Wilderness Hiking

**Join us for a community meetup to learn more about Nepal Photo Festival 2026 and how you can be part of it!** Nepal Photo Festival 2026 is a WordPress community event celebrating Nepal's landscapes, heritage, and history through photography. The festival is currently underway, and we are bringing the community together in Pokhara to discuss the event, answer your questions, and get more people participating. Whether you are a photographer, a WordPress enthusiast, or simply someone who loves Nepal, this meetup is for you. **What to expect:** * Overview of Nepal Photo Festival 2026 * How to participate in the photo contest * How to submit photos to the WordPress Photo Directory * Tips on taking high-quality photos * Open discussion and Q&A * Connect with fellow photographers and community members **Details:** 📅 Saturday, 23 May 2026 ⏰ 10:00 AM 📍 Chautari Boutique Hotel, Lakeside, Pokhara This is a free meetup, and everyone is welcome. Come as you are, bring your phone, bring your camera, bring your curiosity. See you there! 🏔️📸 Learn more about Nepal Photo Festival 2026: https://events.wordpress.org/nepal/2026/photo-festival/

# 🌟 Season of AI – Episode 02 \| Hosted by Nepal Cloud Professionals 📅 Date: Saturday, May 23, 2026 🕑 Time: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM NPT (UTC+5:45) 📍 Venue: Microsoft Teams **([Click here to join the meeting](https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZGQyNjM0ZjYtZjcwZS00Y2RiLWJjMjktODRhM2E0MGJjNjUz%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22942f34d1-b21c-46c1-a4e8-c79db96ed93d%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22f1522c8b-70ee-46af-bcab-e645a23d62df%22%7d))** (If you wish to receive occasitional community updates, do sign up at [https://forms.microsoft.com/r/q2NZr5YUhF](https://forms.microsoft.com/r/q2NZr5YUhF) Welcome to the Season of AI Series, a community-driven initiative by Nepal Cloud Professionals in collaboration with Microsoft and supporting partners. This series is dedicated to exploring the latest innovations in Microsoft AI, including Azure OpenAI, Microsoft Copilot Studio, and other cutting-edge technologies. Join us for Episode 02 as we kick off this exciting journey with expert-led sessions, hands-on demos, and networking opportunities. Whether you're a developer, IT professional, student, or AI enthusiast, this event is designed to help you learn, connect, and grow. ## 🎤 Agenda Highlights ### Session 1 – From Prototype to Production: The AI App Lifecycle in Azure AI Foundry **By Rijwan Ansari (Solutions Architect, Microsoft MVP)** 🔗 Connect on LinkedIn – [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rijwanansari/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rijwanansari/) In this session, Rijwan will walk through the complete lifecycle of building AI-powered applications using **Azure AI Foundry**—from prototyping with prebuilt models to deploying scalable solutions in production. He will demonstrate how Azure’s integrated tools streamline development, testing, and monitoring, enabling faster innovation and enterprise-grade reliability. *** ### Session 2 – Model Context Protocol (MCP): The Key To Agentic AI **By Pasang Tamang (Solutions Architect, C# Corner MVP)** 🔗 Connect on LinkedIn – [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ptamang/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ptamang/) In this session, Pasang will introduce the concept of **Model Context Protocol (MCP)** and its role in enabling **Agentic AI** systems. He will explain how MCP structures context for autonomous agents, allowing them to reason, adapt, and collaborate more effectively. This session is ideal for developers and researchers exploring the next frontier of intelligent systems. ## 🎙️ Want to Speak at a Future Meetup? We’re always looking for passionate speakers to share their insights and experiences. If you're interested in presenting at an upcoming session, please fill out the speaker form here: 👉 [https://forms.microsoft.com/r/cywefzeBAV](https://forms.microsoft.com/r/cywefzeBAV) Note: Speaking slots are limited and typically fill up at least 2 weeks before the event. For questions, reach out to us at 📧 [mailto:info@nepalcloudpro.org](http://mailto:info@nepalcloudpro.org/). ## 🤝 Hosting Partner • Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs), NCP Volunteers' Leadership Board ## 🤝 Digital Partner • Makura Creations ## 🤝 Supporting Partner • Microsoft ## 🔗 Connect with Us 🌐 Website: [https://nepalcloudpro.org](https://nepalcloudpro.org/) 👍 Facebook: [https://www.facebook.com/NepalCloudPro](https://www.facebook.com/NepalCloudPro) 💼 LinkedIn: [https://www.linkedin.com/company/NepalCloudPro](https://www.linkedin.com/company/NepalCloudPro) 🐦 X: [x.com/NepalCloudP](http://x.com/NepalCloudP) 📧 Email: [mailto:info@nepalcloudpro.org](http://mailto:info@nepalcloudpro.org/) ## 📣 Social Hashtags #NepalCloudPro #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #MicrosoftAI #AzureAI ## 👥 About Nepal Cloud Professionals Nepal Cloud Professionals is a vibrant community of IT professionals, developers, solution architects, and tech enthusiasts passionate about cloud computing and emerging technologies. We host regular meetups, discussions, and mentorship opportunities to foster learning and collaboration. Whether you're just starting out or are a seasoned expert, we welcome you to be part of our growing community.

**History** The history of [Blendon Woods Metro Park](https://www.metroparks.net/parks-and-trails/blendon-woods/) began long before its 1951 opening, rooted in a landscape of rugged ridges and deep ravines that made the land unsuitable for traditional farming. In 1945, a report proposing a metropolitan park system for Franklin County specifically highlighted these cliffs of Bedford Shale as some of the "wildest land in the vicinity". Following this recommendation, the recently formed park district purchased the first 229 acres in early 1949. Because the terrain was so uneven, developers had to cut a mile-and-a-half-long roadway through dense woods just to bring in heavy equipment. This initial preservation effort ensured that the mature second-growth hardwood forests remained largely untouched by the urban expansion spreading toward Westerville. Opening day arrived on Labor Day, September 3, 1951, marking Blendon Woods as the second park in the Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks system. The final push to open was a frantic race; the State Highway Department only finished the primary gravel access road four days before the gates opened. Early staff members, consisting of just four full-time employees, had to hand-dig pit toilets and learn construction skills on the fly to build the first picnic shelters. Despite the dusty conditions and limited facilities, the park was an immediate success, drawing massive crowds from across Central Ohio. By the end of the 1950s, annual visitation had already climbed to over 190,000 people. As the surrounding suburbs grew in the 1960s, the park faced severe overcrowding that threatened its natural habitats. In response, Franklin County voters passed the first Metro Parks levy in 1960, providing the funds necessary for a decade of steady expansion. During this era, the park nearly doubled in size, growing from 264 acres to over 570 acres by 1968. Planners also addressed a critical water shortage by collaborating with the U.S. Soil and Conservation Service to build a lake in 1964. This body of water originally served as a temporary reservoir before its role shifted toward conservation and wildlife support. The 1970s marked a transition toward the specialized wildlife and educational focus for which the park is known today. In 1971, the Walden Waterfowl Refuge was established around the 11-acre Thoreau Lake, creating a sanctuary that remains restricted to provide a quiet habitat for migratory birds. A formal nature center was also developed during this period, expanding on the guided Sunday walks that had been a park staple since the early 1950s. The park’s famous "Monarch Mansion" also became a prominent fixture, starting a long tradition of raising and releasing thousands of monarch butterflies each September. These initiatives cemented the park’s reputation as a premier destination for birders and nature enthusiasts. In more recent decades, Blendon Woods has continued to modernize while maintaining its wilderness character. The 10-acre Natural Play Area was added in 2017, encouraging kids to explore the ravines and woods off-trail. This was followed by the opening of a $1.5 million inclusive playground in April 2025, designed to accommodate children of all physical abilities. The nature center also underwent major renovations to include immersive, three-dimensional exhibits and a new butterfly house. Today, the park encompasses 653 acres, preserving a unique geologic and biological corridor amidst the bustling Westerville and Northeast Columbus area. **Map of the Park** Here is a map of [Blendon Woods](https://www.metroparks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/BLN_map_Inclusive-Playground-and-Butterfly-Trail_May-2025_1980px.png). **Summary** For this event, we will hike the Lake View, Hickory Ridge, Ripple Rock, Overlook, Brookside, and Sugarbush Trails. This sounds like a lot, but it will really be only a little over five miles. Blendon Woods has a few hills here and there, but it's not one of the more strenuous metro parks. **Where We'll Meet** We'll meet just in front of the Nature Center. This is about a mile into the park from the main entrance. You have to go past the Ranger Station and the Shadblow Reservable Area to get to it, so don't stop too early at the Ranger Station and get it confused with the Nature Center. **After the Hike** Afterward, we will head over to [Forbidden Root Restaurant & Brewery](https://forbiddenroot.com/restaurants/columbus-ohio/) at Easton for [drinks](https://forbiddenroot.com/restaurants/columbus-ohio/#dinner-menu) and [food](https://forbiddenroot.com/wp-content/uploads/Cbus-Food.pdf). We should be there by 5 if you can't make the hike and just want to join us for drinks. The brewery's actual address is [4080 Worth Ave, Columbus, OH 43219](https://www.google.com/maps/place/4080+Worth+Ave,+Columbus,+OH+43219/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x88388a86d10b6619:0x4d42b470a5cf11d3?sa=X&ved=1t:242&ictx=111); however, I recommend pointing your GPS to the [Worth Garage](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Worth+Garage/@40.0542293,-82.9137962,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x88388b4df6082825:0x17582f0eccd9dda1!8m2!3d40.0542293!4d-82.9137962!16s%2Fg%2F11rzfvvv8b?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDQxNS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D) across the street. Parking in this garage is free as long as you're not on the first floor, and it is literally right next to the brewery.

Join us this Thursday at 6:30 pm for a nice hike along the Big Walnut Trail along the Gahanna golf course, circling Creekside and back. This 2 mile hike is fully paved and a beautiful walk through the heart of Gahanna.

Hi ladies. We will meet in front of the Nature Center and head to the two Observation decks. We will then hike Hickory Ridge, Ripple Rock, Overlook and Sugarbush trails to get approximately four miles total distance. We will walk approximately a 18 minute mile pace. Please wear appropriate hiking shoes.

This is a small but pretty park with a 1.7-mile loop. We will walk it 2 times. It goes along a ridge and has moderate elevation changes.

Hi ladies. Let's hike the edward thomas trail, lake trail , spring creek and a short walk on the multi purpose trail. This is one large loop . Wear your shoe of choice. Meet in the Maple Grove Picnic area. 4.2 miles in length .

Hi ladies. Let's hike the Edward Thomas, Spring Creek, and a little multi-purpose trail - approximately 4 miles so please wear your shoe of choice. Please bring a water bottle as needed and appropriate shoes. Meet in the Maple Grove Picnic area.