In April 1970, millions of people around the world mobilised to demand protection of the planet we call home. That historic day gave birth to the modern environmental movement known as Earth Day, and 50 years later it’s become the planet’s largest civic event, with more than a billion people participating each year.
On this momentous occasion, people worldwide would normally step outside to help clean up our planet, plant trees and restore the beauty of Earth. But this is not a normal year; this year is different. While most of the world is stuck indoors, National Geographic is bringing the natural world inside to inspire hope and awe for the planet.
At a time when people around our interconnected world needs hope more than ever, National Geographic and National Geographic Abu Dhabi commemorate Earth Day with two global, emotionally evocative specials that inspire hope for our dynamic planet, love for its animal inhabitants and actions of stewardship for this generation and those to come.
The first of the premieres is ‘Photo Ark: Rarest Creatures’, showcasing National Geographic Photographer Joel Sartore’s quest to photograph some of the rarest animals in the world. Photo Ark will premier at 20:00 UAE time (19:00 KSA) on National Geographic Abu Dhabi. 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.
Programming will continue at 21:00 UAE time (20:00 KSA) with a two-hour documentary special ‘Jane Goodall: The Hope’, taking viewers through chapters of Dr. Goodall’s journey, highlighting her four-decades legacy, having transformed environmentalism, nonhuman animal welfare and conservation through her innovative approaches.
“The need to protect our planet has never been more urgent, and we’re using Earth Day 50th as an opportunity to inspire viewers through the wonders of our planet and its incredible species for viewers around the world,” said Courteney Monroe, National Geographic Global Television Networks President. “With the Earth Day takeover across all of our networks and platforms, we are able to reach the largest audience possible to celebrate this momentous day and ensure that viewers fall in love with our planet and act to protect it.”
National Geographic’s Earth Day event also features the very best of natural-history programming, including recent feature documentaries such as ‘Jane’ and ‘Before the Flood’; an array of ‘Destination Wild’ natural history specials. Throughout the day, additional featurettes will showcase the National Geographic Explorers and photographers working around the world to protect and honour our planet.
