Historic New England Magazine — Historic New England

Skip to content

Historic New England Magazine Go behind the scenes at Historic New England properties, learn how much architecture and material culture can tell us about the past, meet fascinating historical characters and current innovators in preservation, get historic home owner tips from Historic New England experts, and much more. Through evocative photography, rare archival resources, and informative articles by both Historic New England staff and guest authors, each issue offers new insights on more than four hundred years of life in New England. The print edition of Historic New England magazine, published three times a year, is an exclusive benefit of membership. Back issues are archived online for public browsing. Join or renew your membership today to subscribe to Historic New England magazine. Fall 2015 Summer 2015 Winter 2015 Fall 2014 Summer 2014 Spring 2014 Fall 2013 Summer 2013 Winter/Spring 2013 Fall 2012 Summer 2012 Spring 2012 Fall 2011 Summer 2011 Winter/Spring 2011 Fall 2010 Summer 2010 Winter/Spring 2010 Fall 2009 Summer 2009 Winter/Spring 2009 Fall 2008 Summer 2008 Winter/Spring 2008 Fall 2007 Summer 2007 Winter/Spring 2007 Fall 2006 Summer 2006 Winter/Spring 2006 Fall 2005 Summer 2005 Winter/Spring 2005 Fall 2004  Summer 2004  Winter/Spring 2004  Fall 2003  Summer 2003   Winter/Spring 2003  Fall 2002 Summer 2002  Winter 2001  Fall 2001  Summer 2001  Spring 2001 Winter 2000 Fall 2000   Summer 2000

Contact Us | Privacy Policy | © 2016 Historic New England. All rights reserved.

Historic New England Magazine

 

Page retrieved from Historic New England website on January 25, 2016 07:00 AM.

© 2016 Historic New England. All rights reserved.

7 stunning eco destinations to see before it's too late | Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building

http://inhabitat.com/7-stunning-eco-destinations-to-see-before-its-too-late/

7 stunning eco destinations to see before it's too late

Travel is a double-edged sword for the eco-minded among us. On the one hand, we long to visit the world's diverse and awe-inspiring destinations. On the other, we all know that the most eco-friendly trips are the ones that begin outside own back doors and don't involve long-haul flights to exotic lands. The boom in ecotourism makes the choice to travel a little less guilt-inducing, allowing us to explore while limiting our harm to the environment and improving the well-being of local people. So, if your backyard just isn't quite adventurous enough, here are 7 of the best ecotourism destinations for 2016.

1. Palau

You can be forgiven if you've never heard of Palau, an isolated archipelago about 1,000 miles east of the Philippines. After all, it it home to only 20,000 people and it's not quite as big as New York City. Palau's marine reserve, however, is bigger than Texas and Alaska combined, and gives protection to one of the world's most diverse marine ecosystems.

Being a tropical island destination, snorkelling and scuba diving are the highlights of any trip to Palau. However, lounging on a pristine, deserted beach gazing out on the crystal clear water is also a perfectly acceptable way to pass the day.

Best time to go: May to October

Related: Palau just created a marine reserve larger than Texas and Alaska combined

2. Haida Gwaii, Canada

Another isolated archipelago, the lonely and haunting Haida Gwaii sits just off the west coast of Canada. Named one of National Geographic's 20 Best Trips in 2015, the islands provide plenty of interest for nature-seekers and cultural travellers alike.

Haida Gwaii is a kayaker's paradise, with whales, porpoises and sea lions to accompany your morning's paddle. Hiker's and cyclists might spot a black bear foraging in the woods while bird-watchers won't have to look hard to see eagles soaring overhead.

The Haida Gwaii archipelago has been inhabited by the Haida people for more than 12,000 years. At the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve & Haida Heritage Site, a UNESCO World Heritage destination, visitors can explore the remains of traditional Haida longhouses and view century-old carved cedar monumental poles.

Best time to go: May 15 to September 15

Related: Tiny hobbit home carved from a stump is straight out of a fairytale

3. Bhutan

The Buddhist Kingdom of Bhutan could be one of the most eco-friendly destinations in the world. The remote location discourages all but the most committed travellers, and the daily minimum spend of $250 per person, keeps tourist numbers to a minimum while providing ample cash for conservation.

Those who can afford the trip get to dip into the land of Gross National Happiness and savour the rich chili-laden Bhutanese cuisine. For the more adventurous, a multi-day trek through the towering Himalaya will reveal hidden mountain monasteries, mysterious temples and majestic snow-capped peaks while a trip to Eastern Bhutan promises humble homestays in the company of friendly locals.

Best time to go: Spring (March to May) and fall (September to November)

Related: Is Bhutan the world's most eco-friendly travel destination?

4. Greenland

Both Lonely Planet and National Geographic have chosen Greenland as must-do for 2016. Greenland's status as 2016's trendiest ecotourism destination is well deserved. The natural beauties include towering mountains draped in kilometers-thick glaciers which give way to dramatic fjords and a clear azure sea.

Exploring the wintry landscape by dogsled or snowmobile, travellers might happen upon polar bears or reindeer. Or go by kayak for the chance to share icy waters with seals and whales. By day, visitors can experience the power of calving icebergs at Ilulissat Ice-fjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while at night, the Northern Lights share their mysterious secrets with the world below.

Best time to go: Summer for whale watching, November to March for Northern Lights and dogsled tours

Related: Greenland's ice is melting faster than previously thought

5. Cuba

Should the restrictions for US tourists to Cuba be lifted, the IMF reports that there would be a "seismic shift" in the Caribbean's tourism industry. With luck and good planning, this shift won't come at the expense of Cuba's 253 protected areas, seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, seven natural biosphere reserves and 13 fauna refuges.

Cuba is home to some of the world's most pristine waters, so sailing and SCUBA diving should be on any tourist's itinerary. However, Cuba is far more than classic cars and azure seas. The diverse nature ranges from lush tropical forests to dry mountainous areas and everglades populated by mangrove.

Visitors can explore Alejandro de Humboldt National Park, which UNESCO calls "one of the most biologically diverse tropical island sites on earth" or scramble through the largest cave system in Cuba, the Gran Caverna de Santo Tomás, which contains 30 miles of galleries on eight levels.

Best time to go: year round, skip September and October if hurricanes worry you

Related: What can we learn from Cuba's remarkable farmers?

6. Cardamom Mountains, Cambodia

While Cambodia is far from exemplary when it comes to protecting its environment, Cambodia's eco-tourism industry is on the rise with new eco-lodges and environmental projects sprouting up all the time.

In the Cardamom Mountains, Southeast Asia's largest area of contiguous rainforest, a small eco-village run by Wildlife Alliance provides an ideal destination for adventurous ecotourists. Until recently, the villagers of Chi Phat had been almost wholly dependent upon illegal logging and wildlife poaching to earn a living.

Now, most of the town's population works in the ecotourism industry, leading treks, mountain bike tours and boat trips for tourists who manage to make the hours-long trip from Cambodia's more popular destinations. Many of the houses in Chi Phat have been turned into homestays, where visitors are offered a window into village life.

Best time to go: November to May

Related: Community-designed eco-lodge saves wildlife in Cambodia

7. Mongolia

If the name Mongolia elicits thoughts of wide-open spaces and wild horses, you're on the right track. Mongolia has the lowest population density of all independent countries in the world, allowing travelers to experience true solitude in close contact with nature.

The vast open steppe offers plenty of opportunity for horseback riding, but you can also hike across towering mountains sliced by craggy gorges, camp beside idyllic lakes, or ride camels across the barren Gobi desert. For the truly adventurous, a visit to the Tsaatan reindeer people in a far corner of Northern Mongolia will be the highlight of your trip, if not your entire life.

Best time to go: May to October

Related: Mongolia's nomads modernize traditional tent homes with solar panels

Palau image via Palau Visitors Authority, Haida Gwaii image via Island Conservation, Bhutan image via Thomas Wanhoff, Greenland image via Greenland Travel, Cuba image via Kirua, Cambodia image via My Five Acres, Mongolia image via NOMADasaurus

~A.

Golden Milk: The Simple Drink That Could Change Your Life | The Mind Unleashed

http://themindunleashed.org/2014/05/golden-milk-simple-drink-change-life.html

Golden Milk: The Simple Drink That Could Change Your Life

Golden Milk is a wonderful beverage to have in the evening and the benefits are extraordinary. The main ingredient in this recipe is turmeric. Turmeric contains curcumin, the polyphenol identified as its primary active component and which exhibits over 150 potentially therapeutic activities, which include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.

Additional benefits:

• Anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, antiseptic,analgesic,.
• Boosts immunity.
• Anti-carcinogenic.
• Helps maintain cholesterol levels.
• Promotes digestive health.
• Liver detoxifier.
• Regulates metabolism and weight management.
• High blood pressure.
• Memory and brain function.
• Various skin conditions.
• Neurological disorders.
• Lowers Triglycerides

Adding black pepper to turmeric or turmeric-spiced food enhances curcumin's bioavailability by 1,000 times, due to black pepper's hot property called piperine. Yup by mixing turmeric and black pepper together, you increase your body's absorption of the turmeric by 2000%!

Golden Milk

Step 1: Turmeric Paste:

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper
• 1/2 cup of filtered water

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a small a small sauce pan and mix well. Turn the heat to medium high and stir constantly until the mixture is a thick paste. This does not take long so don't walk away from the pan.

Let this mixture cool and then keep it in a small jar in the fridge.

Step 2: Golden Milk

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of almond milk (hemp or coconut are also good options)
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 1/4 teaspoon or more of turmeric paste
• Honey

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients, except honey in a saucepan. Turn the heat to medium. While heating make sure to stir constantly and do not allow the mixture to boil. Add honey to taste.

To read more in depth on the healing power of Turmeric, check out some other articles by clicking HERE.

This is a great video on golden milk variations:

Credits: Healthy Holistic Living via whydontyoutrythis.com

On it .....
~A.

~A.

Newly discovered microplate reveals ancient continents' movements -- Science & Technology -- Sott.net

http://www.sott.net/article/310663-Newly-discovered-microplate-reveals-ancient-continents-movements

Newly discovered microplate reveals ancient continents' movements

© NASA Earth Observatory
In areas with the deepest underwater ridges (shown in blue), the Earth's gravity is lowest.

Tectonic plates may have inched across the Earth's surface to where they are now over the course of billions of years, but they left behind traces of this movement in bumps and gashes under the sea. Now, a new topographic map of the seafloor has helped researchers chronicle when the Indian-Eurasian continent formed as well as find a previously undiscovered microplate that broke off as a result of the event.

NASA's Earth Observatory released the map on Jan. 13, and it reveals the complex topography of the planet's seafloor. By analyzing these underwater peaks and ridges, researchers can decipher how and when the plates that made up the ancient supercontinent Pangaea tore apart about 200 million years ago, resulting in the birth of new ocean crust and the formation of mountain ranges.

The map, which is bright blue and red like a heat map, was compiled by an international team of researchers using a gravity model of the ocean, which is in turn based on altimetry data from the CryoSat-2 and Jason-1 satellites.

Altimetry measures the height of the sea surface from space by timing how long it takes a radar signal to reflect off the ocean and return to the satellite. The subtle highs and lows of the ocean surface mimic both seafloor topography and Earth's gravity field, according to NASA.

© NASA Earth Observatory
The newly discovered Mammerickx Microplate can be seen outlined in this image.

The researchers used this data to discover a new piece of the puzzle: a microplate that had broken off from larger tectonic plates. The newly discovered Mammerickx Microplate, named after a pioneer in seafloor topography (Jacqueline Mammerickx), is the first to be discovered in the Indian Ocean. It is roughly the size of West Virginia or Tasmania, and its existence helped the scientists establish that the collision between the Indian plate and Eurasia — which led to the formation of the Himalayas and Mount Everest — began about 47 million years ago.

About 50 million years ago, the Indian plate was moving as fast as a tectonic plate can go — roughly 6 inches (15 centimeters) per year. When the Indian plate struck Eurasia, the entire plate slowed down and changed direction, which can be seen in the ridges in the seafloor to the south, where the Indian plate meets the Antarctic plate. The researchers were able to examine these seafloor ridges to recreate the stress the impact placed on the plate. That stress eventually ripped off a small piece of the Antarctic plate, resulting in the Mammerickx Microplate, spinning it like a ball bearing until it came to rest where it is today.

The researchers say that the same seafloor map can be used for further research on tectonic plates. But, submariners and ship captains can also use it for navigation. And with a resolution that captures detailed features as narrow as 3 miles (5 kilometers), it could also potentially be helpful to prospectors searching for oil, gas and mineral resources.

~A.