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Whoopin it up!
Whoopin it up!
For Endangered Species Day, celebrated annually on the third Friday of May, we"re featuring the whooping crane, one of only two crane species found in North America. Once seen throughout midwestern North America, whooping cranes were driven perilously close to extinction by the early 1940s, with fewer than two dozen birds in the wild. Thanks to conservation efforts, their numbers have now risen to more than 600. While that"s good news, this limited recovery is still fragile, and these incredible creatures remain imperiled, particularly by the loss of their wetland habitat.Desktop Version
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California
An iconic feat of engineering, the Golden Gate Bridge stands like a sentinel at the entrance to San Francisco Bay. Pictured here blanketed by fog above the waters of the Golden Gate Strait, its towers, adorned with Art Deco elements, reach a height of 746 feet. The bridge opened in 1937, thanks to the efforts of engineer Joseph Strauss, architect Irving Morrow, and others who wanted to connect San Francisco to Marin County. It wasn"t an easy vision to accomplish during the Great Depression, but the investment paid off as its construction created thousands of jobs and boosted growth. It was Morrow who picked the striking color, International Orange, an unusual choice at the time when many bridges were gray or black. He felt it would contrast well with the surrounding hills, sky, ocean, and fog. The Golden Gate Bridge, a testament to human innovation, is a timeless masterpiece blending functionality with beauty.Desktop Version
Can you see the family resemblance?
Can you see the family resemblance?
Honestly, we"re not sure who decided that July 24 was Cousins Day, but we"re all for it—and these meerkats look like they are too. A clan (also called a mob, gang, or manor) usually contains about 20 or 30 meerkats, but some extended families have 50 or more. Females can detect the odor of their kin and use it to avoid inbreeding. They’re native to southern Africa, including the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, which is where this clan was photographed.Desktop Version
It s tree-climbing season
It s tree-climbing season
These cheetah cubs in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania are playing and chasing each other. While doing this, they"re also developing the skills they"ll need to protect themselves and hunt for food. Cheetahs are born with all their spots, but at birth those spots are closer together, giving the cubs a darker appearance that helps them hide from predators. They also have a strip of long fur down the center of their backs called a mantle that helps them blend into the grass. June is an optimal month for wildlife viewing in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area since it"s the start of the dry season. In addition to cheetahs, visitors can spot lions, hyenas, leopards, jackals, and other animals.Desktop Version
Henningsvær Stadion, Norway
Henningsvær Stadion, Norway
If you want to take in a soccer game and the grandiose beauty of the Norwegian Sea at the same time, this place is pitch perfect. Squeezed into a small Norwegian fishing village, it"s fair to say that Henningsvær Stadion"s grounds will probably never host a UEFA Champions League. But, while it lacks stands for spectators, there"s still plenty of atmosphere to soak up in this striking location. Those who play here do so surrounded by the sound of waves, seabirds, and the smells of salt air and cod, drying on the racks surrounding the pitch.Desktop Version
High trekking season in Upper Mustang
High trekking season in Upper Mustang
If you’re lucky enough to be one of the thousand or so tourists allowed into Upper Mustang each year, spring and autumn are the best times for trekking through this incredibly dramatic landscape. Tucked into a remote region of Nepal, it’s geographically part of the Tibetan Plateau. The area is surrounded by the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Massifs and marked with deep gorges, terraced fields, and colorfully stratified rock formations. But perhaps most fascinating of all are the sky caves, 10,000 or so caves dug into the sheer walls of valleys in several areas of the district. Some of these man-made caves are thought to be ancient burial chambers; others are richly decorated with valuable Buddhist paintings, sculptures, and artifacts from the 8th to the 14th centuries. Perched over 150 feet above the valley floor, no one is entirely sure how the caves were built, what they were used for, or even how people accessed them.Desktop Version
Old Town of Rovinj, Croatia
Old Town of Rovinj, Croatia
Beautiful, historic Rovinj dips into the Adriatic like a toe testing the water. The 200-foot-tall bell tower of the Church of St. Euphemia overlooks Rovinj"s historic center. The church, which was built in the early 1700s over the remains of older Christian holy structures, acts as a beacon that welcomes home the town"s fleet of fishing boats each evening.Desktop Version
A new park with a new mission
A new park with a new mission
St. Louis’ Gateway Arch has been open to visitors since 1967 and became part of a national park on Feb 22, 2018. With that new status come new reflections on what the arch represents. Originally it symbolized a ‘gateway to the West’—marking the starting point of the Lewis and Clark expedition and celebrating the westward expansion of the US. But history has many stories to tell and the Gateway Arch, with its new national park status, includes many more perspectives on our nation’s westward growth. The arch and surrounding grounds are now literally more accessible as well, with redesigned grounds that have better integrated the park into the city’s landscape.Desktop Version
A reflection of Europe s past
A reflection of Europe s past
Today we"re in the central German state of Thuringia to visit Wachsenburg Castle. It"s the most famous of a trio of medieval hilltop castles collectively referred to as "Drei Gleichen" (Three of a Kind) because of their close resemblance. Wachsenburg was originally built by the Hersfeld Monastery sometime in the early 10th century as a fortified castle, but it underwent significant changes over the centuries.Desktop Version
Let the holiday shopping commence
Let the holiday shopping commence
Were you among the crowds camped outside retail stores early this morning, hoping to cash in on Black Friday deals? Perhaps you can even see yourself reflected in these Christmas ornaments hanging in New York City’s Macy’s department store. The day after Thanksgiving is big business for retailers. Last year, 174 million Americans shopped on Black Friday weekend, according to the National Retail Federation, presumably moving retailers’ balance sheets from red (losses) to black (profits). But the term ‘Black Friday’ has a darker history. It was originally used to describe a financial crisis in 1869, and later adopted by Philadelphia police to describe post-Thanksgiving chaos at department stores in their city. Retailers later co-opted the phrase ‘Black Friday,’ giving it more positive connotations–a shift toward profitability at the start of the crucial holiday shopping season.Desktop Version
Mount Pico, Portugal
Mount Pico, Portugal
At almost 8,000 feet above sea level, Mount Pico is the highest point in the Azores, a collection of volcanic islands in the Atlantic Ocean that are an autonomous region of Portugal. Back in 1562, an eruption here on Pico Island lasted for more than two years, but this stratovolcano has been lying dormant since 1720.Desktop Version
India Republic Day
India Republic Day
You might never guess that this ornate, skylit building, with an exterior covered in intricate carvings and artwork, was once a military base. Perched high on a hill above the city of Jodhpur, the colossal Mehrangarh Fort—aka the Citadel of the Sun—was built nearly five centuries before its home country became a democratic republic.Desktop Version
Looking down on the Otter
Looking down on the Otter
Otter Creek is the longest river entirely contained within the borders of Vermont and has been an important waterway since people settled in the area around 10,000 years ago. Originally an important trade route for the indigenous Abenaki, Algonquin, and Iroquois nations, it remained a vital part of the economy of the early European settlers and up through the 19th century. It winds through some of the Green Mountain State"s most scenic towns, from Brandon to Middlebury to Vergennes, and empties into Lake Champlain. It is also the water source for more than one of Vermont"s many microbreweries, including Otter Creek Brewery. With at least 60 breweries serving just over 600,000 people in the state, Vermonters lead the nation in beer brands per capita. Cheers!Desktop Version
Welcome to the Alien Egg Hatchery
Welcome to the Alien Egg Hatchery
The otherworldly rock formations in the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness inspired some creative names—such as the "Alien Egg Hatchery" seen in this photo. More than 70 million years ago, this desert was a tidal swamp along the shore of the long-evaporated Western Interior Seaway that once bisected North America. A diverse array of sediment and rock was deposited by the waters, and after the seaway retreated, the rocks remained.Desktop Version
Manatee Awareness Month
Manatee Awareness Month
Today we wish this gentle giant of Florida"s warm waters a safe and happy Manatee Awareness Month. Closer cousins to elephants than to fellow sea mammals such as whales and dolphins, manatees follow a fully herbivorous diet of sea grasses and other marine plants—so these fish hanging out with our buddy here needn"t fear becoming a manatee"s lunch.Desktop Version
International Lighthouse Weekend
International Lighthouse Weekend
This solemn beacon set atop a rocky outcropping is in a country usually associated with sand and sun, making this a side of Spain many do not often see. We"re looking out at the sea on the Costa da Morte, or Coast of Death, a nasty name for an equally nasty (but beautiful!) stretch of Galician coastline in the extreme northwest of Spain. We"re featuring Costa da Morte during International Lighthouse Weekend because mariners are never happier to see a lighthouse than when they"re sailing this coast, known as the Bermuda Triangle of the Eastern Atlantic.Desktop Version
The tallest animal in the world on the longest day of the year
The tallest animal in the world on the longest day of the year
Happy summer! Today marks the first full day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Today also happens to be World Giraffe Day, so we"ve picked this Rothschild"s giraffe dining on tree leaves in Kenya"s Lake Nakuru National Park to honor both occasions.Desktop Version
Decorating for Diwali
Decorating for Diwali
During Diwali, the five-day festival of lights, vibrant patterns of all shapes and sizes are created on the floor out of materials such as colored rice, sand, and flower petals. The charming Indian folk art, called rangoli, is usually made near the entrance of a home to welcome guests and deities, and is said to bring good luck on special occasions. Celebrations might be a bit different this year, but buildings will still be brightened by these decorative drawings, twinkling lights, and small oil lamps, known as diyas.Desktop Version
Flock together for Cousins Day
Flock together for Cousins Day
Are these chicks cousins? Perhaps. Caribbean (aka American) flamingos, like all flamingo species, lay just one egg per year, so chicks of the same size are more likely cousins than siblings. These chicks and their hovering parents are in the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve in the Yucatan Peninsula, a critical nesting colony for Caribbean flamingos. They’re highly social birds that live in colonies of thousands, so they have plenty of opportunities to celebrate Cousins Day today. Here’s to you, cuz!Desktop Version
Venture into a prehistoric gallery of art
Venture into a prehistoric gallery of art
In the fall of 1940, a group of boys exploring the outdoors in the Dordogne area of southwest France came upon the entrance to a cave–and unwittingly discovered a treasure trove of prehistoric art. The walls of the cave now known as ‘Lascaux’ are covered with hundreds of images–giant drawings of bulls, horses, and humans–created some 17,000 years ago, in the Upper Paleolithic Period. The cave was opened to the public in 1948, but after several years, scientists observed that the artwork was being damaged by carbon dioxide, heat, humidity, and other contaminants produced by an average of 1,200 visitors who explored the caves each day. To protect the prehistoric masterpieces, the cave has been closed to the public since 1963. Today, the closest you can get is viewing full-scale replicas at the International Centre for Cave Art in nearby Montignac, where our homepage image was photographed.Desktop Version
The crossroads of empires
The crossroads of empires
Today, we"re 11,000 feet above sea level in the city of Cusco, in the Peruvian Andes. Cusco is considered the historical capital of Peru, a designation that"s even enshrined in the country"s constitution. The city served as a capital for the Incan Empire in the three centuries before the arrival of Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century.Desktop Version
Holey moley–it’s National Doughnut Day!
Holey moley–it’s National Doughnut Day!
Observed annually on the first Friday in June, National Doughnut Day isn’t a marketing ploy by the American Bakers Association. It actually commemorates the women of the Salvation Army who cared for soldiers serving on the front lines of World War I in Montiers-sur-Saulx, France. After several weeks of inclement weather, the demoralized soldiers’ spirits were lifted by a taste from home. The Doughnut Lassies, as the Salvation Army women became known, are often credited with popularizing the doughnut after soldiers returned home after the war. Later, during the depths of the Great Depression in 1938, Chicago’s Salvation Army began National Doughnut Day as a fundraiser to help those in need. The Salvation Army celebrates National Doughnut Day these days by delivering thousands of doughnuts around the country.Desktop Version
Happy Mother s Day
Happy Mother s Day
Zebras can walk within 20 minutes of being born, but they still need help from mom. On Mother"s Day, we"re looking at a Burchell"s zebra mother and foal. For the first two days after the foal is born, the mother will keep it close by and limit contact with other zebras, so the foal gets to know her by sight, smell, and sound. Over the next year, the foal will follow its mother, learning what to eat, where to migrate in the dry and rainy seasons, and how to avoid predators. Those might not be the exact skills your mom taught you, but she surely played a part in your survival and growth—so be sure to wish her a happy Mother"s Day today.Desktop Version
Celebrating Native American Heritage Month
Celebrating Native American Heritage Month
These dancers from the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma are preforming a ceremonial Gourd Dance at the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial in New Mexico, an annual gathering that also includes art, demonstrations, a rodeo, parades, and other events. We’re featuring the image in honor of Native American Indian Heritage Month, which is observed each November. The commemorative month celebrates the contributions of Native Americans to our national culture. In honor of this event, we invite you to learn more about Native people in your region.Desktop Version
A path lain with petals
A path lain with petals
Pisgah National Forest, in western North Carolina, is primarily a hardwood forest boasting 500,000 acres of mountainous peaks and cascading waterfalls that attract hikers, anglers, mountain bikers, and more. But from mid-May to mid-June, the crowds flock here to hike trails that lead to incredible views: acres of native Catawba rhododendrons in full blossom.Desktop Version