Summer invites exploration, turning the world into a living classroom. In honor of the 2009 Disneynature film EARTH, audiences gained new insight into life on the planet. During five years of filming, the project documented 42 animal species and sketched a vivid map of habitats—from forests to oceans and everything in between. Those discoveries remind readers that ecosystems stay in balance because countless small processes link feeding cycles, migrations, and seasonal light. The behind the scenes journey shows that biodiversity supports resilience, and curiosity about the natural world becomes a gateway to understanding how life stays connected.
DID YOU KNOW?
– The earth tilts 23.5 degrees relative to the sun, a tilt that creates the seasons and explains why day length shifts through the year, influencing climate patterns and animal behavior.
– Tropical rainforests cover less than 3% of the planet’s surface yet shelter more than half of all species, a testament to the richness found in layered canopies and constant rainfall.
– Polar bears can travel hundreds of miles across ice in search of food, and they regularly swim as far as 12 miles in a single day when land routes prove scarce.
– Living in subzero temperatures makes polar bears adept at conserving heat, so running far for long distances can push body temperature toward risky levels if rest and shade are not available.
– Only about half of polar bear cubs survive their first year, and the challenge remains high as cubs leave their mother to navigate a vast, changing Arctic on their own.
– It is estimated that roughly 60% of polar bears live in Canadian territories, illustrating how habitat distribution shapes population clusters in Arctic regions.
– An adult elephant may eat more than 300 pounds of vegetation in a day and drink about 50 gallons of water, underscoring the energy needs of these large herbivores.
– It can take up to six months for an elephant calf to learn how to use its trunk to lift water to its mouth, a skill acquired through practice and social learning.
– The longest land migration spans around 2,000 miles, driven by millions of caribou as they follow seasonal grazing and navigate harsh climates.
– Grey wolves in North America travel farther than any other land mammal in the region besides caribou, traversing vast landscapes in coordinated packs.
– Demoiselle cranes can reach altitudes of up to 25,000 feet while crossing from Mongolia to India, crossing the Himalayas and facing strong winds and thin air.
– Lions live in social groups called prides, with lionesses doing most of the hunting and sharing duties to nurture the clan.
– The cheetah remains the fastest land animal, capable of accelerating from rest to around 70 miles per hour in seconds, with precise bursts of speed.
– Great white sharks are the largest predatory fish and can have as many as 3,000 teeth, arranged in rows that continually replace worn ones.
– A male six plumed bird of paradise creates a dance floor by clearing a patch of forest floor and pruning nearby branches to attract a mate, turning silence into spectacle.