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White dunes, blue lagoons
White dunes, blue lagoons
From the air, the mesmerizing tapestry of sandy dunes and lagoons you see here gives Lençóis Maranhenses National Park an otherworldly, desert-like appearance. Located in the sparsely populated northeast corner of Brazil, this park gets far too much annual rainfall—nearly 50 inches—to be considered a desert. In fact, heavy rain is part of what makes this place unique: Nearly 70% of its annual rainfall comes between January and May, filling the park"s nearly 40,000 lagoons to the brim with fresh rainwater. Why doesn"t the water sink into the sand? A layer of impermeable bedrock beneath the dunes prevents that from happening.Desktop Version
Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta
Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta
Glimmering in aquamarine tones, Lake Louise rests amid the Canadian Rockies in Alberta"s Banff National Park. The Indigenous Nakoda people refer to the lake as Ho-run-num-nay, meaning "lake of the little fishes." It was later renamed by settlers, inspired by Britain"s Princess Louise, whose husband was governor general of Canada between 1878 and 1883. The adjoining hamlet is also called Lake Louise and, at an elevation of almost 5,200 feet, is Canada"s highest community.Desktop Version
Penguins can t fly!
Penguins can t fly!
Unlike most other birds, penguins can"t fly, though this one sure looks like it"s trying—or jumping for joy since today is Penguin Awareness Day. Actually, these gentoo penguins on Danco Island, just off the Antarctic Peninsula, were photographed leaping out of the water as they returned to their nests for breeding season, which starts in November.Desktop Version
Digging the birds
Digging the birds
Burrowing parrots, sometimes called burrowing parakeets, are native to the arid Monte Desert of western Argentina. The birds use their beaks and talons to hollow out nesting spaces in soft limestone cliffs found in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. The parrots sometimes end up captured and sold as pets for the wild bird trade. While that"s not illegal—burrowing parrots aren"t endangered—the capture and sale of these birds and others is part of the focus of National Bird Day in the United States, which is observed on January 5. National Bird Day was created to educate the public about the value of wild birds remaining wild. While keeping a parrot as a pet may seem like fun, the organizers of National Bird Day claim the parrot is going to be healthier and happier in its natural habitat.Desktop Version
An oceanic valentine
An oceanic valentine
Just off the coast of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia, the surf crashes over this cluster of rocks, sending an oceanic Valentine"s Day card to a lucky bird—or photographer—flying overhead. We"ll take nature"s love letters wherever and whenever we can find them. But what makes February 14 the day we celebrate love? Some claim Valentine"s Day has its roots in an ancient Roman fertility festival called Lupercalia that included goat sacrifices and a lottery that paired off eligible men and women. Others argue that the holiday began with early Christians celebrating a martyr named Valentine. Chaucer romanticized the day with a poem about two birds mating for life. No matter its pagan or Christian origins, in the modern world, Valentine"s Day is celebrated most everywhere as a day devoted to love.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
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
It s Star Wars Day
It s Star Wars Day
Does this place look familiar? If you"re a "Star Wars" fan you might recognize it as the planet of Crait, featured in "The Last Jedi." In reality it"s Salar de Uyuni, the world"s largest salt flat, found in southwest Bolivia. This otherworldly landscape is near the crest of the Andes, about 12,000 feet above sea level. The salt flat was formed when prehistoric lakes dried up over centuries, leaving behind a salt crust several feet deep. After a rare rainfall, a thin layer of perfectly still water will transform the salt flat into a giant mirror 80 miles across.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
New Zealand s loneliest mountain
New Zealand s loneliest mountain
According to the legends of New Zealand"s Indigenous Māori people, the lonely Mount Taranaki wasn"t always lonely. Taranaki, the story goes, once lived among other mountains in the North Island"s center. But Taranaki feuded with the powerful volcano Tongariro over the love of the pretty peak Pīhanga. In their epic battle, the now flat-topped Tongariro lost his head but emerged victorious. The vanquished Taranaki wandered west, cutting trenches as he trudged to the shore and filling them with lovesick tears to create the region"s rivers.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
Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles, Bavaria, Germany
Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles, Bavaria, Germany
The Bavarian Alps, a mountain range in southern Germany, are home to these enchanting 19th-century castles, Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. Neuschwanstein Castle, on the left of our homepage image, was commissioned by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Building work began in 1869 on this Romanesque Revival palace with its fairy-tale-like architecture and breathtaking mountain backdrop. Across the valley, gazing out over Lake Alpsee, is the equally spectacular Hohenschwangau Castle, built by Ludwig II"s father, King Maximilian II of Bavaria. These two castles boast rich interiors with intricate artwork and historical artifacts. Both castles attract millions of visitors every year, offering a glimpse into the opulent past of Bavaria.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
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
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
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
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
The village of Castelluccio above the Piano Grande, Umbria, Italy
The village of Castelluccio above the Piano Grande, Umbria, Italy
Welcome to wildflower season on the magnificent Piano Grande (Great Plain) in Central Italy. For some geographic perspective, we’re in the calf region of Italy’s boot, nestled in the Apennine Mountains. Perched on the hillside is the little village of Castelluccio, where you can purchase the crop that made this region famous: lentils. The tiny, thin-skinned lentils cultivated here are considered delicacies.Desktop Version
Hey neighbor, it s World Space Week!
Hey neighbor, it s World Space Week!
Space is a big, lonely place, so it"s nice to know we have neighbors. The pictured Andromeda galaxy is our Milky Way"s closest neighbor—right next door at 2.5 million light-years away. Our cordial relationship with Andromeda goes back about 10 billion years to when both galaxies were still forming. But trouble is brewing: Andromeda is on a collision course with the Milky Way, due for impact in 4 billion years. This neighborhood"s about to get rough…Desktop Version
Porcupine
Porcupine
Psycho quiller? Nope, this is no homicidal rodent. Act friendly and keep a tail"s length of distance, and you should be safe from a spiny fate. (That thing about porcupines launching their quills at you like darts? Yeah, total myth.)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
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
Midsummer in Sweden
Midsummer in Sweden
This mirrorlike lake—pictured not at dawn nor dusk, but under the tireless midnight sun that marks Scandinavian summers—lies just outside Örebro, a midsized city in south-central Sweden. To Swedes, late June is synonymous with Midsummer, a solstice festival with roots in ancient, pagan Europe that was later combined with the June 24 Christian feast of John the Baptist.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
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