Artist Sonia Rentsch created this striking series of sculptures for January Biannual (photographed by Albert Comper and art direction by Olivia Nichols), using natural materials like leaves, sticks and seed pods to mimic the form of guns and other weapons. Entitled “Harm Less,” the images stir thoughts of beauty and violence within man and nature.

See the rest: Artist Sonia Rentsch creates guns made from nature

A non-profit has created a genetic bank of the biggest trees in the world and wants to clone them and reforest the world with them!

http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/non-profit-wants-clone-worlds-oldest-trees-reforest-planet.html

Freaking bat-eating spiders!

Slideshow features this and more crazy beautiful photos of lava flows by Sean King.

credit: Martin Stavars

Photographer Martin Stavars has a unique way of taking portraits of trees. Not only does he set up his camera for long exposures, to capture the blurred motion of leaves and grass blowing in the wind, but all the photos are done with an infrared camera.

(via Cool long-exposure photos of trees in infrared)

credit: Paul Souders

Paul Souders is a wildlife photographer who has traveled the globe documenting species in their native habitats. Some of his most compelling work comes from the earth’s extreme environments, the poles. From the icebergs of the Arctic to the shores of Antarctica, here are incredible photos of the animals that call these frozen places home.

See more amazing photos here: Up close with animals living at Earth’s poles

TGIF, you guys.

via The Wonderful World of Wild Animals (PHOTOS)

poptech:

Buzzfeed’s bucket list of really great things in the natural world to see before you go. 

No brain, no stomach, no central nervous system, no respiratory system, no circulatory system…You would think jellyfish would be weird enough creatures. But nope. One species has taken “freak” to a whole new level with the ability to be, well, immortal. 

Nature Blows My Mind! This Jellyfish Is Immortal

Remember 127 Hours with James Franco? The film about the climber that amputates his own arm to escape from beneath a boulder? That is based on the true story of Aron Ralson. In addition to being a speaker, writer and adventurer, Ralston is also a wilderness advocate. He wrote a touching piece about the need to protect the Greater Canyonlands of Utah and is asking President Obama to make it happen. Read and add your voice.  

Let’s Permanently Protect Utah’s Greater Canyonlands

Is this the most amazing video of an erupting volcano ever shot? It just might be. Erupting Volcano Explored with Amazing 360 Degree Interactive Video.

British artist Tony Plant, a sand-painter and photographer who borrows his canvas from nature by using the wet sand of low-lying coastal lands of England as his working surface. His art is deceptively simple but impressive, employing simple tools like garden rakes to create large-scale sand artworks.

(via Artist’s Massive Sand Paintings Disappear With the Tides (Video) : TreeHugger)