park

Picture of the day Royal angelfish (Pygoplites diacanthus), Ras Muhammad National Park, Red Sea, Egypt. The body of the royal angelfish is moderately elongate, is very compressed and can reach a length of up to 25 centimetres (9.8 in) It’s widely distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific and can be found in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean around East Africa and the Maldives, stretching to the Tuamoto Islands, New Caledonia, and Great Barrier Reef. The royal angelfish occurs at depths ranging from 0 to 80m (0 to 262 ft), in coral rich areas of lagoons, reefs, and are also often found in the vicinity of caves. It is a carnivorous species that feeds on sponges and tunicates located throughout reefs and underwater caves. They are a non-migratory species that can be found solitary, in pairs, or groups. #ImageOfTheDay
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Picture of the day Royal angelfish (Pygoplites diacanthus), Ras Muhammad National Park, Red Sea, Egypt. The body of the royal angelfish is moderately elongate, is very compressed and can reach a length of up to 25 centimetres (9.8 in) It’s widely distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific and can be found in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean around East Africa and the Maldives, stretching to the Tuamoto Islands, New Caledonia, and Great Barrier Reef. The royal angelfish occurs at depths ranging from 0 to 80m (0 to 262 ft), in coral rich areas of lagoons, reefs, and are also often found in the vicinity of caves. It is a carnivorous species that feeds on sponges and tunicates located throughout reefs and underwater caves. They are a non-migratory species that can be found solitary, in pairs, or groups. #ImageOfTheDay

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Picture of the day
Royal angelfish (Pygoplites diacanthus), Ras Muhammad National Park, Red Sea, Egypt. The body of the royal angelfish is moderately elongate, is very compressed and can reach a length of up to 25 centimetres (9.8 in) It’s widely distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific and can be found in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean around East Africa and the Maldives, stretching to the Tuamoto Islands, New Caledonia, and Great Barrier Reef. The royal angelfish occurs at depths ranging from 0 to 80m (0 to 262 ft), in coral rich areas of lagoons, reefs, and are also often found in the vicinity of caves. It is a carnivorous species that feeds on sponges and tunicates located throughout reefs and underwater caves. They are a non-migratory species that can be found solitary, in pairs, or groups.
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Picture of the day Common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis), Arrábida National Park, Portugal. The common cuttlefish is one of the largest and best-known cuttlefish species. They are a migratory species that spend the summer and spring inshore for spawning and then move to depths of 100 to 200m during autumn and winter. They only have a lifespan of 1–2 years and have many predators including sharks, dolphins, seals, fish, and cephalopods which includes other cuttlefish. During the day, most cuttlefish can be found buried below the substrate and fairly inactive. At night however, they are actively searching for prey and can ambush them from under the substrate. Cuttlefish are carnivorous and eat a variety of organisms including crustaceans (crabs and shrimp), small fish, molluscs (clams and snails), and sometimes other cuttlefish. #ImageOfTheDay
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Picture of the day Common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis), Arrábida National Park, Portugal. The common cuttlefish is one of the largest and best-known cuttlefish species. They are a migratory species that spend the summer and spring inshore for spawning and then move to depths of 100 to 200m during autumn and winter. They only have a lifespan of 1–2 years and have many predators including sharks, dolphins, seals, fish, and cephalopods which includes other cuttlefish. During the day, most cuttlefish can be found buried below the substrate and fairly inactive. At night however, they are actively searching for prey and can ambush them from under the substrate. Cuttlefish are carnivorous and eat a variety of organisms including crustaceans (crabs and shrimp), small fish, molluscs (clams and snails), and sometimes other cuttlefish. #ImageOfTheDay

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Picture of the day
Common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis), Arrábida National Park, Portugal. The common cuttlefish is one of the largest and best-known cuttlefish species. They are a migratory species that spend the summer and spring inshore for spawning and then move to depths of 100 to 200m during autumn and winter. They only have a lifespan of 1–2 years and have many predators including sharks, dolphins, seals, fish, and cephalopods which includes other cuttlefish. During the day, most cuttlefish can be found buried below the substrate and fairly inactive. At night however, they are actively searching for prey and can ambush them from under the substrate. Cuttlefish are carnivorous and eat a variety of organisms including crustaceans (crabs and shrimp), small fish, molluscs (clams and snails), and sometimes other cuttlefish.
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‘They want to evict us’: Why Indigenous Catholics fight forest project in Bangladesh #Catholic MADHUPUR, Bangladesh — Indigenous Catholic and tribal leaders in central Bangladesh are warning the government that a stronger protest movement will follow if it does not withdraw a contested forest development project before the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan this week.The Garo and Koch Indigenous peoples say a government plan to dig an artificial lake and build an eco-park in the Madhupur forest — about 94 miles north of the capital, Dhaka — is a pretext for evicting them from ancestral lands they have occupied for generations.“What the government is doing in the name of development is not development. It is a clear plan to evict the Garo and Koch Indigenous from this forest area,” said Toni Chiran, a Catholic from Corpus Christi Church in Jalchatra and president of the Bangladesh Indigenous Youth Forum. A speaker addresses Indigenous Garo people at a protest rally in Madhupur, Bangladesh, on March 6, 2026. | Credit: Stephan Uttom Rozario Chiran spoke at a protest rally on March 6 in Madhupur’s Tangail district, where hundreds of Indigenous students and community members gathered to oppose the project. He said that if the artificial lake and eco-park are built, Indigenous people will lose their agricultural land and the natural forest will be destroyed, leaving the Garo and other Indigenous peoples with no means to sustain their way of life.Bangladesh is home to approximately 400,000 Catholics in a population of nearly 178 million, and more than half of the country’s Catholics come from Indigenous communities.Church voices supportFather Simon Hacha, the vicar general of the Diocese of Mymensingh, which covers the area, said the Church cannot support the government’s plans.“If this project is implemented, the Indigenous people’s cropland will be destroyed and they will face eviction. We think that is what the government wants,” Hacha told EWTN News.“We want to tell the government to back off from such shameful steps. The Catholic Church has always been for justice and has been giving moral support to the Indigenous movement,” he added.Decades-long disputeThe Bangladesh government first proposed an artificial lake and eco-park in the Madhupur forest in 2000. In 2004, at least one Garo man was killed by police gunfire during a protest, and many others were injured. The government subsequently halted the project.In 2026, authorities revived the plan and have already begun excavating the designated area. Indigenous leaders say the project amounts to a long-term strategy to force tribal communities from the region.Janoki Chisim, secretary of the Garo Indigenous Student Union, told EWTN News that the project would be an injustice not only to the forest but also to the people who depend on it.“Let the forest survive in its original form and glory. The Garo and Koch Indigenous people have lived in this forest since time immemorial,” Chisim said. An excavator digs inside the Madhupur forest in Bangladesh on March 6, 2026, as part of a government project to expand an artificial lake that Indigenous communities say threatens their ancestral land. | Credit: Stephan Uttom Rozario According to tribal elders, tigers, bears, deer, wild boars, and wild cats once roamed freely in the forest, and hundreds of bird species thrived alongside them. Forest dwellers traditionally collected wild potatoes and medicinal plants from the forest vines. That way of life, residents say, is slowly disappearing.After the Tenancy Act of 1950, the Forest Department encroached on tribal forestland. Successive government projects have steadily eroded the forest’s biodiversity. Remaining forest is being cleared for lakes, entertainment centers, hotels, and resorts, and the local Garo and Koch Indigenous people are being displaced, community leaders say.“If the customary land rights of the tribals are not ensured, a strong movement will be launched in the coming days,” Chisim told EWTN News.Forest officials respondForest officials say the lake is being expanded to 1,165 feet. An existing 665-foot-long lake, dug five decades ago, has silted up, causing a severe water shortage in the forest during the dry season.When rivers and canals dry up, monkeys, hanuman langurs, deer, and other wildlife venture into populated areas in search of water and are sometimes attacked, officials said.“Deer, peacocks, and tortoises in the breeding center also face water shortage. The expansion of this lake is necessary to protect the life of wildlife,” Mosharraf Hossain, a forest official, told EWTN News.Hossain added that no one has customary land rights in the reserved forest and that lakes are not being dug on Garo land. Forest department officials say some youths are spreading unnecessary confusion at the behest of a vested interest group.
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‘They want to evict us’: Why Indigenous Catholics fight forest project in Bangladesh #Catholic MADHUPUR, Bangladesh — Indigenous Catholic and tribal leaders in central Bangladesh are warning the government that a stronger protest movement will follow if it does not withdraw a contested forest development project before the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan this week.The Garo and Koch Indigenous peoples say a government plan to dig an artificial lake and build an eco-park in the Madhupur forest — about 94 miles north of the capital, Dhaka — is a pretext for evicting them from ancestral lands they have occupied for generations.“What the government is doing in the name of development is not development. It is a clear plan to evict the Garo and Koch Indigenous from this forest area,” said Toni Chiran, a Catholic from Corpus Christi Church in Jalchatra and president of the Bangladesh Indigenous Youth Forum. A speaker addresses Indigenous Garo people at a protest rally in Madhupur, Bangladesh, on March 6, 2026. | Credit: Stephan Uttom Rozario Chiran spoke at a protest rally on March 6 in Madhupur’s Tangail district, where hundreds of Indigenous students and community members gathered to oppose the project. He said that if the artificial lake and eco-park are built, Indigenous people will lose their agricultural land and the natural forest will be destroyed, leaving the Garo and other Indigenous peoples with no means to sustain their way of life.Bangladesh is home to approximately 400,000 Catholics in a population of nearly 178 million, and more than half of the country’s Catholics come from Indigenous communities.Church voices supportFather Simon Hacha, the vicar general of the Diocese of Mymensingh, which covers the area, said the Church cannot support the government’s plans.“If this project is implemented, the Indigenous people’s cropland will be destroyed and they will face eviction. We think that is what the government wants,” Hacha told EWTN News.“We want to tell the government to back off from such shameful steps. The Catholic Church has always been for justice and has been giving moral support to the Indigenous movement,” he added.Decades-long disputeThe Bangladesh government first proposed an artificial lake and eco-park in the Madhupur forest in 2000. In 2004, at least one Garo man was killed by police gunfire during a protest, and many others were injured. The government subsequently halted the project.In 2026, authorities revived the plan and have already begun excavating the designated area. Indigenous leaders say the project amounts to a long-term strategy to force tribal communities from the region.Janoki Chisim, secretary of the Garo Indigenous Student Union, told EWTN News that the project would be an injustice not only to the forest but also to the people who depend on it.“Let the forest survive in its original form and glory. The Garo and Koch Indigenous people have lived in this forest since time immemorial,” Chisim said. An excavator digs inside the Madhupur forest in Bangladesh on March 6, 2026, as part of a government project to expand an artificial lake that Indigenous communities say threatens their ancestral land. | Credit: Stephan Uttom Rozario According to tribal elders, tigers, bears, deer, wild boars, and wild cats once roamed freely in the forest, and hundreds of bird species thrived alongside them. Forest dwellers traditionally collected wild potatoes and medicinal plants from the forest vines. That way of life, residents say, is slowly disappearing.After the Tenancy Act of 1950, the Forest Department encroached on tribal forestland. Successive government projects have steadily eroded the forest’s biodiversity. Remaining forest is being cleared for lakes, entertainment centers, hotels, and resorts, and the local Garo and Koch Indigenous people are being displaced, community leaders say.“If the customary land rights of the tribals are not ensured, a strong movement will be launched in the coming days,” Chisim told EWTN News.Forest officials respondForest officials say the lake is being expanded to 1,165 feet. An existing 665-foot-long lake, dug five decades ago, has silted up, causing a severe water shortage in the forest during the dry season.When rivers and canals dry up, monkeys, hanuman langurs, deer, and other wildlife venture into populated areas in search of water and are sometimes attacked, officials said.“Deer, peacocks, and tortoises in the breeding center also face water shortage. The expansion of this lake is necessary to protect the life of wildlife,” Mosharraf Hossain, a forest official, told EWTN News.Hossain added that no one has customary land rights in the reserved forest and that lakes are not being dug on Garo land. Forest department officials say some youths are spreading unnecessary confusion at the behest of a vested interest group.

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Catholic Indigenous leaders in Bangladesh say they will escalate protests if the government does not halt a forest development project they call a pretext for eviction.

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10 things to know about St. Frances Xavier Cabrini #Catholic A statue of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first American saint, will replace a statue of Christopher Columbus at Arrigo Park in Chicago — an area known as Little Italy — Chicago Park District officials announced Feb. 18.Cabrini, who served poor Italian immigrants in Chicago, received roughly 38% of the almost 4,000 votes cast during an online contest to pick three nominees for the honor.The park district is now looking for artists who want to create the statue and are asking that applications be submitted by March 1.Here are 10 things to know about this beloved Catholic saint:1. She was the first American citizen to be canonized.Though born in Italy, Frances Xavier Cabrini became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1909. In 1946, she was canonized by Pope Pius XII, becoming the first American citizen to be declared a saint.2. She originally wanted to be a missionary to China.Inspired by St. Francis Xavier, Cabrini hoped to evangelize in China. Instead, Pope Leo XIII directed her westward, telling her to serve immigrants in the United States, “not to the East, but to the West.”3. She arrived in New York with almost nothing.In 1889, Cabrini landed in New York City with six fellow sisters and limited resources. What awaited her was not a warm welcome but housing instability and overwhelming poverty among Italian immigrants.4. She founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart.In 1880, she established the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a religious order dedicated to education, health care, and missionary work. The order continues its work worldwide today.5. She built an empire of schools and hospitals.By the time of her death, Cabrini had founded nearly 70 institutions, including orphanages, schools, and hospitals across the United States, Europe, and Latin America.6. She served Italian immigrants during a time of intense prejudice.In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Italian immigrants faced widespread discrimination in America. Cabrini advocated fiercely for their dignity, education, and health care.7. She became a U.S. citizen in 1909.Cabrini’s naturalization reflected her long-term commitment to serving American communities, particularly in cities like New York and Chicago.8. She died in Chicago in 1917.Cabrini passed away on Dec. 22, 1917, in Chicago after years of tireless travel and work. The doctor attributed her death to chronic endocarditis, or heart disease. Her body is preserved for veneration at the National Shrine of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini.9. She is the patron saint of immigrants.In 1950, Pope Pius XII officially named her the patron saint of immigrants, recognizing her lifelong dedication to displaced and marginalized communities.10. Her legacy remains visible across the U.S.Hospitals, schools, and institutions bearing her name continue her mission of faith-driven service and education.
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10 things to know about St. Frances Xavier Cabrini #Catholic A statue of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first American saint, will replace a statue of Christopher Columbus at Arrigo Park in Chicago — an area known as Little Italy — Chicago Park District officials announced Feb. 18.Cabrini, who served poor Italian immigrants in Chicago, received roughly 38% of the almost 4,000 votes cast during an online contest to pick three nominees for the honor.The park district is now looking for artists who want to create the statue and are asking that applications be submitted by March 1.Here are 10 things to know about this beloved Catholic saint:1. She was the first American citizen to be canonized.Though born in Italy, Frances Xavier Cabrini became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1909. In 1946, she was canonized by Pope Pius XII, becoming the first American citizen to be declared a saint.2. She originally wanted to be a missionary to China.Inspired by St. Francis Xavier, Cabrini hoped to evangelize in China. Instead, Pope Leo XIII directed her westward, telling her to serve immigrants in the United States, “not to the East, but to the West.”3. She arrived in New York with almost nothing.In 1889, Cabrini landed in New York City with six fellow sisters and limited resources. What awaited her was not a warm welcome but housing instability and overwhelming poverty among Italian immigrants.4. She founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart.In 1880, she established the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a religious order dedicated to education, health care, and missionary work. The order continues its work worldwide today.5. She built an empire of schools and hospitals.By the time of her death, Cabrini had founded nearly 70 institutions, including orphanages, schools, and hospitals across the United States, Europe, and Latin America.6. She served Italian immigrants during a time of intense prejudice.In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Italian immigrants faced widespread discrimination in America. Cabrini advocated fiercely for their dignity, education, and health care.7. She became a U.S. citizen in 1909.Cabrini’s naturalization reflected her long-term commitment to serving American communities, particularly in cities like New York and Chicago.8. She died in Chicago in 1917.Cabrini passed away on Dec. 22, 1917, in Chicago after years of tireless travel and work. The doctor attributed her death to chronic endocarditis, or heart disease. Her body is preserved for veneration at the National Shrine of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini.9. She is the patron saint of immigrants.In 1950, Pope Pius XII officially named her the patron saint of immigrants, recognizing her lifelong dedication to displaced and marginalized communities.10. Her legacy remains visible across the U.S.Hospitals, schools, and institutions bearing her name continue her mission of faith-driven service and education.

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St. Frances Xavier Cabrini was the first American citizen to be canonized and is the patron saint of immigrants. A new statue of her will be erected in Chicago’s Little Italy.

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Picture of the day Yellowbar angelfish (Pomacanthus maculosus), Ras Muhammad National Park, Red Sea, Egypt. This marine angelfish is distributed throughout the Persian Gulf, the northwestern Indian Ocean, and the Red Sea south to 19°S. In 2009 it was recorded off the coast of Lebanon in the eastern Mediterranean, probably as a result of Lessepsian migration from the Red Sea through the Suez Canal. Pomacanthus maculosus is found at depths of between 4 and 50 metres (13 and 164 ft). It is a solitary species that lives in sheltered areas, often where there is a mixture of coral and silt. Their diet is dominated by sea sponges and tunicates, although other invertebrates will be eaten opportunistically. The females attain sexual maturity when the reach around 5.5 years of age and a total length of 21.6 centimetres (8.5 in). The maximum longevity is thought to be 36 years old. They are protogynous hermaphrodites and the older females can change sex to become males when there is a shortage of males. The larvae are planktonic. The yellowbar angelfish is occasionally collected for the aquarium trade and in some parts of the Persian Gulf it has been recorded in fish markets. #ImageOfTheDay
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Picture of the day Yellowbar angelfish (Pomacanthus maculosus), Ras Muhammad National Park, Red Sea, Egypt. This marine angelfish is distributed throughout the Persian Gulf, the northwestern Indian Ocean, and the Red Sea south to 19°S. In 2009 it was recorded off the coast of Lebanon in the eastern Mediterranean, probably as a result of Lessepsian migration from the Red Sea through the Suez Canal. Pomacanthus maculosus is found at depths of between 4 and 50 metres (13 and 164 ft). It is a solitary species that lives in sheltered areas, often where there is a mixture of coral and silt. Their diet is dominated by sea sponges and tunicates, although other invertebrates will be eaten opportunistically. The females attain sexual maturity when the reach around 5.5 years of age and a total length of 21.6 centimetres (8.5 in). The maximum longevity is thought to be 36 years old. They are protogynous hermaphrodites and the older females can change sex to become males when there is a shortage of males. The larvae are planktonic. The yellowbar angelfish is occasionally collected for the aquarium trade and in some parts of the Persian Gulf it has been recorded in fish markets. #ImageOfTheDay

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Picture of the day
Yellowbar angelfish (Pomacanthus maculosus), Ras Muhammad National Park, Red Sea, Egypt. This marine angelfish is distributed throughout the Persian Gulf, the northwestern Indian Ocean, and the Red Sea south to 19°S. In 2009 it was recorded off the coast of Lebanon in the eastern Mediterranean, probably as a result of Lessepsian migration from the Red Sea through the Suez Canal. Pomacanthus maculosus is found at depths of between 4 and 50 metres (13 and 164 ft). It is a solitary species that lives in sheltered areas, often where there is a mixture of coral and silt. Their diet is dominated by sea sponges and tunicates, although other invertebrates will be eaten opportunistically. The females attain sexual maturity when the reach around 5.5 years of age and a total length of 21.6 centimetres (8.5 in). The maximum longevity is thought to be 36 years old. They are protogynous hermaphrodites and the older females can change sex to become males when there is a shortage of males. The larvae are planktonic. The yellowbar angelfish is occasionally collected for the aquarium trade and in some parts of the Persian Gulf it has been recorded in fish markets.
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Picture of the day View of coastline northwest from above Manarola: fields and steep trail to Volastra in foreground, Corniglia Station and town centre, north to Punta Mesco. Depicts the north half of Cinque Terre National Park coastline. Liguria, Italy #ImageOfTheDay
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Picture of the day View of coastline northwest from above Manarola: fields and steep trail to Volastra in foreground, Corniglia Station and town centre, north to Punta Mesco. Depicts the north half of Cinque Terre National Park coastline. Liguria, Italy #ImageOfTheDay

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Picture of the day
View of coastline northwest from above Manarola: fields and steep trail to Volastra in foreground, Corniglia Station and town centre, north to Punta Mesco. Depicts the north half of Cinque Terre National Park coastline. Liguria, Italy
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Picture of the day View on Val Montanaia (Montanaia Valley), with the Cima Both (2,437 m) on the left and the “Campanile” (2,173 m) in the middle; both are peaks of the Spalti di Toro group, in the Friulian Dolomites Natural Park, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy. #ImageOfTheDay
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Picture of the day View on Val Montanaia (Montanaia Valley), with the Cima Both (2,437 m) on the left and the “Campanile” (2,173 m) in the middle; both are peaks of the Spalti di Toro group, in the Friulian Dolomites Natural Park, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy. #ImageOfTheDay

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Picture of the day
View on Val Montanaia (Montanaia Valley), with the Cima Both (2,437 m) on the left and the “Campanile” (2,173 m) in the middle; both are peaks of the Spalti di Toro group, in the Friulian Dolomites Natural Park, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy.
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Picture of the day Coral (Favia favus), Ras Muhammad National Park, Red Sea, Egypt. This species of stony corals is massive and forms thickly encrusting dome-shaped colonial corals. There is a great diversity of form even among the same species. The corallites project slightly above the surface of the coral and each has its own wall. The septa and costae linked to the corallite wall are well developed and covered by fine teeth. The polyps only extend and feed during the night. Each one has a small number of tapering tentacles which often have a darker coloured tip; these are called stinger tentacles, or sweeper tentacles. They use these to sweep the water to see if any other coral is in its area; if so, then they begin to sting the other coral. This is commonly known as coral war. Each coral is trying to make sure it has enough room around it so it can continue to grow and have more surface area for its offspring. #ImageOfTheDay
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Picture of the day Coral (Favia favus), Ras Muhammad National Park, Red Sea, Egypt. This species of stony corals is massive and forms thickly encrusting dome-shaped colonial corals. There is a great diversity of form even among the same species. The corallites project slightly above the surface of the coral and each has its own wall. The septa and costae linked to the corallite wall are well developed and covered by fine teeth. The polyps only extend and feed during the night. Each one has a small number of tapering tentacles which often have a darker coloured tip; these are called stinger tentacles, or sweeper tentacles. They use these to sweep the water to see if any other coral is in its area; if so, then they begin to sting the other coral. This is commonly known as coral war. Each coral is trying to make sure it has enough room around it so it can continue to grow and have more surface area for its offspring. #ImageOfTheDay

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Picture of the day
Coral (Favia favus), Ras Muhammad National Park, Red Sea, Egypt. This species of stony corals is massive and forms thickly encrusting dome-shaped colonial corals. There is a great diversity of form even among the same species. The corallites project slightly above the surface of the coral and each has its own wall. The septa and costae linked to the corallite wall are well developed and covered by fine teeth. The polyps only extend and feed during the night. Each one has a small number of tapering tentacles which often have a darker coloured tip; these are called stinger tentacles, or sweeper tentacles. They use these to sweep the water to see if any other coral is in its area; if so, then they begin to sting the other coral. This is commonly known as coral war. Each coral is trying to make sure it has enough room around it so it can continue to grow and have more surface area for its offspring.
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