卡鲁拉国家公园里的小湖，爱沙尼亚 Small lake in Karula National Park, Valgamaa County, Estonia (© Sven Zacek/Minden Pictures)

卡鲁拉国家公园里的小湖，爱沙尼亚 Small lake in Karula National Park, Valgamaa County, Estonia (© Sven Zacek/Minden Pictures)

世界之眼 Eye of the world

Earth Day

For this year's Earth Day we find ourselves floating above Karula National Park, the smallest national park in the smallest Baltic nation. Visiting this jewel of Estonia feels appropriate for Earth Day, as it is home to a variety of endangered species, including animals such as the pond bat, the lesser spotted eagle, and the black stork. Rare plants thrive here, too, like the endangered Baltic orchid, mezereon, and the daisyleaf grape fern. In addition to the draw of its biodiversity, Karula is a popular spot for camping, adventure tourism, fishing, nature photography, hiking, and cycling.

On this day in 1970, some 20 million Americans rallied in communities across the United States to raise awareness of environmental issues. The landmark event is credited for sparking the passage in the 1970s of the most comprehensive environmental reform legislation in US history, including the creation of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Earth Day is now celebrated in nearly 200 countries and has grown to include Earth Week and even Earth Month celebrations. That's good news for Earth's residents, big and small.

地球日

今年的地球日，我们发现自己漂浮在最小的波罗的海国家中最小的国家公园卡鲁拉国家公园上空。在地球日参观爱沙尼亚的这颗明珠感觉很合适，因为它是各种濒危物种的家园，包括池蝠、小斑鹰和黑鹳等动物。珍稀植物也在这里茁壮成长，比如濒临灭绝的波罗的海兰花、梅泽伦和戴西莱夫葡萄蕨。除了吸引生物多样性，卡鲁拉还是露营、探险旅游、钓鱼、自然摄影、徒步旅行和骑自行车的热门景点。

1970年的这一天，大约2000万美国人在美国各地的社区集会，以提高人们对环境问题的认识。这一里程碑式的事件被认为是20世纪70年代促使美国历史上最全面的环境改革立法获得通过的原因，包括制定了《清洁空气、清洁水和濒危物种法案》以及环境保护局（EPA）。现在，近200个国家都在庆祝地球日，并且已经发展到包括地球周甚至地球月的庆祝活动。这对地球上大大小小的居民来说都是好消息。