Once every 48 years in the remote Indian state of Mizoram, a strange phenomenon takes over the land, threatening famine and death. Hundreds of thousands of acres of bamboo begin to flower and fruit, sparking a plague of rats. Drawn by the nutrient-rich pear-sized fruit, millions of hungry rats feast - their numbers growing exponentially as they descend into a reproductive frenzy. They devour crops, bringing hardship and even famine upon Mizoram's...

This episode of Scientific American Frontiers features stories of the submarines and their pioneering crews that explored earth's last frontier—from the ill-fated Confederate secret weapon, Hunley, which carried out the world's first successful submarine attack, to the deep-diving Alvin, which found the Titanic and discovered life in the deep ocean.

Animals need shelter to survive. It provides a safe place to raise their babies, eat, sleep, and avoid predators. But do all animals live in the same type of home? Or do they each have a unique habitat? This Miniclip will introduce your young students to the wide range of places animals live—including nests, burrows, caves, oceans, beehives, man-made homes, and more! A captivating introduction into habitats and the kinds of creatures that call them...

Vivid footage of the Sonoran and Mojave deserts reveals climate, soils, plants, and animals. Special attention is paid to the adaptations of some desert organisms, which allow them to live in this harsh biome. The climate, plants, and animals of the tundra, or "cold desert" are also discussed. Other terminology includes: Chihuahuan, Sahara, arid, saguaro cactus, permafrost, arctic tundra, alpine tundra, caribou, and ptarmigan.

This Emmy-award winning program documents a team's 1,000-mile, 100-day journey hiking and kayaking their way from the southern tip of the Florida Everglades to Georgia’s Okefenokee Swamp; it highlights the importance of preserving a corridor for animals and explores the natural lands, waters, and ranches that connect and protect these threatened wildlife pathways.

This documentary explores solutions to the global crises we face today – solutions any one of us can be part of – through the inspiring stories of people pioneering change in their own lives and in their communities in order to live in a sustainable and regenerative way.Directors Jordan Osmond and Antoinette Wilson have brought together stories from their travels, along with interviews with experts able to explain how we come to be where we are...

This Science Screen Report studies how deserts form and how organisms adapt to these harsh environments. Defining a desert as a vast area of windy, arid land, the program identifies the Gobi and Sahara as common examples as well as regions of the Arctic and Antarctic. It demonstrates that many of these supposed wastelands contain surprisingly high levels of biodiversity, and shows how overgrazing and population increase can desertify forest habitats...

There aren't too many happy stories when it comes to restoring damaged ecosystems, but southern Thailand's Trang Province is home to one of them. This science bulletin spotlights an innovative grassroots organization called Yad Fon. Founded in 1984, Yad Fon set out to restore the healthy mangrove ecosystems that had sustained the region's families for thousands of years - and to pull it off by getting the villagers to manage their own natural resources....

Cari's aboard the Galapagos Explorer en route to Santa Cruz Island. It's home to the Charles Darwin Research Station, where giant sea tortoises are being bred in captivity. There are giant tortoises in the wild too, and Cari wants to see them too. At the end of a long day, she snorkels among Galapagos' friendly creatures.

Dr. M. Sanjayan begins his journey of the Earth's plains in Africa, where Alan Savory is testing a revolutionary new theory that contradicts his original research about elephant management. The effects of culling are evident in Russia's great Steppe, where the rapid loss of saiga has led to widespread desertification. Sanjayan shows us how Sami live alongside and manage wild reindeer and he is inspired about the coexistence of man and wildlife and...