Landsford Canal State Park lilies

Bloom of spider lilies in Lansford Canal State Park

One of the few remaining populations of a spider lily Hymenocallis coronaria. This beautiful flower is very rare and here it forms a pure stand in Catawba River – the largest stand of this plant anywhere. The beauty of these fragrant flowers can be admired in May – June.

Valley of Flowers

Valley of Flowers, Uttarakhand

High-altitude Himalayan valley with beautiful meadows of alpine flowers complemented by beautiful views on surrounding mountains. Mass flowering starts in early spring and lasts up to September. Known in Hindu mythology since ancient times, inhabited by fairies according to local legends.

Giblin River Stromatolites

A rare colony of freshwater stromatolites in karstic wetlands of Giblin River. Stromatolites have developed on the karstic spring mounds.

Bundera Sinkhole

Some 70 m deep, flooded sinkhole with anchialine ecosystem – e.g. the groundwater in this cave is connected to the sea, while at the surface is less saline water. Here live unique species of remipedes – Lasionectes exleyi – crustaceans with the only other relative species in the Caribbean as well as some more unique organisms. These organisms are relicts of the Mesozoic era.

Mont Lesueur

Mont Lesueur with laterite boulders

Flat-topped hills – mesas (Mont Lesueur and Mont Michaud), rising above the surrounding plains. The area contains a very high number of endemic and very rare species of plants.

Ludlow Tuart Forest

Ludlow Tuart Forest

Largest remaining tuart (Eucalyptus gomphocephala) forest in the world, consisting of giant trees of this rare species. Largest trees are up to 33 m tall, with more than 10 m in circumference.

Lake Thetis

Stromatolites in Lake Thetis

Lake with living marine stromatolites that in this site have near unique columnar branching.

Lake Clifton thrombolites

Thrombolites in Lake Clifton

A colony of thrombolites in shallow areas of the lake. These colonies of microbial mats resemble round, white stones.

Barrow Island Caves

Group of partly inundated caves with unique cave fauna. Known 63 species of stygofauna and 19 species of troglofauna. Here live endemic species of fish – Barrow Cave Gudgeon (Milyeringa justitia), unusual shizomid Draculoides bramstokeri, and possibly the only cave-dwelling reptile – small, thin snake Ramphotyphlops longissimus.