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8 Earth Day Galleries to Show Off the Wonders of the World

Let's enjoy the planet in all its glories.

For nearly five decades now, America has celebrated Earth Day. The annual April 22 holiday marks the birth of the environmental movement in 1970, but its message is about more than paying attention to carbon emissions. While being conscious of human impact on the planet is valuable, it's also important to remember what environmentalists are seeking to save. Below are some of WIRED's favorite galleries showcasing the most wondrous, and endangered, places in the world.

  • view of trees in forest
    Photograph: Neil Burnell
    01

    Is That Dagobah? No, Just a Real-Life Magical Forest

    Neil Burnell's photographs of Wistman's Wood in Devon, England evoke comparisons to Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings.

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  • Image may contain Pottery Art Porcelain and Bowl
    Leah Kennedy
    02

    The Beauty and Danger of Australia's Salt Lakes

    Perth-based photographer Leah Kennedy captures the duality of Australia's salinization crisis in a series of extraordinary images.

    Read More
  • This image may contain Nature Outdoors Ocean Water Sea Astronomy Universe Space Outer Space Shoreline and Night
    Reuben Wu
    03

    Inside the Arctic Circle, Golden Hour Has Nothing on Golden Day

    When photographer Reuben Wu visited the Svalbard Satellite Station in Norway, the sun never strayed far from the horizon.

    Read More
  • Image may contain Landscape Outdoors Nature Scenery Diagram Map Art Painting Plot and Aerial View
    Ernesto Benavides
    04

    Aerial Images Capture Swathes of Amazon Rainforest Destroyed by Gold Mining

    Ernesto Benavides hangs out of helicopters to document the devastation inside Peru's Tambopata National Reserve.

    Read More
  • Image may contain Sea Ocean Water Outdoors Nature Sea Waves and Tsunami
    Rachael Talibart
    05

    You've Never Seen Waves Like This Before

    Photographer Rachael Talibart spends months waiting for the perfect shot.

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  • Image may contain Nature Outdoors Mountain Ice Snow Glacier Animal Fish Water Ocean and Sea
    Florian Ledoux
    06

    A Polar Bear Frolics on Sea Ice, and 13 Other Gorgeous Drone Photos

    Florian Ledoux was named this year's Drone Photographer of the Year for his winning wildlife photo captured in Nunavut, Canada.

    Read More
  • thunder in the sky
    Mitch Dobrowner
    07

    You've Never Seen Thunderstorms Like These Before

    Photographer Mitch Dobrowner has spent the past decade tracking storms across the American heartland.

    Read More
  • Image may contain Greenhouse Furniture and Bench
    Jonk
    08

    Watch Nature Reclaim These Abandoned Buildings

    Life always finds a way.

    Read More
Sara Urbaez is the photo editor, platforms at WIRED, where she oversees photo usage across social media platforms and content creation on the WIRED photo vertical on Wired.com. Before coming to WIRED, Urbaez was a photo editor at Departures magazine and has held photo-related positions at a variety of publications ... Read More
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