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Nov 16, 2021Glenfinnan Viaduct

Muggles from around the world flock to this iconic scene at the top of Loch Shiel in the West Highlands of Scotland to marvel at the 21-arched Glenfinnan Viaduct, also known as the "Harry Potter bridge." The curving structure was made famous in the film adaptations of J.K. Rowling"s novels as part of the route taken by the Hogwarts Express, which carries students to and from the wizarding boarding school at the start and end of every term. And today is a reason to celebrate for Potterheads, as we are marking the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter"s big-screen debut.Desktop Version

Jan 11, 2020Who s wearing such cute hats?

The stone figures lining the steps in today"s photo are among 500 rakan statues on the small island of Miyajima in Japan. The colorful knitted caps they"re wearing are offerings from people visiting the island, a tradition followed in other areas of Japan as well. Some believe this gift-giving is based on a children"s folk story of an elderly hatmaker who was unable to make it to market on a snowy day, so he placed his collection of hats on rakan statues to keep their bare heads dry. Later, the statues showed their appreciation by delivering gifts to the hatmaker and his wife so they could celebrate the new year properly. The statues in this photo were individually carved sometime between the 1780s to the 1820s, and no two are alike. They line the path at the base of Mount Misen that leads to the Daisho-in Temple, one of the many temples and shrines on the island.Desktop Version

Jul 26, 2018Exploring the wilder side of New York

New York State isn’t all skyscrapers and teeming crowds. The Empire State is home to a diverse geography, including some wild places that were around back on July 26, 1788, when New York officially joined the Union. In honor of New York’s statehood day, we’re at Letchworth State Park, a wilderness near Rochester that follows the Genesee River some 17 miles through a deep gorge that’s known as the "Grand Canyon of the East."Desktop Version

Jul 11, 2020How Quảng Ngãi got its grove back

Could these humble rows of trees prevent a natural disaster? The Vietnamese government hopes so. Mangrove forests like Bàu Cá Cái in coastal Vietnam"s Quảng Ngãi province are an important shield against destructive typhoons that rock the coast each year. Unfortunately, mangrove trees have been depleted over the years by population growth, climate change, and increased use of waters for fish farming. Plantings at Bàu Cá Cái—outlined by bamboo frames to create the neat patterns seen here—have been part of a major initiative to regenerate nearly 10,000 acres of mangrove forest around the country.Desktop Version

Mar 12, 2021Ringing in the new year at Teotihuacan

If the Aztecs had hot air balloons, they may well have greeted the new year like this—floating above the massive Pyramid of the Sun at sunrise today, the first day of the year according to the Aztec calendar. Also known as Yancuic Xihuitl, the Aztec New Year is still celebrated by some Indigenous Nahua communities here in central Mexico with songs, dances, and the flames of "ocote" (pitch pine) candles. Dancers wear colorful traditional costumes topped by quetzal feather headdresses, and celebrants greet the new year by making loud noises with seashells, just as Aztecs did centuries ago. It"s one of the many expressions of pre-Columbian tradition that managed to survive the Spanish conquest and modern erosion of Indigenous customs.Desktop Version

Mar 17, 2021An emerald isle of the Emerald Isle

If you were to find yourself wandering across the tiny island of Inisheer on March 17, you"d almost certainly hear someone greet you with a hearty "Lá fhéile Pádraig sona dhuit!" That"s because nearly all the island"s 260 residents would want to wish you a happy Saint Patrick"s Day in their native Irish tongue. The smallest of the three Aran Islands that are strung across the mouth of Galway Bay in western Ireland, Inisheer has been inhabited from prehistory—artifacts from as early as the Bronze Age have been found scattered around its 1,400 acres. The tiny drystone wall subdivisions of the fields are a result of a long tradition of splitting family farms between all the children. After a few generations, farms were reduced to the garden-size patches you can see here.Desktop Version

Apr 16, 2020Bridges to the past

The story of this sandstone formation in southeastern Utah"s Natural Bridges National Monument begins around 10 million years ago. That"s when tectonic shifts began slowly lifting what is now the 130,000-square-mile Colorado Plateau above the surrounding plains. In ensuing eons, the Colorado River"s many streams eroded the elevated land, threading it with deep canyons. When water broke through one canyon wall into another canyon, sometimes a natural bridge like this one remained above the breach.Desktop Version

Jul 9, 2018Gauchos showcase Argentina’s independent spirit

Gauchos are a national symbol here in Argentina, which celebrates its independence today, 202 years after it broke free from Spanish rule. These gauchos are showcasing their skills in the town of San Antonio de Areco, home to an annual gaucho festival that draws people from all over. The gauchos gather to share traditional food, folklore, and competition. Since the 18th century, gauchos have been known as skilled, brave horsemen and their exploits are celebrated in South American literature and popular culture.Desktop Version

Apr 27, 2020That s quite a schnoz, baby tapir

For World Tapir Day, we"re bringing you nose-to-nose with a baby South American tapir. The creamy stripes and dashes on its coat help keep this endangered calf camouflaged under the filtered light of the Amazon tree canopy. It may look small now, but mature tapirs are the largest native mammals in South America. About that nose: Tapirs use their prehensile nose trunk to grab plants and berries. And if they submerge under the surface of the water, some even use it as a snorkel.Desktop Version

Nov 18, 2023Polar bear season in Manitoba

On the shore of Hudson Bay, the Canadian town of Churchill, Manitoba is remote, but the sights are worth the journey. From beluga whales and northern lights to the shipwreck of the SS Ithaka and the Sea Walls murals, there are many surprises here. Moreover, it is also known as the "polar bear capital of the world", thanks to its seasonal visitors. From October to November, these white giants pass through, waiting for Hudson Bay to freeze over so they can head out to hunt seals. Tourists can safely watch polar bears from the comfort of custom-built vehicles and a so-called "polar bear jail" helps to manage bear-human interactions. Are you ready for a wild adventure that"ll send chills down your spine, but in a good way?Desktop Version

Dec 14, 2021American robin

Season"s tweetings! Today is the first day of the 122nd annual Christmas Bird Count, said to be the longest-running citizen science project in the world. Between December 14 and January 5, tens of thousands of volunteer birdwatchers will participate in counts across the US, Canada, and many other countries in the Western Hemisphere. Organized by the National Audubon Society, each local count takes place in a 15-mile-diameter circle, where volunteers follow a specific route to record and often photograph every bird they see.Desktop Version

May 5, 2018Happy Cinco de Mayo!

If you’re celebrating Cinco de Mayo today, you may hear a mariachi band playing. The Mexican music style dates to at least the 1700s, but the modern version took shape in the 20th century. It usually features string and brass instruments and one or more singers, often putting a mariachi spin on traditional ballads and folk songs.Desktop Version

May 23, 2021A palace for the public

May 23, 2021 marks the 110th anniversary of the opening of the New York Public Library"s Main Branch (now known as the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building). Back just before the turn of the 20th century, a group of New York City business leaders decided that if their hometown was ever going to compete with Paris and London as a center of urban culture, it needed a great library.Desktop Version

Jul 3, 2018To the 155th on the 155th

There are multiple monuments to the people who fought and died at the Battle of Gettysburg. Our photo shows the statue erected to honor the 155th Pennsylvania Infantry, a volunteer regiment that joined up with the Army of the Potomac, which was led by Union General George Meade. And 155 years ago today, the Confederate forces began to retreat to Virginia after three days of vicious combat. With total casualties on both sides of roughly 50,000 lives, the Battle of Gettysburg remains the most costly conflict in US history in terms of lives lost.Desktop Version

Dec 30, 2020Winter in the Wild West

When considering the dramatically eroded canyons of southwestern Utah, snow may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But far-flung Bryce Canyon National Park gets plenty of the white stuff, owing to its elevation of 8,000-plus feet at the massive amphitheater"s rim. The cold not only provides scenic snowy views and great cross-country skiing, it"s responsible for the striking red-rock pinnacles—known as hoodoos—that make the park so unique.Desktop Version

Apr 29, 2019New beginnings

Spring means more than just April showers and May flowers. It"s also the season when many baby animals are born. The rainy, warmer days bring new plant growth, which means nursing and foraging moms can provide their newborns with larger amounts of higher-quality food. It also maximizes the "growing season" for spring babies, giving them time to increase in size and put on fat before winter arrives.Desktop Version

Nov 12, 2021Beavers Bend

To take in these incredible fall colors, we"ve come to Beavers Bend, a 1,300-acre state park and resort in the southeast corner of Oklahoma. It"s a scene that may confound your expectations for the wilds of the "OK" state. The "bend" referenced in the park"s name is a nearly 180-degree turn in Mountain Fork, the river that runs through the park.Desktop Version

Sep 23, 2018Ahh-tumn

To celebrate the autumnal equinox, we’re in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. The park includes part of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah Valley, and in fall, the forests of Shenandoah offer a kaleidoscope of red, gold, orange, and brown as the leaves turn and begin to drop. Skyline Drive, a highway winding across the mountains, will be crowded for the next few weeks as visitors make the trek to take in the view as the seasons change.Desktop Version

Apr 28, 2019A good time in the Badlands

At the close of National Park Week, we arrive at Badlands in South Dakota. Our photo today shows a view from Castle Trail—at 10 miles round trip, it’s the longest marked hike in the park. Spring rain has revived the grasses across the prairie as the sun illuminates the pinnacle rock formations in the distance. Soon, grazing animals such as bison and pronghorn will begin feasting on the fresh crop of grasses. This is also a good time of year to spot some of the dozens of different butterfly species that live in the park and provide a delicate contrast to the park’s rugged landscape.Desktop Version

Dec 31, 2020Goodbye, 2020!

New Year"s Eve celebrations around the world will look a lot different this year, but as we ring in 2021 (and bid good riddance to 2020?) we can still enjoy this view of fireworks from a previous year in Spain. The cathedral in the background is the Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar, which was constructed over centuries beginning in 1681, though several churches had been built on the site prior to that. On the left is the Puente de Piedra Bridge, which spans the Ebro River. It"s also known as the Bridge of Lions because statues of lions (symbols of the city) stand at each end of the bridge. Zaragoza is famous for its landmarks and architecture, as well as for local cuisine, and seasonal festivals—which we can only hope return soon.Desktop Version

Dec 21, 2020Shadows on the solstice

Roughly 5,000 years ago, ancient inhabitants of the British Isles somehow dragged as many as 40 giant stones—the heaviest weighing an estimated 16 tons—onto this grassy plateau in what is now England"s Lake District National Park in Cumbria. They then grouped them into the stone circle at Castlerigg, seen here casting shadows from the low winter sun. Archeologists believe stone circles were arranged to align with solar and lunar positions. They were used in elaborate rituals to celebrate occasions like today"s winter solstice, the shortest day (and longest night) of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.Desktop Version

Sep 5, 2019A lush, green escape

With the tourist season winding down and the rainy season still forthcoming, September is an ideal time to visit Bali. If you’re lucky enough to go, plan a day trip to the Tegallalang farming terraces in Ubud, where visitors can capture gorgeous photos of the landscape and get an unforgettable glimpse into Balinese culture. The island of Bali has a rich tradition of agriculture, with an especially unique method of water management for rice farming. The irrigation system here, known as Subak, is recognized by UNESCO for its cultural significance. Water flows through temples and into the rice paddies, carved into the hillsides like steps. It"s a practice that dates back thousands of years, based on the Balinese philosophical principle of Tri Hita Karana, which refers to a relationship between humans, the Earth, and the gods.Desktop Version

May 28, 2018Honoring the fallen

We’re here at Arlington National Cemetery with the ‘Old Guard,’ the 3rd United States Infantry Regiment and oldest active-duty regiment in the US Army. Each year before Memorial Day, as part of a ceremony known as ‘Flags In,’ members of the Old Guard place an American flag in front of each headstone at Arlington. Within four hours, more than 228,000 flags are placed at the headstones and thousands more at various memorials.Desktop Version

Dec 28, 2020Wildcat in a winter wonderland

If you"re lucky, you can catch a glimpse of this wily wildcat species in many places across Alaska and far-northern Canada. But here in Montana, a Canada lynx encounter like this is rare. While lynxes are known to live in cold climates from Washington state to Maine, they"ve been listed for two decades as threatened across the lower 48 states.Desktop Version

Feb 7, 2021It s superb owl Sunday

These two great gray owls look like they"re ready to play, which seems fitting on Super Bowl (or "superb owl") Sunday. Great grays are bigger than most other owls, with broad wings and long tails. But before you pencil them in at the offensive line, consider that most of their size comes from feathers—they"re relative lightweights, tipping the scales at under 3 pounds on average, less than most other large owls. They generally live in pine and fir forests with meadows nearby, hunting small rodents at night and avoiding areas with people. Great grays hunt by listening and watching from a perch, then swooping down on their prey—sometimes plunging into more than a foot of snow to make a diving catch.Desktop Version

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