RU-6498544 Russian Arctic National Park

I received this postcard from Maria (Postcrossing, July 2018) and on the back of the postcard, the following is indicated:
          The archipelago of Franz Josef Land
          The Russian Arctic National Park

The Russian Arctic National Park (Russian: Национальный парк "Русская Арктика") is a national park of Russia, which was established in June 2009. It was expanded in 2016, and it covers a large and remote area of the Arctic Ocean, the northern part of Novaya Zemlya (Severny Island), and Franz Josef Land.

After the expansion in 2016, approximately 74,000 km2, 16,000 km2 in land area and 58,000 km2 in sea area were added to the National Park. In 2009 the total area of the national park was 14,260 km2, including 6,320 km2 on the land and 7,940 km2 of the Arctic Ocean.

The area is the habitat of polar bears and bowhead whales. The area also includes one of the largest bird colonies in the Northern Hemisphere, as well as walrus and seal rookeries. In addition to preserving natural habitats, the area of the national park is important for preserving the cultural heritage, which is related to the history of discovery and colonisation of the vast Arctic territories starting from the sixteenth century.

TW-2515239 Shei-Pa National Park (雪霸國家公園) Taiwan

Shei-Pa National Park (雪霸國家公園) is a national park located in the central part of Taiwan around the peaks of Hsuehshan and Dabajian Mountain, with an area of 768.5 km2 (296.7 sq mi), covering the area of Hsinchu County, Miaoli County and Taichung City. High mountain ecology, geology, topography, rivers, creek valleys, rare animals and plants, and plentiful variety of forest types are some important resources for conservation.

Shei-Pa National Park is located some 100 km north of the Tropic of Cancer. The park covers a wide range of ecosystems between 760 metres at the lowest point, the Da-an River Valley (大安溪) and 3,886 metres elevation at the highest point, the top of Xueshan (雪山主峰). Xueshan is the second tallest mountain in Taiwan. The Xueshan Range is located along the northern end of Taiwan's Central Range. 

The mountains of Shei-Pa cradle the headwaters of several major rivers in Taiwan. The park receives between 1,500 mm and 3,000 mm of rainfall a year and is an important water resource for the country: Takejin Creek flows north to join the Danshui River, which provides water for Taipei. The Dajia River and the Da-an River flow west and north west to provide water to Taichung County. The Touqian River flows northwest to Hsinchu County.

This lovely postcard came from Louise L. (Postcrossing, May 2018)

US-4670049 Quinault Rain Forest in Washington State, USA

The Quinault Rain Forest is a temperate rain forest, which is part of the Olympic National Park and the Olympic National Forest in the U.S. state of Washington. The rain forest is located in the valley formed by the Quinault River and Lake Quinault. The valley is called the "Valley of the Rain Forest Giants" because of the number of record size tree species located there. The largest specimens of Western Red Cedar, Sitka Spruce, Western Hemlock, Alaskan Cedar and Mountain Hemlock are found in the forest as well as five of the ten largest Douglas-firs. The forest receives an average of 12 feet of rain per year. It is believed to be the area with the greatest number of record size giant tree species in the smallest area in the world. It does have the largest trees in the world outside of the state of California and New Zealand. (Wikipedia)

This postcard came from Becky S (6 June 2017)

US-4060385 Crater of Diamonds State Park

Crater of Diamonds State Park is a 911-acre (369 ha) Arkansas state park. The park features a 37.5-acre (15.2 ha) plowed field, the world's only diamond-bearing site accessible to the public. 

Diamonds have continuously been discovered in the field since 1906. The site became a state park in 1972 after the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism purchased the site from the Arkansas Diamond Company and Ozark Diamond Mines Corporation, who had operated the site as a tourist attraction previously.   (Source: Wikipedia)

This postcard came from Grace who had visited the Crater of Diamonds State Park in June.  Postcard received on 6 July 2016 (Postcrossing)

TW-1803480 "Queen's Head" (女王頭) in Yehliu Geopark 野柳地質公園 in Taiwan

One interesting destination in northern Taiwan is Yehliu Geopark 野柳地質公園 . This Geopark is home to a number of unique geological formations including the iconic "Queen's Head" (女王頭) and is located along a cape stretching out from the town of Wanli.

Besides the Queen's Head, other remarkable formations include Sea Candles (燭台石), Fairy Shoe (仙女鞋), Ginger Rocks, Elephant Rock, Ice Cream Rock, Kissing Rock, and Princess' Head.

This postcard came from Michelle (2 March 2016) Postcrossing.

LK-7450 Wilpattu National Park in Sri Lanka

Wilpattu National Park (Willu-pattu; Land of Lakes) is a park located on the island of Sri Lanka. The unique feature of this park is the existence of "Willus" (Natural lakes) - Natural, sand-rimmed water basins or depressions that fill with rainwater. Wilpattu National Park is located in the Northwest coast lowland dry zone of Sri Lanka. The park is located approximately 180 km north of Colombo. The park is 131,693 hectares and ranges from 0 to 152 metres above sea level. Nearly sixty lakes (Willu) and tanks are found spread throughout Wilpattu. Wilpattu is the largest and one of the oldest National Parks in Sri Lanka. Wilpattu is among the top national parks world-renowned for its leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) population. The leopard population in Wilpattu is not known. Source: Wikipedia

This postcard came from Hiruni J. (16 September 2015) Postcrossing.

Great Australian Walks

The varied and spectacular terrain of Australia is a bushwalkers’ paradise. From the mountains to the Red Centre, from the coast to the forest, this issue features four popular walking tracks for hikers.

This maxicard set features:

(1) National Pass in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area of NSW.

The National Pass in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area of New South Wales is a six-kilometre long walk .  The Pass lies 100 kilometres from Sydney.  The trail was built with picks, shovels, crowbars and dynamite between 1906 and 1907 and was officially opened in 1908.

(2) The Cape to Cape Track in WA

The Cape to Cape Track runs for 135 kilometres along the Western Australia coast between Cape Naturaliste in the north and Cape Leeuwin in the south.  The entire walk is challenging, taking five to seven days; however there are easier sections that take from half a day to a day to walk.  The track was officially opened in 2001.

(3) The Larapinta Trail in the NT.

The Larapinta Trail in the Northern Territory follows the West MacDonnell Ranges for 223 kilometres between Alice Springs and Mount Sonder.  The walk includes sites sacred to the Arrernte people who have permitted tourists to visit.

(4) The Overland Track in TAS.

The Overland Track winds for 65 kilometres between Cradle Mountain and Lake St Clair in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

Source: Stamp Bulletin July-August 2015 Australia Post

GB-690815 Central Park, New York

Central Park is an urban park in the borough of Manhattan, New York City. It was initially opened in 1857 on 778 acres (315 ha) of city-owned land, later expanding to its current size of 843 acres (341 ha).

Today, Central Park is the most visited urban park in the United States as well as one of the most filmed locations in the world.

There are many attractions in the park.  One of these attractions is the Bethesda Terrace and Fountain.  The Terrace overlook ‘The Lake’. The fountain is located in the centre of the terrace.

This postcard featuring a colour lithograph in the Metropolitan Museum of Art shows the Lake and the Terrace of Central Park in the early 20^th century.  This postcard came from Leek (9 September 2015) Postcrossing.

US-3556938 Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, USA

Shenandoah National Park encompasses part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the U.S. state of Virginia. This national park is long and narrow, with the broad Shenandoah River and Valley on the west side and the rolling hills of the Virginia Piedmont on the east. The scenic Skyline Drive is likely the most prominent feature of the Park.

Shenandoah National Park is just 75 miles from the bustle of Washington, D.C. and it is a good escape from city life to cascading waterfalls, spectacular vistas and quiet wooded hollows.

The park consists of 200,000 acres of protected lands of which 40% of the land area 79,579 acres (124.342 sq mi; 322.04 km2) has been designated as wilderness and is protected as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The highest peak is Hawksbill Mountain at 4,051 feet (1,235 m).

This postcard came from Irina (4 September 2015) Postcrossing.

DE-4349798 Hofgarten in Munich (München) Germany

The Hofgarten (Court Garden) is a garden in the centre of Munich, Germany. The garden was built in 1613–1617 by Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria as an Italian style Renaissance garden. In the centreof the garden is a pavilion for the goddess Diana built in 1615.

The garden was destroyed during World War II and was rebuilt with a partial redesign which compromised between the landscape garden character it had acquired in the nineteenth century and the original formal design of the seventeenth century.

Nowadays the garden is open to the public and is very popular with both residents and tourists alike.

This postcard came from Dietmar (15 July 2015) Postcrossing and it shows the Hofgarten in winter.  Dietmar wrote that in summer it becomes a beer garden.

TW-1655490 Guanwu (Fog-Watching) 觀霧 National Forest Recreation Area

Guanwu (Fog-Watching)  觀霧 National Forest Recreation Area is situated in Wufen Township near Hsinchu and Taian Townships in Miaoli, upstream of Daan and Tochien Rivers. This 907-hectare area ranges in elevation from 2,000 to 2,500 meters above sea level and is constantly enveloped by fog and clouds. Its climate is cool in winter and warm in summer with a mean annual temperature of13oC. In summer, it is the best place to visit in northern Taiwan.

Except for the area immediately surrounding the Guanwu cabins, most of this area is hilly. Due to its open terrain, visitors can enjoy an impressive view of endless peaks.

The main section of this postcard shows (1) “Sunrise, Jingjie Mountains, Leshan Forest Trail” and the smaller panels starting from the top are described as (2) “Sunset” (3) “Daba Peaks” and (4) "Sunset, Leshan Forest Trail”.  This postcard came from Sylvie (13 July 2015) Postcrossing.

NL-3049757 De Alde Feanen National Park

The Alde Feanen National Park is a national park in the Netherlands province of Friesland.

The size of the Alde Feanen National Park is about 25 km² (9.7 sq mi). Part of the national park is the lake area Princenhof (or Princehof). The Alde Feanen contains morasses, lakes, forests, peat and meadows. In the area there are at least 450 plant species and 100 bird species.

This postcard came from Anita K. (26 June 2015) Postcrossing.

WC 85-505 WC 95-535 El Capitan in Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park in the central eastern portion of California, commonly referred to as Northern California. The park covers an area of 747,956 acres (302,687 ha). Over 3.7 million people visit Yosemite each year: most spend the majority of their time (including us) in the seven square miles (18 km²) of Yosemite Valley. Yosemite National Park was designated a World Heritage Site in 1984.

Yosemite is internationally recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, giant sequoia groves and biological diversity.  One famous granite monolith is El Capitan which is a vertical rock formation located on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. El Capitan extends about 3,000 feet (900 m) from base to summit along its tallest face.  Source: Wikipedia

Personal Note: These are the postcards which I would have love to buy (but could not find then) when we visited Yosemite in 2008.

The first postcard of El Capitan came from ShyAnn64 (30 June 2015) Swap-bot. The second postcard (featured below) came from Bianca (31 August 2015) Swap-bot.

 

TW-1441071 棲蘭國家森林遊樂區 Cilan Forest Recreation Area, Datong, Yilan

This postcard from Annie Tian (21 January 2015) Postcrossing shows trees located in the Cilan Forest Recreation Area in Datong, Yilan.

This wilderness recreation area is only 38 km from Yilan and Lotung Town. The main attraction in this area is the nursery for Crytomeria trees. President Chiang Kaik-shik’s Hall, flora and fauna viewing park, cherry and peaches blossom area, jungle trails, Mini Tarzan Forest Playland, etc are other attractions. There are cottages and wooden cabins in the wilderness available for nature lovers. Visitors can also enjoy the taste of the local cultivated product called “Monkey Head Mushroom”.

Cilan Forest Recreation Area is only at a modest 400-metre altitude and this is where three main rivers of the county converge. The small Veterans and Forestry Conservation Museum presents an intriguing picture of life in this area when it represented a "wild east" frontier. It turns out that many of the "veterans," crucial to development of these mountains, were not former members of the ROC military but, rather, PRC soldiers captured by US forces in the Korean War and who chose to come to Taiwan instead of being repatriated.

SW DH-272, GR 007, SW AK-053 Great Smoky Mountains National Park

To date I have received three postcards of the Great Smoky Mountains.  These postcards show:
(1) Roaring Fork
(2) Cosby Creek
(3) a view of the mountains

**********
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains. The border between Tennessee and North Carolina runs through the centreline of the park. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the United States. Over 9 million tourists and 11 million non-recreational visitors travelled to the park in 2010, more than twice as many visitors as the Grand Canyon. The park has a number of historical attractions. The most well-preserved of these (and most popular) is Cades Cove, a valley with a number of preserved historic buildings including log cabins, barns, and churches.

There are 850 miles (1,370 km) of trails and unpaved roads in the park for hiking, including seventy miles of the Appalachian Trail.  Mount Le Conte is a popular destination in the park. Its elevation is 6,593 feet (2,010 m) — the third highest summit in the park.

Before the arrival of European settlers, the region was part of the homeland of the Cherokees.

 

The first postcard displayed is from Leighlo (15 September 2014) Swap-bot.  The second postcard is from Kelly D. (24 July 2014) Goodreads July PC Swap. The third postcard is from Christina (23 April 2014) Swap-bot.

And these are the verses that Christina did not have space to write in the postcard:

Psalm 103 (V)
1

Praise the Lord, my soul;

    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2
Praise the Lord, my soul,

    and forget not all his benefits—

3

who forgives all your sins

    and heals all your diseases,
4
who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,
5
who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

DE-4383285 Timanfaya National Park

El diablo - the logo of the Park

Timanfaya National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional de Timanfaya) is a Spanish national park in the southwestern part of the island of Lanzarote, Canary Islands. The area is 51.07 square kilometres (19.72 sq mi). The parkland is entirely made up of volcanic soil.

Timanfaya is one of the best examples of volcanic habitat just colonised by vegetation and inhabited by 180 different plant species that live off organic matter transported by the wind.  There are more than 25 volcanoes, with some iconic ones, such as the Fire Mountains, Cracked Mountain or Wort Kettle. This area still has volcanic activity and hot spots exist on the surface to reach 100 to 600C at 13 metres (43 ft) deep.  For tourists, a demonstration is usually conducted by pouring water into the ground; this will result in a geyser of steam.

Volcanic landscape - DE-4383285

After all the recent (1730-1736) volcanic eruptions, the volcanoes of Lanzarote have entered a lull having left their mark and preventing the habitability of the entire area.

 

The postcard was sent by Lita A. (29 June 2014) Direct Swap Postcrossing and the second postcard of Timanfaya National Park came from Renate (30 July 2015) Postcrossing.

 Where is Lanzarote?

Lanzarote is the easternmost island of the Canary Islands and has a volcanic origin. It was born through fiery eruptions and has solidified lava streams as well as extravagant rock formations. The island emerged about 15 million years ago as a product of the Canary hotspot. The greatest recorded eruptions occurred between 1730 and 1736 in the area now designated Timanfaya National Park. See: http://flynnfrogg.blogspot.com.au/2015/09/pl-1103716-lanzarote-canary-islands.html

 

SW AI-051 US-3681912 The Florida Everglades

The Florida Everglades is the largest remaining subtropical wilderness in the United States. It consists of 1.5 million acres of saw grass marshes, mangrove forests, and hardwood hammocks dominated by wetlands. It is home to endangered, rare, and exotic wildlife.

Origins of the Everglades

Water in South Florida once flowed from the Kissimmee River to Lake Okeechobee. Then it flowed southward over low-lying lands to Biscayne Bay, the Ten Thousand Islands, and Florida Bay. This shallow, slow-moving sheet of water created a mosaic of ponds, marshes, and forests. Over thousands of years this developed into a balanced ecosystem.

Wading birds such as great egrets, white ibis, herons, and wood storks were abundant. The Cape Sable seaside sparrow, Miami blackheaded snake, manatee, and Florida panther made the Everglades their home. Alligators and crocodiles existed side by side.

Draining the Everglades

Early settlers and land developers considered the Everglades to be a worthless swamp. By the 1800s, developers started digging canals to drain the wetlands. Between 1905 and 1910, large tracts of land were converted to agriculture. This “new” land stimulated the first of South Florida’s land booms. By the 1920s, visitors and new residents flocked to towns like Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Fort Myers. As they arrived, more canals were dug. Canals, roads, and buildings took the place of native habitats.

In 1948, Congress authorized the construction of a system of roads, canals, levees, and water-control structures stretching throughout South Florida. However, the alteration of the wetlands—combined with increasing population—damaged the natural system.

In the 1960s, a strong crusade to “Save the Everglades” was begun.

The Everglades Today

Today, 50% of South Florida’s original wetland areas no longer exist. The numbers of wading birds have been reduced by 90%. Entire populations of animals are in danger of disappearing. Exotic pest plants have invaded natural areas. Losses of seagrass beds in Florida Bay have been followed by losses of wildlife.

On a positive side, these days a lot of attention has been paid to the rehabilitation of the Everglades.

The first postcard of the Everglades came from ‘herlovenotes’ (2 May 2014) Swap-bot.

The second postcard of the Everglades came from Heather S. (12 Nov 2015) Postcrossing.

SW AJ-052 The National Parks of Indonesia

There are 50 national parks in Indonesia.  Of the 50 national parks, 6 are World Heritage Sites, 7 are part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves and 5 are wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar convention. A total of 9 parks are largely marine.

The first group of five Indonesian national parks were established in 1980. This number increased constantly reaching 41 in 2003. In a major expansion in 2004, nine more new national parks were created, raising the total number to 50.

This interesting postcard came from Dinda Sarasidia (15 April 2014) Swapbot.