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Christmas Bird Count
Christmas Bird Count
In the world of birdwatching, the Christmas Bird Count, first held back in 1900, is a highlight of the year. The original bird count involved just 27 people spread over 25 locations in the US and Canada. Since then, the annual bird census has grown exponentially, with participants in more than 2,360 locations across various countries.Desktop Version
International Whale Shark Day
International Whale Shark Day
Say hello to the largest fish in the world, the whale shark. On August 30, we celebrate International Whale Shark Day to honor these magnificent marine creatures. These gentle giants are not related to whales, despite their impressive size—they can reach up to 40 feet in length. Whale sharks are calm creatures which are usually safe for divers to swim alongside. These sharks are filter feeders and consume plankton and small fish by sieving them through their gill plates. There has been a significant decline in their populations, with an estimated 63% decrease in their numbers in the last 75 years. Threats include being hit by boats or tangled in fishing gear and their habitats are being damaged by pollution, coastal development and over-fishing. Advocates work through education and community engagement to help safeguard whale sharks and preserve our oceans.Desktop Version
World Wildlife Conservation Day
World Wildlife Conservation Day
We"re taking a walk with these beautiful beasts for World Wildlife Conservation Day. Tanzania"s Mount Kilimanjaro, known as the Great White Mountain to local tribes, stands sentinel as these African bush elephants cross the vast savannahs of Amboseli National Park in Kenya. Habitat loss and poaching for ivory have decimated the populations of the bush elephant and its cousin the forest elephant, which roams the nearby foothills of Kilimanjaro.Desktop Version
Presidents Day
Presidents Day
Celebrated on the third Monday of February each year, Presidents Day honors and commemorates US presidents past and present.Desktop Version
International Nurses Day
International Nurses Day
While the uniform style has changed since these American Red Cross nurses proudly posed together in Paris, France, in 1919, the medical care and kindness provided by nurses the world over has remained steadfast. Today we"re celebrating International Nurses Day, which is observed on May 12 each year to turn a well-deserved spotlight on nurses and the contributions they make to society. The theme for 2022"s observance is "Nurses: A voice to lead—Invest in nursing and respect rights to secure global health." It"s a fitting topic, especially when nurses have borne the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic. For more than two years, nurses have suffered from critical staffing shortages while facing a health crisis of tremendous proportions. For all that nurses have endured and for all they"ve contributed to our personal and collective well-being, we offer our heartfelt thanks.Desktop Version
World Migratory Bird Day
World Migratory Bird Day
The migration of birds, such as the pelicans seen here over California"s Salton Sea, is part of the pulse of our planet"s ecosystem. Around 40% of bird species migrate, typically in the fall and spring, some traveling incredible distances. Tiny hummingbirds can migrate 500 miles across the Gulf of Mexico overnight. Arctic terns fly between the Arctic and Antarctic each year, potentially racking up more than 1.5 million miles over a lifetime. The bar-tailed godwit can travel 7,000 miles in eight days, without stopping. On World Migratory Bird Day, we can help our feathered friends by protecting their habitats and taking simple steps like leaving less lights on at night, leaving out birdseed, and making windows more visible to avoid collisions.Desktop Version
Atolls in the Maldives
Atolls in the Maldives
With nearly 1,200 islands spread over a chain of 26 atolls, the Maldives are popular with tourists seeking serene beaches, scuba diving, and surf in the Indian Ocean. The atolls, like those pictured on our homepage, are made up of coral reefs that formed around the top of now-sunken volcanoes. Some are single, ring-shaped islands enclosing lagoons while other atolls are a series of small, connected islets, many of which are uninhabited.Desktop Version
Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo
Contrary to what many people believe, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico"s Independence Day, which is celebrated on September 16. Instead, May 5 marks Mexico"s victory over better-equipped French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Although the French Empire would counterattack and take the city a year later, the unexpected victory was a morale boost which still has symbolic significance. While in the US, Cinco de Mayo is a popular festival celebrating Mexican American culture, celebrations in Mexico are relatively quiet and focused mostly on Puebla.Desktop Version
Black History Month
Black History Month
They were just high school kids, named Ernest, Elizabeth, Jefferson, Terrence, Carlotta, Minnijean, Gloria, Thelma, and Melba, who made history in 1957 when they became the first Black pupils at their school, in the face of fierce opposition. We start Black History Month here in Little Rock, the state capital of Arkansas, at the Little Rock Nine Monument, named for that group of kids who played an important role in desegregating public schools. Their contributions to the civil rights movement are a moving reminder of how far we"ve come as a nation, and of how very different life was for Black Americans not so long ago.Desktop Version
World Wildlife Day
World Wildlife Day
Today is World Wildlife Day, the UN-sponsored tribute to efforts that protect the plants and animals that make our world so special. This year"s WWD theme is "recovering key species for ecosystem restoration"—key species like the greater one-horned rhinoceroses you see here in northeastern India"s Kaziranga National Park. These unique creatures have staged a remarkable comeback from the verge of extinction in the early 20th century, when their numbers had dwindled to a precarious low of around 100 animals. But with the concerted efforts of Indian and Nepalese wildlife authorities, the population of greater one-horned rhinos has slowly built back up to around 3,700 today.Desktop Version
Frog Month
Frog Month
This sleepy-looking Javan tree frog, which is only found on the Indonesian island of Java, is the perfect mascot for National Frog Month. While not everyone is a fan, frogs play a critical role in the food chain, eating pests like mosquitoes, flies, spiders, and even mice.Desktop Version
Poinsettia Day
Poinsettia Day
It"s been almost 200 years since poinsettias were first brought to the US from their native Mexico, where the Aztecs used the leaves to make dye and the sap to treat fevers. American botanist and government representative Joel Roberts Poinsett introduced the scarlet foliage to the U.S. in 1828. Flash forward to the 1960s, when a breeding program resulted in hardier, fuller plants and many variations. The booming poinsettia wholesale trade in the US brings in a whopping $250 million a year. The House of designated December 12 as Poinsettia Day in 2002. Poinsettias are the top-selling potted plant in the US and Canada, brightening holiday tables every December.Desktop Version
Regional Park of Migliarino, San Rossore, Massaciuccoli, Italy
Regional Park of Migliarino, San Rossore, Massaciuccoli, Italy
This idyllic road is a path to one of Italy"s magnificent natural gifts. Just outside of the ancient city of Pisa in Tuscany is the Regional Park of Migliarino, San Rossore, Massaciuccoli. This immense and diverse park boasts numerous distinct environments. A visitor will discover, by turns, seaside sand dunes, marshlands, and vast forests of pine, oak, and elm. A wide array of birds can also be found in the park, along with ample wild boar, rabbits, red foxes, and the impressively antlered fallow deer. It"s even been suggested that there are wolves living in the deep reaches of the woods.Desktop Version
Happy Lunar New Year!
Happy Lunar New Year!
Celebrating the first new moon of the lunar calendar, an estimated 2 billion people gather worldwide to usher in the Lunar New Year with vibrant celebrations and family reunions. The festivities, also known as the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year, last for 15 days, ending with the Lantern Festival. From envelopes to lanterns, red is the dominant color, symbolizing luck and prosperity. Streets come alive with the rhythm of drums as the dragon dance takes center stage. Our homepage today shows a bird"s-eye view of the dragons—elongated puppets with shimmering scales, animated by a team of dancers. Lunar New Year is a popular time for families to reunite and is said to be responsible for the world"s largest annual human migration. Each year is linked to one of the 12 zodiac animals and 2024 heralds the Year of the Dragon, a symbol of nobility, power, and success.Desktop Version
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
This stunning structure is the stone pavilion housing the massive Korean Bell of Friendship in Los Angeles, a city with a large Korean American population. It"s ringing in Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, which starts today. The month was chosen in recognition of the first documented arrival of Japanese immigrants, on May 7, 1843, and the completion of the transcontinental railroad by more than 20,000 Asian immigrants on May 10, 1869.Desktop Version
San Blas Islands, Panama
San Blas Islands, Panama
Nestled off the northern coast of Panama, the San Blas Islands are an archipelago of more than 360 islands in the Caribbean Sea. Known for their clean, calm waters, they are the perfect place for adventure sports such as snorkeling, surfing, and diving. Staghorn and pillar coral are among the species found in coral reefs surrounding the islands, which teem with marine life. The islands are inhabited primarily by Gunas—people indigenous to Guna Yala—who preserve their way of living with vibrant, traditional clothing, thatched-roof huts known as "bohíos," and intricate, handcrafted mola textiles.Desktop Version
Icelandic horses, Iceland
Icelandic horses, Iceland
The Icelandic horse is a small, unique breed that arrived alongside the first Norse settlers in this island country sometime between 860 and 935 CE. More than 1,000 years later, they remain purebred thanks to strict regulations prohibiting the importation of horses. And once exported, they can never come back—rules designed to stop the spread of disease.Desktop Version
Teacher Appreciation Day
Teacher Appreciation Day
This mandarin duck and her cute little charges seemed a fitting way to illustrate Teacher Appreciation Week, which peaks today on Teacher Appreciation Day. She is leading by example, safely guiding the next generation on their first forays into the world. Hopefully we appreciate the dedication and wisdom of our teachers year-round, but this special day is certainly a timely reminder. For the last two years educators have battled the staggering challenges of the COVID pandemic; rallying their students, whether online or distanced and masked in the classroom; and doing their best to give children a safe, nurturing environment for learning. Their commitment has helped build a strong foundation for young people"s future well-being and happiness, and it taught the value of community and resilience.Desktop Version
Ceremony Hall at Sweden s Icehotel
Ceremony Hall at Sweden s Icehotel
Rebuilt every winter since 1989 in the northernmost county of Sweden, the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi is not only one of a kind each year, but the first of its kind established. Other ice hotels can now be found in Norway, Finland, Canada, Romania, and elsewhere, but this one is still the largest: The ice blocks harvested from the nearby Torne River to build the Icehotel weigh 2 tons each.Desktop Version
Tibetan New Year
Tibetan New Year
Welcome to the year 2152. That is, in the Tibetan calendar at least. Today marks the start of Losar, the new year festival celebrated in Tibetan Buddhism, which is observed in Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, and parts of India. Losar celebrations run for 15 days, beginning the night before with a meal of guthuk—a traditional dumpling soup. The new year is rung in with an incense burning ceremony and visits to holy places to pray for good fortune in the year ahead.Desktop Version
Bernina Pass, Graubünden, Switzerland
Bernina Pass, Graubünden, Switzerland
This awesome white winter expanse is found in the Alps of eastern Switzerland. The famous Bernina Pass stands tall at an elevation of 7,638 feet and attracts winter sports enthusiasts from all over the world. Fun fact: Evidence of the oldest wooden skis, dating back to around 6000 BCE, was found in Russia. Boasting excellent snow conditions from November to March, the Bernina Pass is a must-visit spot on every skier"s bucket list.Desktop Version
Baltic Sea, Estonia
Baltic Sea, Estonia
The Baltic Sea in northeast Europe is a peculiar body of water, combining the characteristics of a sea with those of a lake and an estuary, too. Strictly speaking, it is in fact a sea and thus appropriately named, joined to the Atlantic Ocean through three straits in Denmark: the Öresund, Great Belt, and Little Belt. Technically, the Baltic is classified as a brackish sea, meaning it is not entirely fresh and not entirely saline. The Baltic Sea isn"t landlocked, but it does border many countries, including Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia—and it"s the Estonian coast featured in today"s image.Desktop Version
International Moon Day
International Moon Day
International Moon Day is celebrated on July 20, the day humans first set foot on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. It recognizes our lunar achievements and highlights scientific and technological advancements, like NASA"s Orion spacecraft, seen here. Designed for deep space exploration, Orion completed a test flight to the moon without astronauts in 2022 and will carry out a crewed orbit in 2024. The plan is to return astronauts to the moon"s surface in 2025. NASA hopes that these flights, along with events like International Moon Day, will encourage public engagement and education about the moon and its influence on Earth, as well as the potential for future space exploration and colonization.Desktop Version
Northern coast of Colombia
Northern coast of Colombia
Colombia is the only country in South America that has coastline on both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Seen here is a stretch of beach near Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona and the small town of Buritaca, on the Caribbean coast along Colombia’s north shore. This region boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in the country. It"s also among Colombia"s most ecologically diverse areas, with jungle, desert, and one of the highest coastal mountain ranges in the world, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.Desktop Version
Extraterrestrial Culture Day
Extraterrestrial Culture Day
Evidence of ancient aliens? Nah, more likely the etchings of a prankster hiker. Though Pueblo peoples here in northern New Mexico made pictographs in this style several centuries ago, there"s no evidence they were depicting extraterrestrials. But don"t get us wrong: We want to believe.Desktop Version