• Tagged heart shapes, heart shapes created by nature, hearts in nature, holiday, Valentine's Day

Happy February! Valentine’s Day is in this short month and there are heart shapes all around you if only you take the time to notice. Some photographers hunt out heart-shaped nature to capture and share. Do you suppose it’s a reminder that nature loves you? Or do people in love seem to see hearts everywhere? Most of these heart shapes are easy to see without cocking your head to the side and squinting. Take the time to start finding nature sharing her heart with you. To: YOU — Love, Nature [38 Photos]

• Tagged animals, animals of Yellowstone, bison, environment, Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem., grizzly bears, Yellowstone bears, Yellowstone bison, Yellowstone mammals, Yellowstone National Park, Yellowstone wildlife

Not only is Yellowstone National Park the place to go for geysers, NPS said, “A mountain wildland, home to grizzly bears, wolves, and herds of bison and elk, the park is the core of one of the last, nearly intact, natural ecosystems in the Earth’s temperate zone.” There is such huge animal diversity because of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Regarding the mammals in the park, the 2013 Yellowstone Trip Planner (.pdf) states: “Keep your distance. Federal regulation requires you to stay at least 100 yards (91 m) away from bears and wolves, and at least 25 yards (23 m) away from all other wild animals, such as bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose, and coyotes.” The Yellowstone National Park Service says of the wildlife, “Yellowstone is home to the largest concentration of mammals in the lower 48 states. 67 different mammals live here.” These pictures show the diversity and a wide variety of magnificent animals of Yellowstone. [60 Photos]

• Tagged Eucalyptus deglupta, nature, rainbow, Rainbow Eucalyptus, rainbow gum, trees

Does a living rainbow exist? Yes! Extremely cool yet natural outdoor coloring can be found under the shade of this living rainbow. The Rainbow Eucalyptus is truly one of the most amazingly stunning trees and it definitely has the most beautiful bark of any tree on Earth. [36 Photos]

• Tagged beaches, environment, islands, mountain peaks, mountains, nature, UNESCO World Heritage Site, volcanoes

When you think of islands, do you picture a tropical scene with beautiful warm beaches? Yet some islands are bitterly cold and covered in ice and snow. Some islands seem to have it all, from wonderful crashing waves to high peaks that are covered in snow. This is a list of high points for the top 20 islands in the world ordered by their highest point. As we did to illustrate the 20 U.S. National Parks by elevation, including the 20 highest points found in that park, here starting at #20 and counting down to #1 we show the immense diversity of islands. We’ve included an image from each island as well as a photo of the mountain or volcano peak that is the highest point of that island. [41 Photos]

• Tagged bizarre, odd, strange but true places, travel and places, unusual place names

If you’ve ever lived in or visited a town with an especially peculiar name, then you’ve experienced another person giggling or snickering before asking, “No really; where are you?” There are thousands of such strangely rude street names, but many times it is a town itself with the odd name. For example, by 1994 the U.S. Geological Survey listed 60 places within the USA with ‘Hell’ in the name. Worldwide there are some extremely bizarre or otherwise unusually named towns, villages, cities, counties and even mountains. Some places are named after swear words or other controversial and offensive terms not usually mentioned in polite company. The names of some other places do not have sexual undertones in their native language, but seem that way due to the “English” pronunciation. Very often, the town experiences a high number of sign thefts. There are probably thousands of such places, but here are 69 photos of 44 unusually named places that are strange, rude, or cause a childishly funny giggle. [69 Photos]

• Tagged abandoned, Battleship Island, Ghost Island, Gunkanjima, hacking headquarters of a 007 villain, Hashima, Hashima Island, James Bond, lost city, Skyfall, urban exploration, urbex

This abandoned island with crumbling concrete buildings was the inspiration for the evil dude’s hacking headquarters in the latest James Bond movie Skyfall. Yes, hacking, cyberwar and an abandoned island city are all parts of ‘Skyfall. It was too dangerous here to truly film the secret lair of a 007 villain, so it was reproduced to “make everything real.” Hashima Island, also called Gunkanjima meaning Battleship Island, is Japan’s ultimate industrial ruins ghost town. The island was bought by Mitsubishi in 1890 to mine undersea coal. It was the first place that Japan built large concrete buildings up to 9 stories high, and was constructed to withstand the destructive forces of a typhoon. The island at one point had a population of 5,259, but that did not last. 39 years after it was abandoned virtually overnight, time and nature are winning the battle. Considered creepy by some with all the trappings of home but no people, some folks started to call the abandoned island, ‘Ghost Island.’ Folks interested in history or legal urbex are pleased that portions of Hashima reopened to tourists in 2009. This is the first ‘lost city’ in modern times and with the James Bond movie Skyfall, the infamous island has become even more famous. [35 Photos, 3 Videos]

• Tagged Acapulco, adrenaline rush, beach sunsets, beaches, cliff diving, cliffs, extreme sport, Mexico, sunsets

Winter Blahs? It’s currently cold and dreary outside in many places in the United States, so let’s heat things up with a virtual visit to warm and sunny Acapulco, Mexico. From romantic sunsets to playing on the beach, kicking back to relax, or going out to mix and mingle, there is something for everyone. Extreme sports fan in Acapulco can watch the La Quebrada Cliff Divers diving 125 feet (35 meters) from the high cliffs of La Quebrada into the sea far below. The music video “Whistle” by Flo Rida was filmed in this big party place, so enjoy your virtual globe hopping trip to play in Acapulco. [40 Photos, 1 Video]

• Tagged Antarctica icebergs, glaciers calving, Greenland icebergs, iceberg, icebergs, striped iceberg, whale

Icebergs are born as gorgeous ancient glaciers rumble, crack and calve, so it stands to reason that the “children” would be equally majestic. Icebergs comes in all shapes and sizes, from “tiny” growlers which are about the size of small cars, to bergy bits which are about the size of a small house, to immense icebergs of all sizes. Although icebergs can be striped and come in various colors that are revealed as the iceberg “rolls” over in the sea, the water from bergs is very pure since the ice formed long ago. NOAA said, “The planet’s greatest stores of freshwater lie far away from the arid, heavily populated regions that need it the most. Nearly 70% of all fresh water is locked in the polar ice caps. Just the new icebergs that form every year around Antarctica hold enough water to meet the needs of every person on Earth for several months. Longstanding proposals to tow icebergs to lower latitudes where their valuable water can be harvested have been met with both skepticism and interest. To date, no successful attempts have been made.” About 90% of icebergs are underwater, but here are 55 photographic reasons why icebergs are so incredibly cool . . . from the safety of your computer chair that is. [55 Photos, 8 Videos]

• Tagged adventure, Alaska, Alaskan coves, animals, environment, Glacier Bay, Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, glaciers, glaciers calving, iceberg, nature, UNESCO World Heritage Site, wilderness, wildlife

Many of these photos were taken during a cruise to Glacier Bay, others from the air, but Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve offers all kinds of adventures. What starts as a loud crack like a rifle shot is also a sign of icebergs being born at Glacier Bay as glaciers break off or calve. The National Park Service asks, what do you want to do and how much time do you have to do it in? “Covering 3.3 million acres of rugged mountains, dynamic glaciers, temperate rainforest, wild coastlines, and deep sheltered fjords, Glacier Bay National Park is a highlight of Alaska’s Inside Passage and part of a 25-million acre World Heritage Site—one of the world’s largest international protected areas. From summit to sea, Glacier Bay offers limitless opportunities for adventure and inspiration.” Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve also has the 3rd highest elevation of all U.S. National Parks. Here are some of the gorgeous ancient glaciers, photos capturing the glaciers calving and the birth of icebergs, wonderful wildlife, and spectacular scenery of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska. [44 Photos, 5 Videos]

• Tagged adrenaline rush, bizarre, brave people, extreme sport, polar bear, polar bear dip, polar bear plunge, polar bear swim

If you are adventurous and like adrenaline rushes, then have you considered starting off the New Year with a polar bear plunge? “Polar Bear Swims”, “Plunges”, or “Dips”, are a New Year’s Day tradition in numerous countries. Thousands upon thousands of brave souls race toward the icy cold water and then make a mad dash back out. In the USA, folks are freezin’ for a reason as most polar bear plunges are to raise money for a charitable organizations. In Canada and the Netherlands, polar bear plunges are associated with New Year’s Day. 36,000 people participated in ‘Nieuwjaarsduik’, New Year’s dive, January 1st 2012 in the Netherlands. Since 1960, every New Year’s Day, at least 10,000 people dive collectively into the icy cold sea water at Scheveningen which is the Netherlands’ main beach resort town. While New Year’s Day is not the only day for taking up such an extreme sport, for some it is Superbowl Sunday, one thing is the same worldwide for people in polar bear swims . . . the look of shocked faces as if they cannot believe the water is that cold or that they took part in a polar bear plunge. Whether it’s brave, stupid, or simply invigorating, kudos to all those folks! [50 Photos]

• Tagged crater lakes, enivronment, geology, lakes, nature, volcano

If you approached the rim of a volcano and looked down into it, you might expect to see a lava pool, but if the volcano previously erupted and then the top of it collapsed into a huge bowl-shaped crater, or caldera, then what you might see when you peer over the rim is a beautiful crater lake. Sometimes the water is acidic and the lake has a bright greenish hue. Other times the water is a cloudy turquoise color, yet other times the lake may appear to be a very deep shade of blue. Crater Lake, Oregon, is one of the most well known, but crater lakes can be found all over the globe. If the volcano has been dormant for a long time, the water can be extremely clear because no river or streams flow into with sediment deposits. In some cases, water may have filled up an impact crater to form a lake, but this is less common. A few crater lakes were created by man via an atomic blast, but an artificially-created crater lake is the least common of all. All crater lakes were once a place where the earth experienced great violence, but now are a place of great beauty . . . even though the volcano can become active and violent again. Here are 44 photos of 42 of the world’s most beautiful crater lakes. [44 Photos]

• Tagged animals, art, Christmas, Christmas dogs, dog reindeer, dogs, holiday, puppy

If you have a dog, then you know he or she is a loyal part of your family. When some folks deck the halls, they also deck their dogs in holiday accessories. Luckily, most of us have dogs that will do about anything for treats and possible Christmas gifts. Unlike the sometimes destructive cats vs. Christmas trees, most dog owners capture shots of their beloved pet being cute and sweet. These photographers share their descriptions and their cute doggies’ photos. [48 Photos]