Lastest Montecito News
Isabelle Greene Garden Design
Image by brewbooks
A private garden designed by Isabelle Greene in the Santa Barbara, California area. Visited and photographed 15 Sep 2006 on the Northwest Horticulture Society
Santa Barbara Garden tour.
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Lastest Montecito News
Cacti and euphorbia garden, Lotusland
Image by brewbooks
Cacti and euphorbia garden, Lotusland
www.lotusland.org/gardens/cactus.htm
Photographed at Lotusland Santa Barbara, California
USA
15 Sep 2006
Northwest Horticulture Society Santa Barbara Tour
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Lastest Montecito News
Japanese Garden, Lotusland
Image by brewbooks
Japanese Garden, Lotusland
www.lotusland.org/gardens/japanese.htm
Photographed at Lotusland Santa Barbara, California
USA
15 Sep 2006
Northwest Horticulture Society Santa Barbara Tour
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Grant Leisure Inc. Timely Recreation and Leisure News
Santa Barbara, CA (PRWEB) June 27, 2008
Working with world-renowned architect Eric Kuhne (http://www.civicart.com) in London for the past three years, Grant Leisure is proud to finally share with you the news of this grand new city to be built in Dubai. The $ 70 billion project, under secrecy since its inception more than five years ago, is the vision of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates. "This is a phenomenal project, unlike any other in the world today," according to Andy Grant, CEO of Grant Leisure. "It is one of the most exciting projects we have ever been privileged to work on, and we can now talk about it." The project's 56 million square feet of verdant parks and gardens divide an 880 million square foot city into a network of sustainable neighborhoods.
Grant Leisure served as the lead consultant for all recreation, leisure, and entertainment facilities in the new city, working closely with Eric Kuhne and his highly respected team of master planners and architects in his London office.
"Inspired by an astronomical astrolabe from the genius of Arabic science and the arts," Eric writes, the Mohammed bin Rashid Gardens "creates a grand canal and garden city by bringing water form the gulf to the desert. Navigable waterways will breathe life into the vast expanses of sand in the heart of Dubai. Here, four new city centres will emerge as symbols of a new enlightenment for a new century: Houses of Commerce, Wisdom, Humanity and Nature. These centres of consciousness about contemporary ideals will cater to new residential neighborhoods for up to 250,000 people. (The project) will become the heart and soul of Dubai. It will bring health and education to the neighborhoods instead of demanding that these residents fight traffic to get to primary human services...This new city of parkways and gardens, canals and lakes will create a low-scale collection of communities that will celebrate the family as the molecule of all great cities, welcome the diversity of nationalities to her neighborhoods, display a generosity of faith and respect of belief, and finally create a signature, iconic civic plan that will become a model for the world."
Working on the Grant Leisure team under Andy's direction were Edmund Rowley-Williams, Simon Ody, and Robert Liljenwall. The project's next phase is slated to begin by fall, and it will be a multi-year project of "grand proportions," according to Andy.
Borobaye Lakes Resort to be 'Crown Jewel' of the New Kazakhstan
Located in one of the planet's most ecologically attractive areas in the northernmost part of Kazakhstan, Borobaye Lakes Resort is in the final phase of the initial master planning and concept development, according to Andy Grant. The seven-phase mixed-use development will serve as the country's anchor recreational complex in a national park that has long attracted ecotourists from around the world. The 2500-acre project features six major four-to-six star resort hotels, six casinos, two championship golf courses, and a broad variety of other recreational and leisure facilities.
Grant Leisure, working with Civic Arts and Eric Kuhne & Associates, provided the leisure, hospitality, casino, and entertainment consulting on the year-long planning effort. The project is being jointly developed by FTG Development (Istanbul) and BF Global (Astana, Kazakhstan). The government has invested more than $ 1 billion in infrastructure development into this rural region of the country. The site is under strict environmental constraints to ensure the protection of the fragile state of this world-famous ecological zone.
The initial phase of construction will include two premium hotels and casinos (80,000 sq. ft), and nearly 750 private residences that will be located near Borobaye Lake. One of the exciting design elements of this project is that all of the hospitality, recreation, gaming and entertainment facilities will be in their own climate-controlled environment, which is critical for this part of the world, as the temperatures dip below freezing during the winter months. Borobaye Lakes Resort is expected to attract visitors and gamblers from Russia, China, Turkey, and Korea.
Working as part of the Grant Leisure team were Simon Ody, Edmund Rowley-Williams, Clive Jones, and Robert Liljenwall.
Other Grant Leisure News:
Blarney Castle is preparing plans for a new entrance complex and modifications to the existing Keep, according to Grant Leisure's recommendations. The home of the Blarney Stone, the castle, located in Country Cork, Ireland, has gone through a major marketing and operational rehab led by Grant Leisure during the past three years. According to Andy, Blarney "is now at the point at which the attraction can adequately handle larger audiences in a first-class manner. Improving the bottom line and customer service were the two key goals for the owner of Blarney Castle."
Grant Leisure has also continued to work on Welbeck Abbey in Nottinghamshire, England, the principal residence of the Dukes of Portland. Welbeck Abbey was built in 1200 and features 15 miles of subterranean tunnels and chambers which include libraries, billiard rooms, and a ballroom large enough to hold 2,000 dancers.
On the international scene, Grant Leisure has also submitted proposals for projects in the United Kingdom, France, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Montreal, Las Vegas, Malaysia, Egypt, Romania, and China.
Randall Cox Joins the Grant Leisure Team.
It's an honor to announce the addition of Randall Cox to our Grant Leisure team. Randall, a native of Southern California with his MBA from the University of Southern California, spent more than 20 years in Hong Kong in the hospitality, gaming, and investment banking business, working with the leading hedge fund operators in Asia and New York and acquiring a sterling reputation in operations, analysis, and finance. Randall is married with two children and lives in Ventura, CA. Welcome aboard!
830 Norman Lane | Montecito, California | 93108 | USA | phone 805.969.1419
1 Hammersmith Grove | London | W6 0NB | England | phone 020.3008.2405
www.grant-leisure.com
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Grant Leisure Line Timely Recreation and Leisure News, October 2008
Santa Barbara, CA (PRWEB) October 8, 2008
Vertical Farming: Who Would Have Thought?
Grant Leisure Contributes To Visionary Urban Agricultural Initiative
Where does an urbanized civilization find the space to grow its food, when there is no land available for even the smallest of farms? With 850 million of the world's people chronically undernourished and 25,000 people dying every day from starvation, it is small wonder that there is a frantic search on for solutions to the planet's food needs.
Enter Vertical Farm Technologies, an idea born in New York by a "Who's Who" of the world's leading architects, engineers, urban planners and agronomists. To date, the team has developed a vision that confronts the world's increasing shortages of food, water, land, and energy at their point of intersection: agriculture. According to VFT, traditional agricultural practice suffers from wasteful and inefficient use of resources; vertical farming seeks to solve the food, water, and energy crises by "...conscientiously using and reusing agricultural resources." Vertical farms are designed and constructed on small footprints in a variety of multi-story formats. Because of the vertical design, the structure can capture and re-circulate black and grey water.
Other benefits of vertical farming include:
Year-round production in controlled environment
Elimination of weather- or pest-based crop failure
No pesticides or herbicides needed
Elimination of agricultural runoff
Uses only 5% of water traditionally used in agriculture
Runs on passive, renewable energy sources - no fossil fuels used
Creates sustainability and renewal for urban centers
With the assistance of Grant Leisure and the Adasar Group, VFT is developing the first vertical farm facility, which will serve as a research and development tool for forthcoming iterations of the VFT design. Grant Leisure has been appointed to create a mix of leisure and entertainment components for the site, including a farmer's market, all-natural and organic-themed shops, guided tours, corporate hospitality, and more.
Says Grant Leisure CEO Andy Grant of the project, "We view these types of cutting-edge projects as cornerstones for the urban centers of the future. We're very excited about our involvement with the Vertical Farming initiative." Working on the project as part of the Grant Leisure team are Andy Grant, Randall Cox, Robert Liljenwall, and Simon Ody. Eric Kuhne, a Grant Leisure strategic partner and head of Eric R. Kuhne & Associates (London, UK), will be serving on Vertical Farming Technologies' advisory board. For more information on vertical farming, contact Andy Grant at andy@grant-leisure.com or visit www.verticalfarm.com.
GLI To Begin Work On The Magical World Of Asia
A new themed resort is underway in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The 2,600-acre Magical World of Asia, under the direction of Grant Leisure, will be Southeast Asia's first major theme park and attraction, according to Andy Grant.
"The Magical World of Asia is an amazing concept, on an amazing site, in one of the world's most beautiful areas - a mecca for entertainment-seekers from all over the world," says Andy. "Our clients, Asun Mawardi and Randy Ly, are highly respected in Malaysia and bring a rich history of entrepreneurship and leadership to this area of the world." Kuala Lumpur is expected to draw more than 22.8 million visitors in 2008; the project will be designed to appeal to both locals and the region's growing tourist market.
The $ 460 million themed resort complex will feature a variety of different "worlds" which will draw upon some of Asia's most famed assets, such as entertainment, technology, culture and history, and martial arts. The Magical World of Asia will also include a substantial residential real estate development, luxury hotel and spa, championship golf courses, retail shopping district, and restaurants. "It will incorporate the best of today's themed parks along with all the resort and residential amenities found at a Disney World, but on a smaller scale," explains Andy.
Grant Leisure has been retained to conduct a feasibility analysis of the concept, location, business and strategic planning, and financial requirements. Working on the project for Grant Leisure are Simon Ody (market analysis), Robert Liljenwall (marketing, creative development and branding), Larry Wyatt (themed design), Randall Cox (finance), and Clive Jones (international tourist development).
The projected start date for construction is 2010, with the park to be completed by 2013.
The Avalanche Project Set To Begin Second Phase
Grant Leisure and Xscape Leisure Combine Forces
Grant Leisure is heading into the second phase of design development for a unique venture called The Avalanche. Conceptualized by Andy Grant as a special event for ski resorts and other winter sports and entertainment venues, the show is a simulated experience in which visitors in a "Snow Lounge" hear the roaring, rumbling sounds of an avalanche, feel the building trembling, then look out the windows to see the snow crashing down. A dramatic "rescue" ensues. Perfectly-timed lighting and surround-sound effects create a thrillingly realistic experience for guests.
The Avalanche show will take place regularly throughout the day. Meanwhile, the Snow Lounge, designed to look like an ice cave, serves food and beverages in the day time and later transforms into an enticing and unusual nightclub.
The Avalanche project is being developed in conjunction with Xscape Leisure at Milton Keynes, United Kingdom.
Over 125,000 Endangered Gorillas Discovered In The Wild
Discovery Doubles Number Of Known Population of Western Lowland Gorillas
As many of you know by now, Grant Leisure's Andy Grant is the author of Nearly Human: A Gorilla's Guide to Good Living, a unique book on gorilla behavior and conservation drawing on experience from the author's years working with and for zoological institutions such as the Zoological Society of San Diego, the London Zoological Society, and Blackpool Zoo. Nearly Human has enjoyed great success since it was published in October 2007 by Tatra Press, and it is with great enthusiasm that we pass on this news story.
As the news broke in August 2008, CNN reported, "…An estimated 125,000 Western lowland gorillas are living in a swamp in equatorial Africa, double the number of the endangered primates thought to survive worldwide. 'It's pretty astonishing,' Hugo Rainey, one of the researchers who conducted the survey for the U.S.-based Wildlife Conservation Society, told CNN.
The last census on the species, carried out during the 1980s, estimated that there were only 100,000 of the gorillas left worldwide. Since then, the researchers estimated, the numbers had been cut in half.
WCS survey teams conducted the research in 2006 and 2007, traveling to the remote Lac Tele Community Reserve in northern Republic of Congo, a vast area of swamp forest. Acting on a tip from hunters who indicated the presence of gorillas, Rainey said that the researchers trekked on foot through mud for three days to the outskirts of Lac Tele, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the nearest road…'This is the highest-known density of gorillas that's ever been found,' Rainey said." --quoted from www.cnn.com
This is, of course, wonderful news for a highly endangered species. Nearly Human: the Gorilla's Guide to Good Living continues to sell well throughout the US and abroad. Visit www.nearlyhuman.net for more information. To order online, visit www.bn.com or www.amazon.com.
Text by Robert Liljenwall and Erin Patterson for Grant Leisure Inc.
Design and Layout by Erin Patterson
Contact Grant Leisure:
US: 830 Norman Lane | Montecito, California | 93108 | USA | phone 805.969.1419
Europe: 1 Hammersmith Grove | London | W6 0NB | England | phone 020.3008.2405
www.grant-leisure.com
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