "took it outside" into the woofs so there were no witnesses besides them and Hosea) Basically they were both like "I won't turn you in if you don't turn me in" so it was a stalemate. Colm ODriscoll owns one of those all boys reform school ranches that turn out to be abusive, that's where Kieran works as a stable hand of course (Colm has his gang of people aside from the school). So basically Ducth has somewhat control over this town plus a rivalry with Colm. He's still a little crazy so he basically how they get Kieran to join there side is threatening him with incriminating evidence agaist him (dutch knows the reform school is bad so he's like "Hey kieran ur gonna get arrested big time cuz u work there even tho you didn't do anything we have this fake evidence agaist you so join us instead) so now he just is a stable hand at a different place. Now as I mentioned Strauss is the most tech savvy of them all (surprising ik) because he basically scams people online. So strauss is usually on the family computer which is just a clunky 2000s pc Hosea bought cuz he wanted to be cool and impress the kids. How they met John is that he was about to get dragged away by some police officer cuz he didn't have a guardian around or something but Dutch ran up to him like "That's where you are! Moms worried sick. Don't you ever run away again r- uuuuh *looks to Hoseas* rrrip...Van Winkle! Let's get you home, thank you officer." And the rest was history ig

Arthur: helps mostly on the farm with the cows and stuff (cowpoke lol), owns a really beat up truck (John crashed it)

Dutch: no license lol, manages money for the farm, selling etc., is a conspiracy theorist he has one of those red string boards, probably stays up all night looking at his phone (facebook), tries to be "hip" but fails miserably, infinite amount of Hawaiian shirts where dies he keep getting these-

Hosea: used to own a motorcycle, crashed it unfortunately, shoplifts because he thinks it's funny, is actually cool unlike Dutch, has a garden.

John: dropped out of highschool rip, ran away 100 times as a kid but always called when he was like somehow 15 miles away like "mom come pick me up I'm scared", duct tapes whatever is broken no matter what it is. Works with cows on the farm but usually let's arthur do the actual work

Tilly: most put together of the main family. Student teacher at the school, likes hunting and has deer antlers in her room, helps mostly with the horses on the farm.

Charles: national park ranger (works at the nearest one even though it's still a 2 hours drive or something like that so he wakes up really early), has a blog about nature and park rangers stuff.

MaryBeth: has a book club (they meet in the cafe every Friday 3 pm), fanfic writer, would have a pretty huge following

Pearson: owns a cafe (saves a table area for Mary beth on fridays), has a huge postcard collection, watches cooking TV shows religiously lol

Susan: facebook gossip (has one of those old lady groups), principal at the school, cigarette mom

Sadie: Works for animal control, owns a cabin with Jake

Kieran: loves bass pro, works as a stable hand, plays those stupid horse care mobile games, has a yt channel (centered around horses)

MaryBeth: has a book club (they meet in the cafe every Friday 3 pm), fanfic writer, would have a pretty huge following

Susan: facebook gossip (has one of those old lady groups), principal at the school, cigarette mom

Sadie: Works for animal control, owns a cabin with Jake

Kieran: loves bass pro, works as a stable hand, plays those stupid horse care mobile kids games, has a yt channel (centered around horses)

Trelawny: van life style travels around the country in a caravan, also has a yt channel the videos usually only have a couple likes, maybe one or two comments (centered very random stuff mostly magic tricks)

That's all I've got but RARARRA THE LORE I WILL GO INSANE PLZ ASK ME ABOUT IT!

#i really like my modern au... #i know exactly where it is because the farm is this house that i always passed whenever we'd go to the creek as a kid and then right next- #to the creek was that boarded up church that still had all the stuff inside it #its so cool #ill make a mapa md art for it one of these days #PLZZZ ASK ME ABOUT THE LORE I HAVE SK MUCH IDEAS #ill finsih the peep descriptions later ;-; #rdr2 modern au #rdr2 #red dead redemption #red dead redemption 2 #arthur morgan #john marston #dutch van der linde #hosea mathews

[mybeingthere]

Charles Donker (1940) was trained in monumental art at the Koninklijke Academie voor Kunst en Vormgeving (Art school) of Den Bosch, where he produced paintings and mosaics during his studies from 1956 to1961. As of the 1960s his focussed exclusively on engraving, and from the 1970s nature became the principal subject of his work. During this period he became the principal etcher of the Utrecht surroundings.

In keeping with the tradition of Rembrandt, Seghers and other 17th century Dutch etchers, Donker is inspired by his surroundings. His landscapes, rich in shadings, are instantly recognizable because of his technical mastery and subtle use of complex traits.

During the 1990 the artist was inspired by the forests in the Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park and the landscape on the edge of the Rhine, Meuse and Waal. He drew compositions from nature, directly transposed into etchings. These are etchings made between 1990 and 2012 form the core of the exhibition at the Galerie Documents 15. The use of aquatint, 'gives his forest landscapes an unusually dramatic and sometimes almost abstract character' (Jan Piet Kok Filedt).

Donker's legendary technique and exceptionally refined execution range his work among the best available today from the Netherlands, in the field of graphic art.

https://www.galeriedocuments15.com/.../33.../biography/

[saintmeghanmarkle]

I call BS on madam being 43% Nigerian with research. by u/Technical_Ant_7466

I call BS on madam being 43% Nigerian, with research. You can get a DNA tests and results from Family Tree, Genealogy & Family History Records which show heritage, or where a family originated from.Markles mother Doria, was born in the USAMarkles grandparents Jeanette and Alvin were born in Sandusky Ohio and South Carolina in 1929.Markles great grandparents Nettie Mae and James were born in South Carolina in 1897 & 1909.Markles great great grandparents Gertrude Elizabeth and Hunter Allen were born in Georgia in or around 1882.So, considering her father is of Dutch/Irish/American descent, how can she claim to be 43% Nigerian?These percentages provide a location(s) where your family came from, not who you are.It demonstrates what madams ancestry is made up of mainly Irish/Nigerian/English/American background, but it DOES NOT mean that she is that percentage ( 43%) Nigerian. I would be interested to know how she can claim 43% when for over 200 years (I stopped looking back any further )her family has been American born?The fact that this woman even had her profile from early 2000, where she never stated she was biracial and, that even some friends she had back then did not even know she was biracial, and that she lived in a very privileged “white life” to now claim her heritage is disingenuousIt must be a way for her to make headway into Nigerian business deals. There are a great many shady deals going on in Nigeria and the crime rate is high.Like in the Congo , where AFRICAN PARKS has been under fire for not taking action against the atrocities going on, I believe that this kind of abuse of indigenous peoples is happening on a grand scale throughout Africa.Africa is ripe for stripping natural resources including land by other nations, or wealthy businessmen from wealthy nations, eager to enslave, mistreat and pillage the continent of Africa.Hank & Skank are pretending to be on a royal tour, but Hank being a royal is in a position to wheel and deal with the Nigerian Government.It was the government that had a message on X saying they were pleased that both Meghan’s agreed to travel to Nigeria.They’re using the guise of Invictus as their “official excuse “.No way. I don’t believe this for a moment. There’s something bigger going on.https://ift.tt/bpmQfo7 appears that some sort of white colonialism is being perpetrated on the indigenous peoples.https://ift.tt/OlB3QxY post link: https://ift.tt/bV2HXxY author: Technical_Ant_7466 submitted: May 01, 2024 at 12:25AM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

#SaintMeghanMarkle #harry and meghan #meghan markle #prince harry #fucking grifters #Worldwide Privacy Tour #Instagram loving bitch wife #Backgrid #voetsek meghan #walmart wallis #markled #archewell #archewell foundation #megxit #duke and duchess of sussex #duke of sussex #duchess of sussex #doria ragland #rent a royal #sentebale #clevr blends #lemonada media #archetypes with meghan #invictus #invictus games #Sussex #WAAAGH #american riviera orchard #Technical_Ant_7466

[ultrahpfan5blog]

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One.......a thoroughly fun but unsettling blockbuster

MI films are all films that I enjoy. I like MI2, which every shits on. I think MI3 is underrated. MI4, 5, and 6 is where the series became great. So I was very much looking forward to MI7. Having seen it today, I am not sure what to feel about it. The movie is great, with phenomenal action, but I think this is easily the most somber and most unsettling MI movie yet. MI movies have always been a bit outlandish. Dealing with masks, secret organizations, nuclear threats, which while possible, feel like something that would happen in a movie. So it provided escapist entertainment. But Dead Reckoning stumbles into real world concerns about technology and delivers it a way that genuinely made me a bit uneasy at times, because it isn't outside of the scope of imagination of something like this existing. The film is also tonally darker than most previous MI films. There is real world peril and consequences to characters and their fates. The characters themselves look like they are under more strain than in previous films. The action sequences are phenomenal. The entire train sequence, the bike jump, the Rome car chase are all expertly done. The story is interesting and constantly involving. The film also feels like it completes one chapter of the story, so it feels like a complete movie, teasing the next chapter, as opposed to leaving big cliffhangers for Part 2. I also liked the general sense of eeriness in the film. The use of close ups and dutch angles are interesting. Also liked the exploration of what makes an IMF agent and what role they play in the intelligence network.

That being said, there were a few complaints that I had. As a villain, Garbriel left a little to be desired. There is a past teased between Ethan and Gabriel, but it is never explained. Maybe Part 2 will get into it, but it feels like something that should have been covered in this one given that their personal relationship is pretty important in the story. The way Ilsa is used in the story is not something I am a big fan of. Jasper Briggs and his partner felt like a bit of a waste of screen time. In general, it felt like the movie had a few too many characters and Briggs and his partner weren't really necessary in this film. Additionally, the team aspect of MI got diluted a bit because Benji and Luther are sidelined due to the nature of the threat. Whereas the team played big parts in the resolution in Fallout, Rogue Nation, and Ghost Protocol, here it did feel like the Ethan and Grace show. Also, while the action sequences are fabulous, there are times that it feels like they go on for a bit too long, so some editing could have been done.

Tom Cruise, as usual, is a his best and giving his all in the movie. Hayley Atwell really steals every scene she's in and she has great chemistry with Tom. Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames now are at ease with their characters. Henry Czerny is a welcome return as Kittridge. Pom Klementieff makes an impact as an assassin. Its kind of odd to see her in a role like this after seeing her as Mantis. Rebecca Ferguson is excellent as always, though I wasn't a big fan of how her character was sidelined and handled in the movie. Esai Morales is a little underwhelming as the main physical threat in the movie. There's nothing wrong with him or his performance, but he doesn't really deliver on the threat level. Vanessa Kirby is excellent in the movie. Shea Whigham and Cary Elwes are welcome presences.

Overall, McQuarrie continues to knock it out of the park and the tease for Part 2 is interesting. I do want to watch this again before I finalize my ranking. Right now it is about an 8/10 for me.

#mission: impossible #dead reckoning part 1 #tom cruise #ethan hunt #simon pegg #benji dunn #luther stickell #ving rhames #rebecca ferguson #ilsa faust #hayley atwell #vanessa kirby #esai morales #pom klementieff #henry czerny #eugene kittridge #shea whigham #cary elwes #christopher mcquarrie #mission impossible #mi7

[japan-tourist-places-in-tokyo]

Best Places You Must Visit in Tokyo

Introduction:

Explore japan tourist places in Tokyo, which is a very interesting combination of tradition and also modernity. Admire the famous Tokyo Tower, take a walk through the historical Asakusa district, visit the lively Shibuya Crossing, taste the delicious sushi at Tsukiji Fish Market, and relax in the peaceful Meiji Shrine. Diverse wonders for every traveler await in Tokyo.

Tokyo's Towering Beauty: The symbol of the city, the Tokyo Tower is a very tall standing building with its orange and white exterior. Climb to get the panoramic views of the city’s sprawling skyline where modernity sits with tradition and a visual feast of lights and landmarks for the eyes.

Historical Charm of Kyoto: The city of Kyoto, also a capsule of Japan’s past, has many ancient temples such as Kinkaku-ji and peaceful tea houses in areas such as Gion. Walk along the streets of history where the traditional wooden machiya houses take you back to the nostalgia of the old times.

Natural Serenity in Hakone: Hakone, a serene haven, beckons you to unwind in its revitalizing hot springs, under the watchful eye of Mount Fuji. The untouched nature, including dense forests, and quiet lakes, only adds to the tranquil ambiance, making it a very perfect getaway.

Osaka's Culinary Delights: Osaka, a foodie’s dream, comes with an exciting street food culture. From savory takoyaki to the crispy okonomiyaki, savor the local treats. Discover the famous markets such as Kuromon Ichiba, where the smell of different tastes permeates the air, a culinary tour for every tongue.

Hiroshima's Peaceful Memorial: There is a memorial park in Hiroshima, a place of remembrance that honors the past. The Atomic Bomb Dome is a symbol of the city’s history. As you walk through the park and its peaceful environment, meditate on the messages of peace and resilience to encourage reflection and comprehension.

Snowy Adventure in Sapporo: Sapporo turns into a winter fairytale, mesmerizing tourists with its famous snow festivals and ski slopes. Enjoy the wonders of the snow sculptures, sample the local food at the Sapporo Snow Festival, and ski or snowboard in the beautiful Hokkaido scenery.

Nagasaki's Rich Maritime History: Dejima Island, a former trading outpost, showcases the maritime legacy of Nagasaki. Visit the old Dutch trading post that has been preserved and learn about Nagasaki in its maritime history. The Peace Memorial deepens the meaning, considering Nagasaki’s strength and dedication to peace after the atomic bombing.

Majestic Landscapes of Nikko: Nikko promises a grandiose landscape, home to UNESCO World Heritage sites such as the Toshogu Shrine. Admire the beautiful structures and peaceful scenery. Discover Nikko’s natural landscape, including the majestic waterfalls, where the spiritual and natural elements combine to form a mystical environment in this timeless and idyllic locale.

Conclusion:

Japan presents a collage of experiences, ranging from the high-tech marvels of Akihabara to the tranquillity of the Nikko. Indeed, as the Diper Tour brings the Filipinos closer to these wonders, Japan’s charm becomes more obtainable. Celebrate the cultural convergence in the Japan tourists spots from Philippines, which serves as a great bridge between nations that share similar wonders and also memories.

#Japan tourists spots from Philippines #places to visit in Japan #Japan travel #Japan tourism #Japan tourists spots #visit Japan #holidays to Japan #Japan itinerary #Japan trip #Osaka itinerary #Tokyo itinerary

[victorysp]

Dutch State Visit to Slovak Republic - Day 3

The state visit to Slovakia concludes in the Tatra National Park. At the river Belá, a guide explains the nature management in the area and what challenges and measures there are to maintain and improve biodiversity. March 9, 2023.

📷 getty

#dutch royal family #queen máxima #king willem alexander #dutch state visit

[big-boah-2]

Y'all I had a WILD RED DEAD DREAM last night. Vivid AF.

It was first person where everything happened like normal except it was modern day AU, but there were no cars, only horses. That's the only difference. Everything was kind of steampunk.

There was a safehouse in Valentine, a decent abandoned house near Horseshoe Overlook where Sadie, Arthur, and I met up after Micah escaped Beaver Hollow (Arthur didn't have TB.) After a few peaceful days the Pinkertons descended upon us, there was a bloodbath, we shot a bunch of guys and escaped on horseback up north to Canada. Arthur spun a yarn just like Hosea and we were able to get in via the Amtrak in the middle of nowhere, north North Dakota.

I vividly remember passing parks and going into a city and seeing the houseless folks and being like "I hope there's beaches or something here because we will be houseless and jobless, which is fine but shitty that I can never see my partner or family again being a national fugitive and all."

We depart the train and go separate ways. Sadie goes to some guys house that she knows, Arthur is bumming it on the street, and I'm pretending I'm a journalist studying nature/doing photography for National Geographic (I just realized I might've been Albert Mason???)

So eventually we all get caught like 2 weeks later and get sent to prison. Somehow it's a mixed gender prison bc Canada made sense in my dream I guess. Somehow Sadie got out on a technicality during her arrest (know your rights!) and then she helped me and Arthur escape from prison like in the game but no hot air balloon just a hole under the fence lol!

We somehow get back over the border into America in the middle of nowhere and I remember being like "How the hell are John and Abigail owning a HOUSE and not on the RUN this is crazy???" Because we see his and Arthur's Wanted posters in the first town. We decide it's safer to split up again. I debate seeing my partner back near Valentine, Sadie decides to to back to the safehouse (why, I don't know.)

So a few months go by, I'm working on a ranch Jim Milton style in Montana. Sadie shows up on her horse and is like "I need help, I've been living with Jake's friend in Valentine because the safehouse is being occupied by none other than Agent Milton as a trophy." For some reason I think it's a good idea to help her because I'm itching and bored. We have no idea where Arthur is.

So we go back to the house, which I just realized is the safehouse from Detroit: Become Human where that awesome Black lady runs the hideout. Milton is there reading the newspaper at the kitchen table and Sadie shoots him through the window, headshot, he's dead. We bury the body a ways away and celebrate and make it our home again feeling safe.

A week later, Arthur shows up, after hearing Milton was dead. Apparently Sadie is like... running Valentine instead of the O'Driscolls at this point with some kickass gal pals which is why I felt so safe. Arthur is a hot mess, he's been a gun for hire all over New Hanover like the very smart man Arthur is... /s

But we're so happy to have him back. And the peace lasts a few weeks, then Micah shows up. And were like Jesus Christ just what we need. He tells us to join his and Dutch's gang at Mount Hagen otherwise he's going to kill us there and then. He was all happy and thanking us for killing Agent Milton and the other Pinkertons after Beaver Hollow. It was gross. Micah in first person IRL in a VIVID DREAM where I could see his PORES, y'all it was nasty.

We roll our eyes and agree to join to get him out of our hair, but he takes Arthur in the kitchen area and tells us to stay put. Of course we don't stay put, Sadie notices Micah has one of those red guns to Arthur's stomach and is hissing at him about how he's a traitor and Dutch has plans for him and how he was gonna go baaaad things to Sadie. I was going to kill him after that statement, but Sadie whacked him over the head with an oil lamp that was on the kitchen table. Micah just laughs but he's covered in oil. Arthur stumbles back to the living room in shock, Sadie throws another oil lamp down from the top of the fireplace and yells at us to get outside.

Micah is laughing maniacally and the place smells of gas and I know what's about to happen. Sadie lights a match, throws it at Micah, and we all dive off the front porch before the place goes up in flames. Why she couldn't have just shot him and why she ruined our safehouse?? I don't know. We hid in the woods behind the house near Horseshoe basically and I'm missing my partner really bad, Arthur is so tired of all this he's also got gray hair and is 1911 Arthur now lol.

The next morning, our little camp is surrounded by Pinkertons and we decide to just give up and surrender. But Sadie isn't going down without a fight. The Pinkertons kill Arthur and I mourn for .2 seconds before Sadie quickdraws and shoots 3 Pinkertons. I just split into the woods during the chaos, and I hear footsteps behind me so I know it's over. But then it's silent and I hear Sadie whispering like, "Don't worry my friends in town will take care of it."

Turns out she's the new Colm O'Driscoll. I was like fucking WHAT.

So we go to Six Point Cabin and there's like 15 O'Driscolls she's bossing around and they treat her like a queen. I'm treated like a king too. Then my now ex-partner shows up and looks slightly different from IRL but he doesn't talk to me, pretends that I'm invisible and it was heartbreaking. He talks to one of the O'Driscoll guards, then turns to me and says, "I just wanted to see if you were alive. Now I see you are, and that must be unfortunate." And walks away?? I was like wtf you dick but I was wrecked.

Shortly after, the O'Driscolls protect us from the Pinkertons that show up. I hear a helicopter and I'm like "Here comes the damn drones" out loud.

And then I woke up. Writing it down, I just realized I'm pretty sure my partner was a 🐀🐀🐀

That's it, that's the dream!

#long post #text post #rdr2 #rdr2 dream #funny dream #funny stuff #arthur morgan #self insert?? lol #sadie adler #red dead redemption 2 #rdr2 au #red dead #rdr2 posting

[surelookbutnothingtoseehere]

#mine #my pictures #my picture #netherlands #nederland #dutch #amateur photography #photography #photographers on tumblr #original photography blog #water #wet nature #lake #see #national park

[gonehollywoodrp]

JOIN US ON ST. MAARTEN.

This island is known as home of the "Friendly People" and promises a paradise and all the magical experiences you can have in such a beautiful place! It's also known as the smallest landmass where two nations exist, giving you the experience of both a tropical paradise and cosmopolitan city living. And with the relaxed energy and rhythm of the island, it'll be a daycation you won't soon forget. Here are some of the island features to partake in:

Natural Pool: The nature-made wonder called Natural Pool or David's Cupper is an absolute must for both nature lovers and thrill seekers. During a hike to the pools, you get the scenery of beautiful green hills and rocky views on one side of the path, and a glimpse of the ocean on the other. Take a swim in the pool protected from crashing waves and filled with coral shrimp and sea urchins before taking the hike back.  

Seaside Nature Park: Take a tour through 30 acres of unspoiled nature here at Seaside Nature Park. You have your choice of riding horseback or hiking through the wilderness, and they also offer activities such as a playground and a pet farm for the whole family to have a great time with hand-feeding and petting ducks, goats, and miniature horses.  

Green Cay Beach: Many areas in St. Maarten provide undisturbed landscapes for visitors to enjoy, and Green Cay Beach is one that offers access to coral reefs via snorkeling, or just the beautiful backdrop of a sunset over natural terrain. And with options such a kayaking, paddleboarding, or just relaxing on the beach, Green Cay aims to give everyone an incredible experience.

Rainforest Adventure Park: The rainforest park on the island is designed to give each visitor an unique experience while providing a sustainable use of the environment. Each visitor can tour each of the attractions and beauty of the rainforests with the provided viewing platforms. And there are also the options of ziplining, riding in the sky explorer, or the hill zip and schnoor ride to see the views!

Parrote Ville Bird Sanctuary and Museum: This is one of many animal sanctuaries on the island to explore and learn about all of our island wildlife. The Parrote Ville Bird Sanctuary is where you can learn about over 25 species of the most friendly and colorful birds during a walk through of the center.

Back Bay & Guana Bay: This hiking path takes visitors along the east coast of the Dutch Side, along a 2.6 km trail. And you can choose which paths to take between Back Bay and Guana Bay. During the hike, you'll see local fauna and flora, cacti, and may even see a goat or two in your path!

Fort Amsterdam: Visit a little of history in touring this location, location near the capital of the island, Phillipsburg. Built by the Dutch in 1631, the fortification was attacked and conquered by the Spaniards in 1633.

Fort Louis: Another place on the island that provides a little of history can be found at Fort Louis. This is a French military fort built in the 18th century to defend the French side of the island from enemy attacks. With its surroundings of green rolling hills and blue sky, it's the perfect place both to unwind and learn something new about the island's history.

Once again, these are only suggestions, and you're welcome to peruse the website and make your own itinerary for the island!

#gonehollywoodevent #goneonthesea

[tiffenyvdb]

The beautiful island of Aruba

Heyy here I am again. We're leaving for Aruba tomorow. I will tell you a little bit more about this beautiful island.

Aruba is situated in the Caribbean Sea. It is one of the ABC-islands. Our accommodation is not far from the capital namely Oranjestad. It is a country within the kingdom of the Netherlands. On this Island they speak Dutch, English, Papiamento.

Aruba has a wonderful nature, half of the island is a national park the arikok park. There are also many beaches.

[talldecafcappuccino]

3, 11, 28, 31 ✨

I answered 3 earlier 😊 I love that everyone asked that question!

11. what do you consider to be romance?

This is such a great question. Like....I think I could think about it for a week and still be like....I don't know!!

My most boring answer is just lifting the burden for someone else? Like, doing something to take a task off their plate (real or mental) or just be like “we’ll figure it out” but not in a condescending “don’t worry so much” sort of way. 

If we’re talking about more traditionally romantic shaped things, I do think slow dancing is the most romantic thing you can do. Not the middle school dance way, but the real kind with a hand on the hip, a hand on the shoulder, other hands clasped together. An old school slow dance always feels romantic and I think part of it is that it’s just not something you get to do very often? So you’re usually dressed up and somewhere beautiful and surrounded by people, spinning around slowly while you touch and talk and laugh and take a break from the crowd. And it’s so tactile and close in a way that feels really special. Also, asking someone to dance? *swoon*

28. do you collect anything?

I collect stickers from National Parks and put them on my water bottle. It’s not an active collection so much as a thing I like to buy whenever I have the opportunity. I also like to buy fun, kitschy earrings. My latest is a pair of studs with a Dutch oven for one ear and a box of Diamond Crystal salt for the other. 

31. are you messy or organized?

Hm...a bit of both? I naturally lean toward messy but I work really hard at being organized because my brain needs it. Clutter and chaos makes me super anxious. I think I seem more organized than I am because I’m a big write it down, set an alarm, leave notes everywhere person. I’m also big on not having a ton of extra stuff. Not minimalist, but just…I don’t want to keep things I’m not using that make me feel bad for not using them.

#ask #imlorelai #so many good questions!! #food for thought! #random question ask meme

[quotesfrommyreading]

The modern age began in 1900, with the passage of federal legislation to ban the illegal trade of wild animals. Broader legislation followed, urged on by a growing movement of conservation groups. The most powerful of these was the National Association of Audubon Societies, though Davis points out that its leadership, dominated by “sportsmen,” shared its namesake’s callousness toward the bald eagle. The group opposed protections for years—refusing even to condemn Alaska’s bounty on the species—until it caved to patriotic appeals in 1930. The symbolism that had threatened to doom the bird saved it in the end. Activists learned that Americans who cared little for nonhuman life could be convinced that the indiscriminate slaughter of the national symbol was as distasteful as burning the flag.

After the passage of the Endangered Species Act and—not coincidentally—the bicentennial, the eagle was classified as endangered in most of the Lower 48 states, and threatened in the rest. A species once abundant in every part of the country had largely retreated to Alaska. Conservation graduated to propagation. Misdirected pangs of patriotism helped inspire extraordinary feats of intervention. To reintroduce the bald to southern climates, researchers drove a motor home straight from Florida to Oklahoma with incubators balanced on their laps, turning the eggs every three hours. Davis writes of Alaskan eaglets shipped to New York State, Floridian eggs placed beneath unwitting Oklahoman hens, and a pair of Michigan eaglets debarking at Logan International Airport to establish Massachusetts’s first nesting eagle population in nearly a century. Caretakers watched two eaglets full-time, separated from nests by one-way glass; hand-fed eaglets hundreds of pounds of quail; relocated an alligator from a nearby pond; rescued a fallen fledgling; and wore an oversize mesh “ghillie” suit to avoid creating any positive associations with humanity.

There’s no avoiding us, however. In the end, balds and human beings face the same challenge: how to live together in peace. Eagles have been more adaptable than many other species, and we have made a far greater effort to save them than we have, say, the Florida scrub jay or the marbled murrelet. In recent years, balds have made thriving habitats at a former biological-weapons facility, a hydroelectric station—a reliable source of dead fish—and the Alaskan port of Dutch Harbor (home to Deadliest Catch), where eagles clean fishing nets, buzz dogs, and steal groceries from a supermarket parking lot. Reintroduction has been so successful that the federal government has begun to consider a new chapter in our stewardship of the species: population control.

The lesson Davis draws from the bald eagle’s success story is “that our nature is predisposed to virtue.” The weight of the historical record would seem to suggest a predisposition to recklessness, cruelty, and violence, but the larger point is clear: More species had better become patriotic symbols soon.

 —  The Strange History of America’s Bald-Eagle Obsession

#nathaniel rich #the strange history of america’s bald-eagle obsession #history #politics #american politics #birds #animal cruelty #animal welfare #wildlife conservation #ecology #patriotism #usa #alaska #eagles #bald eagle #jack e. davis