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Maungawhau

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Maungawhau

Maungawhau cannot stop the grass from growing green.

  • Maungawhau is a dormant volcano found in the city of Auckland, New Zealand and it is a cinder cone with a deep crater.
  • ‘Maungawhau’ is officially called ‘Maungawhau-Mt Eden’, and it is also known as ‘Mt Eden Crater’, ‘Mount Eden’, ‘Mount Eden Volcano’, and ‘Eden Crater’.
  • Maungawhau is easily accessible from the centre of Auckland and the summit gives 360 degree views across the city, and as such, approximately 1.2 million people visit the site annually.
  • Maungawhau reaches an elevation of 196 metres (643 feet) above sea level, making it the tallest volcano in Auckland; and from the car park, it usually takes five to ten minutes to walk to the summit.
  • ‘Maungawhau’ is a word from the native Maori language meaning ‘mountain or hill of of the whau tree’.
Maungawhau, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Lush, Green, Volcano, Dormant, Maori, Auckland, New Zealand
Maungawhau
Image courtesy of brewbooks/Flickr
  • It is believed that in ancient times, Maungawhau was created by a group of three cones, with the most southern of the three erupting last and filling up the other two.
  • As a historical and recreational reserve, Maungawhau is a protected area, and despite being surrounded by a city environment, the area is lush and contains a variety of native vegetation.
  • The Maungawhau crater is roughly circular with a diameter of 180 metres (591 feet)  and a depth of 50 metres (164 feet).
  • To protect the area, from 2011 heavy vehicles, including tourist buses, were prohibited from using the road to the summit of Maungawhau, while no automobiles were permitted to use the road from the beginning of 2016, except for service vehicles, and small vehicles carrying people who would have difficulty walking to the top.
  • Maungawhau has more than 300 known archaeological features, as it is the site of a historic fortified village that housed native people from the area, that was built to gain a strategic advantage over surrounding tribes.
Bibliography:
Maungawhau, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maungawhau
Maungawhau-Mt Eden Management Plan, 2007, Auckland City Council, https://web.archive.org/web/20081016101249/http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/council/documents/managementplans/mteden/docs/final.pdf
Mount Eden Volcano, n.d, Eden Park, http://bedandbreakfastnz.com/mt-eden-volcano/
Mt Eden, 2016, Auckland Council, http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/parksfacilities/premierparks/Pages/mteden.aspx
Mt Eden Reserve (Maungawhau), 2016, Eventfinda, http://www.eventfinda.co.nz/venue/mt-eden-park-maungawhau-auckland-city-mt-eden

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Condensation

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Condensation

Condensation – keeping dryness on its toes.

  • Condensation is a phenomenon where the moisture in the air, is converted from its gaseous water form to a liquid form.
  • Condensation will most often occur when vapour is cooled or condensed into a density that cannot sustain the entirety of water molecules, and thus must be dispersed as a liquid.
  • The creation of clouds, as described in the water cycle, is a result of the process of condensation.
  • When the dewpoint air temperature (the temperature at which the water vapour will change to liquid when it is cooled) surrounding an object is warmer than or equal to an object’s temperature, condensation can form on the surface of the object.
  • The condensation process provides the main source of water for a variety of both fauna and flora.

Condensation, Science, Dew, Phenomenon, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Lid, Water

  • Some structures, sometimes known as ‘condensers’, have been designed to collect and harvest condensation as a water source, and these include fog collectors or fences, and air or aerial wells.
  • Condensation can be problematic in buildings due to its tendency to cause corrosion, mould, rotting, and other forms of structure weakening, due to the moisture.
  • Warmer outside air temperatures, will typically decrease the amount of condensation, as generally more water vapour can be contained in warm air.
  • In buildings, air movement, through the use of fans, air conditioners, or open windows, can decrease the amount of condensation.
  • Dehumidifiers are available, and they are designed to be used inside buildings to remove moisture in the air, and this helps to prevent condensation.
Bibliography:
Condensation, 2014, eSchoolToday, http://www.eschooltoday.com/water-cycle/what-is-condensation.html
Condensation, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condensation
Condensation – The Water Cycle, 2015, U.S. Geological Survey, http://water.usgs.gov/edu/watercyclecondensation.html
What Is Condensation?, 2013, Weather Questions, http://www.weatherquestions.com/What_is_condensation.htm

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Starfruit

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Starfruit

Starfruit are the literal stars distinguishable from the rest.

  • Starfruit is a variety of fruit considered exotic in some areas, that likely originated in Malaysia and Indonesia, and possibly Sri Lanka, India and some other countries of South East Asia.
  • ‘Starfruit’ are also known as ‘five-corner fruit’, ‘carambola’, and in Spanish-speaking countries ‘carambolo’.
  • Starfruit grow on a tree of medium size, that has the scientific name Averrhoa carambola, and it is from the family Oxalidaceae, the family of wood sorrels.
  • Starfruit range from 5 to 15 centimetres (2 to 6 inches) long, and the fruit features five or more large ridges down its length.
  • Starfruit has wax-like skin that is edible, and depending on the variety, a somewhat sour to sweet tasting flesh that is juicy and crunchy, that is comparable to a mixture of apple, grape, pear and citrus.
Starfruit, Food, Culinary, Fruit, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Cut, Yellow, Star
Cut Starfruit
Image courtesy of alamosbasement/Flickr
  • If a starfruit is cut across widthways, a star shape is revealed, hence its common name.
  • When ripe, starfruit skin typically changes from a green or yellow-green colour, to a yellow colour, with the flesh ranging from cream to yellow.
  • Starfruit is often eaten raw, but it can also be stewed, preserved, pickled, juiced, made into relish, or cooked as part of a dish.
  • Some caution is required if star fruit is consumed while on certain medications, and the fruit can be dangerous for those with kidney-related health issues.
  • Starfruit is very high in vitamin C and is a good source of fibre, and the fruit contains many other vitamins and minerals.
Bibliography:
Carambola, 2015, Better Health Channel, https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/ingredientsprofiles/Carambola
Carambola, 2015, Cape Trib, http://www.capetrib.com.au/carambola.htm
Carambola, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carambola

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Giant Moss

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Giant Moss

Giant moss appears to be a typical plant, but it bears no flowers or seeds.

  • Giant moss is a species of tall moss native to eastern areas of Australia, and also New Zealand and New Guinea.
  • ‘Giant moss’ is also known as ‘tall Dawsonia’, and as a moss plant, it is ‘non-vascular’, in that it does not have ducts that hold or transport fluid.
  • The scientific name of giant moss is Dawsonia superba and it is from the family Polytrichaceae, the family of Aloe moss.
  • Each erect spike or stem of giant moss is an individual plant, and the leaves are small and a green to grey-green colour.
  • Giant moss is found in clay soils of humid forest habitats, including rainforests.

Giant Moss, Large, Plant, Vegetation, Australia, New Zealand, Grass, Melbourne

  • Reaching up to 60 centimetres (2 feet) in height, giant moss is the tallest known extant moss on earth.
  • Full shade, in dry to moist soils, is the best condition for growing giant moss, and it is able to be grown in pots.
  • Extremely small spores that are six to ten micrometres (each micrometre measuring 0.001 of a millimetre) in diameter, making them some of the smallest spores of any moss plants, are produced by giant moss.
  • Giant moss produce capsules, that have hairs on the exterior, that sit above the leaves; and the capsule contains spores that are used by the plant to reproduce.
  • Raindrops falling onto giant moss collect the plant’s spores and disperses them for reproduction, on the forest floor.

 

Bibliography:
Dawson superba (Giant Moss), 2016, T.E.R.R.A.I.N, http://www.terrain.net.nz/friends-of-te-henui-group/local-mosses/giant-moss-dawson-superba.html
Dawsonia superba, 2010, Welcome to Yarra Ranges, http://fe.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/Residents/Trees_Vegetation/Yarra_Ranges_Plant_Directory/Yarra_Ranges_Local_Plant_Directory/Lower_Storey/Ferns_and_Fern_Allies/Dawsonia_superba
Dawsonia superba, n.d, Biota, http://bio113.weebly.com/dawsonia-superba.html

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Brandenburg Gate

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Brandenburg Gate

Brandenburg Gate is a symbol and landmark of many things, as decided by history.

  • Brandenburg Gate is a large gateway that consists of five openings, that spans across the entrance to a public square, that is now called the ‘Pariser Platz’, in Berlin, Germany not far from what once was the city palace.
  • ‘Brandenburg Gate’ is known as ‘Brandenburger Tor’ in the German language and it was historically the beginning of the road from Berlin to Brandenburger.
  • The Brandenburg Gate is one of the eighteen original gates of the ‘Berliner Zoll- und Akzisemauer’, or in English – ‘Berlin customs and excise wall’, which surrounded Berlin, and is the only gate still in place.
  • The construction of the Brandenburg Gate was authorised by Prussian king, Friedrich Wilhelm II (Frederick William II), built from 1788 to 1791, replacing a simple pre-existing structure, and the new gate was to symbolise peace.
  • Extensive damage was inflicted upon the Brandenburg Gate as a result of ammunition during World War II, and together in 1956 to 1957, East and West Berlin restored the gate.
Brandenburg Gate, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Berlin, Wall, Historical, Architecture
Brandenburg Gate
Image courtesy of james j8246/Flickr
  • The Brandenburg Gate was effectively closed for almost 30 years, after the Berlin Wall that divided East Berlin and West Berlin, was completed in 1961, and it was re-opened in 1989 and later renovated from 2000 to 2002, with private funds.
  • Originally vehicles travelled through the Brandenburg Gate; however, since 2002 the road has only been open to foot traffic, and as such has been paved with cobblestone.
  • Brandenburg Gate reaches an approximate height of 26 metres (85 feet) and spreads 65.5 metres (215 feet) in width.
  • A statue is located on the top of the Brandenburg Gate, known as the Berlin Quadriga, which depicts the goddess of peace or victory in a chariot drawn by four horses, which was placed there in 1793, and was once stolen by Napoléon Bonaparte.
  • The Brandenburg Gate was designed by Prussian architect Carl Gotthard Langhans, in the Greek revival neoclassical style, and it is decorated with bas-relief, and has twelve columns.
Bibliography:
Brandenburg Gate, 2016, Penguin’s Berlin Guide, http://berlin.barwick.de/sights/famous-places/brandenburg-gate.html
Brandenburg Gate, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandenburg_Gate
Brandenburg Gate, n.d, Visit Berlin, http://www.visitberlin.de/en/spot/brandenburg-gate
Maranzani B, Brandenburg Gate: A Brief History, 2013, History, http://www.history.com/news/brandenburg-gate-a-brief-history

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Grainy Cochran Frog

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Grainy Cochran Frog

The grainy Cochran frog is hidden in a forest of secrets.

  • Grainy Cochran frogs are a species of frog native to the southern countries of Central America.
  • The scientific name of a grainy Cochran frog is Cochranella granulosa and it is from the family Centrolenidae, the family of glass frogs.
  • The Spanish name for the grainy Cochran frog is ‘ranita de cristal’ which literally means ‘glass frog’, while the frog is also known as a ‘granular glass frog’.
  • Grainy Cochran frogs are found around streams among plants, in moist forests that are situated in low-lying habitats.
  • Grainy Cochran frogs are small and generally reach a length of 2.25 to 3.2 centimetres (0.9 to 1.3 inches).
Grainy Cochran Frog, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Amphibian, Animal, Green, Organs, Single, Small
Grainy Chochran Frog
Image courtesy of Brain Gratwicke/Flickr
  • The skin of grainy Cochran frogs is a green-blue colour speckled with tiny white dots that give it a grainy texture.
  • Around 50 to 60 eggs are laid by female grainy Cochran frogs, on vegetation that branches over and touches water bodies, so that on hatching, the new tadpoles can drop into the water.
  • On the underside of a grainy Cochran frog, the skin is translucent, allowing its internal organs to be viewed.
  • A grainy Cochran frog male fends off other amphibious intruders to its territory, often by wrestling on a leaf, where the loser is the individual that falls off, and the winner claims the territory.
  • While grainy Cochran frogs are classified as ‘least concern’, they are still threatened by pollution of water and loss of habitat.
Bibliography:
Cochranella granulosa, n.d, IUCN Red List, http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/54964/0
Cochranella granulosa, 2014, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochranella_granulosa
The Granular Glass Frog, 2015, Alien Earthlings, http://www.thenighttour.com/alien1/cochranella_granulosa.htm
Iyer S, Cochranella granulosa, 2009, AmphibiaWeb, http://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Cochranella&where-species=granulosa

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