Author: Harold Draper

Natural and Cultural Features of Southern Kansas City, Part 2: Leawood, Overland Park, Prairie Village

September 30, 2020

southern KC Grandview Leawood above link is to an orientation map of the area This post includes parks in Kansas east of Metcalf Avenue and south of 71st Street. National Historic Trail Sites Santa Fe Trail Park (N38o59’54” W94o37’38”), 7727 Delmar Street in Prairie Village, features a disc golf course amid swales from the original … More Natural and Cultural Features of Southern Kansas City, Part 2: Leawood, Overland Park, Prairie Village

Natural and Cultural Features of Southern Kansas City, Part I: KC and Grandview

July 27, 2020

Southern Kansas City, Missouri, Parks and Historic Sites Sites are listed under National Historic Trail Sites, National Historic Landmarks, southern Kansas City Parks,and Grandview Parks. An orientation map: southern KC Grandview National Historic Landmarks Harry S Truman Farm Home, part of Harry S Truman National Historic Site, is at 12301 Blue Ridge Boulevard north of … More Natural and Cultural Features of Southern Kansas City, Part I: KC and Grandview

Bight of Benin and Niger Delta, Part 2: Mangroves and Grasslands

May 29, 2020

Central African Mangroves This ecoregion is found in Ghana (Greater Accra and Volta Regions) and Nigeria (Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, and Akuwa Ibom States). The coastline of west Africa is a complex network of rivers, estuarine swamps, and barrier islands. In Nigeria, flood tides can penetrate as much as 45 km inland. Mangroves … More Bight of Benin and Niger Delta, Part 2: Mangroves and Grasslands

Bight of Benin, Niger Delta, and São Tomé, Part 1

April 30, 2020

Bight of Benin, Niger Delta, and São Tomé, Part 1: Rainforest Ecoregions São Tomé, Príncipe, and Annobon forests ecoregion On mountainous islands 180 miles offshore in the Gulf of Guinea are rainforests with little seasonal climate variation and high humidity all year. The rainforests show a high level of endemism, with 37 endemic plant species … More Bight of Benin, Niger Delta, and São Tomé, Part 1

Vostok

October 20, 2019

At Vostok Station (S78°28′ E106°50′), the lowest reliably measured temperature on earth of -128.6°F (-89.2°C) was measured in 1983 (Turne et al. 2009). The Russian research station is located at an elevation exceeding 11,000 feet above sea level. Below the station is 4 km of ice. At the base of the ice is the largest … More Vostok

Queen Elizabeth Islands

September 19, 2019

In the 20th century, the Queen Elizabeth Islands tended to retain sea ice throughout the summer. As the Arctic Ocean moves toward being ice free in the next 20 years, the Queen Elizabeth Islands may be one of the last refuges of summer sea ice. The High Arctic Tundra ecoregion includes all the islands north … More Queen Elizabeth Islands

Walgreen Coast

August 10, 2019

This post includes parts of the Eights Coast, Walgreen Coast, and Bakutis Coast. The Eights Coast extends between Pfrogner Point (S72o37’ W89o35’) and Cape Waite (S72o42’ W103o1’) The Walgreen Coast extends from Cape Waite to Cape Herlacher (S73o52’ W114o12’), and the Bakutis Coast extends west of Cape Herlacher to Dean Island (S74o42’ W127o5’). These points … More Walgreen Coast

Iberian Sclerophyllous and Semi-Deciduous Forests

June 25, 2019

Iberian sclerophyllous and semi-deciduous forests include holm oak forests mostly transformed into an agricultural landscape of olive and almond groves. In wilder spots, a dense shrubland called maquis is found. There are wild olive and carob woodlands. A number of endangered animals are hanging on in the ecoregion, including the Iberian lynx, the Spanish imperial eagle, … More Iberian Sclerophyllous and Semi-Deciduous Forests