Nature affects everyone:'A World of Life' arrives on Netflix with the voice of Cate Blanchett

'A World of Life' debuts today, a docu-series that travels across the globe to showcase the extraordinary creatures and ecosystems, large and small, that work together to help restore and sustain the living world.The voice of the Oscar-winning actress leads the journey

ROME – “I see everywhere in nature, for example in trees, a capacity for expression and, so to speak, a soul”.This was said by Vincent van Gogh, who made nature the absolute protagonist of his works.The artist speaks of a soul, which today is disappearing.Who has the task of saving her?Certainly not a group of superheroes like we see in the cinema.But to us human beings.Sometimes it feels like nature is an abstract concept and that it's just those bright green forests that we see on the screen.In reality, nature is among us, it has a secret network of connections that unites us.And this is where there is life.

On the occasion of Earth Day (April 22), 'A World of Life' debuts on Netflix today (original title 'Our living world') from the Emmy Award-winning team behind 'Our Great National Parks'.A docu-series that spans the globe to showcase the extraordinary creatures and ecosystems, large and small, that work together to help restore and sustain the living world.“The entire planet is our life support system.We need it to work well for our survival.And for that we need nature to work,” says filmmaker James Honeyborne. Four episodes that fill the eyes of those who watch them with wonder and amazement, also thanks to photography which has the power to make the viewer feel part of those places made of colours, silence, animal instincts and life. Leading the journey is Oscar winner Cate Blanchett with her unmistakable voice.

A WORLD OF LIFE, A WORLD OF WONDER IN 4 EPISODES

Episode 1:'Nature's incredible web'

The first episode is set in Sauraha, Nepal.It's rush hour and a rhino blocks traffic.His journey is a symbol of the way in which life on the planet is interconnected and how these connections extend to every corner of the Earth.From Nepal to the Arctic plains where a reindeer calf must learn to walk to escape hungry eagles and wolves:the dance between predators and prey ensures that the pastures remain in motion and that the snow remains on the ground to reflect the sun's heat into the atmosphere.This cooling system starts a chain reaction:the rainy season in Africa creates an oasis for hippos.In the Amazon, Brazil nut trees feed the creatures that become prey for hunting jaguars, and the carcasses these cats leave behind allow an incredible global network of fungi to lock in carbon deep underground.It's an epic cycle of actions and consequences that fuels every part of life.

Episode 2:'The rhythm of life'

In an ever-changing world, opportunities are always at hand.But timing is everything, and from milliseconds to millennia, nature must be in sync.Creatures around the world rely on ancient rhythms to survive:a lioness knows she must hunt at dusk to avoid heat exhaustion, and fiddler crabs must stage their extravagant mating dance amid the ebb and flow of the tides covering their burrows.Migration is equally essential for the survival of species such as salamanders, which return to their breeding tanks, but some creatures - such as crocodiles confined to a tiny oasis in the arid Sahara desert where water has become increasingly scarce to via an oscillation in the rotation of the Planet – they must adapt to the position that has been assigned to them.And as human-caused climate change threatens to upend the patterns of all Earth's species, the color-changing snow hare finds itself stuck between seasons with a need to evolve or die.

Episode 3:'Breaking point'

Nature works best when life keeps up with the many rhythms of the Planet.Some species even rely on natural phenomena:Lava from underwater eruptions creates new volcanic islands that become nutrient-rich oases for hammerhead sharks, and avalanches in the Rocky Mountains ring like an alarm bell for a hungry wolverine.But what happens when human activity alters the rhythm of our planet?Chimpanzees struggle to find drinking water in Africa, where fires lift desert sand into the atmosphere and winds carry it north to deposit it on glaciers and ice sheets.As the ice warms and melts, polar bears are forced into new territory where they must face unknown enemies.Hordes of jellyfish clog the seas, their growth fueled by warming ocean temperatures.But in Miami there is a glimmer of hope:with hurricanes becoming more powerful and frequent, lizards are adapting to survive.Who knows if the rest of the living world will be able to follow their example...

Episode 4:'Towards environmental recovery'

Nature can help heal the world, but it needs a chance.In the Pacific Northwest, the annual salmon run collides with cities, dams and roads.To stay healthy, forest ecosystems need salmon to survive, and across the planet, some of the most threatened species and habitats face a similar challenge.In Africa, elephants threatened by poachers fertilize and maintain the rainforest, allowing the trees to retain the carbon that warms the planet.In Australia, flying foxes have been pushed into urban environments by fires, but they are working to restore their burned forests by pollinating and distributing countless seeds every day.The conservation of the Saiga antelopes has led to the rebirth of their native grasslands in the steppe between Europe and China, while the return of the jaguars, thanks to a 'rewilding' project (essentially the reintroduction of some animal species into their respective habitat) in the wetlands of Argentina, is keeping the area's ecosystem under control.From bees to sea otters, whales to turtles, these precious creatures are not only fighting for their future but also for that of humans.

A WORLD OF LIFE, NATURE AFFECTS EVERYONE

Nature concerns everyone, no one excluded.“Every bit of wilderness is important.Therefore, it is necessary to understand that the protection of nature, whether it is the home garden or even the plants on the windowsill.Our every action has consequences.Each of us can follow a series of practical rules but the most important thing is the awareness that we too are part of this system”, underlines James Honeyborne.