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Listening to the sea
Listening to the sea
Two enormous horns like those of old-fashioned gramophones are pointed toward the North Sea along this stretch of the Belgian coast. At the end of one of the horns, a bronze figure of a woman sits on a bench, seemingly listening to the distant sounds of the sea, while the other horn invites a visitor to do the same. The woman"s antiquated clothing, the outsized bolts on the horns, and the fluted Victrola-like design all echo the Belle Époque style once prevalent here on the Flemish coast. (Click on the above image to see more detailed views.)Desktop Version
Finding a balance between wetlands and water treatment
Finding a balance between wetlands and water treatment
Take a stroll through the Wakodahatchee Wetlands and you"ll likely spot great blue herons, like the fluffed-up pair we"re featuring today. Located in Delray Beach, Florida, and created on 50 acres of wastewater utility property, the park first opened to the public back in 1996. A three-quarter-mile boardwalk takes visitors over ponds and through marshes, offering the chance to see more than 150 bird species, plus turtles, fish, frogs, alligators, and other Floridian fauna. Every day, the Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department pumps about 2 million gallons of highly treated wastewater into the wetlands. Then algae and other plants naturally finish the purification process before the water seeps back into the water table. Quite an upgrade from a yucky wastewater pond.Desktop Version
And the skies filled with bats…
And the skies filled with bats…
As if right on cue for Halloween, this is the time of year when millions of straw-colored fruit bats begin to descend on Zambia"s Kasanka National Park. They come in such vast numbers that it"s thought to be one of the largest concentrations of mammals in the world. From the end of October to mid-December, these large fruit-eating bats pack into a small area in the forest to roost. But when the sun begins to set, they start to swarm, darkening the skies as they head out to gorge on fruit in the Mushitu swamp forest. Experts believe their migration starts about 2,000 miles north, in Congo.Desktop Version
Staring down winter
Staring down winter
Feel a chill in the air? Not these two. The first frosty blasts of winter have little effect on Highland cattle thanks to their unusual coats. The long-haired outer layer is oily and slicks off rain and snow, keeping the fluffier undercoat dry and toasty against their skin. These two Highlanders are in a national park in Drenthe province of the Netherlands, but the breed developed by natural selection—only the fittest survived—in the wet and windy Scottish Highlands. The original Highland Cattle Herd Book, which recorded Highland cattle pedigrees, dates to 1885, making Highlanders the oldest registered cattle breed in the world.Desktop Version
A different view of sharks
A different view of sharks
They"ve long been treated as threats, portrayed as villains, and brutally hunted for their edible fins, so we think it"s only fair that sharks get their own day. Shark Awareness Day is meant to highlight the importance of the most fearsome fish in nature, from little dwarf lantern sharks to great whites to these blacktip reef sharks cruising the Tahitian coast.Desktop Version
The (Inca) empire strikes back
The (Inca) empire strikes back
It"s the 1530s. Spanish conquistadors are cementing their hold over the lands of the Inca Empire, including the massive 12th-century stone fortress in today"s image: Sacsayhuamán, in the old Inca capital of Cusco. The Spanish hold prisoner a man named Manco Inca, the puppet leader they"ve installed over the Incans. But in April 1536, he escapes.Desktop Version
The Aomori Nebuta Festival parade, Japan
The Aomori Nebuta Festival parade, Japan
From now until Aug 7, the northern Japanese city of Aomori is celebrating Aomori Nebuta, a festival (‘matsuri’) that features bright, colorful floats like the one seen in our photo. The history of how the festival began depends on who you ask and what you read. But the way to celebrate is to join or watch the parade that is the centerpiece of the observance. The floats depict mythic warriors and creatures, and they move through Aomori accompanied by musicians, often playing flutes and pounding on loud taiko drums. The goal? To ‘awaken sleepy souls.’Desktop Version
A Festivus for the rest of us
A Festivus for the rest of us
We didn"t have a Festivus pole handy, so we"re bringing you near the South Pole, where two gentoo penguins seem to be sharing a loud "Airing of Grievances." December 23 marks Festivus, a tongue-in-cheek observance created by writer Daniel O"Keefe. At first an O"Keefe family inside joke, Festivus was rebranded as a rejection of Christmas-season commercialism and written into a 1997 episode of "Seinfeld" by Daniel"s son Dan. The show introduced such goofy new traditions as the "Airing of Grievances," "Feats of Strength," and identifying "Festivus miracles."Desktop Version
‘Hello’ from zero degrees longitude
‘Hello’ from zero degrees longitude
This laser projected from the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, in London, England, marks the prime meridian, dividing Earth’s Eastern and Western Hemispheres and helping travelers to chart their courses by establishing a universally adopted 0 degrees longitude. The meridian itself is essentially an imaginary line, arbitrarily placed. By the early 19th century, most maritime countries had established their own prime meridians to aid in navigation. But on this date in 1884, delegates from 25 nations met at a conference in Washington, DC, where they established Greenwich as the international standard for mapping and timekeeping. The decision made sense, as the Greenwich meridian was already widely used. But there was one holdout: France abstained from the vote and used its own prime meridian for several decades before eventually joining other countries in recognizing the Greenwich meridian.Desktop Version
Till the cows come home
Till the cows come home
These stylish cows are decorated to celebrate their annual return from high Alpine pastures to the towns and villages where they spend the winter. Known as the Almabtrieb, the tradition is generally held in late September or early October throughout the Alpine regions of Europe. These cows are in the Tannheimer Tal, a valley of the Allgäu Alps in Austria, where more than 100,000 head of cattle make the seasonal migration.Desktop Version
Let’s talk fossils
Let’s talk fossils
Was there a time in your childhood when you told your parents, ‘I want to study dinosaurs when I grow up!’? On National Fossil Day, we encourage you to channel that childhood curiosity. The event, a celebration of paleontology, often includes events at local museums, parks, and schools. Participants may get to see amazing remnants of the past, such as the dinosaur tracks on our homepage, which were photographed near Tuba City, Arizona, in the Navajo Nation.Desktop Version
Looking back at Yellowstone, 30 years after the fires
Looking back at Yellowstone, 30 years after the fires
Nature’s resiliency is on full display here at Yellowstone National Park, where new growth has emerged among the trees charred by the massive 1988 wildfires. More than 1 million acres in the greater Yellowstone area were affected by the blazes that summer, scarring 36 percent of the park. Today marks the 30-year anniversary of Black Saturday, a day when the park saw some of the worst damage, with smoke and ash blackening the skies. But when cool, moist weather brought an end to the devastating fires in late autumn, the ecosystem immediately began to recover. Fire has long been part of the complex ecosystem at Yellowstone and many species have even adapted to rely on fire to open up the canopy, spread seeds, and diversify the habitat.Desktop Version
Big dreams require a big sleigh
Big dreams require a big sleigh
For Christmas Day, we traveled 217 miles north of the Arctic Circle to Ilulissat, Greenland. It"s the island"s third-largest city, though in almost any other region, it would be considered a small town—only 4,670 people live here. Until a few years ago, Ilulissat served as a key destination for that most important holiday correspondence: Thousands of letters sent from around the world to Santa Claus, North Pole, ended up being rerouted to this giant mailbox. Today the mailbox has moved farther north, to Uummannaq, ever closer to the jolly old elf"s magical domicile. If you"re celebrating Christmas today, we hope you have a merry one.Desktop Version
Venice s grand regatta
Venice s grand regatta
Every year, on the first Sunday of September, Venice celebrates the Regata Storica along the city"s most famous canal. The event is the highlight of the Venetian rowing calendar and consists of two parts: a historical boat parade and a series of rowing races. Festivities begin with a regal water pageant comprising a flotilla of colorful boats from the 16th century. Gondoliers are dressed in period costume as they ferry high-ranking Venetian officials up the Grand Canal in a faithful recreation of Venice"s storied maritime past. The regatta commemorates the welcome given in 1489 to Caterina Cornaro, the wife of the King of Cyprus, who renounced her throne in favor of Venice.Desktop Version
An island hopper s paradise
An island hopper s paradise
Welcome to sunny and sultry Seychelles, a tropical island nation just south of the equator in the Indian Ocean, roughly 900 miles off the eastern coast of Africa. The gorgeous beach you see here is Anse Source d"Argent on the island of La Digue, one of 115 islands that make up this tropical republic. Anse Source d"Argent has long been a favorite of photographers, who are drawn to its contoured, dark granite boulders, pristine white sand, and turquoise-colored water. Beachcombers and sun worshippers also flock to the Seychelles because of their consistently great weather—daily high temperatures almost always stay within a comfortable range of between 75 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit all year round.Desktop Version
Take a hike near Lovers Lane
Take a hike near Lovers Lane
For those of you who love getting outside, you"re in luck! Today is Take a Hike Day, an activity the American Hiking Society says will make you happier as you enjoy the great outdoors. And what better way to take a hike than a walk near Lovers" Lane in San Francisco"s Presidio? The sinuous trail we see in today"s photo is called "Wood Line" and was designed by the environmental artist Andy Goldsworthy. By using felled eucalyptus trees, Goldsworthy intended this land art to eventually biodegrade and fade back into the forest floor. It"s one of four of his works within this national park that once served as a US military outpost.Desktop Version
Two rocks and a heart spot
Two rocks and a heart spot
If you really want to earn someone"s affections, fly them to Corsica, rent a car, and take a drive on the only road that cuts through the red volcanic rocks of Calanques de Piana. Some call the naturally occurring rock formation in today"s Valentine"s Day photo "the two lovers," while others call it "the heart of Corsica." (Spot the heart?) Like most affairs of the heart, the path to this geological valentine is circuitous—it"s a winding road, sometimes too narrow to share with oncoming vehicles (the occasional pullovers help). Our vantage point may be a good spot for you to pull over, especially if it"s sunset, to see the rocks aglow as the sun creeps west toward the horizon.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 ‘city’ within Valencia
A ‘city’ within Valencia
Inspired by the City of Science and Industry in Paris, the Valencian Autonomous Government created the City of Arts and Sciences, enlisting the talents of architects Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela to give the Spanish city a modern cultural attraction. Built in a park on the drained riverbed of the Turia River, the first portions of the multi-building attraction opened in 1998. Several additions followed, the most recent being L"Àgora, a covered plaza that opened in 2009 to host concerts, exhibitions, and other events.Desktop Version
Art in the chapel
Art in the chapel
You have until Oct 31 to get to Governors Island in New York Harbor to see artist Jacob Hashimoto’s installation ‘The Eclipse.’ The Colorado native built this room-filling artwork out of rice-paper and bamboo kites, stringing the delicate pieces across the ceiling of the Chapel of St. Cornelius. ‘The Eclipse’ is accompanied by another of the artist’s works, ‘Never Comes Tomorrow,’ which is on display in Liggett Hall Archway, also on the island.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
Let s face it: It s World Emoji Day
Let s face it: It s World Emoji Day
Most versions of the calendar emoji (Desktop Version
Atop the roof of Africa
Atop the roof of Africa
From their home in the Simien Mountains of Ethiopia, these rare gelada monkeys look like they"re on top of the world. Simien Mountains National Park has some of the highest elevations in all of Africa, marked by deep valleys, jagged mountains, and sheer cliffs. This harsh climate nurtures rare and endangered species, including our homepage friends. The gelada monkey lives only here in the Ethiopian Highlands, where it survives on a diet of mostly various grasses. Nicknamed the "bleeding-heart monkey," it"s recognizable by the bright red, hourglass-shaped patch on its chest. It has another claim to fame: This chatty species produces a diverse range of vocalizations so complex they"re thought to be similar to those of humans. So, what do you think they"re talking about?Desktop Version
A night on the (ghost) town
A night on the (ghost) town
The spooky scene here might look like a place you"d want to avoid, but it"s not likely to scare you—not too much anyway. It"s the Fort Rock Valley Historical Homestead Museum in central Oregon, a collection of abandoned homestead-era buildings from the area. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, people acquired federal lands around here for farms and ranches via the Homestead Acts. But most left within a few years due to the hot, dry summers and extremely cold winters. Today, the buildings are assembled as a ghost town and contain items from that period, including furniture, dishes, and tools. There"s also a nearby cemetery which, according to local lore, is haunted by the ghost of rancher and author Reub Long riding his horse.Desktop Version
A cutting-edge art gallery opens in Paris
A cutting-edge art gallery opens in Paris
Fine art has found a new canvas here in Paris, where L’Atelier des Lumières opened in April as the city’s first digital art museum. The venue, housed in a 19th-century foundry, uses 140 digital projectors to splash paintings high onto the walls and across the floors, allowing visitors to walk through, over, and into some of the world’s most famous pieces of art. L’Atelier des Lumières opened with an exhibit featuring works by Gustav Klimt, the prominent Austrian painter best known for ‘The Kiss,’ a portrait of a couple locked in an intimate embrace. Klimt was known for incorporating silver and gold leaf into his art nouveau-style oil paintings, creating an ethereal effect.Desktop Version