Weeping Taranaki

Title Egmont National Park, New Zealand Released 31/10/2014 10:00 am Copyright KARI/ESA Description - Egmont National Park on New Zealand's North Island is pictured in this satellite image. National parks protect forested areas from human activities that cause land degradation and deforestation. The boundary between protected and non-protected areas is often very clear in satellite images -as we see here between the green, densely forested area and surrounding agricultural landscape. The land here was first formally protected in 1881, within a 9.6 km radius of the mountain summit. With high rainfall and a mild coastal climate, the park is home to a lush rainforest, with some plants unique to the park. Halfway up the mountain slopes, the forest is sometimes called the 'Goblin Forest' for its gnarled trees and thick moss. The mountain at the centre of the national park has two names: Mount Egmont and Mount Taranaki.