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50 years of Earth Day
50 years of Earth Day
For Mother Earth"s big day, we"re shining the spotlight on a tree known as "Father of the Forest," or Te Matua Ngahere in the Maori language. This giant kauri tree lives in the Waipoua Forest of New Zealand"s North Island. At more than 1,500 years old and more than 52 feet around, it"s one of the oldest trees in New Zealand and one of the largest. It"s long been revered by the Maori, and is protected by Maori elders.Desktop Version
The island fox’s incredible comeback
The island fox’s incredible comeback
Meet the island fox, a petite resident of California’s Channel Islands National Park and a true comeback kid. The house-cat-sized creature is endemic to the islands, meaning it’s found nowhere else on Earth. In the 1990s, scientists observed the island fox population on Santa Cruz Island had dropped to fewer than 100 animals. The decline was attributed largely to golden eagles, who moved into new territory after bald eagle populations declined and found the island foxes to be easy prey. (Golden eagles are more prodigious hunters than bald eagles.) Environmental groups launched an effort to bring back the island fox, in part by relocating golden eagles, and by 2015, the population on Santa Cruz Island had rebounded to about 1,750. That’s good news for the fox–and for the entire island ecosystem. As the eagle situation demonstrated, most things in nature are interconnected.Desktop Version
Hollywood s big night
Hollywood s big night
It"s Oscars night in Tinseltown, and we"re offering you a moment"s escape from the paparazzi to gaze over the glittering megalopolis of Los Angeles—and to get an unfamiliar view of a familiar landmark. The Hollywood Sign originally read "Hollywoodland" when it was erected in 1923 and festooned with light bulbs to advertise a real estate development. But within a few years, as the silent-film era gave way to "talkies," the sign evolved into a popular tourist attraction. Falling into disrepair in ensuing decades—at the peak of its decay, the sign was missing its third "O" altogether—the original was demolished and a sturdier version built in 1978.Desktop Version
Homeward bound
Homeward bound
Each September in Iceland brings the arrival of réttir, the annual sheep roundup. After spending spring and summer grazing in the hills and meadows of the Icelandic countryside, the nation"s many sheep—all members of a distinct breed—are brought home to their ranches to avoid the harsh winter weather. It"s not an easy task—ranchers and Icelandic sheepdogs endeavor to bring the often stubborn sheep in, and then they must sort them so they go back to their respective owners. When the sheep are all secure at their home ranches, people customarily celebrate with music, dancing, drinks, and food. In recent years, the event has attracted tourists interested in seeing this collaborative undertaking in action, but of course, even in the Icelandic countryside, social events like réttir celebrations will be a bit more subdued this year.Desktop Version
A day for the oceans
A day for the oceans
The Galápagos sea lion is found in two places in the world—its namesake locale and the Isla de la Plata just off the coast of Ecuador. The expert swimmers are often spotted playing and surfing in the waves. They"re gregarious on land, too, sometimes even grabbing a snooze on a town bench. Although a common and beloved sight in the islands, Galápagos sea lions are endangered, and their numbers are susceptible to changes in ocean temperatures, which can limit their food supply.Desktop Version
Protect your neck
Protect your neck
Happy Halloween, boos and ghouls! We hope our vampire isn"t too scary on this day designed for spooky delights. The fortress in our image is Romania"s Corvin Castle—not far from Transylvania, a real historical region in Romania. In Bram Stoker"s novel "Dracula," the ghoulish Count Dracula lives in a remote Transylvanian castle, cementing the place in popular imagination as the home of vampires.Desktop Version
It s Census Day—make it count
It s Census Day—make it count
It"s Census Day, and we"re marking the once-in-a-decade head count with this populous pic of nesting king penguins in Antarctica. You"re probably wondering: Shouldn"t this crowd of penguins be social distancing right now? A smart observation, but the new coronavirus actually hasn"t been observed in Antarctica at all (it"s the only continent with no cases), nor have birds been shown to spread it. So, we"re giving these avian gatherers a pass, but we encourage you to stay safe at home. With care and patience, we"ll get back to enjoying each other"s company just like these feathered friends.Desktop Version
It’s oh so quiet
It’s oh so quiet
How will you celebrate International Literacy Day today? We’re highlighting this important observance with a photo of the Long Room of the Trinity College Library in Dublin, Ireland. Originally the Long Room was just one story tall, but in 1860, a second level was added to accommodate the growing collection. Literacy is considered one of the key pillars of success in the modern world. Programs to help those who want to learn how to read, or become better readers, are available in many cities—if there’s one near you, have you thought about volunteering there?Desktop Version
Autumn’s swan song
Autumn’s swan song
Each fall thousands of tundra swans can be seen in the Mississippi River Valley—a migration corridor for many species of waterfowl. Birders in Minnesota may spot the tundra swans as they make their way to favored wintering grounds in coastal regions of the US. They travel in family groups of about a hundred, and if you can’t see them, you’re bound to hear them. Tundra swans are a noisy bunch—they have a high-pitched honking call and are especially vocal while foraging.Desktop Version
Aurora borealis
Aurora borealis
You don"t have to go all the way to Alaska to see the northern lights (they"ve been spotted as far south as Hawaii). But based on this stunner of a photo, we recommend it. And the farther north the better: Auroras are more frequent and intense the closer you are to the North Pole.Desktop Version
A Welsh wonder turns 70
A Welsh wonder turns 70
Here on the west coast of Great Britain, we"re enjoying views of the windswept uplands and jagged peaks that surround the small village of Capel Curig in the heart of Snowdonia National Park. Renowned for its rugged and mountainous landscape, Snowdonia is the largest national park in Wales and home to over 26,000 people and even more sheep—the wooly farm animals outnumber people 3 to 1 in Wales. About 60% of the park"s population speak Welsh, one of Europe"s oldest languages, and today they will be wishing this spectacular setting a "pen-blwydd hapus" (happy birthday) as Snowdonia celebrates its 70th anniversary.Desktop Version
Celebrating Mexico in a Cultural Capital
Celebrating Mexico in a Cultural Capital
For Cinco de Mayo, we’re in San Miguel de Allende, a colonial-era city that’s ramping up for a special year. Located in eastern Guanajuato, it was named the American Cultural Capital in 2019 in celebration of its cultural heritage. This honor is given by an NGO called the International Bureau of Cultural Capitals, and it goes to just one city in either North, Central, or South America each year. The recognition comes with tourism marketing about the city in dozens of countries around the world, so others will learn about San Miguel de Allende’s many cultural charms and special events.Desktop Version
Incense making, Vietnam
Incense making, Vietnam
Tomorrow marks the start of the Lunar New Year, known as Tết here in Vietnam. With celebrations fast approaching, these craftspeople in the "incense village" of Quang Phu Cau have been busy. Incense is used both in places of worship and on altars in family homes during Tết. The bright orange, pink, and crimson incense sticks are made from bamboo shavings hand-dipped in spiced and dyed paste. They"re then dried before bundling for sale all over the country.Desktop Version
Presidents hear the echo of history
Presidents hear the echo of history
On this Presidents" Day, we"re stepping back in time and behind the scenes at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. In this photograph, taken August 28, 2013, the giant marble statue of President Abraham Lincoln seems to be looking on approvingly as then-President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, and former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter walk to the stage for a celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the historic 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It was during that march, of course, when civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech from the steps of this memorial.Desktop Version
National Mushroom Month
National Mushroom Month
The humble mushroom may grow in some dark, hidden places, but this is its time in the spotlight. National Mushroom Month is celebrated each year in the month of September in the United States. That’s when the Mushroom Council, a group of commercial mushroom producers, takes advantage of the opportunity to educate people on all that fabulous fungi have to offer—especially the nutritional benefits. Mushrooms have long been associated with good health. In fact, early Romans referred to mushrooms as "food of the gods" and hieroglyphics suggest that ancient Egyptians linked the mushroom to immortality. In modern times, we"ve learned that mushrooms are a powerful source of vitamins and antioxidants. Which type of mushroom is your favorite?Desktop Version
Ruins of Inca temples and terraces on Huayna Picchu, Peru
Ruins of Inca temples and terraces on Huayna Picchu, Peru
Today is International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, an observance created by the United Nations to draw attention to the distinct cultures of indigenous peoples and to support measures that protect their rights. This year’s theme is indigenous peoples’ migration and movement, highlighting questions of indigenous identity and rights, particularly as people migrate within and between countries.Desktop Version
Who s there? The largest owl in the world
Who s there? The largest owl in the world
To get us in the Halloween mood, we"re offering a seldom-seen sight—the Blakiston"s fish owl. Considered the largest of all living owls—about the size of a fire hydrant with a 6-foot wingspan—it"s among the rarest of owls, too. Experts estimate only a few thousand of these elusive birds remain, scattered in pockets of dense old-growth forests in northern Japan, the Russian Far East, northeastern China, and potentially North Korea.Desktop Version
The wild heart of Tasmania
The wild heart of Tasmania
This boardwalk leads to one of the many lakes that dot Tasmania"s Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park, a crown jewel of the island"s Wilderness World Heritage Area. Covering over 623 square miles in the interior of the island, the park is home to an incredible diversity of flora and fauna. Marsupials like Bennett"s wallabies, quolls, Tasmanian pademelons, wombats, Tasmanian pygmy possums, and the legendary Tasmanian devils, as well as short-beaked echidnas and platypuses, can be found in its ancient forests and lakes.Desktop Version
Let’s celebrate
Let’s celebrate
The citizens of Morton, Minnesota, are probably doing a repeat performance of this pyrotechnic display today as they join the rest of the US in a celebration of Independence Day. If you want to blow the minds of your family and friends at the barbecue, steer the conversation toward fireworks and casually drop this truth bomb: Gunpowder, the fuel that makes the fireworks explode, was invented in ancient China by Taoist alchemists who hoped to create an immortality elixir. That’s some dramatic irony, at least in hindsight. Be safe!Desktop Version
A step toward freedom
A step toward freedom
This inscription marks the spot on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, where civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. stood while delivering his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. It was August 28, 1963, and King was addressing a quarter-million people spread across the National Mall during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. King referred to written notes for most of the speech, but as he neared the end of his prepared remarks, he heard gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, who was standing nearby, shout out, "Tell them about the dream, Martin!" King responded by partly improvising the rest of his message in a soaring, sermon-like delivery, punctuating his ideas repeatedly with that single phrase, "I have a dream." King"s dream for racial justice, so eloquently shared that day, would resonate through the crowd and across the nation, bringing passionate new energy to the civil rights movement. It still resonates today.Desktop Version
Come out of your shell for World Turtle Day
Come out of your shell for World Turtle Day
Make way for the green sea turtle, which you’ll find—if you’re lucky—swimming in tropical and subtropical coastal waters around the world. You’ll notice that despite its name, the green sea turtle’s shell is not green at all. The name comes from the color of its fat, which takes on a greenish hue after the adult turtle starts eating seagrass and algae. Unfortunately, like many other sea turtle species, the green sea turtle is endangered and its population shrinking due to hunting, boat-propeller accidents, plastic pollution, and loss of nesting grounds.Desktop Version
Victory in Europe, 75 years ago
Victory in Europe, 75 years ago
On May 8, 1945, thousands of people poured into the streets of Paris to celebrate the defeat of Nazi Germany and the end of World War II in Europe. This photo of the famous Avenue des Champs-Élysées was taken from atop the appropriately named Arc de Triomphe, looking east toward the distant Place de la Concorde and the Louvre. Victory in Europe (VE-Day) had come at last.Desktop Version
A lunar lantern celebration
A lunar lantern celebration
The Mid-Autumn Festival, or Moon Festival, is a celebration of the autumn harvest observed by the Chinese and other Asian peoples. It falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, the full moon closest to the fall equinox. Originally a plea to the gods for rains to ensure a good harvest next year, Mid-Autumn Festival has become a more secular bit of autumn fun, with children and adults gathering to give thanks, eat sweet mooncakes, and light lanterns like the hand-painted ones we"re looking at here from a previous celebration in Singapore. This year, the Mid-Autumn Festival coincidentally lands on another holiday, China"s National Day.Desktop Version
Staircase of turquoise pools
Staircase of turquoise pools
While it"s snowy and cold in much of the Northern Hemisphere this time of year, December and January are popular months to visit Guatemala, where the skies are clear, but everything is still green and lush from autumn rains. Nestled in the Guatemalan jungle, Semuc Champey is a hotspot for adventurous tourists. Its name means "where the river hides under the stones" in Q"eqchi", a Mayan language spoken by local communities.Desktop Version
Installation art turns heads
Installation art turns heads
If you ever encounter a giant plastic snail in the city or an army of rainbow-colored meerkats holding sentry outside a historic building, it’s likely an art installation from the Cracking Art collective. The group uses recyclable plastic to craft vivid representations of meerkats, elephants, snails, and other natural creatures for traveling art installations in unexpected locations. The collective’s use of plastic is meant to call attention to the sometimes blurry connection between natural and artificial reality, inviting viewers to reexamine the world around them. The meerkat exhibit on our homepage took place in 2015 at Le Mans Cathedral in Le Mans, France.Desktop Version