Friendship Day, Aug 4, 2024

Aug 4, 2024 bing



Friendship Day © Matrishva Vyas/Getty Images

Friendship comes in all shapes and sizes. This impala and the red-billed oxpecker, pictured in South Africa, both get something out of buddying up. The oxpecker gets food by eating ticks from the impala"s skin, while the impala gets to stay clean.

Molokini Crater, Maui, Hawaii

Aug 6, 2024 bing



Molokini Crater, Maui, Hawaii © Douglas Peebles/eStock Photo

Today we're at Molokini Crater. This pleasant crescent in the Pacific Ocean lies in the "Alalākeiki Channel between the Hawaiian islands of Maui and Kaho'olawe. The islet is all that remains of a volcano that erupted about 230,000 years ago. According to Hawaiian mythology, Pele the fire goddess was in love with a man named Mo'o. The trouble was that Mo'o was in love with another woman. Pele's revenge was typically violent: She cut her rival in two, her body becoming Molokini, while her head became Pu'u Olai, a cinder cone on Maui.

Train crossing the Tadami River in Japan

Jan 17, 2018 bing



Train crossing the Tadami River in Japan © Nuttapoom Amornpashara/Getty Images

The Tadami flows through three prefectures on Japan’s Honshu Island. This train is crossing the river near the small town of Mishima, in Fukushima Prefecture. Despite the icy, snow-covered scene in our photo, the Fukushima region is famous for the fruit it produces in warmer seasons, especially peaches.

The raven and the wolf are companions for the ages

Feb 20, 2019 bing



An unlikely friendship in the wild © Lassi Rautiainen/Minden Pictures

The raven and the wolf are companions for the ages. The two species are often depicted together in mythology and lore. In modern accounts, if there’s a wolf around, there’s likely a raven nearby. The highly intelligent birds are known to attach themselves to wolf packs in the wild and scavenge off carcasses left behind after a hunt. Ravens have even been observed playing with the wolves, pulling on the tails of wolf pups and chasing them at play. Sounds like fun, but we’ll watch from a distance, thanks.

the sea otter population here has fully recovered

Mar 24, 2019 bing



30 years after Exxon Valdez © Patrick Endres/plainpicture

Thirty years ago today, the largest oil tanker spill in US history occurred here in Alaska’s Prince William Sound. Nearly 11 million gallons of oil flowed into the once-pristine waters when the Exxon Valdez oil tanker struck Bligh Reef. The area is so remote that cleanup efforts were delayed, allowing 1,300 miles of shoreline to be contaminated. The US Fish & Wildlife Service estimates that among other casualties, more than 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles, and 22 orcas were lost. The spill, while devastating, has provided a living laboratory as scientists study how the ecosystem recovers—and doesn’t. Some species and their habitat are still impacted by the spill. There is at least one highlight: Government agencies say the sea otter population here has fully recovered; however, the local subspecies as a whole remains endangered.

Stuben am Arlberg, Austria

Feb 1, 2018 bing



Stuben am Arlberg, Austria © 500px/Aurora Photos

The ski resort town of Stuben am Arlberg may closely resemble what you imagine when reading the phrase ‘historic Alpine village.’ Tucked in near the Alberg mountain pass, tiny Stuben is a must for ski fanatics, who can set off on a run right from their doorstep. It’s also the birthplace of the ‘father of modern skiing,’ Hannes Schneider, whose instructional methods revolutionized the sport.

A view fit for a queen

Apr 14, 2019 bing



A view fit for a queen © Anton Petrus/Moment/Getty Images

The tiny island of Gaztelugatxe is connected to the mainland of northern Spain in Basque Country by a manmade bridge and this winding, ancient stone footpath. Two hundred and forty-one steps lead up to a small church, originally dating from the 10th century. The church has been destroyed and rebuilt several times—its current incarnation was built from scratch in the late 1800s.

National Napping Day

Mar 11, 2019 bing



You re feeling sleepy © M. Watsonantheo/SuperStock

If springing forward for daylight saving time has you feeling drowsy, grumpy, or unproductive, then National Napping Day was literally made for you. Created in 1999 by Boston University professor William Anthony, this annual event is observed on the day most Americans are "nap-ready." So, take a cue from this African leopard and find a comfy place to catnap

Fresh water on the Silk Road

Mar 22, 2019 bing



Fresh water on the Silk Road © Ratnakorn Piyasirisorost/Getty Images

No, these aren’t the ruins of an ancient amusement park in Western China. These two water wheels on the Tashkurgan River are part of the irrigation system that helps keep the 13,000 or so residents of Tashkurgan supplied with fresh water even though the region receives less than 3 inches of precipitation each year. That reliable access to fresh water is one of the reasons this area has been inhabited for thousands of years and made it an important stop on the ancient Silk Road trade route. Highlighting the importance of fresh water is the goal of World Water Day, which falls on March 22 every year. This year’s theme is "Leaving no one behind." With over 2.1 billion people living without safe water at home, it’s one of the most ambitious of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Red squirrel in Cairngorms National Park, Scotland

Jan 21, 2018 bing



Red squirrel in Cairngorms National Park, Scotland © SCOTLAND: The Big Picture/Minden Pictures

This wee red squirrel looks warm and cozy in its winter coat here in the Scottish Highlands. The red squirrel is the only squirrel species native to the United Kingdom, but its numbers are in decline. It’s estimated there are only 160,000 left in the UK, and 75 percent of the population makes its home here in Scotland, where conservation groups are coming to its aid. The main threat to this group comes from nonnative gray squirrels, which were introduced here in the 19th century and outcompete the reds for food and living space. Perhaps the two species will make amends for Squirrel Appreciation Day, celebrated on January 21

Bow Bridge in Central Park, New York City

Jan 11, 2018 bing



Bow Bridge in Central Park, New York City © Ultima Gaina/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Bow Bridge in New York’s Central Park is the site of many a romantic moment–both on screen and off. The cast iron bridge served as a filming location in such movie classics as ‘The Way We Were’ and ‘Manhattan.’ One of 36 bridges and arches here at Central Park, it was designed in 1862, in part by Calvert Vaux, who is famous for co-designing Central Park along with Frederick Law Olmsted. Years later it’s still inspiring romance.

The Europa sailing the Penola Strait

Jun 23, 2018 bing



Commemorating peace in Antarctica © Colin Monteath/Minden Pictures

We feel chilly just looking at this image of the Europa sailing the Penola Strait, near the Antarctic Peninsula. This three-masted barque may resemble polar explorer Ernest Shackleton’s ill-fated ship Endurance, which was lost to the ice in an expedition to the South Pole in 1915. But the Europa is a modern, refitted lightship that now sails the world with paying passengers and makes annual trips to Antarctica.