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If you suddenly feel like being drawn to nature more than ever before, you’re not alone. This new research from the RSPB, the UK's largest nature conservation charity, revealed huge public support, 4 in 5 people to be exact, for putting nature at the heart of coronavirus recovery plans for the government.

I mean, surviving the public health crisis made us all reevaluate our life choices, values and intentions. One of which became an almost universal realization that we need more self-care, more human connection, and more of Mother Nature.

So for anyone craving greenery, animals, and soul-soothing gifts of nature, we have this amazing compilation of pictures inspired by the r/MildlyInteresting subreddit. From an unbelievable desert bloom and frozen windscreen that looks like an award-winning shot of Everest glacier to incredible flowers and weird-shaped fruits, these are the curiosities of nature people have spotted and had little choice but to share them with others.

Scroll down to upvote your favorite ones and be sure to check out our previous posts with mildly interesting quirks of nature here and here.

#1

Frost Pattern On A Car This Morning

Frost Pattern On A Car This Morning

CalTech0003 Report

#2

The Way My Windscreen Froze

The Way My Windscreen Froze

Liamers Report

#3

I Saw The End Of The Rainbow Today

I Saw The End Of The Rainbow Today

toastforscience Report

To find out more about the wonders of nature, Bored Panda reached out to David Taberner, a nature photographer and English teacher based in Boston, Massachusetts. You can check out his website “Decent Nature Photography” full of David’s mesmerizing shots of nature.

Taberner said that nature photography is the most recent iteration of nature-based hobbies for him. “My spare time has always been spent in nature in one way or another: from childhood walks through the woods to long-distance backpacking in my early 20s to daily dog walks around local conservation land in my adult life. I've always liked to take pictures with my phone, but it wasn't until my partner generously gave me a DSLR for Christmas that the world of photography opened up for me.”

#4

Yo These Vines In My Neighborhood Look Like An Elephant

Yo These Vines In My Neighborhood Look Like An Elephant

ImKeanuReefs Report

#5

The Petals Of This Camellia Flower

The Petals Of This Camellia Flower

ewilio Report

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Mazer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There is a FB page dedicated to the designs found in nature. This would make a great addition

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#6

My Aunts Cat Has The Word No Circled In His Fur Pattern

My Aunts Cat Has The Word No Circled In His Fur Pattern

04SHADOWRIDER Report

The photographer also said that he hopes to one day use his photography to encourage conservation. “I often wonder to what degree sharing my images online harms rather than helps. Instagram pages like mine are full of beautiful images of wild animals and unspoiled landscapes, which may lead the viewer to imagine that all is well in the natural world. The truth is, things are far from okay; every day more habitat is lost to development and more carbon is emitted,” he explained. Taberner also said that the trick for him right now is “figuring out how to not perpetuate the illusion that all is well, but instead be an ally to the natural world.”

#7

This Cat That Lives At The Parking Lot At My Job Has Extra Toes

This Cat That Lives At The Parking Lot At My Job Has Extra Toes

neon_noire Report

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#9

This Stray Cat In Our Neighborhood Has A Perfect White Mustache

This Stray Cat In Our Neighborhood Has A Perfect White Mustache

877CASHN0W Report

When asked what it is about nature that makes it such a magical place like no other, Taberner said that it's hard to express in words. He explained: “Waking up early and walking down a trail, away from the cars & concrete that I'm normally surrounded by, feels like a return or a homecoming. When I'm in the woods, I try to shut off the chatter in my brain and instead turn outward. I suppose it's a sort of meditation: what can I see, hear, smell, and feel? Focusing on my senses makes me feel more connected to the forest, is good for my mental health, and is extremely helpful from a photography standpoint, both in terms of finding compositions and noticing wildlife.”

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“I don't think there's a doubt that people have grown distant from nature. Our alienation from nature is best illustrated by the very term ‘nature,’” Taberner told us. “We conceive of nature as something other than ourselves, a place that we can visit from time to time, but not something that we are part of or live in.”

#10

This Geode Looks Like A Ocean Waves On The Beach

This Geode Looks Like A Ocean Waves On The Beach

GingerGinny Report

#11

My Rhododendron Looks Like It's Trying To Run Off

My Rhododendron Looks Like It's Trying To Run Off

phigene Report

#12

I Saw Some Ants Carrying A Glove Up A Lamp

I Saw Some Ants Carrying A Glove Up A Lamp

ri4nn3 Report

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Mazer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Scientists are studying why ants are attracted to some plastics that do not contain food or other nutrients

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The nature photographer believes that just getting people out into nature is not as simple as it sounds. “Even among nature lovers, there seems to be a disconnect between our appreciation of nature and the often thoughtless consumption that is an everyday part of American life, including my own,” he added.

Taberner believes that although he spends so much of his time admiring the natural world, he also knows that he participates in the destruction of it with almost every purchase he makes. “The fact is, our economic system is based on the exploitation of people and the natural world. Until we transition to a sustainable, just economy, our disconnect from nature—regardless of what you or I do as individuals—will simply be baked into our way of life,” he commented.

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#14

The Inside Of This Tree Looks Like A Fish

The Inside Of This Tree Looks Like A Fish

molehillmilk Report

#15

Our New Kitty Has 24 Toes

Our New Kitty Has 24 Toes

thelemonx Report

For those who’re wondering, the day of the nature photographer starts, as Taberner says, “painfully early” since animals are typically most active at dawn. “I wake up painfully early to get to a location where I'll have a good chance of seeing wildlife. A lot of effort and patience goes into this type of photography, from planning to scouting to trail cams to sitting in a blind for hours at a time waiting for an animal to show up.”

#16

This Bumble Bee Lined Up Perfectly With The Stitches On My Shoe

This Bumble Bee Lined Up Perfectly With The Stitches On My Shoe

Mysteriefreak Report

#17

My Grandad Showing Off His Gigantic Homegrown Cabbage

My Grandad Showing Off His Gigantic Homegrown Cabbage

mosesmoorhouse Report

#18

I Was Taking A Panorama Picture Of A Tree In Georgia And It Started Raining Halfway Through

I Was Taking A Panorama Picture Of A Tree In Georgia And It Started Raining Halfway Through

B4rrett50c Report

When asked about his favorite memory of taking pictures in nature, Taberner recounted: “One day I went for a walk with my partner at a location where I had spent several early mornings looking for wildlife without any luck. I assumed that we wouldn't see any wildlife because it was midday, but within twenty minutes, we witnessed a family of otters eating fish on the bank of the pond and a porcupine bumbling down the trail, totally unbothered by our presence.”

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It was a special moment for Taberner that’s hard to forget. “I felt so humbled like the natural world was playing a joke on me, almost as if it was laughingly saying, ‘sorry, did you think you knew something about how I work?’ I also loved that my partner was able to share in the wonder and excitement that I feel when I see animals, wild and free, in their natural habitat,” he concluded in an interview.

#19

The Way The Light Hits This Spiderweb Makes It Look Like A Cd-Rom

The Way The Light Hits This Spiderweb Makes It Look Like A Cd-Rom

SweetestSummer Report

#20

The Variety Of Colors In The Eggs My Friend’s Chickens Laid

The Variety Of Colors In The Eggs My Friend’s Chickens Laid

TheH0F Report

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Bron
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Different coloured chickens lay different coloured eggs. My egg cartons look like that (including the green/blue ones) and various sizes because I have a wide variety of chooks.

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#21

This Rainbow Vine Started Growing In My Backyard

This Rainbow Vine Started Growing In My Backyard

SteveTheBiscuit Report

#23

Red Corn From Georgia

Red Corn From Georgia

GoldenChinchilla Report

#25

Our Cookout In Gatlinburg, Tn Was Interrupted By A Bear Who Sat Just Like A Human At The Picnic Table While He Finished Off Our Food

Our Cookout In Gatlinburg, Tn Was Interrupted By A Bear Who Sat Just Like A Human At The Picnic Table While He Finished Off Our Food

takeheedyoungheathen Report

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#26

Believe This Might Be A Lightning Strike On A Concrete Sidewalk

Believe This Might Be A Lightning Strike On A Concrete Sidewalk

junglepeanut Report

#27

Tiny Octopus I Found Inside A Seashell!

Tiny Octopus I Found Inside A Seashell!

arzam007 Report

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Joanna Werman
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You have excellent awareness skills. They have excellent camouflage skills

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#28

The Ghost Deer That Patrols Our Neck Of The Woods

The Ghost Deer That Patrols Our Neck Of The Woods

thredder Report

#30

This Tree I Found Grows Into Itself

This Tree I Found Grows Into Itself

FishayyMtg Report

#32

This Swirly Dandelion I Found

This Swirly Dandelion I Found

Golden_Snail_DK Report

#33

Perfectly Round Rock I Found At The Beach

Perfectly Round Rock I Found At The Beach

Fudgemnky Report

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Rick
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's round shot. Basically a small cannon ball. Used between 15th & 17th centuries until rocks were replaced by iron.

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SomePeopleCallMeMaurice
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I once found a perfectly shaped heart stone in the surf. It was a long, lonely stretch of beach in California, so I’m sure it wasn’t planted there. After that, I kept finding roughly hear shaped stones all the time!

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Wyndmere
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dude, you need to drink more water; your cuticles are all dried out.

janet-burnett88 avatar
Wyndmere
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Too bad your thumb kept the rest of us from seeing the full circle.

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Denise Wads
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They are finding these on The Curse of Oak Island and are gun/cannon balls.

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Brygida Wegrzyn
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Depending on where this was found, it could be the marbles used in ballasts of ships. Really neat find!

nfrlprdpr avatar
Mazer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Looks suspiciously like a ping pong ball, tho I have seen so many unique things in nature, I’m not surprised that this is rock

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Sugar Cargill
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was a kid, over the years, I found three perfectly round rocks. I don’t know how but I kept losing them, like they just disappeared.

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Kim Bush
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I knew someone would comment on his nails! Why does evidence that some people aren't afraid of hard work, and/or not obsessed with things that don't matter, bother certain people?

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#34

The Gradient This Clump Of Blueberries Makes

The Gradient This Clump Of Blueberries Makes

hcgsoccer11 Report

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#36

I Found Glacier Water So Clear You Can Barely See It

I Found Glacier Water So Clear You Can Barely See It

OkSoBasicallyPeach Report

#37

This Big Ass Leaf. Wife For Scale

This Big Ass Leaf. Wife For Scale

bigpahpa256 Report

#39

Found This Fossil Today

Found This Fossil Today

Im-A-Scared-Child Report

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John Baker
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Elrathia kingii. One of the most common trilobite fossils, but not usually this nicely preserved. Great find.

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#40

My Grandfather Had A Red-Headed Woodpecker Land On His Leg

My Grandfather Had A Red-Headed Woodpecker Land On His Leg

A_Random_Sunstorm Report

#41

Found This ‘Veiled Lady’ Mushroom On A Hike This Morning Near Seoul, South Korea

Found This ‘Veiled Lady’ Mushroom On A Hike This Morning Near Seoul, South Korea

Spudnut Report

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Julia Atkinson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Something tells me that picking this mushroom could result in supernatural vengeance

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#42

My Driveway Tomato Doing Well

My Driveway Tomato Doing Well

elscotto80 Report

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Scagsy
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've planted tomatoes, cultivated them with love and great care, watering every day under perfect conditions and NOT ONE of them has come out as happy and fruitful as this one IN A DRIVE. Hmph. I've been happier.

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#43

Excessive Rain Resulted In Huge Blueberries

Excessive Rain Resulted In Huge Blueberries

littlasskicker Report

#44

Neighbors Tree Was Struck By Lightning, It Now Blooms In Different Stages

Neighbors Tree Was Struck By Lightning, It Now Blooms In Different Stages

CretinousCarrot Report

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Purple light
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This not caused by lightning, it's got a graft that is the wrong type of tree. Happens often with this kind of yrees. Basically it is just two types of trees in one, created by humans on accident or on purpose.

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#45

I Found A Bunch Of Rocks On A Beach And Organized Them By Color

I Found A Bunch Of Rocks On A Beach And Organized Them By Color

CameronClarkFilm Report

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#46

This Weird Lemon That Grew On Our Lemon Tree

This Weird Lemon That Grew On Our Lemon Tree

phantomplayerone Report

#47

Went To See A Volcano That Is Only A Couple Of Kilometres Away From My Home. This Volcano Has Been Erupting For The Past Months In Iceland

Went To See A Volcano That Is Only A Couple Of Kilometres Away From My Home. This Volcano Has Been Erupting For The Past Months In Iceland

Johanngunnar Report

#48

These Large Pumpkins I Saw On The Freeway

These Large Pumpkins I Saw On The Freeway

Chris20nyy Report

#49

My Son Was Born With A Black Spot Of Hair In His Blonde Hair. It Grows In Black, And There Is No Birth Mark Or Discoloration Under It

My Son Was Born With A Black Spot Of Hair In His Blonde Hair. It Grows In Black, And There Is No Birth Mark Or Discoloration Under It

maceparks Report

#50

The Sand In Tahoe Is Magnetic And Stuck To My Phone

The Sand In Tahoe Is Magnetic And Stuck To My Phone

bopete1313 Report

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Mazer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Tahoe, has several types of iron oxides plus pyrite, and magnetite in its sand — all of which will be attracted to the magnets on the back of an iPhone. Technically the iPhones magnets attracted the minute metals in the sand not visa versa. Still neat. I lived on the Westshore, Tahoe is truly a magical place

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Note: this post originally had 124 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.