Earth Day brings us to Midway Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, where this fuzzy Laysan albatross chick is taking in its surroundings. The chick’s home, unfortunately, has a plastic problem. Midway Atoll is part of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, not far from the giant gyre of marine debris known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It’s been estimated that some 100 pounds of plastic wash up on Midway Atoll each week, and most of the albatross population has ingested it (they confuse the brightly colored pieces with marine life). For chicks, eating the plastic often proves fatal. But one resilient Laysan albatross named Wisdom has become a symbol of hope. At 68 years old, Wisdom is the oldest known wild bird in the world–and as of 2018 she was still laying eggs. Sounds like a perfect Earth Day mascot.
Meet our fuzzy Earth Day mascot
Today in History
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Pride Month
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International Cheetah Day
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A gorge-ous mill in the Causses
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Northern cardinal in winterberry bush
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In search of roadside attractions on ‘America’s Highway’
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Summer’s in home stretch
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International Roller Coaster Day
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All eyes on sustainability
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A story of wind and ice
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A big birthday for Big Bend
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Celebrating sea otters
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Keep watching the skies
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Old Rock Day
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Flock online for the Great Backyard Bird Count
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1, 1, 2, 3: It s Fibonacci Day!
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Groundhog Day arrives—beyond a shadow of a doubt
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Wild lupines
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Cherry blossoms spring to life
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By the light of the fireflies
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Uredd Rest Area, Norway
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High seas commerce
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Goðafoss waterfall, Iceland
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A meerkat stands alone
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It s ∞ Day!
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2024 Toronto International Film Festival
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The call of the wild in Alaska
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Salmon migration in full swing
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International Surfing Day
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Zoroaster Temple, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
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World Bee Day