Latest news with #Trails
Wales Online
27-05-2025
- Wales Online
Welsh coastal walk with wildlife, sandy beaches and a lush seaside cafe at the end
Welsh coastal walk with wildlife, sandy beaches and a lush seaside cafe at the end This lush coastal walk passes shipwrecks, rare orchids, and some of northern Europe's highest dunes Follow the path for a lovely walk (Image: Portia Jones ) What could be better than a lovely seaside stroll with a cafe with a view at the end? If you're looking for a new coastal walk, why not head down to the Bridgend coastline on the waymarked Wales Coast Path. Along the way, you'll spot local wildlife, traverse sandy bays and find a swish cafe with an ocean panorama. The lovely three-mile walk between Kenfig Nature Reserve and Rest Bay passes shipwrecks, rare orchids, and some of northern Europe's highest dunes. It's a linear walk that ends with a cafe stop at the Rest Bay Cafe, where you can have a brew with a view or a cheeky glass of wine overlooking the sea. It's a relatively straightforward stroll along the coast, but you can also download the All Trails app for guidance. Begin your walk at the Kenfig Nature Reserve, one of Wales' top sand-dune reserves and rich in wildlife. Located near Porthcawl, the reserve was once home to one of the sixth most significant towns in Glamorgan, but now makes up part of the most extensive active dune system in Europe and features a diverse range of plants, animals and birds, attracting bird watchers and walkers from across Wales. Sunset at Kenfig National Nature Reserve is a special place to be (Image: Getty Images/500px Prime ) Article continues below The land was designated a National Nature Reserve (NNR) in 1989 and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 2003. These designations help to protect rare habitats and species, such as the Fen Orchid, which is found here and at only two other sites in Wales. Today, the 1,300-acre site is home to a Reserve Centre, Hyde Out Cafe, and is a convenient hopping-on point for the Bridgend Coast Path and for reaching the remote Skeer Beach. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What's On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here . You can follow the signposts (Image: Portia Jones ) On the edge of the reserve sits Glamorgan's largest natural lake, Kenfig Pool. Although some may be disappointed it's not open for wild swimming (boooo), the lake provides the perfect place for bird watchers with bird hides around the lake. Just remember to bring your binoculars. Pop into the visitor centre for information on the route, and then follow the signposts towards Skeer Beach. This vast sandy expanse is worth visiting for a spot of solitude. After grabbing coffee and cake from The Hyde Out Cafe, I followed the waymarked trail towards Sker Beach (Image: Portia Jones ) Once you're on the right path—and don't worry, the cheerful yellow arrows will keep you on the right track- you meander through a peaceful conservation area and along a sandy trail that eventually spills onto the shore. Now, the sand paths that twist between the dunes? Absolute ankle workouts as you navigate the shifting sands. Still, it's all part of the charm. As you slowly trekked along the golden sands, look for resident gannets, skuas, storm petrels, and roseate terns. Step down the pebble bank and you'll be on firm sand that seemed to go on for miles. To your left is a rocky headland, and to your right, the steelworks loom in the distance, giving a Blade Runner vibe. Eventually, I could hear the sea as I plodded towards the unmistakable sound of the ocean (Image: Portia Jones ) In 1947, Skeer was the scene of a famous shipwreck, when the steamer Samtampa was driven onto the rocks by a storm with the loss of the entire crew. At Sker Point, you can take a short detour from the path for a closer look at Sker House. It inspired R.D. Blackmore's novel The Maid of Sker, which is said to be haunted by ghosts. Keep following the well-marked path and head towards Pink Bay beach. The rocks at the top of the beach have a unique pink marbling effect in a certain light, hence the name Pink Bay. Time your walk right and you might see surfers at sunset (Image: Mark Lewis ) It's a rural beach, so you won't find a cafe or toilets, but Rest Bay isn't too far away and has plenty of amenities. A monument to the crew of the Mumbles Lifeboat and the SS Samtampa – a 7,000-ton wrecked steamship - is also visible at low tide on nearby Sker Point. It's a straightforward walk along the coastline (Image: Portia Jones ) Keep walking alongside the golf course (watch out for flying balls), and eventually, Rest Bay should come into view. Rest Bay is a super popular beach for walking, surfing, family beach days, and cold-water dips. The Watersports Centre is the home of Porthcawl Surf School and the training centre for lifeguards, surfing trainers and the Welsh Coast Surf Club. Rest Bay is a super popular beach for walking, surfing, family beach days, and cold-water dips. (Image: Portia Jones ) It's here you'll find the glass-fronted Rest Bay Cafe Bar, with a commanding position over the shoreline. Sit on the balcony with a brew or a wine and watch the waves roll in. Hungry? Breakfast is served until 11:30 and includes' Eggs Surfer'—poached eggs, granary toast, guacamole and salsa, pancake stacks, and granola bowls. For lunch, there are sandwiches, jacket potatoes, burgers and more. There's also a sea-facing ground-floor kiosk for drinks and snacks on the go. The view from the Rest Bay Café Bar is fabulous (Image: Portia Jones ) At this point, you can continue onwards to Porthcawl town centre or meander back to Kenfig Nature Reserve the same way you came, making the walk around six miles in total. Thanks to signposts and relatively flat terrain, this is an ideal walk for the kids or for anyone who wants to get their steps in while admiring an ocean view. Need to know Start Point: The walk to Sker Beach begins at Kenfig National Nature Reserve, a 1,300-acre dune system near Porthcawl. Here, there's parking (charges apply), a visitor centre, loos, and The Hyde Out Café for a pre-walk caffeine fix or post-walk treat. Article continues below Getting There: Pop Kenfig National Nature Reserve into your satnav (postcode: CF33 4PT). It's signposted from the A48 and M4 (Junction 37). The nearest train station is Pyle, roughly 2.5 miles away, and there are local buses to Kenfig Village
Vancouver Sun
23-05-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
North Van development proposes towers four times higher than area plan allows
A massive development in the city of North Vancouver would have towers four higher than the area's height restrictions and double the allowable density. If approved by city hall, the project would significantly change the residential community to the east of Lower Lonsdale. The first two phases of Wall Financial Corporation's 'The Trails' project mostly include elevated townhomes, which are in compliance with the community plan for the Moodyville neighbourhood. But Wal has applied to the city to amend those rules for the next stage of its development to more than double the floor-space density and increase the maximum building height from 15 metres to 55 metres. Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Westcoast Homes will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Melissa McConchie is raising two children in Moodyville, originally a single-family-home neighbourhood perched above Vancouver Harbour that is now the site of several large, multi-unit, mid-rise developmentss. 'It's the construction fatigue,' said McConchie, a member of the Moodyville Community Association. 'We support the need for more housing, but building a highrise in an area that's supposed to be a mid-rise community is not appropriate. 'And we don't have enough infrastructure to support this growth. Local school capacity is severely overstretched.' This is the latest proposal that could majorly transform Metro Vancouver's skyline. Several taller-than-usual skyscrapers have also been proposed in some Vancouver neighbourhoods, including in downtown , False Creek , and the Downtown Eastside . The Trails project would include nine buildings with a total of 926 units. The developer has applied for the smallest to be just 400 square feet (37 square metres) and the largest three-bedroom at 1,120 square feet (104 square metres). Wall's proposal argues the additional height and density would allow for 'a greater variety of open spaces,' as well as increase affordability by constructing more units in taller buildings, up to 17 storeys. It said the project would include a daycare, 62 below-market units, and an expansion of an existing park. On its website , North Vancouver City Hall said the project requires an amendment to the community plan for the height and density changes, and would therefore go through a 'thorough review,' including community feedback, before city council makes a final decision. Communications manager Lyndsey Barton said no one at the city would answer Postmedia's questions while the project is under review and before it is sent to city council. No one from Wall Financial responded to requests for comment. A large, six-storey development is under construction beside McConchie's home, and two 16-storey towers have been proposed for a former TransLink bus depot across the road — both projects that require permission to build in a neighbourhood zoned for only low-rise developments. McConchie raised concerns about the TransLink proposal in February, arguing it violates the city's policy to avoid 'zoning cliffs,' which the city says on its website 'can create inequalities in the community and impact sustainable strategies' by not better blending the transition between low-rise and high-rise buildings. Now The Trails's towers are being proposed three blocks south of her property, and she fears enduring years more of construction and losing more sunshine due to shadows cast by skyscrapers that her neighbourhood is not supposed to have. 'The idea was that we were going to have what they call 'gentle density.' But what we have is a very large change to the neighbourhood,' she said. 'My daughter's a pitcher and she has a net in the backyard … but she just doesn't want to go out there. It's constantly noisy, there's construction, there's dust everywhere.' Other North Shore residents expressed concerns about this project in comments on the website of the North Shore News, which first reported on the application for the height and density amendments. Many of the comments centred on traffic congestion that has become a major headache as the North Vancouver has grown over the past decade, routinely clogging the two bridges and the SeaBus route that link the area to Vancouver. 'One block away from the massive TransLink bus depot proposal on 3rd. Can we slow down a little? It's already difficult enough to get in and out of the area, but, sure, let's jam thousands more residents here,' wrote resident Chris Mizzoni. Others questioned why the towers were so tall and why a development is being proposed that doesn't conform with the city's plan. City hall's website says the developer is to hold public consultations this summer or fall. The city is to hold a public hearing three to six months later. lculbert@
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Detroit Zoo's new baby penguin, Atticus, finally viewable to public: When you can see him
On the heels of last week's World Penguin Day, the Detroit Zoo is marking a milestone with the public debut of its newest king penguin chick, Atticus – who weighs a whopping 40 pounds at just eight months old! Baby Atticus' egg was laid in June 2024. King penguin chicks develop for an average of 50 days; he hatched on Aug. 19, 2024. 'His parents had raised a chick before, so they had experience,' said Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) bird department supervisor Lindsay Ireland. 'Whenever our king penguins lay eggs in the habitat, we move them to an area not visible, an off-exhibit holding area, so they can incubate their eggs safely and quietly and not be disturbed by the other birds. King penguins co-parent, so they'll take turns incubating the egg and turns feeding the chick once it's hatched. Once the penguin is older, they spend less time sitting on their parents' feet being brooded, which is just them kind of hunching over and keeping the chick warm.' Now, at eight months, Atticus has begun molting, losing his feathers to completely replace his feather coating. 'Atticus is very curious,' Ireland said of the chick's personality. 'Chunk is his father, and King 25 is his mother. They're both very calm birds, so he kind of inherited that from them. Kings, overall, are a little more standoffish with us. They don't really like to be handled or come up to interact with us a lot, but these parents and Atticus are a little more in tune with what we're doing and they want to know what's going on. 'He likes enrichment that the keepers give to him, so when the parents are out in the habitat and he's in the holding space by himself, the keepers give him mirrors to look at. They give him bubbles and little balls to play with, and he loves all that.' More: Detroit Zoo celebrates World Penguin Day with wild penguin conservation work More: Detroit Zoo announces immersive, 7-acre Discovery Trails project to open in 2026 While still spending most of his time behind the scenes, Atticus has, in fact, made his public debut, to the delight of many zoogoers. Ireland shared when guests might catch a glimpse of the chick, and speculated on what's to come in his next six months. 'He's starting his introductions three times a week, where the public can see him,' she said. 'Every time we have divers in our pool, we bring Atticus out so he can get a little more comfortable with all the other birds in the habitat, so if guests come first thing in the morning on Tuesday, Thursday or Friday, they have a chance of seeing him before he goes back in when our dive team is done. 'Eventually, once he is fully molted and has his waterproof features, he will start going out every day and will start increasing that time. He might just be out for a few hours in the morning and start increasing that to where he's out full-time during the day when our keepers are in the building. We see him, in this timeframe, getting in and out of the pool really well.' Another notable thing about Atticus is his size: At just six months old in February, the chick weighed in at a large-and-in-charge 35.42 pounds – more than either of his parents, and equivalent to the weight of a three- or four-year-old. 'Yeah, he's a big boy,' said Ireland. 'At his heaviest, which was about a week and a half ago, he was over 43 pounds. He's just under 40 pounds right now, which is on the average or a little more than average for kings. But, as soon as he's done molting and starts moving around, he'll start losing weight and become a nice, trim male king penguin.' Ireland also spoke about how Atticus' birth and study fit into DZS' larger goal of promoting and facilitating penguin conservation globally. 'Anytime that we can raise a penguin in captivity, it really helps us be able to spread that message of what it's like in the wild for penguins – specifically (as pertains to) breeding,' she said. 'A lot of wild penguins' food resource is starting to get depleted because of overfishing and climate change, so we can highlight the troubles that penguins in the wild are starting to have, which is starting to cause a decline in their numbers. 'Everybody's really excited about a king penguin chick, or any penguin chick, so we can really start to highlight the conservation side and what's needed to help protect the wild penguins.' The Detroit Zoo is located at 8450 W. 10 Mile Rd., Royal Oak. General admission is $27, with a reduced youth and senior rate of $24. To learn more or plan your visit, go to Contact Free Press arts and culture reporter Duante Beddingfield at dbeddingfield@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Zoo's new baby penguin now viewable: How you can see him
BBC News
07-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Oxfordshire mountain bikers 'have to travel for hours' to ride
An organisation is recruiting volunteers to help create more opportunities for people to enjoy mountain biking Trails say Oxfordshire is a 'big blank spot', with riders travelling many hours to find 'proper mountain biking'.Sam Hollis from the group said: "there is probably a lot of, what we refer to as 'naughty riding', but it's not because people are being disrespectful to landowners... it's just because there is nowhere else to go."OX Trails is working with the National Trust to create a course at Badbury Clumps near Faringdon and with the Vale of White Horse District Council on a project in South Abingdon. Mr Hollis said "We're not trying to build trails for people to come to Oxfordshire, we're trying to build trails for people in Oxfordshire"For a self confessed cycling city Oxfordshire as a county is woefully short of decent places to ride and develop bike skills".Richard Watson, countryside manager for the National Trust in West Oxfordshire said: "We want people to enjoy the countryside in the way that they want to, which is why we're delighted to work with responsible organisations like OX Trails. "They work with us to create sustainable off-road cycling trails in less sensitive areas of woodland so that both people and nature can benefit." OX Trails wants volunteers to help with 'dig days' and vegetation clearing, but also people interested in helping running the association and with Hollis said: "When people think of mountain bikes they tend to think of kids, but the mountain biking community has probably got as many middle aged people as said mountain biking is for everyone and he goes with his one-and-a-half year-old daughter: "I'm able to put her on the front of my mountain bike and take her around a green trail""My dad started mountain biking at the age of 60 - so it really is for everyone." You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
CBS News
18-03-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
500 acre mega Colorado sports complex proposed in Sterling Ranch to be funded by Douglas County parks & open space fund
Commissioners in Colorado's Douglas County will discuss plans for a mega sports complex in a work session on Tuesday morning. Commissioners say the idea is a top priority and was added to their strategic master plan for the Parks, Trails, Historic Resources and Open Space Fund . County voters extended a 0.17% sales tax benefiting that fund in 2022. Now, county leaders are in the early stages of planning a number of projects that will use those funds. Sterling Ranch could see a 500-acre sports mega complex, including ball fields, polo fields and a botanic garden. "We're talking about basketball courts, baseball fields, soccer potential ... cultural facilities, walking trails, biking. It's going to be interconnected to the East-West Regional Trail and accessible to all citizens in Douglas County," said County Commissioner Abe Laydon. Laydon said the proposed Zebulon Sports Complex is what county taxpayers want, based on a recent survey of parks and open space funding priorities. "The summary to that survey is yes. Coloradans in Douglas County want all the above. They want indoor, outdoor sports courts. They want a sports village. They want botanic gardens. They want a place to have open space, trails, riding facilities, and all of those things associated with great recreation in Colorado," Laydon said. The survey found the single highest priority for taxpayers was open space. "Most people moved out here to be away from the city, and they feel like the city is encroaching on them. They really want to preserve the open space," said Roxborough Park neighbor Ephram Glass. Glass would rather see parks tax dollars go to preserving open space than to a sports complex. "For most people who voted on the extension of the sales tax going to parks and open space, most people were assuming the vast majority of the funds would go towards open space. However, it seems like it's more of a pot up for grabs for developers where they're trying to avoid spending their own money and using Douglas County funds for these developments," Glass said. One Sterling Ranch mother said she is excited at the prospect of having kids' sports facilities nearby. Youth sports groups have been vocal about the need for more ballfields in the county. Raptors President Mark Steinke said he supports Zebulon for increasing youth sports but that the plan will not be a solution for his Castle Rock players who lack fields. Laydon could not say how much Zebulon would cost the county but said it would be funded by the parks and open space dollars, which are strictly governed by ballot language. "It's not a surprise that over 70% of the people voted in favor of keeping the sales tax for open space, but if they hear that most of that money is not going to open space, they'd be very upset," Glass said. But Laydon insists the plan incorporates open space. "There will be elements that are truly parks and recreation, elements that are open space and certainly some historic elements as well," Laydon said. Sterling Ranch would donate the 500 acres to the county. Development company President Brock Smethills shared the following statement about Zebulon: "In an effort to be a good neighbor, Sterling Ranch Development Company volunteered a recently acquired parcel of land located outside of the main portion of Sterling Ranch for a regional sports complex that would serve all of Douglas County with world-class sports facilities. This is a Douglas County Board of County Commissioners directed project that would benefit the entire county, and Sterling Ranch Development Company is thankful to the board to yet again be a regional partner to Douglas County. This project would also drive economic development, restaurants, transportation improvements, hotels, and so much more to an area that has been lacking those types of amenities and infrastructure. This attraction would benefit Sterling Ranch residents with new shopping, dining, recreation, and community gathering spaces that Sterling Ranch would not be able to support at this time on its own. Sterling Ranch Development Company looks forward to continuing the initial feasibility study for Zebulon with the Board of County Commissioners to also include future regional parks within Sterling Ranch as part of this new entertainment area, including Burns Park." The plan is in early stages and is not the only parks project on the table. Laydon said commissioners still want public input on this and other ideas. Their work session on Zebulon on Tuesday will be at 10:30 a.m., and neighbors can Join the Meeting Remotely via Teams or call 720-739-2066 (audio only) and enter Phone Conference ID: 385 389 957#. County commissioners plan to hold a live town hall on the Zebulon idea next month in Sterling Ranch.
