Extraordinary tales of everyday heroism have been illustrated beautifully by renowned US photographer Steve McCurry in the new 2015 Lavazza Calendar. The calendar which has been created in collaboration with the Slow Food movement, features twelve breathtaking pictures, capturing the spirit, strength and humanity of the Earth Defenders – women and men who protect their land and projects in Africa with passion and bravery. The proceeds from sales of the calendar and all donations will be contributed entirely to create 10,000 food gardens in African schools and villages by the end of 2016. (Photo by Steve McCurry/2015 Lavazza Calendar)

Devotees offer prayers before taking a holy bath during the Swasthani Bratakatha festival in the Triveni River in Panauti near Kathmandu January 24, 2015. During the month long festival, devotees recite one chapter of a Hindu tale daily from the 31-chapter sacred Swasthani Brata Katha book that is dedicated to the God Madhavnarayan and the Goddess Swasthani, alongside various other gods and goddess and the miraculous feats performed by them. The devotees also go on pilgrimages to various temples, perform religious rituals, take a holy bath in the rivers and fast for a month, especially among women who believe fasting helps in their family's well-being or in getting them a good husband. (Photo by Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters)

German pensioner Volker Kraft decorates an apple tree with Easter eggs in the garden of his summerhouse, in the eastern German town of Saalfeld, March 19, 2014. Each year since 1965 Volker and his wife Christa spend up to two weeks decorating the tree with their collection of 10,000 colourful hand-painted Easter eggs in time for Easter celebrations. (Photo by Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters)

A boy fires confetti poppers as he participates in a procession to mark Eid-e-Milad-ul-Nabi, the birthday celebration of Prophet Mohammad, in Mumbai January 4, 2015. (Photo by Danish Siddiqui/Reuters)

Stacked stones are pictured during the European Stone Stacking Championships 2018 in Dunbar, Scotland, on April 22, 2018. The European Stone Stacking Championships are Europe’s largest championships for all Stone Stacking and Rock Balancing artists and practitioners. The overall winner of the European Stone Stacking Championship will receive financial support for flights to the World Stone Balance Championship in Llano, Texas the following year. (Photo by Andy Buchanan/AFP Photo)

Jason Ramsay and Amy Laverty, from Arbroth, Scotland, pose beside a large Christmas tree at Bondi Beach on December 25, 2016 in Sydney, Australia. Bondi Beach is a popular tourist destination on Christmas Day. (Photo by Don Arnold/Getty Images)

Aerial photo taken on June 19, 2021 shows the scenery of Mount Huashan in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. (Photo by Xinhua News Agency/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Israeli soldiers from the mixed-gender Lions of the Jordan battalion, under the Kfir Brigade, check their weapons at the end of the last training before being assigned their posting, on February 28, 2017, near the West Bank village of Bardale, east of Jenin. (Photo by Jack Guez/AFP Photo)