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We can think that we're leaving our mark on the Earth as much as we want, but it's only temporary. With time, Mother Nature reclaims its lost territories and there's not much we can do about it. Bored Panda has compiled a list of photos of abandoned places, cars and even entire towns that are losing their battles against disappearing because of the force of nature, and you don't have to be an urban explorer to be moved by them. "By the sweat of your brow, you will eat your food until you return to the ground since from it, you were taken; for dust, you are and to dust, you will return."

#1

Amazing Abandoned 13th Century Château Located In France

Amazing Abandoned 13th Century Château Located In France

In 1932 a fire broke out and caused devastating damage to the building and its contents. It has since been left to the elements.

digitalanthill Report

If you're into these cool photos, you should consider watching shows like History Channel's The Life After People which have comprehensive timelines of collapses detailing what would happen if humans suddenly disappeared from the face of the earth.

#2

Someone Added Googley Eyes To This Tree Consuming A Bridge

Someone Added Googley Eyes To This Tree Consuming A Bridge

pendingperil Report

The BBC (with scientific advice from Dr. Philip Wheeler, OU.) has entertained the thought about natural forces as well. Within just days, the electricity grid fails as supplies run out. There's nobody to override the power stations' failsafe mechanisms, too.

Within a week, the subways built under the water table flood. To put things into perspective, the 47 million liters ( 12.4M gallons) of water that was pumped out of the London Underground every day inundates tunnels. Without heating and air conditioning, mold takes over surfaces in homes and offices. Other plants begin taking over abandoned homes as different species compete for space.

#4

An Abandoned Church In France

An Abandoned Church In France

Quentin Chabrot Report

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Eventually, the lines between city and countryside get blurred. Windows fall out of rotten frames and nature's reclaiming of towns and cities would more and more evident. Meanwhile, farmland gets covered by scrub and trees.

But scattered on the surface, some things will never degrade. Metals corrode, plastics start breaking down and dispersing, but stainless steel pans, stranded granite worktops, and billions of car tires remain.

#5

Statue Of Buddha Being Reclaimed By Mangrove Forest

Statue Of Buddha Being Reclaimed By Mangrove Forest

Fire_Bucket Report

Nuclear facilities fail. Some explode, unleashing an enormous amount of radiation onto the local ecosystem causing many animals to die. The radiation makes others mutate, creating new evolutionary lines. In a way, it's kind of soothing to know that the universe would carry on even without us, isn't it?

#6

Trees Sprouted On Top Of Abandoned Chimneys

Trees Sprouted On Top Of Abandoned Chimneys

lorrenzo Report

#7

The Desert Reclaiming Territories In Namibia. Now A Ghost Town, Kolmanskop Was Once An Oasis Where Miners Lived

The Desert Reclaiming Territories In Namibia. Now A Ghost Town, Kolmanskop Was Once An Oasis Where Miners Lived

meminaltan Report

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#9

Abandoned Apartment Building Being Claimed By The Sea In The Former Fishing Village Of Kirovsky, Russia

Abandoned Apartment Building Being Claimed By The Sea In The Former Fishing Village Of Kirovsky, Russia

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#11

Trees Grow Inside The Hull Of A Sunken Ship

Trees Grow Inside The Hull Of A Sunken Ship

sheenhai Report

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Ankita Pattanayak
Community Member
5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is a chance the trees would not have got otherwise.Finally, humans helping nature!!

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#12

Abandoned Bike Reclaimed By Ivy

Abandoned Bike Reclaimed By Ivy

martez89 Report

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Pan Narrans
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As this is in The Netherlands it's probably an art project. Your bike would have been stolen before ivy had a chance to take hold.

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#13

Destined To Be Green. Abandoned Escalator

Destined To Be Green. Abandoned Escalator

espinas3 Report

#15

This Tree Grew Over A Grave Stone And Took The Cross With It

This Tree Grew Over A Grave Stone And Took The Cross With It

Arco_Sonata Report

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#17

Abandoned Asylum In Italy That Has Been Touched By Bob Ross

Abandoned Asylum In Italy That Has Been Touched By Bob Ross

urbex_sno Report

#18

Abandoned Stone Cottage. Sneem/Kenmare, Ireland

Abandoned Stone Cottage. Sneem/Kenmare, Ireland

ethan_kahn Report

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J L
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You find these all over Ireland. Most are famine era. Either the people died, left for the cities or left the country. Ireland can feel crowded, tourists everywhere and better roads connecting the whole country and hundreds of thousands me people with the recent immigration but there still less people living here that there was before the famine.

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#19

Earth Slowly Reclaiming An Abandoned Boat - SS City Of Adelaide, Wrecked Off The Coast Of Magnetic Island, Australia

Earth Slowly Reclaiming An Abandoned Boat - SS City Of Adelaide, Wrecked Off The Coast Of Magnetic Island, Australia

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#20

A Barn Claimed By Kudzu In Tennessee

A Barn Claimed By Kudzu In Tennessee

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spirit wolf
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is such a common sight in rural Tennessee, that thing grows at lightning speed.

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#21

Overgrown Roller Coaster

Overgrown Roller Coaster

RoyalKoala23 Report

#22

This Building Was Completely Overgrown By Ivy

This Building Was Completely Overgrown By Ivy

Autogegner Report

#24

Just A Little Moss, It Will Buff Out

Just A Little Moss, It Will Buff Out

BreakingDed Report

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#27

I Found A Tree Growing Through Speed Limit Sign

I Found A Tree Growing Through Speed Limit Sign

Swingguitars Report

#28

Lost Road In WA

Lost Road In WA

Mightnotapply Report

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Kevin Camp
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We have many of those in Oklahoma. Especially where the Corps of Engineers have created reservoirs and swallowed up hundreds of small communities. Roads that disappear into a lake is common place here. There are dozens of small towns in Oklahoma that were relocated because otherwise they would be underwater. Some are just gone.

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#29

I Grew Up On The Puerto Rico Navy Base Which Closed In 2004. It’s Now Overgrown And Taken Over By Nature

I Grew Up On The Puerto Rico Navy Base Which Closed In 2004. It’s Now Overgrown And Taken Over By Nature

I found a picture of the road I grew up on- this is the part after the hill behind me. It makes me sad, there were lots of good memories there.

jenpriester Report

#31

This Tree Has Almost Completely Overgrown A Large Metal Sign Posted On It

This Tree Has Almost Completely Overgrown A Large Metal Sign Posted On It

NibblesTheChimp Report

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#32

Nature Winning The Battle Against Civilization In The Exclusion Zone Around Chernobyl

Nature Winning The Battle Against Civilization In The Exclusion Zone Around Chernobyl

boredpanda.com Report

#34

Abandoned Car In Beijing

Abandoned Car In Beijing

Proteon Report

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Luis Milian
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I imagined abandoned because hoomans left the area, but to live along side a trash car and let it sit there long enough for this to happen is just lazy and nasty

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#35

Colony Of Moss Growing Inside A Bike Seat

Colony Of Moss Growing Inside A Bike Seat

teton_blamer Report

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A B C
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It looks like there's a miniature ravine in there, complete with trees and a river at the bottom

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#36

This Tree Near My School Track That Absorbed A Fence And Shows The Pattern On The Bark

This Tree Near My School Track That Absorbed A Fence And Shows The Pattern On The Bark

Epicminecrafter69 Report

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Louise Brigance
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Tree is totally uninterested in who was there first! Never mind, I'm coming through!!

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#37

Cactus In A Rain Gutter

Cactus In A Rain Gutter

scottdottcom Report

#38

A Sacred Tree Reclaiming An Occupied 5 Story Building In An Old Section Of Downtown Kolkata

A Sacred Tree Reclaiming An Occupied 5 Story Building In An Old Section Of Downtown Kolkata

JohnBrownsHolyGhost Report

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Susan Gardner
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

very creepy. talk about a 'haunted house.' can you imagine what it looks like at night? yikes!

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#40

Abandoned City Akarmara, Abkhazia

Abandoned City Akarmara, Abkhazia

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#41

Road washed out by flood, WA state

Road washed out by flood, WA state

resonanteye Report

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Randomcthulu
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've seen this kind of thing happen in New Mexico after heavy rains caused flash flooding.

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#42

Found A Shoe In The Woods

Found A Shoe In The Woods

VomitCoffin666 Report

#43

An Old Abandoned Road Slowly Healing Over And Being Reclaimed By Nature

An Old Abandoned Road Slowly Healing Over And Being Reclaimed By Nature

mapmyhike Report

#44

These Plants Growing Out Of Someone’s Car

These Plants Growing Out Of Someone’s Car

el_capitan524 Report

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Toujin C'Thlu
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A similar thing happened to my dad's car when I was a kid. We joked that it was becoming a Chia Car

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#45

Abandoned Office Found With Lots Of Moss And Mold

Abandoned Office Found With Lots Of Moss And Mold

rumhipstern Report

Note: this post originally had 59 images. It’s been shortened to the top 45 images based on user votes.