Scientists believe that after they were hunted to extinction the grasses died out. Recent scientific research shows that 15,000 years ago the tundra was grassland grazed by mammoths. Caribou are one of the few grazers that can survive on the mosses and lichens that grow on the tundra. The center of Canada is in the middle of the Arctic tundra. Learn about a rare white black bear and see him trying to catch fish.
Rainforest's Spirit Bear (03:48)Ĭanada's temperate rainforest holds a greater abundance of life than anywhere else in the country. The vertical walls of the Stikine River canyon are home to mountain goats. The mountain range includes some of the tallest peaks on the continent. The vast open plains are an ideal habitat for the fastest hoofed mammal on the planet. Pronghorn (02:16)Ĭreated by sediments of melting glaciers, the North American prairie once stretched all the way to Mexico. On the southern edge of the great forest, red-sided garter snakes emerge from hibernation. World's Largest Gathering of Snakes (03:07) The squirrel can glide for 54 yards between trees their tail acts like a rudder. See the northern lights over Canada's night sky. As spring approaches, the bears follow the retreating ice. Northern Forest Polar Bear (02:17)Ĭanada's winter forest provides refuge for polar bears. A wolverine's furry feet make travel easier. Snow transforms it for six months each year. Elusive Wolverine (01:21)Ĭanada's boreal forest stretches 6,000 miles, making it the world's largest intact forest. Black oak remains in a few small patches. The rich open savanna was lost after controlled burning ended maple began to take over. The area once supported huge deer populations. Learn about the lush homeland created by the Iroquois and Algonquin through the careful use of fire. Controlled Burning in Black Oak Forests (02:39) Natives of Eastern Canada (01:54)Įuropean explorer John Cabot was one of the first to encounter the Beothuk people. Breeding Capelin (03:59)īeach spawners surf to the shore to breed they become targets of hungry seagulls. A whale can eat a ton of capelin in one day and take in 50,000 liters of water in one gulp. Humpbacks travel thousands of miles to reach Newfoundland in the spring. Rich fishing grounds lured the first Europeans. Shoals of Capelin & Atlantic Cod (01:24)Īrriving each spring to the Newfoundland coast, nutrient rich capelin supports the abundance of life. In 1497, John Cabot became the first European since the Vikings to lay claim to the new found land. Humpbacks arrive each spring to the most eastern point of the North American continent. Humans arrived from Asian by way of a land-bridge created from lowering seas. Arrival of Humans (01:17)įifteen thousand years ago, a glacier covered Canada. Viewers will learn how humans shaped the landscape. This film explores Canada's wilderness and iconic wildlife.
This is science writing at its very best-both an engrossing narrative and a scholarly trove of information that “will forever change your perspective on the North American continent” (The New York Review of Books).Introduction: The Eternal Frontier: Wild Canada (01:54) FREE PREVIEW It continues right up to the present, covering the deforestation of the Northeast, the decimation of the buffalo, and other consequences of frontier settlement and the industrial development of the United States. The story spans the massive changes wrought by the ice ages and the coming of the Native Americans. Flannery describes the development of North America’s deciduous forests and other flora, and tracks the migrations of various animals to and from Europe, Asia, and South America, showing how plant and animal species have either adapted or become extinct. Here, “the rock star of modern science” tells the unforgettable story of the geological and biological evolution of the North American continent, from the time of the asteroid strike that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago to the present day (Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel). A comprehensive history of the continent, “full of engaging and attention-catching information about North America’s geology, climate, and paleontology” (The Washington Post Book World).