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Polar Bear Week
Polar Bear Week
Polar Bear Week champions the Arctic"s majestic predator, one of nature"s greatest hunters. Established by Polar Bears International, it highlights the challenges they face due to climate change, particularly the rapid loss of Arctic Sea ice. At this time of year, polar bears gather in Churchill, Canada—known as the "polar bear capital of the world." Here, bears wait for Hudson Bay to freeze so they can start hunting for seals, their primary food source.Desktop Version
State funeral of Queen Elizabeth II
State funeral of Queen Elizabeth II
Britain bids farewell to Queen Elizabeth II today, as her state funeral takes place in London"s historic Westminster Abbey. Crowds are lining the streets to pay their final respects to the queen, who died peacefully at her Scottish residence, Balmoral, at age 96 on September 8, after more than 70 years on the throne. The royal family, world leaders, and senior UK politicians are attending the funeral, which is being broadcast across the world. After the service, the queen will be laid to rest in St. George"s Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle, alongside Prince Philip, her beloved husband of 73 years, whom she described as her "strength and stay."Desktop Version
Golden jellyfish in Jellyfish Lake, Palau
Golden jellyfish in Jellyfish Lake, Palau
If you"re lucky enough to see this view through the lens of your diving mask, you must be snorkeling in Jellyfish Lake on the island of Eil Malk in the Pacific island nation of Palau. Golden jellyfish are a subspecies unique to this small lake, on this small island—they"re found nowhere else on the planet. Millions of teacup-sized golden jellies inhabit the lake, following the sunlight that nourishes them. Symbiotic algae live inside the jellyfish and provide their hosts with energy as a byproduct of photosynthesis. The more sun the jellies get, the more energy they derive from their hitchhikers. The jellies start the day at the east end of the lake and drift westward until dusk, following the arc of the sun.Desktop Version
Everglades National Park turns 75
Everglades National Park turns 75
We"re heading down to Florida today to celebrate the 75th year of Everglades National Park, the largest tropical wilderness in the United States. The park was established in 1947 to defend a fragile ecosystem and covers about 20% of the entire Everglades wetland. But even with the park service"s protection, the Everglades" features, primarily shallow freshwater pools, have suffered significantly due to human activity.Desktop Version
Ansel Adams birthday
Ansel Adams birthday
Born on this day in 1902, Ansel Adams remains one of the most celebrated photographers in history, renowned for his striking black-and-white images of the American wilderness. His work immortalized the grandeur of national parks like California"s Yosemite, pictured here, showcasing the raw beauty of nature with depth and clarity. A pioneer of "pure photography," Adams believed in capturing a scene"s natural essence without manipulation, a principle he championed through his development of the Zone System—a technique to control exposure and contrast.Desktop Version
Legacy mural in Philadelphia
Legacy mural in Philadelphia
As Black History Month winds down, we"ve come to the City of Brotherly Love—Philadelphia—to admire this stunning mural, "Legacy," painted by Josh Sarantitis and Eric Okdeh. Measuring nearly 10,000 square feet, the mural in Philadelphia"s Central City District explores the work of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass to end slavery. Students and staff at five public schools, together with dozens of other individuals, collaborated to produce the artwork, hand-laying over 1 million small glass titles on the mural’s right side. The main figure is a girl holding a medallion surrounded by blue flames. The girl"s middle-aged self rises out of these flames, a symbol of defiance and freedom.Desktop Version
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving!
While people gather across the country for feasts of turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing, you may wonder about the origins of Thanksgiving. Early English settlers had plenty to be thankful for, whether surviving the long voyage to America or the first harsh winters. Written records tell of an early thanksgiving shared between Plymouth Pilgrims and Wampanoag Native Americans, who provided a harvest of corn, deer, and turkey. There were many early days of thanksgiving, but an official, national celebration was proclaimed by George Washington in 1789, and has been a part of our holiday season ever since. Today, we wish you good company and plenty of things to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!Desktop Version
Albion Falls, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Albion Falls, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
The spectacular Albion Falls is just one of more than 130 waterfalls that give the city of Hamilton in Ontario, Canada, its sobriquet: Waterfall Capital of the World. The city eagerly welcomes visitors to share in its natural beauty, and there are hiking and biking trails around the waterfalls as well as guided tours. On the edge of Lake Ontario, Hamilton lies 54 miles northwest of Niagara, New York, a town that constantly brags about its own waterfall.Desktop Version
Happy Welsh New Year!
Happy Welsh New Year!
Who says New Year"s Day has to be on January 1? In Wales, the clocks turn back—figuratively—to celebrate Hen Galan, or the "Old New Year," on January 13. As part of this tradition, Calennig, meaning "New Year"s gift" in Welsh, plays a central role, linking the celebration to customs from the Julian calendar era. Even after most of the world switched to the Gregorian calendar in 1582, some Welsh communities clung to their old ways. Traditionally, the day involves children going door-to-door, singing songs, and offering good wishes in exchange for gifts like coins, food, or sweets. A unique feature is its clove-decorated apples. These aren"t for snacking, though; they"re miniature symbols of luck and prosperity.Desktop Version
Astronomy Day
Astronomy Day
Get your telescope and star map app ready because it"s Astronomy Day! Doug Berger, then president of the Astronomical Association of Northern California, created Astronomy Day in 1973 to get more people interested in the wonders of space. He set up telescopes on street corners, malls, and parks to give people a chance to see the stars firsthand.Desktop Version
Poppies in bloom
Poppies in bloom
The soft, rolling hills and ample vineyards of this southeastern part of the Czech Republic have earned it the nickname the Moravian Tuscany. This picturesque area, located in the Hodonín District near the town of Kyjov, is a haven for photographers. Moravia has a rich history, and the long-settled region has been a part of numerous empires. Medieval and Ottoman castles are among the historic highlights for visitors to take in.Desktop Version
Oktoberfest begins
Oktoberfest begins
Welcome to Oktoberfest, the world"s biggest beer festival, held each year in the German city of Munich. Dating back all the way to 1810, it began with the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig, later Ludwig I of Bavaria, and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The celebrations took place on the fields in front of the city gates, which were named Theresienwiese, or Theresa"s Meadow, in honor of the bride. The festivities lasted for five days, filled with exciting activities such as parades and horse races. It was so popular that Oktoberfest became an annual event that now draws more than 6 million people. This year"s festival starts today and lasts 18 days. Beyond Munich, it has become a popular celebration in multiple countries, and cities inside and outside of Germany imitate the festival and cherish its German traditions.Desktop Version
Silent night, sparkling lights, and hearts full of joy
Silent night, sparkling lights, and hearts full of joy
Christmas markets in Germany are a cherished holiday tradition that welcome visitors into a magical world of twinkling lights, festive music, and delicious seasonal treats. These markets date back to the Middle Ages and are held in town squares throughout Germany, with iconic examples in cities such as Nuremberg, Munich, and Dresden. Each market displays unique regional crafts and festive customs. Here, guests can discover handcrafted ornaments, wooden toys, and cozy winter accessories, along with specialties like Glühwein (mulled wine), Lebkuchen (gingerbread), and roasted nuts—ideal for enjoying while immersing themselves in the enchanting atmosphere.Desktop Version
Kiteboarding and windsurfing in Croatia
Kiteboarding and windsurfing in Croatia
Of the many ways people have invented to ride boards of one kind or another, the sport of kiteboarding (aka kitesurfing) is one of the newest. It owes a debt to all the board sports that came before it, borrowing a little bit from snowboarding, water skiing, wakeboarding, and of course windsurfing. Like snowboarders and skiers, windsurfers and kiteboarders often share play space, as they are doing here off the Pelješac Peninsula in Croatia. They can count on a stiff afternoon breeze to fill their sails in the summer months, when the land heats up and draws in the cool air over the Adriatic.Desktop Version
Sonoma Coast State Park, California
Sonoma Coast State Park, California
Sonoma Coast State Park offers a picturesque retreat with its sandy beaches, natural arches, and secluded coves. Established in 1934, the park encompasses 17 miles of Northern California coastline between Jenner and Bodega Bay. Wildlife enthusiasts can spot seals, sea lions, whales, and a variety of birds like towhees, warblers, finches, sparrows, and orioles. History buffs will enjoy exploring the sea stack formation with rubbing marks believed to have been made by mammoths that roamed the area 40,000 years ago. The park is also home to historical sites like Bodega Head, where Russians built a fort in the early 1800s.Desktop Version
American Eagle Day
American Eagle Day
Bald eagles are a symbol of strength, determination, and courage. The powerful bird is celebrated every year on June 20, the day it was made the national symbol of the United States in 1782. President Bill Clinton commemorated this date by declaring it American Eagle Day in 1995. The bald eagle, named for its white-feathered head, was once an endangered bird, but conservation efforts and the Endangered Species Act have helped boost its numbers.Desktop Version
World Jellyfish Day
World Jellyfish Day
Drifting along our shores and into our calendar, it"s World Jellyfish Day! Jellyfish can be found in all the world"s oceans, in all shapes and sizes. There are about 2,000 species, all lacking hearts, bones, and brains. Pacific sea nettle jellyfish, seen here, have vibrant golden-brown coloring and long tentacles and inhabit the coastal waters of California and Oregon. Moon jellyfish are pale with short tentacles, and, in an appropriate twist, went into orbit aboard the space shuttle Columbia in 1991, to help scientists study their unique biology. Jellyfish play a vital role in the ocean"s food chain, as the main food source for many animals, including sea turtles. Their numbers are impacted by climate change, marine pollution, and overfishing, and in turn have reverberating effects on sea life around them.Desktop Version
World Environment Day
World Environment Day
"To damage the Earth is to damage your children," as the writer and environmentalist Wendell Berry put it. Today is World Environment Day, which marks its 50th year of raising awareness and encouraging action to protect the natural world. This year"s theme is about finding solutions to plastic pollution, which brings us to our homepage image.Desktop Version
Channel Country, Australia
Channel Country, Australia
Narrow waterways run like veins through the Australian Outback"s Channel Country, a sprawling, ancient flood plain named after its crisscrossing river channels. The huge flat area is transformed from a parched desert canvas to a vibrant tapestry of wildflowers when rainfall is abundant. Indigenous Australians have lived off this land for tens of thousands of years and some offer tours and classes about how to survive in the Outback. This unspoiled region is also home to a bonanza of wildlife—kangaroos that bounce along the plains, strutting emus, and preening purple-crowned fairywrens. If you"re lucky, you might even spot a bilby—a nocturnal marsupial with rabbit-like ears. So, are you ready to "channel" your inner explorer?Desktop Version
Puma in Patagonia
Puma in Patagonia
Odds are this very focused puma has its eyes locked on a guanaco, a relative of the llama that"s firmly at the top of its daily menu. In this case, dinner will be served in Torres del Paine National Park in the Patagonia region of Chile, the sprawling park recognized as one of the most famous places in the world to watch and photograph wild pumas. While tourists will sometimes see the big cats on their own, trained guides take visitors on hikes or all-terrain vehicle tours to look for the stealthy pumas. The wild cats have been officially protected for the last few years, bolstering their population, and there are abundant guanacos in the Patagonian steppes, which also helps.Desktop Version
Salt ponds of Maras, Peru
Salt ponds of Maras, Peru
Peru"s spectacularly beautiful Cusco region has plenty of Incan wonders waiting to be rediscovered. Take, for example, these ancient salt ponds, stepping their way down the mountainside in Maras, nestled in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. You"ll find more than 6,000 of the little salt pans near Maras, many of them owned and mined by local families.Desktop Version
Red-necked grebes during breeding season
Red-necked grebes during breeding season
The red-necked grebe has a bit of a split personality—in fact, it only lives up to its name about half the year. Its feathers are not red but brambly brown and gray throughout the winter, when it lives a low-key, quiet life in salt water along North American and European coasts. But just before it migrates to a northerly lake, pond, or swamp for breeding season, the plumage around the grebe"s throat turns a distinctive rust-red. Both males and females undergo the plumage change.Desktop Version
Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, New Mexico
Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, New Mexico
Time is the great transformer, changing the world and all of us. For instance, this New Mexico badland—the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness—was once a lush, tropical forest. Nearly 70 million years ago, instead of twisted terrains and towering spires, this place was home to an array of Late Cretaceous dinosaurs, including armored Ankylosaurs, duck-billed Hadrosaurs, and mighty Tyrannosaurs. Today, the area is filled with wonders of a different kind, rock formations that look more like sculptures than natural phenomena. Bisti/De-Na-Zin is named after Navajo words: Bisti means "among the adobe formations," and De-Na-Zin means "standing crane," a reference to nearby rock carvings of the bird. Visitors to the Four Corners region shouldn"t miss out on this otherworldly landscape of shale and sandstone.Desktop Version
Celebrating Festivus
Celebrating Festivus
"A Festivus for the rest of us!" This is the unofficial motto of a non-commercial alternative to Christmas. Celebrated on December 23, Festivus was popularized by the TV show "Seinfeld," although it was actually invented by the family of one of the series" writers. The celebration centers around the unadorned aluminum Festivus pole. After dinner, the traditional Festivus "airing of grievances" gets underway. This consists of telling friends and family the ways they"ve disappointed you over the year. This can provide some much-needed catharsis at what can be a stressful time of year. The day traditionally concludes with feats of strength. Once the head of the household has been pinned, Festivus is officially over. Those who embrace this farcical holiday welcome the opportunity to let off some steam amid the Christmas build-up chaos—much like these red-crowned cranes in Hokkaido, Japan.Desktop Version
Go Fly a Kite Day
Go Fly a Kite Day
Is there a simpler joy than flying a kite on a windy day? The date of this magical invention is unknown, but the first written documentation of kite flying comes from China in 200 BCE. There they were initially used to measure distance, but over the years they have been tapped for fishing, sport, science, celebration, communication, and recreation. Kites can take many shapes and be made of various materials, but all of them have a wing surface, a tether, and a bridle that keeps the surface at an angle to the wind. In fact, you can easily make your own, and there"s no better time than today: Go Fly a Kite Day.Desktop Version