About this season
The Nature of Things is a Canadian television series of documentary programs. It debuted on CBC Television on November 6, 1960. Many of the programs document nature and the effect that humans have on it. The program was one of the first to explore environmental issues, such as clear-cut logging. The series is named after an epic poem by Roman philosopher Lucretius: "Dē Rērum Nātūrā" — On the Nature of Things.
Episodes (15)
1. The Buffalo Wolves
Aired 18 October 2012
Wolves and Buffalo follows the fortunes of one pack of wolves, the Delta Pack. Will the pups survive their first year? Will the packs alpha animals retain their pack position to breed again next year? As they try to bring down the buffalo to keep themselves and their new pups alive what will the future hold for these ancient warriors?
2. Babies: Born to be Good?
Aired 25 October 2012
3. Nuts About Squirrels
Aired 8 November 2012
There are those of us who see squirrels as cute and fascinating, but there is also a large contingent who regard them as “tree rats” - little pests that never tire of wreaking havoc in our attics, gardens, and just about anything else that catches their fleeting fancy. So who’s right? Nuts about Squirrels reveals the secret world of the ubiquitous urban grey squirrel with squirrel robots, micro-chipped acorns and an army of citizen scientists.
4. The Norse: An Arctic Mystery
Aired 22 November 2012
Are we alone in the universe? We may be very close to finding out. For millennia humans studying the stars had no idea if there were any other planets in the universe, let alone ones similar enough to ours to sustain life. Now, scientists may be close to discovering Earth-like planets, using a new space telescope and a technique pioneered by two Canadian astronomers.
5. Lights Out!
Aired 6 December 2012
Twelve hours of light. Twelve hours of dark. For our entire history we have lived and worked in rhythm with the sun. But all that changed with the invention of artificial light. Light fixtures, computer and television screens - all of these have allowed us more time to live, work, play and shorten our nights. But at what cost? Are we putting our health at risk? We explore how the type of light we are exposed to in the hours between dusk and bedtime can play tricks on our bodies and cancel the healthful benefits naturally triggered by the absence of light.
6. David Suzuki's Andean Adventure
Aired 10 January 2013
7. Zapped: The Buzz About Mosquitoes
Aired 17 January 2013
People struggle to combat a blood-sucking little insect that is both delicate and deadly.
8. Shattered Ground
Aired 7 February 2013
9. Meet the Coywolf
Aired 14 February 2013
There is a new hybrid species which is part wolf, part coyote.
10. The Fruit Hunters: Evolution of Desire (Part 1 of 2)
Aired 21 February 2013
The exotic world of fruit and the story of nature, commerce and obsession.
11. The Fruit Hunters: Evolution of Desire (Part 2 of 2)
Aired 28 February 2013
12. Billion Dollar Caribou
Aired 21 March 2013
The conservation of the caribou and their environment is much-contested territory.
13. The Beaver Whisperers
Aired 28 March 2013
The national symbol has a new role as an ecological superhero.
14. The Beetles Are Coming
Aired 4 April 2013
15. The Man Who Tweeted Earth
Aired 25 April 2013
Through pictures, music and poetry, Canadian Commander Chris Hadfield brings us a view of earth from space that we’ve never seen before.