Europe: A Natural History(2005)

Name: Europe: A Natural History
Genre: Documentary
Released: 2005-02-15
Rating: 4.3

February 15, 20051 Season · 4 Episodes

Ended

Documentary

4.3from 3 users

Overview

A series chronicling the events which shaped the continent of Europe as we now know it.

Network BBC Four

Seasons

Season 1

4 Episodes

2005

E01

Genesis

2/15/2005·50m

An epic three billion year story begins, with the unravelling of clues as to how Europe's stunning landscapes and wildlife were created. Witness Oxford roamed by dinosaurs, the Jura vineyards of France swallowed under tropical seas, St Petersburg buried under desert sands and the mightiest event of all, the birth of the Mediterranean.

E02

Ice Ages

2/22/2005·50m

Over the past two million years Europe has been swept by waves of extreme climatic change. Two kilometre thick ice sheets carved their way across the continent, reaching as far south as London, Amsterdam and Berlin. Mammoths wandered the North Sea, and even lions and hippos roamed Trafalgar Square. Then, shortly before the last great Ice Age released its grip, our ancestors set foot on the continent.

E03

Taming the Wild

3/1/2005·50m

In the last 10,000 years Europe has been transformed from a largely forested, virgin landscape in to the manicured continent we know today, and at an ever-accelerating rate. As culture spread its influence across the land with monumental symbols of ownership, animals were tamed, seeds were sown, forests decimated and minerals excavated. How did wildlife cope with these drastic changes, and what impact did they have on ourselves?

E04

The New Millenium

3/8/2005·50m

Today, some 730 million people live in Europe. How is wildlife adapting to this brave new world, who are the winners and losers, and what efforts are we making to help? And ultimately, given the problems with unwelcome and invasive species on the continent through international trade, and an increasingly fickle climate, the future could bring all sorts of surprises.