EARTH DAY

This two-part documentary follows the journey of the Plastiki, a boat built from over 12,000 recycled plastic drinking bottles. It's the eco-dream of adventurer David De Rothschild - his intention is to spread a message of environmental responsibility across the globe. In this first hour, David wrestles with the challenge of finding environmentally sound recyclable plastic to create the framework to hold the thousands of bottles which will provide its buoyancy. He eventually succeeds - creating an entirely recyclable, aesthetically beautiful 6 person catamaran. After he's recruited a crew with the same sensibilities as himself, the Plastiki is launched and following a few teething troubles the crew soon settles into its grueling daily routine of 3 hours on, 3 hours off. The documentary follows the daily lives and hazards facing the crew - skippers Jo Royle and David Thompson, film makers Max Jourdan and Vern Moen and eccentric adventurer Olav Heyerdahl, grandson of the original Kontiki Explorer, Thor Heyerdahl.

In a rapidly changing world, animals that have adapted to survive in the most hostile places on Earth must now adapt to a new reality in the blink of an evolutionary eye. Facing everything from intrinsically hostile habitats and brutally punishing weather to the unrelenting threat of predators and intense competition for resources, their challenge is simple: adapt of die. Here are the most shocking, amazing and epic scenes from Hostile Planet.

Even in the mildest climates, life is a struggle, but animals living in the coldest regions of the world have bodies and habits adapted to survive so that they can survive in the face of both probabilities and each other. They live and die in harsh conditions, but the survivors are the actual masters of the frost.

Oceanographer Sylvia Earle is probably more at home under the sea than she is on dry land. At least, that’s where this National Geographic Explorer in Residence has made her biggest impact as a scientist and storyteller. Called by Time Magazine a “Hero for the Planet”, Earle has been featured in numerous National Geographic articles,...

The story of how a handful of water barons gained control of the state’s most precious resource, while drought left local homeowners with dry wells.

Illegal dumping affects a cattle farmer’s livelihood, and lax regulations for oil companies result in water contamination.

Best of compilation of Photo Ark S1, which followed National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore on his globetrotting quest to photograph some of the rarest animals in the world. These arresting, studio portraits of over 5,000 species go into the Photo Ark, Joel’s 25-year-long project to document the world’s animals before they go extinct. By looking these animals in the eye, we begin to care about them and understand their importance to the health of our planet. When we save these species, we’re actually saving ourselves.

Jane Goodall has been called 'Mother Teresa for the environment'. When the realizing that her life's work could be lost forever, she leaves her life as a scientist behind and becomes the iconic activist we know today. The Hope follows her never-ending mission to spread a message of hope across the globe and inspire the next generation to next.

The mysterious sinking of Australia’s “Titanic”, a warship on a dangerous mission, and a ROV expedition searching for clues at the bottom of the reef.

Follow Academy Award winner Leonardo DiCaprio as he travels to five continents and the Arctic speaking to scientists, world leaders and other experts to address the issue of climate change and investigating practical solutions to the challenges.

Access details on Nat Geo's inspiring eco-programming.

Alexandra Cousteau, National Geographic Emerging Explorer, filmmaker and globally recognized advocate on water issues, travels the world to present a picture of the cotton industry, with a focus on its history and the modern-day challenges and innovations. She will discover the threats and the solutions facing our fashion industry.