Fire and Hemlock

the steep rim of a mountain made my stomach weak. “How far is it to the base?” I asked. “This hike should take a little over an hour,” he responded, “It is relatively smooth terrain.” As we trekked along the brook, I was inspired by the scenery. Hemlock and spruce bordered the trail.

The Arab Spring was the most significant modern uprising in the Middle East, a series of rebellions led by people tired of what had been the status quo. This domino effect was set into motion by Mohamed Bouazizi, a fruit vendor, who lit himself on fire, rather than continue living under the oppressive Tunisian Government. It is only with his death did he believe that his ideas would be heard. To him, his death was more effective than any speech could ever be, that in and of itself, his death became

Day 1 Sugarlands Visitor Center, Elkmont Campground, Abrams Trail, and Abrams Falls First, I watched a twenty-minute documentary film about the history of the mountains including wildlife and nature that I might encounter, plus activities that are offered in the park. Next, I browsed the interactive museum that had stunning authentic wildlife displays, with native plants. Ranger Sam answered my questions, advised me on wildlife sightings, and offered valuable suggestions on places to visit within

and others have a layer of insulating feathers or fur to protect them (ETE Team, 2005). Being that the weather is very cold and harsh not many plants can grow in the taiga. Some plants that survive there are coniferous trees such as, pine, spruce, hemlock, and fir trees. Small plants such as orchids, use snow for shelter and insulation. According to the “Taiga Facts,” (2000) “The taiga forests are endangered due to logging and mining by humans. When trees are cut down in the taiga, it takes a very

The Morality of Suicide Throughout the Ages “Every man has the right to risk his own life in order to preserve it. Has it ever been said that a man who throws himself out the window to escape from a fire is guilty of suicide?” This quote, by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, notes very clearly that suicide may be justifiable in certain situations, but society generally doesn’t define this type of act as suicide because of the stigma associated with the word itself. Suicide can be more than just killing oneself

Spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens)) outbreaks have an important effect on succession of balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) and spruce (Picea spp.) stands in eastern Canadian forests (MacLean 2004). Spruce budworm feeds repeatedly on annual shoots of balsam fir and spruce and leads to large-scale growth reduction and mortality (MacLean and Ostaff 1989). When overstory tree mortality occurs from defoliation, it creates gaps that allow understory plants to get an opportunity to release

The swamp was where the Devil was in the story, “The swamp was thickly grown with great gloomy pines and hemlocks, some of them ninety feet high, which made it dark at noonday, and a retreat for all the owls of the neighborhood” (Irving 4). Tom’s wife managed to get cemented in the swamp, and later died. She would have never gone in there if it was not for Tom

When the first colonists landed in the territories of the new world, they encountered a people and a culture that no European before them had ever seen. As the first of the settlers attempted to survive in a truly foreign part of the world, their written accounts would soon become popular with those curious of this “new” world, and those who already lived and survived in this seemingly inhospitable environment, Native American Indian. Through these personal accounts, the Native Indian soon became

person might look at capital punishment, one thing is certain, the death penalty has been around for centuries, and has evolved from brutal methods, to a more humane way of conducting the executions. Back in time, “the ancient Greeks used poison from hemlock trees to execute criminals, while the Carreon 2 Romans used beheadings, clubbing, strangling, drawing and firing, or feeding to the lions. Currently in the United States, the allowed methods of execution are, lethal injection, electrocution, gas

Day 1 Sugarlands Visitor Center, Elkmont Campground, Abrams Trail, and Abrams Falls As I arrived in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, I entered the main entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park proceeding directly to the Sugarlands Visitor Center. First, I watched a twenty-minute documentary film about the history of the Smoky Mountains, including wildlife and nature that visitors might encounter, plus activities offered in the park. While browsing the interactive museum, I discovered stunning