Arenal Volcano seen from Monteverde, Costa Rica

© Kevin Wells/Getty Image

Life in the clouds. International Day for Biodiversity

It’s International Day for Biological Diversity, a day to celebrate the variety of life on Earth in all its forms, from bacteria, plants, and animals to entire ecosystems like coral reefs and rainforests. All living things within each ecosystem are interconnected, and we rely on healthy ecosystems for our water, food, medicines, clothes, energy, and shelter. But many species are threatened with extinction and ecosystems are being destroyed, which mean Earth’s rich biodiversity is in decline.

Our homepage image shows Costa Rica’s Monteverde Cloud Forest, home to about half of all species in the country, including more than 2,500 types of plants and 400 bird species. Here you’ll find jaguars and pumas living alongside sloths, howler monkeys, and the endangered resplendent quetzal. This forest alone represents about 2.5% of the world’s biodiversity, the perfect ambassador for today’s event, which calls on us to rethink our relationship with nature and work to be better stewards of the Earth.