Location: Patagonia, Argentina
It was hard to choose just one photo from the trip of a lifetime where I traveled to the end of the world to see melting glaciers and breaching whales. Dean (my stepfather and favorite hiking buddy) and I tackled the long hike to Mount Fitz Roy along the border of Chile and Argentina. The most amazing part about this trail was that the landscape changed about every five miles, from snow-covered rocky terrain, to fields of delicate flowers eager to bloom.
Location: Newport, Rhode Island
While Newport, RI is best known for turn-of-the-century mega-mansions and the Tennis Hall of Fame, the city's true beauty lies along the spectacular Ocean Avenue. The curvy road follows the southern coastline of Newport's peninsula, and is home to hundreds of beautiful homes built right up against the shore. But the architectural marvels are mere afterthoughts - nature reigns here. Inlets like this are common sights, with only rocks and trees separating them from the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean. After this visit, there's no question I'll be moving to Newport -- as soon as I stumble across a Vanderbilt-esque fortune.
This picture was taken from my room at the Wildsrubel Hotel in the Swiss alps. Mary and I had our honeymoon there and decided to go back in January of 2008 for our 10-year anniversary. Much like photos of the Grand Canyon, this picture struggles to capture the vastness of the landscape. The mountain peak near the right edge is Matterhorn.
This photo was taken in June 2010 while my brother and I were on safari in Kruger National Park, South Africa, which is the largest game reserve in Africa at 7,332 square miles. Seeing so many animals up close, in some cases just inches away, was once in a lifetime, but it was the lions that I'll never forget. We heard the bone-chilling sound of lions roaring early in the morning, but it wasn't until midday that we found them sunbathing on a huge rock. It was so exciting and awe-inspiring - and all they were doing was lying there!
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
My moment of nature starts out every morning when walking into the office. After an evening of rain, the morning sky has an amazing texture of clouds and a cool breeze. I enjoy this quiet walk before a busy day at the office.
I spent a summer in this game park in 2000 working on a conservation project and returned for a visit in 2008. It was great to see conservation efforts had lead to increased populations and environmental health.
One of the most exciting (and grueling) events of our trip to Nicaragua was volcano boarding down Cerro Negro. This cinder cone volcano is both the youngest and one of the most active volcanoes in Central America. After hiking up to the top, approximately 2,400 feet high, we raced down the mountain on the boards that you see here, with some boarders reaching speeds of up to 65 kph.
Location: Bisbee, Arizona
This picture was taken on November 10, 2010 while my husband and I were on our honeymoon en route to the Southern Arizona wine county. This particular shot was at the Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area, near Bisbee, Arizona, and we were able to catch a glimpse of the migrating Sandhill Cranes. These birds travel thousands of miles from as far away as Siberia to spend the winter in Arizona. [...] The mountains surrounding this wetland are part of the Sky Islands of Southern Arizona, the most biologically diverse region in North America. We plan on making it an annual trip!
Some people have looked at this shot and said, "It looks fake." The truth is, it's real, but during the trip to South Africa's Kruger National Park there were many times that I had to pinch myself to make sure I was really seeing these amazing animals.
The first time I saw parrots in the wild, in Central America, it was hard to wrap my head around what I was seeing. They are such big, beautiful, boisterous birds that they don't seem "real." On a trip to Brazil's Pantanal, I had a chance to get closer to several parrots, after waiting patiently at feeding sites. The birds are so spectacularly colored, and so obviously intelligent and curious, that it's easy to see why people wanted to bring them into their homes (though I think they are better off in the wild). This blue and yellow macaw was wild but seemed unafraid of people, as it foraged from one palm tree to another, and gobbled up some food scraps local villagers had left out. The moment gave me hope that we can better learn to share the planet with other living things
This is a snapshot from June, 2010. It's me with Roxie on a hike in the Luberon mountains in Provence, France. She's 22 months old in the picture. It was Roxie's first hike and trip to the mountains; majestic views in a place so remote the road literally ended ("fini"); plus it was followed by an amazing, rustic lunch at a goat farm at the bottom of the trail where everything was made/grown on the property (10 kinds of goat cheese!). Definitely one of the best days of our trip.
Location: Big Sur, California
Big Sur is so breathtaking that when I was on subsequent travels to other beautiful places, like Hawaii or Santorini, Greece, I found myself thinking, "This just isn't as pretty as Big Sur." It's a perfect reminder of why I got into the environmental field and why I try to live a more sustainable life every day - because I want future generations to be able to enjoy such a gorgeous natural place
Nitin Gupta
posted on March 4th, 2012 at 9:08 am