Nature

A Forest Shrine in Japan. Oct 17, 2014 In the town of Takamori-machi, in the Kumamoto Prefecture of Japan, lies a forest shrine known as Kamishikimikumano.

The beautiful Shinto shrine was setting for a popular one-shot, shōjo manga written by Yuki Midorikawa called Hotarubi no Mori e (Into the Forest of Fireflies’ Light). Smithsonian Celebrates 50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act [10 photos] The Wilderness Act of 1964 marked a historic moment for the American environmental movement: for the first time, land was set-aside for the specific purpose of protecting it from the reach of mankind.

The landmark act created the National Wilderness Preservation System, a nationwide system of federally protected lands known as wilderness areas. Today there are 758 wilderness areas across 44 states and Puerto Rico. Together, they represent over 109 million acres, or about 5 percent of all U.S. land. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History will open the photography exhibition, Wilderness Forever: 50 Years of Protecting America’s Wild Places, which runs through summer 2015.

The exhibition opens on September 3, 2014 to coincide with the anniversary. Each month, visitors to Wilderness.Smithsonian.com will be able to view all 60 photo finalists and vote to select their favorite. 1. The Rock of Gibraltar Levanter Cloud. Jul 15, 2014 The Rock of Gibraltar is a monolithic limestone promontory located in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar, off the southwestern tip of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.

It is 426 m (1,398 ft) high and borders Spain. Most of the Rock’s upper area is covered by a nature reserve, which is home to around 250 Barbary macaques. These macaques, as well as a labyrinthine network of tunnels, attract a large number of tourists each year. [source] Schlegeis Lake, Austria. Mar 29, 2014 Located in the Zillertal valley underneath the famous Olperer mountain hut, is the beautiful Schlegeis Lake in Tyrol, Austria.

Like Zillergründl, Stillup, Durlassboden and Gmünd; Schlegeis is one of the five artificial lakes in the Zillertal valley. According to the official tourism site for Tyrol: Purakaunui Falls, New Zealand. Jul 8, 2014 The Purakaunui Falls are a cascading three-tiered waterfall (20 meters/66 ft tall) on the Purakaunui River, located in The Catlins in the southern South Island of New Zealand.

As one of very few South Island waterfalls away from the alpine region, it has long been a popular destination. The falls are an iconic image for The Catlins region and were featured on a New Zealand postage stamp in 1976. [source] A Mystical Forest in Spain. Jul 1, 2014 Gorbea Natural Park is a protected area located between the provinces of Alava and Vizcaya in the Basque Country of northern Spain.

Gorbea takes its name from its highest peak, the Gorbea (or Gorbeia) at 1,482 metres (4,862 ft) above sea level. The natural park is located near a number of nearby cities and towns and is a popular destination for hikers, climbers and nature lovers that enjoy the rich flora and fauna. Below are a series of enchanting photos by Jesús Ignacio Bravo Soler. Geyser on the Verge of Eruption. May 27, 2014 In this perfectly timed photo we see Strokkur, a famous geyser in Iceland, on the verge of eruption.

Located in the geothermal area beside the Hvítá River (in the southwest part of the country, east of Reykjavík), Strokkur erupts about every 4–8 minutes and can reach heights of 15–20 meters (50-65 ft), and sometimes even up to heights of 40 m (131 ft). The frequency of eruptions coupled with a surrounding area of mud pools, fumaroles, algal deposits and other geysers makes the site a very popular tourist attraction. A geyser is a spring characterized by intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accompanied by a vapour phase (steam). The formation of geysers is due to particular hydrogeological conditions, which exist in only a few places on Earth. Seljalandsfoss, Iceland. Dec 3, 2013 Seljalandsfoss is located between Selfoss and Skogafoss on the Southern Ring Road (Iceland’s main highway) down to Vik.

The picturesque waterfall plummets 60 m (200 ft) to a deep pool below. Visitors can even hike around the pool to the back of the falls for a unique perspective many of us will never experience when viewing a waterfall. A little further to the west there are several other falls, among them the interesting Gljúfrabúi which is partially masked by its own canyon. Just Hanging Out – Blue Mountains, Australia. May 3, 2014 Smith has the amazing job/title of Chief Funster after winning a contest to essentially have as much fun as possible in New South Wales.

Skógafoss. The Stunning Cliffs of Norway. PREIKESTOLEN aka PREACHER’S PULPIT aka PULPIT ROCK Pulpit Rock or Preikestolen in Norwegian, is one of the area’s most popular and tourist attractions.

This natural rock formation with a 25 meter squared (82 ft x 82 ft) plateau stands 604 meters (1,982 ft) above the sea. Huacachina: Peru’s Desert Oasis. Watch Your Step. Nov 21, 2013 The Haʻikū Stairs, also known as the Stairway to Heaven or Haʻikū Ladder, is a steep hiking trail in Kaneohe, Hawaii, on the island of Oʻahu. The trail began as a wooden ladder spiked to the cliff on the south side of the Haʻikū Valley. It was installed in 1942 to enable antenna cables to be strung from one side of the cliffs above Haʻikū Valley to the other. A building to provide a continuous communication link between Wahiawā and the Haʻikū Valley Naval Radio Station was also constructed at the peak (elevation approx. 2,800 feet/850 m).

Maletsunyane Falls, Lesotho. Apr 27, 2013 Maletsunyane Falls is a 192 meter (630 ft) high waterfall in the Southern African country of Lesotho. It is located near the town of Semonkong. Lesotho, officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, completely surrounded by its only neighbouring country, South Africa. 10 nights - The best of beach and bush. Back to Itineraries Day 1 & 2: Sasaab Program We will arrange transport from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to Wilson Airport for a 1h 20min flight to Samburu where you will be met on arrival and taken to the lodge in time for a late lunch. Site. Eating Breakfast with Giraffes in Kenya. Oct 30, 2013 Dating back to the 1930s, Giraffe Manor is one of Nairobi’s iconic historical buildings. Situated on 140 acres (57 hectares) of land, the property is a sanctuary for one of the most endangered subspecies of giraffe in the world, Rothschild’s giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi).

For the fortunate guests that stay at Giraffe Manor, they can expect a visit from the herd of resident Rothschild Giraffes that like to drop by in the mornings and evenings to sniff out some snacks before venturing back into their sanctuary. Initially built as a family home, Giraffe Manor was acquired by Jock and Betty Leslie-Melville, whose work with the endangered Rothschild Giraffe has become renowned worldwide. To Sua: A Natural Swimming Hole in the South Pacific. Looking Down from Lion’s Head. Lake Natron. The southern half of Lake Natron (top). Fault scarps and the Gelai Volcano can also be seen. Hosteria Pehoe - Lodge Reviews, Deals - Aisen Region/Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. Iguazu Falls: 15 Amazing Pictures, 10 Incredible Facts. Photograph by Martin St-Amant Whenever I come across images of places like Iguazu Falls, my urge to drop everything and travel this beautiful planet overwhelms my senses.

10 out-of-this-world places. The salt flats of Bolivia. (Photo: Laumerle / Dreamstime.com) Rivers that run red. Bruarfoss, Iceland. Aug 6, 2013 Seen here are the stunning waterfalls known as Bruarfoss. Located in Iceland in the Golden Circle area, the impressive landscape was captured by photographer Glenn Barlow. Preliminary searches for more information on Bruarfoss did not produce much.

With so many popular waterfalls in Iceland I was surprised at the lack of information regarding Bruarfoss. According to the blog Expose to the Right, a possible route is: From Laugarvatn, take 37 toward Geysir and park your car directly at the bridge at 37 and hike along the river (right side) – there is a path going up to Brúarfoss – and on the way you pass another beautiful even less well-known waterfall called Hlaupstungafoss.

Other blog posts suggest it’s harder to reach than many of the other famous waterfalls in Iceland which makes their discovery by intrepid hikers and photographers all the more exciting! Isla Del Sol, Bolivia. Black Fall, Iceland. Photo Tour of Iceland in Black and White. Jun 4, 2013 Born in Thessaloniki, Greece, Peter Zéglis is a self-taught photographer and Civil Infrastructure Engineer with a background in graphic design and classical arts. Yokohama Cherry Blossoms in Bloom. Glow Worm Caves. The Waitomo Glowworm Caves. The Painted Landscapes of China Danxia.