Seventy-five years ago today, on June 12, 1944, Big Bend officially became a US national park. The park covers more than 800,000 acres in West Texas along the Mexico border. The vast protected area contains mountain, river, and desert ecosystems, including the largest protected area of the Chihuahuan Desert in the United States. But the ‘big’ doesn"t stop there. Big Bend is home to 1,200 species of plants, over 450 species of birds, 75 species of mammals, and 56 species of reptiles. (We"re not sure how many of those are snakes, if you"re wondering.) Because of its remote location, Big Bend also has among the darkest skies ever measured in the contiguous US. So tonight, the only light you"ll likely see is the glow from 75 birthday candles—and a few million stars.
A big birthday for Big Bend
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Fashion models of the avian world
-
Honoring the rangers on World Ranger Day
-
The island fox’s incredible comeback
-
First day of autumn
-
Bask in the glow—It s World Turtle Day
-
Summer’s in home stretch
-
Happy Father s Day
-
Apple Tree Day
-
It’s Siblings Day!
-
What s going on in this sky?
-
It s tree-climbing season
-
Illuminating Annecy
-
Diamond Beach, Iceland
-
World Reef Awareness Day
-
Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia
-
Where fire meets water
-
A garden of prickly delights
-
Who s hiding in the kelp?
-
The Millennium at 20
-
Sanday Island and the North Sea, Scotland
-
To the 155th on the 155th
-
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah
-
A glittering diamond in the rough
-
European hedgehog in Sussex, England
-
Salt ponds of Maras, Peru
-
Gray seal pup, Norfolk, England
-
A misty morning in Brazil
-
Prague, Czech Republic
-
Celebrating the Acadians
-
Tortula moss, Netherlands