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
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Falling for the Canadian Rockies
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Daylight saving time begins
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Golden jellyfish in Jellyfish Lake, Palau
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Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona
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Fall colors below Mount Sneffels near Ridgway, Colorado
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Greece celebrates its independence
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Let the harvest begin
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A predator at risk
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Keep calm and drive on (slowly)
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Al-Khazneh in Petra, Jordan
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International Day of the Tropics
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Opt outside today
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International Beaver Day
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Tolkien Reading Day
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A dramatic view of Sicily
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
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High above the reef
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Forward-thinking women of history
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Ludwig’s palace
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World Whale Day
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Lake Bled, Slovenia
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Paradise, found
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Happy trails for the 21st century
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World Donkey Day
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Anniversary of Pinnacles National Park, California
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A special day for a special cat
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Belted Galloway cows
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The persistence of Perito Moreno
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Twosday
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Mandarin duck, Richmond Park, London, England