Employee e-training Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Employee e-training - Essay Example The new technology is advantageous as it provides easy access to training. It requires collaboration among areas of training, information technology, and top management. For technology in training to be effective, it needs to be designed with good learning principles. Transfer of training can be facilitated by using the technology. For example, Electronic performance support systems (EPSS) are computer applications that can provide, as requested skills training, information access, and expert advice. An EPSS may be used to enhance transfer of training by providing trainees with an electronic information source that they can refer to on as-needed basis while they attempt to apply learned capabilities on the jobs. Imaging refers to scanning documents, storing them electronically, and retrieving them. (Lederer 1993). Imaging is particularly useful as paper files take large volume of space. Moreover, it is difficult to access them. It is easy to access them if they scanned and stored in a database. Software applications make it easy to scan them by using the key search words. Imaging can also be very useful to serve the customers in a better way. Imaging reduces the time to locate a particular file and give the necessary information to customers. It is very useful for Abbott Laboratories given the size and magnitude of the organization. Interactive Voice Technology makes it possible to generate automated phone responses by using computers. It is very useful to answer the frequently asked questions. Every organization is using Interactive Voice Response System wherever it serves best. It is especially useful to answer the most common doubts of the trainees. Employees can directly enroll into training programs, and if necessary by consulting a human resources consultant. Distance learning is useful for geographically dispersed companies like Abbott Labs to provide information about new products, policies, or procedures as well as skills training and expert lectures. The new technologies make the virtual class rooms possible. Distance learning features two way communications between people, and it currently involves two types of technology (Picard 1996). The first one is Video Conferencing. It makes it possible to exchange audio, video or text between two or more individuals at two or more locations. The second type of distance learning includes individualized, personal computer-based training. Employees can participate in training from anywhere in the world by logging on to the website. They can get their doubts clarified by using e-mail, bulletin boards, and conferencing systems. The major advantage of distance training is that the company can save on travel costs. Raymond Noe remarks: Distance training allows employees in geographically dispersed sites to receive training from experts who would not otherwise be available to visit each location. (Noe 2008) However, there are some major disadvantages with the system, says Noe. There is a lack of interaction between the trainer and trainee and technology failures. A high level of interactive feature of training is missing in distance training. Keeping these limitations in view, it can be used effectively in training the employees. For a company like Abbott which has its presence in more than 130 countries around the world.

Entrepreneur creates healthy ethnic frozen food

Entrepreneur creates healthy ethnic frozen food Tuck-In will bring healthy ethnic frozen food to the young, fast living city students door steps. Terra Tuck-in is scheduled to begin operations on September 20th 2010. Tuck-in will be a partnership, owned and operated by a group of graduate city university students; Shariq Pervaiz, Nadia Mohamed, Omer Qureshi, Faduma Karshe, Tiwalade Odulawa and Pawel Prochot. The owners of this company specialize in different areas of business which will make this venture a very exciting yet profitable business. The graduates have all got experience in different fields of the business. Location, offices headquarters, branches. Tuck-in will be located at: Tower Bridge Business Complex, 100 Clements Road, London, SE16 4DG The office space/light industrial space is leased and will accommodate the necessary office equipment such as computers, fax machine, photo copier and fridge/ freezers. There is a copy of the information in Appendix C. Definition of the business The Product/Service that ‘Tuck-In offers is a delivery service of frozen food from a variety of different world cuisines. The function of this new business venture would be to provide students who live away from home, food that is healthy, tasty and easy to cook. The idea is that students can enjoy food from different parts of the world in the easiest way possible. There is and always will be a market need for good quality frozen food and ‘Tuck-In would provide a service that would meet this market need by taking the idea of frozen food to the next level. ‘Tuck-In would make students more aware of the benefits of frozen food, it would reduce wastage. What makes ‘Tuck-in so unique is the quality and convenience of this food. It offers a delivery service to your front door with an online ordering and payment system, it will have never been made easier to order from ‘Tuck-In. Customers will want to buy products from ‘Tuck-In as it is different from your everyday frozen meal from the supermarket. It is more affordable, with the meal packages offered, it is good quality. The food offered helps with portion control and reduces wastage. Company History- Tuck-In was created on the 11th of November 2009 by Shariq Pervaiz, Nadia Mohamed, Omer Qureshi and Faduma Karshe in London, UK. The name â€Å"Tuck-in† was suggested by Shariq Pervaiz during a team meeting, and that suggestion stuck in everyones minds. Thus Tuck-in was then the name of the company that would change the lives of hundreds of students who live in student accommodations. Tuck-in was made official by the submission of the company contract; we invested in 2 further bodies, Tiwalde Odulawa and Pawel Prochot. Both bodies strengthened the company and brought vast experience to the company. Company goals To provide high quality healthy food To maintain a healthy, respectful, challenging and rewarding environment for employees To cultivate sound relationships with other organisations an individuals who are like minded. To cultivate adaptability to change in economic, social and environmental conditions, to allow Tuck-in the opportunity to survive long term. Future plans The primary objectives of Tuck-in over the next year are to: Obtain commercial financing of  £30,000 to cover start up costs and initial operating expenses; Generate one new client contract a month by networking with key industry leaders, conducting seminars and workshops, and joining key environmental agencies; Generate a net profit of  £100,000 in the first year of operations by developing a strong client base and keeping overhead costs to a minimum; Over the next 3-5 years we plan to grow our business by having other outlets aside City University hall residences. To achieve this, we aim to: Introduce our food services to other university hall residences around the area. So doing we hope to introduce new products. Also we aspire to increase our target market, i.e. to reach out to working-class people. As part of our growth plan we hope to have our proposed hot vending machines of food in different offices and workplaces in the City. They can easily get food from this machine at the end of the day after work. Furthermore we aim to get our services to be delivered to small local grocery stores around the area. Tuck-ins mission statement is to: The Tuck-in Promise: â€Å"Tuck-in exists to benefit and refresh every student who lives at halls of residence whilst at university. The basic proposition of our business is simple; we have a passion to serve the highest quality ready to cook frozen foods and make sure that every customer who shops with Tuck-in leaves happy. We are committed to using the finest ingredients in our recipes and no food leaves our kitchen that we ourselves would not eat. That is the key to fulfilling our ultimate obligation to provide consistently attractive returns to the owners of our business Product and Service description Tuck-In will sells delicious, high quality, nutritious frozen readymade meals from around the world to students who live away from home, complying with the health regulation. We will offer unique cuisine with international flair, offering frozen meals from Italy, Mediterranean, Asia, Europe and Africa, responding to the needs of students. Students are usually too busy or lack the skills to cook. Tuck-In will provide those students with a healthy, easy to cook meals that taste home-made and is ready in few minutes. As we are located in City University we can take advantage of the diverse students who are living in halls. We hope that this will help us in gaining an additional advantage over our competitors and help us provide greater customer satisfaction. It will also make it easier for students to pickup their meals when they are going home or for us to deliver the meals within a few minutes. The key benefits that can be obtained from using our service are: Less money on groceries and eating out Healthy home-made style meals Meals will take less than 15 minutes to prepare No washing dishes, everything is in disposable containers Provide international food We will be offering lunch and dinner that will include a frozen meal with a choice of drinks to choose from. Please Refer to Appendix A for the menu. Sourcing http://www.supremefoodscatering.co.uk/retail.htm The ready-made meals and drinks will be purchased by marketing manager at supreme food catering. There will be one staff that will make sure the meals are of high quality and are packed correctly. The marketing manager will be overlooking and make sure that everything is in order. Technology Our primary method of ordering meals will be via our website but we can also be contacted by phone. The company website is built and maintained by ‘Toucher an established web design company. The website will include a full menu, information about the company and an online ordering service. Target Market Tuck-ins target market can be generally described as a group of students living away from home, mainly in halls of residence. Those students share following characteristics which influence their consumer behaviour: They often have or decide to spend little time preparing food (28 out of 40 subjects asked) Form of the food is a secondary factor fresh, chilled or frozen (26 out of 40 subjects asked) Have culturally driven food habits ethnic food (32 out of 40 subjects) Currently eat frozen/chilled ready meals once or more times a week (27 out of 40 subjects) Order food for delivery more than once a week (26 out of 40 subjects) Eat out/order delivery of ethnic food more than once a week (27 out of 40 subjects) Would consider purchasing reasonably priced ethnic frozen food delivered to halls of residence more than once a week (28 out of 40 subjects) The anonymous survey was conducted by the Peartree Court hall of residence between 7th and 11th of December. Please Refer to Appendix B for the survey template. The target market is much localized as show below â€Å"A† indicates the main University building. Other indicators represent Walter Sickert Hall(Liberty Hall 142), Francis Rowley Court(220), Finsbury Heyworth(320) and Willen House (157) total of 839 bedrooms in student accommodation. The above also shows that within the radius of between 400 to 1200 meters (depending of the Tuck-in location) there are 839 student rooms. It also indicates a potential competition density of just under 30 takeaways per square kilometre. Competition As indicated on the map above there is around 30 small takeaways in the immediate area. Also there are 3 supermarkets and tens of small off-license shops. It is important to note that the university building offers a catering service to the students. The main factor that sets Tuck-In apart from the local takeaways and university catering is that Tuck-in food can be prepared in no time at students convenience and this in combination with right price will give Tuck-in an edge. Market Growth and Forecast The market growth is currently seen as increase in range of Tuck-In for new halls of residence. The prospective growth is expected to strongly depend on the future halls of residence targeted but short term (1 year) growth will oscillate in the area of 25%-50% increase in the size of the target market (range increase). Segmentation Target market is segmented to students: Eating out at the university in restaurants Eating in takeaways ready meals chilled and frozen cooked meals Other (unspecified) The segments that Tuck-In will be focusing on are students eating in takeaways, ready meals chilled and frozen, and cooked meals. SWOT Positive Negative Internal Strengths Weaknesses Free delivery Good ethnic food Always fresh food Small dynamic Multiple suppliers Close to the client Premises can be located virtually anywhere in the area (no kitchen etc.) Limited experience Summer holidays break External Opportunities Threats Takeaways Home delivery usually costly or high order minimums Fast-food chains New takeaways Changing customer tastes Increasing popularity of home-delivery of supermarkets Marketing Feasible marketing channels consist of Student union leaflets, halls of residence leaflets, presence at student events, and simple internet presence with SEOd for high ranked localised internet searches. Strategy and implementation summary The strategy we have implemented is quite straight-forward, the success of Tuck-In is based on a cuisine service providing authentic ready to cook meals for students living in university accommodation. This is combining healthy foods in a student area environment (halls) and these foods appeal to a wide range of ethnic groups. We aim to launch our business in a unique and obvious way to ensure that our target (the students living in halls) can actually notice us and be aware of the service we have to offer and how they can benefit from it. Our promotion strategy is to have a grand opening in the beginning of a new academic session. During this opening, we aim to give out trial foods, so as to go try our ready-to cook meals and see what it is all about. In order to succeed we will have to make sure that the food is at its best as the saying goes: first impression lasts longer. We would like to give an impression of a catering service that provides healthy ready-to cook frozen food as well as it been very tasty. We will have to keep our standards high and execute the launch, as the students testimony of our food services will be our main marketing strategy at the start. Pricing strategy: we dont aim to be cheap, but we aim to be cheaper than most alternatives the students might have however the quality and nutritional values will be far greater than our competitors. Marketing strategy is the most important in every business, to achieve this we aim to emphasize on the products we have to offer, and build some sort of a relationship business with our target market. As stated in our growth plan, we aim to increase our target market to working-class people, doing this the price of our food is going to be to some extent higher than what we offer to students, because they work and can afford good quality food at the price that is worth it. Tuck-ins competitive edge Having an understanding of how to launch the business Provide a diverse ethnic ready-to cook frozen food for students. So they do not miss home too much. Focus on target market Training of employees An area to keep the refrigerators and freezers purposely to preserve our food is in place. We do not have direct competitors, but our circuitous competitors will be supermarkets and take away restaurants e.g. Sainsburys or the local chicken and chips. The edge we have over them is the fact that we are situated very close to the halls and we offer these healthy yet tasty foods at a cheaper price. This is because they are our only target market at the moment therefore our service is solely tailored for them so is the price. While our competitors have a wide range of target market to cater for so been a student you do not have a chance to pay less, the price is general. Management Team â€Å"Tuck-In† from our managerial courses does have a great understanding of what it means to have an excellent management team for this business. How well we do is solely depends on our staff. Tuck-In is a small business and the creative idea is from us, because it is a new business it involves a basic managerial and organisational structure. However, there is a hierarchy, but before a decision is made we all have to meet and discuss about the situation and make the decision together. We might have to hire a more experienced general manager as part of our growth plan to help Tuck-In to grow further. Management positions: Operational service of the business will be performed by Shariq Pervaiz and Nadia Mohamed, as hands on manager and assistant. Floor/store manager Omer Qureshi Finance/accounting manager Tiwalade Odulawa Marketing manager Faduma Karshe Service manager Pawel Prochot Financial analysis This financial projection of approximately  £30,000 investment, represents to the best of managements belief, the expected results of operations and cash flow for the projection period would commence on or about 01/09/2010. The assumptions disclosed are those that management believes are significant to the projection. There will usually be differences between projected and actual results, because events and circumstances frequently do not occur as expected, and those differences may be material. The Companys revenues will be derived from sales of units. The Company will recognize initial fees such an insurance, premises and stock holding. Costs Cost of Product. Cost of product consists primarily of the costs of royalties paid to third-party suppliers, materials, personnel-related costs, admin costs and insurance. Cost of Service . Cost of service consists primarily of personnel-related costs incurred in providing telephone support, consulting to customers. The primary component of the cost of sales is labor. Skilled, professional personnel used directly in the companys operations are expected to maintain the company website. Property and Equipment. Property and equipment are to include costs of the premises, insurance, equipment and stock. Selling and Marketing Expenses.The principal types of expenses within this category are salaries, and professional services. Salaries are projected on an individual-by-individual basis, using expected salary rates throughout the projection period. Research and Development Costs.The principal types of expenses within this category are salaries, rent, telephone, travel, supplies, and professional services. Generally, management expects to charge research and development expenditures internally. General and Administrative Expenses.The principal types of expenses within this category are salaries, facilities and occupancy, travel, professional services, and insurance. Salaries are projected on an individual-by-individual basis, using expected salary rates throughout the projection period. Bank Credit Facility The companys management intends to borrow  £15,000 from a bank loan using owned property and security as the company grows, this amount is expected to increase. The amount will be borrowed on a two year repayment plan. Interest expense. Interest expense on borrowings is calculated at the fixed rate of 7.5%.This rate has been set by the bank itself. Expense detail Bank Loan having obtained a bank loan of  £15,000 to be paid back over a period of two years with an interest of 7.5%. Payments of  £695.30 being made every month. Rent of premises  £1078, insurance  £315 pa, security retainer  £3000, admin fees  £150, service charge  £500pa, bills  £3,000, Business rates  £1680. Furniture and computer equipment  £3000 Freezers  £6784 With an investment already confirmed of  £9,000 and a personal investment of  £6000 we aim to start up with  £30,000 including the bank loan. Each unit of food we buy, we aim to have a mark up of 50% after costs. Website costing  £350 to set up and maintain. As a team of 6, 3 of us are still in part time work and 3 of us are working completely in the business taking a small wage (enough to live on) to ensure we have as much money in the business as possible. Stock in the amount of 5000 units at 80p a unit =  £4000 Altogether are total cost as stated above in the first month of business =  £18,819.46 A lot of the start up costs are one of cost and the running cost every month after the first should decrease by ay least  £4,000. Financial objectives To achieve our financial objectives, Tuck-In seek medium-term commercial loan. This external funding will be used to cover the initial investment costs Based on the strategic objectives, we target the following financial goals: Steady increase of annual sales Keep the gross margin on sales 50% No debt leverage by year 2 Exit strategy Business exit Here, our aim is to maximize the value we can obtain from selling the business to potential investors. After complex business assessment, we embark on the following major selling points: strong brand, solid customer base, cash-rich business, and no leverage. As an exit strategy, we agreed to approach the following possibility: Partial business divestment (selling 50% of the business). Partial divestment: As customers are the heart of our business, the values as well as the number of customer relationships are essential to our business. The customer-focused approach of our business is consistent with our differentiation strategy and represents a strong negotiation point by the means of true sell. We aim to attract a venture capitalist to enter the business in order to expand capacity and market share, as well as to boost financial performance.

Morrisons Bluest Eye Essay: Misdirected Anger Depicted -- Toni Morris

Misdirected Anger Depicted in The Bluest Eye In The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison shows that anger is healthy and that it is not something to be feared; those who are not able to get angry are the ones who suffer the most.   She criticizes Cholly, Polly, Claudia, Soaphead Church, the Mobile Girls, and Pecola because these blacks in her story wrongly place their anger on themselves, their own race, their family, or even God, instead of being angry at those they should have been angry at: whites.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pecola Breedlove suffered the most because she was the result of having others' anger dumped on her, and she herself was unable to get angry.   When Geraldine yells at her to get out of her house, Pecola's eyes were fixed on the "pretty" lady and her "pretty" house.   Pecola does not stand up to Maureen Peal when she made fun of her for seeing her dad naked but instead lets Freida and Claudia fight for her.   Instead of getting mad at Mr. Yacobowski for looking down on her, she directed her anger toward the dandelions she once thought were beautiful.   However, "the anger will not hold"(50), and the feelings soon gave way to shame.   Pecola was the sad product of having others' anger placed on her:   "All of our waste we dumped on her and she absorbed.   And all of our beauty, which was hers first and which she gave to us"(205).   They felt beautiful next to her ugliness, wholesome next to her uncleanness, her poverty made them generous, her weakness made them strong, and her pain made them happier.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When Pecola's father, Cholly Breedlove, was caught as a teenager in a field with Darlene by two white men, "never did he once consider directing his hatred toward the hunters"(150), rather her directed his hatred towards... ...(than shame).   There is a sense of being in anger.   A reality of presence.   An awareness of worth"(50).   the blacks are not strong, only aggressive; they are not compassionate, only polite; they were not good, but well behaved; they substituted good grammar for intellect, and rearranged lies to make them truth(205).   Most of all, they faked love where felt powerless to hate, and destroyed what love they did have with anger.   Toni Morrison tells this story to show the sadness in the way that the blacks were compelled to place their anger on their own families and on their blackness instead of on whites who cause their misery.   Although they didn't know this, "The Thing to fear(and thus hate) was the Thing that made her beautiful, and not us"(74), whiteness.   Works Cited: Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. Afterward by Toni Morrison. New York: Penguin, 1994.

Environmental Impact of Prescribed burning in the United States Essay

The term prescribed burning refers to a management practice in which fire is used to burn a predetermined area under specified environmental conditions.   Burning in this case is used as a management tool in areas that are vulnerable to catching fire due to the ground cover that acts as fuel load. In addition, burning is considered to be the most environmentally friendly and cheapest method of having woody growth in an ecosystem controlled.   Prescribed burning in the United States is common. In this form of burning, controlled fires are used to burn a specified land area after proper planning which ensures that the present weather conditions are favorable for the burning. When weather conditions are not suitable for the burn, negative impact of the fire in the burnt areas is likely to be witnessed (Dale et al, 2009).   In the United States, prescribed burning is considered to be a very important management tool due to the benefits associated with it.   Both the landowners and the United States National Forest System have been using prescribed burning for many years. According to the United States fire policy in relation to the forest ecosystem, there is need to undertake prescribed burning in order to enhance the growth of commercial forests, prevent wildfire damage and to enhance fire dependent ecosystems.   However, prescribed burning has been criticized for its negative impact on the environment. For instance, prescribed burning results to the clearing of land or use of land for agricultural activities that have negative effects on the environment.   In this paper, the impact of prescribed burning on the environment in the United States will be discussed.   The paper will focus on the effect of prescribed burning on land after it is cleared by prescribed fires.   Land clearing that results from the burning impacts negatively on the vegetation, soil, water and biodiversity. Thesis In the United States prescribed burning is made necessary by the conditions in the forest ecosystems or ranches. The burning aims at preventing wildfires that can damage properly or lead to death of the people if the fuel load on the ground encourages wild fires.   In addition, the United States national forest system undertakes prescribed burning activities due to the ecological benefits that burning gives to the forests.   The national forest system associates prescribed burning to the reduction of wildfire hazards, land improvement, game habitat enhancement, insect and disease management and site preparation for reforestation (Biswell, 1999). Examples of areas that have undergone prescribed burning activities include the California wild lands, Florida Flatwoods and the Southern eastern US National Forest.   It is important to realize that although prescribed burning in these areas has its benefits to the ecosystem and the people; it also impacts negatively on the environment over time. Negative environmental impact of prescribed burning occurs despite the fact that prescribed burning is planned in a manner that minimizes negative effects of burning on the environment.   This has made the issue of prescribed burning to become a subject of debate in the country .While some consider prescribed burning to reduce negative impact of wild fires on the environment, burning can also impact negatively on the environment.   Land clearing that result from the burning has negative effect on the environment. Discussion Negative impact of Prescribed burning on vegetation after clearing of land Prescribed burning results to the clearing of land in a predetermined area as the fire burns the fuel load.   The burning has both indirect and direct negative effects after land clearing by the fire.   Land clearing in turn has negative effects on the vegetation, water, soil and wildlife. The negative impact of prescribed burning in the United States has been witnessed in some areas because prescribed burning has become a very important activity in the country. Every year, hundreds of thousands of hectares are burned. Although various methods of burning are used burn the vegetation cover in the predetermined areas, fires destroy the existing vegetation by either injuring or killing the entire plant or parts of the plant.   This depends on the duration that the fire burns or the intensity of the fire.   Prescribed burning based on the slash reduction method results to the reduction of debris. This method is also used to reduce debris in case of a natural event or road construction.   When management ignited fire is used, the burning of a stand that has been established is done while ensuring that fire does not spread beyond the predetermined area. While small trees are completely burned during the burning, larger trees may survive the fires but some of their trees may be destroyed.   When fires are ignited, the burning forest fuels increase the temperatures which make it difficult for the vegetation to survive. Since when it comes to burning the temperature of the vegetation and that of the air are very important, people who have the responsibility to ignite fires should do it when the air and vegetation temperatures cannot encourage fires that can have adverse effects on the environment.   For instance, prescribed fires in the United States during winter top kill the hard woods while hardwood rootstocks are killed by summer burns. In areas where burning has not been done for a longtime, deep organic layer that accumulates during prescribed burning leads to the cambial damage of trees. Because only little heat is required to destroy the plant cells in growing plants, burning the vegetation kills growing plants. This leads to the short and long term destruction of the vegetation which over time exposes land to changes that impact negatively on the good conditions of the environment. One short term and long term impact of prescribed burning in the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National parks in the United States is the change in species composition (Mary Berth, 2000).   This change alters proper functioning of the ecosystem since it leads to the growth of new species while those that earlier existed and are not tolerant to fire before the fire fail to regenerate. These two parks are located in California’s South Nevada areas.   The parks cover about 864, 383 acres of land and prescribed burning in these two parks was made necessary by the desire to initiate ecological benefits in the parks.   The two parks prescribed fire programs were developed in 1969 and continues to be implemented in order to reduce fuel hazard problem that may result from heavy surface fuel loads.   Though the fires have been used to reduce the damage that may result from severe wild fires, change in species composition due to the clearing of land by fires has over the years been witnessed in the parks. Fires have limited the growth of species that are not tolerant to the fire ignited over a long time.   For instance, the increase in relative density of the giant Sequoia due to prescribed fires over a long time has altered the growth and survival of some other plant species.   The successful fire regimes restoration in the parks has encouraged the regeneration of the species that are fire-adapted at the expense of the species that are less-adapted to fire.   The reduction of fuel load and the restoration of forest structure after the fires alter the number and pattern of growth of plant species.   The parks have conifer forests dominated by the sequoia species. The change in the species number in a forest ecosystem affects the proper functioning of the natural ecosystem and this may lead to bare ground and soil erosion when plants and animals that promote proper functioning of the ecosystem are eliminated from the environment. In ecologically sensitive habitats in the United States, prescribed fires have had adverse effects on the regeneration and survival of plant species.   For example, the riparian areas in a forest system.   A study carried out to determine the effect of prescribed fire on the riparian areas in the Dark Canyon area showed that the fire consumed 90 per cent of the ground fuel, 79 per cent of the riparian zone pre-fire fuel, and 34 per cent of the total surface fuel.   The fire significantly reduced the percentage cover of the surface vegetation (Beche et al, 2005). As compared to the unburned areas, the burned area showed a change in the plant taxa richness after the regeneration of vegetation.   The reduction in plant taxa cover and richness changed the under story riparian vegetation community composition. These changes show that when an area experiences prescribed burning for a long time, disappearance of some species can lead to reduction in the percentage of vegetative cover. In the California Oak woodlands, the Native Americans used fire to have the Oak woodland vegetation altered.   Prescribed fires are considered to reduce the under story woody vegetation and have the tree density is lowered.   After the fires, regeneration may result to growth of vegetation in patches.   Since the settlement of Euro-Americans in the area, prescribed fire ignited in an ecosystem to create land for livestock ranches has removed the vegetation cover and instead encouraging the growth of plant species that are good for forage production. The woody vegetation in the area has been affected.Eventually, reduced vegetation cover has made it easy for soil to be exposed to either wind or rain erosion.Prescribed fires in Oregon’s Mixed – conifer forests of Crater Lake over the years have altered species composition by killing species that are not fire resistant while providing favorable conditions for the regeneration of fire-resistant species (Agee, 2003).   The Crater Lake National park has in the past prescribed a fire program that aims at increasing growth of pine trees and killing of the white fir tree species in the park.   Natural ecosystems can undergo succession to form forests that are dominated by the hardwood. The southeast region in the United States is considered to be the most fire dependent area in the country.   The removal of fuel loads in burned areas impacts negatively on the environment when over time plant species that support proper functioning of an ecosystem are eliminated. This makes an ecosystem to be vulnerable to changes that have adverse effects on the environment.

What Is the History of Easter

If Easter is a holiday that was created because of Jesus, then where did all the eggs and bunnies come from? Well, as I have said many, many times before, Christianity is based on much older religious texts. (Many of which were destroyed to keep the origins of Christianity a secret. Hence why they've burned so many libraries throughout history) If you want to know the long, drawn out history of Easter, then I shall share it below. Easter History : Christian and Pagan Traditions Interwoven The history of Easter reveals rich associations between the Christian faith and the seemingly unrelated practices of the early pagan religions.Easter history and traditions that we practice today evolved from pagan symbols, from the ancient goddess Ishtar to Easter eggs and the Easter bunny. Easter, perhaps the most important of the Christian holidays, celebrates the Christ's resurrection from the dead following his death on Good Friday. . . a rebirth that is commemorated around the vernal equinox, historically a time of pagan celebration that coincides with the arrival of spring and symbolizes the arrival of light and the awakening of life around us. Ostara, Goddess of Spring and the Dawn (Oestre / Eastre)Easter is named for a Saxon goddess who was known by the names of Oestre or Eastre, and in Germany by the name of Ostara. She is a goddess of the dawn and the spring, and her name derives from words for dawn, the shining light arising from the east. Our words for the â€Å"female hormone† estrogen derives from her name. Ostara was, of course, a fertility goddess. Bringing in the end of winter, with the days brighter and growing longer after the vernal equinox, Ostara had a passion for new life. Her presence was felt in the flowering of plants and the birth of babies, both animal and human.The rabbit (well known for its propensity for rapid reproduction) was her sacred animal. Easter eggs and the Easter Bunny both featured in the spring festivals of Ostara, which were initially held during the feasts of the goddess Ishtar | Inanna. Eggs are an obvious symbol of fertility, and the newborn chicks an adorable representation of new growth. Brightly colored eggs, chicks, and bunnies were all used at festival time to express appreciation for Ostara's gift of abundance. History of Easter Eggs and Easter Candy The history of Easter Eggs as a symbol of new life should come as no surprise.The notion that the Earth itself was hatched from an egg was once widespread and appears in creation stories ranging from Asian to Ireland. Eggs, in ancient times in Northern Europe, were a potent symbol of fertility and often used in rituals to guarantee a woman's ability to bear children. To this day rural â€Å"grannywomen† (lay midwives/healers in the Appalachian mountains) still use eggs to predict, with uncanny accuracy, the sex of an unborn child by watching the rotation of an egg as it is suspended by a string over the abdomen of a pregnant woman.Dyed eggs are given as gifts in many cultures. Decorated eggs bring with them a wish for the prosperity of the abundance during the coming year. Folklore suggests that Easter egg hunts arose in Europe during â€Å"the Burning Times†, when the rise of Christianity led to the shunning (and persecution) of the followers of the â€Å"Old Religion†. Instead of giving the eggs as gifts the adults made a game of hiding them, gathering the children together and encouraging them to find the eggs.Some believe that the authorities seeking to find the â€Å"heathens† would follow or bribe the children to reveal where they found the eggs so that the property owner could be brought to justice. Green Eggs . . . . . . and Ham The meat that is traditionally associated with Easter is ham. Though some might argue that ham is served at Easter since it is a â€Å"Christian† meat, (prohibited for others by the religious laws of Judaism and Islam) the origin probably lies in the early pr actices of the pagans of Northern Europe.Having slaughtered and preserved the meat of their agricultural animals during the Blood Moon celebrations the previous autumn so they would have food throughout the winter months, they would celebrate the occasion by using up the last of the remaining cured meats. In anticipation that the arrival of spring with its emerging plants and wildlife would provide them with fresh food in abundance, it was customary for many pagans to begin fasting at the time of the vernal equinox, clearing the â€Å"poisons† (and excess weight) produced by the heavier winter meals that had been stored in their bodies over the winter.Some have suggested that the purpose of this fasting may have been to create a sought-after state of â€Å"altered consciousness† in time for the spring festivals. One cannot but wonder if this practice of fasting might have been a forerunner of â€Å"giving up† foods during the Lenten season. Chocolate Easter bunn ies and eggs, marshmallow chicks in pastel colors, and candy of all sorts, most of which are given out as personalized gifts during Easter . . . these have pagan origins as well! To understand their association with religion we need to examine the meaning of food as a symbol.The ancient belief that, by eating something we take on its characteristics formed the basis for the earliest â€Å"blessings† before meals (a way to honor the life that had been sacrificed so that we as humans could enjoy life) and, presumably, for the more recent Christian sacrament of communion as well. Shaping candy Easter eggs and bunnies to celebrate the spring festival was, simply put, a way to celebrate the symbols of the goddess and the season, while laying claim to their strengths (vitality, growth, and fertility) for ourselves.The Goddess Ostara and the Easter Bunny Feeling guilty about arriving late one spring, the Goddess Ostara saved the life of a poor bird whose wings had been frozen by the snow. She made him her pet or, as some versions have it, her lover. Filled with compassion for him since he could no longer fly (in some versions, it was because she wished to amuse a group of young children), Ostara turned him into a snow hare and gave him the gift of being able to run with incredible speed so he could protect himself from hunters.In remembrance of his earlier form as a bird, she also gave him the ability to lay eggs (in all the colors of the rainbow, no less), but only on one day out of each year. Eventually the hare managed to anger the goddess Ostara, and she cast him into the skies where he would remain as the constellation Lepus (The Hare) forever positioned under the feet of the constellation Orion (the Hunter). He was allowed to return to earth once each year, but only to give away his eggs to the children attending the Ostara festivals that were held each spring. The tradition of the Easter Bunny had begun.The Hare was sacred in many ancient traditions and was associated with the moon goddesses and the various deities of the hunt. In ancient times eating the Hare was prohibited except at Beltane (Celts) and the festival of Ostara (Anglo-Saxons), when a ritual hare-hunt would take place. In many cultures rabbits, like eggs, were considered to be potent remedies for fertility problems. The ancient philosopher-physician Pliny the Elder prescribed rabbit meat as a cure for female sterility, and in some cultures the genitals of a hare were carried to avert barrenness.Medieval Christians considered the hare to bring bad fortune, saying witches changed into rabbits in order to suck the cows dry. It was claimed that a witch could only be killed by a silver crucifix or a bullet when she appeared as a hare. Given their â€Å"mad† leaping and boxing displays during mating season as well as their ability to produce up to 42 offspring each spring, it is understandable that they came to represent lust, sexuality, and excess in general.Medie val Christians considered the hare to be an evil omen, believing that witches changed into rabbits in order to suck the cows dry. It was claimed that a witch could only be killed by a silver crucifix or a bullet when she appeared as a hare. In later Christian tradition the white Hare, when depicted at the Virgin Mary's feet, represents triumph over lust or the flesh. The rabbit's vigilance and speed came to represent the need to flee from sin and temptation and a reminder of the swift passage of life.And, finally, there is a sweet Christian legend about a young rabbit who, for three days, waited anxiously for his friend, Jesus, to return to the Garden of Gethsemane, not knowing what had become of him. Early on Easter morning, Jesus returned to His favorite garden and was welcomed the little rabbit. That evening when the disciples came into the garden to pray, still unaware of the resurrection, they found a clump of beautiful larkspurs, each blossom bearing the image of a rabbit in i ts center as a remembrance of the little creature's hope and faith.Ishtar, Goddess of Love, and the First Resurrection (also known as Inanna) Ishtar, goddess of romance, procreation, and war in ancient Babylon, was also worshipped as the Sumerian goddess Inanna. One of the great goddesses, or â€Å"mother goddesses†, the stories of her descent to the Underworld and the resurrection that follows are contained in the oldest writings that have ever been discovered. . . the Babylonian creation myth Enuma Elish and the story of Gilgamesh. Scholars believed that they were based on the oral mythology of the region and were recorded about 2,100 B.C. E. The most famous of the myths of Ishtar tell of her descent into the realm of the dead to rescue her young lover, Tammuz, a Vegetation god forced to live half the year in the Underworld. Ishtar approached the gates of the Underworld, which was ruled by her twin sister Eresh-kigel, the goddess of death and infertility. She was refused ad mission. Similar to the Greek myths of Demeter and Persephone that came later, during Ishtar's absence the earth grew barren since all acts of procreation ceased while she was away.Ishtar screamed and ranted that she would break down the gates and release all of the dead to overwhelm the world and compete with the living for the remaining food unless she was allowed to enter and plead her case with her twin. Needless to say, she won admission. But the guard, following standard protocol, refused to let her pass through the first gate unless she removed her crown. At the next gate, she had to remove her earrings, then her necklace at the next, removing her garments and proud finery until she stood humbled and naked after passing through the seventh (and last) gate.In one version, she was held captive and died but was brought back to life when her servant sprinkled her with the â€Å"water of life†. In the more widely known version of the myth, Ishtar's request was granted and s he regained all of her attire and possessions as she slowly re-emerged through the gates of darkness. Upon her return, Tammuz and the earth returned to life. Annual celebrations of this â€Å"Day of Joy†, were held each year around the time of the vernal equinox.These celebrations became the forerunners of the Ostara festivals that welcomed Oestre and the arrival of spring. A section on the Goddess Inanna (the Sumerian version of the Goddess Ishtar), her myths and symbols, is included with the myths of the goddesses at this website. Easter eggs, the Easter Bunny, the dawn that arrives with resurrection of life, and the celebration of spring all serve to remind us of the cycle of rebirth and the need for renewal in our lives. In the history of Easter, Christian and pagan traditions are gracefully interwoven.