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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

Dec 4, 2019Protecting endangered giants

In honor of Wildlife Conservation Day, we"re looking at these two white rhinos strolling through the Amakhala Game Reserve in South Africa—with a friendly oxpecker bird on their tails. The large anklets they"re wearing are used to track the endangered animals and protect them from poaching. Both white and black rhinos live in open savanna, but the adult rhinos" only real predators are humans who hunt them for the illegal trade of their horns. Although they are known for being large, tough animals, rhinos are easily poached during their daily visits to the watering hole. Southern white rhinos now thrive in protected sanctuaries like the Amakhala Game Reserve. But the northern white rhino subspecies is believed to be extinct in the wild with only a few captive individuals remaining. Black rhinos have doubled from their low point over the past two decades, but still number only a fraction of their population in the early 20th century.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

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

Dec 13, 2022Hallstatt, Austria

This tiny, snow-dusted village is Hallstatt, in Austria"s mountainous Salzkammergut region, sandwiched between the shore of Lake Hallstatt and the slopes of the Dachstein Mountains. The salt mines here are thought to be among the oldest in the world and were once the backbone of Hallstatt"s economy. Today they"re a popular tourist attraction—this little village draws in so many visitors that it is considered an area of over-tourism. Hallstatt has sought to limit the number of people who can visit each day.Desktop Version

Sep 16, 2020It s Independence Day in Mexico

In honor of today"s Independence Day holiday in Mexico, our homepage image comes from the state of Guanajuato—where the country"s battle for independence first began. The conflict started with the "Cry of Dolores," an event on September 16, 1810, when priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang the church bell in the nearby town of Dolores and called for a revolt to free Mexico from Spanish control. His call to arms triggered the formation of an insurgency that marched onward to San Miguel and then to the city of Guanajuato (shown in this image). The ensuing conflict spanned more than a decade, culminating with Mexico finally breaking free from Spanish rule in 1821.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

Mar 6, 2020Hello, harbinger of spring

Welcome back, little mountain bluebird. Although this bright fellow may be enduring the last of this year"s snow in Yellowstone National Park, his presence means winter will soon be ending. The bluebird is a symbol of happiness and a welcome sign of spring in many cultures. Soon other migratory birds will arrive in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem—an 18-million-acre tract that includes Grand Teton National Park and surrounding national forests. It"s the world"s largest intact ecosystem in the northern temperate zone. What exactly does that mean? Since wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone 25 years ago, all the animal species that were first documented by European explorers can still be found here.Desktop Version

May 26, 2018Honoring the first American woman in space

This far-out image of the Sahara Desert was photographed from space via the Sally Ride EarthKAM, a camera aboard the International Space Station. The EarthKAM is programmed remotely by middle school students as part of an educational program established by Sally Ride, the first American woman to travel to space. Ride’s first trip to space was in 1983. On May 26, her birthday, we remember her legacy.Desktop Version

Jan 3, 2022Lick Observatory

Shrouded in snow on the summit of Mount Hamilton, in the Diablo Range just east of San Jose, California, lies the world"s first permanently occupied mountaintop observatory. Constructed between 1876 and 1887, the Lick Observatory has been the site of significant discoveries, including several of Jupiter"s moons and other planetary systems. It"s named for American real-estate entrepreneur James Lick, who set aside $700,000 for the University of California to build a facility that would be home to a "telescope superior to and more powerful than any telescope yet made."Desktop Version

Dec 18, 2019It’s Weihnachtsmarkt time!

The streets of this market square are all decked out in a tradition born nearly 700 years ago. Weihnachtsmarkte or Christkindlmarkte (Christmas markets, if you prefer less of a mouthful), take place around the world, but they originated in Germany as a celebratory way to observe Advent, the Christian season leading up to Christmas Eve. These markets are generally open-air affairs where everything is decorated, including the trees (called Tannenbaums in German if they"re firs). People shop from local artisans who sell their handmade wares in small wooden chalets. Then it"s off to eat traditional foods—roasted almonds, pastries, and biscuits—and sip on warm mulled wine.Desktop Version

Mar 18, 2020A stroll above the stratosphere

If this photo from 200-plus miles above Earth dizzies you, imagine how it felt to be Alexei Leonov on March 18, 1965. The Soviet cosmonaut achieved the first-ever extravehicular activity (EVA—but you and I just call it a spacewalk). He spent about 12 minutes outside the orbiting Voskhod 2 capsule. It was the ultimate risk: No one knew just what could happen to a human body in the vacuum of space. Near heatstroke, drenched with sweat, and with his suit dangerously inflating, Leonov barely made it back inside the airlock.Desktop Version

Oct 10, 2019A star blows a bubble

This giant space bubble is being blown by a massive star visible at the 10 o"clock position inside it. Already over 7 light-years across and expanding at a rate of over 4 million mph, the "bubble" is actually the shock wave created when expanding hot gas (or stellar wind) hits the cold, interstellar gas that surrounds it. The Bubble Nebula was discovered in 1787 by William Herschel. The star inside is living fast and will die young (for a star)—it will likely detonate as a supernova in only 10 to 20 million years. This image was taken in 2016 by the Hubble Space Telescope to mark the 26th anniversary of Hubble"s launch into Earth orbit by the STS-31 space shuttle crew. We"re showing it to mark the last day of World Space Week, an annual "international celebration of science and technology, and their contribution to the betterment of the human condition."Desktop Version

May 31, 2019Mysterious prairie mounds abound

Collections of these dome-like hills are common in landscapes throughout the United States. Depending on your region, you might know them as Mima mounds, hogwallow mounds, or even pimple mounds–and their origin isn’t always clear. Theories range from seismic activity to gophers—and even just an accumulation of sediment. The prairie mounds on our homepage today are part of Oregon’s Zumwalt Prairie, a protected grassland area in northeast Oregon. Encompassing some 330,000 acres, it’s of one of the largest remaining tracts of bunchgrass prairie in North America. Once part of an extensive grassland in the region, this portion has remained preserved due to its high elevation, which made farming difficult.Desktop Version

Apr 29, 2018National Park Week: Olympic National Park, Washington

The final day of National Park Week brings us to Ruby Beach, a coastal destination named for its sparkly sand, at Washington’s Olympic National Park. Here on the Olympic Peninsula you’ll find rugged beaches, glacier-topped mountains, and temperate rainforests that receive upwards of 12 feet of rainfall per year. All that rain feeds the mosses, lichens, and ferns that lend the forests a unique, jungle-like quality. Thanks for exploring national parks with us for the past week–it’s been fun!Desktop Version

Oct 20, 2020Reflecting on fall

Some of the best things about fall in many parts of the country are the amazing colorful displays across the landscape. While the trees here in Beaver Lake Nature Center, near Syracuse, New York, are already bare, the autumn ferns cast a radiant reflection on the water. This 661-acre natural area contains a 200-acre glacial lake that draws migrating Canada geese to its shores. Visitors may also see more than 200 other species of birds and over 800 varieties of plants. The nature center is a destination for cross-country skiing in the winter, while the summer months are popular for kayaking and canoeing.Desktop Version

Mar 12, 2020Fiesta at Siesta

Here we are in mid-March already, the time of year when college-age revelers invade the world"s beaches, like this one on Florida"s Siesta Key. Located in Sarasota County off the state"s western shore, the island beach is a fixture on lists of America"s top beaches, a standout even in a state where soft, welcoming sands compose over half the 1,200-mile coastline.Desktop Version

Jan 28, 2020US Coast Guard: Protecting us for 105 years

In recognition of the modern US Coast Guard, formed on this day in 1915, we"re featuring the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse, one of many lighthouses managed by the USCG. How did Cape Disappointment get its name? A British fur trader in 1788 mistook the mouth of the Columbia River for a bay and was disappointed because his ship couldn"t pass due to the river"s shallow bar. Many ships would eventually sink in these dangerous waters, but this lighthouse has warned off countless others since it was lit in 1856, making it the first lighthouse in the Pacific Northwest. Most of the lighthouses in the US have been built and maintained by the US Coast Guard and its predecessors.Desktop Version

Dec 21, 2019Seventeen arches at sunset

When it"s winter solstice time in the Northern Hemisphere, the setting sun shines under the Seventeen-Arch Bridge at the Summer Palace in Beijing, causing this romantic glow. In the 18th century, during the Qing dynasty of China, the Qianlong Emperor ordered the construction of this collection of gardens, lakes, and various structures, including temples and small palaces. These days, it"s one of Beijing"s premier attractions and sure to be crowded this time of year, with visitors headed to the bridge in time for sunset.Desktop Version

Jul 9, 2021A center of antiquity on the Mediterranean

This bird"s-eye view lets us take in the charms of Ortygia, a small island just offshore from Syracuse, on Sicily"s east coast. Ortygia is considered Syracuse"s "old town" and the historical heart of the city. Two bridges cross the narrow channel that separates Ortygia from Syracuse. Ancient Greeks first colonized this island in the 8th century BCE, and the town is brimming with 2,700 years of history. Walk Ortygia"s web of narrow streets and you"ll see Greek and Roman ruins, medieval Norman buildings, and examples of Baroque architecture as well.Desktop Version

Jun 17, 2020Don t go chasing waterfalls

The stunning limestone travertine steps of Beaver Falls are the last in a series of five waterfalls along Havasu Creek, near the bottom of the Grand Canyon. The water gets its turquoise color from calcium carbonate, which reflects the beautiful hue and creates an ever-changing tableau; the minerals are deposited, moved, and redeposited to create new formations.Desktop Version

Jul 23, 2018Tokyo welcomes a futuristic new art museum

You’re looking at ‘Forest of Resonating Lamps,’ an art exhibit in the newly opened Mori Building Digital Art Museum in Tokyo’s Odaiba area, a manmade island in Tokyo Bay. The futuristic facility is making headlines this summer for its unique format. The venue features exclusively digital art–some 50 exhibits that are displayed throughout the 10,000-square-foot space to create an immersive, borderless experience. More than 500 computers and 470 projectors are used to create an ethereal effect. In "Forest of Resonating Lamps," hundreds of lamps dangle from the ceiling and light up in response to movement in the room.Desktop Version

Feb 28, 2023Atrani, Amalfi Coast, Italy

With its red clay roofs and pastel buildings Atrani shines above a sparkling sea on the Amalfi Coast in southwest Italy. Just 800 people get to call Atrani home, the rest of us can only hope to visit one of the country"s smallest towns, walking its narrow roads as we admire the small houses perched above the beach. The traditional fishing village is part of the Costiera Amalfitana UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it has kept its traditional characteristics alive. It is a perfect Mediterranean getaway to soak up the sun and enjoy local seafood at a waterfront cafe.Desktop Version

Oct 6, 2018A bite of ancient history

Apples can be traced back to the mountains of Central Asia. In late 4th century BCE, Alexander the Great was busy conquering that region, and while in what is modern-day Kazakhstan he came across wild apples. Alexander’s military machine brought some of the plants back to Europe, and over the centuries, cuttings and seed splices began to produce the fruit as we know it now. The apples ready for harvest in this photo are on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia, Canada—a long way from Central Asia.Desktop Version

Jan 9, 2021The stylish Spanish shawl

Today we"re meeting one of a motley group of sea slugs called the nudibranchs (rhymes with "thanks"), known for their unique, often complex shapes and neon-bright colors that help discourage predators. The Spanish shawl"s fire-orange mane is made up of tendrils called cerata that mainly act as gills. But that mane also retains venom from the slug"s prey—sea anemones—treating any would-be devourers to a painful sting. Should a ravenous sea star disregard these defenses and get too close for comfort, the Spanish shawl has a Plan B: By flapping its whole 2- to 3-inch body like a gelatinous wing, the nudibranch can flutter into open water for a quick escape.Desktop Version

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