Te Matua Ngahere, a giant kauri tree growing in Waipoua Forest, Northland, New Zealand
© Kim Westerskov/Getty Image
50 years of Earth Day
For Mother Earth’s big day, we’re shining the spotlight on a tree known as ‘Father of the Forest,’ or Te Matua Ngahere in the Maori language. This giant kauri tree lives in the Waipou Rainforest of New Zealand’s North Island. At more than 1,500 years old and more than 15 metres around, it’s both one of the oldest trees in New Zealand and one of the largest. It's long been revered by the Maori, and is protected by Maori elders. We suspect this ancient tree must have some extra bounce in its branches today for the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.
Related Images
Aerial view of Elk Falls suspension bridge on Vancouver Island
County Bridge in New Hampshire
Living root bridge in India
Meditation domes at the Beatles Ashram in Rishikesh, India
Blooming jacaranda trees in New Farm Park, Brisbane, Australia
Letchworth State Park, New York
A mountain gorilla eating in a tree in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda
Lake Dobson in Mount Field National Park of Tasmania
Bing Today Images
Alam-Pedja Nature Reserve in Tartu County, Estonia
Apr 22, 2026
Green sea turtle, San Diego, California
Apr 22, 2024
Earth seen from space
Apr 22, 2017
