分类必应美图下的文章

特卡波湖岸上的羽扇豆，新西兰 Lupins on the shores of Lake Tekapo in New Zealand (© Stanislav Kachyna/Shutterstock)

What are these blooms?

Lupins usually hit peak bloom around mid- to late-November in the Mackenzie region on New Zealand's South Island. This image shows the burst of color along the shores of Lake Tekapo, famed for its annual lupin blooms. The colorful carpets of purples, pinks, blues, and whites along waterways and roads look stunning, drawing tourists to the area, and locals appreciate the economic benefits that come with these visitors. But lupins hail from North America, and in New Zealand, they're considered invasive species that crowd out native flora, ruining the habitat for birds like the wrybill, banded dotterel, and other species that live along the waterside.

Beloved by some, rued by others, lupins are said to have taken hold here thanks to local resident Connie Scott. As the story goes, back in the 1950s, Scott scattered lupin seeds along a main highway to add some color to the barren landscape and the blooms have been spreading ever since. Scott's remembered these days as the 'Lupin Lady.' A beautiful legacy? Suppose it depends on your point of view.

排灯节期间摆放在蓝果丽上的油灯 Oil lamps being arranged on rangoli during Diwali (© Subir Basak/Getty Images)

Decorating for Diwali

During Diwali, the 5-day festival of lights, vibrant patterns of all shapes and sizes are created on the floor out of materials such as colored rice, sand, and flower petals. The charming Indian folk art, called rangoli, is usually made by the entrance of a home to welcome guests and deities, and is said to bring good luck on special occasions. Celebrations might be a bit different this year, but buildings will still be brightened by these decorative drawings, twinkling lights, and small oil lamps, known as diyas.

Diwali, which means 'row of lights' in the ancient language of Sanskrit, is commemorated every fall by millions of Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and some Buddhists in India and across the world. Each religion marks different historical events and stories, but what they all have in common is the concept of new beginnings, the triumph of good over evil, and the victory of light over darkness. Today marks the third day of Diwali, when festivities reach their peak.

Connery Pond和怀特菲斯山，纽约州 Connery Pond and Whiteface Mountain in New York state (© Henk Meijer/Alamy)

Upstate autumn

Paddle out onto Connery Pond in the Adirondack Mountains region of New York and you may be treated to this mist-shrouded peekaboo tease from Whiteface Mountain. We're in the North Elba region of New York, where the town of Lake Placid is known to many as the two-time home of the Winter Olympic Games, in 1932 and again in 1980. The Alpine skiing events in 1980 were held right on the slopes of Whiteface Mountain.

But let's not get ahead of the seasons. In autumn, when this photo was taken, the forests of the Adirondacks burst with kaleidoscopic color. It does look a bit brisk out there though, so make sure to pack a cozy sweater.

恶地国家公园，南达科他州 Badlands National Park, South Dakota (© Dennis Frates/Alamy)

Baddest of the badlands

Heading west on Interstate 90, peek out the driver's side as you approach Rapid City, South Dakota, for the first clue you've entered the Wild West: the expansive, layered landscape of Badlands National Park. It's enjoyed government protection since 1939, first as a national monument and more completely after it was upgraded to national park status on this day in 1978. The park protects 244,000 acres of dramatically eroded bedrock replete with fossil beds—as well as the nation's largest mixed-grass prairie, hosting bison, prairie dogs, and endangered black-footed ferrets.

Before it was a national park, Native Americans called the Badlands home for more than 10,000 years. The Lakota had displaced other tribes to control the region by about 150 years ago—the same time settlers from the East were undermining Native power structures throughout the frontier. In response to these incursions, many Lakota in the late 19th century embraced a cross-tribal spiritual movement known as the 'Ghost Dance.' It was a system of rituals—including the namesake circle dance often performed here in the Badlands—believed to impede the encroachment of white settlers and deliver Natives from violence. But those efforts seemed futile by late 1890 as, just south of here, conflicts culminated in the Wounded Knee massacre where US forces killed more than 250 unarmed Lakota men, women, and children.

The conflict and ensuing tragedy is one of American history's ugliest chapters—but it bears reflection during Native American History Month as we ponder the Badlands' past, as vast and multilayered as the bedrock that makes it up.

巴罗洛葡萄园的山丘，意大利皮埃蒙特 The hills of Barolo vineyards in Piedmont, Italy (© Marco Arduino/eStock Photo)

Autumn in Piedmont

This beautiful fall scene is in the Langhe area of Piedmont, one of the great winegrowing regions in Italy. More specifically, we're looking at the hills of Barolo, a town famous for its locally produced wine of the same name, made from Nebbiolo grapes. In addition to wine, Piedmont is known for its truffles, which are harvested this time of year. Piedmont chocolate is also highly prized. Bicerin, a popular coffee-chocolate drink from the city of Turin (which hosted the 2006 Winter Olympics), has been around since the 18th century. The piemontesi, as locals are called, know how to eat and drink. Salute!

德文特湖上的德文特岛房屋，英国坎布里亚郡湖区国家公园 Derwent Island on Derwentwater in the Lake District National Park, Cumbria, England (© Chris Warren/eStock Photo)

Languid life on the Lakes

Surrounded not only by the spectacular fells (moors) and pikes (peaks) seen here on the horizon but also lush, rolling farmlands, the lake known as Derwentwater is one of more than 30 bodies of water in North West England's Lake District. Rounder and broader in shape than its fingerlike brethren, Derwentwater is home to several small isles like this one—though the classical estate built here is an unusual interruption of this mostly-natural tableau.

We're seeing the island's boathouse, one of several buildings that a wealthy eccentric named Joseph Pocklington had erected shortly after his 1778 purchase of the island. The main building, Derwent Island House, is set out of view farther back on the woody isle. The estate once included a stone fort housing a cannon, often fired to incite playful 'raids' on the island during regattas Pocklington hosted each year on the lake. Critics of old—among them poet William Wordsworth, who famously loved the Lakes—decried Pocklington's additions as eyesores, but modern-day visitors gladly line up to visit the Italianate estate on the five days a year that it's open to the public.

大提顿国家公园中的野牛，怀俄明州 Bison in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming (© Brian Evans/Getty Images)

National Bison Day

If ever there was an animal that deserved some recognition, it's the bison. Since 2012, National Bison Day has been observed on the first Saturday of November to acknowledge the animal's cultural, historical, and economic significance—as well as its remarkable comeback. Bison were once plentiful in North America. Tens of millions strong in the 1800s, they roamed in great herds, helping to diversify and maintain the prairie habitat. They've also played several important roles in Native American cultures. Indigenous peoples have used every part of the bison for food, utensils, and clothing—and they pay tribute to the giant beasts in religious rituals.

Settlement of the American West caused habitat loss for the bison and that, combined with overhunting, nearly wiped out the species altogether—until ranchers, conservationists, and politicians teamed up to save them. In 1913, 14 bison from the Bronx Zoo were shipped to a wildlife refuge to revive the population. Fast forward to today, and more than 20,000 bison roam on public lands in the United States.

A medieval Moorish gem

Originally founded as the capitol of a small Moorish kingdom in the 10th century, Albarracín remains one the most perfectly preserved medieval towns in Spain. The town's narrow winding streets, centuries-old architecture, and dramatic defensive walls are all constructed with the pink-hued gypsum found throughout the region. Aside from its historical charms, Albarracín is also a popular destination for rock climbers who come to scale the red boulders and cliff faces outside the village's fortress walls.

秋季迁徙时正在游过科伯克河的驯鹿，阿拉斯加 Caribou swimming across Alaska's Kobuk River during fall migration (© Michio Hoshino/Minden Pictures)

Caribou on the move

Each fall a quarter million caribou come together to form the Western Arctic Caribou Herd, a group that makes an epic migration through northwest Alaska. In great numbers they move south from their calving grounds in the Utukok River Uplands to their winter range on the Seward Peninsula. Fall is also the time when scientists attach radio collars to members of the herd, to track their location and health, and to gain information that will help conserve the species. When spring arrives, they'll complete the trip again in reverse, covering a total of 2,000 miles each year, give or take.

One of the best spots to see the herd on the move is where the great masses of animals cross this river, the Kobuk, at Onion Portage. The name of the portage derives from an Inupiaq (Inuit) word meaning 'wild onions' for the many wild onions that grow here. But the native Inuit people don't come here just to forage for onions. For millennia, the caribou crossing has drawn native peoples who rely on caribou meat, a tradition that continues to this day.

从奎雷英山口看到的 Leum na Luirginn湖和Cleat湖，英国斯凯岛 Loch Leum na Luirginn and Loch Cleat seen from the Quiraing, Isle of Skye, Scotland, UK (© Sebastian Wasek/Sime/eStock Photo)

The sliding landscape of Skye

As the sun rises on the Isle of Skye, off Scotland’s west coast, it casts a golden glow on a landscape shaped by lava flows, erosion and glacial movement. An ancient landslip here runs for nearly 20 miles, creating a labyrinth of steep slopes, hidden plateaus and dramatic rock formations.

This particular section is known as the Quiraing and it is the only bit of the landslip which is still moving, albeit by just a few centimetres a year. Among numerous striking rock formations are a 120ft pinnacle known as The Needle and The Prison, an outcrop that looks like a medieval fortress. The Quiraing’s name is derived from the Old Norse ‘Kvi Rand’ (meaning round fold) and it is said that another local landmark, an elevated grassy plateau known as The Table, was used to hide cattle from Viking raiders.

The Quiraing’s sweeping panoramas make it a favourite with photographers and walkers, while various movies including Transformers: The Last Knight and 47 Ronin have also featured scenes from this fantastical landscape.

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