International Parks and UNESCO Sites

Where the Wood Bison Roam
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Where the Wood Bison Roam

Everything’s bigger in Canada’s Wood Buffalo National Park, where unique wildlife, plains, wetlands, and animal-engineered landscapes all exist on a grand scale.

Published May 25, 2024

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Rain Revives Doñana National Park
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Rain Revives Doñana National Park

Amid prolonged drought, wet spring weather flooded marshes and greened vegetation in southern Spain.

Published Apr 25, 2024

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An Outpost for Evolution at Aldabra Atoll
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An Outpost for Evolution at Aldabra Atoll

The large coral islands off the African coast are home to giant tortoises and unique birdlife.

Published Mar 20, 2024

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Snow Peak, Réunion Island
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Snow Peak, Réunion Island

The highest point in the Indian Ocean, this 2-million-year-old volcano is rarely snowy.

Published Dec 30, 2023

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Green Forests and Dark Skies in Cephalonia
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Green Forests and Dark Skies in Cephalonia

Aínos National Park on Greece’s largest Ionian island became a dark sky park in 2023.

Published Dec 9, 2023

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The Biesbosch of the Netherlands
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The Biesbosch of the Netherlands

These freshwater tidal wetlands have been shaped by centuries of floods and the efforts to control them.

Published Nov 17, 2023

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South Africa’s Greater Cape Floristic Region
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South Africa’s Greater Cape Floristic Region

Thousands of endemic plant species flourish in one of the planet’s hottest biodiversity hotspots.

Published Oct 28, 2023

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Lake Urmia Shrivels Again
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Lake Urmia Shrivels Again

A few years after a fresh influx of water raised its levels, the large lake has nearly gone dry.

Published Oct 10, 2023

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Water Woes in Doñana National Park
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Water Woes in Doñana National Park

Satellite data show wetlands in Spain desiccated by demands on groundwater and persistent drought.

Published Jun 26, 2023

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Quirimbas Islands
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Quirimbas Islands

Skirting the coastline of Mozambique, these 32 small islands are home to a diversity of corals and sea turtles.

Published Feb 4, 2023

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Dzanga Bai Elephant Enclave
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Dzanga Bai Elephant Enclave

The charismatic creatures have cleared and maintained an open mud and mineral bath amid the rainforest in the Central African Republic.

Published Jul 9, 2022

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São Miguel, Azores
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São Miguel, Azores

São Miguel Island is the largest, most populous, and most volcanically active of the nine islands of Azores archipelago.

Published Jul 7, 2022

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Terceira Island, Azores
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Terceira Island, Azores

Terceira Island is one of nine volcanic islands in the Azores archipelago, which straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at a triple junction.

Published Jun 22, 2022

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Triassic Talampaya
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Triassic Talampaya

This national park in western Argentina is rich in plant, mammal, and dinosaur fossils, as well as rocks dating back 200 million years.

Published Jun 18, 2022

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Reefs of New Caledonia
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Reefs of New Caledonia

Home to an estimated 9,300 marine species and almost 500 species of coral, the reefs and lagoons are part of the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Published May 29, 2022

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The Emerald Isles of Hạ Long Bay
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The Emerald Isles of Hạ Long Bay

Limestone mountains that rise steeply from the waters off Northern Vietnam feature distinctive geologic formations, verdant forests, and extreme biodiversity.

Published May 7, 2022

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Divine Providencia
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Divine Providencia

Once a sanctuary for pilgrims and privateers, the Caribbean island is now a refuge for a quiet Caribbean life and raw natural beauty.

Published Mar 27, 2022

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A Seasonal Emerald in the Sahel
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A Seasonal Emerald in the Sahel

The Inland Delta of the Niger River is one of the world’s most productive wetlands.

Published Nov 28, 2021

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Turkey’s Cotton Castle
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Turkey’s Cotton Castle

The hot springs at Pamukkale, Turkey, have produced the world’s largest deposit of travertine.

Published Nov 24, 2021

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Burst of New Evidence for Viking Travels
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Burst of New Evidence for Viking Travels

Novel geochemical dating techniques show that Norse people were in L'Anse aux Meadows exactly 1,000 years ago.

Published Nov 16, 2021

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A Meeting of Ice and Dunes
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A Meeting of Ice and Dunes

Shadows accentuate the topography in and around Ulaagchinii Khar Nuur in Mongolia.

Published Sep 13, 2021

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Spotlight on the Galápagos Islands
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Spotlight on the Galápagos Islands

Sunglint helps tease out features that are not often visible.

Published Sep 5, 2021

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Venezuela’s Flat-Topped Mountains
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Venezuela’s Flat-Topped Mountains

Decorated with steep cliffs and impressive waterfalls, Canaima National Park is biologically and geologically unique.

Published Jul 13, 2021

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A Swampy Home for Shoebills
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A Swampy Home for Shoebills

Zambia’s Bangweulu wetlands make ideal hunting grounds for this distinctive bird species.

Published Jun 5, 2021

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Saint Petersburg Keeps the Sea at Bay
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Saint Petersburg Keeps the Sea at Bay

A city full of cultural, historical, and architectural riches has gone to great lengths to protect itself from floods.

Published May 10, 2021

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Kutch’s Coral Reefs
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Kutch’s Coral Reefs

The Gulf of Kutch is home to India’s first national marine reserve.

Published May 8, 2021

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Hingol National Park
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Hingol National Park

With its rocky terrain, mountain caves, and beautiful beaches, Hingol National Park is one of the natural wonders of Pakistan.

Published May 1, 2021

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A Short Journey to the Center of the Earth
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A Short Journey to the Center of the Earth

A geologist’s dream, Gros Morne National Park is one of the few places where you can set foot on the Earth's mantle without digging an inch.

Published Feb 12, 2021

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Where the Dunes End
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Where the Dunes End

Namibia’s sea of sand is bounded on its northern side by the impermanent Kuiseb River.

Published Jan 2, 2020

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Time Traveling to the Triassic
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Time Traveling to the Triassic

Fossil remains in Argentina's Talampaya and Ischigualasto Natural Parks document the origins of mammals and dinosaurs.

Published Feb 5, 2019

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