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Oct 7, 2020The circular castle of Cornwall

Many generations watched fog roll over this countryside long before the bellicose Norman visitors who built this fortress got the chance. The peninsula of Cornwall has been populated since the Mesolithic period 10,000 years ago, and is one of the traditional Celtic nations—areas of the British Isles and France where the Celts" culture survived Roman, Norman, and other outside influences despite repeated attempts at incursion.Desktop Version

Jun 13, 2020A gorge-ous mill in the Causses

It may look peaceful now, but on warm days the river below this mill attracts swimmers, kayakers, and the occasional sport fisherman. Moulin de Corps (Corps Mill) connects to a stone bridge that spans the Dourbie River in a gorge deep within the Grands Causses Regional Nature Park of southern France. Built by a French lord in the 14th century, the mill originally produced flour. But by the 20th century it had been converted to the private residence we see in today"s picture. The Grands Causses Regional Nature Park is home to hundreds of mills like this one, examples of a cultural heritage that can still be found throughout the Mediterranean agro-pastoral landscape.Desktop Version

Sep 5, 2020Beaver achievers

Don"t get distracted by the awesome top half of today"s photo. The postcard appeal of Idaho"s Sawtooth Range is undeniable, but our focus today is on the humble structure at the bottom.Desktop Version

Jul 23, 2019A state-of-the-art lookout on the Rock of Gibraltar

Make your way up the trails of this monolithic rock promontory to the Skywalk, an 8,000-square-foot glass platform that soars more than 1,100 feet above sea level. On a clear day, you can see three countries and two continents from here. These epic views draw tourists, as does the Rock’s legendary history. A British Overseas Territory since 1713, Gibraltar has long been a strategically important military outpost located near the southern tip of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Far below the Skywalk, visitors can take in military relics that date back to the first years of British rule here.Desktop Version

Jul 10, 2021Celestial Spain

Today we"re in the Extremadura region of western Spain, in the beautiful Monfragüe National Park near the border with Portugal. This 18-mile long, 4-mile wide stretch of nature in the province of Cáceres is framed by the Tagus and Tietar Rivers (it"s the Tagus that"s in our image today). The mountainous Peña Falcon rock face defines its western side. Much of the park is covered by a thick Mediterranean forest full of wildlife, making this place a destination for outdoor lovers of all sorts. It"s especially notable for the many birds: Over 280 species are found here, including storks, kingfishers, cormorants, and eagles, as well as one of the world"s largest reserves of black vultures and their tawny vulture cousins. Other wildlife routinely spotted in Monfragüe include otters, deer, wild boar, and Iberian lynx.Desktop Version

May 17, 2018Celebrating Norwegian Constitution Day

If you have Norwegian roots, May 17 is a day to celebrate. It was on this day in 1814 that the Constitution of Norway was signed, declaring Norway an independent kingdom. This historic neighborhood in Trondheim, Norway, would be an ideal place to celebrate. Trondheim is the Norway’s third-largest city, founded by Viking King Olaf Tryggyason in 997. Today, its colorful wharfs and waterways charm visitors from around the world.Desktop Version

Mar 3, 2020All eyes on sustainability

We don"t need an excuse to highlight and celebrate wildlife, but as it turns out, today is the UN"s World Wildlife Day. This year"s theme is "Sustaining all life on Earth," focusing on biodiversity. The UN and its partners are producing a series of programs and social media activities, including an event at UN Headquarters in New York, a film festival, and an international youth art competition.Desktop Version

Apr 8, 2021I m here! Take a look at me!

Spring is lekking season for the black grouse. In the early morning, the male birds, like this fancy fella in Finland, gather on lek sites, often a patch of open ground, to put on a show for the ladies in the audience. The guys flash their white tail feathers, utter cooing and hissing noises, flutter-jump, and pick fights with each other—all to demonstrate their dominance to the watching hens. (Hens are smaller and have gray-brown feathers.) When a hen picks out the male she likes, the two fly off to mate and then go their separate ways. Love connections are brief in the black grouse world.Desktop Version

May 31, 2020Welcome to the pack

This fuzzy pup is a young gray wolf, the largest member of the dog family (Canidae). Gray wolf pups are born between March and May, blind and deaf, but after about three weeks they"re ready to leave the den and begin exploring their surroundings for the first time. It doesn"t take long–around six months–before they"ve grown enough to join their pack on hunts.Desktop Version

Mar 11, 2022We stand with Ukraine

Ukraine grows so many sunflowers they"ve become regarded as the country"s national flower—and recently, as a symbol of resistance. Just like sunflowers standing tall against a blue sky, the people of Ukraine are holding strong while an unlawful invasion threatens their democracy. As Ukrainians battle for their nation"s existence, millions of people have been forced to flee their homes to an uncertain future.Desktop Version

Jan 11, 2021At the gates of the ksar

At the eastern edge of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, Aït Benhaddou stands suspended in time. The mud-brick "ksar" (fortified city) was first built roughly 1,000 years ago, catering to travelers along the former caravan route between the Sahara desert and the city of Marrakesh. As a prime example of Moroccan earthen clay architecture, Aït Benhaddou has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. It"s no longer teeming with the large numbers of people who once lived there. But there are small markets and a few families within the city who cater to the visitors who come to walk its historic streets. As a symbol of Morocco"s enduring history, Aït Benhaddou would be a fine place to reflect upon the events of January 11, 1944, when Moroccan nationalists issued a public proclamation calling for the independence of their country, an audacious action that sparked the movement that would end colonialism by 1956.Desktop Version

Sep 18, 2021Hanging out on a limb

For International Red Panda Day, we"re hanging out on a tree limb with this cutie in the Chengdu Panda Base of Sichuan, China. If you spot a red panda in the wild, consider yourself lucky. Not only will you have to travel far (they live in the mountain forests of Nepal, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, and India), but there are fewer than 10,000 wild red pandas, and they"re rather elusive, hanging out up in trees. They also spend more than half their day asleep, conserving energy for—you guessed it—eating bamboo leaves. They spend a whopping 13 hours a day eating.Desktop Version

Mar 27, 2018Macro photograph of a migrant hawker dragonfly

Adult migrant hawkers like this one are usually found near water, where they’ll look for a mate and find plenty of mosquitos and midges to eat. This photo was taken using macro photography techniques—the camera’s macro lenses get clear images of small subjects like insects and flowers.Desktop Version

Apr 25, 2020Rockin with the rockhoppers

For World Penguin Day, we"re featuring a jaunty group of southern rockhopper penguins on a Falkland Islands beach. Most penguins slide over ice on their bellies, but these small penguins opt for more aerobic locomotion—they hop. Of all penguin species, rockhoppers are among the most numerous. But pollution, overfishing, and climate change have taken a toll: Their population has declined by about 30% over the last 30 years. Today, there"s an estimated 1.5 million breeding pairs of rockhoppers. About 1 million of those are southern rockhopper couples, like these, with the northern and eastern subspecies accounting for the rest.Desktop Version

Feb 17, 2021The persistence of Perito Moreno

Yes, it"s true that glaciers are shrinking, but not all of them. Perito Moreno, a low-lying glacier in southern Argentina, accumulates ice at about the same rate that it melts into chilly Argentino Lake. This equilibrium makes it one of the few glaciers worldwide that aren"t losing mass to climate change.Desktop Version

Feb 6, 2020A hint of spring

Native to Western Europe, and especially popular in Great Britain, snowdrops are the bulb you"ll want to plant if the cold, drab landscape of winter gets you down. These small bulbs bloom very early—sometimes as soon as January—and are commonly associated with the promise of spring. But plant enough of them, or come across a naturally occurring patch, and it can look like a light dusting of winter snow has coated the ground. Need a little hope to get you through this last stretch of winter? Look no further than the lovely snowdrop.Desktop Version

Dec 31, 20193, 2, 1 … Happy New Year!

Backnang, the city celebrating the new year in this photo, is in Germany"s Baden region. Thanks to the Rhine River on the west, and the Black Forest to the east, the soil in Baden is ideal for vineyards. Among the varieties of wine produced here, Spätburgunder is popular, which you may know by its more common French name, Pinot noir. It seems likely that the people of Backnang would be celebrating with a glass of Pinot or something else this evening. However you choose to celebrate, here"s wishing you a very happy and healthy new year!Desktop Version

Dec 3, 2020A Carpathian Christmas celebration

Nestled at the foot of Mount Tampa in the Southern Carpathian Mountains of Romania, Brașov is a wonderful example of medieval Europe"s intersecting cultures. Founded by Teutonic Knights, settled by Saxons and Hungarians, and influenced by the Ottoman Empire, the Tartars, and the native Romanians, the city"s Gothic architecture and unique cuisine reflect its rich history. The city"s Christmas market is held throughout the month of December and is dominated by a 90-foot-tall, live Christmas tree. The market"s numerous stalls feature food, drink, and local crafts.Desktop Version

Dec 8, 2020A fortress in the sky

Beginning as a lone watchtower high in the Apennines of Italy in the 10th century, the fortress called Rocca Calascio gained more heft over the next few hundred years. A quartet of additional towers and heavy walls were gradually added around the first tower. These fortifications made clear that Rocca Calascio was ready for any military rivals who might scale the slopes from the valley below to attack this garrison. The fight never came. The ruins you see here are not battle scars but the result of a powerful earthquake. By the early 1700s, Rocca Calascio was abandoned, but it can still claim the title of highest fortress in the Apennines—and some of the most spectacular views in all of Italy. In fact, filmmakers have chosen the site for several movies, including "The Name of the Rose" and "Ladyhawke."Desktop Version

May 12, 2019The parenting of a piping plover

To celebrate Mother’s Day this year, we’re on Jones Beach Island in New York, where piping plovers are helping their newly hatched chicks prepare to leave the nest—just hours after they hatch. While mom and dad were sitting on the unhatched eggs, if a predator, such as a fox, raccoon, or house cat were to get too close, they’d fake an injured wing and limp away from the nest to distract the animal. That’s some extra-mile parenting! Who knows if that little chick will remember to call mom this time next year…Desktop Version

Dec 18, 2018A hit ballet, long after its debut

These days, Tchaikovsky’s ballet ‘The Nutcracker’ is an iconic holiday entertainment staple, produced by companies around the world. In this photo, the Moscow Ballet performs the seasonal crowd-pleaser in Toruń, Poland. But when the ballet debuted this day in 1892 in St. Petersburg, Russia, it was not a hit. ‘The Nutcracker’ was revived and restaged in the early 20th century, but still didn’t make an impact. Then in 1944, the San Francisco Ballet performed the American debut of the ballet to great acclaim. It became a true Christmastime classic 10 years later, when choreographer George Balanchine staged his own 1954 production with the New York City Ballet. Balanchine’s version caught on and inspired other dance companies to stage it themselves. Today, ‘The Nutcracker’ is often such a draw that a staging of Tchaikovsky’s Christmas fantasy can help keep a ballet company financially stable.Desktop Version

Mar 15, 2021Every day is Napping Day for this screech owl

We can think of no better way to celebrate National Napping Day than with this furry fellow, a screech owl asleep in a tree trunk in the Massapequa Preserve on Long Island, New York. Found in wilderness areas and near human settlements from the Atlantic Seaboard to West Texas and up into Montana, Eastern screech owls like this one are well established in the US. They"re nocturnal creatures, so they sleep during the day and become active after dusk. But don"t worry about you or your pet getting attacked by these owls. While it"s not apparent from this picture, screech owls are tiny–smaller than a pint glass–and prefer to feast on insects, worms, and small rodents.Desktop Version

Oct 12, 2021High tide at the walled city

Saint-Malo was founded by the Gauls more than 2,000 years ago and has an appropriately rich and storied history. Built on the Brittany coast of the English Channel, Saint-Malo became an important stop for ships coming into and out of Western Europe. And because of its strategic location, Saint-Malo was, for a time, a favorite spot for pirates, corsairs, and privateers—as ships made their way through the channel, pirates lurking off the Saint-Malo coast could pounce easily while French authorities looked the other way.Desktop Version

Sep 2, 2020A rock in a wild place

Here in the high desert of Central Oregon, Smith Rock beckons rock climbers from around the world with its cliffs of tuff and basalt. Considered by many to be the birthplace of American sport climbing, it"s home to nearly 2,000 climbing routes of all levels of difficulty. For those happier with their feet firmly planted on the ground, Smith Rock State Park offers the usual range of outdoor activities, including biking, hiking, and watching for wildlife like prairie falcons, golden eagles, and mule deer.Desktop Version

Jan 15, 2020Harvest season begins

Today we"re in Kathmandu, Nepal, where the Boudhanath stupa stands out against the skyline. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the stupa is on the ancient trade route from Tibet—traders have rested and offered prayers here for centuries. Like all stupas, Boudhanath is a mound-like structure containing relics. It was first built sometime after the 600s, when Buddhism was first spreading through Tibet and Nepal. It"s long been a major pilgrimage site for Buddhists, and is said to entomb the remains of Kassapa Buddha, one of the 29 named ancient Buddhas.Desktop Version

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