News from Nature - In the early 20th century fur seals were pushed to the brink of extinction by hunters seeking the seal's luxurious pelt. Despite a longstanding ban on hunting, fur seal populations are still vulnerable and many colonies are in decline. Armed with National Geographic's Crittercam, scientists travel to Russia's remote Kuril Islands to uncover the secrets to fur seal survival. Stories from the Wild - Wild Chronicles travels on assignment with National Geographic magazine to Alberta, Canada, where a controversial method of extracting petroleum is damaging the Canadian wilderness and a way of life. To reach large deposits of sand-oil that lie beneath the surface of Alberta's Boreal forest miners must strip the forest floor. Some conservationists contend the changing landscape and destruction of the Boreal is a substantive contributor to global warming. Field Reports - A group of prize-winning students from Atlanta venture deep into the Amazon rain forest to learn the true cost of consumer goods. Exploring the impact of deforestation and development on one of the most bio-diverse ecosystems on the planet, the trip's goal is to instill in the students a passion to protect Earth's great natural resources. Adventure and Exploration - In the Gulf Emirate of Abu Dhabi, increasing development is destroying the local food supply of the marine mammals that call the warm waters home. Thousands of dugongs ply the waters off the coast of Abu Dhabi, feeding on seemingly endless beds of sea grass. But as engineers drive back the sea to house the burgeoning population, dredging and construction leach silt into the Gulf, smothering the sea grass and threatening the dugongs.
