Photograph by Matthieu Paley

June 2012

Djibouti—Stamped into parched desert territory near the Somali border, patches of artificial grass provide tiny oases for teeing off at Golf Club de la Douda. Annual rainfall in the African republic averages around just six inches.

Photograph by Tessa Bunney

June 2012

United Kingdom—A "sea pool" constructed along a stretch of rocky coast invites refreshing dips in the Cornish village of Mousehole. Such pools, filled by seawater at high tide, were popular in the U.K. during the 1930s. Today some 30 of them remain in use.

Photograph by Kevin Kunstadt

June 2012

Italy—Sawtooth peaks in the Dolomites, part of the eastern Alps, give way to a bucolic field—a resting spot for hikers and, at times, grazing cattle. The towering pinnacles of Grosse Fermeda (front) and Sass Rigais (rear) rise more than 9,000 feet.

Photograph by Alvaro Sanchez-Montañes

May 2012

Morocco—Practice makes perfect, even for dogs. With a single bound, this one clears the gap in a beach wall in the coastal town of Essaouira. Takeoff was preceded by a running start, a tug of the leash, and several practice jumps.

Photograph by Jim Lo Scalzo

May 2012

United States—A dead athel tree, bathed in moonlight in a long night exposure, attests to former fertility on what is now a salt pan at the edge of the Salton Sea. Salinity at the California lake, 231 feet below sea level, is some 50 percent greater than the Pacific Ocean's.

Photograph by Michael Milicia

May 2012

United States—On Massachusetts's Plum Island, a piping plover plumps for one of its primary roles following the hatching of its chicks: warm cover. Though able to feed on their own within a few hours, the fledglings need help maintaining their body temperature.

Photograph by José Antonio Martínez

April 2012

Spain—A poppy's ardent color provides the perfect complement to a brilliantly hued Psilothrix beetle. Springtime foraging is common for the insect in the semidesert Bardenas Reales, a UNESCO biosphere reserve.

Photograph by Nancie Battaglia, Sports Illustrated/Getty Images

April 2012

United States—On Fourth Lake in New York's Adirondacks, a crush of 1,902 canoes and kayaks attempts to break a "largest raft" world record. Rules dictate that the mega­structure float freely for at least 30 seconds, held together only by hands.

Photograph by Andrea Gjestvang, Moment

April 2012

Greenland—Snow-covered ice saturated with winter twilight sets the stage for recreational soccer in the village of Aappilattoq. Athletic moves in bundles of warm clothing can prove more challenging than maneuvering on the frozen surface.

Photograph by Bruce Farnsworth

March 2012

United States—With aquatic tails plus full sets of legs, western spadefoot tadpoles display the magic of metamorphosis. Just days away from terrestrial life, these pollywogs will not eat until their tails are completely reabsorbed into their bodies.

Photograph by Jung Yeon-Je, AFP/Getty Images

March 2012

South Korea—Rings of smoke pierce the air during a military exercise near the Demilitarized Zone. The South Korean tank, loosely camouflaged with tree branches, fires smoke shells amid man-made mounds of dirt.

Photograph by Joel Sartore

March 2012

Uganda—On a lodge terrace in Queen Elizabeth National Park, a photographer's butter and roll prove irresistible to the local lunchtime crowd. East Africa is home to many species of weaverbirds, known for their skill in building nests.

Photograph by Kevin Frayer, AP Images

February 2012

Afghanistan—On drought-pocked earth near Marjah, in the restive Helmand Province, a lone shepherd leads his sheep through a mud wall's gap. Scenes of pastoral grace persist in this agriculturally intensive country, despite strife, insecurity, and dire food shortages.

Photograph by Carolyn Drake, Panos Pictures

February 2012

Tajikistan—Long hair flowing in the Pamir mountain air, two sisters prepare to bathe in a pond near Rushan. Several major ranges radiate from this region, providing water—some of it diverted for irrigation and a growing populace—to much of Central Asia.

Photograph by J. L. Klein and M. L. Hubert, Biosphoto

February 2012

France—On a bright summer morning a captive-bred male harvest mouse perches acrobatically in an Alsace wheat field. This species—the smallest European rodent—boasts a prehensile tail and builds a round nest that resembles a bird's.

Photograph by Muhammed Muheisen, AP Images

January 2012

Spain—At the Feria del Caballo festival in Jerez de la Frontera, an assistant to a rejoneador, or horseback bullfighter, stands in the arena wings with mules used to remove felled bulls. The mules are festooned in traditional Spanish colors.

Photograph by Luke Duggleby, Redux

January 2012

Thailand—Stretching across a temple plaza, seemingly into the infinite, thousands of robed monks are ordained at a ceremony on the Buddhist holy day of Magha Puja. The holiday celebrates a key sermon and a gathering of monks during Buddha's lifetime.

Photograph by Daniel Selmeczi, Steve Bloom Images

January 2012

Indonesia—A flurry of filaments helps camouflage the striated frogfish, a bottom dwelling predator often found in warm, weedy waters. Like its anglerfish relatives, it also employs a dangling lure to seduce fish and other prey into its lair—and gaping mouth.