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Showing results for tags 'botanical garden'.
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Trees, flowers, meadows... and cryptids?
TheMurderousCricket posted a City Journal entry in SimCity: Tribalism
Welcome back to my CJ. It's been a long wait, I know. I got hooked up on Tropico 4 for far too long than I should have... Sorry about that. Hopefully, today's episode will make up for it and inspire you to seek adventure during coming summer holidays. I hope you won't be disappointed with what I offer as a comeback. Enjoy! Contrary to a popular belief, "progress" does not always mean tall skyscrapers or robust industry. Investment in natural environment is a form of progress too. The establishment of the first botanical garden by the Smileyfaces, caught attention of many people across the region. Previously, such large, eco-engineering projects were not a part of governmental planning in any of the tribes. Although parklands and greenery are abundant in New Udanani, the creation of a fully ordered botanical garden as such, was something brand new. This idea found a fertile ground in the Residents tribe as their authorities determined that it could benefit local towns. It was expected to increase land values and the quality of households. Things which, as we all know, the Residents always take to the heart. This is how Tanje, a town to host such garden, was eventually founded. Of course, while the Residents were eager to reap the rewards of the new investment, their aristocratic nature kept them from working the soil and do actual gardening... This is why the tribe decided to share the town with some Altruists who were naturally eager to help. The urban part of this new settlement is thus divided into two distinct zones which unfortunately make an impression of segregation... Most of the Residents live close to the gardens, along sleepy, affluent streets in "good neighborhoods", while the Altruists occupy a tract of cheap and somewhat crammed land on the town's Northern edge. Obviously, social relations in Tanje are not ideal. However, the focal point of the town - The Gardens of Tanje (also known as Tanje Vivarium) is undeniably stunning. The breathtaking mix of vegetation, colors and fragrances is something that nature and beauty connoisseurs absolutely can't resist. The town is a veritable Mecca for botanists, naturalists and gardening enthusiasts. In the Residents' botanical garden, plants and trees are not grouped together to the same extent as in Trigger Happy. Plants are arranged more or less into families but there are few areas that are strictly reserved for particular flora types. Generally speaking, Western part of the garden is dedicated to deciduous trees and flowers, Eastern part to conifers and the Northern part to wetland vegetation and shrubs. People are also allowed to freely enter certain spaces to rest or make small picnics among the trees and plants collected in The Gardens of Tanje. Given the fact that Tanje lies in temperate climate zone, tropical plants cannot survive out in the open like they do in Smileyface homeland. However, Residents' garden keeps a collection of such plants in an elegant, three-level palm house which keeps them warm at all times. The garden is overlooked by the Doortha'dad Keep - a XIII-century trading outpost which was renovated and included into the entire project. One could say that both structures create a symbolic bridge between the past and the future. As you can see, The Gardens of Tanje are full of wonders and beauty. It is currently the biggest botanical garden in New Udanani but it is expected to be expanded even more in the coming years. This impressive sanctuary is a must-see if you like to visit fashionable places with magnificent nature. News of other tribes' successes and woes are much delayed and altogether scant in the remote corner of New Udanani where the Localvores live. Although the tribe have heard about some ecological developments through their diplomatic contact with the Altruists, they learned nothing new from these reports. After all, the Localvores already excel in environmental protection and healthy agriculture. It is them who are champions in this area... As a matter of fact, through the years, the tribe focused their efforts on protecting forests and meadowlands which began to naturally form around the town of Greener Hills, also known as "The Loneliest Neighborhood of New Udanani". Access to the areas South of the town was largely limited for a long time. Over the course of two decades a whooping number of 126 conservation micro-projects took place in the area, with an aim of making sure that the local nature develops according to its own rules and pace. The result of this policy paid off big time when the areas around Greener Hills turned into a breathtaking, spacious wilderness area... Forests, meadows and open expanses teeming with plant and animal life are abundant around the town. As is often the case, human economy and infrastructure also benefit from the appeal of surrounding environment and budding eco-tourism (and yes, this is the first diagonal bridge in New Udanani ). Greener Hills Nature Preserve (as it is called) is appreciated by visitors and nature-lovers, though their numbers are generally low... From time to time, just like in any other natural area, injuries and disappearances happen within the park's limits. These incidents prompted the Localvore government to establish a Search & Rescue service (though a small one, with only 13 people in active duty) to deal with emergencies. Some parts of the woods seem to be especially prone to unpleasant incidents and many people claim that weird things tend to happen there occasionally... Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that these problems prompted the Localvore government to install a bit cryptic warnings near some trailheads. In theory, they serve to warn visitors about the usual dangers of visiting places that are away from normal civilization. However, the message on these boards raises more questions than it provides answers... Some believe that something fishy might be going on in Greener Hills Nature Preserve. Others say that such blunt wording is just the effect of Localvores' poor education and simple-minded honesty. Yet others, brush off the entire issue believing it is a deliberate action by the government to limit the number of tourists and their impact on the local environment! Whatever the truth might be, the Greener Hills area can be considered a valuable jewel in the geographical sense. If you are confident in your hiking skills and have an adventurous spirit, you are more than welcome to visit this wonderful location and discover what it has in store. The map below, provided by the local tourist information office, should help you get oriented in the surrounding area pretty quickly! * You need to click at least three times (I think) to enjoy the full size of the map and read it comfortably. Below, you can find a sizeable set of pictures presenting different parts of the Greener Hills Nature Preserve. Can you tell which areas of the map are shown by comparing them with the map above? Comment replies: @Girafarig - Thank you for your vote and clever suggestions regarding the post-disaster scenery Girafarig. While proposal #4 (which you voted for) won, I'll also try to implement some of your interesting ideas regarding the volcano cone - I like them. @TogaMasterJohn - Thank you for your vote and strategic thinking. We'll see how it turns out now that we know the results! @Tamijo - I voted for proposal #1 too (...and #3!). We narrowly lost the vote. @EffTheGrid - Wow, thank you for such an elaborate suggestion! It is a proposal on its own come to think of it! I'm sure there will be a chance to implement some of its elements into the new Profit Hill's downtown. Thank you, valued constituent! @kSlank - Thanks kSlank! #4 it is then!- 5 Comments
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My botanical garden (as well as its associated props) has gone missing this past week from all of my cities. In one city where I plopped one, the garden has vanished with only a few parked cars reminding me of its location. Has this happened to anyone else?
