7 Best Videos About the Environment

Meaghan Weeden | December 2, 2020 | 6 min read

7 Great Videos About Nature and the Environment

For most of us, nature and trees live in the background of our lives, quietly filtering our air, stabilizing our soils, cleaning our water, moderating temperatures, providing habitat for wildlife, and more. We may not get outside as much as we'd like, and perhaps the closest we come is spending time with our furry friends. And that's understandable — we're busy, after all.

Still, study after study has proven the positive benefits we get from spending time in nature. But we don't need a study to tell us that we feel better when we can get outside. The good news? Even just looking at nature scenes and watching environment videos can have positive effects like reducing stress, boosting feel-good emotions like awe and wonder, and increasing energy. So the next time your boss wants to know why you're watching baby elephant videos on repeat, tell them that you're boosting employee morale. Without further ado....

Here's 7 of Our Favorite Environment Videos:


1. "Nature can repair our broken climate", say Greta Thunberg and George Monbiot.

In this inspiring tongue-in-cheek video, climate activist Greta Thunberg teams up with British writer and activist George Monbiot to encourage viewers to protect, restore, and fund nature — especially trees. If you haven’t been following Ms. Thunberg, we recommend that you start doing so!


2. How Trees Talk

Narrated by pioneering ecologist Suzanne Simard, this video explains how trees communicate via vast root systems, mycorrhizal networks, and chemical messages to protect and support each other against the many threats they face. After watching this, one can’t help but reflect on the power of community and the tragedy of competition-based forestry. In nature, there truly is so much more than meets the eye, and we have more in common with trees than we might think. 


3. Biodiversity Explained

Ever wondered what, exactly, biodiversity is — or why it's so important? Well, there's a video for that! Watch and you'll learn what biodiversity is, why protecting biodiversity is important, and how planting trees and restoring habitats and native species is central to our collective effort to preserve Earth's biodiversity. Prepare to be inspired in a big way!


4. Elegy for the Arctic

Through his music, acclaimed Italian composer and pianist Ludovico Einaudi has added his voice to those of eight million people from across the world demanding protection for the Arctic. Einaudi performed one of his own compositions on a floating platform in the middle of the Ocean, against the backdrop of the Wahlenbergbreen glacier (in Svalbard, Norway). With the beautiful composition and incredible, almost eerie setting, this video is guaranteed to give you chills!


5. The Beauty of Pollination

If you're familiar with the work of acclaimed cinematographer, director and producer Louie Schwartzberg, then you'll know you're in for a treat. This video, clipped from his "Wings of Life" film with Meryl Streep, uses high-end time-lapse cinematography to capture the magic of pollination, which we don't typically get to see in such intricate detail. Enjoy!


6. Jane Goodall Releases Chimp

Get the tissues ready, because this beautiful video of a female chimp that was rescued and is now being released back into the wild is guaranteed to bring you to tears. Her gratitude to her rescuers, and awe at finding herself back in the forest is further proof (as if we needed any) that animals are conscious, emotional beings. Sorry not sorry!
If you feel inspired, you can also check out our partnership with Jane Goodall and help plant trees for chimpanzees.


7. How tall can a tree grow?

If you’ve ever wondered what stops trees from stretching endlessly towards the sky, then Plant Genetics Researcher Valentin Hammoudi is your guy. In this fun video produced by TEDx, he shares some of his findings. A fascinating watch! 

And one bonus one, just because we mentioned baby elephants a while back...enjoy this adorable clip of a little guy throwing a tantrum:

We hope you enjoyed these videos, and perhaps learned a thing or two. Just want to plant a tree? Choose where yours is planted today!

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Plant Trees Where They're Needed Most
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Longleaf Pine Main Image
Longleaf Pine Restoration
Longleaf Pine Tree Planter
Plant Trees Where They're Needed Most
Longleaf Pine Landscape
Longleaf Pine Planting

Plant Trees Where They're Needed Most

As the need for reforestation is global and ever-changing, we feature where trees are most needed now. This project is currently supporting Longleaf Pine Restoration. Learn more

With your help, we will:

  • Protect wildlife habitat and increase biodiversity
  • Restore essential watersheds for soil stability and erosion control
  • Sequester carbon in the biomass of the forests through climate stability
  • Longleaf pine forests are among the most biodiverse in North America and provide habitat for numerous threatened and endangered species. Longleaf pine forests are well-adapted to a warming climate as longleaf pine is a resilient species that is fire-dependent, drought-tolerant, and long-lived. Reforestation of longleaf pine ecosystems- to increase, maintain, and enhance the species- has been identified as a priority area within America's Longleaf Range Wide Conservation Plan. 🌲
  • Our longleaf pine reforestation project will restore habitats, control soil erosion, and sequester carbon in an effort to stabilize the climate in the area. Not only will wildlife benefit from the clean air and water provided by the planted trees, but the surrounding community will, too. This project will work with a variety of landowners whose responsible forest management and stewardship will only further increase the benefits for species residing on the lands. Some of the most notable species that will benefit from habitat restoration include gopher tortoises, red-cockaded woodpeckers, and eastern indigo snakes
  • A personalized tree certificate (see gallery) to say thanks for your donation. We'll also send you updates about our Longleaf Pine Restoration project, so you can track the impact your trees are having on the ground!
  • We always plant a mix of diverse, native species from local nurseries. This project is working to replenish longleaf forests, so the native species grown in the nurseries will mainly be longleaf pine, but also include shortleaf pine and loblolly pine.

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