An ode to nature

First of all, Claire, what is an ode. Second of all, Claire, you're a teacher not a biologist. Yes, but this week is National Wildlife Week, and second on my list of favorite things, after teaching English of course, is nature. Today's post is a little bit different, it's a review of a documentary that I'm watching on Netflix, which I highly recommend that you watch, whatever your level of English!

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Our Planet from Netflix

Our Planet is a British documentary made for Netflix, narrated by none other than the famous wildlife activist David Attenborough. There are 8 episodes, each one about a different habitat on Earth. Each habit is explored, from its flora to it's fauna, and I promise you, the images are absolutely out of this world. Attenborough walks you through an explanation of the different ecosystems that coexist in each habitat, as well as the connection that they have with the rest of the planet, and of course, human life. There is of course a message in every episode about how human activity has damaged these precious ecosystems, but what I like about the series is that it offers hope. Many actions have already been taken to protect the incredible diversity of our planet, and hopefully more and more will be taken. What I really enjoy about the series is that it explains just how connected everything on our Earth is, from the tiniest phytoplankton to the largest animal on earth, the blue whale. I pride myself on knowing quite a bit about nature and wildlife, but I had no idea just how much everything is interconnected. Just to give you a tiny spoiler, in one of the episodes, Attenborough explains how the phytoplankton in the oceans produces 50% of the oxygen we breathe, and that it even affects the weather, specifically cloud formation and hence, rainfall! So, I won't tell you anything else, but I highly recommend this series, it's a great way to relax at the end of a long day, especially with all the bad news we're surrounded by at the moment. I suggest watching it with subtitles, or in English or in your language, just so you don't miss any of the important details. Happy watching, and happy National Wildlife Week!

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Glossary

• ode: a lyrical poem - this post isn't really an ode, but the phrase, "an ode to ____" is a way to show appreciation for something.

• flora: plants in a specific ecosystem

• fauna: animals in a specific ecosystem

• out of this world: really great, wonderful, amazing, etc.

• pride [oneself] on: to be proud of having an ability or skill

• hence: as a consequence, for this reason, therefore