Playlist
Dreamer of images and lover of the cold, wildlife photographer Jérémie Villet travels alone through the white deserts of the northern hemisphere in search of animals that blend into the snow. Jérémie is about to explore the wild and extreme Yukon region in Northern Canada, in search of the emblematic mountain goat.
America's Heartland was once an endless sea of grass, where the wind blew for a thousand miles with nothing barring its way and giant herds of animals were free to roam. Today, much of the prairie is plowed over and what little grassland remains is heavily grazed by cattle. The biodiversity of temperate grasslands has plummeted along with their acreage, but now, a new project offers hope. In America's Heartland: Wild Prairie Reborn, we travel to the American Prairie Reserve, a piece of northern Montana that's on track to become the largest protected ecosystem in the continental United States. The ambition is to transform this mosaic of public and private land, by restoring these grasslands to their natural state. With the help of Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute scientists here and scientists in Canada, efforts are underway to bring bison, grizzly bears, swift foxes, and songbirds back to their prairie home on the Northern Great Plains.
The history of unique American horse breeds, including the mustang, Appaloosa, Morgan and quarter horse, that helped shape the nation and the people who continue the tradition of caring for them.
With more than 100 recordings from more than 50 youth aged 3-19 from across the Skeena region, this animation tells the life cycle story of Skeena wild salmon in an ever changing climate as they swim through all kinds of dangers.
Antarctica is the most extreme continent on our planet; higher, colder, and even drier than any other on Earth, and although it is thousands of miles away, what happens here affects every single one of us.
David Attenborough chooses seven of the most remarkable songs found in nature.
A watercolour illustrated stop-motion animation with basic facts about beavers, their keystone impacts and role in restoring UK rivers!
From a herd of bighorn sheep and their newborn lambs to a mother grizzly bear and her cubs, animal families struggle to survive across the Rocky Mountains.
Cold Stun is a 5-minute documentary that captures the unprecedented cold-stunning event affecting sea turtles along the Texas coast during the February 2021 winter storm. Filmmakers Marvi Lacar and Benjamin Lowy document the collaborative efforts of Sea Turtle Inc. and community volunteers as they rescue and rehabilitate thousands of cold-stunned sea turtles. The film highlights the impact of extreme weather events on marine life and the importance of community-driven conservation efforts.
This story follows world-renowned skier Kim Havell as she explores and redefines what it means to be a backcountry skier. Having seen the backcountry skiing world evolve rapidly since she started, Kim knows the community faces an uncomfortable truth: as the popularity of outdoor recreation continues to explode, the conservation of our most cherished and wild places will face new and unprecedented challenges.
In May 2019, a biologist with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources made a monumental discovery: 20,000 Eurasian curlews (a threatened and rapidly declining migratory shorebird) roosting together in a single flock on Deveaux Bank, a treeless sandbar 20 miles south of Charleston. This spectacle—a flock that represented half of the species' entire Atlantic Flyway population—hid in plain sight, gathering each night during spring migration. Dr. J. Drew Lanham gives his perspective on this monumental discovery.
'don't feed the coyotes' observes several years in the intertwined lives of San Francisco's urban coyotes. The 30-minute film centers around a three year-old coyote, fondly-named Scout, and her territorial challenger, the scientifically-dubbed 15F. Chronicling their lives through the two starkly different researchers observing them, it's a story about people, the natural world and the lines we've drawn between the two.
enRAPTORed is the pilot episode for "Chronicles of the Curious", a new, animated storytelling series that spotlights individuals who work or play in STEAM-related fields. This episode features Dr. Munir Virani in his trajectory from cricketer to raptor biologist, endeavoring to conserve vultures in India.
This documentary chronicles the life and scientific contributions of biologist E.O. Wilson, renowned for his expertise on ants and his development of sociobiology. It explores his Alabama upbringing, groundbreaking research on ant communication, and his controversial theories on human behavior and evolution. The film also highlights his conservation efforts in Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park, reflecting his enduring passion for the natural world.
People had long ago cut themselves off of their natural environment and have suffered since from this division, the lack of the essential feeling of unity and belonging.
It follows a backcountry ski guide and a field biologist as they set out to document and protect an elusive population of wolverines.
Katia and Maurice Krafft loved two things — each other and volcanoes. For two decades, the daring French volcanologist couple roamed the planet, chasing eruptions, documenting their discoveries. Ultimately, they lost their lives in a 1991 volcanic explosion, leaving a legacy that forever enriched our knowledge of the natural world. Director Sara Dosa and the filmmaking team fashion a lyrical celebration of the intrepid scientists' spirit of adventure, drawing from the Kraffts' spectacular archive. Fire of Love tells a story of primordial creation & destruction, following two bold explorers as they venture into the unknown, all for the sake of love.
Going Circular dares to imagine a future where humankind not only survives, but flourishes, by rethinking global paradigms and respecting the limits of our planetary resources. Meet four groundbreaking thinkers who navigate environmental, economic, and social crises of the modern age. They each discover that the solutions for creating a circular economy and planet have already been perfected in nature itself.
An Off the Fence production for Curiosity Studios in coproduction with ZDF Enterprises, ZDF and Arte. Executive Producers Robert-Jan van-Ogtrop, Thomas Anthony and Allison Bean. Produced by Ellen Windemuth and Sam Barton- Humphreys, Directed By Nigel Walk and Richard Dale.
As endangered species are vanishing at alarming rates, can just one person really make a difference? If that one person is Dr. Purnima Devi Barman, then maybe the answer is yes. When a wildlife photographer travels to India to document the Greater Adjutant, the world's rarest stork — known to the locals as Hargila — he discovers Barman and her inspiring efforts to rally the local community of Assam, India, to save it.
From New York to Appalachia, the two-foot long eastern hellbender salamander is an indicator species for our river health. The population has declined noticeably since the early 1980s. In the Blue River watershed of southern Indiana, communities from all over the state are working towards dam removal to improve the environment for our slimy friend and the water for us all.
A watercolor-illustrated stop-motion animation describing the lifecycle of the hen harrier and the threats to this beautiful bird of prey in the UK.
Houbara follows a decade-long journey to uncover the plight of the Houbara Bustard, a rare desert bird hunted and trafficked from Iran to the Persian Gulf for falconry. Esteemed for its cultural significance, this bird faces near extinction due to relentless poaching, smuggling, and habitat destruction. The film explores Iran's Houbara habitats and traces the bird's journey to a Persian Gulf country's black market, revealing the shocking scale of this illegal trade. With intimate footage and candid interviews, it highlights the economic struggles of local communities contributing to the bird's exploitation while showcasing the tireless efforts of rangers and conservationists to save it. Through its unflinching narrative, Houbara paints a powerful picture of the challenges of preserving this species while questioning the human impact on fragile ecosystems. This eye-opening documentary calls for action to protect not just the Houbara Bustard but also the delicate balance of nature it represents.
Hypnotise is a short film that captures the seemingly symbiotic relationship between the wreck of an old Australian Navy ship and the marine life that embodies it.
For Jason Reed, salmon are synonymous with life. He has grown up on the banks of California's Klamath River where the Karuk Tribe have depended on these salmon since time immemorial. But in recent years, nearly all the salmon have stopped returning to the river to spawn. To save the salmon and his cultural identity, Jason is turning to natural inspiration – the beaver. Historically, the pools created by beaver dams have provided lifesaving refuge to salmon before they venture out to the ocean. But beavers have been wiped out by hunting and due to California law, the Karuk people are forbidden from reintroducing beavers to their land. So Jason and his colleagues are working on a plan to save the salmon and attract beaver back to the area – they're building dams themselves. If he succeeds, Jason will not only save the fate of the salmon, but the fate of his tribe.
The Bathurst caribou have wandered Canada's north since time immemorial. Mysteriously, in the last 30 years their population has dropped from 500,000 to less than 9,000. Climate change, predation, industrial development, and over hunting are all suspect, but at this time, no one knows exactly why the herd is disappearing. The Tlicho people have an intimate connection with the Bathurst. The herd has been a source of food, clothing and their most treasured cultural traditions. However, a future without the Bathurst is becoming a very real possibility. Something must be done. Arming themselves with the traditional teachings of their elders, the Tlicho travel to their ancient hunting grounds and begin to walk countless kilometres with the Bathurst, watching over them as they struggle for their survival.
Hawksbill turtles are critically endangered globally, and for many years it was believed they had disappeared from El Salvador. Today, grassroots conservation is delivering renewed hope for hawksbills. Each year, tens of thousands of hatchlings now begin their amazing life journey.
North Atlantic right whales are dying faster than they can reproduce. With unprecedented access to film the whale migration, Last of the Right Whales brings a message of hope about the most at risk great whale on the planet.
The Amskapi Piikani (People of the Blackfeet Nation) have interacted with every element of this landscape of what is today known as Montana, since time immemorial. Hear unique perspectives from Amskapi Piikani as they carry on the holistic approaches and reciprocal relationships that empower their community as they move into the future.
Living With Lions is a documentary that tells the story of a struggle between a lion pride and the Rugari family. Two sister lionesses, Ketty and Lucia, desperate to feed their cubs, begin stalking the family's goats. The patriarch, Omosoka, wants to poison the pride threatening his livelihood, while his daughter, Nyanji, strives to save the lions. The ensuing story is both heartbreaking and triumphant.
Is wilderness more valuable than money? It depends on who you ask. Loon is a through hiking naturalist who understands what's truly valuable in life. At 80 years old with more than 2,000 acres of wilderness to his name, he must decide what to do with this precious asset.
My Dragon River is a 52-minute nature documentary that explores the vibrant ecosystem of the Oker River in northern Germany. Through stunning slow-motion and macro cinematography, the film captures the intricate lives of dragonflies, kingfishers, dippers, frogs, grass snakes, foxes, and beavers. The documentary highlights the delicate balance of this riverine habitat and the myriad of mini-dramas that unfold within it.
Chosen to open the 40th anniversary of the Nature series on PBS, this film is about a veteran wildlife cameraman who is bee obsessed. Seeking refuge from the pandemic in a small city garden, he is filming the wild bees that live there with mind-blowing results. From giant bumblebees to scissor bees the size of a mosquito, he has seen over 60 species of bee. But more importantly, he is developing a close relationship with an individual bee he follows through its entire life.
A rare Marsican bear family wanders down from the Italian Apennines to the charming village of Villalago, in search of food in the local orchards. For most people this would be a cause for concern, but for the residents of Villalago it is a rather different situation. The film tells the story of the determination of one woman to understand these bears, and gives an important lesson of the fragility of our connection with nature.
New Land is a 57-minute documentary that chronicles the creation and ecological development of the Marker Wadden, a man-made archipelago in the Netherlands. Constructed to enhance biodiversity, these islands have, within five years, become home to over 650 plant and animal species. The film captures the transformation of this unique landscape and its significance in environmental restoration efforts.
This non-narrative, quiet documentary is an immersive glimpse into the work-space of the commited Dr. Janos Deri, who has dedicated a life-time to serving wild birds that do not have a voice of their own.
Out on a Ledge is a 12-minute documentary produced by junior high and high school STEM students from Alberton School, Montana. Collaborating with wildlife biologist Liz Bradley from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP), the students spent a year researching the Petty Creek Bighorn Sheep Herd. The film documents their scientific inquiry and conservation efforts, highlighting the intersection of education and environmental stewardship.
Pete the Pond has spent 20 years attempting to return Britain's aquatic wildlife to its former glory in hopes of reconnecting the next generation with the natural world. However, to achieve his dream, he must first overcome the challenge right on his doorstep.
Porcupines may be adorable, but their quills are razor-sharp, designed to impale and next to impossible to remove. But it's not all bad news. Researchers are designing new surgical staples that mimic the quill's shape to better close wounds and promote healing.
Restoring Italy's Wild Heart is a short film that places a spotlight on the people in the Apennine Mountain range, who are doing extraordinary things to restore their native ecosystem and promote progressive coexistence within it.
Soviet irrigation projects in Southern Ukraine created a slow eco-disaster that has pitted eco-activists against poachers and corrupt officials.
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes' Forestry Department is integrating traditional ecological knowledge within their current forestry management plan. This includes an ecosystem-scale, holistic approach, and integrating their historical positive relationship with fire, to benefit ecosystem health, cultural uses, and to prevent catastrophic-sized wildfires.
Intertwining narratives of residential school survivors and Indigenous peoples' relationship with imperiled wild Pacific salmon in Secwépemc territory, this testament to resilience reveals how healing people and healing the natural world are synonymous.
Rhapsody for a Rock Wren is a 14-minute documentary that explores the filmmaker's personal connection with the endangered rock wren (pīwauwau) in New Zealand's alpine regions. Through reflective storytelling and immersive visuals, the film examines the human-nature relationship and the importance of preserving biodiversity.
A meditative glimpse of birds navigating a snowstorm on Lake Michigan.
Filmed in Colombia, South America, Johnny Holder's film, Sonora, floats through the perspectives of Juan Pablo Culasso, a sightless birder. The film takes an experimental and reflective approach to observe changing soundscapes in nature and what it's like for someone without sight to navigate these changes through sound, touch, and smell. The written thesis discusses the origins, inspiration, and production of the film.
Stories of You and I is a short film directed by Lara Tomov, produced under her hybrid production company, Stories for Action. The film explores themes of community, environmental well-being, and the power of storytelling to bridge divides and inspire action.
Spring arrives in the lands of the North, and as the weather begins to change, so too do the movements of the animals who call the northern edges of Scotland, Iceland, and Norway home. Narrated by award-winning actor Ewan McGregor, we follow the creatures as they wake from "the great darkness" and face the challenges ahead, from an Arctic fox searching for his mate after a long hibernation to a mother otter desperate to keep her new family together to a large reindeer migration battling through a blizzard to find a place to give birth.
The North Atlantic summer is short and intense. Arctic fox cubs are learning to hunt, an otter pup is leaving the nest for the first time, a puffin is looking for a mate, and small reindeer are taking their first steps.
During the autumn North Atlantic, animals prepare for winter. A group of grey seals mating instincts cost a seal pup. Reindeer undertake a dangerous swim.
On a particularly hot summer, Eedi, suffering from eco-anxiety, decides to quit their studies and start beekeeping. Eedi gets reluctant help from their mother Anne who, rather than fearing for the future, is scared of every single little bee.
It is a unique mini documentary and a world first. The film documents the incredible daily migration of the western toad tadpoles, a designated threatened species.
Imagine a place that is vast, wild and untouched, where some of the world's greatest wildlife spectacles unfold. The Arctic National Wildlife refuge, situated in the northeastern corner of Alaska, is the wildest place left in North America. A symbol of wilderness for the world. No one has truly ever seen it. "The Arctic: Our Last Great Wilderness" will feature the first-ever cinematic account of this little known land where people can experience a world untouched by time.
The Bastard King chronicles the life of a lion from cub to King - battling against an unimaginable enemy that is ravaging a world where blood is becoming easier to find than water. This unique story challenges traditional storytelling - serving as an allegory for endangered species - and our very own fate.
From elephants to termites, an entire community of creatures in Africa call the waterhole their home.
This film documents Jim White, an aquatic biologist for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and his collaboration with a reclusive ranch manager, Tim Haarmann, to save an obscure fish from muddy asphyxiation and genetic roadblock (imagine the Habsburgs, but with gills). We answer such pressing questions as: how do you rescue fish from a burn area? Once rescued, what happens next? This is a story about a passionate biologist risking his neck for a species most people have never heard of. It's also a light-hearted look at watersheds, and how both public agencies and private landowners can work together to protect landscapes from the cascading effects of development and climate change.
Water plants create beautiful, bizarre worlds. Flowers smother rivers and lakes. Plants fight and hunt. A river bubbles like champagne as plants create the atmosphere itself.
"The Interconnectedness of all Living Things" is about the making of the mural and Georgia's intentions about incorporating excerpts from the Green New Deal into the mural. "The Green New Deal is not dead. It is a document that became so politicized when it was first introduced in 2017, that it was dismissed without a general and accurate understanding of what it says. The resolution has been rigorously researched and thoughtfully written, it's overwhelmingly impressive. This mural (and this film) is an effort to de-politicize the Green New Deal by making the actual language not only accessible, but visually beautiful.", says Hodges.
A watercolour illustrated stop-frame animation outlining the plight of UK wildlife and some simple tips on how we can support it urban areas, and our local patch - whatever that may look like! From a garden to an old boot, anyone can help their local wildlife.
South Africa's annual summer sardine migration sees billions of sardines traveling up the coast.
In Western Europe the otter drastically declined in numbers and even completely disappeared from The Netherlands. This was mainly due to hunting, loss of habitat, pollution and traffic collisions. But the Dutch set the example by investing in their water quality and restoring the habitat of the otter to enable its reintroduction. People now have a chance to spot the otter as it spreads through The Netherlands and even ventures into the heart of a city.
When oyster larvae in the Whiskey Creek Shellfish Hatchery began dying en masse, hatchery manager Alan Barton sought clues to the underlying cause. After partnering with marine scientist Burke Hales and studying local ocean chemistry, they were able to identify the root cause – ocean acidification – and adjust their farming practices to save oyster production.
A young indigenous leader and his environmental team fight against farmers involved in the wholescale destruction of vast swathes of the Amazonian rainforest.
Alex Pritz's film focuses on the Uru-eu-wau-wau Indigenous Surveillance Team as they set about challenging the way landowners are destroying environmentally rich areas for profit. It draws on intimate access to both the Indigenous community and the opposing farmers network, to track the enormous changes that have taken place in Amazon region over the last three years. The escalation of activity by the farmers forces Bitate and Neidinha, a young Indigenous leader and his mentor, to find new ways to protect the rainforest from a rapacious industry whose support reaches all the way to Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro.
A fresh new approach to the global lockdown and the uplifting stories that have come out of it. People all over the world have had the chance to engage with nature like never before.
A unique, non-invasive, mountain lion study uses a giant network of trail cameras scattered throughout the mountains over a decade to piece together the life story of a female mountain lion. This film weaves clips of mountain lions and their complex interactions with each other and the rest of the forest world into a story about life and death that contains never-before-captured events and behaviors at every turn.
A coexistence way of life is being adopted in the Bella Coola Valley, however, human-bear conflict is on the rise.
After six months of hibernation, the adorable European Ground Squirrels are finally waking up - and they are hungry! Witness their spectacular flower feast and follow them as they have something very important to prepare for.
Westward Wings follows researcher, Maggie Hirschauer, as she strives to learn more about the monarch butterfly population in western Montana. Using her research as a case study, this film explores the topic of pollinator conservation across the western United States during a time of global decreases in insect populations.
Why Did the Mexican Jumping Bean Jump? is a short documentary that delves into the intriguing behavior of the Mexican jumping bean, which is not a bean but a seed pod inhabited by a moth larva. The film explores how the larva's movements cause the seed to "jump," a survival mechanism to escape the harsh sun of the Sonoran Desert. Through detailed macro cinematography, the film reveals the larva's life cycle, its environment, and the science behind its unique behavior.
Making Way for Rhinos is an episode from the Kenyan documentary series Wildlife Warriors, directed by Johann Vorster. The film highlights the efforts of Kenyan conservationists in protecting and preserving rhino populations. It showcases the challenges faced in rhino conservation and the innovative strategies employed to ensure their survival.
The Beautiful Bats of Kenya is an episode from the Kenyan documentary series Wildlife Warriors, directed by Johann Vorster. The film explores the diverse bat species in Kenya, highlighting their ecological importance and the conservation efforts to protect them. Through engaging storytelling and stunning visuals, the episode aims to dispel myths about bats and showcase their role in maintaining healthy ecosystems.
In the heart of the Serengeti, hippos bathe and hyenas snatch food from hungry lions. Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year Paula Kahumbu brings this world to life in her documentary series Wildlife Warriors, a nature show made by Kenyans for Kenyans. Through the Wildlife Warriors series the story of East Africa's conservation heritage and its heroes are finding an audience.
A stunning visual exploration of matter in various states of microbial transformation begs fundamental questions about our complicated relationships with other species.
Wrought begins with that universal moment of disappointment: despite all best efforts, our food has gone bad. But instead of turning away in disgust, Wrought zooms in, approaching the usually hidden world of decay with curiosity and stunning time lapse photography. Spoiling dinner leftovers bloom with successions of geometric bacterial colonies. Yeasts churn and froth in the torrential flood of juice leaking from a decaying melon. Cheese is slowly engulfed by carpets of furry, green mould. But, the film asks, would rot by any other name still reek?
In answering this question, Wrought unfolds a larger story about the ways we humans construct categories for the world around us that can be limiting. It explores (and challenges) terms like spoil, ferment, compost and rot as it coaxes audiences to decompose these categories and their associated binaries: self and other, human and non-human, and nature and culture. As the film title implies, we are all forged out of the relationships that transgress such binaries; we are all, indeed, wrought.
In the summer of 1988 dry lightning sparked a fire in the parched and drought ridden landscape of Yellowstone National Park igniting a blaze that would scorch over 1.5 million perimeter acres. This is the story of a conflagration that raged unabated for months until a snow of intense severity extinguished the flames. That winter surviving Fauna, exhausted from fire and weakened by hunger, die in greater numbers than those claimed by the fire. This sparkling gem has played in over 150 film festivals world-wide and been awarded many accolades - Best Animation, Best Music and Original Composition, Best Narration and Voice-Over and multiple awards for Best Video Poetry. Thanking Mark Murphy of Secrets & Machines for the music, Peter Coyote for Narration, Betsy De Fries for the Poem, Song of Fire, and our very own Creative director, Jerry van de Beek of Little Fluffy Clouds for Animation and Design.
After the death of his grandmother, a Mexican biologist living in New York returns to his hometown nestled in the majestic monarch butterfly forests of Michoacán after many years. The journey forces him to confront past traumas and reflect on his new hybrid identity, launching him on a personal and spiritual metamorphosis.