A Year On Planet Earth

Winter has begun and, with less solar energy, the northern hemisphere freezes. Life is at its hardest. As the planet starts its incredible journey around the sun, Earth's northern pole tilts away from the warmth and light.

Spring is the season of opportunity; the great melt begins and new life erupts; life in the southern hemisphere gets rough with worsening conditions as animals prepare for shorter days.

Summer can be extreme. In the Rockies, summers are short. Pika must harvest flowers to eat before the snow returns. For Marion Island's king penguin chicks, life has frozen still.

Autumn is the season of change, offering new beginnings or a chance to take a new path; many species prepare for winter to secure their place for the next year's circle of life.

See the incredible strategies animals like red squirrels, pikas and penguins use to cope with their changing worlds, as we journey through the seasons, in our orbit around the sun.

Scientists, community members and conservationists uncover new behavior, use pioneering and inventive techniques and put their lives on the line to protect the animals that roam the earth.