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Scouting in Indiana

Scouting in Indiana has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.

Early history (1910-1950)
Indianapolis is home to Troop 9, founded by "Chief" Francis Oliver Belzer in 1910, one of the first Scout troops in America.

Belzer founded Firecrafter at Camp Chank-Tun-Un-Gi (now called Camp Belzer) in the summer of 1920. Belzer also served as the first Scout Executive for the Indianapolis Council, later known as the Central Indiana Council.

The first National Order of the Arrow Conference was held at Indiana University in 1948.

Recent history (1950-2010)
In 1950, 1956, 1961, 1965, 1969, 1990, 2002, 2009 and 2018, the National Order of the Arrow Conference (NOAC) was held at Indiana University in Bloomington, the most frequent venue for the event. In 1994, NOAC was held at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Boy Scouts of America in Indiana today
There are nine Boy Scouts of America (BSA) local councils in Indiana. All of Indiana lies within Central Region, except for Clark, Scott, Floyd, Harrison, Crawford, and Washington counties, as part of Southern Region.

Anthony Wayne Area Council
Based in Fort Wayne, Indiana and covering 11 counties in Northeast Indiana — Adams, Wells, Jay, Huntington, Allen, DeKalb, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Whitley, Kosciusko.

 * Lincolnway District (Whitley and Kosciusko Counties)
 * Pokagon District (DeKalb, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben)
 * Three Rivers District (Learning for Life)
 * Summit District (within 469)
 * Wabash Valley District (Adams, Huntington, Jay, Wells)

Features Anthony Wayne Scout Reservation with Camp Chief Little Turtle

Anthony Wayne Scout Reservation
The Anthony Wayne Scout Reservation is a Scouts BSA camp located near Ashley, Indiana, United States.

The reservation has three key areas: Camp Chief Little Turtle (CCLT), Camp Foellinger, and Camp Wilderness.
 * Camp Chief Little Turtle is the main camp. It has many activity centers, such as a waterfront, handicraft, outdoor skills, Project C.O.P.E., and other typical features of a Scouts BSA camp.
 * Camp Foellinger is used mainly for special events, such as Cub Scout camp, National Youth Leadership Training, and Order of the Arrow events.
 * Camp Wilderness contains the Jack Zeiger Ropes Course — used for C.O.P.E. and rock climbing — and Orion, an area used for camping and wilderness survival training.

Buffalo Trace Council
The Buffalo Trace Council is based in Evansville, Indiana that serves southwestern Indiana and southeastern Illinois. Its affiliated Order of the Arrow lodge is Kiondaga Lodge.

Camps
The Buffalo Trace Council has operated four camps throughout its existence, three of which are still in existence. Camp Arthur, located near Vincennes, opened in 1945 and was removed from the list of BSA-approved camping facilities for a time in the mid-1990s. Camp Carnes, located between Jasper and Dubois, has since changed ownership to the City of Jasper and is run as a park. Old Ben Scout Reservation (OBSR), located in Pike County, Indiana opened in 1985 on the site of an abandoned strip mine operated by the Old Ben Coal Company and was the council's current primary summer camp location, until a lack of funding forced the council to cease having summer camps there. Camp Pohoka was the previous summer camp location, but was shut down when OBSR was opened.

Algonkian (formerly Three Rivers)

 * Edwards County
 * Gibson County
 * Knox County
 * Lawrence County
 * Richland County
 * Wabash County

Lincoln Heritage

 * Dubois County
 * Perry County
 * Pike County
 * Spencer County
 * Warrick County (excluding the Newburgh area)

Native Trails

 * Gallatin County
 * Newburgh
 * Posey County
 * Vanderburgh County
 * White County

Pathway to Adventure Council
Pathway to Adventure Council is based in Chicago, Illinois and covers much of its metro area, including the north-west corner of Indiana.

Crossroads of America Council
Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, the Crossroads of America Council (BSA Council #160) serves Scouts and Scouters in Central Indiana. It was initially formed when Central Indiana Council, Delaware County Council, Kikthawenund Council, and Whitewater Valley Council merged in 1972.

Hoosier Trails Council
The Hoosier Trails Council, BSA serves in 18 counties in south-central Indiana, and to more than 6,000 youth each year.

History
The Hoosier Trails Council is the result of several council mergers.

In 1921, the Bartholomew County Council (#150) was founded. During the late 1920s, it merged into the Hoosier Hills Area Council (#150), founded in 1928.

In 1928 the Lost River Area Council was founded. In 1931 it was absorbed into the White River Area Council (#145), founded in 1927.

In 1973, White River and Hoosier Hills merged to form the Hoosier Trails Council (#145).

Organization

 * Muscatatuck District (Hoosier Hills District and Lenni Lenape District merged in 2019) serving Dearborn, Jefferson, Ohio, Ripley, Switzerland, Bartholomew, Jackson, Decatur, & Jennings Counties
 * Wapehani District (Miami District and Valley Trails District merged in 2008) serving Brown, Monroe, Morgan & Owen Counties
 * White River Trails District (Lincoln Trails District and Southern Trails District merged in 1990) serving Lawrence, Orange, Martin, Daviess, & Greene Counties

Camps
Resident summer camp is held at Maumee Scout Reservation, located on Lake Tarzian in the Hoosier National Forest. Maumee first opened in 1972 for White River Council as a replacement for its previous camp, Camp Wapehani in Bloomington, Indiana which had been divided by a recent re-alignment of State Road 37. The 640 acre property is near in Norman, Indiana. Lake Tarzian is named after Sarkes Tarzian who led the capital campaign to build the camp.

Until 2023, the council also possessed Camp Louis Ernst in Dupont. Louis Ernst was founded in 1928 and operated by Hoosier Hills Council until its merger with White River Council to form Hoosier Trails Council in 1973. After this, Louis operated as a summer camp until 1983 when it was reduced to primitive camping. The camp was officially transferred to a group known as the Friends of Camp Louis Ernst in 2023.

Order of the Arrow
Nischa Chuppecat Lodge (#212) is Hoosier Trails' Order of the Arrow Lodge. It was founded in 1973 as the merger of Wazi Yata (#290) and So-Aka-Gha-Gwa (#212) lodges.

Both So-Aka-Gha-Gwa and Wazi Yata can trace back their heritage to other organizations separate from the Order of the Arrow.

The predecessor to So-Aka-Gha-Gwa, the Order of The Golden Arrow, was founded at Cataract Falls in the late 1930s and became So-Aka-Gha-Gwa Lodge in 1941.

The predecessor to Wazi Yata, the Order of the Wazi Yata, was founded at Camp Louis Ernst in 1934 and became Wazi Yata Lodge in 1945.

Nischa Chuppecat and So-Aka-Gha-Gwa have collectively hosted the National Order of the Arrow Conference (NOAC) at Indiana University eleven times as of the summer of 2018, the most of any lodge in the nation.

La Salle Council
La Salle Council serves Scouts in Indiana and Michigan.

Districts

 * Algonquian District
 * Dunes Moraine District
 * Pioneer Trails District
 * Potawatomi District

Camps

 * Wood Lake Scout Reservation
 * Camp Tamarack is approximately 250 acres and is the summer camp facility located on the north side of Big and Little Wood Lake. Tamarack has 17 campsites, 3 winter lodges, 18 staff cabins, shower house, health lodge, director's lodge, dining hall, cook's cabin, quartermaster building, trading post, administration building, conservation pavilion, rifle range, archery range, waterfront, athletic field, and parade field.
 * Camp Will Welber is approximately 10 acres and is used as a training area. This camp is located on the south side of Big Wood Lake. Facilities consist of a storage building, central shower, and two staff cabins.
 * Camp Dan Beard and Jim Bridger are located on the south side of Big Wood Lake and are approximately 80 Acres each. These are both Leave No Trace camping areas. They offer no amenities, except for their abundant natural beauty.
 * Camp Topenebee
 * Rice Woods Camp

Lincoln Heritage Council
The George Rogers Clark Council was formed by Scouts of Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Crawford, Scott, and Washington counties in 1927, and merged with Old Kentucky Home Council in 1993 to form the Lincoln Heritage Council, which serves Scouts in Kentucky and Indiana. The Council absorbed the Shawnee Trails Council of western Kentucky (and part of southern Illinois and northwestern Tennessee) in April 2012 to serve scouts in Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, and Tennessee.

John Work House and Mill Site|Tunnel Mill Scout Reservation
Tunnel Mill Scout Reservation is a Scouts BSA camp just outside Charlestown, Indiana, owned by the Lincoln Heritage Council. In 1917 local Troop 3 decided to use the property as a summer camp, as it would for three summers. The George Rogers Clark Council shortly after 1927 bought Tunnel Mill from the Murphy family, who had bought the property the previous year but lost interest after a mill fire. In 1933 the three-sided wooden Pioneer Village cabins were built. In 1942 the Scoutmaster's Cabin and Evergreen cabins were completed. In 1950 the McDonald Bridge was completed across Fourteen Mile Creek. The camp saw its greatest use in the 1950s and 1960s, with 564 Scouts, the highest attendance ever, in 1960. In 1969 the swimming pool was built, to replace the creek, now-unsafe for swimming. By the 1980s the lessening attendance made the future of the camp uncertain. When the George Rogers Clark Council, which owned the property, merged with Old Kentucky Home Council, one of the conditions was that Tunnel Mill would not be closed. Since 1993 the camp has been used primarily by Cub Scouts and for winter camping. The property includes a cabin village, a swimming pool, and a dining hall built in 2000. The new dining hall replaced the one from the 1980s that once served as a steakhouse in Jeffersonville.

On November 6, 1996, Andy Campbell, a ranger serving as Tunnel Mill's caretaker, was shot to death by Roger Caldwell, "a diagnosed, paranoid schizophrenic" who trespassed onto the property while drunk. This was the first such incident in the history of Scouting. Campbell was able to drag himself 50 ft to call 911. After police arrived on the scene to get information about the drunk from Campbell, they found Caldwell wandering on Indiana Highway 62. Caldwell was sentenced to 70 years in prison, with parole possible after 31 years.

Prairielands Council
Prairielands Council, previously the short-lived Illiana Council, has its headquarters in Champaign, Illinois, and also serves Scouts in Indiana.

Sagamore Council
The Sagamore Council was founded in 1973 by a merger of the Three Rivers Council (Headquarters in Logansport, IN), Mesingomesia Council (Headquarters in Marion, IN) and the Harrison Trails Council (Headquarters in Lafayette, IN). The council offices were eventually consolidated to a single office in Kokomo, Indiana. The council maintains two camps: Camp Cary, (near Lafayette, IN) used as a Cub Scout day camp and Camp Buffalo, (near Buffalo, IN - north and east of Indiana Beach) used as a Scouts BSA summer camp. The camp properties of Green Hills and Crossland were sold. Camp Green Hills was south and west of Lafayette, IN. Mesingomesia Council's Crossland Scout Reservation near Columbia City, Indiana was sold to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources in 1992 and is now called the Deniston Resource Area (named after a fallen DNR Conservation Officer). The camp was located on Robinson Lake, one of the last natural lakes in Indiana with almost no development. This was due in large part to the camp which encompassed almost three-fourths of the shoreline.

A few things make Sagamore Council unique:

 * 1) Purdue University, in West Lafaytte, IN, hosted the 1994 National Order of the Arrow Conference.
 * 2) Weaver Popcorn (which markets Trail's End Popcorn) is produced in Van Buren, Indiana.
 * 3) Ramsey Popcorn (which markets Campmasters Popcorn ) is produced in Ramsey, Indiana.
 * 4) George O. Crossland was a Scout Executive who served the prior Mesingomesia Council. He was known for more notable Scouting functions including creating an honorary that rivaled the Order of the Arrow—TI-PI-SA, the Order of the Red Lodge. Crossland Scout Reservation was named after him.

Districts

 * North Star District, serving Cass, Fulton, Jasper, Newton, Pulaski & White counties
 * Peshewa District, serving Blackford, Grant, Howard, Miami and Wabash counties
 * Wabash Valley District, serving Benton, Carroll, Tippecanoe, Warren & Northern Fountain counties

Camps
The Sagamore Council currently operates two camps:
 * Cary Camp- Lafayette, Indiana
 * Camp Buffalo - Buffalo, Indiana

Girl Scouting in Indiana
There are 5 Girl Scout councils that serve Indiana.

On August 26, 2006, Girl Scouts of the USA's (GSUSA) national board of directors voted to endorse a plan to realign 312 councils into 109 high-capacity, community-based councils. The new structure will make the most effective use of resources to better serve the local community and create more opportunities in Girl Scouting for even more girls. Girl Scouts of Central Indiana was the first Girl Scout council in the nation to complete the merger process.

Girl Scouts of Central Indiana
Formed by the merger of Girl Scouts of Hoosier Capital Council, Covered Bridge Girl Scout Council, Girl Scouts of Treaty Line Council, Girl Scouts of Sycamore Council, and Girl Scouts of Wapephani Council, and the addition of Howard and Carroll Counties from Girl Scouts of Tribal Trails Council.

Girl Scouts of Central Indiana serves over 36,000 girls in 45 counties in Central Indiana. Council headquarters is Indianapolis, Indiana but service centers remain in cities that were the headquarters of former councils

Web Site:

Camps and cabins

 * Camp Sycamore Valley near Lafayette is 160 acre on Wildcat creek.
 * Camp Na Wa Ka in Poland, Indiana is 259 acre
 * Camp Gallahue in Morgantown
 * Camp Dellwood in Indianapolis
 * Camp Ada in Spiceland

Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana
See Scouting in Illinois for more information. The former Scouts of The Calumet Council and Drifting Dunes Girl Scout Council became part of this council.

Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana
See Scouting in Kentucky for more information. Serves many counties in southern Indiana

Girl Scouts of Northern Indiana-Michiana
This is a new council includes more than 18,240 Girl Scouts in northern Indiana (Adams, Allen, Cass, DeKalb, Elkhart, Fulton, Huntington, Kosciusko, LaGrange, LaPorte, Marshall, Miami, Noble, Pulaski, St. Joseph, Starke, Steuben, Wabash, Wells, and Whitley) and two counties, Berien and Cass, in southwest Michigan.

Formed by the merger of Indiana Lakeland Girl Scout Council, Girl Scouts of Limberlost Council, Girl Scouts of Singing Sands Council (except for a part that joined Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan), and Girl Scouts of Tribal Trails Council (except for a part that joined Girl Scouts of Central Indiana).

Website:

Camps

 * Camp Logan - 220 acre near Syracuse, Indiana
 * Camp Shawadasee — near Lawton, Michigan
 * Camp Singing Hills - 240 acre near Middlebury, Indiana
 * Camp Soni Springs - 156 acre near Three Oaks, Michigan
 * McMillen Program Center - 103 acre in northeast Indiana
 * Wildwood Program Center - 40 acre in Logansport, Indiana

Girl Scouts of River Bluffs Council
Headquarters is Glen Carbon, Illinois

website:

Girl Scouts of Western Ohio
Headquarters is Cincinnati, Ohio

website:

See Scouting in Ohio for more information

Girl Scouts of Southwest Indiana
Headquarters is Evansville, Indiana. It serves Vanderburgh, Warrick, Spencer, Perry, Posey, Gibson, Martin, Pike, Daviess, and Dubois Counties in Indiana and White County in Illinois.

website:

Located in south-west Indiana and also a small part of Illinois. It was formed after a previous realignment in September 1957.

Camps

 * Camp Koch in Cannelton, Indiana
 * Carmi Little House in Carmi, Illinois
 * Camp Three Lakes

Camp Koch has a sycamore that is a "Moon tree"; as a seed it was on the Apollo 14 mission to the Moon.

title: Scouting in Indiana


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Michaelmas and Upolu Cays National Park

Michaelmas and Upolu Cays is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 1409 km northwest of Brisbane and 33 km east of Cairns. It comprises two small cays on Michaelmas Reef, which forms the north-eastern section of the Arlington reef complex, within the Great Barrier Reef.

Plants
The vegetation on Michaelmas Cay is characteristic of cays found on the outer barrier reef. Low-growing, it consists of beach spinifex, stalky grass, goatsfoot, bulls-head vine, sea purslane and tar vine. Nutrients fertilising the vegetation come from seabird droppings and carcasses. The smaller Upolu Cay is un-vegetated.

Animals
Michaelmas Cay is important as a breeding site for several species of terns. It has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA) because it supports over 1% of the world populations of greater and lesser crested terns. Sooty terns and common noddies also breed there. Other terns that have nested on the cay in the past include roseate and black-naped terns.

Green turtles sometimes nest on the cays. The surrounding reefs have a rich marine fauna, including giant clams.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Michaelmas and Upolu Cays National Park


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Millstream Falls National Park

Millstream Falls National Park is located just west of Ravenshoe, Queensland along the Kennedy Highway in Far North Queensland, Australia, 1,341 km northwest of Brisbane. Big Millstream Falls is reputedly the widest single-drop falls in Australia. The park is small, at only 3.72 km2.

title: Millstream Falls National Park


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Talk:Urban growth boundary

Unititled section
The following mini-essay, by 62.60.4.221, makes some good points but is decidedly POV. Perhaps some of it could be incorporated into this page or Green Belt -- Nate

 * Meanwhile the costs of daily travel declined relative to the wages of city workers and many workers found themselves able and willing to "leapfrog" the Green Belt and inhabit deeper countryside areas, thereafter commuting to their existing urban or suburban workplaces. This tendency, or Urban Exodus was encouraged by the building of wider roads and the electrification of railways that raised average journey speeds. In such circumstances the Green Belt can be portrayed as something of a problem, enticing excess travel, wasting precious fuel, and accentuating the influx of townsfolk into villages, hamlets and market towns that have other priorities. Although some communities may benefit from the migrants' skills and spending-power, established residents of the countryside may doubt the social contribution of adults who spend a large proportion of their time travelling and some (mainly those too young to be earning or families renting accommodation) resent the fact that incoming commuters generally drive-up local property prices. For reasons of self interest, those already owning property there or in the designated Green Belt tend to be relatively satisfied and may even join in the chorus of demand for further upgrades to transport links.

 * Clearly escaping from the rat race becomes difficult when you realise that many other rats have followed your trail! Ironically those who escape from the cities become most vocal in defending the scenic values of the countryside and in opposing non-residential land uses there. Thus the suburbanisation of the countryside can be a social as well as a physical event. See also drawbridge mentality and NIMBY syndrome.

Mandatory UGB in California
This article is mentioned in this letter to the editor in Cato Unbound and the author disputes the point re: California. I don't know enough about this topic to say who's right, but I thought I'd post it here. --Padraic 19:24, 21 April 2011 (UTC)

Article needs cleanup
I find it odd that the first topic on the page is the critiques. Tebici (talk) 22:28, 29 November 2012 (UTC)

title: Talk:Urban growth boundary


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Minerva Hills National Park

Minerva Hills is a national park in Central Queensland, Australia, 626 km northwest of Brisbane. Lookouts within the national park overlook the town of Springsure. The park features a rugged landscape with volcanic peaks, sheltered gorges, sheer cliffs, open woodlands and dry rainforest.

The park lies within the water catchment areas of the Comet and Nogoa rivers and within the Brigalow Belt bioregion.

There are four lookouts and a picnic area for visitors. Camping is not allowed in the park.

Geology
The Minerva Hills National Park sits on the Oligocene Minerva Hills Volcanics. These volcanics have been broadly divided into a basal series of mafic lavas (some 70 m thick) overlain by a series of intercalated mafic volcanics, felsic volcanics ranging from trachyte to rhyolite and trachytic pyroclastics. The pyroclastics are related to plugs and domes. The lower sequence has been dated at approximately 33 -34 Ma (million years) and the upper sequence 28.5–27.5 Ma. The Minerva Hills Volcanics is a remnant of Oligocene hot spot volcanism known as the Cosgrove Hot Spot. This hot spot forms the longest continental hot spot track on earth.

title: Minerva Hills National Park


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Errk Oykangand National Park

Errk Oykangand (formerly known as Mitchell-Alice Rivers until 2009) is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 1748 km northwest of Brisbane. Today, this protected area is jointly managed by the Queensland government and the traditional Aboriginal owners, the Kunjen and Oykangand People.

The park has a tropical climate and temperatures exceed 30 degrees Celsius all year round.

Wildlife
214 species of animals have been recorded in the park, of which 2 are endangered and 211 species of plants.

title: Errk Oykangand National Park


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Molle Islands National Park

Molle Islands is a national park in North Queensland, Australia, 913 km northwest of Brisbane. The park covers several continental islands a short distance offshore including Long Island, Tancred Island, Repair Island, Planton Island, Goat Island, Denman Island and the majority of North Molle Island, Mid Molle Island and South Molle Island. The park features white sandy beaches, open eucalypt forests, rainforest-clad gullies and grasslands. The traditional owners of the islands were the Ngaro people.

Environment
211 different species have been identified in Molle Islands National Park. This includes two vulnerable species, the coastal sheath-tailed bat and the beach stone-curlew.

Recreation
On South Molle Island and Long Island there are marked walking tracks. Most are graded easy and some are suitable for mountain biking. Viewing wildlife, swimming and snorkelling are other popular recreational activities.

Access
The park is accessed by boat from Airlie Beach or Shute Harbour. Tour operators provide day tours and ferry transfer is available from nearby resort islands.

Facilities
There are numerous locations available to campers. Some have picnic tables and toilets. Open fires and ash-producing stoves are banned.

title: Molle Islands National Park


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Moogerah Peaks National Park

Moogerah Peaks is a National Park in the Fassifern Valley of South East Queensland, Australia, located approximately 70 km south west of the state capital Brisbane. The 676-hectare park consists of four separate protected areas which surround volcanic peaks and rocky cliffs near Moogerah Dam.

Environment
Because the peaks are relatively inaccessible the natural vegetation of the area has remained intact. The vegetation is mostly open eucalypt forest with montane heath on exposed rock faces. In sheltered areas there are some patches of rainforest. The park is part of the Scenic Rim Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance in the conservation of several species of threatened birds.

Moogerah Peaks
The Moogerah Peaks are a small set of mountains with a volcanic origin. The summits of Mount French, Mount Edwards, Mount Moon and Mount Greville are each contained within four separate sections of the park.

On Mount French the cliffs at Frog Buttress are one of the state's most popular areas for rockclimbers. The National Park surrounds Lake Moogerah, and access to the Mount Edwards portion of the park can be had across the dam wall and spillway of the lake.

Palm Gorge is situated on Mount Greville. This narrow gorge contains a nearly pure stand of Piccabeen Palms. To the west and south of this park lies the Main Range National Park preserving part of the Scenic Rim. The flora of the peaks is diverse including rainforests, sclerophyll woodlands and montane heath in the rocky exposed areas. Endemic flora species occur on the peaks that can be found nowhere else on earth, such as the Moogerah Peaks Leionema and Mount Greville Reed Grass.

title: Moogerah Peaks National Park


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Haoma

Haoma (Avestan: ) is a divine plant in Zoroastrianism and in later Persian culture and mythology. Haoma has its origins in Indo-Iranian religion and is the cognate of Vedic soma.

Etymology
Both Avestan haoma and Sanskrit soma derived from proto-Indo-Iranian *sauma. The root of the word haoma, hu-, and of soma, su-, suggests 'press' or 'pound'.

In Old Persian cuneiform it was known as 𐏃𐎢𐎶 hauma, as in the DNa inscription (c. 490 BC) which makes reference to "haoma-drinking Scythians" (Sakā haumavargā).

The Middle Persian form of the name is 𐭧𐭥𐭬 hōm, which continues to be the name in Modern Persian and other living Iranian languages (هوم).

In the Avesta
The physical attributes, as described in the texts of the Avesta, include:
 * the plant has stems, roots and branches (Yasna 10.5).
 * it has a plant asu (Yasna 9.16). The term asu is only used in conjunction with a description of haoma, and does not have an established translation. It refers to 'twigs' according to Dieter Taillieu, 'stalk' according to Robert Wasson, 'fibre' or 'flesh' according to Ilya Gershevitch, 'sprouts' according to Lawrence Heyworth Mills.
 * it is tall (Yasna 10.21, Vendidad 19.19)
 * it is fragrant (Yasna 10.4)
 * it is golden-green (standard appellation, Yasna 9.16 et al.)
 * it can be pressed (Yasna 9.1, 9.2)
 * it grows on the mountains, 'swiftly spreading', 'apart on many paths' (Yasna 9.26, 10.3-4 et al.) 'to the gorges and abysses' (Yasna 10–11) and 'on the ranges' (Yasna 10.12)

The indirect attributes (i.e., as effects of its consumption) include:
 * it furthers healing (Yasna 9.16-17, 9.19, 10.8, 10.9)
 * it furthers sexual arousal (Yasna 9.13-15, 9.22)
 * it is physically strengthening (Yasna 9.17, 9.22, 9.27)
 * it stimulates alertness and awareness (Yasna 9.17, 9.22, 10.13)
 * the mildly intoxicating extract can be consumed without negative side effects (Yasna 10.8).
 * it is nourishing (Yasna 9.4, 10.20) and 'most nutritious for the soul' (Yasna 9.16).

In present-day Zoroastrianism
Many of the physical attributes as described in the texts of the Avesta match the plant used in present-day Zoroastrian practice. In present-day preparation of parahaoma (for details, see Ab-Zohr),
 * the twigs are repeatedly pounded in the presence of a little water, which suggests ancient haoma was also water-soluble.
 * the twigs have to be imported by Indian-Zoroastrians, who believe that they are, for climatic reasons, not obtainable on the Indian subcontinent.
 * very small quantities are produced.

According to Falk, Parsi-Zoroastrians use a variant of ephedra, usually Ephedra procera, imported from the Hari River valley in Afghanistan.

Botanic identification
Since the late 18th century, when Anquetil-Duperron and others made portions of the Avesta available to western scholarship, several scholars have sought a representative botanical equivalent of the haoma as described in the texts and as used in living Zoroastrian practice. Most of the proposals concentrated on either linguistic evidence or comparative pharmacology or reflected ritual use. Rarely were all three considered together, which usually resulted in such proposals being quickly rejected.

In the late 19th century, the highly conservative Zoroastrians of Yazd (Iran) were found to use genus Ephedra, which was locally known as hum or homa and which they exported to the Indian Zoroastrians. The plant, as Falk also established, requires a cool and dry climate, i.e. it does not grow in India (which is either too hot or too humid or both) but thrives in central Asia. Later, it was discovered that a number of Iranian languages and Persian dialects have hom or similar terms as the local name for some variant of Ephedra. Considered together, the linguistic and ritual evidence appeared to conclusively establish that haoma was some variant of Ephedra.

In the latter half of the 20th century, several studies attempted to establish haoma as a psychotropic substance, basing their arguments on the assumption that proto-Indo-Iranian *sauma was a hallucinogen. This assumption relies on Rigveda Mandala 8, Hymn 48. and reject this assumption, positing that souma was not hallucinogenic. Considering all 115 hymns dedicated to souma in whole, rather than the single hymn RV 8.48, and modern usage of Ephedra by practitioners, Falk and Houben conclude that Ephedra could be the only logical identity of souma. Moreover, the references to entheogenic properties were only in conjunction with a fermentation of the plant extract, which does not have enough time to occur in living custom.

In the conclusion of his observations on a 1999 Haoma-Soma workshop in Leiden, Jan E. M. Houben writes: "despite strong attempts to do away with Ephedra by those who are eager to see *sauma as a hallucinogen, its status as a serious candidate for the Rigvedic Soma and Avestan Haoma still stands". This supports Falk, who in his summary noted that "there is no need to look for a plant other than Ephedra, the one plant used to this day by the Parsis."

As a divinity (Dūraoša)
The Yazata Haoma, also known by the Middle Persian name Hōm Yazad, is the epitome of the quintessence of the haoma plant, venerated in the Hōm Yašt, the hymns of Yasna 9–11.

In those hymns, Haoma is said to appear before Zoroaster in the form of Dūraoša, a "beautiful man" (this is the only anthropomorphic reference), who prompts him to gather and press haoma for the purification of the waters (see Aban). Haoma is 'righteous' and 'furthers righteousness', is 'wise' and 'gives insight' (Yasna 9.22). Haoma was the first priest, installed by Ahura Mazda with the sacred girdle aiwiyanghan (Yasna 9.26) and serves the Amesha Spentas in this capacity (Yasht 10.89). "Golden-green eyed" Haoma was the first to offer up haoma, with a "star-adorned, spirit-fashioned mortar," and is the guardian of "mountain plants upon the highest mountain peak." (Yasht 10.90)

Haoma is associated with the Amesha Spenta Vohu Manah (Avestan, Middle Persian Vahman or Bahman), the guardian of all animal creation. Haoma is the only divinity with a Yasht who is not also represented by a day-name dedication in the Zoroastrian calendar. Without such a dedication, Haoma has ceased to be of any great importance within the Zoroastrian hierarchy of angels.

In the legend of Zoroaster's conception
The Haoma plant is a central element in the legend surrounding the conception of Zoroaster. In the story, his father Pouroshaspa took a piece of the Haoma plant and mixed it with milk. He gave his wife Dugdhova one half of the mixture and he consumed the other. They then conceived Zoroaster who was instilled with the spirit of the plant.

According to tradition, Zoroaster received his revelation on a riverbank while preparing parahaoma for the Ab-Zohr (Zatspram 21.1), that is, for the symbolic purification of Aban ("the waters"). This symbolic purification is also evident in Yasna 68.1, where the celebrant makes good for the damage done to water by humanity: "These offerings, possessing haoma, possessing milk, possessing pomegranate, shall compensate thee".

traditional barsom
It is possible that the barsom (Var. Avestan baresman) bundle of twigs was originally a bundle of Haoma stalks. The Haoma divinity is identified with priesthood (see Haoma as a divinity), while the barsom stalks "cut for the bundles bound by women" (Yasna 10.17) is the symbol and an instrument of Zoroastrian priests. Today the barsom is made from pomegranate twigs (cf: preparation of parahaoma for the Ab-Zohr).

In the Shahnameh
In Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, which incorporates stories from the Avesta (with due acknowledgement), Hom appears as a hermit, dweller of the mountains, incredibly strong. He binds Afrasiab (Middle Persian, Avestan: "the fell Turanian Frangrasyan", Yasna 11.7) with the sacred girdle, and drags him from deep within the earth (named the hankana in Avestan, hang-e-Afrasiab in middle Persian) where Afrasiab has his "metal-encircled" kingdom that is immune to mortal attack.

In another episode, Vivaŋhat is the first of the humans to press haoma, for which Hom rewards him with a son, Jamshid. Yasna 9.3-11 has Zoroaster asking the divinity who (first) prepared haoma and for what reward, to which Haoma recalls Vivanghvant (Persian: Vivaŋhat) to whom Yima Xshaeta (Jamshid) is born; Athwya (Abtin) to whom Thraetaona (Fereydun) is born; and Thrita to whom Urvaxshaya and Keresaspa (Karshasp and Garshasp) are born. The latter two are also characters in priestly heroic tradition, and among conservative Zoroastrians of the hereditary priesthood, Haoma is still prayed to by those wanting children (in particular, honorable sons who will also become priests). The account given in the Indian Vedas closely agrees with that of the Iranian Avesta. The first preparers of Soma are listed as Vivasvat, who is the father of Yama and Manu, and Trita Aptya.

Darmesteter
James Darmesteter, in his 1875 thesis on the mythology of the Avesta, speculating on the Parsi belief that Ephedra twigs do not decay, wrote:"... it comprises the power of life of all the vegetable kingdom ... both the Ved[as] and the Avesta call it the 'king of healing herbs' ... the zarathustri scriptures say that homa is of two kinds, the white haoma and the painless tree. Could it be that soma is the tree of life? the giver of immortality?"

The Indian-Zoroastrian belief mentioned above also manifests itself in the present-day Zoroastrian practice of administering a few drops of parahaoma to the new-born or dying (see Ab-Zohr). The belief also appears to be very old, and be cross-cultural. As Falk, recalling Aurel Stein's discovery of Ephedra plants interred at 1st-century CE Tarim Basin burial sites, notes: "an imperishable plant, representing or symbolizing the continuity of life, is most appropriate to burial rites".

In the Zadspram
A legendary 'White Hom' grows at the junction of the "great gathering place of the waters" and a mighty river. According to the Zadspram, at the end of time, when Ormuzd triumphs over Ahriman, the followers of the good religion will share a parahom made from the 'White Hom', and so attain immortality for their resurrected bodies. (Zadspram 35.15)

Comparison of haoma/soma
Beyond the establishment of a common origin of haoma and soma and numerous attempts to give that common origin a botanical identity, little has been done to compare the two. As Indologist Jan Houben also noted in the proceedings of a 1999 workshop on Haoma-Soma, "apart from occasional and dispersed remarks on similarities in structure and detail of Vedic and Zoroastrian rituals, little has been done on the systematic comparison of the two". As of 2003, no significant comparative review of cultural/sacred Haoma/Soma had extended beyond Alfred Hillebrandt's 1891 comparison of the Vedic deity and the Zoroastrian divinity.

All more recent studies that address commonality have dealt only with botanical identification of proto-Indo-Iranian *sauma. Houben's workshop, the first of its kind, dealt with "the nature of the Soma/Haoma plant and the juice pressed from it" and that "the main topic of the workshop (was) the identity of the Soma/Haoma."

title: Haoma


text:
Mooloolah River National Park

The Mooloolah River National Park is a nationally protected area located on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. It covers an area of 830.9 hectares and is bordered by the Mooloolah River to the east, Claymore and Dixon Roads to the west, and the Lower Mooloolah River Environmental Reserve to the south. It is bisected by the Sunshine Motorway with the northern, 161.93 hectare component of the Park being a later addition. The Park was initially vacant crown land prior to national park designation in 1960. Surrounding land uses include livestock grazing, urban development and the campus of the University of the Sunshine Coast. It is the second largest mainland park on the coastal lowlands in South East Queensland after Noosa National Park and represents an example of low-lying coastal floodplain distinctive of the region.

The Jowarra section of the Park is located at the north western corner of the intersection of Steve Irwin Way (formerly Glasshouse Mountains Road) and the Bruce Highway. It is a remnant of coastal rainforest and cut off from the main body of the Park with the only connection via the Mooloolah River itself. The Park is used for conservation and study purposes and recreationally by bushwalkers and bird watchers.

Ecology
The Park provides important habitat for numerous species endemic to eastern Australia and south east Queensland, owing its species diversity to varied ecosystem types and ecotones. It represents an important remnant of coastal heathland once common in the region and a refuge for the associated flora and fauna. Almost half the area of the Park is coastal and sub-coastal floodplain wet heath swamp and approximately one third coastal and sub-coastal floodplain tree swamp containing Melaleuca and Eucalyptus species in the Park's wetland areas.

Seven of the 10 vegetative communities in the Park are regionally significant. The forest red gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis) along with the blackbutt-tallowwood (Eucalyptus pilularis-E. microcorys) are classed as endangered regional ecosystems under Schedule 1 of the Vegetation Management Regulation 2012 (VMR 2012). Five other regional ecosystems present in the Park are listed as of concern in Schedule 2 of the VMR 2012 including the paperbark teatree (Melaleuca quinquenervia) open forest/woodland, wallum banksia (Banksia aemula) woodland, scribbly gum (Eucalyptus racemosa) open forest, sedgelands and closed heath.

Flora
With a variety ecosystem types and communities the Park is home to a wide array of endemic flora types, a number of which are threatened regionally. The Park contains three examples of flora listed as endangered under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NC Act) and/or the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) and two species listed as vulnerable under both Acts. The Mt Emu Sheoak (Allocasuarina emuina) is listed both under the NC Act and the EPBC Act as endangered. A wind-pollinated shrub it is restricted to the coastal heaths of south east Queensland and was likely more widespread prior to encroaching primary production industries and urbanisation. The species is also highly reliant on fire regimes which have been altered due to urbanisation.

The swamp stringybark (Eucalyptus conglomerata) is endangered under both the NC Act and the EPBC Act. The species grows in the margin between open forest and heathland in sandy acidic soils which are at times waterlogged. The Christmas Bells (Blandfordia grandiflora) plant is listed as endangered under the NC Act and is located in sandy acidic soils of damp heathland and sedgeland.

The Acacia attenuata is listed as vulnerable under both the NC Act and the EPBC Act and is endemic to South East Queensland. Populations persist close to the coast in the ecotone between wet heathland and open eucalypt forests within the Park. It relies on disturbance such as fire events for seed recruitment. The species can tolerate disturbed environments and has been observed in man made disturbed areas, easements and road reserves. , The tiny wattle (Acacia bauera subsp. baueri) can be located in the Park and is listed as vulnerable under the NC Act.

Mammals
There are 19 species of mammals recorded in the Park. Macropod species include the eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus gignateus) and the swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) with both also using the buffer zones around the Park. Other species include the short beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), the eastern bent-winged bat (Miniopterus schreibersii oceanensis) the little bent-winged bat (Miniopterus australis), four kinds of native rats, brush and ringtail possums, and flying foxes. Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) have been recorded in the area and although listed as occurring within the Park in Queensland Government records, a viable population is not believed to be present in the Park apart from anecdotal records mentioning a population in the section north of the Sunshine Motorway. ,

Amphibians
The Park is home to ten species of frogs including threatened ‘acid frogs’ termed as such by having the ability to inhabit acidic water bodies. Their preferred habitat is wet coastal heathlands with acidic waters (pH less than 5). Significant threats include the destruction of coastal wetlands and changes in water quality and availability. These species include the wallum froglet (Crinnia tinnula) listed as vulnerable in the NC Act, the wallum sedgefrog (Litoria olongburensis) listed in the EPBC Act and NC Act as vulnerable, and the wallum rocketfrog (Litoria freycineti) listed as vulnerable in the NC Act. These three frogs are also recorded outside the Park in the Lower Mooloolah River Environmental Reserve which provides a buffer zone and extension of habitat. Acid frogs can tolerate fire events as long as suitable water sources are available. The introduced cane toad (Rhinella marina), prevalent across south east Queensland, is also recorded in the park.

Birds
The Park contains a wide assortment of bird species and up to 136 different species are listed. Significant species include eastern grass owl, sea eagles, various parrot species, goshawks, kites, the white-throated needle tail, egrets, herons, wedge-tailed eagles and wrens. The nutmeg mannikin, also known as the scaly-breasted munia (Lonchura punctulata), is an introduced finch species native to tropical Asia. It is able to tolerate disturbed environments and may pose a threat to native finches through competition. The Park is recorded habitat for the ground parrot (Pezoporus wallicus wallicus) listed as vulnerable under the NC Act. It is confined to heathlands and sedgelands and has numerous predators including the eastern grass owl, feral cat, brown falcons (Falco berigora) and snakes.

Reptiles
The Park is home for nine reptile species including the lace monitor (Varanus varius), eastern water dragon (Intellagama lesueurii), freshwater snake (Tropidonophis mairii) and the golden crowned snake (Cacophis squamulosus).

Insects
The park contains five species of butterfly – the common evening brown (Melanitis leda bankia), the monarch (Danaus plexippus plexippus), the Richmond Birdwing (Ornithoptera richmondia), and two types of jezebel (Delias sp.) one being the black jezebel (Delias nigrina).

The vulnerable Richmond Birdwing butterfly, occurring only in subtropical northern NSW and South East Queensland, is under threat from the removal of its already fragmented rainforest habitat. Its exclusive host plant, the Richmond Birdwing butterfly vine (Aristolochia praevenosa), listed as near threatened itself, is recorded both inside the Park and outside in areas to the south. , The vine is under competition from other invasive weed species and outside the Park is affected by land and road side reserve clearing. The introduced Dutchman's pipe vine is poisonous to the larvae of the Richmond Birdwing is a considerable regional threat, though not recorded in the Park as yet. ,

Environmental threats
The Sunshine Coast region is experiencing rapid urban expansion adding to environmental pressures on the Park. Urban development is encroaching on native bushland and reducing the effectiveness of the Park's buffer zones making it more isolated from surrounding natural areas. Heathlands once common across south east Queensland are experiencing pressures from urbanisation and fragmentation, and species occupying those habitats are now under threat. Much of the habitat occupied by wallum dependent species such as the wallum rocketfrog, wallum sedgefrog and wallum froglet has been cleared for primary production, sand mining and residential development as these areas were once considered useless lands. The Park's southern bordering areas are used as pastureland and also support a number of introduced weed species.

Multiple threatening processes affecting the Park suggest that management and observation of species numbers within the Park should be undertaken to ensure they do not decline unexpectedly, particularly if they already have certain specialized requirements. Altered burning frequencies resulting from the need to protect property and prevent a reduction in living amenity for nearby residents can have a detrimental effect on fire dependent species. The hydrological balance and water quality in the Park can be potentially altered by changes to surrounding drainage systems and for amphibians present in the Park this could put additional pressures for them in an environment that is already restricted, fragmented and in decline.

The Mt Emu Sheoak faces pressure from loss of suitable habitat, urbanisation and primary production outside the Park, and altered fire regimes and invasive species from within. The Acacia attenuata is also under threat from altered fire regimes, fragmentation and loss of habitat and, given its reliance on seasonally waterlogged areas, modified hydrological processes. , Similarly for the swamp stringybark the main threats are clearing, drainage works, the invasive groundsel bush (Baccharis halimifolia), exotic grasses and too frequent burning.

Over the coming decades it is possible that species in the Park will be susceptible to the effects of climate change. Prolonged periods of drier conditions could mean less available water bodies for acid frogs and other amphibians to find refuge during fire events. Lack of rain also desiccates the Richmond Birdwing vine making it unusable for the Richmond Birdwing butterfly larvae as a food source. Alternatively, increased flooding events or drier conditions in the Park may affect water quality and favour some plant species over others. This is a distinct scenario for the spread of lantana (Lantana camara) which as a result of climate change may experience conditions more conducive to its spread.

Invasive species

In addition to the cane toad, cats (Felis catus) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are present in the Park. Cattle using grazing areas in the south access the Park's southern borders and effect on native seedlings and trample vegetation. ,

Up to 22 invasive plant and weed species are recorded in the Park. These include but are not limited to groundsel bush (Baccharis halimifolia), camphor laurel (Cinnamomum camphora) and lantana (Lantana camara) which is listed as a Weed of National Significance. A variety of exotic grasses are also present.

Park management
Management of parks, reserves and conservation areas in Queensland are guided by the Master Plan for Queensland's Parks and Forests which sets out the vision, values, goals and strategic objectives of protected area management in the State.

The Park itself is managed by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) under the Nature Conservation Act 1992. Management of the Park and other parks in Queensland is under the direction of individual Management Plans – in this instance the Mooloolah Park River National Park Management Plan. The Plan provides an overview of the Park in terms of regional context, species composition, values, threatening process and outlines the key strategies to be employed in managing the Park. The broad management practices such as burn scheduling, weed removal and invasive species control are likely to yield positive results for most species suited to the habitats in the Park.

In addition to the Park's Management Plan, many of the threatened species found in the Park also have their own recovery plans. , Management planning for the Mt Emu Sheoak involves protecting and restoring habitat, translocation, managing fire regimes, stormwater runoff and invasive weed control strategies. Ongoing monitoring of populations as well as further study and community awareness play an integral part in the Mt Emu Sheok's management. An understanding of the species’ genetics assists with translocation and determining appropriate fire management strategies. For the swamp stringybark it is much the same: monitor populations, assess genetic diversity, mitigate threats, and adapt management actions as required, including seed collection and storage and managing fire regimes. It is important for plant species with seed banks in the soil to have in place erosion and stormwater runoff controls to prevent their loss from otherwise suitable habitat.

Healthland communities are influenced by and rely on fire events for regeneration. Traditional burn frequencies have been altered due to increased burning to reduce fuel loads and to prevent the risk to property. An understanding of fire management across the Park in terms of the areas to be burnt, timing and its effects on the various ecosystem types is important and can affect species richness and distribution. Fire events that are too rare or too frequent can result in a loss of habitat and food sources for species that proliferate at certain times after fire. The current management strategy for burns is no more than 30% in any one year in an 8-12 year regime.

The Mooloolah National Park Management Plan specifies a number of guidelines for the planning and implementation of these burns. The Park also falls under the guidance of the QPWS Planned Burn Guidelines. The Guideline provides for specific fire management across the various vegetation communities in the region such as heathlands, open forest, woodlands and melaleuca communities as would be found in the Park. This allows for the tailored burning of these areas to provide the most optimal conditions for ecosystem health. The Guidelines also allow for the controlling of noxious weeds such as lantana and advice for the avoidance of peat fires.

The management of the areas surrounding the Park is important as many species located in the park are also located in the Park's vegetated buffer zones. The species in these areas may face considerably more threats and less protection than what the Park affords but these areas provide a valuable buffer for the intra-park species and the benefits associated with a larger overall habitat. Undertaking management options in external areas, such as in the Lower Mooloolah River Environmental Reserve, including weed removal, stock exclusion and controlled burnings will assist in protecting the Park's ecosystems and species.

title: Mooloolah River National Park


text:
Moorrinya National Park

{{Infobox Australian place }} Moorrinya is a national park in North Queensland, Australia, 1061 km northwest of Brisbane.
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 * name                  = Moorrinya National Park
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 * established           = 1993
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 * managing_authorities  = Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
 * url                   = nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/moorrinya/index.html}

title: Moorrinya National Park


text:
Moresby Range National Park

Moresby Range is a national park in the Cassowary Coast Region in Far North Queensland, Australia, 1,314 km northwest of Brisbane. It is part of the Coastal Wet Tropics Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance for the conservation of lowland tropical rainforest birds.

The national park is located on the coast south of the mouth of the Johnstone River a few kilometres from Innisfail in the Cassowary Coast Region. The range reaches elevations of around 160 m above sea level. It belongs to the Wet Tropics biogregion and lies within the Johnstone River water catchment. About 8% of the park is classed as wetlands.

The Spectacled flying fox is the only rare or threatened species to have been identified in the park. In 2010, five cassowaries which inhabit the park were tagged with GPS dataloggers with VHF transmitters to enable monitoring of their movement.

title: Moresby Range National Park


text:
Gheebulum Kunungai (Moreton Island) National Park

Gheebulum Kunungai (Moreton Island) is a national park which covers 98% of Moreton Island (Mulgumpin) in Queensland, Australia, 40 km northeast of center of the Brisbane. Its eastern part of he City of Brisbane. It has three main townships, Bulwer, Cowan Cowan and Kooringal.

The island is home to Queensland's oldest operating lighthouse located at Cape Moreton on the northern tip of the island. The township of Cowan was home to the Australian soldiers during WWII and many relics remain on the island. Access to the park was restricted during a clean-up of oil from the 2009 southeast Queensland oil spill.

Activities such as bushwalking, fishing and watersports are popular in the park. Humpback whale can be seen in surrounding waters between late winter and spring.

In 2021 Moreton Island National Park was renamed to Gheebulum Coonungai National Park following the transfer of Moreton Island (Mulgumpin)'s ownership from the Queensland Government back to the native Quandamooka People. The names Gheebulum and Coonungai are the Quandamooka name of two spiritually significant sand hills within the national park.

Flora
The park contains mostly heath and open forests of scribbly gum and pink bloodwood, as well as the coastal she-oak. Other areas contain mangroves, sedge and melaleuca swamps.

Access
Access to the island is via the MICAT vehicle ferry service from Lytton, near the Port of Brisbane, the Tangalooma Flyer launched from Pinkenba or the Kooringal Trader from Amity Point on North Stradbroke Island. The Combie Trader barge service from Scarborough in Redcliffe City to Bulwer no longer operates.

Camping
Camping is permitted in specified campsites as well as within zones along eastern and western beaches.


text:
Mount Aberdeen National Park

Mount Aberdeen is a national park in North Queensland, Australia, 961 km northwest of Brisbane, and 40 km south-west of Bowen. The Park is in 2 sections; the Mount Aberdeen section of 1840ha dedicated in 1952, and the Highlanders Bonnet section of 1370ha dedicated in 1967. The Park has no direct public access road or public facilities. Both Mount Aberdeen and Highlander's Bonnet are composed of granite, with Mount Aberdeen summit reaching 901 m and Highlander's Bonnet 624 m.

The park is notable for containing the sole regional occurrence of tropical cloud forest at the summit of Mount Aberdeen, with large areas of hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii) on the slopes of both peaks. Semi-evergreen vine thicket (subtropical dry broadleaf forest) is found in sheltered areas. There is also an unusual red gum-snow grass community in the park that is found nowhere else in Queensland. Mammals recorded in the park include unadorned rock wallabies, eastern grey kangaroos, common wallaroos, northern quolls and koalas. Found in the Park is the Mt Elliott grey ant, which is at its southern limit.

title: Mount Aberdeen National Park


text:
Mount Archer National Park

Mount Archer National Park is a national park in Central Queensland, Australia, 522 km northwest of Brisbane. It makes up the backdrop to the city of Rockhampton which marks the start of Tropical Queensland.

It comprises 4250 hectare of open forests and woodland and its highest peak is Mount Archer which stands at 604 m above sea level. The Darumbal tribe Raki-warra clan considers the park as a part of its traditional country. It was explored by the Archer brothers in 1853 and was later named after them. In 1898, the site of the park was set aside as a water reserve and a timber reserve in 1940. The grazing went on until 1985 and later the area came under the supervision of the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. It became an environmental park in 1987 and was declared a national park in 1994.

The vegetation is mostly open eucalypt woodland with patches of vine scrub. The rufous shrikethrush, white-browed scrubwren, powerful owl and glossy black cockatoo are some of the bird species found in the park.

A road leads to the summit of Mount Archer, where there are a few bushwalking and rock climbing opportunities.

title: Mount Archer National Park


text:
Mount Barney National Park

Mount Barney National Park is a national park in Queensland (Australia), 90 km southwest of Brisbane. It amalgamated the adjacent Mount Lindesay National Park in 1980. It is part of the Scenic Rim Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance in the conservation of several species of threatened birds.

Geography
Mount Barney, Mount Maroon, Mount May and Mount Lindesay rise majestically above the surrounding farmlands in Mount Barney National Park on the Queensland/New South Wales border. These rugged peaks are the remains of the ancient Focal Peak Shield Volcano which erupted 24 million years ago. Mount Barney (1359m) is the second-highest peak in south-east Queensland and has some very rare and unique plants. The town of Rathdowney is closest, 15 km to the northeast. The park is dominated by the grand twin peaks of Mount Barney. Surrounding these peaks are numerous mountains, steep valleys, caves, deep rock pools and much woodland forest. The park also contains the peaks of Mount Ballow, Mount Ernest, Mount Maroon and Mount May.

History
Mount Barney National Park and Mount Lindesay National Park were gazetted in 1947. In 1950, Mount Barney National Park was extended to include Mount May and Mount Maroon. In 1980, it was enlarged again incorporating Mount Lindesday National Park.

In 1994, Mount Barney National Park became part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia (formerly known as the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves) as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Accommodation
Bush camping is allowed at Mount May and Mount Barney. Restrictions apply during peak holiday times.

Flora and fauna
The park has extremely varied vegetation with open forests around the foothills of the peaks, subtropical rainforest above 600m, montane heath shrublands towards the summit of the peaks, cool temperate rainforest on the summit of Mount Ballow, and mallee eucalypt shrublands on Mount Maroon. Many rare and unusual plant species grow in the park including the endangered Maroon wattle, and the rare mallee eucalypt Eucalyptus codonocarpa, Mount Barney bush pea and Hillgrove spotted gum.

Visitors to the park may notice the abundant birdlife due to their bird songs. A few playful platypus live in the park. The rainforest on Mount Barney provides critical habitat for the plumiferus subspecies of the marbled frogmouth. This bird is listed as vulnerable.

Recreation
There are expansive views over the Border Ranges and Scenic Rim forests from the summit of Mount Barney. The mountain is an old bushwalking destination by Australian standards and more than 30 routes lead to the summits of its East and West peaks. The majority of routes are not maintained by the Queensland State government and therefore navigational skills are mandatory, especially for first time visitors. The most challenging routes up Mount Barney include Logan's Ridge and Short Leaning Ridge. Peasants or South Ridge is a better choice for less experienced climbers. Allow plenty of time for the ascent and descent, which require between eight and ten hours, depending on the route and level of fitness. Walkers need navigational and bushwalking skills and sound physical fitness. It is not unusual to meet climbers at all hours of the day and night, however prior knowledge of the area is required.

A popular alternative to going up and down South Ridge is to ascend via South East Ridge and descend via South Ridge. Navigational equipment or local knowledge are required for this route. The benefit of ascending via South East Ridge is that the track incorporates the East Peak. From the East Peak the track drops down into the saddle area at the base of the West Peak. The West Peak can be incorporated into this walk at an additional 2 km (allow two hours).

There are a few Class 4 walks around the base of the mountain that don't involve as much navigation over terrain.

Nearby Mount Maroon is popular for rockclimbing. The first known climb to the summit of Mt Barney by a European was completed in 1828 by Captain Patrick Logan, by one of the hardest and most spectacular ridges on the mountain, named in his honour. Allan Cunningham and Charles Fraser were also in his company, however they did not reach the summit.

title: Mount Barney National Park


text:
Mount Chinghee National Park

Mount Chinghee is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 93 km south of Brisbane. It is part of the Shield Volcano Group of the World Heritage Site Gondwana Rainforests of Australia inscribed in 1986 and added to the Australian National Heritage List in 2007. It is also part of the Scenic Rim Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance in the conservation of several species of threatened birds.

It was initially called Telemon Environment Park until it was gazetted as Mount Chinghee National Park in 1994. The national park has no walking tracks or visitor facilities.

title: Mount Chinghee National Park


text:
Mount Colosseum National Park

Mount Colosseum is a national park in Central Queensland, Australia, 370 km northwest of Brisbane and about 6 km south of the town of Miriam Vale.

Mount Colosseum is a volcanic dome and is the dominant feature on the skyline of the area. The dome rises to an elevation of 470 m and is sparsely covered in hoop pines, while the dry rainforest below contains ironbarks and bloodwoods.

The park is undeveloped and has no facilities available for visitors. No camping is allowed in the park and no walking tracks exist within the park. It is strongly suggested that visitors visit in cooler months.

title: Mount Colosseum National Park


text:
Mount Cook National Park, Australia

Mount Cook National Park is a protected area in the locality of Cooktown, in the Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia.

Geography
The national park is immediately south of the town of Cooktown.

The terrain ranges from 0 to 431 m above sea level. The mountain Mount Cook is in the east of the national park (-15.4906°N, 145.2642°W). Also known as Gore Mount, it rises 431 m above sea level, the highest point in the national park.

It is 1,554 km north-west of Brisbane. It was established in 1970 and is managed by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.

Within this National Park is a difficult walking track that is 6 km return to the summit of Mount Cook.

title: Mount Cook National Park, Australia


text:
Mount Coolum National Park

Mount Coolum is a hill in Mount Coolum National Park in a suburb of the same name in Queensland, Australia. Mount Coolum is located on the Sunshine Coast, 101 km north of Brisbane. It lies between the Sunshine Motorway to the west, the shoreline to the east, Coolum Beach township to the north and Marcoola township to the south.

Formation
Created about 26 million years ago, Mount Coolum is a laccolith, formed when a dome-shaped bulge of magma cooled below the Earth's surface, roughly circular in plan with tall cliffs on the eastern and southern side. It rises abruptly from the coastal plain to a 208 m peak, resembling the Glasshouse Mountains to the south. Mount Coolum is largely formed from 26 million year old rhyolite which forms regular columns and jointing patterns. A disused quarry occupies the eastern foothills of the mountain. After heavy rain there are a number of waterfalls on the cliffs.

Climbing Mount Coolum
A 1.6 km long track climbs Mount Coolum from the east, starting at a carpark on Tanah Street West off David Low Way in the suburb of Mount Coolum. The lower part of the track is deceptively well-formed and gentle but it quickly deteriorates to become very steep, very rough and dangerously slippery when wet.

The walk up and back can be completed in 30–40 minutes; it should not be started after rain or when rain, storms or dusk threaten. The peak hosts a cage containing an aircraft hazard obstacle light, necessary because of the mountain's close proximity to the Sunshine Coast Airport. On average about 140 people climb to the summit each day.

Ecological values
The park is noted for its remarkable botanical diversity; more than 700 different species of plant have been identified there. Vegetation types include eucalypt forest, coastal wallum, paperbark wetland, rare coastal montane heath and some rainforest.

A pair of peregrine falcons are reported to nest on the cliffs.

title: Mount Coolum National Park


text:
Vieques Air Link

Vieques Air Link (VAL, IATA code: V4) is a small VFR(Visual Flight Rules) Puerto Rico-based airline that operates under FAR Part 135, that links Vieques and Culebra with mainland Puerto Rico.

History
Operations began during 1965, with owner Osvaldo "Val" Gonzalez-Duriex piloting a plane with three passengers from Vieques to Humacao. A Cherokee aircraft and another airplane were also acquired later, allowing the airline to serve Isla Verde International Airport.

In 1968, Vieques Air Link added a flight to St. Croix in the Virgin Islands.

In 1980 Fajardo Airport in Fajardo was built and Vieques Air Link started flights to the new airport immediately. In the 1980s the company increased the frequency of flights to San Juan, Humacao and Culebra. In 1989, Vieques Air Link lost its entire fleet to Hurricane Hugo. However, it soon acquired seven Britten-Norman Islanders and three Trislanders.

In the 1990s VAL got into financial trouble. However, with the Vieques conflict, more and more Puerto Ricans began flying Vieques Air Link every day to go to military camps to protest, and the police also had to fly their personnel and the people arrested in those areas on VAL planes at various times. Others, like political leaders Ruben Berrios and Fernando Martín, and the 2002 Miss Puerto Rico Carla Tricoli, who is a Viequense, have had pictures taken by the press aboard VAL planes while flying to Vieques, giving the airline a new wave of unpaid-for promotional attention. In addition, in June 2000, the airline made the cover of Islander News magazine, under the headline "Vieques Air Link: How To Survive a Hurricane", about the airline's fleet loss of 1989 and how it survived the potentially fatal financial disaster.

In 2008, VAL added a new route between Antonio Rivera Rodríguez Airport (TJVQ) in Vieques and the new José Aponte de la Torre Airport (TJRV) at the former Roosevelt Roads Naval Base (NRR) in Ceiba, shortening the flight between Vieques and the Puerto Rican mainland to seven or eight minutes in a Britten-Norman Islander (BN2P), or Piper Cherokee (PA-32-260).

Destinations
Vieques Air Link, Inc provides flights at the following locations:

Accidents and incidents

 * On December 21, 1971, an Islander, N589JA, with 1 crew and 7 passengers crashed at Culebra airport. The aircraft bounced on landing. The pilot initiated a go-around over hills. The aircraft was unable to clear a house and crashed.
 * On December 19, 1977, an Islander, N862JA, crashed en route from St. Croix to Vieques when both engines stopped due to fuel exhaustion. The aircraft was ditched off Vieques. There were 9 passengers and a pilot on board. Five were killed and the aircraft was written off.
 * On January 26, 1980, a bomb was found on a Vieques Air Link plane that was about to be flown by Raul Mari Pesquera, son of Juan Mari Bras (in Spanish).
 * On August 2, 1984, an Islander, N589SA, operating as Vieques Air Link Flight 901A, crashed on initial climb out of Vieques en route to St. Croix. The Islander was overloaded by 600–700 pounds when it departed Vieques. Also, its centre of gravity was up to 5 inches behind the aft limit. After takeoff the left engine lost power. It lost altitude, banked abruptly to the left, nosed down and crashed into the ocean. It appeared that the fuel had been contaminated with water. On board were the pilot and 8 passengers, all were killed.
 * On September 21, 1989, the following Islanders were damaged beyond repair by Hurricane Hugo.
 * N112JC
 * N290VL
 * N457SA
 * On November 19, 1999 an Islander, N907VL, was damaged beyond repair at Anguilla Wallblake Airport by Hurricane Lenny.
 * On May 6, 2000, a Vieques Air Link pilot allegedly flew a company aircraft over Camp Garcia, a restricted US Navy area, on a scheduled flight an hour after protesters had been removed from the area by FBI agents and U.S. Marshals, resulting in the suspension of the pilot.
 * On June 2, 2020, 2 people died and one was seriously injured when a Vieques Air Link Piper Aztec crashed against two sailboats at San Juan Bay. It's not clear which of the two San Juan airports the flight was heading to. This marked the first incident involving fatalities for the airline in almost 36 years.

title: Vieques Air Link


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Mount Etna Caves National Park

Mount Etna Caves is a national park in The Caves, Shire of Livingstone, Queensland, Australia, 544 km northwest of Brisbane.

The park's caves are the roosting site for more than 80 percent of Australia's breeding population of little bent-wing bats. It is also one of the few places in Australia supporting a colony of the endangered Ghost Bat.

History
The Fitzroy Caves National Park was gazetted in 1973 with a focus on the protection of the bats rather than the caves. In 1990, it was renamed Mount Etna Caves National Park. In 1999, the park was extended to provide more protection to the caves.

title: Mount Etna Caves National Park


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Mount Hypipamee National Park

Mount Hypipamee is a national park in Far North Queensland, Australia, 1,358 km northwest of Brisbane.

title: Mount Hypipamee National Park


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Baga National Park

Baga National Park (formerly known as Mount Jim Crow National Park) is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 531 km northwest of Brisbane.

It lies just beside the main road between Rockhampton and Yeppoon. Camping is not permitted in the park and there are no facilities.

The main feature of the park is Baga, a trachyte plug which is a remnant of an extinct volcano.

The Darumbal people have traditionally regarded Baga as a significance place in their Dreamtime stories.

Many species of birds can be found in the park, most notably in Hedlow Creek lagoons, where they come to drink water, such as striated pardalotes, squawking rainbow lorikeets and Lewin's honeyeaters.

title: Baga National Park


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Mount Martin National Park

Mount Martin is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 829 km northwest of Brisbane.

title: Mount Martin National Park


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Mount O'Connell National Park

Mount O'Connell is a small national park in Queensland, Australia, 605 km northwest of Brisbane. The park is located in the Shoalwater drainage sub-basin within the Brigalow Belt bioregion. It straddles the slopes of Mount O'Connell.

The Atalaya multiflora tree has been identified in the park.

title: Mount O'Connell National Park


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Mount Ossa National Park

Mount Ossa is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 838 km northwest of Brisbane.

There is rainforest with hoop pines.

title: Mount Ossa National Park


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Mount Pinbarren National Park

Mount Pinbarren is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 129 km north of Brisbane. It is located in Pinbarren, a locality in the Shire of Noosa. Mount Pinbarren lies within the South East Queensland bioregion and the Mary River catchment area.

The park protects the naturally vegetated slopes of Mount Pinbarren. It was established to preserve significant hoop pine complex microphyll vine forest and habitat for the endangered Coxen’s fig parrot.

Access to the park is limited as it is surrounded by private property.

Commonwealth Heritage List
Mount Pinbarren National Park contains a small sample of remnant araucarian notophyll vine forest more typical of drier areas further west. The park includes several uncommon and rare plant species. Clausena Brevistyla occurs on the summit, and is close to its southern limit here. The rare and endangered species, Baloghia Marmorata, has recently been found on Mount Pinbarren. The uncommon species, Grevillea Hilliana is present. A possible new species of cyperus grows on the summit. The peak represents a scenically important landmark for the area.

Description
This small National Park includes Mount Pinbarren, a prominent feature above the surrounding landscape. Much of the mountain has a rocky substrate. Mount Pinbarren is a rainforest island surrounded by cleared lands. Hoop pine (Araucaria Cunninghamii) is dominant. The araucarian notophyll vine forest (ANVF) is unusual in the district, as many of the species are representative of dry rainforest. Some other species present include Olea Paniculata, Ophioglossum Pendulum, Hodkinsonia Oratifola, Calophaniodes Hyhrophiloides and Tragia Novaehollandiae.

Condition and Integrity
Lantana Camara grows where the canopy has been distirubed. The exotic herb (Rivina Humilis) is widespread on the forest floor. In general, however, the condition is good.

title: Mount Pinbarren National Park


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Mount Walsh National Park

Mount Walsh is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 230 km northwest of Brisbane.

A prominent landmark in the Biggenden region is the granite bluff area of Mount Walsh which rises to 703 m above sea level in the northern part of park. The summit has three peaks. Exposed granite outcrops, rugged ridges and steep forested slopes support a range of vegetation.

The "Bluff" area of Mount Walsh is located at the park's northern end and is a prominent landmark of the Biggenden area. The park features sheltered gullies, rugged ridge lines with mountain areas with spectacular exposed granite outcrops and cliffs support a diversity of vegetation. Such diversity gives a home to many endangered animal species such as the powerful owl and grey goshawk. Visitors may also see peregrine falcons, dingoes, wallabies, eastern grey kangaroos and lace monitors.

A complex landscape has led to diverse vegetation communities which includes heath, shrubland, woodland, open forest and dry forest. There are patches of hoop pines in some gullies.

Geology
The geological history of the mountain began in the late Triassic period about 215 million years ago. Violent explosions emanated from a volcanic structure referred to as the Mungore Centre. Two large bodies of magma rose close to the surface where Mount Malarga and Mount Walsh are presently situated. Erosion has left the cliffs, buffs, gorges rocky pavements and tors seen today.

Facilities
Picnic and barbecue facilities are available. Bush camping is allowed in the park. No facilities are provided so visitors must be totally self-sufficient.

Walking tracks
A 300 m trail from the picnic area leads visitors through open eucalypt forest to a rocky creek gully fringed in rain forest, then on to lookouts over surrounding countryside. Experienced walkers can take the strenuous (unmarked) two and a half hour hike to Mount Walsh's bare granite summit.

title: Mount Walsh National Park


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Daarrba National Park (Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal Land)

Daarrba National Park (Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal Land) is a national park in Queensland, Australia. It is 1,602 km northwest of Brisbane. The national park was previously named Mount Webb National Park until it was renamed on 28 November 2013.

Vegetation
The national park features a number of unique and threatened ecosystems including rare examples of complex rainforest vegetation communities developed upon Basalt soils within the Cape York Peninsula bioregion.

Rainforest communities located within the national park include:

 * Deciduous mesophyll/notophyll vine forest growing on alluvial soils.

 * Semi-deciduous mesophyll/notophyll vine forest growing on floodplains.

 * Semi-deciduous mesophyll/notophyll vine forest growing upon structured red earth soils derived from Basalt.

 * Semi-deciduous notophyll/microphyll vine forest growing on structured red earth soils derived from basalt in a shallow valley.

 * Semi-deciduous notophyll/microphyll vine forest growing on exposed metamorphic and granitic slopes.

An additional threatened ecosystem located within the national park is a sclerophyll woodland dominated by Eucalyptus leptophleba, Corymbia tessellaris and Corymbia clarksoniana which has developed upon soils formed from basalt flows.


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Scouting in Kentucky

Scouting in Kentucky has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live. Kentucky has a very early Scouting heritage, as the home state of Daniel Carter (Uncle Dan) Beard.

Early history (1908–1950)
Burnside, in south-central Kentucky, is believed to be home to the first Boy Scout troop in the United States. In 1908, two years before the Boy Scouts of America was officially organized, Mrs. Myra Greeno Bass organized a local troop of 15 boys, using official Boy Scout materials she had acquired from England. A sign at the edge of town declares Burnside "Birthplace of Boy Scouts in America", and an official state historical society marker commemorates the troop. Burnside is now part of the Blue Grass Council.

Boy Scouts of America Troop 1 in Frankfort, Kentucky was established in 1909 by Stanley A. Harris. There has been a long-standing belief that this was the very first Boy Scout troop in the United States. However, Troop 1 was originally formed under the British Boy Scouts and the charter was destroyed in a fire around 1920. Nonetheless, Troop 1 is still active and is sponsored by the First Christian Church of Frankfort, Kentucky.

Outside of Frankfort, in towns like Danville, Kentucky in Boyle County, 3 new troops organized in December 1911. Troop 1, Christian Church with nelson Rodes as Scoutmaster, Troop 2, Centenary Methodist Church with Sandridge as Scoutmaster, and Troop 3, Presbyterian Church, no Scoutmaster listed. Of these, Troop 1 continues today as Troop 326 and Troop 2 continues today as Troop 27.

In addition, small councils began in a number of places, with the Issac Shelby Area Council that was made up of Mercer, Boyle, and Jessamine Counties, with and the Daniel Boone Council of Winchester, Kentucky and the Frankfort Council. These were among the councils who merged to create the Blue Grass Council in 1927 in Lexington, Kentucky.

Kentucky also claims an early unofficial girl's scouting group (Campfire Girls were one of three groups as affiliated girl's version of Boy Scouts at the time. "Girl Scouts" formed March 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low in Savannah, GA and years later they could not work out a deal to merge with the Campfire Girls. Campfire Girls (1) A group called "Girl Scouts," that had been organized in 1910 in Des Moines, Iowa, by Clara A. Lisetor-Lane; (2) A group called "Girl Guides," that had been sponsored in 1910 by the Rev. David Ferry of Spokane, Washington; (3) Camp Fire Girls, which had been announced in April 1911 in New York..), an 8 girl patrol of Boy Scout Troop #17 in Louisville in July 1911. The first official troops was formed in 1917 in Scottsville.

In 1914, the BSA gave local councils the power to ban African Americans from Scouting. In 1922, the BSA revised that ban and allowed local Councils to create "shadow Councils" for their black and other racial/ethnic minorities. Until 1974, some southern councils of the Boy Scouts of America were still racially segregated. (The Old Hickory Council in North Carolina did not integrate until 1974.) The Louisville Area Council, headquartered in Louisville, was the first BSA local Council to develop such a "shadow Council" and board members of that "inter-racial council" were permitted to serve on the Louisville Area Council's board without vote. The BSA's "inter-racial council" program ended in 1954; Louisville accepted their first black Boy Scout Troops in 1959; and their first black Cub Scout Packs in 1963.

Most Girl Scouts of the USA units were originally segregated by race according to state and local laws and customs. By the 1950s, the GSUSA began significant national efforts to desegregate the camps and maintain racial balance. One of the first desegregations was Camp Shantituck in Kentucky, which was accomplished by Murray Walls in 1956.

Recent history (1950–1990)
The National Scouting Museum was located on the campus of Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky, before being relocated to the National BSA Headquarters in Irving, Texas. Recognized by Governor Carroll in 1975 for this achievement, he was just 11 years old when awarded his faith's religious emblem (Religious emblems are not controlled by the BSA but rather by each participating church body). Mike Walton of Rose Terrace became the state's only black Exploring representative in 1976, and ran unsuccessfully for national Explorer President in 1977. Since that time, two other Kentuckians—James "Buddy" Lockhart of Owensboro, and Colleen McWhorter of Paris, served as "Area Exploring Chair" of the area encompassing not only Kentucky but also Tennessee.

Hazen A. Dean (1889–1984), a Scoutmaster of BSA Troop 24 at Settle Memorial Methodist Church in Owensboro, KY was the first Kentuckian to receive a "70 Continuous Years of Service Award" from Boy Scouts of America in 1983. He served as Scoutmaster for over 50 years with Owensboro's oldest troop #24, from 1949 until his death in 1984. Among his many honors, he received the Scoutmaster's Key and Silver Beaver Awards. Recognized for having led 86 scouts to achieve the coveted rank of Eagle Scout; the most in the US at that time, Dean received the Lt. Governor's Outstanding Kentuckian Award in 1982 by then-Lt. Governor and later Governor, Martha Layne Collins. A Kentucky Historical marker #1747 was dedicated in special ceremonies held in downtown Owensboro by U.S. Senator and former Governor Wendell H. Ford and Owensboro Mayor Jack C. Fisher in 1984 (website: http://migration.kentucky.gov/kyhs/hmdb/MarkerSearch.aspx). Also a portion of the Boy Scout camp Wildcat Hollow at Russellville, KY was named in honor of Hazen A. Dean. Dean did not receive the Eagle Scout Award until he was an adult in 1958.

Scouting in Kentucky today
There are six BSA local councils in Kentucky. Two councils are headquartered in Kentucky (Blue Grass and Lincoln Heritage). The other four councils are headquartered in neighboring states (Ohio, West Virginia, and Tennessee). All of Kentucky lies within the Eastern Region of the BSA.

Blue Grass Council

 * Elkhorn District
 * Lake Cumberland District
 * Lonesome Pine District
 * Mountain Laurel District
 * Palisades District (formed by combining Henry Clay District with part of Midland Trails and part of the former Wilderness Trail District)
 * Shawnee District (Former Midland Trails District)

Buckskin Council
The Buckskin Council serves Scouts in Scouts in Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia.

Dan Beard Council
The Dan Beard Council serves Scouts in Ohio and Kentucky. The Council underwent a realignment in June 2006. Several districts were combined.

Lincoln Heritage Council
The Lincoln Heritage Council serves 64 counties in four states: Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and Tennessee.

Middle Tennessee Council
Covers parts of Trigg and Christian Counties that are part of Fort Campbell, KY.

Simon Kenton Council
In the 1990s, the BSA went through a restructuring in an attempt to reduce manpower, and in several states small historic Councils were merged into a larger supercouncil. The new Simon Kenton Council, serving Ohio and Kentucky, is an example of such a supercouncil.

Includes Kentucky County: Greenup.

Girl Scouting in Kentucky

There are two Girl Scout councils in Kentucky.

Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana
Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana serves nearly 20,000 girls in 64 counties in western Kentucky, southern Indiana, and South Fulton in Obion County, Tennessee.

The Girl Scouts of Tulip Trace Council recently dissolved, with Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana gaining 4 counties in southern Indiana.

Headquarters: Louisville, Kentucky

Website: Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana

Camps:
 * Camp Barren Ridge is 220 acre near Glasgow, KY
 * Camp Bear Creek is 183 acre on Kentucky Lake in Marshall County, KY
 * Camp Pennyroyal is 180 acre in Utica, Kentucky
 * Camp Shantituck is 112 acre in Shepherdsville, KY
 * Camp Twin Ridges is 40 acre in Vine Grove, KY
 * Camp Whippoorwill is 107 acre in Madison, Indiana
 * Houchens Program Center is 12 acre on Barren River near Bowling Green, KY
 * Stem Adventure Center is 1400 acre on the Ohio River near Laconia, IN

Girl Scouts of Kentucky's Wilderness Road Council
Kentucky's Wilderness Road Council serves 25,000 Girl Scouts in 67 Central and Eastern Kentucky counties and Lawrence County, Ohio.

Headquarters: Lexington, Kentucky

Website: Girl Scouts of Kentucky's Wilderness Road

Camps: Camp Cardinal is 156 acres situated on the mountain ridgelines in eastern Kentucky, within a short hiking distance of Carter Caves State Resort in Carter County. The camp has 4 platform tent units, a small house, a Dining Hall, hiking trails and programming facilities. Commercial caving, swimming and miniature golf is available at Carter Caves State Resort for a fee. Located in Morgan County, a short drive from Cave Run Lake, Camp Judy Layne's adventure based opportunities abound in over 180 acres of beautiful woodland sitting on the ridge of the Daniel Boone National forest. Camp Judy Layne offers a swimming pool with water slides, a climbing tower with a zipline, a low ropes teams course, rappelling, an inflatable jumping pillow, and many miles of hiking trails. Overnight accommodations include canvas tent units and pod cabin units. Camp Richard Clark is 110 acres located in Clark County, Kentucky. Perhaps the most historic of all the councils' camp properties, Camp Richard Clark is located where a grand hotel with mineral springs operated as a health spa that attracted many patrons from all over the nation in the 1850s. Its history; seclusion and pleasantly unusual terrain make this site an interesting place to visit. Overnight capacity is up to 200, limited by restroom facilities. Set on the bluffs above the Kentucky River where Daniel Boone and his contemporaries often hunted, Camp Shawano is our camp in the heart of the Bluegrass. 146 acres of cedar and hardwood forest and a number of open meadows provide fine sites for outdoor games. This camp offers a progression of camping opportunities from modern to primitive units and a 40 foot tall climbing tower with a zipline.
 * Camp Cardinal in Carter County, Kentucky
 * Camp Judy Layne in Morgan County, Kentucky
 * Camp Richard Clark in Clark County, Kentucky
 * Camp Shawano in Fayette County, Kentucky

title: Scouting in Kentucky


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Peptide nucleic acid

Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) is an artificially synthesized polymer similar to DNA or RNA.

Synthetic peptide nucleic acid oligomers have been used in recent years in molecular biology procedures, diagnostic assays, and antisense therapies. Due to their higher binding strength, it is not necessary to design long PNA oligomers for use in these roles, which usually require oligonucleotide probes of 20–25 bases. The main concern of the length of the PNA-oligomers is to guarantee the specificity. PNA oligomers also show greater specificity in binding to complementary DNAs, with a PNA/DNA base mismatch being more destabilizing than a similar mismatch in a DNA/DNA duplex. This binding strength and specificity also applies to PNA/RNA duplexes. PNAs are not easily recognized by either nucleases or proteases, making them resistant to degradation by enzymes. PNAs are also stable over a wide pH range. Though an unmodified PNA cannot readily cross the cell membrane to enter the cytosol, covalent coupling of a cell penetrating peptide to a PNA can improve cytosolic delivery.

PNA is not known to occur naturally but N-(2-aminoethyl)-glycine (AEG), the backbone of PNA, has been hypothesized to be an early form of genetic molecule for life on Earth and is produced by cyanobacteria and is a neurotoxin.

PNA was invented by Peter E. Nielsen (Univ. Copenhagen), Michael Egholm (Univ. Copenhagen), Rolf H. Berg (Risø National Lab), and Ole Buchardt (Univ. Copenhagen) in 1991.

Structure
DNA and RNA have a deoxyribose and ribose sugar backbone, respectively, whereas PNA's backbone is composed of repeating N-(2-aminoethyl)-glycine units linked by peptide bonds. The various purine and pyrimidine bases are linked to the backbone by a methylene bridge (--) and a carbonyl group (-(C=O)-). PNAs are depicted like peptides, with the N-terminus at the first (left) position and the C-terminus at the last (right) position.

Binding
Since the backbone of PNA contains no charged phosphate groups, the binding between PNA/DNA strands is stronger than between DNA/DNA strands due to the lack of electrostatic repulsion. Unfortunately, this also causes it to be rather hydrophobic, which makes it difficult to deliver to body cells in solution without being flushed out of the body first. Early experiments with homopyrimidine strands (strands consisting of only one repeated pyrimidine base) have shown that the Tm ("melting" temperature) of a 6-base thymine PNA/adenine DNA double helix was 31 °C in comparison to an equivalent 6-base DNA/DNA duplex that denatures at a temperature less than 10 °C. Mixed base PNA molecules are true mimics of DNA molecules in terms of base-pair recognition. PNA/PNA binding is stronger than PNA/DNA binding.

PNA translation from other nucleic acids
Several labs have reported sequence-specific polymerization of peptide nucleic acids from DNA or RNA templates. Liu and coworkers used these polymerization methods to evolve functional PNAs with the ability to fold into three-dimensional structures, similar to proteins, aptamers and ribozymes.

Delivery
In 2015, Jain et al. described a trans-acting DNA-based amphiphatic delivery system for convenient delivery of poly A tailed uncharged nucleic acids (UNA) such as PNAs and morpholinos, so that several UNA's can be easily screened ex vivo.

PNA world hypothesis
It has been hypothesized that the earliest life on Earth may have used PNA as a genetic material due to its extreme robustness, simpler formation, and possible spontaneous polymerization at 100 °C (while water at standard pressure boils at this temperature, water at high pressure—as in deep ocean—boils at higher temperatures). If this is so, life evolved to a DNA/RNA-based system only at a later stage. Evidence for this PNA world hypothesis is, however, far from conclusive. If it existed though, it must have preceded the widely accepted RNA world.

Applications
Applications include alteration of gene expression - both as inhibitor and promoter in different cases, antigene and antisense therapeutic agent, anticancer agent, antiviral, antibacterial and antiparasitic agent, molecular tools and probes of biosensor, detection of DNA sequences, and nanotechnology.

PNAs can be used to improve high-throughput 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing of plant and soil samples by blocking amplification of contaminant plastid and mitochondrial sequences.

Cellular – Functional Antagonism/Inhibition. In 2001, Strauss and colleagues reported the design of an application for PNA oligomers in living mammalian cells. The Xist chromatin binding region was first elucidated in female mouse fibroblastic cells, and embryonic stem cells though the use of a PNA molecular antagonist. The novel PNA approach directly demonstrated function of a lncRNA. The long non-coding (lncRNA) RNA, Xist directly binds to the inactive X-chromosome. Functional PNA inhibition experiments revealed that specific repeat regions of the Xist RNA were responsible for chromatin binding, and hence could be considered domain regions of the RNA transcript. The PNA molecular antagonist was administered to living cells and functionally inhibited the association of Xist with inactive X-chromosome using the approach for studying noncoding RNA function in living cells called peptide nucleic acid (PNA) interference mapping. In the reported experiments, a single 19-bp antisense cell-permeating PNA targeted against a particular region of Xist RNA caused the disruption of the Xi. The association of the Xi with macro-histone H2A is also disturbed by PNA interference mapping.

title: Peptide nucleic acid


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Mowbray National Park

Mowbray is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 1441 km northwest of Brisbane. The park forms part of the Wooroonooran Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because it supports populations of a range of bird species endemic to Queensland's Wet Tropics.

title: Mowbray National Park


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Oyala Thumotang National Park

Oyala Thumotang, formerly Mungkan Kandju National Park (and prior to that Archer Bend National Park), is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 1914 km northwest of Brisbane.

History
The Oyala Thumotang National Park encompasses what was formerly the lands of the Wik Mungkan, Southern Kaanju and Ayapathu Aboriginal peoples. The formation of the original national park was closely linked to the significant court case of Koowarta v Bjelke-Petersen decided in the High Court of Australia.

Location
The park is located in central Cape York Peninsula. It is about 25 km north of Coen. It is 12 hrs by road north of Cairns. The park occupies 381,000 hectares from the McIlwraith Range foothills in the east to the Archer River in the west. The Archer and the Coen rivers flow through the park.

Vegetation
The park has open eucalypt woodlands, melaleuca swamps and areas of rainforest.

Camping
There are 18 camp sites near rivers and waterholes in the park. There is an entry fee. Drinking water is not available in the camping sites, so visitors need to carry their own water.

title: Oyala Thumotang National Park


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Flag of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic

The flag of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic was officially adopted by the former Soviet Union in 1940. It showed a set of Communist symbols: a yellow hammer and sickle on a red field and, after official change of the flag's design in 1953, also an outlined yellow star, above a band of water waves near the bottom.

History
After the Soviet invasion and occupation of Estonia in June 1940, the country was annexed to, and became an administrative subdivision of, the USSR under the name "Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic" in August 1940. After 31 October 1940, a Soviet Union flag with Latin script ENSV replacing the star above the hammer and sickle, was officially used by the Soviet authorities in the Estonian SSR. On 6 February 1953, a new version of the flag was adopted. It too followed the style of the flag of the Soviet Union, with six spiky blue and white wavy stripes added to the bottom.

During the period of foreign rule in 1940–1991, the Estonian diaspora and diplomatic service around the world continued to use the national flag of Estonia, whereas the use of the national tricolour and its blue, black and white colour combination was banned and punishable by law in the Soviet Union until 1988.

On 20 October 1988, the usage of the blue-black-white flag was officially allowed again by Estonian authorities. On the evening of 23 February 1989 the Soviet flag was taken down permanently from the tower of Pikk Hermann of the Toompea Castle. It was replaced with the national blue-black-white flag on the next morning, 24 February, upon the 70th anniversary of the Estonian Declaration of Independence.

With the Act on symbols of Estonia, passed on 8 May 1990, a year before Estonia regained full independence in 1991, the use of the Estonian SSR flag and emblem as state symbols was officially discontinued.