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00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:07,633
♪

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[Shane Campbell-Staton]
Grasslands.

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Forgotten, overlooked...

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but if you look
a little closer...

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dig a little deeper,

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you'll discover a wondrous
hidden power...

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a force of nature
that can conjure

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the greatest gathering
of life on Earth...

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and maybe, just maybe,
heal our planet.

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[singing in indigenous language]

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It might be hard to believe,

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but this is hard science,

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a new understanding that with
just the right combination

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of elements and animals

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we can unleash a power

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that can alter the very
fabric of the Earth.

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♪

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[thunder rumbling]

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♪

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My name's Shane Campbell-Staton.

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I'm an evolutionary biologist.

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I'm here to tell you stories
from filmmakers, scientists,

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and local experts
across the globe

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about a pulse of change.

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The entire planet is shifting.

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The climate is changing
at an incredible

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170 times faster
than it should be.

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We can't always see it,

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we're so caught up
in our own thing, you know,

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but the signs are everywhere.

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♪

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The entire tree of life
is whispering to us.

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We just have to pay attention.

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Out there, things aren't
what you expect.

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You'll see.

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[mewing]

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[birds chirping]

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In this series, we followed
how animals are adapting

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to our changing world,

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but for this episode...

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we got sidetracked.

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This time...

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it wasn't the animals
transforming.

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It was the land itself.

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♪

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The shift
in our thinking started

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while we were filming
a story in the Serengeti,

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a story that was set
in motion 60 years ago

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when vets eradicated
a disease that wildebeest

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were catching from cattle.

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Scientists observing
the wildebeest watched

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as the population exploded.

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♪

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They rose and rose

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from 300,000 animals

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to over a million
in less than 20 years.

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♪

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No one saw it coming.

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At the time, people got
so worried,

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there were even calls
to cull the wildebeest.

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They thought these
giant herds would turn

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the Serengeti to dust...

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♪

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[thunder rumbling]

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and the land did change.

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♪

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It became greener.

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[lowing]

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Where the wildebeest grazed,

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trees grew where they
hadn't grown before.

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The Serengeti supported
more animals, not less.

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The herds of wildebeest moved
across the landscape,

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transforming the ecosystem.

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It was extraordinary!

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♪

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Yeah. The story is a bit
more complicated.

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Maybe I can say something
about the dung, as well? Yeah.

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[Shane] I think it's best to
hand it over to Inger de Jonge.

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She's a grassland ecologist
and she knows her...

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uh, stuff.

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[Inger] A lot of wildebeest
also means a lot of dung,

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and a lot of dung means
a lot of dung beetles...

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and dung beetles make
these nice round balls,

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and they actually
incorporate that inside soils.

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[Shane] We need to take a moment
here to really appreciate

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just what these
little guys can do.

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He pushes up to 50 times
his own body weight.

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He will roll his stash
for over 600 feet,

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looking for just the right
soft soil to store his treasure.

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For us, that's like pushing
a compact car

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for nearly 9 miles.

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Why does he do it?

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The dung balls
are going to be food

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and a nursery
for the females' larvae...

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and it turns out this
paternal moment has

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a much more important effect
on the plains

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than we first thought.

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Incredibly, nearly 20%
of all the soil

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in the Serengeti
is buried dung balls.

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That's a lot of poop!

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[Inger] It really enriches
the soil of the Serengeti.

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[Shane] So it's basically
the perfect fertilizer.

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[Inger] This has an huge impact
on our vegetation composition

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and vegetation structure.

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Inger's research
is focusing on what

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all this means
for the Serengeti.

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[Inger] We're looking at how
much nutrients there are

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in soils,
how much organic matter.

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So they're extremely rich,
and this really supports

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very nutritious grasses.

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[Shane] And I mean
a ton of them.

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I don't really know
how many grass species

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there are in the Serengeti,

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but we know of at least
80 of them,

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but I'm sure there are more.

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They basically support
all the wildlife species.

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[lowing]

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[Shane] You can't help but look
at the role of the wildebeest

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with fresh eyes.

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♪

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Tag-teaming
with these little beetles,

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they aren't bulldozers.

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They're regeneration machines.

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Wildebeest actually has
an huge effect

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on the ecosystem.

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[Shane] We're only now coming to
appreciate the true power

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of this effect...

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[thunder rumbling]

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how this machine
of nature works.

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[rain falling]

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♪

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Millions of animals...

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following the rains...

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are joined
by billions of insects...

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[thunder rumbling]

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triggering a transformation
of the Earth...

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♪

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but there is one more
secret hidden in the soil

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that I think you're
gonna want to hear.

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[Inger] Because of all this
grazing by wildebeest

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and because of all
these dung beetles...

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[Shane] The combined effect
of these animals...

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[Inger] all this wildlife...

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[Shane]
is creating something else.

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[Inger] the Serengeti is
a very important carbon sink.

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[Shane] A healthy savanna
can absorb the CO2

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from our atmosphere.

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[Inger] We start
to understand now

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that grasslands play
a major role

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in fighting climate change.

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[Shane] In a world
that needs healing,

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this is important stuff.

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[wildebeest lowing]

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Inger believes grasslands
have a potential

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we are only just understanding,

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but just as we begin to see
their importance,

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they are disappearing
before our very eyes.

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We have lost half
of all grasslands

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across the world,

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and most of those that remain

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are shadows of their
former selves, ghost habitats.

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Even in places as remote
as the plains of Patagonia,

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grasslands have become denuded.

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♪

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For over a century
this place was taken over

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by sheep farmers.

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The land was enclosed
to allow their flocks

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to graze and graze...

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leaving the land dry and dusty.

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Even grazing sheep
became difficult,

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and farms were abandoned.

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Here in Patagonia,
they've tried something new,

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tearing down the fences,

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closing the few remaining farms,

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and returning
the land to wilderness.

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♪

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Herds of guanaco soon moved in,

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free to reclaim these plains.

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♪

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A dominant male guarding
a harem of over 30 females.

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He likes to gather them
together,

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keeping them grazing close by,

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where he can keep
an eye on them...

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♪

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always on the lookout
for a young buck sneaking in.

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[guanaco braying]

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The younger animal
has been spotted,

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but he ain't backing down.

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[braying]

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[grunting]

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[grunting]

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[braying]

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♪

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Guanacos are
so much more gangsta

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than I thought they were.

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"Yeah, that's what
I thought, punk.

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Go on now and tell your
friends about me!"

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Ha ha ha!

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♪

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Guanacos are famously chill.

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They don't want to move
if they don't have to.

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Some might say
living the good life.

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While they were thriving,
what was clear pretty quick

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was that most of these
grasslands were not faring

205
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much better than
when the sheep were here.

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The hoped-for recovery
had not happened...

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00:12:59,766 --> 00:13:06,200
but in a few places, something
has started to change.

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00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:10,466
From Chile to Argentina,
reports have been coming in

209
00:13:10,466 --> 00:13:13,666
of a regeneration...

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00:13:13,666 --> 00:13:17,633
a greening effect spilling
down on to the plains.

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♪

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00:13:28,700 --> 00:13:30,800
To get to the bottom
of what could possibly be

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00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:33,733
driving this regeneration,
we needed to enlist

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00:13:33,733 --> 00:13:37,400
the services of someone
who has a unique perspective

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00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:39,500
on the landscape.

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00:13:45,366 --> 00:13:47,766
This dude's been around
long enough to remember

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00:13:47,766 --> 00:13:50,900
what it was like before.

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Claro. Diferente.
Ya no es lo mismo.

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00:13:54,500 --> 00:13:56,333
[horse nickering]

220
00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:03,900
Yo me llamo Arcilio Sepulveda.

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00:14:05,933 --> 00:14:09,433
[Shane]
Arcilio's a man of few words.

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00:14:10,700 --> 00:14:12,333
[Woman] ¿Tienen que tapar?

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00:14:12,333 --> 00:14:15,366
¿Entonces usted tiene que
tapar el lado derecho siempre?

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No importa que no esté tapado

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00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:21,166
porque me da lo mismo

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00:14:21,166 --> 00:14:23,033
porque no veo con ese ojo.

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00:14:24,533 --> 00:14:26,533
[Shane] He may only have
one good eye,

228
00:14:26,533 --> 00:14:29,466
but he knows what he's
looking for.

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00:14:29,466 --> 00:14:35,900
♪

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00:14:35,900 --> 00:14:38,633
[Shane]
Arcilio was once a leonero,

231
00:14:38,633 --> 00:14:40,666
employed by the sheep farms

232
00:14:40,666 --> 00:14:42,866
to hunt mountain lion,

233
00:14:42,866 --> 00:14:45,300
or puma as they call them here.

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00:14:47,900 --> 00:14:51,366
[static crackling]

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00:14:51,366 --> 00:14:54,466
Today, he's employed
to track them.

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00:14:54,466 --> 00:14:57,300
[beeping]

237
00:14:57,300 --> 00:14:59,733
Pumas became elusive
and cautious

238
00:14:59,733 --> 00:15:02,366
following years of hunting...

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00:15:05,533 --> 00:15:09,566
ghost animals in
a ghost habitat you might say...

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00:15:09,566 --> 00:15:12,466
♪

241
00:15:12,466 --> 00:15:16,433
but if anyone knows where
to find them, it's Arcilio.

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00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:20,033
[Arcilio] Ahi, la vista
con el puma!

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00:15:21,033 --> 00:15:24,000
But what happens next
was way beyond

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00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:27,200
even Arcilio's expectation.

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00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:34,566
De que veo
un cachorro chiquitito.

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00:15:34,566 --> 00:15:45,466
♪

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00:15:45,466 --> 00:15:47,500
[mewing]

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00:15:49,633 --> 00:15:51,333
La única vez de los años

249
00:15:51,333 --> 00:15:53,700
en que ando así en el puma.

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00:15:53,700 --> 00:15:56,033
♪

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00:15:56,033 --> 00:15:59,033
[Shane] This is the first time
newborn puma cubs

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have ever been filmed
in the wild here.

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00:16:02,500 --> 00:16:06,566
♪

254
00:16:06,566 --> 00:16:09,866
To have a mother basking
in the sun with her two cubs

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00:16:09,866 --> 00:16:11,433
in this way,

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00:16:11,433 --> 00:16:15,200
it's a clue to what's
changing in Patagonia.

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00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:18,966
♪

258
00:16:18,966 --> 00:16:21,000
I'm not a huge cat person
honestly,

259
00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:23,800
but, I mean, adorable
is adorable.

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00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:26,366
[mewing]

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00:16:26,366 --> 00:16:31,900
♪

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00:16:31,900 --> 00:16:35,800
The relaxed nature of the puma,
no longer hiding away

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00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:37,933
in the hills, is key

264
00:16:37,933 --> 00:16:40,633
to the transformation
of the land.

265
00:16:40,633 --> 00:16:44,533
♪

266
00:16:44,533 --> 00:16:46,500
[cub mewing]

267
00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:52,133
[thunder rumbling]

268
00:16:52,133 --> 00:17:02,400
♪

269
00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:07,166
Now no longer hunted
by the likes of Arcilio,

270
00:17:07,166 --> 00:17:09,533
no longer persecuted...

271
00:17:09,533 --> 00:17:11,066
[panting]

272
00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:15,600
the pumas are coming down
from the mountains

273
00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:17,666
onto the plains...

274
00:17:17,666 --> 00:17:21,566
♪

275
00:17:21,566 --> 00:17:24,500
and with them comes fear.

276
00:17:24,500 --> 00:17:37,700
♪

277
00:17:37,700 --> 00:17:40,466
The young male guanaco
has been chased off

278
00:17:40,466 --> 00:17:41,900
from the group.

279
00:17:41,900 --> 00:17:45,333
Alone, he's easier
to sneak up on.

280
00:17:45,333 --> 00:18:04,000
♪

281
00:17:57,200 --> 00:18:04,000
♪

282
00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:06,933
At the last second,
he spots her.

283
00:18:06,933 --> 00:18:08,500
[braying]

284
00:18:08,500 --> 00:18:10,700
The herd is spooked,

285
00:18:10,700 --> 00:18:14,133
and the chase is on!

286
00:18:14,133 --> 00:18:16,500
[guanaco yelping]

287
00:18:18,466 --> 00:18:20,133
[puma snarling]

288
00:18:20,133 --> 00:18:23,866
Get off the track when
the train's coming through.

289
00:18:23,866 --> 00:18:26,233
[guanaco braying]

290
00:18:26,233 --> 00:18:29,300
♪

291
00:18:29,300 --> 00:18:31,400
[braying]

292
00:18:33,633 --> 00:18:36,500
[braying]

293
00:18:39,500 --> 00:18:43,233
Only about 1 in 5 hunts
is successful,

294
00:18:43,233 --> 00:18:46,400
but just the presence
of a predator like this

295
00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:50,233
can change the behavior
of all the guanacos.

296
00:18:50,233 --> 00:18:51,966
[braying]

297
00:18:51,966 --> 00:18:54,133
Scientists call it

298
00:18:54,133 --> 00:18:57,033
an ecology of fear.

299
00:19:01,333 --> 00:19:03,866
The guanacos no longer stay put,

300
00:19:03,866 --> 00:19:06,600
overgrazing in just one spot.

301
00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:08,800
The fear keeps them moving.

302
00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:13,966
♪

303
00:19:13,966 --> 00:19:15,800
Like the wildebeest
of the Serengeti,

304
00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:22,100
they are now grazing larger
areas, churning up the soil,

305
00:19:22,100 --> 00:19:24,400
and it's this return
of an ancient rhythm

306
00:19:24,400 --> 00:19:27,566
between the animals
and the plants

307
00:19:27,566 --> 00:19:30,933
that is having this startling
effect on the landscape,

308
00:19:30,933 --> 00:19:34,400
causing
the grasslands to return.

309
00:19:36,333 --> 00:19:39,966
I can't overstate how big
an effect the pumas

310
00:19:39,966 --> 00:19:41,500
are having here.

311
00:19:41,500 --> 00:19:44,033
It's not just the grass
that is transformed

312
00:19:44,033 --> 00:19:46,366
but the whole ecosystem.

313
00:19:48,166 --> 00:19:51,133
Even a single kill,
when they pull it off,

314
00:19:51,133 --> 00:19:56,966
causes a cascade of events
that feeds this system.

315
00:19:56,966 --> 00:19:59,100
These kills are way
more than they can eat

316
00:19:59,100 --> 00:20:01,266
in one sitting.

317
00:20:04,166 --> 00:20:07,233
They'll stash
the rest for later...

318
00:20:10,666 --> 00:20:14,200
and it's estimated that
over 200 species feed

319
00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:17,266
upon the pumas'
half-eaten carcasses.

320
00:20:20,466 --> 00:20:24,166
It's clear to see how all
this life and regeneration

321
00:20:24,166 --> 00:20:27,433
is so interconnected,

322
00:20:27,433 --> 00:20:30,400
and now, we're identifying
that there are

323
00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:33,433
keystone species like the puma.

324
00:20:33,433 --> 00:20:36,466
Their presence
and behavior are essential

325
00:20:36,466 --> 00:20:39,366
for making
the grasslands flourish.

326
00:20:39,366 --> 00:20:49,100
♪

327
00:20:49,100 --> 00:20:52,933
The potential for animals
to resurrect ghost habitats

328
00:20:52,933 --> 00:20:56,966
has only recently
been truly understood...

329
00:20:59,300 --> 00:21:02,800
but what about our
grasslands closer to home...

330
00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:06,466
♪

331
00:21:06,466 --> 00:21:08,633
in our own backyard?

332
00:21:08,633 --> 00:21:11,500
♪

333
00:21:11,500 --> 00:21:15,100
Grasslands are where
we humans once gathered.

334
00:21:15,100 --> 00:21:19,266
They're where our
civilizations were created.

335
00:21:19,266 --> 00:21:24,200
Here, they've become
the breadbasket of America.

336
00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:28,033
Not surprisingly, over half
of America's grasslands

337
00:21:28,033 --> 00:21:31,500
have been turned over
to agriculture,

338
00:21:31,500 --> 00:21:35,200
but has the industrialization
of these plains reached

339
00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:38,166
unsustainable levels?

340
00:21:38,166 --> 00:21:41,033
Have we gone too far?

341
00:21:44,333 --> 00:21:50,333
Today, only a few pockets
of original prairie remain,

342
00:21:50,333 --> 00:21:52,900
yet we're discovering
places like these

343
00:21:52,900 --> 00:21:56,366
have extraordinary potential.

344
00:21:56,366 --> 00:21:57,900
They are rich....

345
00:21:57,900 --> 00:21:58,966
[chirping]

346
00:21:58,966 --> 00:22:00,533
diverse...

347
00:22:00,533 --> 00:22:01,633
[buzzing]

348
00:22:01,633 --> 00:22:04,100
and teeming with life...

349
00:22:04,100 --> 00:22:08,033
places we really
can't afford to lose.

350
00:22:11,133 --> 00:22:13,800
[Camille Parmesan] So What's
astonishing to me is that

351
00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:17,033
the public really doesn't know
anything about grasslands,

352
00:22:17,033 --> 00:22:20,966
and yet to ecologists,
grasslands are, like,

353
00:22:20,966 --> 00:22:23,333
so exciting
and fundamentally important,

354
00:22:23,333 --> 00:22:27,466
and it's so obvious we need
to preserve grasslands.

355
00:22:27,466 --> 00:22:34,733
♪

356
00:22:34,733 --> 00:22:41,333
It--it just gives you
a feeling of awe and magic.

357
00:22:41,333 --> 00:22:42,866
[Mike] Agh.
[Camille] OK. Hang on.

358
00:22:42,866 --> 00:22:44,566
Give me a minute.

359
00:22:44,566 --> 00:22:46,333
Can you get out
your butterfly net?

360
00:22:46,333 --> 00:22:50,366
Oh! I need to put
a new net back on.

361
00:22:50,366 --> 00:22:52,500
Hang on.

362
00:22:52,500 --> 00:22:55,266
[Shane] Of all the people I've
talked to in this series,

363
00:22:55,266 --> 00:22:57,800
there's one woman
who inspires me most

364
00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:02,733
to understand our planet
by looking to the animals...

365
00:23:02,733 --> 00:23:05,333
Oh, Michael,
did you put this on?

366
00:23:05,333 --> 00:23:07,133
Ha ha ha!

367
00:23:07,133 --> 00:23:08,833
Michael, come here.

368
00:23:08,833 --> 00:23:10,400
[Shane] Camille Parmesan.

369
00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:12,366
Y chromosome.

370
00:23:12,366 --> 00:23:14,433
[Shane] She likes nothing
better than hanging out

371
00:23:14,433 --> 00:23:16,766
in the grass,
where she and her husband Mike

372
00:23:16,766 --> 00:23:19,433
catch butterflies...

373
00:23:19,433 --> 00:23:22,133
-Ah. Here's the butterfly
-Where? Ah, hello!

374
00:23:22,133 --> 00:23:24,633
There you go.

375
00:23:24,633 --> 00:23:25,933
Didn't get it.

376
00:23:25,933 --> 00:23:27,500
[Shane] or try to.

377
00:23:27,500 --> 00:23:30,200
There's another one.

378
00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:32,933
[Camille] I lost her.
Do you see her?

379
00:23:32,933 --> 00:23:35,066
God, too fast.

380
00:23:35,066 --> 00:23:36,300
Yeah. There's two there.
Two there.

381
00:23:36,300 --> 00:23:39,900
Here. Take--
here, here.

382
00:23:39,900 --> 00:23:42,133
[Shane] It looks like fun...

383
00:23:42,133 --> 00:23:44,633
She did manage to
make a clean break.

384
00:23:44,633 --> 00:23:46,933
[Shane] but it's serious work...

385
00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:50,866
40 years of it...

386
00:23:50,866 --> 00:23:52,533
[Camille] Ah!

387
00:23:52,533 --> 00:23:54,800
[Shane] trying to understand
the powerful connection

388
00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:57,666
between the land
and our animals.

389
00:23:57,666 --> 00:23:59,933
Yay!

390
00:23:59,933 --> 00:24:01,800
[Camille] Yeah.
[Mike] All right.

391
00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:03,266
Oh. How cool.

392
00:24:03,266 --> 00:24:05,200
[Shane] This little butterfly
in particular

393
00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:07,233
has proved for her to be
an excellent sentinel

394
00:24:07,233 --> 00:24:09,333
in our modern world.

395
00:24:09,333 --> 00:24:16,366
♪

396
00:24:20,233 --> 00:24:23,233
They really do give you
enormous amounts of data,

397
00:24:23,233 --> 00:24:27,900
so you can ask them
very complex questions,

398
00:24:27,900 --> 00:24:29,966
and they answer you.

399
00:24:29,966 --> 00:24:32,533
So it's absolutely
a brilliant system to be

400
00:24:32,533 --> 00:24:36,133
doing the kind of studies
we're doing,

401
00:24:36,133 --> 00:24:39,100
and they're turning out also
to be our first warnings

402
00:24:39,100 --> 00:24:42,400
that the world is
changing massively!

403
00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:45,200
That's probably way too long
an answer.

404
00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:47,200
Sorry. When you get me
on my butterflies...

405
00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:50,500
[Shane] Trust me. I get it.

406
00:24:53,133 --> 00:24:55,500
One butterfly more than
any other is sounding

407
00:24:55,500 --> 00:24:58,733
the alarm
about this vanishing ecosystem.

408
00:24:58,733 --> 00:25:06,666
♪

409
00:25:06,666 --> 00:25:09,266
This little caterpillar
munching away

410
00:25:09,266 --> 00:25:11,933
is gorging on the one plant
in the prairie

411
00:25:11,933 --> 00:25:14,866
that he can eat...

412
00:25:14,866 --> 00:25:17,966
milkweed.

413
00:25:17,966 --> 00:25:20,533
The plant is toxic
to most animals

414
00:25:20,533 --> 00:25:23,800
but not this little dude.

415
00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:26,400
He is voracious.

416
00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:35,233
♪

417
00:25:35,233 --> 00:25:38,500
He's getting ready
to transform...

418
00:25:41,666 --> 00:25:45,666
and become one of the most
beloved insects in America...

419
00:25:45,666 --> 00:25:53,933
♪

420
00:25:53,933 --> 00:25:57,500
the monarch butterfly.

421
00:25:57,500 --> 00:26:01,666
Now, you might think that
their dazzling orange wings

422
00:26:01,666 --> 00:26:04,866
would make them pretty easy
targets for predators,

423
00:26:04,866 --> 00:26:08,133
but the milkweed takes
care of that.

424
00:26:08,133 --> 00:26:10,166
[Camille] The plants are toxic.

425
00:26:10,166 --> 00:26:12,433
They use that chemistry,
they sequester it

426
00:26:12,433 --> 00:26:14,100
into themselves.

427
00:26:14,100 --> 00:26:17,100
Then they become toxic
so birds don't eat them

428
00:26:17,100 --> 00:26:21,100
and fly on
to the next population.

429
00:26:21,100 --> 00:26:24,300
[Shane] A perfect symbiotic
relationship...

430
00:26:25,966 --> 00:26:28,800
but it's under threat.

431
00:26:31,466 --> 00:26:33,833
More of the land
is going under agriculture,

432
00:26:33,833 --> 00:26:35,433
so the milkweed is declining,

433
00:26:35,433 --> 00:26:39,633
and the remaining milkweed
is next to a cornfield

434
00:26:39,633 --> 00:26:43,000
that has pesticides flowing
onto the milkweed.

435
00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:47,566
The survival of the caterpillars
really declines.

436
00:26:49,766 --> 00:26:52,566
[Shane] While making this film,
these butterflies

437
00:26:52,566 --> 00:26:55,266
were classified
for the first time

438
00:26:55,266 --> 00:26:59,033
as endangered with extinction,

439
00:26:59,033 --> 00:27:03,300
and this is not
an isolated story.

440
00:27:03,300 --> 00:27:05,500
[Camille] We're losing
mosquitoes and dragonflies

441
00:27:05,500 --> 00:27:08,800
and butterflies and beetles
and hoverflies

442
00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:10,033
and everything else,

443
00:27:10,033 --> 00:27:14,066
and we're seeing it globally.

444
00:27:14,066 --> 00:27:16,133
[Shane] More and more
of our grasslands

445
00:27:16,133 --> 00:27:18,166
are disappearing.

446
00:27:18,166 --> 00:27:20,533
Our industrialized farming
methods are changing

447
00:27:20,533 --> 00:27:24,166
the world so fast
and on such a scale

448
00:27:24,166 --> 00:27:28,866
we are in danger of losing
an entire ecosystem,

449
00:27:28,866 --> 00:27:31,266
and unsustainable methods
are contributing

450
00:27:31,266 --> 00:27:33,800
to the warming of our planet.

451
00:27:36,300 --> 00:27:39,466
You got to wonder
if our diminished grasslands

452
00:27:39,466 --> 00:27:42,633
could have the potential to
be transformed

453
00:27:42,633 --> 00:27:48,333
into something else like
in South America and Africa.

454
00:27:51,133 --> 00:27:54,366
Well, it's worth remembering
that back in the day

455
00:27:54,366 --> 00:27:57,833
there were vast herds
of animals here

456
00:27:57,833 --> 00:28:01,633
even larger than those found
in the Serengeti.

457
00:28:01,633 --> 00:28:06,000
♪

458
00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:11,766
Two centuries ago, bison
ruled the American prairie.

459
00:28:11,766 --> 00:28:14,300
[bison grunting]

460
00:28:15,900 --> 00:28:20,000
A herd of up to 60 million
animals roamed a grassland

461
00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:24,200
almost 200 times larger
than the Serengeti...

462
00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:28,100
[bison grunting and snorting]

463
00:28:28,100 --> 00:28:30,733
but that was a long time ago

464
00:28:30,733 --> 00:28:35,633
before European settlers
wiped them off the land.

465
00:28:38,166 --> 00:28:43,900
Now, there are very few places
where bison still roam.

466
00:28:43,900 --> 00:28:55,733
♪

467
00:28:55,733 --> 00:29:00,966
♪

468
00:29:00,966 --> 00:29:04,600
This male just
turned 6 years old.

469
00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:07,333
It's time for him to
step in the ring and prove

470
00:29:07,333 --> 00:29:11,066
himself for the right to mate.

471
00:29:11,066 --> 00:29:15,700
It's time for him
to join the rut.

472
00:29:15,700 --> 00:29:18,866
Aw, it's time to get down
with the big boys now.

473
00:29:18,866 --> 00:29:22,533
♪

474
00:29:22,533 --> 00:29:25,266
The big man wallows
in the dirt, raising plumes

475
00:29:25,266 --> 00:29:28,300
of dust to draw
attention to himself...

476
00:29:33,266 --> 00:29:35,333
and it seems to have worked.

477
00:29:35,333 --> 00:29:37,600
[grunting]

478
00:29:37,600 --> 00:29:50,800
♪

479
00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:53,000
A well-placed stab
from those horns

480
00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:54,966
could be lethal.

481
00:29:54,966 --> 00:30:09,400
♪

482
00:30:09,400 --> 00:30:12,466
If he loses a fight to one male,

483
00:30:12,466 --> 00:30:16,033
well, he'll just
challenge another.

484
00:30:16,033 --> 00:30:19,666
In this way,
the fighting goes on for days,

485
00:30:19,666 --> 00:30:21,700
even months.

486
00:30:31,700 --> 00:30:34,600
This time, this poor dude
has failed to win

487
00:30:34,600 --> 00:30:36,600
the right to mate.

488
00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:38,800
Maybe next year, homie!

489
00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:45,333
Exhausted and injured,
he limps away.

490
00:30:45,333 --> 00:30:47,766
If he can't restore
his energy reserves

491
00:30:47,766 --> 00:30:52,666
before winter hits, a young bull
like this can die...

492
00:30:54,100 --> 00:30:57,666
but following an ancient
instinct of survival,

493
00:30:57,666 --> 00:31:00,800
he heads across the plains...

494
00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:05,933
in search of a special place...

495
00:31:08,300 --> 00:31:11,400
somewhere with rich,
diverse grass that can help

496
00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:14,266
him build back his strength

497
00:31:14,266 --> 00:31:18,100
because the bison knows
better than us

498
00:31:18,100 --> 00:31:22,166
about the importance
of this small rodent,

499
00:31:22,166 --> 00:31:24,166
the prairie dog.

500
00:31:29,233 --> 00:31:33,066
It's one of the strangest
and cutest relationships

501
00:31:33,066 --> 00:31:35,233
on the prairie

502
00:31:35,233 --> 00:31:38,700
and all the more poignant
because, like the bison,

503
00:31:38,700 --> 00:31:40,966
these little critters
were also killed

504
00:31:40,966 --> 00:31:43,633
by the millions.

505
00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:47,733
The prairie dog colonies
are just what the bison

506
00:31:47,733 --> 00:31:50,933
is looking for
to help his recovery...

507
00:31:53,733 --> 00:31:58,233
because here there are
the lushest grasses,

508
00:31:58,233 --> 00:32:02,600
giving him vital energy
when he needs it the most.

509
00:32:02,600 --> 00:32:09,766
♪

510
00:32:17,300 --> 00:32:19,233
[grunting]

511
00:32:19,233 --> 00:32:20,800
[prairie dog chirping]

512
00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:25,400
[squealing]

513
00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:28,800
The bison's journey
to this place is also showing us

514
00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:31,433
the amazing affect
prairie dogs can have

515
00:32:31,433 --> 00:32:34,800
on revitalizing grasslands,

516
00:32:34,800 --> 00:32:38,100
helping return a landscape
that had almost

517
00:32:38,100 --> 00:32:40,600
been forgotten...

518
00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:44,100
[chirping]

519
00:32:44,100 --> 00:32:47,366
but it takes work!

520
00:32:47,366 --> 00:32:51,866
These prairie dogs,
they put in the hours.

521
00:32:51,866 --> 00:32:56,600
These guys are skilled
and tireless gardeners...

522
00:32:59,700 --> 00:33:02,366
always digging away,
working on their network

523
00:33:02,366 --> 00:33:08,033
of tunnels that can run
for miles and miles.

524
00:33:08,033 --> 00:33:10,266
This churns and ploughs
the earth,

525
00:33:10,266 --> 00:33:13,333
bringing vital nutrients
to the surface.

526
00:33:13,333 --> 00:33:21,233
♪

527
00:33:21,233 --> 00:33:23,866
When they pop up above ground,
they prune and crop

528
00:33:23,866 --> 00:33:28,200
the vegetation more precisely
than any hefty bison...

529
00:33:31,766 --> 00:33:35,200
which is pretty important
because when you're this size

530
00:33:35,200 --> 00:33:39,066
you're kind of a perfect snack
for a bunch of predators,

531
00:33:39,066 --> 00:33:41,500
so you need to have
your view clear to see

532
00:33:41,500 --> 00:33:43,933
when danger's coming.

533
00:33:45,566 --> 00:33:48,433
[squealing]

534
00:33:49,633 --> 00:33:51,733
[chirping]

535
00:33:54,033 --> 00:33:56,466
The bison help out, too,
donating their

536
00:33:56,466 --> 00:34:00,266
dung and urine
to enrich the soil.

537
00:34:00,266 --> 00:34:02,700
[grunting]

538
00:34:02,700 --> 00:34:06,633
It's an unusual marriage...

539
00:34:06,633 --> 00:34:08,700
but it works.

540
00:34:12,833 --> 00:34:16,900
The surrounding grassland
becomes a green oasis.

541
00:34:20,233 --> 00:34:23,000
Prairie dog towns are
islands of life

542
00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:26,233
for other grassland species
that have almost vanished

543
00:34:26,233 --> 00:34:29,233
from these plains.

544
00:34:29,233 --> 00:34:33,433
Their burrows provide homes
for cottontail rabbits

545
00:34:33,433 --> 00:34:36,066
and burrowing owls.

546
00:34:37,266 --> 00:34:40,666
Rattlesnakes and toads
move in, too...

547
00:34:42,300 --> 00:34:43,466
[croaking]

548
00:34:43,466 --> 00:34:47,300
and salamanders and deer mice.

549
00:34:47,300 --> 00:34:54,066
♪

550
00:34:54,066 --> 00:34:57,800
This story of transformation
doesn't stop here.

551
00:34:59,766 --> 00:35:02,566
Researchers are discovering
that bison,

552
00:35:02,566 --> 00:35:04,533
like the wildebeest
on the Serengeti,

553
00:35:04,533 --> 00:35:09,466
are transforming our grasslands
in ways never expected.

554
00:35:09,466 --> 00:35:13,033
♪

555
00:35:13,033 --> 00:35:16,900
Here in Minnesota, studies
on one of the last few

556
00:35:16,900 --> 00:35:21,000
remaining herds of bison
are revealing how bison

557
00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:24,566
can affect the growth of trees.

558
00:35:24,566 --> 00:35:27,566
[bison grunting]

559
00:35:27,566 --> 00:35:31,033
Suddenly, oaks are appearing...

560
00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:38,100
not in a forest but spread out
amongst the grasslands.

561
00:35:38,100 --> 00:35:40,900
These trees need
the bison to clear

562
00:35:40,900 --> 00:35:43,400
the tall grasses away,

563
00:35:43,400 --> 00:35:45,600
preventing fires taking hold

564
00:35:45,600 --> 00:35:49,200
and helping their
saplings reach maturity.

565
00:35:50,833 --> 00:35:53,900
Once, this kind
of oak savanna stretched

566
00:35:53,900 --> 00:35:56,100
throughout the Midwest.

567
00:35:57,766 --> 00:36:03,933
Today, only 0.02%
of it remains...

568
00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:12,566
and with the oaks come animals
rarely seen in decades

569
00:36:12,566 --> 00:36:15,066
like red-headed woodpeckers.

570
00:36:15,066 --> 00:36:20,700
♪

571
00:36:20,700 --> 00:36:22,166
[bison grunting]

572
00:36:22,166 --> 00:36:24,966
Even here in the U.S.,
the right balance

573
00:36:24,966 --> 00:36:28,766
of animals set in motion
a powerful force...

574
00:36:30,700 --> 00:36:33,800
to resurrect a ghost habitat.

575
00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:37,533
and create a Serengeti at home.

576
00:36:40,900 --> 00:36:43,800
When you see it and it all
fits together,

577
00:36:43,800 --> 00:36:46,566
it seems so simple,

578
00:36:46,566 --> 00:36:52,200
but in our ever-changing world,
nothing sits still for long.

579
00:36:53,766 --> 00:36:57,833
Just as we think we get
how this ecosystem works,

580
00:36:57,833 --> 00:37:01,766
nature throws us a curve ball.

581
00:37:01,766 --> 00:37:03,966
Recently, researchers
studying one

582
00:37:03,966 --> 00:37:06,733
of the smaller critters
on the prairie stumbled

583
00:37:06,733 --> 00:37:09,266
upon something odd,

584
00:37:09,266 --> 00:37:11,066
a change that would
ultimately lead

585
00:37:11,066 --> 00:37:14,066
to a new understanding
about the importance

586
00:37:14,066 --> 00:37:15,733
of these places,

587
00:37:15,733 --> 00:37:19,166
an appreciation that could
have major implications

588
00:37:19,166 --> 00:37:21,533
for our future.

589
00:37:21,533 --> 00:37:33,766
♪

590
00:37:33,766 --> 00:37:38,566
There are 11,000
species of grasshopper.

591
00:37:38,566 --> 00:37:43,166
They are intimately connected
to the grassy plains.

592
00:37:43,166 --> 00:37:46,266
I mean, hence grasshopper.

593
00:37:46,266 --> 00:37:49,700
They're found in every
grassland on the planet,

594
00:37:49,700 --> 00:37:54,833
and their munching stimulates
the grass to grow.

595
00:37:54,833 --> 00:37:58,666
They can eat more than twice
their body weight in a day...

596
00:38:00,833 --> 00:38:04,066
but very recently,
researchers in Kansas--

597
00:38:04,066 --> 00:38:06,600
the kind of people who keep
tabs on how hoppers

598
00:38:06,600 --> 00:38:08,700
like this are getting
along in the world--

599
00:38:08,700 --> 00:38:12,466
well, they noticed
something seemed wrong.

600
00:38:14,533 --> 00:38:17,633
Grasshopper populations
were plummeting.

601
00:38:19,900 --> 00:38:22,800
Even though they have
plenty of grass to eat,

602
00:38:22,800 --> 00:38:25,266
they're dying,
and there are

603
00:38:25,266 --> 00:38:28,466
no obvious clues as to why.

604
00:38:30,633 --> 00:38:33,066
Turning detective,
the researchers are

605
00:38:33,066 --> 00:38:35,666
casting the net wider,

606
00:38:35,666 --> 00:38:39,200
and our changing climate
is the chief suspect.

607
00:38:39,200 --> 00:38:43,200
♪

608
00:38:43,200 --> 00:38:48,033
Scientists are forensically
analyzing the grass itself.

609
00:38:48,033 --> 00:38:55,900
♪

610
00:38:55,900 --> 00:38:57,600
This experiment,

611
00:38:57,600 --> 00:39:01,233
it's like a time machine
because it can simulate

612
00:39:01,233 --> 00:39:03,433
how our atmosphere
is changing now,

613
00:39:03,433 --> 00:39:05,200
as well as in the future.

614
00:39:05,200 --> 00:39:12,933
♪

615
00:39:12,933 --> 00:39:15,966
Pumping a different
concentration of CO2

616
00:39:15,966 --> 00:39:19,266
onto each plot,
they're finding that the grass

617
00:39:19,266 --> 00:39:21,800
is responding to increased
carbon dioxide

618
00:39:21,800 --> 00:39:25,266
much more dynamically
than they expected.

619
00:39:27,066 --> 00:39:33,600
The plants absorb the extra
CO2, doubling in biomass,

620
00:39:33,600 --> 00:39:36,733
but other nutrients
like calcium, potassium,

621
00:39:36,733 --> 00:39:40,100
zinc, and iron are
being diminished

622
00:39:40,100 --> 00:39:43,200
by as much as 90%!

623
00:39:44,666 --> 00:39:47,666
It may look all lush
and nutritious,

624
00:39:47,666 --> 00:39:51,266
but, like some breakfast
cereals I could mention,

625
00:39:51,266 --> 00:39:54,100
it's like feeding on cardboard.

626
00:39:54,100 --> 00:39:56,700
[munching]

627
00:39:59,833 --> 00:40:02,633
It's only now that we're
clocking the extent

628
00:40:02,633 --> 00:40:05,300
to which our plant life
is reacting

629
00:40:05,300 --> 00:40:07,533
to our changing planet...

630
00:40:10,266 --> 00:40:12,266
and running
with this new understanding,

631
00:40:12,266 --> 00:40:15,000
some folks are looking
to our grasslands

632
00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:17,233
with a new excitement.

633
00:40:20,400 --> 00:40:23,166
[shovel scraping earth]

634
00:40:23,166 --> 00:40:26,133
Jane Zelikova is one
of those people.

635
00:40:26,133 --> 00:40:28,300
[Jane] There we go. Nice.

636
00:40:28,300 --> 00:40:30,033
Wow! Look at that.

637
00:40:30,033 --> 00:40:33,166
[Shane] Jane believes grasslands
could be our greatest weapon

638
00:40:33,166 --> 00:40:36,500
of defense
against climate change.

639
00:40:36,500 --> 00:40:40,000
Once again,
the secret is in the soil.

640
00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:44,566
[Jane] Oh! I love it.
I just want to keep touching it.

641
00:40:44,566 --> 00:40:48,500
[Shane] Jane is a connoisseur.

642
00:40:48,500 --> 00:40:52,633
Full of body,
oaky, grassy tones.

643
00:40:52,633 --> 00:40:54,500
Like the way people
describe wine,

644
00:40:54,500 --> 00:40:57,133
like, I think we could talk
about soil that way.

645
00:40:57,133 --> 00:40:59,400
You should put it in a bottle.
People should have a chance

646
00:40:59,400 --> 00:41:01,466
to be able to, like,
put this in their house

647
00:41:01,466 --> 00:41:03,366
and have it smell like this.

648
00:41:03,366 --> 00:41:05,100
So we're lifting up!

649
00:41:05,100 --> 00:41:10,366
[Shane] Not everyone is quite
as excited by soil as Jane.

650
00:41:10,366 --> 00:41:12,600
[Jane] Let's get this soil.
[woman] Ready?

651
00:41:12,600 --> 00:41:14,966
She's been traveling
across the country,

652
00:41:14,966 --> 00:41:18,633
digging holes and analyzing
the soil composition

653
00:41:18,633 --> 00:41:22,200
in the few remaining
undisturbed grasslands.

654
00:41:22,200 --> 00:41:25,000
[Jane] Here she comes!
Here she comes!

655
00:41:25,000 --> 00:41:26,700
Look at how
dark it is.

656
00:41:26,700 --> 00:41:28,133
Oh, there she is!

657
00:41:28,133 --> 00:41:30,066
That's really good.
Look at that!

658
00:41:30,066 --> 00:41:31,700
Beautiful!

659
00:41:31,700 --> 00:41:33,300
These are kind of
the magical soils

660
00:41:33,300 --> 00:41:34,300
that you dream of.

661
00:41:34,300 --> 00:41:35,733
[Shane] She ain't wrong.

662
00:41:35,733 --> 00:41:38,533
They really are
something special.

663
00:41:38,533 --> 00:41:40,866
[Jane] It's basically black
all the way down.

664
00:41:40,866 --> 00:41:42,933
So dark soil like this
probably tells us

665
00:41:42,933 --> 00:41:45,933
there's a lot
of organic matter in here.

666
00:41:45,933 --> 00:41:48,533
[Shane] This is premium stuff!

667
00:41:51,833 --> 00:41:53,400
[Jane] Ah, man!

668
00:41:53,400 --> 00:41:57,166
The roots here are just
prolifically insane.

669
00:41:57,166 --> 00:42:01,333
Like, they're just abundant
and deep

670
00:42:01,333 --> 00:42:05,033
and... hairy.

671
00:42:05,033 --> 00:42:07,900
What we see above ground
is just a small portion

672
00:42:07,900 --> 00:42:09,633
of all the biomass.

673
00:42:09,633 --> 00:42:12,400
[Shane] The blades of grass we
all see really are just

674
00:42:12,400 --> 00:42:14,466
the tip of the iceberg.

675
00:42:14,466 --> 00:42:16,200
[Jane] Actually, the bulk of it
is below ground

676
00:42:16,200 --> 00:42:17,900
in these roots.

677
00:42:20,666 --> 00:42:23,700
[Shane] Jane's research shows
that undisturbed,

678
00:42:23,700 --> 00:42:27,000
established grasslands have
an immense ability

679
00:42:27,000 --> 00:42:30,633
to suck carbon dioxide
out of our atmosphere,

680
00:42:30,633 --> 00:42:34,000
taking it through
the giant network of roots,

681
00:42:34,000 --> 00:42:38,066
making the soil
a huge reservoir for carbon.

682
00:42:38,066 --> 00:42:41,433
[Jane] The way that you get
more carbon in soil is

683
00:42:41,433 --> 00:42:45,033
because microbes do this
major kind of

684
00:42:45,033 --> 00:42:47,100
soil transformation process

685
00:42:47,100 --> 00:42:49,100
by taking organic matter

686
00:42:49,100 --> 00:42:51,533
that's in the soil,
and they transform it

687
00:42:51,533 --> 00:42:55,533
by eating it essentially
and turning it into carbon,

688
00:42:55,533 --> 00:42:59,033
and the bulk of the really
long-term kind of carbon

689
00:42:59,033 --> 00:43:04,466
that's stored in the soil
is actually dead microbes.

690
00:43:04,466 --> 00:43:07,933
We call that necromass.

691
00:43:07,933 --> 00:43:10,833
[Shane] Studies show there's
more carbon store

692
00:43:10,833 --> 00:43:13,966
in the necromass
of grasslands than even

693
00:43:13,966 --> 00:43:17,500
in the soil of a forest,

694
00:43:17,500 --> 00:43:20,900
so why aren't we all
talking about this?

695
00:43:22,633 --> 00:43:24,966
Forests get a lot of attention

696
00:43:24,966 --> 00:43:27,966
in the discussions
about carbon sequestration

697
00:43:27,966 --> 00:43:29,566
and carbon removal.

698
00:43:29,566 --> 00:43:34,400
They're kind of the charismatic
obvious choice,

699
00:43:34,400 --> 00:43:38,833
but grasslands are
these huge carbon sinks.

700
00:43:42,166 --> 00:43:44,966
[Shane] The Amazon Rainforest
is the poster child

701
00:43:44,966 --> 00:43:47,933
for the fight against
climate change--

702
00:43:47,933 --> 00:43:50,166
the lungs of our planet--

703
00:43:50,166 --> 00:43:55,633
but the thing is our forests
have an Achilles heel.

704
00:43:55,633 --> 00:43:58,533
[news anchor] The Springs Fire
has consumed 8,000 acres

705
00:43:58,533 --> 00:44:00,866
in just 5 hours

706
00:44:00,866 --> 00:44:03,300
and is threatening 2,000 homes.

707
00:44:03,300 --> 00:44:06,166
Some homeowners have
already evacuated.

708
00:44:06,166 --> 00:44:09,233
[Shane] As our temperatures
rise around the globe,

709
00:44:09,233 --> 00:44:12,066
we are all becoming
increasingly aware

710
00:44:12,066 --> 00:44:15,233
of how vulnerable forests are.

711
00:44:15,233 --> 00:44:19,533
♪

712
00:44:19,533 --> 00:44:23,366
When a forest burns, almost
all its carbon goes

713
00:44:23,366 --> 00:44:26,133
right back
into the atmosphere...

714
00:44:26,133 --> 00:44:30,100
♪

715
00:44:30,100 --> 00:44:34,833
but when grasslands burn,
most of their mass

716
00:44:34,833 --> 00:44:36,866
is underground...

717
00:44:38,966 --> 00:44:40,833
with the vast majority
of the carbon

718
00:44:40,833 --> 00:44:43,366
locked away from the flame...

719
00:44:44,933 --> 00:44:49,366
and that's not
their only advantage.

720
00:44:49,366 --> 00:44:52,000
[Jane] It could take, you know,
10 to 20 to 50

721
00:44:52,000 --> 00:44:56,300
to 100 to 500 years to get
a really, like, intact,

722
00:44:56,300 --> 00:44:59,500
functional forest
back after a major fire.

723
00:44:59,500 --> 00:45:02,366
♪

724
00:45:02,366 --> 00:45:06,100
Grasslands have the capacity to
grow back really quickly.

725
00:45:06,100 --> 00:45:09,766
♪

726
00:45:09,766 --> 00:45:13,700
You can burn them every year,
and they'll grow right back.

727
00:45:17,333 --> 00:45:20,400
[Shane] When you get a good news
story like this,

728
00:45:20,400 --> 00:45:22,166
it's pretty exciting,

729
00:45:22,166 --> 00:45:25,300
especially a story
with this potential.

730
00:45:25,300 --> 00:45:33,333
♪

731
00:45:33,333 --> 00:45:36,000
To slow our rapidly
changing climate,

732
00:45:36,000 --> 00:45:39,866
we need all the help we can get,

733
00:45:39,866 --> 00:45:43,066
and grasslands are amazing.

734
00:45:43,066 --> 00:45:45,966
I can see why people want
to spread the word

735
00:45:45,966 --> 00:45:48,000
and do something about this,

736
00:45:48,000 --> 00:45:52,033
and there are some little
signs that the message

737
00:45:52,033 --> 00:45:54,433
is getting through.

738
00:45:54,433 --> 00:45:56,166
Remember those
monarch butterflies

739
00:45:56,166 --> 00:45:59,333
that were on the brink
of extinction?

740
00:45:59,333 --> 00:46:02,933
Well, look at these guys
planting out milkweed.

741
00:46:02,933 --> 00:46:05,433
-Here's some milkweed.
-Thank you!

742
00:46:05,433 --> 00:46:09,466
[Shane] Just a few plants along
the sides of roads and farms

743
00:46:09,466 --> 00:46:11,966
can help replenish
what we've lost...

744
00:46:11,966 --> 00:46:15,266
and maybe save the monarch.

745
00:46:15,266 --> 00:46:19,466
Often, not a lot is needed
to let nature help itself

746
00:46:19,466 --> 00:46:22,800
and ultimately help us all.

747
00:46:22,800 --> 00:46:24,066
[Camille]
Everyone wants to help.

748
00:46:24,066 --> 00:46:27,233
People really do want to help.

749
00:46:27,233 --> 00:46:29,666
The work that
the private citizens are doing

750
00:46:29,666 --> 00:46:31,300
is incredibly important.

751
00:46:31,300 --> 00:46:33,533
They can't really control
global warming,

752
00:46:33,533 --> 00:46:36,666
but they can plant some milkweed
in their yard.

753
00:46:36,666 --> 00:46:44,966
♪

754
00:46:44,966 --> 00:46:47,866
[Shane] One small act can be
the nudge

755
00:46:47,866 --> 00:46:50,033
that can change it all.

756
00:46:51,833 --> 00:46:54,500
Imagine if we could make
this happen

757
00:46:54,500 --> 00:46:57,366
on an even larger scale.

758
00:47:01,866 --> 00:47:04,333
Bye-bye, butterfly!

759
00:47:13,333 --> 00:47:16,000
[Shane] If you want to make
a big difference,

760
00:47:16,000 --> 00:47:20,066
you need bigger animals.

761
00:47:20,066 --> 00:47:22,400
[drumming, man singing
in indigenous language]

762
00:47:22,400 --> 00:47:27,833
♪

763
00:47:27,833 --> 00:47:29,333
[group singing]

764
00:47:29,333 --> 00:47:31,466
Here on
the Fort Peck Reservation,

765
00:47:31,466 --> 00:47:35,566
the Sioux and Assiniboine tribes
have a bold initiative.

766
00:47:35,566 --> 00:47:38,000
[singing continuing]

767
00:47:38,000 --> 00:47:44,266
♪

768
00:47:44,266 --> 00:47:46,600
[bison grunting]

769
00:47:46,600 --> 00:47:52,933
♪

770
00:47:52,933 --> 00:47:54,933
[woman] The buffalo
is our keystone animal

771
00:47:54,933 --> 00:47:57,066
here on the prairie,
and not only that,

772
00:47:57,066 --> 00:47:59,100
but they are also
a central figure

773
00:47:59,100 --> 00:48:01,333
within our American Indian
spirituality

774
00:48:01,333 --> 00:48:04,733
and our culture.

775
00:48:04,733 --> 00:48:07,166
[Shane] Bison, or buffalo
as they're known

776
00:48:07,166 --> 00:48:09,666
in many Native American
communities,

777
00:48:09,666 --> 00:48:13,433
have vanished from these plains.

778
00:48:13,433 --> 00:48:16,400
[woman] Our last buffalo that
we slaughtered for food

779
00:48:16,400 --> 00:48:19,000
was around 1885.

780
00:48:19,000 --> 00:48:21,333
That was the last buffalo.

781
00:48:21,333 --> 00:48:23,633
[singing continuing]

782
00:48:23,633 --> 00:48:25,300
[bison grunting]

783
00:48:25,300 --> 00:48:27,666
[Shane] Now this is
the culmination of years

784
00:48:27,666 --> 00:48:29,400
of tireless campaigning

785
00:48:29,400 --> 00:48:31,833
by the likes
of Jonny Bearcub Stiffarm.

786
00:48:31,833 --> 00:48:36,266
She wants to see
the bison back on the prairie.

787
00:48:36,266 --> 00:48:38,633
[Jonny]
It is a very emotional time.

788
00:48:38,633 --> 00:48:44,000
♪

789
00:48:44,000 --> 00:48:46,566
The "Buffalo Song" is
a thank you song.

790
00:48:46,566 --> 00:48:47,966
It's like a prayer song.

791
00:48:47,966 --> 00:48:50,633
We sing it to welcome them
back home.

792
00:48:50,633 --> 00:48:53,800
We sing it to let them know how
important they are to us

793
00:48:53,800 --> 00:48:56,600
and what it means to
us to have them here.

794
00:48:56,600 --> 00:49:00,333
It's a sacred song to us,
and it's a joyful song.

795
00:49:01,566 --> 00:49:04,133
[Shane] And there's good reason
to be joyful.

796
00:49:04,133 --> 00:49:07,466
It's taken all of Jonny's
skills as an attorney

797
00:49:07,466 --> 00:49:11,133
and the full force of a whole
lot of people to arrange

798
00:49:11,133 --> 00:49:13,966
this ambitious program.

799
00:49:13,966 --> 00:49:18,133
♪

800
00:49:18,133 --> 00:49:21,166
[Jonny] We had to convince both
the state legislature

801
00:49:21,166 --> 00:49:25,000
and also Yellowstone Park
to be willing to allow Fort Peck

802
00:49:25,000 --> 00:49:29,433
to take bison for
their last phase of quarantine.

803
00:49:29,433 --> 00:49:35,600
♪

804
00:49:35,600 --> 00:49:39,966
So it's really a lot of work,
a lot of patience,

805
00:49:39,966 --> 00:49:42,900
but once you have dreams,
you can slowly set goals,

806
00:49:42,900 --> 00:49:45,633
and they can be accomplished.

807
00:49:45,633 --> 00:49:48,700
[singing ends]

808
00:49:48,700 --> 00:49:51,666
♪

809
00:49:51,666 --> 00:49:54,933
[Shane] Over the last few days,
they've been taking delivery

810
00:49:54,933 --> 00:49:58,333
of bison from Yellowstone.

811
00:49:58,333 --> 00:50:02,933
This will be the largest herd
ever to be released here.

812
00:50:02,933 --> 00:50:07,566
It's a momentous occasion
for everyone.

813
00:50:07,566 --> 00:50:10,566
[Jonny] We've had about
4 or 5, 6 generations

814
00:50:10,566 --> 00:50:14,500
who had never seen a buffalo.

815
00:50:14,500 --> 00:50:17,300
This is the homeland
of their ancestors that walked

816
00:50:17,300 --> 00:50:19,966
and roamed the prairie,
and they're one

817
00:50:19,966 --> 00:50:23,033
of the most import things
to our future.

818
00:50:23,033 --> 00:50:25,400
[indistinct chatter]

819
00:50:25,400 --> 00:50:32,100
♪

820
00:50:32,100 --> 00:50:35,300
[Shane]
The time has finally come.

821
00:50:35,300 --> 00:50:39,100
♪

822
00:50:39,100 --> 00:50:41,600
I can see them
right now walking out.

823
00:50:41,600 --> 00:51:19,766
♪

824
00:51:19,766 --> 00:51:21,433
Oh, lookit. Now they're
all over there.

825
00:51:21,433 --> 00:51:22,766
You can barely see them.

826
00:51:22,766 --> 00:51:24,466
They're going
into the fog.

827
00:51:24,466 --> 00:51:27,166
[hoofbeats pounding]

828
00:51:32,100 --> 00:51:34,033
[Jonny] In the last couple
of hundred years,

829
00:51:34,033 --> 00:51:36,000
we have forgotten that
we are one part

830
00:51:36,000 --> 00:51:38,100
of this huge web of life.

831
00:51:38,100 --> 00:51:40,333
Everything is tied
one to the other,

832
00:51:40,333 --> 00:51:43,666
and we as humans
play our part in it.

833
00:51:45,200 --> 00:51:49,333
[Shane] The community hopes to
revive this ghost habitat,

834
00:51:49,333 --> 00:51:52,433
restoring it
to its full potential.

835
00:51:52,433 --> 00:51:54,800
[Jonny] And today in a modern
world, our young people

836
00:51:54,800 --> 00:51:56,866
need to realize that the buffalo
are everything

837
00:51:56,866 --> 00:51:58,800
to us once again.

838
00:52:01,266 --> 00:52:05,800
To be able to leave a place
like that for our people

839
00:52:05,800 --> 00:52:08,500
and our tribe
and for the future,

840
00:52:08,500 --> 00:52:12,100
is one of the legacies
that I want to leave,

841
00:52:12,100 --> 00:52:16,566
to know that I was a part
of this, of bringing them home.

842
00:52:16,566 --> 00:52:22,700
♪

843
00:52:22,700 --> 00:52:25,100
[bison grunting]

844
00:52:27,700 --> 00:52:31,566
We as a tribal people,
we, too, almost went extinct

845
00:52:31,566 --> 00:52:33,166
just like the buffalo.

846
00:52:33,166 --> 00:52:37,600
I wonder if they thought:
"We're home, we're home,

847
00:52:37,600 --> 00:52:39,366
we're back home again!"

848
00:52:42,233 --> 00:52:45,366
[Shane] Finally, we are
all recognizing

849
00:52:45,366 --> 00:52:49,300
what this community
has known all along,

850
00:52:49,300 --> 00:52:52,933
that an ecosystem can't
thrive if one piece

851
00:52:52,933 --> 00:52:56,166
of it is left behind.

852
00:52:56,166 --> 00:53:00,966
Now we can all dare
to dream of a better future.

853
00:53:04,133 --> 00:53:08,700
[Jane] Animals shape the way
that these grasslands function,

854
00:53:08,700 --> 00:53:11,666
and the carbon sequestration
potential

855
00:53:11,666 --> 00:53:14,000
of those grasslands
is really reliant

856
00:53:14,000 --> 00:53:17,800
on animals like buffalo.

857
00:53:17,800 --> 00:53:20,766
We can remove up to 10%
of the global emissions

858
00:53:20,766 --> 00:53:23,833
just by, like, managing soils
better and storing

859
00:53:23,833 --> 00:53:27,633
more carbon under our feet.

860
00:53:27,633 --> 00:53:30,466
In light of our rapidly
changing climate,

861
00:53:30,466 --> 00:53:32,933
grasslands are more
important than ever.

862
00:53:32,933 --> 00:53:36,366
[bison grunting]

863
00:53:36,366 --> 00:53:39,600
[Shane] Our changing planet is
affecting animals,

864
00:53:39,600 --> 00:53:43,266
forcing them to change,
to adapt.

865
00:53:43,266 --> 00:53:47,433
Often, we feel powerless
to effect change,

866
00:53:47,433 --> 00:53:51,966
but our grasslands reveal
that animals have agency,

867
00:53:51,966 --> 00:53:54,900
they have power.

868
00:53:54,900 --> 00:53:56,533
[grunting]

869
00:53:56,533 --> 00:53:59,733
From the smallest beetle
to a herd of bison,

870
00:53:59,733 --> 00:54:03,866
they can be a force
for change...

871
00:54:03,866 --> 00:54:06,833
and one animal can have
more influence

872
00:54:06,833 --> 00:54:08,733
than any other.

873
00:54:08,733 --> 00:54:13,366
We, too, are a keystone
animal in this ecosystem.

874
00:54:13,366 --> 00:54:16,066
If we can remember the past
and harness

875
00:54:16,066 --> 00:54:18,966
the hidden power
of our grasslands,

876
00:54:18,966 --> 00:54:22,966
we may yet be able
to unleash a force to fight

877
00:54:22,966 --> 00:54:25,533
the change in our climate,

878
00:54:25,533 --> 00:54:30,600
a force as powerful
as the Amazon Jungle.

879
00:54:33,233 --> 00:54:36,833
♪

880
00:54:36,833 --> 00:54:38,733
To order
Evolution Earth on DVD.

881
00:54:38,733 --> 00:54:42,500
Visit shoppbs.org or call
1 800 Play PBS.

882
00:54:42,500 --> 00:54:45,500
This program is also available
on Amazon Prime Video.

883
00:54:45,500 --> 00:55:04,966
♪