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Nov 23, 2023Happy Thanksgiving!

While people gather across the country for feasts of turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing, you may wonder about the origins of Thanksgiving. Early English settlers had plenty to be thankful for, whether surviving the long voyage to America or the first harsh winters. Written records tell of an early thanksgiving shared between Plymouth Pilgrims and Wampanoag Native Americans, who provided a harvest of corn, deer, and turkey. There were many early days of thanksgiving, but an official, national celebration was proclaimed by George Washington in 1789, and has been a part of our holiday season ever since. Today, we wish you good company and plenty of things to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!Desktop Version

Dec 17, 2022Mountain goats at Glacier National Park in Montana

You"re maybe more likely to see a mountain goat in Montana"s Glacier National Park than anywhere else in the lower 48 states. And you may not just see the goats from afar—they are accustomed to humans and will saunter right up to visitors. You"re going to want to keep your distance, though: Mountain goats can deliver forceful headbutts.Desktop Version

Oct 29, 2023Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah, Georgia

Cemeteries are not usually tourist attractions but Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia, defies expectations. The city is often referred to as the most haunted in America, so devotees to all things spooky head here to test their nerves. A cemetery since 1846, the 160-acre site is perched on a bluff overlooking the Wilmington River. Its oak trees, dripping with Spanish moss, loom over walkways, monuments, and elaborate burial vaults. If it sounds like stepping into a southern Gothic novel, you"re on the right track: The cemetery featured in John Berendt"s 1994 bestseller "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." Among the famous figures resting here is poet Conrad Aiken, whose grave is mentioned in the novel. His tombstone is a bench, said to have been designed to allow poetry lovers somewhere to sit to enjoy a drink in these soul-stirring surroundings.Desktop Version

Sep 29, 2023Mid-Autumn Festival

As summer"s warmth gently yields to autumn"s cool embrace, the Mid-Autumn Festival lights up the Chinese city of Guiyang, celebrating the full moon and the autumn harvest. Also known as the Moon Festival, it takes place on the 15th day of the year"s eighth lunar month in the Chinese calendar.Desktop Version

Jul 21, 2022Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds, England

Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds comprise a living, vibrant park, and just not because of their 14 acres of colorful displays and ornate flowerbeds. The gardens have changed with the times, all while still jealously guarding their history. The site here in the county of Suffolk, in eastern England, was originally home to a powerful Benedictine abbey in medieval times—in fact, 2022 marks the 1,000th anniversary of the storied abbey. You can still visit the abbey ruins and marvel at the 14th-century Great Gate and Norman Tower, which have survived through the ages. Nathaniel Hodson took the original abbey gardens and designed them as a botanical garden in 1831, using the Royal Botanic Gardens in Brussels, with their concentric circles, as his inspiration.Desktop Version

Dec 25, 2024Merry Christmas!

Deck the halls, it"s Christmas time! Christmas Day is a holiday packed with joy, warmth, and cherished traditions. For many, it"s a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, bringing family and friends together to exchange gifts, share meals, and enjoy festive décor. Beyond its spiritual roots, Christmas also lights up the season with beloved customs—decorating trees, caroling, and eagerly awaiting Santa"s arrival. These traditions, blending both old and new, make the holiday a magical experience filled with connection and cheer.Desktop Version

Aug 10, 2022Joshua Tree National Park

These immensely photogenic and relatable trees, their shaggy, sinewy limbs thrust upward into the pale light of the desert sky, are the main reason people come here to California"s Joshua Tree National Park. Joshua Tree was declared a national monument on August 10, 1936, before being designated a national park in 1994. Perhaps no other national park is so completely defined by a single feature, be it a plant or wildlife or natural formation. While Joshua Tree National Park contains other wonders, this tree that looks drawn by Dr. Seuss is what visitors come to celebrate.Desktop Version

Aug 5, 2024Lavender field, Hertfordshire, England

This lavender landscape stretching over fields in the English county of Hertfordshire is the quintessential summer scene. A member of the mint family, lavender has been popular through various civilizations. It was used by the Egyptians for mummification; traces of lavender were discovered in the tomb of Tutankhamun. It was also treasured by the Romans for its healing and cleansing properties.Desktop Version

Dec 5, 2022Saint Nicholas Day in Verbier, Switzerland

We"re used to Santa Claus sliding down chimneys, but who knew he could ski? Thousands of Santa Clauses make a stunning downhill display to open the ski season in Verbier, Switzerland, each year. Why the costumes? Their annual descent also celebrates the feast day of Saint Nicholas, observed in Europe on December 5 and in the US on December 6.Desktop Version

Jul 14, 2024La Geria wine region, Lanzarote, Canary Islands

Surrounded by rugged, dark landscapes, La Geria is a marvel of viticulture. Most of the Spanish island of Lanzarote is treeless and covered with black-gray soil. This thick blanket of volcanic gravel is the result of a series of eruptions in the 1700s. By 1775, farmers started growing crops in the new layer of nutrient-rich soil. Volcanic soil absorbs and retains moisture, and the ash keeps its temperature favorable for growing grapes. The holes surrounded by stones you see in our image were dug to protect young grape plants from strong winds. La Geria"s innovative approach to cultivation in an arid climate has been rewarded with its abundance of fine wine, fermented from Malvasia grapes.Desktop Version

Feb 20, 2025Ansel Adams birthday

Born on this day in 1902, Ansel Adams remains one of the most celebrated photographers in history, renowned for his striking black-and-white images of the American wilderness. His work immortalized the grandeur of national parks like California"s Yosemite, pictured here, showcasing the raw beauty of nature with depth and clarity. A pioneer of "pure photography," Adams believed in capturing a scene"s natural essence without manipulation, a principle he championed through his development of the Zone System—a technique to control exposure and contrast.Desktop Version

Sep 25, 2022World Rivers Day

On World Rivers Day, we honor what may be thought of as the queen of them all—the Amazon, which flows more than 4,000 miles mostly through the South American countries of Peru and Brazil. The Amazon discharges a whopping 58 million gallons of fresh water into the ocean every second, enough to fill 83 Olympic-sized swimming pools, far more water than any other river in the world. It accounts for 20% of all fresh water that flows into the world"s seas and oceans. It"s also the vital heart of the largest and most diverse rainforest in the world. The Amazon rainforest is home to a third of the world"s animal species and its trees and plants pull billions of tons of heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year, making it one of the Earth"s best defenses against climate change.Desktop Version

Mar 9, 2024Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, New Mexico

Time is the great transformer, changing the world and all of us. For instance, this New Mexico badland—the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness—was once a lush, tropical forest. Nearly 70 million years ago, instead of twisted terrains and towering spires, this place was home to an array of Late Cretaceous dinosaurs, including armored Ankylosaurs, duck-billed Hadrosaurs, and mighty Tyrannosaurs. Today, the area is filled with wonders of a different kind, rock formations that look more like sculptures than natural phenomena. Bisti/De-Na-Zin is named after Navajo words: Bisti means "among the adobe formations," and De-Na-Zin means "standing crane," a reference to nearby rock carvings of the bird. Visitors to the Four Corners region shouldn"t miss out on this otherworldly landscape of shale and sandstone.Desktop Version

Feb 20, 2024Kinder Scout, Peak District National Park, England

Within the vast expanse of England"s Peak District National Park lies Kinder Scout Nature Reserve, the site of an historic people"s protest. At around 2,087 feet, Kinder Scout is the park"s highest point and its rugged moorlands and windswept plateaus have drawn walkers and nature enthusiasts for generations. In 1932, it was the stage for a "mass trespass," in which hundreds of people on foot protested for public access to these lands. At the time, many areas of open countryside were closed to the British public. This act of civil disobedience prompted much public sympathy, which eventually led to the establishment of the UK"s first national parks. The Peak District National Park was the first, designated in April 1951, ensuring that these hills and valleys would be preserved for future generations to enjoy.Desktop Version

Oct 7, 2023Fat Bear Week

Are you ready for winter? These brown bears of Katmai National Park sure are, and their efforts won"t go unrewarded. Each year, park rangers organize a bracketed tournament to crown one ravenous contender as the fattest bear. Webcams are set up so anyone can join the crowds watching these bears chow down on sockeye salmon, as the fish return to the park to spawn. Once you"ve witnessed the feast, you can vote for which bear you think should win the title. New generations will bring new competitors, but they have big paw prints to fill. Bears such as Beadnose and 747—each animal has an ID number and several have names—are repeat champions but fat bear Otis reigns supreme, with four titles to his name. This year"s Fat Bear Week finishes on Tuesday, October 10.Desktop Version

Dec 31, 2024New Years Eve in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

New Year"s Eve, also known as Old Year"s Day, is celebrated around the world with revelry, fireworks, and for some, religious and cultural observances. Many countries celebrate with foods symbolic of prosperity, long life, and good fortune for the coming year, and many people sing the Scottish folk song "Auld Lang Syne" at the stroke of midnight in remembrance of old friends and past experiences. The new year is often personified as a baby in a tradition that dates back to ancient Greeks, and paired with an old man who represents the year that is ending.Desktop Version

Oct 17, 2023Spreadsheet Day

Happy Spreadsheet Day! Be they a pivot table pro or an entry-level novice, spreadsheet users worldwide have one person to thank: Dan Bricklin released the first electronic spreadsheet program on this day in 1979. The day celebrates the sophisticated grids that have reshaped businesses from accounting and engineering to project management. But data handling did not begin in the digital age. Ancient civilizations had their own ways of recording and tracking the world around them, as seen in our homepage image.Desktop Version

Oct 15, 2023European hedgehog

Brown, round, tiny, and spiny—say hello to the European hedgehog. Our image was taken in Sussex, England, but you"ll find these prickly creatures in gardens, parks, and woodland throughout Europe. Mostly nocturnal, they are welcomed by gardeners as they snack on snails and slugs. With leaves turning gold and the air getting chilly, our homepage hedgehog is all set to gain some weight for the winter.Desktop Version

Jul 23, 2024Methoni Castle, Messenia, Greece

Perched on a rocky headland is Methoni Castle, a symbol of medieval might on the shores of the Ionian Sea. The fortress, on the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece, was built by the Venetians in the early 13th century as a trading post and defensive bastion, protecting the coastline from invaders. Its Bourtzi tower, an extension of the fortress standing on a small islet, was once connected to the main castle by a stone bridge.Desktop Version

Dec 16, 2024Salzburg, Austria

Today, we"re in the Austrian city of Salzburg, a place that never goes out of style. The Advent season here creates a magical atmosphere, making it a truly unforgettable time to visit this city. Twinkling decorations bring the place to life, and the cozy scents of warm chestnuts, mulled wine, and freshly baked cookies mingle in the air. During this time, Salzburger Christkindlmarkt, a world-famous traditional Advent market, is hosted here. Seen on the hill in today"s image is the Hohensalzburg Fortress, home to the popular Fortress Advent market, brimming with holiday cheer.Desktop Version

Oct 12, 2023Farmers Day

Come and gather around, folks! It"s time to express our gratitude toward the harvesting heroes, the guardians of crops: farmers. Farmer"s Day is a celebration of determination and a deep-rooted relationship with the land. From dusk to dawn throughout the seasons, farmers work tirelessly to ensure that produce shelves stay stocked. The interior northwest"s Palouse region is one of the country"s most fertile farming regions, with rolling hills of wheat, legumes, and canola, as seen here today. Old barns with rusty roofs and weathered wood tell tales of harvests and hardships faced by generations of farmers. So, when you eat your next meal, we encourage you to take a moment and think of the workers who produced that food from the land.Desktop Version

Jun 3, 2022World Bicycle Day

On this World Bicycle Day, we spy a pair of cyclists cruising across Uranium Arch, a natural rock arch in the desert near Moab, Utah. Moab is a hotspot for mountain bikers due to its sprawling, intersecting trail system and stunning views. Popular trails take bicyclists over landscapes of petrified sand dunes and eroded remnants of an ancient seabed.Desktop Version

Aug 1, 2024Floating market, Kaptai Lake, Bangladesh

Every Saturday, the largest artificial lake in Bangladesh comes to life with colors and flavors. Kaptai Lake in Rangamati District is home to the floating market of seasonal fruit seen in today"s image. The lake was created in the early 1960s to generate hydropower, submerging not just land and the palace of the king of the Chakmas, Bangladesh"s largest ethnic minority group, but a way of life, displacing 100,000 people. Sixty years on and the landscape has changed. This buoyant bazaar has become a livelihood, as farmers navigate their wooden vessels along the bank to engage with eager buyers. You leave with a bag full of fresh fruit or just a bunch of unforgettable memories, whatever floats your boat.Desktop Version

Oct 25, 2023Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah

The Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument is an untamed wilderness of cliffs and canyons in the heart of southern Utah. The Grand Staircase is a sequence of five majestic sandstone cliffs, rising approximately 5,500 feet across the expanse of the monument. Each step records a different era in Earth"s geological history, a vast showcase of changes over 200 million years. Archaeologists have found prehistoric artifacts, petrified wood, and dinosaur fossils which are over 75 million years old. In human history, the Ancestral Puebloan and Fremont people mastered the art of farming in this challenging terrain. They constructed granaries to store and preserve their harvests. Today, it is a popular getaway for nature enthusiasts and travelers seeking adventure.Desktop Version

Feb 16, 2024Great Backyard Bird Count

For the next four days, birdwatchers all over the world will be taking part in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Bird lovers will identify the feathered friends they see or hear in their area and report their findings. The data helps scientists protect birds by providing information about how populations and habitats change over time.Desktop Version

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