Keyword Conservation

What’s it like to dedicate your life to work that won’t be completed in your lifetime? Fifteen years ago, filmmaker David Licata focused on four projects and the people behind them in an effort to answer this universal question.

Two very different men are brought together by New Brunswick's decision to hand the management of millions of acres of Crown land to six multinationals. One man is an Acadian woodlot owner retired after nearly 40 years in a pulp mill; the other is a painter and winemaker with homes in France and New Brunswick. They travel to Finland to urge officials at one of the largest licence holders of New Brunswick Crown lands to practise responsible forestry, then go head-to-head with the provincial government to secure a new community-based forestry policy that is environmentally sustainable and produces more jobs than the highly mechanized techniques used today.

John Bishop encounters one of the most endangered animals on Earth, and discovers they and his family have more in common than he ever imagined. Filming in the jungles of Rwanda for John Bishop’s Gorilla Adventure, the comedian realises adolescent male mountain gorillas are just like his teenage sons – bulging muscles but no sense. Plus they fart, flirt and pick their noses. We follow John as he joins a group of vets who have dedicated their lives to saving the, sadly, precious few mountain gorillas left in the wild rugged mountains and valleys between the borders of Rwanda, Congo and Uganda, which were made famous to UK viewers by David Attenborough’s iconic sequence filmed among them in the 1970s.

RHINO MAN follows the courageous field rangers who risk their lives every day to protect South Africa's rhinos from being poached to extinction.

What does it mean to lose a colour? Losing Blue is a cinematic poem about losing the otherworldly blues of ancient mountain lakes, now fading due to climate change. With stunning cinematography, this short doc immerses the viewer in the magnificence of these rare lakes, pulling us in to stand on their rocky shores, witness their power and understand what their loss would mean—both for ourselves and for the Earth.

In 2015 a lion in Zimbabwe named Cecil was killed by Walter Palmer, an American dentist, provoking a global outcry. The story of Cecil’s death turns the gaze back on to us and our behaviour. The simplicity of the outrage is a stark contrast to the complexity of the reality.

This short documentary is a celebration of life on planet Earth. Made from haunting visual images selected from 50 years of NFB productions, the film looks at human beings, their place on earth, and their deep interconnection with all other beings. Evocations of forces that threaten the planet and all its inhabitants also offer avenues for reflection.

This documentary goes to coral reefs of the Bahamas and the waters of the Kingdom of Tonga for a close encounter with the surviving tribes of the ocean: wild dolphins and belugas, the love of a Humpback mother for her newborn calf, the singing Humpback males, an orca the mighty King of the ocean, and the gentle manatee. Little-known aspects of these creatures capable of sophisticated communication and social interaction. Documents the life of these graceful, majestic yet endangered sea creatures

Mountain Gorilla takes us to a remote range of volcanic mountains in Africa, described by those who have been there as ""one of the most beautiful places in the world"", and home to the few hundred remaining mountain gorillas. In spending a day with a gorilla family in the mountain forest, audiences will be captivated by these intelligent and curious animals, as they eat, sleep, play and interact with each other. Although gorillas have been much-maligned in our popular culture, viewers will finally ""meet the legend"" face to face, and learn about their uncertain future.

A journey into the hidden world of the Netherlands, beneath the water's surface, where extraordinary creatures inhabit a wondrous habitat. Thirty years ago, filming there would have been unthinkable: the polluted, murky waters were devoid of life. Now, the many efforts to protect the environment are paying off...

Sixty years after the original fight that saved it from being mined, Ellison Reef once again becomes a touchstone for what's at stake as climate change accelerates.

For millennia, Native Americans successfully stewarded and shaped their landscapes, but centuries of colonization have disrupted their ability to maintain their traditional land management practices. From deserts, coastlines, forests, mountains, and prairies, Native communities across the US are restoring their ancient relationships with the land. As the climate crisis escalates these time-tested practices of North America's original inhabitants are becoming increasingly essential in a rapidly changing world.

Three years in the making, this feature-length documentary shines a light on the perilous state of Scotland’s salmon, and tells the compelling story of a fish that once lived in the forest.

The life and the career of John Muir come to life through this inspiring and beautiful documentary set against the magnificent landscapes of the American West. The Scottish-born naturalist was one of the first nature preservationists in American history, inspiring others through his writing and his advocacy to keep the wilderness wild. Shot in high definition in the spectacular landscapes that shaped Muir - and were, in turn, shaped by his devotion.

Keeping Country Strong is a new documentary by Country Needs People From the heart of the desert to the islands and estuaries of Sea Country, Indigenous Protected Areas span over 110 million hectares of land and sea and now cover over 54% of Australia’s reserves on land. Indigenous Rangers are on the frontline. Working in some of the most remote corners of the planet they are safeguarding endangered species, fighting wildfires and invasive species, and practising culture in the face of a changing climate. FEATURING Indigenous Rangers and Traditional Owners from Budj Bim IPA, Gaagal Wajaarr Proposed Sea Country IPA, Ngururrpa IPA, Tiwi Islands Proposed IPA, Anangu Tjutaku IPA, Lungtalanana IPA, Mayala IPA & SE Arnhem Land IPA.

Hosted by Keeley Hawes, star of the popular television series The Durrells, this documentary reveals the adventures of the eccentric Durrell family once they left Corfu, Greece.

In a modern version of Ibsen's stage play, we meet TV-celebrity Tomas Stockman returning to his native village to produce the world's purest bottled water. The plant will bring new life and hope to the village, but unexpected trouble occurs.

A doctor's efforts to live a green life near the Appalachian Mountains lead to the development of a radical idea to use green burials to conserve one million acres of land and to create wildlife reserves.

In a time of hardship, Hobart resident Peter Walsh turns to the secretive platypus for solace, only to discover it is the platypus that need his help to survive in a habitat under threat.

The people, places and stories making news in the British countryside.

Unique arts series venturing behind the scenes at the world famous museum of art, design and performance, the V&A.

Wildlife series following the lives of a group of orphaned African bush elephants at a sanctuary in Kenya as they face some of the biggest challenges of their lives.

The cameras follow the lives of human and animal families living in Kenya’s Samburu National Reserve. They also follow the story of a safari camp run by wildlife expert Saba Douglas-Hamilton and an elephant conservation charity run by her husband Frank Pope.

Brings to life the epic story of the people and landscapes of Minnesota - from the retreat of the last ice sheets to the growth of today’s suburbs - using nature videography from across the state, never-before-seen historic images, state-of-the-art animations, and historic recreations.

On Eco House Challenge two suburban, Australian families are about to find out what it takes to help save the planet. Over several weeks, while still living their normal lives, the families must radically reduce consumption in four eco hot-spots – Energy, Water, Transport and Waste – or face the consequences we all face.

From the Californian desert to the rainforests of Alaska, naturalist and writer Louis-Marie Blanchard sets out on a 5,000-kilometre journey in the footsteps of ecological pioneer John Muir. Through the emblematic landscapes that Muir helped to save, he sets out to meet the men and women who keep alive his fight to preserve the wilderness. A journey of initiation, poetry and commitment, driven by a deep and intimate admiration for the man who changed his life.