Tallest trees of the World - Eucalyptus Regnans

Australia's mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans) is the second tallest growing tree species in the world. The tallest specimen – nicknamed 'Centurion' – stands at 99.6m in Tasmania's Arve Valley. It is the world's tallest flowering plant and known hardwood tree, most commonly found in Southeastern Australia. There are a number of different trees that use the name “mountain ash” and none of them are related. This particular tree, however, is a different species of Eucalyptus that can grow up to 230-400 feet tall. The tree is known for being the tallest flowering plant in the world. The ones pictured were seen outside of Marysville in Victoria, Australia.

Historically, the tallest recorded Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans), also known as Swamp Gum, was a 115m tree felled in 1880 at Thorpdale in Victoria. Today, the tallest living example is across Bass Strait. The tree, nicknamed Centurion, was discovered in late 2008 in state forest in the Arve Valley near Geeveston, about 60km southwest of Hobart, and is the only known standing hardwood in the world measuring 100m. It is closed to visitors in spring because of nesting eagles.

The species grows extraordinarily quickly, reaching its maximum height in 200 years, a rate five times faster than the redwoods.

"The eucalypts do not live long enough to rival the redwoods in size. However, there may have been genetic 'freaks' that may have – and could in the future – reach over 100m tall," says Brett Mifsud, a specialist in finding and measuring tall trees.

Historic records show that in 1880 a felled mountain ash was recorded at 114.5m in Thorpdale, 137km south-east of Melbourne, making it the tallest tree in the world at the time.

The Andromeda stand is still the biggest stand of the tallest flowering plants on Earth, with three of the top five biggest hardwood trees, and more than a dozen specimens over 90m. Good fortune has seen it saved from logging since it was first identified in 1959. Even in the understorey everything is of giant proportions. The tree ferns rise 5m tall before the fronds flush sky high, blocking sunlight from reaching the forest floor. On the ground, fallen moss-covered tree trunks and limbs leave an obstacle course of rotting timber.

We make the journey into the forest the next day, with the rain cascading through the canopy. Together with fellow arborist Brett Mifsud, Greenwood has climbed and measured most of the tallest trees in this forest. Climbing involves shooting an arrow with a line over a top branch of the tree using a crossbow or giant slingshot. This line is used to pull a thicker string, and then a climbing rope, which is anchored to another tree to offset the weight of the climber. Today, after a failed attempt, Greenwood gets a fix and climbs more than 90m to rig up a descent line closer to the trunk.

Greenwood, who owns The Tree Works in Melbourne, inherited a love of nature from his father. “I did a degree in forestry and always had a general interest in tall trees, which expanded in 2000 when I was asked to measure some trees for Forestry Tasmania,” he says, recalling how the process used to involve a measuring stick and a tape measure but is now more likely to involve a laser.

Greenwood says the tallest Eucalyptus regnans today are most probably much smaller than the tallest that have existed. The tallest softwood tree, the Coast Redwood of North America, grows to about 115m.

Given time, Greenwood says, it’s possible that a hardwood eucalypt could grow to challenge the biggest of the redwoods. And if it does, he says, it will most likely be in Victoria, which is considered to have more favourable growing conditions.

To get there

The Styx Valley is 90km from Hobart, near Maydena. Accommodation is available in Maydena at Giants’ Table, www.giantstable.com.au; for more information see www.forestrytas.com.au

World's highest blood Donor

James Harrison, aged 74, is definitely a superhero in his own right. Granted, he doesn’t wear a cape or spin webs, but he has saved over two million babies’ lives in the past 54 years. And in real life, it doesn’t get cooler than that.

James Harrison, was born on 27 December 1936, OAM, also known as the Man with the golden arm, is a blood plasma donor from Australia has a very special type of blood – the plasma contains an antibody that cures babies of Rhesus disease, a severe form of anemia. He has made over 1071 donations throughout his lifetime, and these donations are estimated to have saved over two million unborn babies from the condition.

At the age of 14, he underwent major chest surgery, requiring 13 litres (2.9 imp gal; 3.4 US gal) of blood.After surgery, he was in the hospital for three months. 

Realizing the blood had saved his life, he made a pledge to start donating blood as soon as he turned eighteen, the then-required age. “I’ve never thought about stopping. Never,” he said. I said to my father that I would give blood myself as soon as possible and I stayed true to my word.”  
Every year since turning 18 the Guinness World Records holder has given blood as many times as the World Health Organisation allows.  
He has been donating blood every few weeks since he was 18 years old, and has done it over 1,071 times now. James never fails to make a donation; even when he’s holidaying, he makes sure to stop by a donor center. “I’ve donated on the Sunshine Coast, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, NSW, wherever I go and I get around the place with the caravan club I’m in.”

Harrison started donating in 1954 and after the first few donations it was discovered that his blood contained an unusually strong and persistent antibody called Rho(D) Immune Globulin. Rho(D) IG is given to Rh(D) negative mothers of unknown or Rh(D) positive babies during and after pregnancy to prevent the creation of antibodies to the blood of a Rh(D) positive child. This antigen sensitization and subsequent incompatibility phenomenon causes Rhesus disease, the most common form of hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN).

Through the donations of his plasma, Harrison helped prevent thousands of born and unborn children from dying of HDN. This uniqueness was considered so important, that his life was insured for one million dollars after this discovery and the following research based on his donations created the commercial Anti-D immune globulin commonly known as RhoGAM. His blood plasma derivatives have since been given as treatment to one in ten pregnant women whose blood could potentially become incompatible with that of their children.

Some newborns suffered permanent brain damage. James’ blood became so valuable that his life was insured for AUS $1million. In 1966, he began to donate plasma. “I wasn’t scared. I was glad to help,” said James, who has been dubbed the ‘man with the golden arm’ and the ‘man in two million’. “I had to sign every form going and basically sign my life away.” When the truth about his blood was discovered, he volunteered for a series of tests to help develop the Anti-D vaccine. The vaccine is given to all pregnant women who are Rh-negative.  
Rh disease creates an incompatibility between the mother’s and unborn baby’s blood. This happens when one has Rh-positive blood and the other, Rh-negative. James’ plasma was discovered to be able to treat the condition, so his blood is given to millions of pregnant women. He himself has Rh-negative blood, and was given injections of Rh-positive.

Joy Barnes, one of the mothers James has helped, has known him for 23 years. She had miscarried twice at four and five months, before receiving the treatment. “Without him I would never have been able to have a healthy baby,” she said. “I don’t know how to thank you enough.”

James’ own daughter, Tracey, has also benefitted from the Anti-D vaccine, shortly after the birth of her first son. She said that she was proud of her dad, especially because he continued to give blood even after the death of her mother. James and Barbara were married for 56 years. “I was back in the hospital giving blood a week after Barbara passed away,” he said. “It was sad but life marches on and we have to continue doing what we do. She’s up there looking down, so I carry on.”  
Few people carry anti-D - given to about 17 per cent of pregnant women with Rhesus-negative blood types carrying Rhesus-positive babies to prevent stillbirth - in their blood and even fewer are donors.

He was in Australia's first trial to produce anti-D serum in 1967 and his plasma has been used in every batch produced since.

The Commonwealth Serum Laboratory said his donations had helped save up to 2.2 million babies, including his own grandson.

Known by the Australian Red Cross Blood Service as the "man with the golden arm", Mr Harrison has made 1071 donations with his right arm but just 10 with his left.

"I'm not sure what it is, perhaps something to do with being right-handed, I don't seem to feel the needle, while I feel it in the left," he said.

As the Blood Service's unsung hero for a decade, Mr Harrison is a worthy nominee for a Pride of Australia medal in the Community Spirit category.

Despite his remarkable achievements Mr Harrison remains a humble advocate for just "rolling up your sleeve".

"I'm no hero," he said. "The people on the front line, the police, the emergency services, they're the heroes because they're out there doing it. I just catch the train down to Sydney from the Central Coast as often as I can, read a good book, donate and come back."

A God's Grace Train Passenger

The Perth commuter who made headlines around the world after getting his leg caught between a train carriage and the platform says he was in 'a bit of shock' as fellow passengers rallied to free him.

People power has been used to free a man who became trapped between the platform and a train at a Perth station on Wednesday morning.

06.08.2014 – Wednesday – About 08.50 A.M.

A rush hour train at Stirling station, northwest of Perth, Bounded towards perth, Western Australia.

The 29-year-old disability pensioner named as Andy who had boarded the Station bound Six-Car Train ( stationery ) standing beside the doorway inside the train never suspected when he slipped and became stuck for which his left leg was wedged in the gap.(between the compartment and platform)

The man was boarding at the tail end of peak hour, but the train was still fairly busy.

 Photo: Andy's leg was stuck in the gap between the train and platform at Stirling station in Perth. (Twitter: @nicolastaylor)

"He stood in the doorway and as he was sort of taking up his position there, one leg slipped outside the door, slipped outside the gap, and he was stuck," a person said.
"We alerted the driver, made sure the train didn't move.

"Then our staff who were there at the time got the passengers, and there were lots of them, off the train, and organized them to sort of rock, tilt the train backwards about 5 – 10 cm away from the platform so they were able to get him out and rescue him."

Mr Hynes said the train was stationary when the man slipped.

Scores of passengers, together with staff at Stirling station, managed to tilt the carriage 10,000-tonne train ,so the man could free his leg

Public Transport Authority ( PTA ) staff who co-ordinated the rescue told passengers to do all they could to stop the carriage rocking back amid fears it could crush the man’s leg.

They did and their rescue was successful on the second attempt.

When the man’s leg is finally freed, passengers are heard congratulating each other and cheering.

“People power has prevailed, we’ve got him off, he’s got his leg free,” the station staff member said.

He said the man walked freely after his ordeal, which caused a 15-minute delay on the Joondalup line.

Andy did not require medical treatment and continued his journey on the Perth-bound train, thankful that he was not injured.

An ambulance was called but the man was not taken to hospital. It is believed he did not sustain serious injuries.

St John Ambulance paramedics were on standby but the man, who was apparently going to work, declined medical help.

He seemed unfazed and stayed at the station to catch the next train to the city.  

Still Humanity in Mankind exists Everywhere throughout the Universe at critical times.

My personal view is due to God’s grace and moreover in his birth horoscope Jupiter may be strongly aspecting his ascendant with 5th or 9 th aspect, moreover the planetary transit too must support this. 

Lucky guy. Long Live.