Zoë Rene Photography

10/08/2026

Gibbons live in the evergreen tropical rainforests and monsoon forests of Laos, Vietnam and southern China. They are arboreal and spend most of their time in the forest canopy. White-cheeked gibbons are critically endangered, and their numbers have declined by 80 percent or more over the past 45 years, primarily due to habitat loss and poaching.

10/08/2026

Pygmy marmosets (Cebuella pygmaea and Cebuella niveiventris) are the world's smallest true monkeys, weighing only about 100 to 140 grams (3.5 to 5 ounces)—less than an apple. 🍎

10/01/2026

In awe. St Paul's Cathedral in London is an iconic English Baroque masterpiece designed by architect Sir Christopher Wren.

• Built between 1675 and 1710, it replaced the previous medieval cathedral destroyed in the Great Fire of London.
• Its magnificent dome stands at 365 feet (111 meters) and was London's tallest building for over two centuries.
• The interior features stunning mosaics, intricate wood carvings, and the famous Whispering Gallery inside the dome.

09/29/2026

09/27/2026

The Bishop's Palace and Gardens in Wells, England, has served as the official residence of the Bishops of Bath and Wells for over 800 years, with construction beginning in the early 13th century.

• Early 13th Century (c. 1210): Started by Bishop Jocelin, who built the initial residence and the vaulted undercroft, and secured a license from King John to create a nearby deer park.
• Late 13th Century (1275–1292): Expanded significantly by Bishop Robert Burnell, who added the private Bishop's Chapel and the magnificent Great Hall.
• 14th Century (1341): Fortified by Bishop Ralph of Shrewsbury, who received a license to crenellate and added the defensive battlemented stone walls, gatehouse, and water moat to protect against local conflicts with townsfolk.
• 15th Century: Bishop Thomas Beckington added the north wing and the monumental Bishop's Eye gatehouse connecting the palace to the marketplace.
• 16th–17th Century: The Great Hall fell out of use and lost its roof after a petition by Bishop Barlow to King Edward VI in 1552, and the palace was later garrisoned and used as a prison during the English Civil War and Monmouth Rebellion.
• 19th Century: Bishop George Henry Law spearheaded the layout of the initial formal gardens and reflecting pools around St Andrew's Spring, while the daughters of later bishops started the famous tradition of training the moat's swans to ring bells for food

09/27/2026

My favorite part of England is the birds, bees, and trees.

09/25/2026

A collection of English birds so far

09/25/2026

Bath Abbey was a beautiful sight to see today!

Bath Abbey in Somerset, England, is a historic site that has housed three distinct places of worship since the 7th century and stands as a premier example of Perpendicular Gothic architecture.

Saxon Origins and Norman Cathedral

• 675 AD: A Saxon convent is founded on the site by King Osric and Abbess Bertana.
• 973 AD: King Edgar is crowned the first king of all England in the Saxon abbey during a historic ceremony.
• 1088 AD: Bishop John of Tours tears down the old Saxon structures to build a massive Norman cathedral, which later falls into severe disrepair by the 15th century.

Tudor Rebuilding and Dissolution

• 1499 AD: Bishop Oliver King initiates the construction of a new church after being inspired by a vision of angels ascending and descending a ladder (reflected in the famous West Front design).
• 1539 AD: King Henry VIII orders the Dissolution of the Monasteries, stripping the abbey of its lead roof, glass, and valuables, leaving the building as a roofless ruin used by locals as a quarry and animal shelter.

Elizabethan Restoration to Modern Day

• 1573 AD: Queen Elizabeth I authorizes a national collection to fund the massive restoration of the decaying structure.
• 1620 AD: Restoration finishes, establishing the building as the civic parish church of Bath.
• 1860s: Sir George Gilbert Scott leads major structural and interior restoration work, solidifying the architectural layout seen today.