Picture News
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URBAN ADVENTURE: A wild panda strayed into Dujiangyan city in China's Sichuan province on Saturday and caused panic among residents when it scaled a fence and hopped roof-to-roof. Rescuers eventually tranquilised and caught the Panda while she napped in a tree. -- AP -
Typhoon hits Taiwan
Workers in Taipei clear uprooted trees and debris brought down by typhoon Haitang on Monday. The storm wreaked havoc along Taiwan's north-east coast on Monday as officials ordered schools, government offices and financial markets to close. -- AP -
Veronica Carter won the BBC News website's 2004 photography competition with her image of "Squabbling Turns".
As an introduction to this year's competition Veronica has completed a photo journal inspired by the importance of thoughtful management of woodlands. -
"Whatever kind of eyes you see the world with it is not difficult to see the importance of maintaining and valuing a whole range of natural habitats."
"In the UK our woodlands provide something of exceptional value."
"They provide environmental and social benefits, help to counter the effects of climate change, and are increasingly seen as a source of renewable energy and of sustainable building materials." -
"Walking in beautiful woodland is such a simple pleasure be it in springtime with bluebells or at other times of the year.
"It can raise the spirit, bringing a sense of peace, and of continuity of life. This sense of continuity is not an illusion.
"Areas defined as 'ancient woodland' could have remained continuously wooded for centuries, but with only some 3% of Britain's original ancient woodlands still in existence, will future generations enjoy such places as we do now?" -
"The way in which woodlands 'pay their way' has always kept changing.
"In WWI hazel hurdles were used to shore up trenches. Today cleaved chestnut posts are used to make mazes for children, and many schools use woven willow constructions to make natural play spaces for children.
"There is something that just feels 'right' about creating play environments for children using natural materials." -
"That maze was made by woodsman Ben Law whose ‘house of straw’ is typical of his unique approach to life. Ben makes a living producing different woodland products from yurts -wooden framed, semi-permanent tents - to charcoal, to rustic furniture.
"Here we see him waiting for the brazier to heat a poker so he can continue work on the apex section of a yurt seen in the bottom left of the picture." -
"There are still those who make a more traditional living from woodland management such as Mick Johnson and Pete Twine who have worked together for 18 years as independent contractors working for owners of woodlands.
"These days they have difficulty finding markets for their products." -
"They told me that when they are producing chestnut tree stakes they need to turn out 1,500 per day. There are some 675 in this photo. They are used for staking newly planted trees.
Mick told me: "Youngsters are just not interested in this line of work. It is hard, physical labour and we are outside in all weathers".
To which Pete's retort was: "But I'd far rather be here then filling shelves in a supermarket!" -
"Britain currently imports some 80 percent of its timber and our own woodlands are increasingly being considered in terms of their amenity value rather than their timber producing value.
"Places such as Alice Holt Woodland Park in Surrey provide relaxing spaces for families to explore together for both recreation and exercise." -
"When out walking in our woodlands and natural places it is still possible to find all sorts of wonderful flowers, fungi and creatures creating a network of life within these places.
"This bee orchid, growing on the Isle of Wight, is a striking flower and a rare beauty." -
"Our deciduous woodlands are full of flowers in the spring. They flower quickly as soon as things warm up a little, before the emerging leaf cover begins to prevent the light from getting to them.
"Even our beautiful native bluebell, with its elegantly arching flower stem is coming under threat due to the introduction of the upright flowering Spanish bluebell." -
"The inadvertent introduction of grey squirrels into our woodland habitats had a massive, and detrimental impact on the indigenous red squirrel population.
"If we are to maintain our beautiful and unique woodlands for future generations then we need to ensure that we appreciate all we currently have.
"We must protect it for the future while finding new and viable ways for woodlands to 'pay their way'." -
A swan is held by David Barber, The Queen's Swan Marker, during the annual Swan Upping ceremony, during which young cygnets are counted and assessed for signs of injury or disease, on the River Thames near Windsor in Berkshire, southern England, July 18, 2005. The five-day census of the swan population dates back to the twelfth century when the Crown claimed ownership of all mute swans. Today, the Crown retains the right to ownership of all unmarked mute swans in open water, but the Queen only exercises her ownership on certain stretches of the River Thames and its surrounding tributaries. REUTERS/Toby Melville -
A skiff boat of Swan Uppers approach a swan during the Swan Upping ceremony. -
A swan attacks a Swan Upper, Robert Coleman, after he fell in the water during the Swan Upping ceremony. -
A swan takes flight during the Swan Upping ceremony. -
A cygnet is measured during the Swan Upping ceremony. -
A cygnet is held by David Barber, the Queen's Swan Marker, during the annual Swan Upping ceremony. -
Swans and cygnets are released back into the River Thames after being weighed, measured and tagged during 'Swan Upping' on Monday, July 18, 2005. The centuries-old annual census of swans now plays an important role in their conservation, enabling experts to count and mark them, assess the impact of modern threats to the birds' population such as shooting and vandalism as well as more natural hazards such as minks and foxes. (AP Photo / Tim Ockenden, PA) -
'Swan Upper' Robert Coleman, of the Vintners Livery Company, is attacked by a swan Monday July 18, 2005, after falling in the River Thames near Chertsey, England, while 'Swan Upping'. -
Bracing for Haitang
More than 17,000 boats are harbouring in Fujian province to ride out typhoon Haitang that is expected to hit eastern China on Tuesday after hammering Taiwan with heavy winds and rain and killing four people. Some 800,000 people have been evacuated from the Chinese provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang. -- AFP -
Hurricane-hit
A small aircraft was overturned after Hurricane Emily hit Playa del Carmen in Mexico, on Monday. The storm's 215kmh winds tore down trees and power lines and lashed beach resorts on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, where thousands of tourists were evacuated. -- AFP -
STORM STRUCK: A half-built house in eastern Taiwan sliding into a river swollen with water from rains caused by Typhoon Haitang. -- AFP -
Typhoon Haitang has hit Taiwan and mainland China, heralding the beginning of the East Asian typhoon season.