Steve Backshall goes beneath the surface of Australia's Great Barrier Reef to discover the crucial conditions that allowed a tiny coral building block to create the largest living structure on the planet. He unravels the complex mosaic of reef environments to reveal the key to the micro-world's success, but discovers that life on this coast is not always easy. Nutrient-poor water, enormous storms and rising seas should make it impossible for such...

More than 350,000 people live four feet above sea level in the island republic of Maldives, yet most have never learned to swim. National Geographic “ocean hero” Jon Bowermaster organized a learn-to-swim camp there to teach 50 3rd-graders and 20 of their burka-clad mothers how to swim. In a place more threatened by global climate change and rising sea levels than almost anywhere on the planet, it is important that its residents understand what...

Examining the global freshwater crisis, this documentary exposes the worldwide cost and consequences of the destruction of nature. Show on location in Canada, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Albania, and Poland, the program visits rivers, laboratories, farms, and corporations to present varied perspectives and to convey a strong message about one of the greatest threats to the environment.

This program features what has been called "Nature's Cathedral"; the majestic redwood trees. First up, we meet some guys who don't mind getting a little dirty. They're up bright and early on a Saturday morning to go to work, giving up part of their weekend to help restore an overgrown grove of redwood trees. Brendan and Jordan grab some gloves to lend a hand and to find out why they are passionate about preserving these majestic giants. Redwood trees...

There's a heavy dose of science in the first half of this episode, and some weird science at that! There's some very interesting research is taking place at the Department of Energy's Joint Genome Institute. We're talking DNA from thousands of years ago extracted from permafrost! In the first story, Brendan pays them a visit to get the scoop on the latest studies with implications for climate change, and there he discovers two teens in lab coats helping...

Gambling on Extinction is a powerful documentary about greed and a merciless battle over a limited resource: wild elephants and rhinos. There is a war against nature raging in the savannahs and jungles of Africa and Asia. The illegal trade in wildlife is estimated to generate $20 billion per year. Wildlife crime is a highly organized business, luring unscrupulous investors and warlords. We are facing the greatest mass extinction since the era of the...

The New Environmentalists share a common goal, safeguarding the Earth’s natural resources from exploitation and pollution. The program features portraits of six passionate and dedicated activists around the globe who have placed themselves in harm’s way to battle intimidating adversaries for environmental justice in their communities. Narrated by Robert Redford, The New Environmentalists illustrates how ordinary people are effecting extraordinary...

The New Environmentalists share a common goal, safeguarding the Earth’s natural resources from exploitation and pollution. The program features portraits of six passionate and dedicated activists around the globe who have placed themselves in harm’s way to battle intimidating adversaries for environmental justice in their communities. Narrated by Robert Redford, The New Environmentalists illustrates how ordinary people are effecting extraordinary...

Temperatures are rising and biodiversity collapsing at an unprecedented rate in the history of mankind. Almost 60% of wild animals have disappeared in the last 40 years. And the reason is always the same: the presence of man. Man whose activities emit greenhouse gases. Man who destroys living things and all animal species through deforestation, intensive agriculture, mining, and fossil extraction.Yet there is a solution: rewilding. Limiting human...

The New Environmentalists share a common goal, safeguarding the Earth’s natural resources from exploitation and pollution. The program features portraits of six passionate and dedicated activists around the globe who have placed themselves in harm’s way to battle intimidating adversaries for environmental justice in their communities. Narrated by Robert Redford, The New Environmentalists illustrates how ordinary people are effecting extraordinary...