Native flora is threatened by various invasive plants, including the Brazilian Pepper ("Schinus terebinthifolius"). Owning and growing this tree is illegal. Large numbers of volunteers cut down these invaders, particularly along waterways. The Australian pine ("Casuarina" spp.) is being actively attacked.
Other foreign pests include the Asian ambrosia beetle ("Xyleborus glabratus"), which threatens the local avocado industry and redbay trees ("Persea borbonia").
It is illegal to import Giant African land snails (achatina fulica). These threaten buildings, 500 types of local plants, and carry meningitis.
Endemic species in Florida include the Florida Scrub Jay ("Aphelocoma coerulescens"), Miami blue ("Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri"), Okaloosa darter ("Etheostoma okaloosae"), and Key Deer ("Odocoileus virginianus clavium").
Florida is a popular destination for birdwatching, because of the many species that can be found in the state at various times of the year. The Florida Ornithological Society maintains the official state list of the birds of Florida, which currently contains 498 species. A study published in 2003 by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission documented 196 species of birds which were confirmed to breed in the state, with an additional 19 species listed as possible or probable breeders. The Great Florida Birding Trail, a 2,000-mile-long (3,200 km) trail, is composed of 489 locations throughout the state which are excellent observation sites.
Sport fishing is also popular in Florida; over 250 different species of fishes (including 73 non-native species) can be found in Florida. There are more than 1,000 species of fish in Florida's inshore waters.
In 2010, NOAA, citing the Magnuson-Stevens Act, banned fishing of red snapper until the population has time to recover.
Florida's Atlantic coast is home to the only extensive coral reefs in the continental United States, and the third largest in the world. The entire reef system in the Florida Keys is part of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and large parts of reef are protected as part of Biscayne National Park.
In 1977, the federal government placed alligators on the endangered species list. They were removed from the endangered list in 1987 and Florida allowed selective hunting in 1988.
In 1987, Brevard County, Florida hosted the last member of the Dusky Seaside Sparrow, now extinct. There have been only two extinct bird species since listing of endangered species began in 1973. This event has presented a challenge to ensure that other environmental concerns are addressed quickly.
The Florida Scrub Jay has been thought to be threatened for many years, because the species is territorial and cannot move to better grounds when its habitat is in danger.
Nesting beaches of loggerhead sea turtles are protected.
Tarafa Baghajati
Tarafa Baghajati (, (born September 1st 1961) in Damascus, Syria) is a human right activist and writer, he is also the chairman of the Austrian Muslim Initiative (AMI).
He lives in Vienna, Austria since 1986.
Tarafa Baghajati was born in Damascus, to parents Adnan Baghajati,an author and former Syrian Education minister, and Amal Homsi, an economic journalist.
In 1984 the Syrian regime detained Baghajati for more than 8 months, he spent three of them in Tadmor Prison due to his political views.
Since he moved to Austria in 1986, Baghajati is active on the topics of immigration, anti-racism , human right and political issues which also involve the Middle East especially his home country Syria, he is also very active on the topics of Islam and "Muslim in Austria and Europe", and opposition what is known as Islamophobia, and the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM), in Africa and Europe.
In 1999, he found the initiative of Muslim Austrians ( IMOE ) with his wife Carla Amina Baghajati , Omar Al-Rawi , Mouddar Khouja and Andrea Saleh, who are members of the Islamic Religion Community in Austria .
Baghajati is a former board member . (2001 - 2007 , 2004-2007 Vice- President ) and member of the Honorary Advisory Board of European Network Against Racism (ENAR)
He is also a board member of the Platform for Intercultural Europe (PIE).
On March 2009, Rüdiger Nehberg and Tarafa Baghajati met Sheikh Prof.Dr Yusuf al-Qaradawi in Qatar, one of the most best known Islamic contemporary authority scholar. They obtained a fatwa issued by the recognized legal scholars, stating the genital mutilation of girls is referred to and forbidden as "devil's work" because it is directed against the ethics of Islam. Speaking at the Hamburg Museum of Ethnology, 6 February 2011 Baghajati ventured to predict to celebrate the end of this practice as early as 2020.
on February 2011,Rüdiger Nehberg and Tarafa Baghajati met this time Sheikh Prof.Dr Mohamed Said Ramadan Al-Bouti and obtained a similar fatwa against female genital mutilation.
Baghajati is one of the finders and a board member of European Muslim Initiative for Social Cohesion (EMISCO).
Baghajati graduated as civil engineer from Polytechnic University of Timișoara in 1986
Initiative of Muslim Austrians (IMOE) won democracy award by in 2008.
He is married to since 1990,has four children.
Micronation
Micronations are countries started by one or a group of people which are not seen as actual countries by the United Nations. These countries are mostly used in people's heads, or on the internet.
People make micronations for lots of reasons. Some are to show they do not like their main country (for example the United Kingdom), or if they want to make money, or to use it as a place for themselves.
Here is a list of some Micronations;
Some micronations play in competitions.
The biggest football organisation for micronations is known as the MFA "(Micronational Football Association)", founded by Joe Foxon in 2009. It has 13 micronations from 7 countries as members. It makes a competition every 4 years called the MFA World Cup for all the micronations in the world to play in. The first World Cup will be in Southern England in 2013.
Every year there is a chess competition for micronations to play in. It is played on the computer and in the first year, 3 micronations took part.
Every year there is a singing competition called the MicroVision Song Contest. Micronations make a song and put it on the internet, and then other micronations vote for the best song. The winner then makes the next one.
Ilene Woods
Jacqueline Ruth "Ilene" Woods (May 5, 1929 – July 1, 2010) was an American singer and actress who voiced Cinderella in the 1950 Disney movie.
Woods was born on May 5, 1929 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. As a child Woods was led into singing by her mother. By the age of 11, Woods had her own radio show.
In 1948, at the age of 18, Woods recorded several songs for friends Mack David and Jerry Livingston. The songs ("Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo", "So This is Love", and "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes") were then played for Walt Disney. He chose Woods out of 300 other girls to play the part of Cinderella for the Disney movie "Cinderella". Recording the part took about 2 years, working off and on.
Woods was first married to Stephen Steck Jr. They had one child, a daughter named Stephanie. After a divorce, in 1963 she married Ed Shaughnessy. They had two sons, James and Daniel. In 2003 she was recognized as a Disney Legend for her work in "Cinderella".
Woods died on July 1, 2010 from causes related to Alzheimer's disease in Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California. She was 81.
Zygophyllaceae
The Zygophyllaceae is a family of flowering plants that contains the bean-caper and caltrop. It includes around 285 species in 22 genera.
In the APG III system of classification, the families Zygophyllaceae and Krameriaceae compose the order Zygophyllales.
Hendrik Lorentz