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Jul 18, 2020The moth wonderful time of the year

You"re forgiven if this is the first you"re hearing of National Moth Week, even though it"s been going strong for eight years as a global call to learn about and observe the fuzzy little insects. All too often dismissed as pesky, drab counterparts to our brightly fluttering friends the butterflies, moths seem to hog every light but the spotlight. But they don"t need flashy marketing to win the numbers game: With an estimated 160,000 moth species (though some estimates go up to half a million), they vastly outnumber their swaggering butterfly cousins in the Lepidoptera order.Desktop Version

Aug 18, 2021Pearl of the Adriatic

Jutting out into the sparkling Adriatic Sea, the medieval city of Dubrovnik in southern Croatia displays its centuries-old charm. Here at the heart of the city is the Old Town, paved with limestone and surrounded by medieval walls that encircle its historic core. Visitors can walk along the walls, which stretch over 6,000 feet and were built to defend Dubrovnik from pirates and other unwelcome guests during the Middle Ages. Dotted by fortifications, bastions, and towers, the walls offer breathtaking views of the brilliant blue waters of the Adriatic on one side, and the Old Town"s distinctive terra-cotta roofs on the other.Desktop Version

Aug 5, 2020Aw shucks, It s Oyster Day

It may look like we"ve led you into a squishy green minefield, but don"t worry, these clustered oysters will only explode with flavor. In honor of Oyster Day, August 5 of each year, we"re getting a glimpse of just one method of oyster mariculture, or farming in open seawater. The briny bivalves may be grown on beds, rods, racks, or—in this case—ropes, but the basic process is simple: Growing surfaces are "seeded" with whole or ground oyster shells before oyster larvae are introduced. The shells attract the larvae, which attach themselves and soon grow into a new layer of mature oysters. Humans have been doing this at least since the days of ancient Rome, but wild-picked oysters have been an important food source to many cultures since prehistory.Desktop Version

Jul 15, 2020Who left the tub running?

"Sound II," this sculpture by Antony Gormley, has stood here in the oft-flooded crypt of Winchester Cathedral in the south of England since 1986—not trying to get a plumber on the horn, but quietly standing guard and studying the water in its cupped hands. Elsewhere in the cathedral you"ll find another notable statue: The likeness of William "Diver Bill" Walker, a local hero who—for six years starting in 1906—worked alone in a heavy diving suit to shore up the increasingly flooded structure as it threatened to sink into the boggy soil beneath. Nowadays it"s stable, but the lowest level still sees its share of standing water during rainy periods.Desktop Version

Oct 1, 2021What s better than a smile?

How about two smiles? Some would say there"s plenty to be glum about these days, but to help you grin and bear it, we"re sharing this pic of a pair of hyacinth macaws in Brazil"s Pantanal region as they say "cheese" for the camera.Desktop Version

Sep 6, 2018Feeling chic on Fashion Week

This northern rockhopper penguin might just be our spirit animal–especially for New York Fashion Week. The feisty bird is clearly feeling confident: Just look at that windswept hair! But while fashion models walk the runways in Manhattan this week, this rockhopper will be chilling in the South Atlantic. The rocky terrain on Gough Island, where northern rockhopper penguins live, prevents them from sliding on their bellies–a typical form of land-based penguin transportation. They tend to hop around on the uneven turf of Gough, hence their name.Desktop Version

Dec 31, 2021New Year s Eve

The Land of Fire and Ice earns its nickname from the unique landscape of volcanoes and glaciers here, but Iceland"s white-hot celebrations in the dead of the Nordic midwinter also evoke the phrase. The tradition of New Year"s Eve bonfires in Iceland is said to date from the 18th century, when a group of schoolboys heralded the new year by scrounging up and torching a huge pile of wood scraps. The unruly teenagers" celebration sparked the general public"s interest, and annual fires—like this one in Reykjavik—became an internationally noted tradition for Icelanders. Huddle up to the fire and raise a toasty-warm toast to the new year!Desktop Version

Oct 8, 2020An underwater rainbow

You might look twice if you passed by this Technicolor sea creature gliding through the ocean water. In celebration of World Octopus Day, we"re marveling at a photograph of the rarely seen blanket octopus, near Palm Beach, Florida. The blanket octopus gets its common name from the sheets of webbing that stretch between some arms of the female, like the one pictured here. When threatened, it spreads out its arms, creating a blanketlike silhouette to intimidate would-be attackers.Desktop Version

Oct 5, 2018Is that a smile?

For World Smile Day, we bring you one animal that can’t really smile, at least not in a way that humans recognize. The common octopus, seen in this photo, has a mouth with a beak-like exterior which it uses to crack the shells of the crabs and shellfish it eats. That opening you can see in this photo, below the octopus’ eye, is an aperture, part of its breathing mechanism. Still, if you let your imagination run with it, the octopus does look like he just heard a really good joke. And really, isn’t a ‘grinning’ octopus enough to make you feel good on World Smile Day?Desktop Version

Jul 8, 2020It s only Wednesday

After looking at this adorable gray seal pup you may be surprised to learn that its Latin name translates to hooked-nose sea pig (or piglet, in this pup"s case). Over 110,000 gray seals, more than 35% of the world"s population, make their home in and around the coastal waters of the British Isles. As autumn approaches, pupping season begins, and fuzzy pups—like the one photographed here—can be spotted on the coasts and beaches of the eastern Atlantic. About a month after the seal pups are born, they"re abruptly weaned when their mothers return to the sea to hunt for food and find a new mate. The older pups then congregate for protection in groups called weaner pods. Within weeks they shed their thick pup fur and take to the sea to learn how to catch their own fish.Desktop Version

Jan 19, 2022Kluane National Park

What looks here like an ice road for 50-foot-tall truckers is really Kaskawulsh Glacier in Canada"s Kluane National Park. This corner of the Yukon is home to the largest ice field on Earth outside of the poles, with the slow, steady flow of more than 2,000 glaciers continually carving these vast canyons amid the peaks.Desktop Version

Jul 23, 2021Let the games (finally) begin!

Shining like an incandescent Olympic torch, the Tokyo Tower is our cue to finally say, "Let the games begin!" Along with so much else, the 2020 Summer Olympics were postponed last year (as you probably heard). Despite the long delay, the Summer Olympic Games begin in Tokyo today, almost exactly one year after the games were originally due to start. But these Olympics will look a little different from past games. A recent spike in coronavirus cases has led to a state of emergency in Tokyo, so Olympic organizers have barred spectators from most events. Nevertheless, officials are determined that the Tokyo Olympics will be a demonstration of fortitude in the face of adversity.Desktop Version

Jun 6, 2019Engineering an artificial harbor in Normandy

For the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the beginning of the end of WWII, we’re focusing on the remains of a Mulberry harbour—one of the most impressive military engineering feats of the war. Knowing that the ability to land huge numbers of men, vehicles, and supplies would be crucial to the Allies’ success in the invasion of Normandy, Winston Churchill challenged his forces to come up with artificial harbors that could be towed into place and operational within days of the initial landings.Desktop Version

Apr 28, 2020Happy 800th, Salisbury Cathedral

We"re in the English county of Wiltshire to celebrate the 800th anniversary of Salisbury Cathedral—the towering marvel of Early English Gothic design rising behind these contentedly grazing sheep. The massive church"s first foundation stones were laid here in Salisbury—then called New Sarum—on April 28, 1220. The structure itself dates back even further, the bulk of it having been moved over a mile piece by piece from the former Roman stronghold of Old Sarum.Desktop Version

Sep 19, 2021Arrr! Can you talk like a pirate?

Ahoy matey! Today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day so we present to you a fortress that was really used to defend against pirates. Arrr! This is Le Castella, a magnificent fortification on the Calabrian coast of Italy. For centuries it served as a defense against warring nations and rampaging pirates from the Ottoman Empire.Desktop Version

Nov 1, 2020Native American Heritage Month

Here in the Volcanic Tablelands near Bishop, California, is Sky Rock, a set of ancient petroglyphs that face the heavens. The volcanic rock formations of this area have made it a premier rock-climbing destination. But long before sport climbers flocked here, it was (and still is) home to the Paiute-Shoshone peoples, who are thought to have created these petroglyphs and many others throughout the tablelands.Desktop Version

Oct 10, 2020Birds of a feather

Today is World Migratory Bird Day in Latin and South America, so to honor the occasion we"ve chosen these flamingos, rising above the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Venezuela. Changes in daylight hours and food availability can trigger seasonal migrations in many bird species, including flamingos. American flamingos like these will migrate relatively short distances, usually to ensure a steady food supply. Found mainly throughout the Caribbean, their range extends as far north as southern Florida.Desktop Version

Aug 25, 2021Happy anniversary to the National Park Service!

On the National Park Service"s Founders Day, we"re here on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona peering out at the stunning vista. Can you see the rectangular hole in the canyon wall near the top of the image? That"s Angels Window. Brave hikers can make their way up to the trail above it, but the window itself is best viewed from various points along the North Rim. Far down below is the Colorado River. Beginning about 6 million years ago, it gradually carved downward through countless layers of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rock. The Colorado and its tributary streams continue to deepen and widen the Grand Canyon even today.Desktop Version

Apr 14, 2021Nothing plain about it

The Carrizo Plain National Monument is a unique attraction in California—not just because of its breathtaking, colorful views, but also due to its quiet, isolated feel. Just a few hours north of Los Angeles, it covers almost 250,000 acres along the base of the Temblor Mountains, giving visitors a chance to escape the crowds and experience nature. In spring, wildflowers cover the hills and valley floor, creating the amazing scene pictured here. The area also features other diverse plant species, including several listed as threatened or endangered. Wildlife includes antelope and elk, as well as rare species such as the San Joaquin kit fox, the blunt-nosed leopard lizard, and the giant kangaroo rat.Desktop Version

Apr 19, 2021Rays on parade

The feeding frenzy is on! Each spring and fall, the waters off Mexico"s Baja California Peninsula become the perfect place to spot Munk"s devil rays in massive schools like this one. Unlike stingrays (and perhaps the devil), devil rays lack fearsome pointy tails. In fact, these fish are pretty gentle all around, feeding mainly on plankton. And for them, mealtime is party time: During huge devil ray gatherings like this, rays are seen continually bursting out of the water and landing with loud bellyflops.Desktop Version

Mar 13, 2020Jerte Valley in bloom

As winter turns to spring in the Jerte Valley, all eyes are on the cherry blossoms. This tiny region in the province of Cáceres, Spain, has the perfect microclimate for cherry trees, and there are more than 1.5 million of them here in 23 square miles. The cherry blossoms last just two weeks before the petals rain down, covering the entire valley. About 40 days later, the first cherries are ready to be picked. Locals make wine, beer, and various foods with them. Cherries are also used for spa and beauty treatments, since they have antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, in addition to vitamins and ellagic acid.Desktop Version

Oct 22, 2018We did not invent this, honest

Wombats, like kangaroos and koalas, are native only to mainland Australia and some of its surrounding islands, including Maria Island National Park, where this photo was taken. We bring you a wombat in celebration of Wombat Day. Why Wombat Day? Why not? Wombat fan groups—which are a thing—loosely tie the October celebration to spring planting festivals from Australia’s past. (Yes, it’s spring in the Southern Hemisphere.) But many admit that it’s also just a good excuse to share photos of wombats and eat cake, preferably chocolate.Desktop Version

Feb 2, 2020Hut, hut, hike!

Meerkats, also called suricates, are highly social animals that enjoy playing together and grooming each other. Members of the mongoose family, they live in mobs (yes, that"s what a group of meerkats is called) of 20 to 50 individuals that work together and share underground burrows to stay cool in the African heat.Desktop Version

Oct 27, 2020A bridge of Madison County

Framed here for the season by fall foliage, the Cambron Covered Bridge is located along a nature trail in Madison County, *Alabama*—not Iowa, which is the setting of the bestselling romance novel "The Bridges of Madison County." It"s believed there were once about 14,000 covered bridges in the US, but fewer than 900 or so remain today, a quarter of which can be found in Pennsylvania. But Alabama has covered-bridge bragging rights, too. The state has 11 historic covered bridges. Built in 1974, the Cambron Covered Bridge doesn"t make the official "historic" list, but it does offer hikers a peaceful passageway with great views of Sky Lake.Desktop Version

Sep 28, 2019This view is brought to you by…

Hocking Hills State Park, for National Public Lands Day. Hocking Hills is a 2,356-acre park in southern Ohio offering over 25 miles of hiking trails that pass by unusual rock formations, recess caves, and stunning waterfalls. This is Upper Falls, at one of the park"s most popular hiking destinations, Old Man"s Cave. This huge recess cave, as the legend goes, was named for a hermit who lived here in the 1800s. Then there"s Devil"s Bathtub, Conkle"s Hollow, and Rock House—sites worthy of a visit for their names alone, though the scenery won"t disappoint.Desktop Version

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