Sloth Tee-Shirt Giveaway!

Did you know that sloths cannot walk and use their arms to drag their bodies?
...Or that one three-fingered sloth species can turn their head 300 degrees?
...Or that three-fingered sloths are excellent swimmers, moving faster in water than on land!
...Or that they only poop once a week!
...Or that all mammals have 7 cervical vertebrae except for the two-fingered sloth, the three-fingered sloth and the manatee!
WOW!

Sloths are extremely unique and adorable slow-moving animals. There are two species of sloths, Bradypus (three-fingered sloth) and the Choloepus (two-fingered sloth) classified into 6 species. Although similar looking to those unfamiliar with the animal, these two sloths are vastly different in biological characteristics and behavior.

The Sloth Sanctuary in Costa Rica has pioneered sloth research, education and rehabilitation, and is the world's only sloth sanctuary! Here at Little Critterz, we support those animal advocates who champion awareness and care for the world's diverse animals.

It's your lucky day... We have decided to donate to The Sloth Sanctuary and want to give YOU a FREE Sloth Sanctuary 'Keep Calm and Hang On' tee-shirt and magnet!

To enter, simply tell us why you love sloths. It could be because of Kristen Bell's sloth meltdown, viewing this sloth crossing a road to I Believe I Can Fly video, or perhaps it's a because of a personal experience. Whatever the reason you love sloths, we believe you! We do too! Share it with us!

Please visit our Facebook page to enter the contest. The winner will be notified on Facebook and asked to email us with their shirt size and mailing address.

We have decided to create this contest to donate to the foundation while spreading awareness of the The Sloth Sanctuary and their work. If you do not win, please consider donating to the foundation on your own. Or perhaps a visit to the sanctuary in Costa Rica is on order? I know right, twist your arm! 

The tee-shirt and magnet can also be acquired with a $60 donation to the Sloth Sanctuary. You can view the tee-shirt and magnet by visiting their website.

Contests open Thursday October 2, 2014 at 10am PST and closes Monday October 6, 2014 at 11:59pm PST. One winner will be selected and asked to email critterzmedia@gmail.com with their shirt size (Unisex S-XL) and address. Shipping terms and conditions based on The Sloth Sanctuary.

Environmental Working Group Dirty Dozen & Clean Fifteen Lists Help You Eat Healthier

Curious about which foods are covered and pesticides and which ones have managed to stay chemical free? The Environmental Working Group releases a yearly list of the Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen.

To avoid the pesticides on the fruits and vegetables listed on the Dirty Dozen, consider buying them in their organic form or opt for 'clean' mangoes instead of 'dirty' nectarines.

For a list of 51 fruits and veggies and where they rank of the pesticide contaminant list visit http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/list.php.

21 Things You Didn't Know About Giraffes

The longest day of the year is June 21*, and is now dedicated to the longest-necked animal in the world!

June 21 is World Giraffe Day. And as such, we want to do our part by spreading knowledge and awareness of this amazing animal, and ways you can get involved too! Because we believe that action always starts with awareness!

Here are 21 facts you may not know about giraffes:

1. For a long time, people called the giraffe a camel-leopard, believing it was a combination of a camel and a leopard! That's where the giraffe's species name camelopardalis comes from! 
2. There are 9 giraffe subspecies: Angolan, Kordofan, Nubian, South African or Cape, West African or Nigerian, Reticulated or Somali, Rothschild, Thornicroft, and Masai.
3. Giraffe coat colors vary from light tan to practically black. The differences occur due to what the giraffes eat and where they live. Each individual giraffe’s markings are as individual as our fingerprints!
4. Giraffes are not dependent on drinking water, they stay hydrated through condensation and food.
5. 200 endangered West African Giraffe exist today in 2008 was listed on the IUCN RED List as ‘endangered’.
6. Giraffes only need 5 to 30 minutes of sleep in a 24-hour period! They often achieve that in quick naps that may last only a minute or two at a time.
7. The closest relative to the giraffe is the okapi, which has a much shorter neck relative to body size.
8. It has been estimated that fewer than 5,000 Reticulated giraffes remain in the wild, from an estimated 28,000 as recently as the late 1990s! The Reticulated giraffe is one of the more common captive giraffe with approximately 450 kept in zoos across the world.
9. Giraffes can live to be 25 years old, and even older in captivity!
10. Once mature, the defensive kick of an adult giraffe is enough to seriously damage even the most determined predator, even lions have succumbed to the fierceness of the giraffe's soup bowl size hooves. 
11. The average gestation period for giraffe is approximately 15 months (453-464 days)!
12. Giraffes give birth standing up, requiring the newborn to fall 6.5 feet (2 meters) to the ground! A newborn can stand up and run within an hour of being born!
13. A giraffe's tongue is 18-21 inches long!
14. Even with its long neck, the giraffe has the same number of vertebrae in its neck as humans do, which is 7.
15. A giraffe's head is 2m (7ft) away from it's heart, which makes for a very difficult challenge to pump blood to the brain! They have a relatively small heart yet extremely high blood pressure (twice what's found in humans), and a heart beat up to 170 times per minute (again, twice found in humans)!
16. The patches on a giraffe's body, not only act as camouflage, but also as a thermal window releasing heat from the body.
17. Giraffes' have legs about 6 feet long, allowing them to run 35mph for short distances!
18. Giraffes may eat up to 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of food per day. They spend most of their day eating, because they get just a few leaves in each bite.
19. Giraffe's favorite food, acacia trees, have long thorns that deter most animals — but not giraffes. Their 18-inch (46-centimeter) tongues can reach around the thorns, and their thick, sticky saliva coats any thorns they might swallow.
20. There are fewer than 1,500 Thornicroft giraffes in the wild, and none in captivity. 
21. There are almost no Nubian giraffes in captivity, and fewer than 250 in the wild. 

How you can get involved in honor of World Giraffe Day:

• Share what you know to inspire others to get involved in the plight of the giraffe by sharing this blog post on social media using the links at the bottom of this post!
• Attend an event in your area. Zoos and parks like Fossil Rim Wildlife Center and North Carolina Zoo are holding fun, interactive and educational activities on the day!
• Donate to organizations like Giraffe Conservation Foundation, WWF, Defenders of Wildlife and African Wildlife Foundation. 
• Symbolically adopt a giraffe. Your adoption will help protect giraffes and their habitat.
• Visit a zoo. Did you know zoos play an integral role in wildlife conservation, education and research!

Which fact were you most astonished by? Share your thoughts in the comment box below! We want to hear!

-the team at Little Critterz

*The longest day of the year is on or around June 21 in the Northern Hemisphere. 

Sources include Giraffe Conservation Foundation,  National Geographic, and San Diego Zoo.

11 Ways to Celebrate World Ocean's Day

There are 48 days between Earth Day and World Ocean's Day.

48 days to learn about the land we live on and the water that surrounds us.

48 days to teach ourselves something new and make an effort to change some our of actions, because how we behave and how our behaviors affect every part of the world. From the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink, to how we commute, how we watch TV and prepare meals, how long we let the water run before turning it off to conserve. Every action matters.

Earth Day and World Ocean's day inspires us every year, more than just the days marked by the calendar. We love this season where the connection to conservation buzzes about in the news, online, and in our communities. Hope and action is in the air.

The first step towards action is awareness. If we do not know a problem exists, we cannot fix it. If we are unaware of the vast, beautiful, important world of the ocean, we do not care to protect it.

The ocean provides most of the air we breathe, and is a major source of food and medicine for the global population. In 2008, the UN General Assembly designated June 8 as World Oceans Day. This designation encourages awareness of the challenges facing the global community revolving oceans. We cannot afford for ocean to become a barren wasteland.

image via Earth Times

Get involved. Here are 11 ways you can celebrate World Ocean's Day:

1. Learn more about the day and the importance of the ocean. All action starts with awareness.
2. Take shorter showers. Did you know a 5 minute American shower uses more water than someone in the developing world uses all day! Challenge yourself to shave off several seconds of your showers by first timing several of your showers. Set goals to shower in less and less time, soon you'll be shaving a minute, or 2 or 3 in each shower! 
3. Reduce, reuse and recycle because our trash ends up in the ocean!
4. Green your life by eliminating plastic packaging from your purchases and switch to reusable water bottles, grocery bags and even sandwich bags!
5. Sign up for a beach clean up.
6. Check out a thrift store before buying new.
7. Turn the water off while brushing your teeth.
8. Eat less meat. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization estimates meat industry generates nearly one-fifth of the man-made greenhouse gas emissions that are accelerating climate change worldwide... far more than transportation. Switching from a meat-centered weekly menu to a diet rich in vegetables and grains could save 2,500 liters of water a day! (source)
9. Collect runoff water in your home and garden and reuse. Rain water is perfect for watering plants and water from the shower before the heat turns up is great for making tea or coffee!
10. Eat only sustainably farmed or caught seafood.
11. Tell someone you know about World Ocean's Day and how we can all get involved to protect our oceans and our world.

What do you pledge to do this year?

Meteor Shower to Celebrate Memorial Day Weekend

A very beautiful, and very rare surprise comes just in time for the holiday weekend! Spend late Friday night into Saturday morning stargazing to see the Camelopardalid Meteor Shower!

The Camelopardalid Meteor Shower is forecasted to show 200 to 1,000 meteors an hour between 2am and 4am EST Saturday morning! No one has seen this meteor shower before! “We have no idea what the comet was doing in the 1800s. The parent comet (comet 209P/LINEAR) doesn’t appear to be very active now, so there could be a great show, or there could be little activity,” said Bill Cooke, lead for NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office.

“New meteor showers don't come along that often. It'll be the first time in a generation that a new meteor shower will show up,” according to CNN Meteorologist Sean Morris.

The comet 209P/LINEAR is a Jupiter family comet discovered in 2004. Earth will travel through debris ejected from the comet 209P/LINEAR in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries! If the comet was actively producing a lot of dust during that time, the Earth may be treated to a potentially incredible meteor shower.

North America will have the most visibility of the shower, and the best places for viewing in the U.S. will be east of the Mississippi River or in California, as rain in Pacific Northwest and Plains will affect viewing.

Milky Way against silhouetted Owachomo Bridge at Natural Bridges National Park, Utah

We are excited about viewing the sky tonight in hopes for a meteor shower that could rival the prolific Perseid meteor shower in August!

It's exciting, the unpredictability of the shower. Like life, there is no certainly that the outcome will be as expected. We just have to prepare, show up and hope for the best!

For optimal viewing in your area, seek out a dark sky with minimal light pollution.

If you're having trouble seeing it, or if you want to join other amateur astronomers across the country as it happens, NASA's website will host a live chat from 11 p.m. Friday until 3 a.m. EDT Saturday, as well as offering a live view of the skies over Huntsville, Alabama.

A view of the Milky Way Galaxy at Cherry Springs State Park, Pennsylvania.

Dumbbell Nebula as seen through park's telescope at Observatory Park Geauga Park District, Ohio

5 Green Lifestyle Products

Our Earth Day fever is really heating up but before we begin discussing really awesome environmentally friendly, sustainable and all-around better options than the traditional versions currently available, we'd like to first encourage you to think closely before you buy. If you've decided that yes this is something you need, then also think about alternative ways to get it.

For instance, can you borrow it? Make it? Grow it? Build it? Being green is not just about buying green. It's a way of life. It's thinking and acting in sustainable ways.

We love this 'My Not-Shopping List' because it encourages us to treasure everything by repurposing or repairing items. Is also encourages us to build a community by borrowing items instead of buying a version for ourselves when we can share with friends, family and neighbors.

One of our favorite things to do is go to swap meets and thrift stores to find something we want or need. Buying second-hand means that you are adding to the life of something that would have ended up in a landfill. Plus it's also pretty neat to browse previously-loved products from record players and old clocks to bike parts and jewelry!

Again, we'd like to reinforce re-using and upcycling before you purchase new.

With that being said, we know that things eventually break, again. Nothing lasts forever. We want to highlight some incredibly innovating, thought-provoking and revolutionary products that are simply better for the environment, your home and your family.

Glass Water Bottles
First thing first, stop buying plastic water bottles. There, it's been said. Let's move on to what you can and should buy for when you're on the go, because drinking water is an essential part of staying healthy. Re-usable plastic water bottles leak chemicals into you water, instead re-usable BPA/BPS-free and phthalate-free glass water bottles and caps, like these adorable ones from Lifefactory provide fresh and clean drinking water safe for consumption!

Camioncyclette
Designer Christophe Machet describes his invention as, "It is not a bicycle with added baskets, but a basket with added wheels that can be rode." 40% of car rides are 2 miles from the home and under. We'd like to point out here that isn't that perfect biking distance! You can travel 2 miles in just a couple of minutes by bicycle. Biking is a healthier and environmentally safer option than driving for many reasons, and we believe that the biggest deterrent for biking over driving is the cargo! This mode of transporting both you and your produce, park essentials or school/work gear up to 32 gallons! We know you'll have more fun riding it than this guy -->

This particular bike may be hard to buy as it's not available in most stores, but when contemplating a bike purchase think light weight frame and storage (bikes can have baskets both in front and back!).

AquaFarm
Grow > buy. Not only is it cheaper, but it's greener! Growing an herb garden is a great way to cut costs in transporting plants from where it's grown in the world to your supermarket. Think of all the emissions you'll be eliminating! So when we can across this self-cleaning fish tank from Back to the Roots that grows herbs, we were thrilled!

Graze Organic
Let's talk about plastic bags, the sandwich and snack kind in particular. Graze Organic has created reusable, washable alternatives to traditional wasteful plastic bags. Bags are made from washable, durable organic cotton and available in such fun colors and prints, these sustainable bags are an adorable way of sprucing up lunch and reducing waste!

Re-usable Produce Bags 
If you haven't done so already, and we highly suggest you do, please purchase alternatives to grocery store plastic bags. Many cities, states and countries have a ban on them and therefore are not in grocery stores, but for the laggards who do not currently own reusable grocery bags, get some! We highly recommend these produce bags from Flip and Tumble because they are not only reusable, but easily washable! You can even wash produce in the bags! They also roll up into very small size to carry one or all with you in your purse, briefcase, school bag, etc. Best part, they're $12 for a set of 5!

What are some of your favorite green products? Share with us in the comments below!

-the Little Critterz team

Earth Hour 2014

I'm sure you've heard of Earth Day, but what about Earth Hour? One sole hour can't make an impact on our planet and communities, you argue. But it can!

You may remember a post last March about a way to unite and empower people around the world regardless of where they live, if not, take a look here.


The Symbol

For one hour, Earth Hour and WWF ask you to turn off the lights -- one simple action that means so much. With the unnecessary lights off the world is silent, slowed, and in it's natural state -- the way is was a mere hundred and fifty years ago. This one small, inspiring action says much more. It is voicing your commitment to the future of our planet. It is participation and action to achieve a more sustainable world. For one hour, light some candles, unplug your coffee machine, hair dryer, and other unnecessary appliances and enjoy the darkness. The ultimate goal however, is to go beyond the hour.

The Burj Khalifa tower (L) in downtown Dubai during Earth Hour 2013. (AFP PHOTO/KARIM SAHIB)

The Movement

The 2007 inaugural Earth Hour was held in Sydney by over 2 million participants. Spreading quickly, in 2008, 371 cities and towns in over 35 countries turned off their lights to conserve power and voice a message about the state of the world's resources and environment. Even a sizable number of television and radio stations suspended regular broadcasting, halted transmissions or turned off the lights in their studio for an hour. National Geographic Channel, Cartoon Network, DhiTV and Villa TV (Maldives), Canal 5 (Mexico) and ABS-CBN (Philippine) were a few of these.

What started as an hour of conservation has turned into a global movement.

In 2011, Beyond The Hour was launched to give supporters a place to share their stories and pledge to do more. And in 2012, the I Will If You Will campaign was launched and more than 200,000 accepted an I Will If You Will challenge. Such challenges included a man would do a polar bear swim if 2,000 people agree to pick up trash by the beach, or Bill and Giuliana would wear Chicago Bears jerseys down the red carpet if 5,000 people commit to Earth Hour.

Over the last few years, dozen of projects have been completed by Earth Hour and WWF from the changing LED lights in the United States to planting half a million trees in the forests of Uganda. Today, Earth Hour Blue is an open source platform that allows people to crowd-fund projects all over the world! You can choose to donate to projects ranging from adopting puppies to train them as be crime fighting dogs, to installing solar lights in India to prevent tigers from entering villages.

The power is yours.


Celebrate Your Commitment To The Planet

On Saturday the 29th of March 2014 from 8:30-9:30pm local time join millions of people who switch off the lights for one hour to raise awareness for the planet. This worldwide grassroots movement, organized by WWF, unites people to protect the planet by engaging a massive mainstream community on a broad range of environmental issues.

For more information on celebrating Earth Hour visit here.

See if your city is one of thousands participating in Earth Hour 2014.

The Earth is on Our Mind

Spring has sprung (okay it's been springing in San Diego for quite some time). The sun is out, the flowers blooming and we feel both happy and blessed to be living on such a lovely planet. We're sure you have these moments where you just have to breathe it all in because they are that sweet. These grateful moments, however, have us thinking about delicate nature of our planet.

With Earth Day coming up, (Earth Day is Tuesday April 22, 2014 in case you haven't yet heard) we have decided jump all into the spirit and festivities of spring -- enjoying the outdoors, participating in the community, and doing our part to protect the planet for humans and animals together, forever!

Our team here at Little Critterz™ is challenging you to participate as well!

Love The Earth

We believe the kick off to Earth Day is Earth Hour.  Earth Hour takes place almost a month before Earth Day, and it is the first event in which asks people to take part in the direction of our planet's resources and ecosystems. Heck, some may say St. Patrick's Day could be the kick off for this time of green -- cue green drinks and leprechauns dancing!

Olympic National Park's St. Patrick's Day post -- if that doesn't represent Earth Day we don't know what does!

I mean -- look at this forest! Isn't this worth saving?!

So we want to kick off the month before Earth Day with fun-filled, educational, and interactive topics that will make all of our lives richer knowing we are making a difference for all of the plants, animals and humans on this planet.

We hope to encourage you through topics like the best green products you should have, green gardening tips, and a 'Week of Green' - so stay tuned! Plus all of the information you'll need to participate in Earth Hour next Saturday, March 29 2014.

If you're not already following our blog, do so with BlogLovin' or Follow us on Facebook. You'll be the first to know when we release these posts!

Be Green All Year Long

We know it's not enough to protect the Earth by acting one day a year (hence our month of action for starters), but even more than that, engaging in sustainable behavior should be at the forefront of thought all year long! 

We are proud to support ecologically sound practices that encourage sustainability. We believe that every business and household can contribute to the slowing down of global warming. At Little Critterz™ we engage in green business practices by: 

• Providing educational information about the fragility of the earth’s ecosystems and the habitats of endangered wildlife
• Using recycled paper whenever possible to prevent useless destruction of our forests
• Minimizing the use of paper by maintaining digital files
• Recycle all plastics, cans and paper
• Shutting off lights when not in use
• Reducing excessive packaging to save trees
• Reuse all packaging materials received

We really hope you'll join along, learn about our planet and perhaps even get outside in participate in your community to make this world a better place!

Cheers and happy Friday to you all!

-the Little Critterz team

Calgary Zoo Reopen, Still Work to be Done

Calgary Zoo reopened in November, just 5 month after devastating floods destroyed two major buildings and displaced many of their animals.

A cheer went up when Mayor Naheed Nenshi ripped through the banner that read: "Welcome Back. We're Open," to officially invite everyone back to the zoo.

"Make no mistake. It was devastation to one of the most special places in our city," said Nenshi. "The mud, the silt, the broken buildings and the broken hearts were evident all over this island."

The zoo, build on an island, was forced to move 160 animals to higher ground. 2 hippos nearly escaped when water levels rose to the top of their enclosure, swimming in the public viewing area and almost out to the river. Giraffes that were standing up to their bellies in cold water were ailing after the flood for days and could only be gotten to by boat - but they recovered. Two peacocks, a pot-bellied pig and a variety of fish died.

The floods cost the zoo $50M, with ruined kitchen and dining areas, and hundreds of metres of fencing down, plus the cost of missing revenue for 5 months estimated at $11M. The zoo is also looking into a berm to protect the zoo from this happening again, the cost of this, is $10M. 

There is still so much work to be done.

“Five months ago the zoo was very different,” said president and CEO Dr. Clement Lanthier.

“It’s reconnecting with the community and this is what zoos are all about — zoos are about animals and conservation but also about people,” he said.

Help rebuild the Calgary Zoo by visiting the zoo and the animals. Your admission goes towards rebuilding devastation and securing a home for the animals. The zoo is one of many reasons to visit Calgary!

If you live in Calgary please buy or renew your annual pass. You won't regret a year's fun times with the animals to share with friends and family! There are so many benefits of membership, including unlimited trips, free parking, member-only events, discounted gift store purchases and more! Makes a great gift too don't you think?!

For the rest of us, donations are greatly appreciated! You can do so here. 

"Be kind to one another." - Ellen.

Animal Profile: Sun Bear

This week we are showcasing arguably one of the most photogenic animals around: the Sun Bear! Known for being a solitary species we thought it would be a great idea the characteristics of this beautifully goofy creature.

Size: Weighs between 60 and 150 pounds and is 4 to 5 feet in length
Diet: Bees and honey are staples, and also feed on a variety of fruit and insects
Location: Found in tropical rain forests in Southeast Asia
Protection Status: Vulnerable
Interesting Facts:

• Standing only about 4-5 feet, the Sun Bear is the smallest known species of bear, which suite their arboreal lifestyle easily moving about the trees
• Known as the "Honey Bear" for its love of honey, it uses its extremely long tongue to obtain honey from beehives
• They use their long claws to climb trees in order to build nests for sleeping and sunbathing 

Our goal at Little Critterz is to spread the respect of the animal kingdom through education of and interaction with animals. We believe this is to be done by learning about the wondrous world of animals both online and in person at zoos, national parks and aquariums. We also believe respect and protection for animals stems from the admiration of these beautiful, amazing creatures through real and treasured symbols like this Sun Bear miniature porcelain figurine. 

Animal Profile: Tufted Puffin

In our fourth week of the Animal of the Week series we drift away from ground-creatures and honor one our favorite airborne friends in the Tufted Puffin. Primarily known for its elegant yellow tufts that run down from each side of its head, the Tufted Puffin is one of the most distinct critters roaming the sky throughout the world.

Size: 15 inches in length and weigh 1.5 pounds
Diet: Primarily consists of fish while rarely eating squid and other invertebrates

Location: Throughout the Pacific Rim, from Alaska to Japan to Canada and California

Protection Status: Least Concern

Interesting Facts:

• An adult Tufted Puffin can hold up to 20 fish arranged head to tail in its bill at a time!
• The puffin's heavy bones allow it to dive up to 300 feet in order to catch its prey.
• The puffins vibrant colors appear during the spring breeding season, however during the winter their bright red beak and yellow plumes turn grey.

Our goal at Little Critterz is to spread the respect of the animal kingdom through education of and interaction with animals. We believe this is to be done by learning about the wondrous world of animals both online and in person at zoos, national parks and aquariums. We also believe respect and protection for animals stems from the admiration of them through real and treasured symbols like this Tufted Puffin miniature porcelain figurine. 

Animal Profile: North American River Otter

For our third installment of the Animal of the Week we are showcasing the North American River Otter. This semi-aquatic mammal is known for its playful disposition and is just as lively under water as it is on land.

Size: Weighs between 10 and 30 pounds and is 25 to 40 inches in length
Diet: Mostly eat fish, but are known to heat various amphibians, crayfish and turtles
Location: Found throughout North America. Abundant in Alaska and along coastal regions in Canada down to the Gulf of Mexico.
Protection Status: Least Concern
Interesting Facts:

• Can be submerged underwater for up to eight minutes.
• The otters can survive in all kinds of fresh and salter water habitats, including rivers, lake, swamps and coastal shorelines.
• Female otters are known to play with their young in order to impart survival and hunting skills

Our goal at Little Critterz is to spread the respect of the animal kingdom through education of and interaction with animals. We believe this is to be done by learning about the wondrous world of animals both online and in person at zoos, national parks and aquariums. We also believe respect and protection for animals stems from the admiration of them through real and treasured symbols like this Otter miniature porcelain figurine. 

7 Amazing Rock Formations

Incredible rock formations are among the most breathtaking natural occurrences Mother Nature has to offer. Whether created through hundreds of thousands of years of erosion or carved by a massive glacier, each unique rock formation has its own amazing story to tell. Here are 7 of our favorite formations throughout the world:

Horseshoe Bend, Arizona 
Located near Page, Arizona, this breathtaking sculpture was formed through years of water erosion by the Colorado River. Visit their website here.

Wulingyuan, China
Found in Hunan, China, the area contains over 3,000 enormous quartzite sandstone pillars and is a UNESCO World heritage site. It is even rumored to be the inspiration for the world seen in the movie Avatar!

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
We love this surreal formation because of its pillar-like structures appropriately named hoodoos! Visit the website here.

Chocolate Hills, Philippines 
This site bountiful rock formations contains at least 1,250 mound-shaped hills. Local legend has it that the hills were formed by two feuding giants throwing boulders at each other. View more detail here.

12 Apostles, Australia
One of our favorites because of the beautiful backdrop provided by the Pacific Ocean right off the coast of Port Campbell National Park. Visit their website site here.

Pinnacles, Australia
With back to back Australia picks, the Pinnacles holds a soft spot in our heart as the limestone formations resemble a colony of upright meerkats! For tour information visit here.

Svartifoss, Iceland
Found at the Vatnajokull National Park in Iceland, this waterfall illuminates the wonder of our planet as it was actually formed from Basaltic lava. Talk about a contrast in temperature!