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Castle Hill, Folkestone
The Folkestone Downs are an area of chalk downland above Folkestone, where the eastern end of the North Downs escarpment meets the English Channel. Part of the Downs is the Folkestone to Etchinghill Escarpment Site of Special Scientific Interest, designated for its geological and biological interest. Topography Folkestone Downs stretch for 5 kilometres from East Cliff and Warren Country Park in the east to Peene Quarry in the west. The downs rise steeply above the town of Folkestone to heights in excess of 150 metres. The highest point is Dover Hill at 170 metres. The Channel Tunnel Terminal lies at the foot of the downs and the British portal is directly below the slopes of Castle Hill. The downland is classified as CG4 ''Brachypodium pinnatum'' and CG5 ''Bromus erectus - Brachypodium pinnatum'' calcareous grassland with smaller areas of CG2 ''Festuca ovina - Avenula pratensis'' grassland. There are also areas of scrubland and woodland. Ecology Flora Folkestone Downs is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chalk Downland
Downland, chalkland, chalk downs or just downs are areas of open chalk hills, such as the North Downs. This term is used to describe the characteristic landscape in southern England where chalk is exposed at the surface. The name "downs" is derived from the Celtic word "dun", meaning "fort" or "fastness" (and by extension "fortified settlement", from which it entered English as "town", similar to Germanic Burh, "burg"/Borough#Etymology, "burough"), though the original meaning would have been "hill", as early forts were commonly Hillfort, hillforts - compare Germanic "burg" (fort) and "berg" (mountain). Distribution The largest area of downland in southern England is formed by Salisbury Plain, mainly in Wiltshire. To the southwest, downlands continue via Cranborne Chase into Dorset as the Dorset Downs and southwards through Hampshire as the Hampshire Downs onto the Isle of Wight. To the northeast, downlands continue along the Berkshire Downs and Chiltern Hills through parts of Ber ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Early Spider Orchid
''Ophrys sphegodes'', commonly known as the early spider-orchid, is a species of sexually-deceptive orchid native to Europe and the Middle East. It is a highly varied species with many subspecies recognised. Description Plant height varies with latitude. In the UK the maximum height is around 20 cm, but around the Mediterranean a height of 70 cm may be reached. Flowers March–May (April–May in northern latitudes). Each shoot may carry between 2 and 18 flowers. The flowers have yellow-green sepals and a velvety red-brown labellum with a distinctive silvery-blue H marking so that the flowers much resemble an arthropod and especially a spider. Similar to '' Ophrys fuciflora'' and ''Ophrys apifera'' but flowers differ in that late spider orchid and bee orchid have much smaller petals than sepals; in early spider orchid petals and sepals are a similar size. They are also distinguished by patches of colour on the labellum; late spider orchid has a yellow point at the cen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Freedom To Roam
The freedom to roam, or everyone's right, every person's right or everyman's right, is the general public's right to access certain public or privately owned land, lakes, and rivers for recreation and exercise. The right is sometimes called the right of public access to the wilderness or the right to roam. In Austria, Belarus, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland and the Czech Republic, the freedom to roam takes the form of general public rights which are sometimes codified in law. The access is ancient in parts of Northern Europe and has been regarded as sufficiently fundamental that it was not formalised in law until modern times. However, the right usually does not include any substantial economic exploitation, such as hunting or logging, or disruptive activities, such as making fires and driving offroad vehicles. In countries without such general rights, there may be a network of rights of way, or some nature reserves with foot ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Myxamatosis
Myxomatosis is a disease caused by ''Myxoma virus'', a poxvirus in the genus ''Leporipoxvirus''. The natural hosts are tapeti (''Sylvilagus brasiliensis'') in South and Central America, and brush rabbits (''Sylvilagus bachmani'') in North America. The myxoma virus causes only a mild disease in these species, but causes a severe and usually fatal disease in European rabbits (''Oryctolagus cuniculus''), the species of rabbit commonly raised for companionship and as a food source. Myxomatosis is an example of what occurs when a virus jumps from a species adapted to the virus to a naive host, and has been extensively studied for this reason. The virus was intentionally introduced in Australia, France, and Chile in the 1950s to control wild European rabbit populations. Cause ''Myxoma virus'' is in the genus ''Leporipoxvirus'' (family ''Poxviridae''; subfamily ''Chordopoxvirinae''). Like other poxviruses, myxoma viruses are large DNA viruses with linear double-stranded DNA. Virus r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many nations mobilising all resources in pursuit of total war. Tanks in World War II, Tanks and Air warfare of World War II, aircraft played major roles, enabling the strategic bombing of cities and delivery of the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, first and only nuclear weapons ever used in war. World War II is the List of wars by death toll, deadliest conflict in history, causing World War II casualties, the death of 70 to 85 million people, more than half of whom were civilians. Millions died in genocides, including the Holocaust, and by massacres, starvation, and disease. After the Allied victory, Allied-occupied Germany, Germany, Allied-occupied Austria, Austria, Occupation of Japan, Japan, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
White Cliffs Countryside Partnership
The White Cliffs Countryside Partnership was established in 1989, to help landowners care for the special coast and countryside of Dover and Folkestone and Hythe districts. This includes the only two stretches of Heritage Coast in Kent; the Dover-Folkestone Heritage Coast and the South Foreland Heritage Coast between Dover and Kingsdown near Deal. History The WCCP was launched with 3 staff funded by seven organisations for a limited three-year period. The WCCP has since grown into a much larger organisation with thirteen staff (although many work part-time including footpath leaders). The WCCP celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2009. In 1992/93, it was estimated that the project (and community groups) contributed to 3450 days of conservation and footpath management work. This was worked out to have cost around £170,000 or 14 local authority staff wages. In October 2010, volunteers from WCCP, and the Kentish Stour Countryside Partnership went across the Channel to work with co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eurotunnel
Getlink, formerly Groupe Eurotunnel, is a European public company based in Paris that manages and operates the infrastructure of the Channel Tunnel between France and the United Kingdom, operates the LeShuttle railway service, and earns revenue on other trains that operate through the tunnel (Eurostar passenger and DB Schenker freight). Groupe Eurotunnel was established on 13 August 1986 to finance, build, and operate the Channel Tunnel under a concession granted by the French and British governments. The tunnel was constructed between 1988 and 1994 by TransManche Link (TML) under a contract issued by Groupe Eurotunnel; construction costs would overrun considerably, from TML's original estimate of £4.7 billion to the final cost of £9.5 billion. On 6 May 1994, the completed tunnel was officially opened. Its rail infrastructure comprises of double track railway in the main tunnels, plus extensive surface-level terminal facilities at Folkestone in England and Cala ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charissa Obscurata
''Charissa obscurata'', the annulet or Scotch annulet, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775. It is found in most of Europe including the European part of Russia and in Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Armenia and Azerbaijan. In the mountains it rises up to 1800 meters. The habitat is rocky dry grasslands, boulder corridors, quarries as well as rocky steppe heaths and wine-growing areas. The wingspan is 27–32 mm. The circular O marks on all four wings are typical but may be vague. The forewings have strongly toothed lines, whose which continue on the hindwings. The margin of the large hindwing is very heavily ruffled and incised, which differ from other species of ''Charissa'' moths. The larva is smooth and grey-brown. Adults are on wing from July to August. The larvae feed on various herbaceous plants, including ''Calluna'' species, '' Viscaria vulgaris'', '' Sedum telephium'' and ''Rubus'' s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Straw Belle
''Aspitates gilvaria'', the straw belle, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775. It is found from Europe to the eastern part of the Palearctic realm. The main habitats are warm slopes, heathlands, fields and abandoned quarries. In the mountains, the species rises to heights of 1000 meters. Adults are on wing from July to August. Description The wingspan is 25–30 mm. The graduated buff coloured forewing has a red or brown diagonal slash from the wing tip to the inside edge. The hindwings are white with a faint diagonal grey streak and a dot on the upper surface. The male has combed antennae. The female is more mottled than the male and has less combed antennae. The egg initially has a light green colour, which changes from reddish yellow to grey just before the caterpillars hatch. The pole and egg base are orange. The surface is covered with about 50 longitudinal ribs. The micropyle rosette is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Small Blue
The small blue (''Cupido minimus'') is a Palearctic butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. Despite its common name, it is not particularly blue. The male has some bluish suffusion at the base of its upper wings but is mostly dark brown like the female. The species can live in colonies of up to several hundred and in its caterpillar stage is cannibalistic. Description Small blue males are dark brown with a scattering of bright blue scales that speckle their wings. Females lack this blue speckling. Both males and females exhibit the characteristic silver underside with black spots. The male has a bluish tint at the base of its wings similar to the upper side. Their wingspan can fall anywhere from 16-27mm, but males tend to be the smaller sex. Small blues are often confused with the female Osiris Blue, whose coloring is similar to that of the male small blue. Geographic range ''C. minimus'' is found in Europe, Asia Minor, Transcaucasia, Tian-Shan, western Siberia, central Siber ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chalkhill Blue
The chalkhill blue (''Lysandra coridon'') is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is a small butterfly that can be found throughout the Palearctic realm, where it occurs primarily in grasslands rich in chalk. Males have a pale blue colour, while females are brown. Both have chequered fringes around their wings. Subspecies Subspecies include: * ''Lysandra coridon coridon'' * ''Lysandra coridon borussia'' (Dadd, 1908) – (Urals) * ''Lysandra coridon asturiensis'' (Sagarra, 1922) – (Spain) Description ''Lysandra coridon'' has a wingspan of .Simon CoombeCaptain's European Butterfly Guide/ref> These small butterflies present a sexual dimorphism. The males having pale silvery-blue upperside of the wings with a submarginal line of grey spots on the hindwings and a thin brown and white chequered fringe. Females have dark brown upperside of wings, with marginal orange spots and also with chequered fringes. The underside of the wings show a light ochre colouration, several dark s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Adonis Blue
The Adonis blue (''Lysandra bellargus'', also known as ''Polyommatus bellargus'') is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It inhabits the Palearctic realm (Western Europe, Central Europe, Southern Europe, Southern Russia, Iraq, Iran, Caucasus, Transcaucasus, and Turkey). It is found in chalk downland, in warm, sheltered spots, flying low over vegetation, seeking females that are rich chocolate brown in color. The male has brilliantly colored blue wings that give it its name. Description The male has the upper side wings a brilliant sky blue, with a fine black line round the edge and a white margin. The female is chocolate brown with a few blue scales near the base, and with orange spots, bordered by blue scales, around the edge of the hind wing. The fringes are chequered both sexes. The underside is brownish grey with black and orange crescent spots. The wingspan is about . The caterpillar reaches in length, has a dark green body with dark spines, and yellow bands along the ba ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
