A Wild Year On Earth

The start of the year is a time of extremes across the Earth. Arctic winds plunge the polar bear into a deep freeze, while in Australia, the heat means a feast for one bird of prey.

Travels around the globe to witness the atmospheric shifts that take place in March, from the wave of cherry blossoms that unfold across Japan to the final raft of green sea turtles that arrive on the islands of the Great Barrier Reef to lay eggs.

May brings violent tornadoes to North America and the life-giving monsoon to India; the dry season ends in southern Africa, claiming victims among elephants.

In July, Arctic ice sheets crash into the sea while an Arctic fox hunts among the rocks. In Africa, herds of wildebeest cross the croc-infested Mara River.

In September, seasonal swings activate change across the world: the heat rises in Southern Africa as the dry season deepens, and new love develops in the rainforests of Colombia, where a single golden dart frog sings to entice a mate.

Millions of monarch butterflies converge in the forests of Mexico. The Arctic skies blaze with the aurora borealis as Earth completes its annual cycle.