Banksia sessilis

Banksia sessilis.
Banksia sessilis is a large shrub or small tree in the family Proteaceae. First collected and described by Robert Brown in the early 19th century, the species grows widely throughout southwest Western Australia. It has prickly dark green leaves and dome-shaped cream-yellow flowerheads. Flowering from winter through to late spring, it provides a key source of food—both the nectar and the insects it attracts—for honeyeaters in the cooler months, and species diversity is reduced in areas where the plant does not occur. Several species of honeyeater, some species of native bee, and the European honey bee seek out and consume the nectar, while the long-billed black cockatoo and Australian ringneck eat the seed. The life cycle of B. sessilis is adapted to regular bushfires. Killed by fire and regenerating by seed afterwards, each shrub generally produces many flowerheads and a massive amount of seed. The species can recolonise disturbed areas, and may grow in thickets.

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Trials of Mana

Trials of Mana.
Trials of Mana is a 1995 action role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Super Famicom. The third installment in the Mana series, it follows three heroes in a high fantasy world as they attempt to claim the Mana Sword. The game features three lengthy main plotlines, a choice of six main characters, and a wide range of character classes and skills. It was designed by series creator Koichi Ishii, directed by veteran Square designer Hiromichi Tanaka (pictured), and produced by Tetsuhisa Tsuruzono, with artwork by Nobuteru Yūki and music by Hiroki Kikuta. The game was published in Japan, and an English fan translation appeared in 1999. It was first officially released in English in a 2017 port for the Nintendo Switch. Trials of Mana received considerable acclaim from reviewers for its graphics and gameplay, but some found the characters and plotlines clichéd. In April 2020, a 3D remake of the same name was released for Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, and PlayStation 4.

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Brownsea Island Scout camp

Brownsea Island Scout camp.
A boys' camping event at the site of the Brownsea Island Scout camp from 1 to 8 August 1907 is regarded as the origin of the worldwide Scouting movement. Held on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, southern England, it was organised by Robert Baden-Powell (pictured) to test his ideas for the book Scouting for Boys. Boys from different social backgrounds participated in activities themed around camping, observation, woodcraft, chivalry, lifesaving and patriotism. Up to the early 1930s, camping by Boy Scouts continued on Brownsea Island. In 1962, the island became a nature conservation area owned by the National Trust. The following year, Olave Baden-Powell reopened the island to the public, and in 1964 a formal 50-acre (200,000 m2) Scout campsite was established there. In 1973, a Jamboree was held on the island for 600 Scouts from seven nations. The worldwide centenary of Scouting was celebrated at the camp on 1 August 2007, the 100th anniversary of the start of the first encampment.

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Rodrigues rail

Rodrigues rail.
The Rodrigues rail (Erythromachus leguati) was a flightless bird endemic to the Mascarene island of Rodrigues, east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. The rail was described as having grey plumage, a red beak and legs, and a naked red patch around the eye. The bird fed on tortoise eggs. It was described as being attracted to red objects, which humans exploited while hunting it. The Rodrigues rail is believed to have become extinct in the mid-18th century because of predation by introduced cats and destruction of its habitat by tortoise hunters. The bird was first documented from life by two contemporaneous accounts, first by François Leguat, a French Huguenot refugee marooned on Rodrigues in 1691, and then by Julien Tafforet, marooned on the island in 1726. Subfossil remains (pictured) were later discovered and connected with the old accounts in 1874, and the species was named E. leguati in Leguat's honour.