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Celebrating World Wildlife Day
Celebrating World Wildlife Day
We like to think this lone cougar is off to meet its friends in a celebration of World Wildlife Day, recognized each year on March 3. The 2018 theme of the UN-sponsored event is protecting big cats, including lions, tigers, cheetahs, and cougars just like this one. Cougars have a wide range in the Americas, spanning from Canada to Argentina. Photographer Sebastian Kennerknecht captured this image in the Andes of northwest Argentina using a camera trap, a remotely activated camera equipped with a sensor that can photograph animals without a human present.Desktop Version
Borrego Badlands
Borrego Badlands
If you"re looking to take in a beautiful sunset over some exotic terrain, you could do worse than the Borrego Badlands, a 20-mile stretch of desert in southeastern California"s Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. This arid landscape is not the kind of dune-filled terrain that you might visualize when you think of a desert. Instead, it"s a series of rolling hills, canyons, gullies, and arroyos, speckled with sparse but hardy vegetation. It makes for a surreal and beautiful view.Desktop Version
How lovely are your branches
How lovely are your branches
While we are certainly fans of pretty lights and ornaments during the holidays, nothing could be lovelier than these evergreens in their natural setting, with just a dusting of snow. This wintry scene is from Two Jack Lake in the eastern part of Banff National Park, in Alberta, Canada. Banff, Canada’s oldest national park, is surrounded by other provincial and national parks, and together they make up a vast area of spectacular wilderness. Wintertime in this neck of the woods means plenty of skiing, snowshoeing, and if you’re lucky, glimpsing the northern lights.Desktop Version
Fly me to the moon
Fly me to the moon
It was 52 years ago today that astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to land on the moon. Their photographs of the moon, and others taken since then, have become commonplace. But for Moon Day—the annual celebration of that first lunar landing—let"s take a close look at this extraordinary image of Earth"s only natural satellite. Prathamesh Jaju, age 16, of Pune, India, worked for over 40 hours stitching together this detailed photograph from more than 50,000 images he took of the moon"s surface. Jaju, who describes himself as an "amateur astrophotographer," used an automated telescope to track the moon"s movements over a four-hour period in May 2021. The result is this highly detailed portrait showing the moon"s craters, textures, shadows, and colors. While this image may be as close as we ever get to the moon, at least we know we"ll never gaze at it the same way again.Desktop Version
National Bird Day
National Bird Day
In honor of National Bird Day, observed every year on January 5, we"re at the Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve in the Pichincha Province of Ecuador, a 2,000-acre conservation area that was established in 1981. Bellavista is located at high altitude, in the northwestern Andes mountains, and is home to a huge variety of bird species, including the plate-billed mountain toucan you see here.Desktop Version
It s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
It s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
As Asian Pacific American Heritage Month kicks off today, we"re visiting Kubota Garden in Seattle, part of the city"s extensive park system. The 20-acre Japanese garden is tucked away in the Rainier Beach district—one of the traditional centers of Seattle"s Asian American community.Desktop Version
There’s a dog in there somewhere
There’s a dog in there somewhere
Komondors, also known as Hungarian sheepdogs, have a strong instinct to herd and protect livestock. They’re famous for their distinctive coats—when left untrimmed, a komondor’s fur ‘cords’ up, creating the unusual, mop-like appearance seen here. The Komondor in this photo was competing at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden. The 2019 Westminster competition begins today.Desktop Version
Hoisting a flag for seafarers
Hoisting a flag for seafarers
Here above the chilly seas off Iceland, we"re peering down at a tall ship called the Gorch Fock—a training vessel of the German navy. Built in 1958, it replaced the original 1933 Gorch Fock, which was seized by the Soviets in the wake of World War II (but is now back home in Stralsund, Germany, as a museum ship). Because traditionally rigged tall ships are valued as tools for learning general sailing skills, the "58 Gorch Fock is still in official service—but for much of the 21st century, it"s been in and out of dry dock for repairs and safety improvements.Desktop Version
Goats don t grow on trees
Goats don t grow on trees
You"re not seeing things—these goats in Essaouira, Morocco, have climbed high up into an argan tree. And it"s not a one-time event. The goats enjoy the small yellow fruit these trees produce, and when the low-hanging fruit is gone they"re willing and able to make the climb. Goats aren"t the only ones benefitting from these trees. The nuts from argan trees are used to produce argan oil, which is edible and also used for some rather pricey cosmetics, making it a valuable export.Desktop Version
Happy Syttende Mai!
Happy Syttende Mai!
If you have Norwegian roots, May 17, aka Syttende Mai, is a day to celebrate. On this day in 1814 the constitution of Norway was signed, declaring Norway an independent kingdom. Today we honor this stunning country by looking out over the town of Ålesund, nestled amid mountains and fjords in the western part of the country. This seaport stretches across several islands linked by bridges and is known for its charming art nouveau architecture. In ordinary years, Ålesund draws hordes of tourists and serves as a gateway for visitors to explore the bird island of Runde as well as Geirangerfjord, considered one of Norway"s most beautiful fjords.Desktop Version
Westerheversand Lighthouse
Westerheversand Lighthouse
Even in the places most altered by humans, nature seems to slip through, like the Milky Way shown here peeking between light beams from Germany"s Westerheversand Lighthouse. This beacon lies along the Wadden Sea, which forms the world"s largest tidal flat along the Dutch, German, and Danish coasts.Desktop Version
The Feathers at Frenchman Coulee near Vantage, Washington
The Feathers at Frenchman Coulee near Vantage, Washington
This time-lapse photo shows a hiker’s light marking the trail up to The Feathers, a rock formation near the small town of Vantage, Washington. The Feathers rock formation is popular with rock climbers, with routes featuring equally colorful names such as ‘Updrafts to Heaven’ and ‘Where the Sidewalk Ends.’ Nearby is Gingko Petrified Forest State Park, where trees that are millions of years old have gradually turned to stone.Desktop Version
It’s Draw a Bird Day
It’s Draw a Bird Day
Both male and female resplendent quetzals have the bright body feathers, though the color on males is generally even brighter. During mating season, the males—like this one, photographed in Costa Rica—grow double tail feathers that usually measure longer than the bird’s body. In fact, some tail feathers can form a train up to three feet long. If you want to celebrate Draw a Bird Day today, maybe the resplendent quetzal will inspire you. Time to break out the crayons?Desktop Version
By the light of the fireflies
By the light of the fireflies
Every year between late May and mid-June, synchronous fireflies gather into a sparkling, rhythmic light show in the forests of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As part of their two-week mating display, the female lightning bugs synchronize their flashes with nearby males so that every few seconds waves of light ripple through the woods. Of at least 19 species of fireflies that live in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Photinus carolinus is the only species with synchronous light displays, but they can also be found in Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania and Congaree National Park in South Carolina. Other species of synchronous fireflies are particularly prevalent in Southeast Asia.Desktop Version
Male kori bustard, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Male kori bustard, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
If you were to assemble a football team on the southern African savannah, chances are you’d want the kori bustard on your team. This husky bird is one of the heaviest animals capable of flight and is the largest flying bird native to Africa. Males can weigh up to 40 pounds. Given the heavy load, the kori bustard prefers to travel by foot, and is known to be slow and careful as it forages for food. This bird is so large, in fact, that smaller birds are known to perch on its back and catch a free ride.Desktop Version
All hail the king of shrubs
All hail the king of shrubs
Often called the "king of shrubs," rhododendrons are prized by gardeners for their glossy green leaves and brightly colored flowers. Depending on the variety, the blooms can emerge anytime from late winter into summer. Either evergreen or deciduous, rhododendrons make up a large and diverse genus of woody plants in the heath family, with over 1,000 wild species and scores of cultivated options. Rhododendrons are native to temperate areas of Asia, North America, and Europe, as well as some tropical parts of Southeast Asia and northern Australia. Our image today captures "rhodies" in full bloom in March along a path at Semper Forest Park of Rügen, Germany.Desktop Version
A wassailing we go
A wassailing we go
Somewhere under that dense fog, the people of Somerset county in southwest England may be marching from house to house, singing songs and dancing, and asking for a drink or snack in return. If that sounds like Christmas caroling, you’re right. But it’s the English tradition of wassailing—a practice that usually takes place on Twelfth Night, which marks the coming of the Epiphany and takes place on January 5th or 6th. So why do the people living in this farmland moor wassail on January 17? Because in Somerset, the locals observe the pre-Gregorian calendar Twelfth Night, which falls on January 17. They may even stage an ‘apple wassail’ with a trip to a local cider orchard, to sing and make noise for a good harvest in the new year.Desktop Version
A tale of almonds and bees
A tale of almonds and bees
Every February in California, the almond trees bloom, sparking a massive migration of commercial beekeepers to the Golden State. With box hives stacked high onto semi-truck trailers, they transport their honeybee colonies to almond orchards in the Sacramento and San Joaquin areas of California’s Central Valley, renting the little workers out to farmers. In recent decades, this practice has grown to become the largest managed pollination effort in the world, sometimes called the ‘Super Bowl of beekeeping.’Desktop Version
Great horned owl near Lake Tohopekaliga, Florida
Great horned owl near Lake Tohopekaliga, Florida
No, those aren’t really horns on the great horned owl, shown here blending in nicely with its surroundings in central Florida. The distinctive tufts of feathers on top of its head are known as ‘plumicorns.’ They have nothing to do with hearing—instead, they’re thought to be used to show expression and for camouflage. Feel free to impress your friends with this bit of trivia during the Great Backyard Bird Count, a four-day event in February that invites participants to help monitor bird populations.Desktop Version
Rock of ages
Rock of ages
We"re here at Sigiriya, or Lion Rock, in Sri Lanka, for the South Asian nation"s Independence Day, celebrated annually on February 4. Sigiriya towers 600 feet off the ground, jutting dramatically out of the heart of this island country and serving as a formidable monument to the past. The king of Sri Lanka himself, King Kashyapa, who ruled from 473 to 495 CE, once made this the site of his new capital. He ordered that his palace be constructed atop the rock and about halfway up, he had a large gateway carved into the side of the outcropping in the shape of a lion (hence the name). His fortress was abandoned when he died, and the site later served as a monastery. These days it"s a tourist attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage site.Desktop Version
Preservation Hall in New Orleans, Louisiana
Preservation Hall in New Orleans, Louisiana
To celebrate Mardi Gras today, we venture into Preservation Hall, the legendary performance space in the French Quarter of New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz. The former art gallery at 726 St. Peter Street isn’t the oldest music venue in New Orleans, but it’s one of the most important. Since it opened in 1961, Preservation Hall has become a premier showcase for traditional New Orleans jazz and a performing space for the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, which plays here most nights when it"s not on the road.Desktop Version
Seasonal lights dazzle in Japan
Seasonal lights dazzle in Japan
This is just a glimpse of the elaborate light display at Nabana-no-Sato, a flower park located in the garden of Nagashima Spa Land in Kuwana, Japan. Millions of LED light bulbs are used here to illuminate the grounds and create shimmering pathways, tunnels, and patterns. Winter illuminations like this have grown in popularity at Japan’s parks, and they often stay up long after the holidays, providing a bright distraction from winter’s long nights.Desktop Version
Clouds over the River of Grass
Clouds over the River of Grass
It"s the beginning of the wet season in the Florida Everglades, where it"s typically hot and humid from May through November. Afternoon thunderstorms are common, bringing heavy rainfalls that subside quickly. The largest subtropical wilderness in the US, the Everglades is essentially a slow-moving river, 60 miles wide and over 100 miles long. The water flows during the wet season from Lake Okeechobee southward across a limestone shelf to the southern tip of the Florida Peninsula. The complex ecosystem here is not found anywhere else on the planet.Desktop Version
Belgium celebrates its independence
Belgium celebrates its independence
On July 21, Belgium celebrates its independence from the Netherlands and the anniversary of the establishment of the Kingdom of Belgium in 1831. The holiday brings us to the bank of the River Meuse across from the Collegiate Church of Notre Dame de Dinant, the best-known landmark in the Belgian town of Dinant in Namur province. For such a small city (population about 14,000), Dinant has a rich history. It"s the birthplace of Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone, and has a museum dedicated to his life and instruments. The Charles de Gaulle Bridge, which crosses the Meuse, is lined with 28 saxophone sculptures, each one representing a different country in the European Union. Namur province is also the birthplace of Leffe beer, which was brewed by monks in the abbey of Leffe starting in 1240.Desktop Version
Isla del Pescado on the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia
Isla del Pescado on the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia
Isla del Pescado is one of many ‘islands’ on the high Andean salt flat called Salar de Uyuni. This unusual landscape in Bolivia draws in many curious visitors who explore the plain’s 4,086 square miles. Isla del Pescado translates from Spanish to English as the Island of Fish, a reference to the isle’s appearance on the horizon when viewed from a distance. If the thick crust of salt on the Salar seems familiar, it may be because you’ve seen it recently on the big screen: Salar de Uyuni appeared as the planet Crait in the climax of the recent ‘Star Wars’ installment, ‘The Last Jedi.’Desktop Version