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Feb 27, 2021A snuggling ball of cute

We don"t really need an excuse to feature this adorable photo of twin cubs asleep inside a snow den in Wapusk National Park in Manitoba, Canada. But it just so happens that today is International Polar Bear Day, the perfect day for this shot from the 2007 documentary film "Earth," which focuses on wild habitats and creatures across the planet.Desktop Version

Dec 4, 2018A viewer with a view

The Sphinx Observatory isn’t the highest astronomical observatory on Earth, but it might feel like it to the lucky travelers who visit. To reach the observatory, they take a train up into the Alps, alight at Europe’s highest railway station, and ascend in an elevator tunneled inside the mountain. Once on top, stargazing is the academic focus, but visitors can take in sweeping views from the Sphinx’s 11,716-foot vantage. On either side are the Jungfrau and the Mönch, both members of the ‘four-thousander’ club—mountains that tower at least 4,000 meters (that’s 13,123 feet) above sea level.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

Jul 23, 2020At the foot of Dubrovnik s Gibraltar

The stairs in today"s photo lead to Fort Lovrijenac, an 11th-century fortress jutting out into the Adriatic Sea just outside the western wall of Dubrovnik, Croatia. "Game of Thrones" fans will recognize these doors as entrances to a dwelling in the fictional city of King"s Landing. Legend claims that when the fort was built on this rocky coastal outpost, it took just three months to construct. The locals of what was then Ragusa knew they had limited time before their rivals, the Venetians, would arrive to build their own outpost and rule over them. According to "The Chronicles of Ragusa," the plan worked—the fort was completed just as the surprised Venetians arrived in ships heavy with supplies.Desktop Version

Apr 7, 2021A willowy welcome to spring

With winter officially over, we"re weeping for joy right alongside this willow tree, its wispy new boughs signaling a healthy year of growth to come. About 400 species of willow grow across the globe in water-rich, seasonally chilly spots like here in Minnesota. With some willows soaring up to 70 feet tall and wide, cultures around the world have bestowed deep symbolism on the formidable trees, associating them with refuge, wisdom, or plenty—if not with ghosts, demons, or the spirit world. One thing all traditions can agree on: When a willow sprouts bright green wisps like this, it"s a welcome symbol of spring"s arrival.Desktop Version

Nov 25, 2020A dying breed of tree thrives in an American park

We"re standing on the Mall of New York City"s Central Park, in the middle of fall foliage season. When Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed this quarter-mile walkway, they were inspired by Europe"s public spaces. They envisioned a "grand promenade" where people of all backgrounds, from the city"s monied elite to those of lesser status, could come together and mingle.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

Apr 17, 2021A river runs through it

To kick off National Park Week, which begins today, we"re visiting America"s newest national park, the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, in West Virginia. This incredible view is of the New River Gorge Bridge, which, when completed in 1977, was the world"s highest bridge carrying a regular roadway. It held that distinction for 24 years and is now a popular attraction for BASE jumpers and rappelers.Desktop Version

Apr 21, 2020Where do those colors come from?

As National Park Week continues, we"re turning our attention to the vivid colors of the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park. Its intense rainbow hues are formed by cycles of hot water rising, cooling, and falling—creating rings of distinct temperatures inside the spring. The clear, blue center is the hottest part, with almost nothing living in it. But the other rings are home to various microorganisms that produce bands of distinct colors ranging from green to orange to red.Desktop Version

Dec 3, 2019It’s Giving Tuesday

By giving his mate some prime nesting materials, we think this gentlemanly Atlantic puffin makes a fine mascot for Giving Tuesday, which is recognized today. The event was established in 2012 to encourage acts of generosity during the holidays, when consumerism seems to be the focus for so many. Giving Tuesday was started by a small nonprofit on the East Coast and with the help of social media campaigns, it"s grown into a global movement, perhaps observed even here at the Skomer Island nature reserve in Wales. In 2018, Giving Tuesday participants in the US raised $400 million. Of course, you don"t have to give money to participate. Organizers urge folks to volunteer or take a cue from our homepage puffins, and simply show kindness to one another. Now that"s something we can all get behind (seabirds included).Desktop Version

Feb 16, 2018Dragon dance performed in Chenzhou, Hunan Province, China

This bird’s-eye view of a traditional Chinese dragon dance shows how teams of performers use poles to manipulate the long figure of a dragon, weaving its body in different positions in time with music and loud drumming. Dragons are associated with good luck in China, and dragon dance performances like this are common during Lunar (aka Chinese) New Year festivities, which begin on the first day of the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar, or February 16 this year. This will be the Year of the Dog, according to the Chinese zodiac.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

Dec 4, 2020Protecting wildlife today and tomorrow

For World Wildlife Conservation Day, we"re dropping in to visit a herd of African elephants at Addo Elephant National Park in South Africa. Established in 1931 to protect a small herd of just 11 African elephants, today Addo ranks as third largest of the 19 national parks in South Africa. It provides a safe haven for about 600 of these magnificent creatures, as well as Cape buffaloes, various antelope species, lions, hyenas, and endangered black rhinos.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

Mar 5, 2020The desert blooms

It"s getting to be wildflower season in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona. That means it won"t be long before we see blooms from the big daddy of the cactus world—the saguaro. Our homepage pic shows just a glimpse of this amazing succulent. The saguaro is the largest of them all, with some of the oldest specimens reaching more than 50 feet tall. It can hold huge amounts of water—after plentiful rains when it"s fully hydrated, a saguaro can weigh between 3,200 and 4,800 pounds. In the right conditions, it will live more than 100 years, growing arms as it ages, creating that classic cactus profile that"s associated with the desert and Old West.Desktop Version

Feb 18, 2020Too awesome to be a planet

Pluto was first spotted on this day in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh, a 23-year-old astronomer at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Because it"s so far away—about 40 times as far from the sun as Earth is—scientists knew relatively little about Pluto until the New Horizons spacecraft reached it in 2015. In a flyby study, the craft spent more than five months gathering detailed information about Pluto and its moons. What did they find out? There’s a heart-shaped glacier, blue skies, spinning moons, mountains as high as the Rockies, and it snows—but the snow is red.Desktop Version

Sep 20, 2020Celebrating sea otters

Say hello to this mom and newborn pup in Monterey Bay, California, during Sea Otter Awareness Week. Sea otters shower their pups with attention, cradling them and grooming them for hours. But it"s more than a gesture of affection—a mom will rub her pup to fluff the pup"s coat, which causes the fur to retain air bubbles. The air insulates the pup from chilly water and sometimes causes the youngster to float like a cork. Sea otters can survive on land, but they spend most of their time in the water, sleeping above the surface and anchoring themselves with kelp—or by holding onto each other. When they get hungry, they use rocks as tools to hunt food and pry open shells—something that makes them relatively unique, as they"re one of the few animal species that can use tools.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

Jun 23, 2020Flowers by the sea

It might be hard to believe that this breathtaking stretch of coastline near Bull Point on the northern coast of Devon, England, was once notorious for smugglers and wreckers. Today, it"s a respite from the crowds, boasting views of dramatic cliffs, rocky headlands, and sandy bays. Along these shores in summertime you can spot colorful patches of wildflowers, which have become a less common sight in the UK over the last hundred years or so. In fact, the country has lost 97% of its wildflower meadows since the 1930s as land has been turned over to grow food crops. Some once-common species like the crested-cow-wheat, spiked rampion, and man orchid are so rare they can only be found at the edges of rural roadsides and small, family-owned farms.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 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

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

Mar 25, 2022Tolkien Reading Day

For Tolkien Reading Day, we"re visiting the Lauterbrunnen Valley in the Swiss Alps, which is believed to have inspired the Elven sanctuary of Rivendell in J.R.R. Tolkien"s novels "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit." Like Tolkien"s mythical Elf settlement, Lauterbrunnen Valley has a bit of storybook appeal, with an unusually narrow valley floor hemmed in by steep Alpine cliffs and dotted with numerous waterfalls. Lauterbrunnen became popular among mountain climbers and hikers beginning in the late 19th century, and Tolkien hiked through the valley in 1911. The valley remains a popular tourist destination.Desktop Version

Nov 10, 2018The Badlands celebrates a milestone

Badlands National Park was officially designated a national park on this day in 1978, ensuring 244,000 acres of picturesque landscape are protected for all to enjoy. The region first gained the nickname ‘badlands’ from the Lakota people, a nod to the extreme temperatures, lack of water, and rocky terrain. But it’s not all rugged land here. The national park includes prairie as well—home to bison, deer, and the endangered black-footed ferret, nicknamed ‘prairie bandit.’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

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