Joshua Tree National Park was once described by early explorers as a “profitless locality” and that it “shall be forever unvisited”.
A bit of time, visitation by those with a more discerning eye and the efforts of a determined woman resulted in the protection of a treasured place.

Mountains, valleys, alpine lakes and green pastures - the beauty of Chitral & Gilgit-Baltistan. 

Black Bluff and Winterbrook are two jewels on the north coast of Tasmania. 

The fairy tern is a similar size to a hooded plover - so tiny, it would sit comfortably in the palm of your hand. They lay just two eggs, onto the beach sand. See these remarkable images from Tasmanian-based bird ecologist Dr Eric Woehler.

The Scandinavian mountain range, the Scandes, runs through the border between Sweden and Norway. It covers most of Norway and stretches into the north-west regions of Sweden. These mountainous areas form some of Sweden's most remarkable wilderness.

Bruny Island is a haven for rare and unique birds and animals, and is one of the best bird-watching spots in Australia.

The aurora australis lights the skies of Southwest Tasmania. The next Dark Sky Sanctuary? Image: Dan Broun

At twice the size of the Great Barrier Reef and more than three times the size of Great Britain, the waters around Christmas Island have been officially recognised as part of Australia’s Marine Parks. Photo: Rohan Newton

The dramatic-looking rockhopper penguin is characterised by its red eyes, upright yellow head feathers along a supercilium stripe and a crest of black feathers on top. They are separated into three sub-species, photographer here by ecologist Dr Eric Woehler (OAM) and located around the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic zones.

Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah is home to the greatest collection of distinctive spire-shaped rock formations called hoodoos on Earth. Its super-ancient sediment layering dates back to the end of the Cretaceous period, more than 66 million years ago.

Bruny Island has an intricate, complex, beautiful and varied coastline, ranging from sheltered inlets, shallow bays, mudflats, lagoons, and grand sea-cliffs, through to long sandy ocean facing beaches.

Dozens of species of native animals frequent the remnant moist gullies and bushland of the Mosman peninsula, from the Eastern Water Dragon to Peron's Tree Frog and the endangered Powerful Owl

The dramatic-looking rockhopper penguin is characterised by its red eyes, upright yellow head feathers along a supercilium stripe and a crest of black feathers on top. They are separated into three sub-species, photographer here by ecologist Dr Eric Woehler (OAM) and located around the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic zones.

Mountains, valleys, alpine lakes and green pastures - the beauty of Chitral & Gilgit-Baltistan. 

Antartica, the Southern Ocean and the sub-Antarctic islands host a rich variety of extraordinary life, including penguins, seals, and whales

The diverse avifauna of Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, includes, but not limited to a fascinating array of species locally known by distinct names that reflect the region’s cultural and ecological identity. 

Bruny Island has an intricate, complex, beautiful and varied coastline, ranging from sheltered inlets, shallow bays, mudflats, lagoons, and grand sea-cliffs, through to long sandy ocean facing beaches.

The two thousand-foot deep red sandstone canyon through Zion National Park is a majestic masterpiece, carved out over ancient time by the Virgin River. Known for its intense seasonal colours and dramatic vistas and established in 1919, Zion is Utah's first National Park.

Dozens of species of native animals frequent the remnant moist gullies and bushland of the Mosman peninsula, from the Eastern Water Dragon to Peron's Tree Frog and the endangered Powerful Owl

The dusky dolphin is one of the smaller dolphin species with a maximum weight of about 85 kilograms and a length, of just over two metres. The dusky dolphin is a social species, known for its agility and coordinated acrobatic abilities.

Bruny Island is an island, off an island, off an island, surrounded by islands. Image: Nick Monk

The fairy tern is a similar size to a hooded plover - so tiny, it would sit comfortably in the palm of your hand. They lay just two eggs, onto the beach sand. See these remarkable images from Tasmanian-based bird ecologist Dr Eric Woehler.

Southwest National Park in Tasmania is a vast, mostly trackless wilderness containing ancient forests, the wildest rivers, a glaciated and mountainous landscape and a spectacular coastline with rich aboriginal history.

The winter in Sweden is long, dark and hard. But also incredibly beautiful.