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Ecology and environmental sciences

Essays and videos exploring physics, evolution, cosmology and other frontiers in science

Astronomy Biology Biotechnology Chemistry Complexity Computing and artificial intelligence Cosmology Deep time Earth science and climate Ecology and environmental sciences Engineering Evolution Genetics History of science Human evolution Human reproduction Illness and disease Mathematics Medicine Oceans and water Palaeontology Physics Quantum theory Space exploration

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A stork and chicks in a nest on a metal pylon above a grassy landscape with a river in the background.

essayAnimals and humans

To build a nest

Throughout the animal kingdom, the parents of newborns must strive to create snug sanctuaries in a hazardous world

Helen Jukes

Satellite image of South Dakota with glowing yellow lines representing data or energy pathways overlaid.

videoEcology and environmental sciences

Join endangered whooping cranes on their perilous migratory path over North America

6 minutes

Aerial photo of a large circular crater with a dark centre in a brown landscape, resembling an impact site.

videoEnvironmental history

In Kazakhstan, ‘atomic lakes’ still scar the landscape decades after Soviet nuclear tests

13 minutes

Photo of dandelion seeds in flight against a blurred green forest background.

videoMeaning and the good life

Why Orwell urged his readers to celebrate the spring, cynics be damned

11 minutes

Abstract blue and white painting of a plant silhouette on a dark background.

videoEarth science and climate

Images carved into film form a haunting elegy for a disappearing slice of Earth

3 minutes

Photo of three children in winter jackets sitting on grassland near a stream with a plastic container between them.

videoAnimals and humans

Join seabirds as they migrate, encountering human communities along the way

13 minutes

Microscope photo of a flea’s head showing detailed orange and black features against a black background.

videoBiology

‘Save the parasites’ may not be a popular rallying cry – but it could be a vital one

11 minutes

Black and white close-up photo of a lizard with its tongue extended, about to catch a worm. The background is dark and blurred.

videoEvolution

The many ways a lizard tongue sticks, grasps, pinches and plops – in slo-mo

6 minutes

Black and white photograph of a cloudy sky with swirling lines resembling bird flight patterns.

videoBiology

Starlings swoosh like brushstrokes across the sky in this dazzling short

3 minutes

Heron standing on a small patch of greenery surrounded by calm water with a lush forest in the background.

essayEarth science and climate

The planetary fix

Despite decades of inaction we can avert the climate Hellocene and restore the atmosphere to keep our world habitable

Rob Jackson

Line drawing of a frog from a below perspective, with circles of various sizes indicating ripples.

videoEcology and environmental sciences

The tree frog die-off that sparked a global mystery – and revealed a dark truth

15 minutes

Coastal erosion showing a collapsed road beside the sea with houses nearby, a person walking a dog on the beach.

essayHome

How to lose your home

In a changing climate, the instinct is to save everything you can. But maybe letting go is braver – and better for the future?

Dan Hancox

A wooden cabin on a grassy hill with a mountainous backdrop and cloudy sky in the distance.

videoKnowledge

Why it takes more than a lifetime to truly understand a single meadow

11 minutes

Aerial view of a coastal area at dusk with multiple streaks of red light travelling over water and land, illuminating the landscape.

videoEcology and environmental sciences

GPS tracking reveals stunning insights into the patterns of migratory birds

6 minutes

Close-up of a white sea star larvae against a black background.

videoBiology

A spectacular, close-up look at the starfish with a ‘hands-on’ approach to parenting

5 minutes

Two beetles with translucent wings flying against a pink background.

videoBiology

Beetles take flight at 6,000 frames per second in this perspective-shifting short

9 minutes

View from space of Europe at night, showing bright city lights and the Northern Lights in the distance. The image features a clear outline of countries and coastlines illuminated by artificial light, with a dark sky speckled with stars overhead.

essayEcology and environmental sciences

Dominion

To take care of the Earth, humans must recognise that we are both a part of the animal kingdom and its dominant power

Hugh Desmond

Image of an offshore wind turbine in the sea with a large LNG ship in the background under a partly cloudy sky in calm waters.

essayThe environment

Decoupling

We need to find a way for human societies to prosper while the planet heals. So far we can’t even think clearly about it

Ville Lähde

A person wearing a sun hat and sunglasses, standing in front of a snowy mountain range under a clear blue sky.

videoEarth science and climate

The only man permitted in Bhutan’s sacred mountains chronicles humanity’s impact

22 minutes

Artwork depicting a silhouette of a person wearing a floral headband, with a natural background of plants and blurred scenery.

videoEcology and environmental sciences

The ancient Hawaiian myth that sparked a modern ecological breakthrough

10 minutes

Illustrated circle with colourful, abstract plant shapes and roots on a dark blue background.

videoDeep time

When algae met fungi – the hidden story of life’s most successful partnership

4 minutes

Aerial view of a snowy forest from a helicopter, with a person in a helmet and green jacket pointing downwards.

videoEcology and environmental sciences

From helicopter flybys to trail cameras, there’s no one way to count a wolf

8 minutes

Close-up of tree roots and rocks on a forest floor, covered with moss and surrounded by dense greenery.

videoNature and landscape

Take a serene hike through an ancient forest, inspired by a Miyazaki masterpiece

6 minutes

Illustration showing a grid of nine eyes, each uniquely stylised, depicting a variety of creatures, including a human with a blue iris, a cat with a vertical slit pupil, and a toad with a heart-shaped pupil.

videoBiology

To understand how an animal sees the world, start with the shape of its pupils

5 minutes