Tŵr Mawr Lighthouse, Anglesey, Wales
At the far edge of Ynys Llanddwyn, where the land quietly gives way to sea, Tŵr Mawr Lighthouse stands watch without making a fuss. It is not tall, not flashy, but it knows its purpose—and it keeps it bright.
At the far edge of Ynys Llanddwyn, where the land quietly gives way to sea, Tŵr Mawr Lighthouse stands watch without making a fuss. It is not tall, not flashy, but it knows its purpose—and it keeps it bright.
High above the savanna in Kenya"s Masai Mara, a leopard curls up on a tree branch, napping as the grasslands glow at sunset. On International Leopard Day, observed on 3 May, we celebrate one of the world"s most adaptable big cats. Leopards roam across Africa and parts of Asia, thriving in habitats that range from forests and mountains to open savannas. Their spotted coats are unique to each individual, like fingerprints, and their powerful climbing skills allow them to stash prey high in trees, out of reach of scavengers.
May the 4th be with you! On Star Wars Day, reality cosplays as science fiction and dares you to tell the difference. Our image takes us to Ksar Ouled Soltane in Tunisia"s Tataouine district, where stacked clay granaries rise like sand‑coloured fortresses. Dating back to the 15th century, this storehouse complex was built by Berber communities to protect harvests from heat, theft and time. Function first. Beauty as a side effect.
In the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, rows of blue agave stretch across the landscape, their spiky leaves catching the light like a field of sculpted stars. This region, centred around the town of Tequila, is the birthplace of tequila, a spirit deeply tied to both land and tradition.
Located on the eastern Balkan Peninsula, Bulgaria sits at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, where ancient cultures, fertile landscapes and shifting climates converge.
Stretching across the Sonoran Desert in southwestern Arizona, United States, Kofa National Wildlife Refuge is a land of sharp peaks, wide skies and surprising life. The refuge was established in 1939 to protect desert bighorn sheep, whose sure-footed silhouettes still define the rugged landscape.
World Donkey Day celebrates one of humanity"s most quietly capable partners. Donkeys have worked alongside people for thousands of years, prized for their endurance, sharp memory and sure-footed confidence on rugged ground. Often mistaken for stubborn, they are actually careful thinkers—pausing to assess risk rather than rushing into trouble.
Water is the architect of Krka National Park in Croatia, shaping emerald pools and layered waterfalls along the Krka River. Today"s image highlights Skradinski Buk, the park"s most famous waterfall system, where multiple streams spill over travertine terraces in a dense forest near the village of Lozovac.
Can you picture more than 4,200 square miles of protected wilderness? That"s Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada. Established in 1907 as part of a growing network of protected landscapes in the Canadian Rockies, it was designated a national park in 1930. The park reflects both conservation efforts and much older Indigenous connections, including those of the Nakoda and Secwépemc peoples. Its terrain ranges from glacier-fed rivers and alpine meadows to dense conifer forests dominated by spruce and pine.
One of the world"s greatest natural wonders stretches through the turquoise waters of the Coral Sea off Australia"s northeast shoreline. The Great Barrier Reef, running along the coast of Queensland, is the world"s largest coral reef system. It is made up of nearly 3,000 individual reefs and hundreds of islands, spanning more than 1,400 miles.
Along the rocky coasts of the North Atlantic, Atlantic puffins make their homes in burrows and cliffside crevices. These seabirds, with their black‑and‑white plumage and colourful beaks, are classified by the IUCN as vulnerable, as overfishing and changing ocean conditions reduce the availability of their prey. Each spring, they return to breed, laying a single egg in carefully dug burrows. Remarkable swimmers, they use their wings to "fly" underwater when hunting small fish such as herring and sand eels.
In today"s image, the granite arches of the Alabama Hills frame the Milky Way over a rugged landscape in California"s eastern Sierra Nevada. Famous for its rounded boulders and weathered rock formations, this area formed when molten rock cooled deep underground around 100 million years ago. Water and wind gradually shaped the stone into the smooth shapes seen today. Visitors can explore the natural arches, hike among the rocks, capture photographs of the unique landscape, ride horses or mountain bikes and enjoy seasonal displays of wildflowers.
Perched on a tufa ridge in southern Tuscany, Italy, Pitigliano is a small town with a big personality. Its roots stretch back to Etruscan times, and the winding streets still echo the past, from medieval fortifications to Renaissance palaces. Walking through its narrow alleys, you can feel centuries of life carved into the stone, while small piazzas invite pauses for coffee or gelato. This enduring treasure is often called "Little Jerusalem" for its historic Jewish quarter, where a synagogue and historic cemetery tell stories of a once-thriving community.
Brains, brawn and a serious case of going deep—the sperm whale isn"t here for surface-level living. This Endangered Species Day, meet a giant that thinks big and dives deeper.
What do you call a place where the rocks do the climbing, and humans try to keep up? Welcome to Smith Rock State Park in Oregon, United States, where cliffs rise fast and excuses fall faster. It sits inside the 26-mile-long Crooked River Caldera, shaped by multiple volcanic eruptions. Its welded tuff cliffs are made from compressed volcanic ash that cooled under pressure. The Crooked River carved the canyon, while formations like the Spire rise over 200 metres.
How high is high enough for a great view? In the eastern United States, it doesn"t take much. Hawksbill Mountain is the highest point in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, United States, at more than 1,200 metres, showing how these older mountains rely on openness, not elevation. The park"s establishment in 1935 involved reforestation after extensive farming and logging. Today, much of that land has returned to forest, supporting mixed hardwoods, mountain laurel and rhododendron. What else? Some of the rocks found here date back over 1 billion years, among the oldest in the state. The park shelters over 200 bird species and 32 species of fish and remains dog-friendly, allowing pets in campgrounds and on most trails.
You walk into a museum, and suddenly time shifts. A fossil hints at life millions of years ago. A gemstone reflects geological change you can"t see. That sense of connection is exactly what International Museum Day, created in 1977 by the International Council of Museums, aims to celebrate.
At the Chelsea Flower Show, not every plant plays nice—some come with a bite. Meet the pitcher plants, nature"s quiet hunters, turning a garden stroll into a low-key thriller. These striking carnivores, often from the genus Sarracenia, use modified leaves shaped like tall tubes—pitchers—to lure, trap and digest insects. Nectar around the lid isn"t just sweet—it"s a little sinister, helping insects lose their footing, while downward-pointing bristles keep escape plans firmly off the table.
A soft buzz and a dusting of pollen can shape the future of our food. World Bee Day, observed each year on 20 May, celebrates pollinators like the bumble bee pictured here during its quiet yet essential work. Unlike many insects, bumble bees use "buzz pollination," vibrating their flight muscles to shake pollen from flowers—a method vital for crops such as tomatoes, peppers and blueberries.
International Tea Day celebrates a drink that connects daily rituals to ancient landscapes. Just one look at the terraced tea fields of Sichuan Province, China, shows how deep those roots run. This misty region in southwest China is one of the earliest centres of tea culture, where people drank and cultivated tea more than 2,000 years ago. On nearby Mengding Mountain, a scholar named Wu Lizhen planted some of the world"s first managed tea gardens during the Han Dynasty, laying the groundwork for generations of growers.
Observed each year on 22 May, International Day for Biological Diversity is a global reminder that life on Earth is richer—and more fragile—than it appears. Established by the United Nations, today highlights why protecting plants, animals and ecosystems matters for food, medicine, climate stability and everyday well-being.
Turtles are not only fascinating animals; they also play vital roles in nature. Sea turtles help keep seagrass beds and coral reefs healthy, while freshwater and land counterparts support balanced ecosystems. Their shells are part of their skeletons, formed from dozens of fused bones, and some species navigate using Earth"s magnetic field to return to the beaches where they hatched.
The European Day of Parks celebrates protected areas across the continent, marking the creation of Europe"s first national parks in 1909. It serves as a reminder that many of today"s most iconic landscapes exist because of long-term conservation efforts. Today"s image highlights a prime example of this legacy: Tre Cime Nature Park in northern Italy.
What if a building could breathe? In the middle of Jaipur, Hawa Mahal does exactly that—pulling in air, pushing out heat and turning architecture into a quiet science experiment. It"s less a palace, more a perfectly timed exhale. And yes, it really does live up to its name: the "Palace of Winds."
As spring sweeps across Northern California in the United States, the landscape is transformed by the vibrant displays of lupine flowers in shades of blue, purple and white. Flourishing in the region"s Mediterranean climate, these wildflowers provide a vital source of nectar for pollinators such as bees, butterflies and beetles. With over 200 species found worldwide, lupines range from coastal varieties to those that thrive in mountain meadows. Beyond their striking beauty, lupines are essential to the ecosystem: by fixing nitrogen underground, they enrich soil fertility and support the growth of surrounding plants, even in nutrient-poor environments.
On World Otter Day, just look at this cutie swimming in the waters of Kachemak Bay, Alaska! Otters are captivating creatures that play an essential role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Supported by the Otter Specialist Group (OSG)—a global network of professionals dedicated to the conservation of all 14 species—this day highlights the otter"s vital contribution to nature. Known for their playful behaviour and remarkable intelligence, otters are key indicators of waterway health. Sadly, they face growing challenges from habitat loss and pollution.
As night settles over Suwon, South Korea, the old city wall pictured here shows that function doesn"t necessarily cancel out beauty—it can create it. Built between 1794 and 1796 under King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty, Hwaseong Fortress was more than a barrier. It was policy in stone: a reform‑minded push for a leaner, better-run state, driven by practicality and a deeply personal motive. Jeongjo ordered its construction to honour his father while strengthening a kingdom that wanted smarter systems, not just thicker walls.
In Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal, Mount Everest rises into view, calm and unmoved as evening settles in. But on 29 May, 1953, that stillness was broken. After years of planning and weeks of climbing, New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay reached the summit. At more than 8,800 metres above sea level, they became the first people known to have stood at Earth"s highest point.
Etosha National Park, Namibia, is not a place for soft starts, and the plains zebra foal in this image seems to get the memo. In a land this vast—nearly 8,600 square miles of salt pans and grassland—timing is everything, and hesitation is expensive. Lions, spotted hyenas, wild dogs, cheetahs and leopards constantly pressure the herd—especially the youngest—so zebras are born ready. Minutes after arrival, they"re upright. Hours later, they"re moving.
Wetlands don"t shout for attention–they flow quietly, shaping entire landscapes. Few places prove their power like Everglades National Park in the United States. From above, Florida"s famous "River of Grass" unfolds as a vast patchwork of shallow water, sawgrass, mangroves and winding channels, shaped by freshwater slowly flowing south from Lake Okeechobee. It"s also the only place on Earth where American alligators and American crocodiles share space, each sticking to their preferred waters.
Palermo, the capital of the island of Sicily in southern Italy, is a city where layers of history, art and culture meet in a vivid and sometimes chaotic harmony. Founded by the Phoenicians and later shaped by Romans, Arabs, Normans and Spaniards, it carries traces of many civilisations that passed through the Mediterranean. This rich past is visible in its architecture, from the Arab-Norman palaces and churches recognised by UNESCO to the Baroque facades that define its historic streets.