There’s something about the Lake District – something that sparks the imagination and soothes the soul. A picture-perfect expanse of rugged peaks, placid waters and rolling farmland, neatly divided by dry-stone walls and dotted with stone-built villages, northwest England’s Lake District has the double accolade of being both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Park.
Heat, drought and wildfires are ravaging western wildlife while conservationists try to help ecosystems adapt
By Brianna Randall – Conservation, Aug 02, 2022
Dead mussels lie along the Pacific shore of Vancouver, British Columbia, during 2021’s summer heat wave. Scientists estimate that the record-breaking heat killed more than 1 billion marine animals off the coasts of British Columbia and Washington state.
(Photo by Christopher Harley/University of British Columbia)
GASPING SALMON WITH INFECTED LESIONS. Emaciated deer searching sagebrush flats for water. Clams and mussels boiled to death in their shells. Last summer, temperatures in the Northwest soared to record highs in the triple digits, killing more than 1 billion marine animals in the Salish Sea and stressing wildlife from the Pacific to the Rocky Mountains. Simultaneously, ongoing drought in the Southwest—which began in 2000 and is the region’s driest 22-year period in 1,200 years—is causing plants to wither, springs to dry up and wildfires to engulf entire landscapes.
PHOTOGRAPH BY NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER
The September issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK) is out now. The cover story this month focuses on the Italian coast, which encapsulates the very best of the country.
Below the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico lies a submerged world of extraordinary beauty. Caves once created a subterranean labyrinth that the earliest human settlers seemingly associated with magic. After these passageways flooded at the end of the last Ice Age, they created reservoirs that proved essential for the success of Maya cities. Now a fascinating project is revealing the remarkable range of archaeology preserved in this underworld.
Goddesses and spiritual beings also display an impressive range, in this case of powers. There can be a tendency for modern audiences to focus on a single attribute – Venus as the goddess of love, for instance – but this obscures the remarkable breadth of gifts they could bestow on worshippers. An exhibition examining the nature of feminine power provides an opportunity to consider the divine and the demonised.
Photographer Reuben Wu took innovative risks to show one of the world’s most-photographed sites in a new light.
Reuben Wu, a British photographer and visual artist based in Chicago, was first introduced to National Geographic as most people are: When he was a child, he enjoyed looking at the magazines his father subscribed to for decades.
He dreamed of seeing his photographs in the same magazine—and even on the cover. So when National Geographic asked him to photograph an iconic monument he knows well, he was ready to work.
A stunningly illustrated guide to the wonderful world of hummingbirds.
With their dazzling colors, glittering iridescent feathers, fantastic adornments, astonishing powers of flight, and many other unique characteristics, hummingbirds are among the world’s most extraordinary birds – true jewels of nature. This beautifully designed book offers a celebration of all aspects of hummingbirds and their world, presenting the latest scientific information in an accessible style and featuring hundreds of the most spectacular photographs of hummingbirds ever taken, all enhanced by wonderful artwork.
A familiar sight across much of the Americas, hummingbirds have long captured the imagination and played an important part in myths, legends, and other aspects of human culture. Today, hummingbirds are some of the most popular of all birds, sought after by serious and casual birders alike. They are birds that inspire questions in anyone lucky enough to see them. How can they fly like that? Why are they so colorful? How many are there? And where and how do they live? This book answers these and many other questions, offering an enlightening and enjoyable guide to hummingbirds that only deepens their wonder.
A definitive yet accessible account of all aspects of hummingbird life; More than 500 spectacular color photographs; Specially commissioned illustrations; Facts and figures on status, population, distribution, and conservation designations of all the world’s hummingbirds.
Publisher: WildGuides
https://buteobooks.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=15154…
Italy is so liberally sprinkled with castles, it’s difficult to choose just a few favourites. From solid medieval stone affairs to elegant 19th-century palaces, the nation has a dizzyingly diverse collection of castelli, many of which offer a palpable sense of their region’s unique history and culture. In this feature, however, we’ve risen to the challenge and combed the country to bring you a smattering of the very best castles to visit today (and a few that you can stay in!). Today these fortifications offer wide-ranging reasons to stop by, so whether you fancy soaking up the atmosphere and views, basking in the cultural heritage or enjoying produce from the local vines, one of these places is certain to enhance your next trip to Italy. And if you really love Italian castles, turn the page for options that are available to buy, so you can live the dream like true royalty.
Leighton Lum from ‘Aiea, O‘ahu
“I took this shot during the 2020 pandemic lockdowns. This shot was only made possible because there were very few people going outside during the lockdowns, and bait balls were coming into beaches along Waikīkī. With the bait balls so close to shore and with so few people around, these sandbar sharks were able to come in and snag an easy meal.
I was lucky enough to be flying my drone that day and had a few great views of this interesting hunting behavior that is not often seen in heavily populated areas such as Waikīkī.”
Semaj Thomas from Honolulu, O‘ahu
“I went out for sunrise at Kualoa Regional Park. It was a cloud covered morning—which generally are my favorite times to shoot because there is always potential for light leaks. I sent up the drone, set the composition and Mother Nature did the rest. This image to me is indicative of the stories I’ve learned about historic Hawai‘i, and I hope it stands the test of time.”
Peter Tang from Honolulu, O‘ahu
“A high surf advisory ushered a procession of waves to O‘ahu’s Waimea Bay. The wind blew water off the lip and the morning sun illuminated the spray to create a rainbow in its wake.”
Lisa Titimacco from Wahiawā, O‘ahu
“I remember this day well—I got out a little before sunset during a decent winter south swell on O‘ahu. After a set rolled through, I saw my friend Nancy (@nancxyx) sitting on the nose of her longboard, taking a break and watching the other surfers. She was so relaxed and the golden hour light was hitting her face perfectly so I took a couple shots. They turned out pretty good.”
Boomers Daily 
