When:

Thursday, February 6, 2020 - 9:30 am @ 9:30 AM 11:30 AM

2020-02-06T09:30:00-08:00

2020-02-06T11:30:00-08:00

Where:

Center for Urban Horticulture3501 NE 41st StSeattleWA 98105

This is the primary class of the series Master Pruner courses. It covers basic pruning of ornamental trees and shrubs as well as creative solutions to the overgrown or over-planted garden. The types of pruning cuts are shown and discussed. The concept of the pruning budget is introduced. Plants are divided into three categories according to their natural habits and pruning techniques given for each. Before and after slides of pruning and diagrams will be used to illustrate pruning for size reduction and pruning for definition (thinning). And students will gain insight into the process of yard renovation, where pruning is but one tool in restoring a garden.

This lecture series is designed for those who work in landscape maintenance. Each lecture provides information on tools andtechniques for quality pruning with better long-term results and customer satisfaction.

The Master Pruner Series is offered in partnership withPlantAmnesty.

Taught by Shawna Van Nimwegen

The rest is here:
How To Prune and Renovate The Overgrown Landscape - CHS Capitol Hill Seattle News

TEAM OF THE YEAR

Over the years, the level of consistent winning by the Christian Brothers Academy boys cross-country team has made the program a dominant force, not only here in the Garden State, but on the national landscape as well.

This year was no different.

The Lincroft-based school won its third straight NJSIAA Meet of Champions title, ninth in the past 10 years and broke its own state record with its 24th overall title, winning the championship on the 40th anniversary of its first-ever M of C trophy in 1979. It defeated Mendham, 62-119, at Holmdel Park on Nov. 23 for the latest crown.

Senior Shaw Powell led the way, placing third with a Holmdel Park personal record of 15:41, ranked No. 5 all-time in school history at Holmdel. The Colts averaged 16:15 for the second straight week, a week after they captured its state-record 30th Non-Public A crown on Nov. 16. Juniors Ben Santos (15th, 16:13) and Chris DeSousa (17th, 16:14), sophomore Jack Moran (35th, 16:33) and senior Troy Hill (37th, 16:35) all finished in the top 40 in the M of C.

Our team has been great. We changed our training and werent sure what to expect, but the boys have thrived, said Christian Brothers head coach Sean McCafferty, who just completed his fourth year at the helm. Shaw (Powell) has been incredible at times, Troy (Hill) has been our stalwart, Ben (Santos) and Chris (DeSouza) have been incredible of late. Our youngsters, Jack (Moran) and Nicholas Sullivan are learning the ropes and becoming great runners. Tim Cahill did not break 5 as a freshman and has run 16:36 at Holmdel. Its an unreal mix of kids.

Last week, CBA qualified for Saturdays Nike National Championships in Portland, Ore., finishing second to La Salle Academy of Providence, R.I., at the Nike Cross Nationals Northeast at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls, N.Y. The runner-up finish qualified CBA for the Nike Nationals for the 10th straight year.

A historic season for an historic team.

Read the rest here:
Christian Brothers Academy is NJ.com Boys Cross-Country Team of the Year, 2019 - nj.com

We leave our comfortable Mercedes minivan and jump into a Lada taxi to drive to the famous mud volcanoes of Gobustan in Azerbaijan. My husband and I are amused both by the battered cara relic of former Soviet ruleand the suicidal speed at which the driver drives. Completely unfazed by what the speedometer shows or the non-existent roads, he chats away with our guide sitting beside him. Leaving Baku, we hurtle past low-lying hills and miles of barren land till we arrive at a handful of parked Lada taxis that herald our destination.

This surface probably comes closest to that of Mars," says Elnur, our guide, as I stand atop a small mound peering into its large cavity. At regular intervals, a big bubble forms on the surface of the molten cement-like substance that fills it, and then bursts, sending specks of mud in all directions. Unlike magma or lava, the mud is ice cold.

Ringed by the blue Caspian Sea, the stark landscape, dominated by hillocks of varying sizes, with elephant-grey cracked mud running off the sides, is otherworldly. Apart from the howling wind and the loud plop when a bubble bursts, the scene looks and sounds fairly benign. Not surprising though as all the action is happening underneath. These active muddy puddles are formed when subterranean methane gas leaks through the earths surface. Mud volcanoes are found in subduction zones or places where the earths crust moves downwards and upwards, even colliding with each other, and indicate the presence of hydrocarbon and petroleum deposits. Over 400 of the worlds 1,000 mud volcanoes are scattered across Azerbaijan, a country thats rich in oil and gas.

As we stand around, our driver scoops up mud in a broken plastic bottle and passes it to me, with a recommendation to apply it on my face. The clay-like mud is believed to be beneficial for the skin and is also said to work wonders for those suffering from rheumatism. Its not advisable though to jump into a mud volcano unless it has been certified safe for bathing, as some may contain radioactive material. As tempting as the results of slathering on the mud sound, with a long day ahead, I pass up the offer.

Historically and culturally, oil and gas have defined Azerbaijan and the lives of its people. Known as the Paris of the east, the capital city Baku is filled with buildings that boast of European grandeur fuelled by oil money. Going back in time, explorers, traders and invaders were fascinated by the bizarre natural phenomena of bubbling mud and burning mountains that they encountered on their journeys through this country. Even 13th century explorer Marco Polo wrote about the mysterious fires he saw on his travels in the region.

Its nearly time for sunset when we get to Yanar Dag, a natural gas fire that lies north of Baku. A 10m-long stretch at the base of the hill burns day and night, through rain and snow. According to local lore, the continuously burning flame was ignited when a shepherd tossed his cigarette butt at the spot. The burning mountain looks particularly fascinating at night and forms an enthralling backdrop against which musicians and dancers frequently perform.

At one time there were many such fires across the Absheron Peninsula, but widespread exploitation of oil and gas reduced ground pressure and most of the flames eventually died out. At the 17th century Ateshgah Temple, a 30-minute drive away, the main altar was built atop a natural flame which was extinguished in 1969. Since then, a gas pipe feeds the fire in the main altar. Like the mud volcanoes, Ateshgah is intriguing and baffling. Here, on the shores of the Caspian Sea, the last thing we expect to hear is the sound of Om" coming from a room, part of the complex surrounding the central courtyard that houses the main altar. Inside, we see lifelike models of ascetics performing penance and outside, above the doorways, inscriptions read Shri Ganeshaya Namah". Debate continues whether the temple, now a Unesco World Heritage Site, was a Zoroastrian or Hindu place of worship, but research and excavations indicate that it probably began as the former, eventually turning into a Hindu temple. Hindu and Sikh traders passing through the region, part of the ancient Silk Route, used the complex as a temple and as a caravanserai or travellers inn.

Back in Baku, the skyscrapers known as the Flame Towers light up the night sky. The faades of three buildings are illuminated with thousands of LED lights that go from beaming the national flag to displays of pouring water and raging fire. The towers, the showstoppers of Bakus skyline, serve as a constant reminder of the inextricable relationship the country shares with the burning flame.

Dubai-based Chaitali Patel writes about the arts, history and culture.

Continued here:
Bubbling mud and ever-burning flames in Baku - Livemint

If you have been thinking on similar lines, you have landed on the right page. Heres a list of places that you can visit in south India during December and have the time of your lifetime.

Kanyakumari

The southern tip is more like a mystical land that people often visit for a dash of romance. Also, being the last point of the country, overlooking the colossal water bodies such as the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, there is something poetic about being in this place. Visit this place during December to be an audience of picture-perfect sunsets, spend leisure time walking by the waters, eating coastal food, and enjoy the thrill of being in such a geographical wonder. If you have more time to spare, you can also visit Mahabalipuram, Chennai, Madurai, and Rameshwaram.

OotyOnce nestled in the very densely forested area in the Nilgiri mountains, the British converted it into a summer retreat in the 19th century. Now also it draws plenty of visitors every year because of its natural beauty and misty green trails. Although Ooty boasts of pleasant weather all year round, a visit to this place during winters will give you a high.

Tamil Nadus charming Coonoor is best-experienced solo. The beautiful outdoors beckons travellers to take in all that it has to offer. Situated just 18 km away from Ooty, Coonoor is a place that will surprise you in every corner. Sitting at a height of 6000 ft above sea level, its one of the jewels in the crown of Nilgiri Hills, and the best way to explore it is through the Nilgiri Mountain Railway. So, if by any chance you are planning to visit Ooty, do include Coonoor in the list too.

Wayanad

Wayanad is a picturesque plateau nestled in the hills of the Western Ghats, and is undoubtedly one of the prettiest areas in southern India. Part of the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve, this charming town is adorned with historical caves, enchanting waterfalls, and vast spice plantations, making it a must-visit for those looking to explore the picturesque and untouched beauty of the enchanted Western Ghats.

Agumbe, popular for its scenic beauty and biodiversity, has legendary sunsets to offer to those weary travellers. Not just this, this region receives the highest rainfall, and wildlife lovers flock this place to enjoy a first-hand experience of its habitants. Also, known as the Cherrapunji of South India, there are many beautiful waterfalls that can be explored on foot.

Kodaikanal

A refreshing treat in contrast to the snowfalls of north India, the misty hills of Kodaikanal is just what you might need for that winter holidays. Kodaikanal, being replete with forests and some of the most beautiful flora of the region, you can head to Coakers Walk to enjoy the most beautiful walk of your life. The Eucalyptus trees and Shola forests and the meadows will provide you with some well-deserved pit stops when you want. Then there is the Berijam Lake, which is surrounded by forests and is located around 21 km southwest of Kodaikanal. You might, however, need the permission of the Forest Department to enter. You can also engage in night-time viewing of the sky through a telescope at the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory during your leisure time.

CoorgOne of the most stunning hill stations in south India, Coorg is a place that should feature somewhere at the top of your list. Then, when it comes to interesting things to do in Coorg, there are loads of options as it boasts of lush green hills, cascading waterfalls, and breathtaking landscape that can inspire painters, writers, and poets to pour their heart out. This place also provides enough opportunities to adventure lovers, such as water rappelling, rock climbing, river rafting and a lot more, in short, Coorg has all the goodness that makes every type of traveller happy.

Continue reading here:
South India in December will surprise you with its effortless charm - Times of India

The prevailing narrative following the recent public hearings to consider impeaching President Donald TrumpDonald John TrumpHouse Intelligence Committee to review impeachment investigation report Monday Comedian Rosanne Barr to speak at Trumpettes' Gala at Mar-A-Lago Israeli, Palestinian business leaders seek Trump boost for investment project MORE is that Democrats may have made the legal case but did not make the political one. They did not alter the political landscape and Republican support for Trump. That says more about the political environment than the substance, because Trumps culpability is greater than that of former President Richard Nixon. I can attest to that because I led the Watergate and Cover-up Task Force on the staff of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee Impeachment Inquiry in 1974.

Nixon was the subject of a formal impeachment process but was not impeached by the House, having resigned in the face of dwindling political support. Ironically, he is the only president ever to have been removed by such a process. Presidents Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were impeached by the House of Representatives (in 1868 and 1998, respectively) but were not convicted by the Senate.

The fact that Nixon was removed from office by the impeachment process makes the substance of his case especially relevant. With the House widely expected to impeach Trump, the core question is whether his offenses are enough to deserve removal by the Senate.

Before turning to the question of comparative harm caused by the two presidents, it is important to note three important differences between them.

First, in Nixons case, the Watergate break-in utterly failed to achieve its purpose of planting bugs to gather dirt on Nixons reelection opponents. In Trumps case, the Russians were successful, with Trumps encouragement, in using cyber-espionage to gather information that could be harmful to Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonStill upset by Trump's historic win? Beat him if you can in 2020 Michael Bloomberg's billions can't save an unserious campaign Fears mount about Biden's South Carolina firewall MOREs campaign. They also were successful in waging a pro-Trump disinformation campaign through social media.

In Nixons case, the cover-up of the break-in failed, in large part because of a legendary whistleblower. Associate FBI Director Mark Felt, whom White House Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman had assured Nixon would be cooperative, turned out to be the famed whistleblower known as Deep Throat, whose identity Felt revealed himself in 2005, 31 years after Nixon left office. In Trumps case, he sought to end the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election as well as of his or his campaigns potential criminal liability as an accessory to that interference.

The effort to obstruct the Russian interference investigation was not successful the Mueller Report found that Russian interference was widespread and systematic but, with respect to the complicity investigation, witnesses close to the president have failed to cooperate, and we dont yet know Trumps role, if any, in that lack of cooperation or what the information being withheld would disclose.

Third, in Nixons case there was never any credible evidence that Nixon approved or knew about the break-in in advance. Trump, on the other hand, apparently not only welcomed and encouraged this Russian cyber-espionage activity, he was the prime mover in soliciting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate the son of his leading presidential election rival, former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenHouse Intelligence Committee to review impeachment investigation report Monday Biden canvassers join Teamsters union California Rep. John Garamendi endorses Biden MORE, as well as the Russian claim that Ukraine, rather than Russia, had hacked the emails of the Democratic National Committee and had taken possession of the DNC server.

These three differences all point in the direction of Trumps greater culpability, but consideration of the relative harm caused to the nation makes Trumps greater culpability clear. That is because the word high in the phrase high crimes and misdemeanors denotes serious offenses that harm our system of government under the Constitution.

Nixons misconduct harmed the rule of law, and the principle that no person is above the law, by using the powers of his office to obstruct justice. He violated the Constitution by failing to take care that the laws be faithfully executed. That harm was serious, and it was important that Nixon was held accountable. But had his misconduct not been sanctioned, there would not have been ongoing harm to our democracy or our national security. A failed cover-up of a failed burglary lacks the force to alter our constitutional democracy or imperil the safety of the state.

Trumps misconduct has harmed the rule of law and violated the Constitution, which bars solicitation or encouragement of campaign assistance from foreign governments. Public confidence in the fairness of U.S. elections is critical to our democracy. If a president is not held accountable for using the power of his office to solicit and encourage campaign aid from a foreign government, foreign interference in our campaigns will continue and increase, and our ability to steer our own course through fair elections will be greatly impaired.

Failure to hold Trump accountable also will cause harm to our national security. Normally, we can have basic confidence that the president is making national security decisions in the interest of the nation. That is not the case with Trump, when his judgment is conflicted by gratitude for Russian campaign aid, or, as in the case of Ukraine, a willingness to subordinate our national security in supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression to his apparent desire for campaign assistance.

Based on a comparison of facts and the extent of the continuing harm, it is more important to hold Trump accountable than it was to hold Nixon accountable. The question now is: Will Congress be accountable?

Evan A. Davis, an attorney, was a member of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee Impeachment Inquiry staff in 1974 and led the Watergate and Cover-up Task Force. He also is a former counsel to New York Gov. Mario Cuomo and was president of the New York City Bar Association (2000-2002).

View original post here:
Trump's culpability is greater than Nixon's | TheHill - The Hill

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The latest crop of phones like the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, OnePlus 7 Pro or Google Pixel 4 have cameras on board that can snag the sort of beautiful photographs you'd normally expect to see coming from pricey DSLRs. I've already put the iPhone 11 Pro to the test on a road trip around Scotland and was amazed by the results I could get.

In this guide, I'm going to take you through how to take landscape photos with your phone, whether you're heading into the rural countryside or deep into the heart of the mountains. While some of the tips apply to recent handsets with multiple lens options, many are relevant whether your phone is three months or three years old, Apple or Android.

Some shots require some additional hardware; getting a slow shutter shot of a waterfall, for example, required Lee Filters neutral density filters, Moment lenses and a stabilising tripod. You can see the finished picture from the phone a little lower down this article.

While of course you can take great landscape photos with just your phone, there are some extra bits of kit that could help you snag something really special.

Clip-on phone lensesIf your phone doesn't have a built-in wide-angle mode (as you'll find on the iPhone 11 ($815 at Amazon) series or Galaxy S10 Plus), you should take a look at Moment's range of clip-on phone lenses, available for all recent iPhones, Galaxy phones, Pixels and OnePlus phones. They're made from high-quality glass, and the wide-angle lens lets you capture an amazing, sweeping vista in a way that's simply not possible with the standard view on your camera.

Filter adapters for your phoneMoment also makes filter adapters for screw-in 62mm filters, such as polarizers, which can help reduce reflections on water or boost the blues in the sky. Filter adapters also let you use professional-quality square Lee Filters, which slide into a holder connected to the adapter via a 62mm adapter ring. They're something I normally use on my Canon 5D Mk4 and can make all the difference in turning an image from a simple snap into a professional-looking work of art. Of particular importance are the graduated neutral density filters, which selectively darken only the top half of the image -- making it perfect for bringing those bright skies under control when you're shooting wide landscapes.

By using a Lee Filters graduated neutral density filter, I was able to darken the sky, emphasising the moody drama of the storm clouds.

Portable phone chargerA portable phone charger is also a great idea if you're going out hiking into the wilderness and plan on shooting all day. I use the Anker PowerCore 20,100, which has enough juice to recharge my phone several times over -- perfect for a weekend in the hills when power points may be scarce.

Outdoor wearFinally, don't underestimate the importance of correct clothing. If you're hiking into the hills for your photographs, sturdy boots are essential to avoid a twisted ankle as you clamber over loose ground. I use the North Face Hedgehog Trek boots (now updated to the Hedgehog FastPack boots), which are sturdy enough to tackle any of the UK's hills and also have the benefit of being waterproof, meaning I don't return home with soaking wet, freezing cold feet. Speaking of which, a good waterproof coat is a must if you want to keep the elements at bay, and a lightweight, packable midlayer -- like the Arc'Teryx Cerium SL down jacket -- is great to keep stuffed in your bag in case the temperature starts to drop.

Your phone is probably capable of taking a cracking landscape photo in its default auto mode, but let's take things a bit further.

If your phone has a "pro" mode that gives you manual control of settings, switch into that. If it doesn't, apps like Moment, Lightroom or MuseCam let you take control of settings like ISO, shutter speed and white balance.

By using the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus's Pro mode, I was able to select a slow shutter speed, blurring the motion of the water as it cascades over the rocks.

Crucially, these apps also let you shoot in raw format. Raw images don't save many of the automatic camera settings that your phone would normally apply to a jpeg image, such as white balance or sharpening. The result is an image that lets you change the white balance, alter colour tones and rescue detail from the highlights and shadows much more easily -- and with less image degradation -- than you can do from a simple JPEG. I'll come back to this more in the editing section below.

In landscapes, altering white balance is often crucial. Being able to tone down some of the highlights from a bright sky or bring up the shadows in the foreground is important, and being able to alter your white balance after you've taken the shot gives you much more flexibility in your editing (particularly those occasions when you want to warm up the tones in a beautiful sunset, for example).

The downside to shooting in raw is that your images will need some work in an editing app like Lightroom or Snapseed before you can share them. Photographing landscapes is often a slower, more methodical process, and spending time in editing is all part of the experience of crafting a beautiful image.

Time of day is everything in landscape photography. By finding my location earlier in the afternoon, I was able to capture this great sunset shot when the time came.

Time of day is everything in landscape photography, because the lighting changes completely as the sun passes overhead. The best time of day for really dramatic light is either at sunrise or at sunset. The sun is low in the sky both times of day, resulting in directional light and long shadows cast over the scene.

Midday is typically the worst time to shoot, as the overhead light doesn't create much in the way of shadow detail, resulting in scenes that can look flat and lifeless.

If you have a particular location in mind, it's worth setting your alarm and getting out early to see what you can capture during the sunrise. If time allows, try and return to shoot the same scene at different times of day to see when it looks best.

Weather plays a huge part in any outdoor photography, but none more so than with landscapes. Different weather conditions will transform your scene, completely altering its mood, lighting and colours. But don't think that bad weather means bad photos.

The rain clouds overhead add a real sense of drama to this scene.

Personally, I love the foreboding, moody atmosphere of a landscape with dark storm clouds billowing above. It's often the light that comes after a storm that can look particularly dramatic. So while the hike to your chosen location might be a miserable slog in pouring rain, keep your spirits up by imagining the beautiful photo you might get at the end.

The worst weather for landscapes is that plain, miserable grey sky where there's no texture to the clouds, no interesting light on the land and no contrast to the scene in front of you.

Keep an eye on your favourite weather app and make the decision based on what's predicted. As long as you've packed the right clothing, then you can brave the worst of the weather, and if it gets too bad then navigate Google Maps to the nearest pub to sit it out with a good drink.

If your phone has a wide-angle mode then now's the time to give it a try. And as mentioned before, if you don't have a wide mode on your phone as standard, you can use additional lenses to get the same effect.

I used the Galaxy S10 Plus's super wide angle lens to capture as much of this scene as possible, but I made sure to use this millstone as foreground interest.

Super-wide landscapes can be particularly dramatic, as they capture so much of a scene in a single image. Mountain tops that would otherwise be out of frame are suddenly captured in all their majesty, while beautiful rivers can now been seen in their entirety, snaking their way into a scene.

But once you've had the excitement of seeing the scene in full, try using the telephoto zoom lenses on your phone to focus in on some of the details within it. Look out for interesting rock formations, patterns in the landscapes or unusual shapes in the scene all things that can suddenly stand out when you zoom in and crop out other distracting elements.

It's easy to think that just using as wide an angle as possible is a guarantee of a cool landscape photo, but that's not the case. In fact, to get the best out of your wide shots you need to think about composition even more.

Foreground interestLook for foreground interest in your scenes. Tree stumps, moss-covered rocks, even some pretty wildflowers can all be used to draw the viewer's eye into a scene. When you're at the top of the hill taking your shot, spend a couple of minutes having a look around for something you can place in your shot to help bring the scene together.

The road is an obvious leading line here, drawing your eye into the image.

Leading linesLeading lines are also great elements to look for for a brilliant landscape composition. Keep your eye out for pathways, nice walls or other long elements that wind their way further into the scene -- it's exactly that winding perspective that allows your viewer's eye to follow along that line and into your image.

Straight horizonsIf your phone shows grid lines or a leveling tool on the screen, use that to make sure your horizon line is straight. Then double-check you're not accidentally chopping the top off your subject, be it a mountain, a building or some trees. Remember, you can do a lot to improve a mediocre image with editing, but you can't do anything to rescue bad composition.

Your image isn't finished once you've hit that shutter button; a few tweaks in an editing app is all it can take to transform a simple snap into a beautiful piece of art.

My favorite editing app is Adobe Lightroom Mobile, but I also get great results from Google's Snapseed, which you can get for free on Android and iOS. I tend to start with tweaking the white balance so the colours look accurate -- or to give a warmth boost to a beautiful sunset. It's here that shooting in raw becomes particularly beneficial.

Taken on the Galaxy S10 Plus, this shot of Solomon's Temple in Buxton, England is a fine snap, but it's uninspiring and the rusted drainpipe on the outside of the tower doesn't look good.

But with some work in Lightroom to adjust the colour balance, darken the sky and foreground and remove the drainpipe, the image has a lot more impact.

I'll tweak the exposure levels, particularly the highlights and shadows in order to bring a bright sky a bit more under control or to boost shadows in the foreground. A bit of additional contrast can help add some punch to the scene as well.

My advice is to make a coffee, sit back and play with the sliders in your chosen app to your heart's content. Try out the different filters, experiment with layering different effects on top of each other by saving and re-importing your image. Remember that there's no right or wrong way to edit an image, so enjoy the fun in playing around -- you can always go back to the original image if you don't like what you've come out with.

Hopefully this gives you some good inspiration to get out there and get shooting. If you're looking for more tips on taking great photos with your phone, check out our macro guide, our guide on how to snag great photos of cars with your phone or get inspiration from our supercar tour of Scotland, shot entirely on the iPhone 11 Pro.

See the original post:
Use these tips to take jaw-dropping landscape photos from any phone camera - CNET

HIGH up on the hill, we can see the past. Over there, at the bottom of the slope, was where the British army was camped out, and there, on the horizon, is where the Jacobites gathered, and down there, in the ordinary-looking fields, is where many of the dead are buried. The year 1745 is still here. We can see it.

But we can see the future from here too. At the top of the sloping land leading away from the hill, mechanical diggers are gouging earth out of the land. In a few weeks, the foundations for hundreds of houses will be laid here and eventually a new town will emerge. Many of the houses will stand on the line that the Jacobites followed as they marched into battle. To that extent, it is the future erasing the past.

For Dr Arran Johnston, whos standing on the hill surveying the scene, it is all very disturbing. Dr Johnston is director of the Scottish Battlefields Trust, which campaigns to protect battle sites from destruction or unnecessary development, and he is deeply concerned about what is happening in parts of the country.

Take the site of the Battle of Prestonpans for instance, where were standing now. The battle in September 1745 was Bonnie Prince Charlies first encounter with British Government forces and it could not be more important, historically, socially and culturally. It was short and bloody and brutal and ended with the Jacobite force triumphing over the British army led by Sir John Cope. In the years that followed, the battle has also been celebrated and mythologised in songs, poetry and books, including Walter Scotts Waverley right up to the television series Outlander. It may not be as famous as Culloden or Bannockburn, but it matters just as much.

Up on the hill at the centre of the site, Dr Johnston tells me why. Above us is a flagpole flying Bonnie Prince Charlies personal standard, a square of white on a blood-red background. The flag would have been flown on the battlefield to alert the princes men to his whereabouts. It wasnt common in the 18th century for kings, or kings-in-waiting, to lead on the battlefield in this way, but Charles knew he had to win hearts and minds. He knew he had to be down on the ground with his men.

The men would have been volunteers, says Dr Johnston, people inspired by the Princes PR, and they came from a huge range of social backgrounds. They would have been almost exclusively Gaelic-speaking though and they came mainly from the Outer Hebrides and central Highlands. Some people in the local area of Prestonpans supported them and secretly helped; others were deeply opposed. This wasnt England versus Scotland, this was Scots against Scots.

His arms sweeping across the landscape, Dr Johnston tells me what happened on the day of the battle. The core of the battlefield is the fields down there, he says, pointing towards the open land near the railway line. He slowly turns round, speaking as he goes. The Jacobite army arrived there and moved across into Tranent. The British army was down in the fields and overnight, guided by a local lad, the Jacobites moved across into the fields on the lower ground. Most of the killing was done down there and the British army survivors were squeezed to where the railway line is now. The British casualties were some 300-500. For the Jacobites, it was much lighter only around 40.

In many ways, the landscape is still much as it was on the day of the battle, although there have been some pretty profound changes as well. At one time, there was an open cast mine here, right behind the main road through Prestonpans, and there are still signs of its industrial past, including the pylons that cut a line across the fields and housing. What really worries Dr Johnston though is the new town being built up on the hill.

Three thousand houses will cover the line of the Jacobite march, he says. I would prefer them not to be built there, but we were never going to win a fight to stop it, so we worked from a very early stage in the process to make sure there was acknowledgement in the planning of the significance of the site. There should be something physical there to mark the battle and at the very least there should be echoes in the naming of some of the town.

The bigger problem, says Dr Johnston, is the almost complete lack of protection given to Scotlands battlefields. Since the Prestonpans housing scheme was given the go-ahead some 15 years ago, Historic Environment Scotland has published an inventory of important battlefields, but it effectively amounts to little more than a list. Many campaigners are also concerned that Historic Environment Scotland, which is a government agency, doesnt have the independence needed to fight for battlefields; and theres a fear that the development at Prestonpans, and at other battle sites such as Killiecrankie and Pinkie Cleugh, demonstrate that the planning system is not up to the job.

This is certainly what Dr Johnston believes and he would like to see significant changes to offer greater protection for battlefields.

Battlefields in Scotland are not legally protected, he says. Thats the baseline and why not? is the question I keep asking.

There are a lot of challenges involved with battlefields, he goes on. They are landscapes, not structures, so theres an interpretation challenge. Its a big area so inevitably there are all sorts of developments and changes that will be constantly happening. Theres also a huge diversity of sites so its hard to come up with a policy that fits everywhere.

But also, youre dealing with relatively slippery things people dont stand still for long during battles so that means that one part of a battlefield is very important during the fighting and then becomes less important 10 or 15 minutes later. There can also be differences of opinion. Where do you define a battle? Do you start with the first shot being fired? Armies dont magically appear they will have had to camp there the night before so they are difficult things to delineate.

All of this can make it hard for historians to define the area of a battle; it can also be hard to engage local people and make them care about the site.

There are people who say, there are immense pressures for housing, so does it matter if were creeping into a battlefield? and I have a great deal of sympathy with those arguments, says Dr Johnston.

But you have to say: can you demonstrate that what you are trying to achieve, or develop, cannot be achieved somewhere else, on a brownfield site? We are not trying to stop stuff happening and turn the clock back. What were saying is can we have a respectful relationship between the future and the past.

What particularly saddens Dr Johnston is that the future has so often won out over the past. Look at the Battle of Langside for example, which was fought in 1568 between forces loyal to Mary Queen of Scots and an army acting in the name of her son James. Drive through the Battlefield area of Glasgow now and other than the name and a monument at the top of the hill you would never know the battle had been fought there.

Similar pressures have been felt elsewhere. Wheres Bannockburn? says Dr Johnston. Theres a museum but its not the battlefield, its not where the fighting took place. So a visit there is about a visit to the statue and the museum, but to me, that puts more layers between you and reality rather than bringing you closer in. Its much easier to tell that story when youre on a site and youre saying, it was here.

Could the answer be a moratorium on development? Dr Johnston doesnt think thats practical, but he does think the law needs changing. Currently, councils are required to consider the battlefield during the decision-making process, but it is a consideration only. Theres no pressure, for example, to consider alternative sites for the development.

Dr Johnston would like to see that changed. One idea is that battlefields could be zoned so that a central, important area cannot be developed or built on at all. The Scottish Battlefields Trust would also like to see a presumption against development of battlefields rather than the current situation where councils are only obliged to consider the impact on the site. Another idea is the creation of a sort of battlefields tsar: a truly independent person charged with protecting battlefields nationally and standing up for them to councils, developers and the Scottish Government.

According to Dr Johnston, the dangers of not doing any of this can be seen all over Scotland. He is very concerned, for example, about the plans to widen the A9 at the site of the Battle of Killiecrankie. Much of the damage to the site of the Jacobite victory in 1689 had already been done by the original building of the road but Dr Johnston and others, including Historic Environment Scotland, believe the widening of the road will further damage and undermine the battlefield. Its a textbook case of what is wrong with the current system, says Dr Johnston, and a demonstration of what happens when insufficient consideration is given to the effects of development on battlefields.

Theres another example of the damage that can be done to battlefields just five minutes down the road from Prestonpans at the site of the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh near Musselburgh. Pinkie Cleugh is one of the lesser-known conflicts of Scottish history, but its importance is undeniable: some 10,000 men died. Fought in 1547, it also came at a time of military transition the men at Pinkie Cleugh fought with handguns but also longbows.

Standing by the side of the road in the middle of the site, Dr Johnston talks me through what happened. Mary Queen of Scots was a toddler. The king of England, Edward VI, was also a child and the English court decided this was the perfect opportunity to unite the crowns. The Scottish parliament said No, however, so the English sent an army of 17,000 men to force the marriage. In response, the Scots raised an army of between 20,000 and 30,000 and the two armies met at Pinkie.

Dr Johnston asks me to imagine what it was like to be there on the day of the battle. If we were standing where we are now in 1547, he says, we would be standing in the middle of thousands of armed English horsemen rolling straight past us, smashing into lines of Scots. The aim was to slow down the Scots enough so the English were able to deploy their guns, and they succeeded. It was a catastrophic defeat for the Scots. It was protracted, furious, physical fighting and the estimates of the dead vary from 6000 upwards.

Standing facing the east coast, you can see the open ground where the Scots were hunkered down, but turn around and face the upper ground that the English held and all you can see is youve guessed it hundreds of houses being built. Until six months ago, you could still see where the English were camped; not only that, you could stand where they stood and know that it was pretty much unchanged. But now there is scaffolding and a long line of generic houses. We could be anywhere in the UK.

There are two big disappointments for me, says Dr Johnston as he looks up at the houses. These houses have been put in with absolutely no consideration for the landscape, or the heritage, without any sense of the impact it has on understanding the rest of the landscape. But by doing it, they have also weakened the defensibility of the rest. His fear is that if we come back to the site in 20 years time, the rest of it will have been built over. You wont be able to read the landscape any more, he says. You wont be able to feel any connection to the events.

Dr Johnston still hopes this wont happen, and what we have left can be preserved. The country that we are now, he says, and our perception of it, our social norms, and even some of the political divisions that still linger hundreds of years later its been a long evolution and its often been driven at key moments by conflict and battle. He quotes Churchill: battles are punctuation marks in our national story. They matter. They should be saved.

As for how to win the battle to save them, Dr Johnston says further development of Scotlands battlefields will only be prevented and controlled if the rules are changed and changed quickly.

Its not about saying we are drawing a line around a landscape and it must stay as it was in 1547 or whatever, he says. Its about taking a sensitive approach to our landscapes the landscape is important and if you take it away, its no different from saying Ive just knocked down a castle.

Weve got an obligation to the past, he says, but weve got an obligation to the future too.

Read more:
'It's like knocking down a castle': The fight to save Scotland's battlefields - HeraldScotland

It has been more than 50 years since the ancient dry lake bed of Mungo revealed human remains which corroborated a truth Indigenous Australians already knew. When a geologist found the remains of Mungo Lady in 1968 and then Mungo Man in 1974, the findings showed that people had been living on the continent for more than 40,000 years.

If you want to walk in the footsteps of an ancient culture at the very spot where proof of their longevity was found, then Mungo national park is the place to do it.

The lake bed is still giving up its mysteries. A walk across the white sand to spot an artefact is the highlight of our trip to the Willandra Lakes region world heritage area in south-west New South Wales.

Once a month, you can take a Full Moon tour of Mungo national park to experience the thrill of watching a full moon rising over the Walls of China, a 17km stretch of sand and silt deposited over tens of thousands of years. These layers have been eroded by wind and rain to form a crescent-shaped lunette on the eastern shore of the lake.

Once in the restricted area of the lunette, our tour guide points out a midden with scattered shells and animal bones recently uncovered by the shiftings sands. The find indicates the inhabitants had cooked abundant seafood from the once-thriving lake before it dried up some 20,000 years ago.

When the lake was full it was a haven for wildlife and vegetation. Megafauna such as the diprotodon, a hippopotamus-sized relative of wombats and koalas, strolled the foreshore. As the lake dried up due to extreme climate change, much of the fauna and flora became extinct.

To stand in that vast, eerie landscape at sunset is to gain a tiny window into the ancient history of the continent.

The artefacts in this area are unique. They have been exposed not by archaeologists but by erosion, making it one of the best places on Earth to study ancient human life.

The areas three tribal groups, Mutthi Mutthi, Paakantji and Ngyiampaa, have given permission for guided tours of some restricted areas. Our guide advises us to look, not touch, and certainly not to remove anything.

Not everyone heeds this warning. In the museum at the Mungo visitor centre, which houses a life-sized model of a diprotodon, there are letters from apologetic travellers who decided to send back the sand, leaves, shells or bones theyd collected.

Aside the visitors centre sits the Mungo Woolshed, an extraordinary 200-year-old building which documents the regions pastoral history.

The highlight of the visitors centre is a collection of human footprints said to be 20,000 years old. They were uncovered in 2003 during a routine survey of archaeological sites and carefully transported to where they now stand, preserved as they were found. They are the oldest footprints ever found in Australia and afford scientists rich clues as to how people lived at the time.

Flora and fauna youll meet: Red kangaroos, emus, wedge-tailed eagles, pink cockatoos and the stunning green-and-gold mallee ringneck parrot all inhabit the park. The arid landscape is speckled with saltbush, providing nourishment for the animals with its spear-shaped, succulent leaves.

Dont miss: The star of this region is the lunette, or Walls of China. Outback Geo Adventures offer a monthly full moon tour of the area, starting at sunset. In February and March of 2020, the moon will be at its closest distance to Earth called a super moon. The eight-hour tour includes meals, and is priced at $160 per adult.

If you cant time your visit with a moon rise, the National Parks and Wildlife Service offers several guided tours of the Walls of China, including sunset tours, with prices starting from $50 per adult.

Where to sleep: Mungo Lodge is a comfortable ecolodge and restaurant on the edge of the park, with its own landing strip for those who want to fly straight in. It offers a range of accomodation from deluxe cabins to a budget bunkhouse, caravan and camping sites. Prices start from $45 per person per night for budget accomodation, and from $295 per night for self-contained twin cabins. Inside the main building, which was constructed from local materials in 1992, you can relax in front of the fire or enjoy a meal in the large dining room and bar. The lodge also organises scenic flights and tours.

The main camp in Mungo national park has 30 spots for caravans, trailers and tents, but you must come prepared with drinking water, cooking water and firewood because it is a remote site with scarce mobile coverage and no power. It costs $8.50 per adult on top of the park entry fees.

Nearest hot meal: The Mungo Lodge bar and bistro is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Good pub meals can also be had en route to the national park, at the Crown Hotel, some 130km away in Wentworth. The charming old pub opened in 1861, and the historic photographs on the walls tell some of the story of the town.

When to go: The best time to visit Mungo is during the cooler months as the temperature climbs well over 30C in the summer. The perfect time would be autumn or spring. Mungo Lodge closes over the Christmas period, from the 22 to 27 December.

Logistics: Mungo national park is a 9.5 hour drive from Melbourne, a 13 hour drive from Sydney, or an 8.5 hour drive from Adelaide.

The nearest airport, Mildura, is a 90-minute drive from the park on unsealed roads (although your sat nav or maps app will tell you it takes four hours). Mildura has direct flights from Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Broken Hill, and there are car rental options at the airport.

Bring a topographic map and a compass if youre camping or exploring on foot or bicycle. If self-driving, a four-wheel drive is recommended.

Take your best camera for unforgettable landscapes. A quick drive to Mungo lookout is a must as it offers the best views across the lake bed.

Guardian Australia was a guest of Destination NSW.

Here is the original post:
Mungo national park: where alien landscapes reveal ancient culture - The Guardian

It takes rare imagination to walk a raw parcel of land and find a golf course on it. With a touch of envy, four top architects toast four golf holes that really floor them but were dreamed up by another visionary.

By Bill Coore

My design partner Ben Crenshaw and I are both very fond of short par 3s, in part because they require accuracy and finesse more than power, and in that way they provide a rare opportunity for a golfer of lesser ability to compete and even succeed against a better player. The 11th at Pacific Dunes is a wonderful example of an architect working with the natural landscape, rather than trying to impose himself on the land, to create a short par 3 of rare beauty and strategic intrigue. The hole requires a relatively modest carry over a sandy area and a bunker to a green set in the dunes along the Pacific, but it allows for a wide variety of shot shapes, and the challenge is wide-ranging depending on the wind. There are numerous holes and original concepts, such as the Alps and the Redan, that we wish we had created. But anything we build trying to approximate those designs is merely a copy or a tribute. What Tom Doak has created here is an authentic original, with its own distinct identity. It is truly as memorable and inspirational a hole as any I have seen.

Coore is the co-architect of Sand Hills (No. 14), Friars Head (No. 26), Cabot Cliffs (No. 43), Bandon Trails (No. 87) and Barnbougle (Lost Farm) (No. 89).

By David McLay Kidd

A lot of people dont realize it, but Kingsbarns was farm fields, not dunes. The owner, Mark Parsinen, and the architect, Kyle Phillips, reimagined a landscape that might have existed in geologic history and essentially created a golf course out of nothing. I admire the entire course, but I especially love the 6th, a fantastic, drivable par 4 that offers the perfect balance of threat and opportunity. Off the tee, youre given a view of a sloping fairway that pitches away from you on a sharp diagonal. Simply putting the ball in play doesnt look too challenging, but bombing one across the tightest line and rolling it onto the green is a possibility too tempting to resist. If you dont pull off the shot, there is still a chance at redemption. But if you do, the result is positively delicious. The ball flight, bounce and roll might take 30 seconds or more, and with every second the shot can get better and better. But there is also the drama of uncertainty. Will the ball have enough to reach the green, but not too much so that it trickles over? Its a hole that presents you with a riveting strategic riddle. And I think of it often when I try to create a great short par 4.

McLay Kidd is the architect of Bandon Dunes (No. 80).

By Gil Hanse

Part of my rationale for picking the 4th hole at Fishers is that it would mean my team and I would have designed the rest of the course, in its amazing location off the tip of Long Island. Still, the 4th stands out to me for its bold use of a dramatic piece of land to create a composite template hole, with an Alps formation in the fairway/approach and a punchbowl green. While the hole is great to look at and play, it is also very strategic; it rewards the golfer who plays their tee shot along the right side of the hole with a better angle and a view of the flag if the pin is placed on the right side of the green. Although modern technology has taken the driver out of the long hitters hands, it is still a thrill to watch tee shots take flight here. This hole also includes my favorite walk in golf, as you crest the hill and look down into the green. The 4th hole at Streamsong Black, which my team and I designed, has a Punchbowl green that was partially inspired by the 4th at Fishers, as well as by other Seth Raynor holes. Whats impossible to emulate is the setting at Fishers. The view is so beautiful as to be distracting. But my focus is always on counting the balls in the bowl to see how everyone fared. Once Ive done that tally, I always pause to take in the incomparable view.

Hanse is the architect of Castle Stuart (No. 66) and Ohoopee Match Club (No. 98).

By Greg Norman

There are so many things to love about this par-5 hole, but what stands out to me are the simplicities and complexities rolled into one. The more straightforward approach is to play it up the left as a traditional three-shotter. But you can also challenge yourself to get there in two by taking a more aggressive line up the right, flirting with the out of bounds. That was generally my preference: to take it out over the white stakes and get my drive as far out there as possible. But, as with all great links holes, it all depends on the wind. If you miss a shot, you face a snowballing accumulation of problems. You might have to gouge out from a fairway bunker. Or youll bring Hells Bunker into play with your layup, some 80 or 90 yards short of the green. And then theres the green itself: Its a large, shared green with the 4th hole, and it has a ridge running perpendicular to you and a drop-off in the back. They can tuck the pin in places that make it all but impossible to access with anything but a perfect shot. And if you miss, youre left with a challenging chip or pitch. If you built a green like this today, theyd yell at you and tell you that you were crazy. But its a work of art. The entire hole. Im generally not one for copying or emulating other designs, but if I ever got a site that allowed for it, the 14th is the hole Id try to re-create.

Norman is the co-architect of Ellerston (No. T77).

Originally posted here:
I wish Id designed that: Four top architects on golf holes that are too good to be true - Golf.com

Literary prizes do more than offer recognition and cash to writers and help readers decide what book to choose. They shape the literary canon, a countrys body of highly regarded writing. They help shape what the future classics might be.

But what if Africas biggest prizes are awarded by foreign territories; former colonial masters? Or what if African-born writers in the diaspora are routinely chosen as winners over writers living and working in Africa?

Debates have been raging over these issues in recent years, especially relating to the lucrative Caine Prize for African Writing.

The words award or prize imply that there was a selection process and the best emerged as winner. The awarding of value to a text through the literary prize industry involves selection and exclusion in which some texts and authors are foregrounded, becoming the canon.

The scholar John Guillory argues, in addition, for the need to

reconstruct a historical picture of how literary works are produced, disseminated, reproduced, reread, and retaught over successive generations and eras.

The issues are complex and the landscape is changing. My research covers how prizes create taste and canon but also the increasing role played by literary organisations to shape those prizes and hence the canon.

Writers organisations mainly provide a social space for writers. There are dozens across the continent. Sometimes they include a publishing avenue, workshops, fellowships and competitions. In general, they have aimed to fill gaps left by mainstream literary bodies such as publishers, universities and schools, and book marketers.

To understand the process of creative writing on the African continent its useful to focus on the interrelationship between prize bodies and writers organisations in contemporary literary production.

The Caine Prize for African Writing and the Commonwealth Short Story Prize are two major awards for contemporary Africa that have been cited as significant in promoting up-and-coming writers to become global writers. Both trade in the short story.

The Commonwealth, an initiative of the Commonwealths agency for civil society, awards unpublished fiction. The Caine, a charity set up in the name of the late literary organiser Sir Michael Caine, only accepts already published work. The cash reward that comes with winning these prizes is a major factor in their popularity on the continent.

But they are also significant in the growth of the short story genre. This is why I am interested in the partnerships that have emerged between prize bodies and writers organisations. Together they are influencing literary production structures from creative writing training to publishing and marketing texts.

Both the Caine and the Commonwealth prizes have partnered with African based writing organisations like Ugandas FEMRITE and Kenyas Kwani? to organise joint creative writing workshops.

The Caine holds annual workshops for its longlisted writers. These mostly take place in Africa, working with local writers organisations. Sometimes the resulting writing is entered into competitions and in this way, the prize body both produces and awards literary value.

Many of these writers organisations are headed by people who were canonised through the international prize, and sometimes the writing trainers and competition judges are also previous winners.

With such links it then becomes important to analyse the literary texts produced within these networks with the awareness of the importance of a texts social, cultural and political context. The literary product becomes a reflection of the different systems of power at play.

A good illustration of this power play can be found in best-selling Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichies short story Jumping Monkey Hill. It tells of a fictional creative writing programme for African writers run by the British Council. The story, set in South Africa, narrates the experiences of the writers, who are all expected to write about African realities in order to have their stories published internationally. The writers come to the workshop ready to learn how to improve their skills but encounter setbacks mainly because the trainer has a preconceived idea of what plausible African stories should be. These writers have to understand the power play in place and then make a choice.

Jumping Monkey Hill acknowledges the role played by the creative writing institution in the production of literature as a commodity that must fit market demands. For this reason, the increasing investment of African based writers organisations in the literary production scene can also be understood as a political move. It is also an effort to influence the literature coming out of the continent and shape the canon.

Contemporary African writers organisations are deliberately involved in canon formation by taking an active role in the production and distribution of literature. They understand that the uneven distribution of economic and cultural capital results in misrepresentations, or lack of representation, within the canon.

Writers organisations such as FEMRITE, Kwani?, Farafina, Writivism, Storymoja and Short Story Day Africa, among others, are active in the literary industry through publishing, creative writing programmes and providing access to major award organisations and international publishers.

They are, in the process, contributing to canon formation.

Short Story Day Africa, for instance, pegs its yearly competitions on the promise that the winning stories will be automatically submitted for the Caine Prize. In fact, the 2014 Caine winning story and one other shortlisted story were initially published in its anthology Feast, Famine and Potluck (2013).

In the African academy, creative writing is usually offered as a single course within a larger programme or is available only at selected universities. This has resulted in a market gap that has been quickly lled by writers organisations. They fill this gap by offering short term courses on various aspects of creative writing. This is in part because the local literary organisation possesses the cultural capital necessary to link writers to prize organisations and publishers, and therefore to global visibility.

Link:
African literary prizes are contested -- but writers' groups are reshaping them - The Conversation Africa