When explorers from Portugal landed on the shores of what is now Brazil in 1500, the Atlantic Forest, seen here, is what greeted them. Before colonization, the forest the Portuguese called ‘Mata Atlântica’ is estimated to have covered nearly 400,000 square miles, and possibly as many as 600,000. As Brazil celebrates its independence today, the Atlantic Forest is in peril--85 percent of it has been destroyed to make room for agriculture and development.
An historic forest
Today in History
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World Space Week begins
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Black bear cub emerging into spring
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The Spirit of Harlem by Louis Delsarte
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Storks ready for takeoff
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International Moon Day
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Alaska moose
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Black History Month
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The Badlands celebrates a milestone
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Class, please take out a No. 2 pencil…
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World Lizard Day
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‘Think equal, build smart, innovate for change’
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A whale of a hug
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The dancing trees of Sumba Island
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Time for brass bands and beer
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Waiting for the perfect shot
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Hoodoos, Sunset Point, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
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How do ladybugs winter?
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Wildlife Conservation Day
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Great Backyard Bird Count
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Castellfollit de la Roca, Catalonia, Spain
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At ease, it’s Armed Forces Day
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Málaga, Spain
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Tigh Mor Trossachs on Loch Achray, Scotland
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Purple flowers and Golden Week
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A leafy seadragon in the waters off Wool Bay, Australia
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Heron lies the Salton Sea
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International Day of Peace
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Stepping into autumn
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Saint Andrews Day
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Tambopata National Reserve, Peru