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Muniellos Nature Reserve
Muniellos Nature Reserve
The Muniellos Nature Reserve is one of Spain"s best-preserved forests of Quercus robur, otherwise known as common oak, European oak, or English oak. The 13,560-acre reserve in Asturias province also includes sessile oaks, seen in our photo alongside beech trees.Desktop Version
Great Backyard Bird Count
Great Backyard Bird Count
The Great Backyard Bird Count has begun! Time to pay more attention to our feathered friends and help scientists learn about wild bird populations. The event runs over four days and will see people using apps and websites to identify local birds and share their sightings from their backyards, or other favorite spots, for as little as 15 minutes a day.Desktop Version
The Canary Islands, Spain
The Canary Islands, Spain
Welcome to Fuerteventura, one of Spain"s Canary Islands, found nearly 70 miles off the northwestern coast of Africa. For thousands of years, the volcanic islands have served as an international crossroads, attracting the interest of the Romans, Arab traders, and European navigators. Agriculture has long been important here, with bananas, tomatoes, and potatoes among the main crops. But while the first voyagers came in search of trade, today"s visitors come to explore the many beautiful national parks and relax on beaches like the Playa del Matorral on Fuerteventura, seen here during a spectacular sunset.Desktop Version
Bournemouth beach huts
Bournemouth beach huts
Today we"re taking our bucket and spade to the seaside resort of Bournemouth on the south coast of England. OK, it might be a bit chilly to build sandcastles this time of year, but the festive glow of these cozy beach huts will warm us up as we enjoy a stroll along the seafront for the town"s annual Christmas Tree Wonderland—a trail featuring more than 100 glittering trees and illuminations. The huts in our photo have been decked out for the holidays, providing visitors with the perfect scene for a seasonal selfie—or should that be elfie?Desktop Version
Mandarin duck, Richmond Park, London, England
Mandarin duck, Richmond Park, London, England
The cold, dreary backdrop of winter can be the perfect time to show off a little color. This male mandarin duck is doing just that with his handsome crest and vibrant plumage. Come molting season, he will look more like his brown-and-white female counterpart, except for his brightly colored beak.Desktop Version
World Water Day
World Water Day
Lake Powell, which meanders across the Utah-Arizona border, was created when the Glen Canyon Dam was built on the Colorado River in the 1960s. It is one of the two largest reservoirs in the US, alongside its downstream neighbor Lake Mead. Together, they provide water to about 40 million people in seven states, while their respective dams generate crucial hydroelectric power.Desktop Version
World Olive Tree Day
World Olive Tree Day
While not everyone would recognize this as an olive tree, most of us understand the meaning of the phrase "extending an olive branch," long known as a gesture of peace and friendship. That sentiment of compassion, harmony, and wisdom is at the heart of UNESCO"s World Olive Tree Day, created in 2019 and observed every November 26. The intent of the day is to bring attention to the resolution of conflict worldwide and to the preservation of the olive tree itself, like this one standing in front of the Temple of Concordia in Agrigento, Italy. The well-preserved, Greek Doric temple was built on what is now the south shore of Sicily, around 440 BCE. Olive trees are native to the coastal regions of the Mediterranean and are cultivated today in places with similar climates, like parts of California and Israel. About 90% of harvested olives are used to make olive oil, the quintessential ingredient in Mediterranean cooking.Desktop Version
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve in Costa Rica
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve in Costa Rica
Today we"re taking a walk through the clouds to visit one of the most beautiful and biodiverse places on the planet. Costa Rica"s Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is in the Tilarán mountain range 5,000 feet above sea level. Hundreds of animal species and thousands of insect and plant species call the forest home. Diligent nature lovers could count nearly 700 types of butterflies and 500 species of orchids during a visit. Famous in the scientific community, the forest also attracts more than 70,000 tourists a year.Desktop Version
Birds of a feather
Birds of a feather
For World Migratory Bird Day, we"ve journeyed down to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in southern New Mexico to join a group of sandhill cranes and their mallard duck friends as they feed in shallow water. Each year beginning in late October, this 57,000-acre refuge becomes the winter home to tens of thousands of migratory birds including sandhill cranes and various species of geese and ducks who travel from as far away as Alaska and Siberia to hunker down in warmer climes. They stay until late February when they begin their journey back north to their summer homes.Desktop Version
The Tour de France begins
The Tour de France begins
The first stage of the Tour de France, known as the Grand Départ, begins today, as the 110th edition of the world"s most famous cycling race gets underway. The grueling event, first held in 1903, sees teams race more than 2,100 miles through the Pyrenees and the Alps to finish on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The competition is divided into 21 day-long stages and while some parts stay the same, others vary from year to year. For example, our image features the Pont du Gard—an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge that was built during the first century AD—which only appeared in the 2019 race. The entire event takes place over a 23-day period, including rest days, as teams of eight cyclists compete for a cash prize and the coveted yellow jersey. For these riders, this competition is the apex of years of training and dedication. Bonne chance!Desktop Version
Mont-Saint-Michel, Normandy, France
Mont-Saint-Michel, Normandy, France
A tidal marvel and a slice of medieval life all rolled into one rocky outcrop—welcome to Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, northern France. The story of this "Wonder of the West" goes back to the early 8th century, when Archangel Michael was said to have appeared to the bishop of Avranches in a vision. The divine message was clear: build a sanctuary on this rock. Taking this angelic advice seriously, the bishop laid the foundations of what would eventually become the abbey that dominates the island today. Over the centuries, this UNESCO World Heritage Site grew in size and reputation, attracting monks, pilgrims, and invaders alike.Desktop Version
Winter solstice
Winter solstice
The days only get longer from here! The Northern Hemisphere marks the beginning of winter today, but the winter solstice is also the shortest day of the year. The rainbow that encircles the sun in our image, a sun halo, is above Lake Antermoia, in the Dolomite Mountains of northern Italy. Sun halos form when sun or moon light shines through ice crystals suspended in the upper atmosphere. When the light of the sun hits the crystals they serve as a prism, separating the light into individual colors of the spectrum, the same way rainbows occur after a rain shower.Desktop Version
Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead
If you"ve ever been in Mexico during Day of the Dead festivities, then you"ve no doubt come across the beautiful orange flowers you see here. Marigolds are one of the main symbols of this festive, two-day celebration. The flowers are native to North America, and were deemed sacred by the Aztecs, who likened their bright colors to the sun. According to legend, those colors and the flowers" sweet aroma have the power to lure the souls of the dead back to this world from beyond.Desktop Version
Palouse farmland, Washington state
Palouse farmland, Washington state
The Palouse region in the Pacific Northwest is known for its picturesque landscapes, agricultural heritage, and unique geological features. Those stunning hills in our homepage image were formed over tens of thousands of years, from dust and silt blown by the wind, known as loess. The Palouse"s fertile soil and climate make it ideal for farming and it is known for its wheat, barley, lentils, and other crops. With its beautiful rolling hills covered in patchworks of green and golden fields, it is often compared to Italy"s Tuscany region or the French countryside.Desktop Version
A desert arts pop-up, just popped up
A desert arts pop-up, just popped up
Today we’re viewing North America’s largest arts and music festival—dust free—from a satellite lens. Welcome to Black Rock City, the pop-up home of Burning Man, a raucous event that takes place in late summer each year on the sun-scorched alkali flats of Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. It’s an unusual set-up, a counterculture mecca where gifts reign supreme and money has no value.Desktop Version
Go climb a tree
Go climb a tree
This egg-shaped observation tower in Germany’s Bavarian Forest National Park is part of one of the world’s longest canopy trails—and one of the most distinctive. Visitors reach the tower via a nearly 1-mile-long elevated walkway that winds around the tops of firs, beeches, spruces, and more at eye-level. From the 144-foot tower, built over three ancient fir trees, they can see the vast expanse of Bavaria’s forests and countryside. Not only do canopy walkways like this one give visitors a bird’s-eye view of the forest, they also allow people to experience nature without harming it.Desktop Version
Native American Heritage Month
Native American Heritage Month
Today, on the first day of Native American Heritage Month, we"re visiting Bailick Park in County Cork, Ireland. Why come to the Emerald Isle on a day meant to honor the contributions of Native Americans? The answer lies in a tale of shared humanity that begins in the 19th century.Desktop Version
Freeloaders of the avian world
Freeloaders of the avian world
Ever felt like some folks are just born jerks? Birds can relate. Take for example the uninvited speckly-white visitor to this robin"s nest: That smaller egg belongs to a baby cowbird whose mother sneakily laid it among the blue robin eggs when no one was looking. Once the baby birds all hatch, the cowbird will grow much faster and larger than its robin "siblings," soon becoming an only chick by muscling them right out of the nest. And if mama robin ejects the cowbird egg before it hatches, the cowbird mom may take notice and chuck the remaining robin eggs from the nest out of spite.Desktop Version
Dolomites
Dolomites
Few places in Europe offer the opportunity to take in the Milky Way like the Dolomites. Far from cities and light pollution, and thousands of feet above sea level, the Dolomites offer a stunning, vibrant night sky above sheer, jagged peaks that cut the dark. Also known as the "Pale Mountains," the Dolomites are named for the sedimentary carbonate rock called dolomite that was first identified in this range.Desktop Version
Midnight sun
Midnight sun
Don"t lose your sunglasses! At least not during this time of year in Svalbard, Norway, when the sun crests the horizon and never dips below it again for more than four months. From about April 19 to August 23, it"s nothing but sunshine in this island chain above the Arctic Circle, more than 500 miles north of mainland Norway. It"s not quite a day at the beach, with average summertime high temps of 39 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit (toasty compared to average wintertime temps of 5 to 9 degrees). And who knows how far it is to the nearest Ray-Ban store?Desktop Version
Village of Zahara de la Sierra, Cadiz, Spain
Village of Zahara de la Sierra, Cadiz, Spain
Zahara de la Sierra, a stunning whitewashed village in the hills of Cádiz province in Spain, offers a blend of history and nature in the south of the Iberian Peninsula. Perched on a rocky hilltop, the village seen in today"s image overlooks the Zahara-El Gastor Reservoir and the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1977. Its Moorish castle ruins and 15th-century tower reflect its history as a medieval fortress. Stroll through streets lined with flower-filled balconies, visit the church of Santa María de la Mesa, or simply relax and take in the views. Zahara is also a gateway to adventure—activities like hiking, cycling, and kayaking are only a little of what the village has to offer.Desktop Version
World Octopus Day
World Octopus Day
One of the least understood of sea creatures, this glass octopus lives in the depths of the ocean where sunlight can"t reach, about 3,000 feet down. Glass octopuses are rarely seen and difficult to observe, but they"re a great example of the diversity of the order Octopoda, which we"re celebrating today on World Octopus Day. The observance comes around, appropriately, every Oct 8.Desktop Version
Heceta Head Light, Florence, Oregon
Heceta Head Light, Florence, Oregon
Heceta Head Light is perched 205 feet above the Pacific Ocean on Oregon"s central coast. The headland is named for Spanish Basque explorer Don Bruno de Heceta, who led a secret expedition in 1775 to bolster Spain"s claim to the Pacific Coast of North America. Having sailed from Mexico, by the time the voyage reached these shores, the crew was ravaged by scurvy and Heceta made the call to turn back—but not before he became the first to map and record a written description of the mouth of the Columbia River as well as this rocky 1,000-foot-high headland that would eventually bear his name. By the 19th century, seafarers making their way up and down the coast made the call for a lighthouse to guide their way. Construction of the 56-foot-tall lighthouse was complicated by the steep bluffs and remote location, but the first light beam pierced through the darkness on March 30, 1894.Desktop Version
Carnival comes to Olinda
Carnival comes to Olinda
It"s the first official day of Carnival in Olinda and the streets in the historic part of town will be alive with revelers who come out to see dozens of giant puppets parade through the town. The larger-than-life "bonecos de Olinda" kick off the festivities each year and have been part of the celebrations here for over a century. They can be up to 20 feet tall and weigh around 45 pounds each. But Carnival in Olinda is not only about these incredible puppets. Like other Carnival celebrations in Brazil, Olinda"s features music, dancing, costumes, and fun.Desktop Version
Summer solstice
Summer solstice
The ancient monument of Stonehenge has fascinated people for centuries. Estimated to have been built between 3000 and 2000 BCE in the English county of Wiltshire, its large standing stones remain an enigma. Exactly why and how this massive stone circle was built are still debated. What we do know, is that it was done without metal tools or the use of wheels—and some of those stones were moved more than 150 miles.Desktop Version