Shared Planet

Narrator: Most people think of cities, like Los Angeles, as places without much wildlife.

But at night, hiding right under our noses... there are secret worlds that come to life.

[Siren wailing and horn honking in distance] [Crickets chirping] Narrator: Mule deer... foxes... bobcats... and coyotes roam these hills.

-[Horns honking] -[Dog barking in distance] Narrator: Even black bears.

And standing at the very top of the Los Angeles food chain... Narrator: is the mountain lion.

How can such a mighty predator exist in one of North America's largest cities?

[Distant traffic noise] Narrator: Around 60% of the world's population currently lives in cities.

But can cities make room for wildlife as well?

Some of us are learning to share our cities with the natural world.

And it's improving the lives of all inhabitants, human and wild.

[Splash] [Birds calling] [Cats hissing] [People exclaiming] [Loud splash] [Distant traffic noise] Narrator: In a big city like Los Angeles... it's easy for people to lose touch with nature.

If they can't see it, then it's hard for them to believe it exists.

One man is on a mission to change that.

Miguel: Thank you, everybody, for being out here tonight.

It shows that you don't think that nature ends where the concrete begins.

And I appreciate that.

Narrator: Miguel Ordeana works for the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles as an urban wildlife educator.

Miguel: I'm gonna walk this direction; the other group's gonna walk that direction.

Narrator: Tonight, he's leading a walk along the LA River, looking for bats.

Miguel: And if you see bats, let me know.

Narrator: Following his passion, enlightening his fellow Angelenos to the wildlife that exists in their city.

Miguel: Accepting that nature exists in the city is critical because you think about things differently.

You're not so human-centered.

Being more empathetic... And I think that's good for everybody.

Narrator: Studies show that limited access to natural spaces can have a lasting impact on mental and physical health.

The simple knowledge that nature's there, around you, can change attitudes and lift spirits.

[Seagulls calling] Narrator: And while Los Angeles may feel like a place devoid of nature, there is wildlife here.

And one of the best places to look for it is LA's iconic Griffith Park.

It's a huge, natural ecosystem situated right in the center of the city.

Miguel: We are very close.

Remember how close this camera is?

Narrator: Miguel knows every inch of this park.

Miguel: It's been a while since we've been here.

Narrator: He's been studying the wildlife in the park since 2010.

Miguel: There it is... Rhea: Right there.

Narrator: Today, he and his daughter, Rhea, are checking on his camera traps.

Miguel: There you go.

What do you think we're gonna get?

Narrator: In 2012, Miguel made a discovery that changed his life, and the way Angelenos would forever view wildlife in their city.

Miguel: Let's see what we got.

[Gasps] Narrator: What he found... was a mountain lion.

Miguel: The idea of a mountain lion in Griffith Park was really difficult to imagine.

Narrator: In order to reach Griffith Park, this mountain lion had to cross virtually impossible barriers: two ten-lane freeways.

Miguel: The first barrier that he crossed, it killed two mountain lions that tried to cross that freeway.

It has killed more since then.

He goes through all these fancy neighborhoods like Beverly Hills, Bel Air... And then, near Hollywood... he had to cross another ten-lane freeway.

Miguel: He got incredibly lucky not to get hit.

Narrator: He's the first mountain lion to have ever accomplished this incredible feat.

Researchers named him P-22, and fitted him with a tracking collar.

Once he'd made it into the park, the multi-lane freeways now had him boxed in.

And many didn't think he'd survive long.

Miguel: Not only does he have the smallest territory ever recorded for a mountain lion, but also the most urban, human-dominated territory.

[Crickets chirping] [Mountain lion screeching] Narrator: Yet, somehow, he did survive.

The park provided enough natural prey for him, and he was good at staying out of sight... only ever appearing on researchers' trap cams, or nearby home security cameras.

Woman: Oh... my God.

Narrator: Hollywood loves a good underdog story, and P-22's journey earned him the heroic alias the Hollywood Cat.

People: [Chanting] P-22!

P-22!

Narrator: The city even gave him his own day: October 22nd.

P-22 Day.

Woman: Welcome to the seventh annual P-22 Day Festival!

[Crowd cheering] Narrator: People from all over the city come to celebrate one of the most famous animals in America.

[Dogs barking] You were, like, one of the first people, right?

Yeah, so this is my photo here that I got of him.

The very first photo.

I was actually just looking for deer or coyotes.

I didn't expect to find anything like that in Griffith Park.

It was like seeing Bigfoot for the first time.

[Inaudible speech] Narrator: Miguel realized P-22's fame could help open people's eyes to the natural world, even those isolated deep in the inner city.

Miguel: Watts is one of those communities that have been thought of as like, "Oh, it's too late.

"It's just too urban.

"Those people out there, they're not gonna have any interest "because there's this generational trauma of being disconnected from nature."

What do you see?

I see an ant!

And then something with wings.

Narrator: Children were especially inspired.

Miguel: This one here was found around this neighborhood.

How long did it take you to make that drawing?

Miguel: That's impressive.

Miguel: Once they connect to that nature, it makes it real.

[Child laughing] Miguel: It inspires wonder.

Woman: Look at that!

I did it!

Narrator: Connecting to nature could help the next generation create real change.

Miguel: One of these little kids could be the next president, or the next person in charge of the EPA or the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

This one right here.

[Birds chirping] Narrator: But all heroes' journeys come to an end, eventually.

After ten years living in the park, P-22 started showing signs of distress, and had to be captured.

This noble, adopted son of LA was old and in poor health.

So the agonizing decision was made to euthanize him.

Miguel: I think for years, honestly, I've been trying to prepare myself mentally for his death.

But when the announcement was made, I was... I was devastated.

[Owl hooting in distance] [Crickets chirping] Narrator: Even after his death, P-22 continued to make an impact.

He was so beloved, an official celebration of life was organized to honor him.

Woman: It's kind of an amazing journey that he made to get over the mountains to get into Griffith Park, and the same--we came across the US to get here.

So, I think there's always been a kinship.

Woman 2: P-22, we love you!

Man: P-22 was the slickest cat around, first of all.

He was a cool cat.

And everybody loved him.

So did I. Narrator: Thousands of passionate P-22 lovers came from far and wide to attend.

Miguel: And even in his passing, people have come together and had this sentiment that wildlife is for everybody.

[Applause] Narrator: P-22's story touched so many people.

But he made real-world changes too.

Miguel: Hi, everybody.

My name is Miguel Ordeana, I'm the biologist who had the privilege of discovering P-22 about ten years ago.

[Applause and cheering] He doesn't know it, but he's arguably the most impactful animal wildlife story that the conservation community has ever seen.

Narrator: P-22 inspired people across the world to donate over $60 million to build the world's largest wildlife overpass on the outskirts of Los Angeles.

It will be a lifeline for wild animals moving in and out of the city.

Narrator: As many as 15 mountain lions live in and around LA.

The overpass will help them access much more of the habitat they need... and help ensure their survival in this great city.

Narrator: In LA, a single wild animal inspired thousands of people.

Imagine what planting entire forests in a city could do.

The great mountain metropolis of Medelln.

Second largest city in Colombia.

[Whistle blows] [Crowd cheering] Narrator: At night, its bustling barrios spring to life.

[Dog barks] Narrator: And neighborhood rivalries get settled with passion.

[Crowd cheering] [Crowd cheering] [Whistle blows] Narrator: But as day breaks... a different battle begins.

News anchor: La ola de calor en Colombia aumenta casi dos grados.

Ciudades como Medelln y el Valle de Ubarra han registrado temperaturas superiores a los 30 grados.

Narrator: Rising temperatures are a threat to cities worldwide.

The sun's heat gets absorbed and intensified by all the concrete and pavement, and temperatures soar.

Daniel: Medelln has always been known as the City of Eternal Spring.

That's not anymore.

It's like a city which is like, really hot.

[Siren wailing] Narrator: Daniel Jaramillo is a lifelong resident of Medelln.

Daniel: The reaction as a human being is to run away from those spaces.

Narrator: This excessive heat kills nearly 5 million people in cities around the world each year.

Medelln needed a solution, and Daniel was a part of it.

They decided to use one of the most powerful technologies on Earth... plants.

Daniel: Chicos!

Chicos, vengan, vengan, vamos a sentarnos todos ac.

[Children screaming excitedly] Narrator: Daniel runs a plant nursery in Medelln, and today some school children are helping him plant seedlings.

The city's goal was to use plants as a way to cool their streets.

Daniel: The science is there.

Big trees that will stay for many years will give us a lot of shade and nice temperature.

Plants release moisture from their leaves, which cools the air.

Daniel: Bueno, chicos, me muestren mucha emocin a los que verdaderamente les gustan las mariposas.

Con mucha emocin, a quien les gustan las mariposas?

- A m!

- Muy bien.

Narrator: It was Daniel's passion for butterflies that originally led him to open his nursery.

Daniel: We started giving away plants for butterflies.

We wanted to make Medelln known as the city of butterflies.

Narrator: Transforming the city's image was important to Daniel because heat wasn't the only deadly problem facing Medelln.

[Sirens wailing] Narrator: When he was growing up, Medelln was known by another name: the murder capital of the world.

News: [Archive] This is the most violent of cities.

There's a killing here every three hours.

The whole structure of law and order here appears about to collapse.

Narrator: Fear gripped the city throughout the '80s and '90s, as drug cartels battled security forces.

News: [Archive] This is law enforcement Colombian style in the cocaine capital of the world.

Daniel: I can remember the day that I see a dead body for the first time.

I was like 12, 10 years old.

Daniel: It's like always a sense of... something's gonna happen.

The phone is gonna ring.

They're gonna say someone died, someone was kidnapped.

It can be your father, your mother, your brother, your friend.

There was no way we could live as human beings surrounded by so many violence and bad stories going on every day.

It was the country of no possibilities.

[Bird calling] Narrator: Eventually, peace deals and changes in the cartel ended much of the killing.

But how could a city like this recover from decades of trauma?

[Bird calling] Narrator: Amazingly, addressing their devastating heat problem also helped residents start to heal from their city's violent past.

Daniel: We can develop cities which the feeling is that you are right in the middle of nature.

Kind of a mandatory thing in life, like... drinking water.

Cities must have that connection with nature.

It's gonna be years before you have the ecosystem you want to have.

But the important thing is to start.

Narrator: Thirty forested areas with over three million new plants were created in the heart of the city.

And the results have been incredible.

These green corridors have already lowered the city's temperature by close to four degrees... and in the decades to come, will drop it even more: up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

Daniel: And it's crazy, I mean, if the difference is... is absurd.

When you go to a place where it's full of trees, you feel it immediately.

Narrator: The cooling effect of trees in cities has been proven to save thousands of lives each year.

And all the greenery has brought more wildlife into the city.

[Birds chirping] Daniel: Medelln is a city where you can see hundreds of different species of birds.

[Birds calling] Daniel: Over 600 species of butterflies.

Narrator: And nature not only cools temperatures, it can cool tempers as well.

Like any large city, violent crime does still happen here.

But urban green spaces have helped ease the problem.

Daniel: The green corridors make people happier and less violent.

Narrator: The city that once held the title of murder capital of the world now attracts nearly one and a half million tourists each year.

Daniel: When I was young, I couldn't think about any future here.

But now... I only see a bright future.

I can't think of any other place where I want to raise my kids.

[Laughing] Narrator: Incorporating nature into cities has proven to have tremendous mental and physical health benefits for residents.

And in the West Bengal region of India, people are working with nature to do extraordinary things for the city of Kolkata.

[Traffic noise] Narrator: Just outside of the city... [Indistinct conversation] Narrator: The East Kolkata Wetlands play a vital role in the life of its residents.

Narrator: They're also important for some of India's unique wildlife.

Narrator: These wild cats are twice the size of a large house cat... Narrator: but different from their domestic cousins in one critical way.

[Splash] Narrator: They aren't afraid of water.

Narrator: This cunning predator is the fishing cat, a wetland specialist.

[Cats hissing] Narrator: Sadly, its numbers are declining across India due to pressure from a growing human population.

[Traffic noise] Narrator: Kolkata is one of India's largest cities.

[Indistinct conversations and street noise] [Traffic noise] Narrator: Home to 15 million people.

And this many people generate a lot of waste.

[Water rushing] Narrator: Over 250 million gallons of raw household sewage flows out of the city every day... straight into the wetlands.

[Birds calling] Narrator: So, how is it that the wetlands... are full of wildlife?

[Birds calling] [Birds calling] [Motor snarling] Dhruba: It is difficult to imagine how the wetlands survive when there is so much of sewage associated with it.

Narrator: Dhruba Das Gupta is a researcher who studies the remarkable connection between city and wetland.

[Dhruba speaking Bengali] Narrator: She's on a mission to understand the impact of all this sewage on the environment.

Dhruba: I had to immerse myself in the ecosystem to understand what were the connections that I wasn't able to see straight away.

Narrator: Dhruba has been working on this mystery for 20 years.

[Indistinct] Dhruba: What I learned, as the days and months went by, was that this was a managed landscape.

Narrator: This community figured out how to use this waste water to their benefit over a century ago.

[Owl hooting] Narrator: Bit by bit, they modified the wetland into a series of shallow ponds... building a natural water treatment plant.

Sunlight fuels the growth of algae and micro-organisms that break down the incoming waste.

Narrator: Oxygen is essential too, so they work the pond surface to aerate the water.

[Tools splashing] Narrator: Adding lime balances the pH level of the pond, eliminating any harmful bacteria that remain.

Dhruba: So, there is a real-time connect between nature and the experiential wisdom of the people.

[Man speaking in Bengali] Narrator: But the city doesn't pay them for this work.

[Man speaking in Bengali] Narrator: So, why do they go to all this effort?

The answer?

Fish.

[People speaking in Bengali] Narrator: The huge algae blooms created by the sewage and sunlight are the perfect fish food.

Dhruba: In the Western world, waste water is looked upon as a pollutant rather than as a nutrient.

This place looks upon waste as wealth.

So, the sewage is black gold.

Narrator: This community designed a system to raise fish.

But they ended up creating a system that also cleans the city's residential sewage water.

But how effective is this whole process at cleaning the water?

Dhruba: I just wanted to prove that this water is very, very safe.

Narrator: Dhruba uses water from one of the ponds to make tea.

A few weeks ago, it was raw sewage flowing out of pipes in Kolkata.

Narrator: In these wetlands, people working with nature can turn sewage water into drinkable water in less than 20 days.

[Birds calling] Dhruba: What we have found in our latest results and experiments is that between 97% to 99% of the E. coli, which is actually the pathogenic bacteria, gets treated.

Narrator: Using Kolkata's human waste to raise fish in these wetlands saves the city $80 million a year in sewage treatment.

The wetlands also supply Kolkata with food... More than 20,000 tons of fish... And over 50,000 tons of vegetables each year.

Dhruba: My teacher used to say, "Give me poverty and sunshine and I will give you food "and sewage treatment free of cost."

Dhruba: We have to learn from this ecosystem how things are reused, how they're put to better use, and how the people are integrated with the ecosystem and how they are helping each other.

Dhruba: That's the fundamental philosophy, that we live a shared existence.

In Sanskrit, we say "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam," which means "All the world is a family."

[Birds calling] Narrator: The circle of benefits extends to the wildlife as well.

The fishing cat's numbers have been increasing in the Kolkata region, thanks to the valuable relationship between the city and the wetlands.

[Splash] Dhruba: The beauty of the wetlands, the beauty and the value combined together... to present something that was sacred.

[Birds calling] Narrator: Kolkata has been using nature to its advantage on a large scale for centuries.

But on the eastern seaboard of America, another renowned city has more recently been trying to harness nature on a truly epic scale.

Narrator: The New York City metropolitan area is home to more than 20 million people.

For most who live here... Narrator: it's easy to forget they are surrounded... by the ocean.

Especially when the city has been dumping raw sewage into the harbor for centuries.

Narrator: Not surprisingly, many New Yorkers have a negative view of the harbor.

Tanasia: There are so many stories passed down from generations, how bodies were dumped in the harbor, or, like, pollution being dumped in the harbor.

People don't think of it as a living environment.

They think of it as a trash dump.

Narrator: But Tanasia Swift grew up with a more positive impression of the harbor.

As a kid, she would help her father pulling up crab traps.

Tanasia: In my childhood mind, I'm like, "Oh my goodness, "this thing is like looking at me!"

I really started to see this animal as like a live thing.

Definitely one of those "a-ha" moments.

So, I think that definitely changed how I saw the harbor.

Narrator: Tanasia wanted to help the harbor she loved so much, so she joined an organization that is working to clean up these waters.

Tanasia: Today, we are at the Brooklyn Bridge Park field station, and so we're gonna be doing a couple of things today.

Narrator: Though dumping sewage was outlawed in the '80s, the harbor has been slow to recover.

We can do one line, but just watch your step.

Narrator: So, Tanasia's group enlisted one of nature's most powerful ecosystem engineers... The oyster.

Narrator: Oysters have an incredible superpower.

As filter feeders, they actually purify the water they live in.

Up to 50 gallons per day.

So, imagine what adding a billion oysters to the harbor could accomplish.

Narrator: New York was once the oyster capital of the world.

Long before it was the Big Apple, it was called the Big Oyster.

In the 1800s, it was home to half of all the oyster reefs in the world.

[Ship's horn blasts] Narrator: But decades of pollution and overfishing eventually wiped them out.

[Ship's horn blasts] Narrator: Now Tanasia's group wants to restore the oyster to its former glory.

[Seagulls calling] Narrator: She works for the Billion Oyster Project, and that's exactly how many oysters they want to reintroduce to the harbor by 2035.

Narrator: It's a mammoth undertaking.

Man: Hurry up!

Narrator: Volunteers clean oyster shells collected from local restaurants.

These will form the foundations of new oyster reefs.

Oysters are broadcast spawners.

Males release sperm and females release eggs into the water, where the two mix.

And tiny larvae are born.

These larvae swim onto the closest shell, lock on, and grow into new oysters.

The Billion Oyster Project takes advantage of this process to seed their own shells.

Oyster larvae are added to these tanks where they attach to the shells and start to grow.

These larvae-seeded shells are then placed in the harbor... and, if their plan works, will one day become reefs.

Today, Tanasia and a group of students are looking for new oyster growth on some recently placed shells.

You can see this is the largest shell that the oyster was settled to, and on it, there's two live oysters.

Tanasia: When we're seeing baby oysters attaching to those oysters that we've placed out, that's a moment of success for us.

Narrator: Over the last ten years, the Billion Oyster Project has planted 100 million oysters in New York's harbor.

And already, they are performing their magic.

The changes to the harbor over the past decade are being measured by researchers.

Zoe: [Chuckles] It's like a rain stick.

Man: Sounds like a bunch of marbles.

Zoe: 91.

Toadfish, Opsanus tau.

The Callinectes sapidus.

Ooh... a fighter.

Narrator: Zoe Kim is the co-leader of the science leadership program with the Hudson River Park Trust.

75.

Male.

Bye, buddy.

Narrator: Today, she and her team are conducting fish surveys near Manhattan in New York Harbor... and they've made some interesting discoveries.

The skilletfish are back.

They went extinct in these waters several decades ago.

Zoe: Skilletfish and oysters are linked.

They even lay their eggs inside empty oyster shells.

So, the return of the skilletfish has shown us that the water quality has improved.

The oyster is what's doing the real work here.

New York City is at the beginning of the story of improving our waterways.

Zoe: I think that it is absolutely a story of hope.

[Seagulls calling] Narrator: But could these little hard-shelled superheroes play an even bigger role in helping the city?

[Water bubbling] [Thunder rumbling and rain falling] [Wave crashing] [Wind whistling] Narrator: Hurricane Sandy battered the city in 2012.

[Sirens wailing] Tanasia: A lot of New Yorkers were just shocked that this could really happen in a big city.

[Sirens wailing] Tanasia: Once you have harbor water in your basement, it's like, yeah, we really are a coastal city.

[Sirens wailing] Tanasia: What if this would happen again?

What are we going to do?

Narrator: The Billion Oyster Project is teaming up with the Hudson River Park Trust to embed a series of the largest oyster reefs yet.

Narrator: Because when oyster reefs grow big enough, they can act as breakwaters... [Waves crashing] Narrator: protecting the shoreline from a hurricane's waves.

And the oysters are part of other big changes here too.

[People exclaiming] [Loud splash] Narrator: Humpback whales are back in numbers that haven't been seen here in a hundred years.

[People exclaiming] Narrator: Over 300 different whales have been identified around New York in the past 12 years.

Better water quality and fishing regulations are improving life for the whales... and turning what was one of the world's most polluted harbors... into a haven for wildlife.

Narrator: For many of these students, whales in New York waters are a life-changing vision of what could be.

Student: You feel like a sense of like... "Wow, I kinda did that.

"I'm a part of something that's bigger than me."

Student 2: It's pretty amazing to come back and see something that I worked on is actually making a difference in my community.

Tanasia: To see that change and that difference from this lifeless, dark harbor, to now a harbor that's full of life... Oh, look, look, look!

Tanasia: is just absolutely phenomenal.

Narrator: The rejuvenation of the harbor is forging an entirely new path for this city to connect with its ocean.

[People exclaiming] [Splash] Narrator: New Yorkers have used their sprawling shorelines to expand their partnership with nature.

But there's a tiny city state at the tip of the Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia that has virtually no extra space to work with.

Narrator: Six million people live here, on one small island.

In the early 1970s, Singapore began a rapid expansion... and 95% of the island's lush vegetation was replaced by concrete and steel.

Most of the indigenous animals were pushed out too.

Today, many Singaporeans grapple with this loss of nature.

Narrator: For Doris Yip, the city of her childhood is just a memory.

Narrator: At that time, Singapore was a collection of simple buildings and villages known as kampongs.

Narrator: Once again, access to nature can improve people's well-being, reducing anxiety, lowering obesity rates, and improving symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder.

Narrator: How can a city like Singapore even begin to introduce nature back into its dense, urban landscape?

[Birds chirping] Narrator: Visionary architects like Richard Hassell found an answer.

Richard: The basic premise is that the city doesn't want to lose any more greenery.

In the city, it's really important to think about nature because nature is our life support system on Planet Earth.

Narrator: So, the government mandated that every new building constructed would have to replace 100% of the greenery it displaced.

The question was where to put it.

Their answer?

On the buildings.

Narrator: And the designs are not just aesthetically pleasing; they're functional too.

These grand structures, called Supertrees, collect rainwater and lower temperatures in the city by absorbing and dispersing heat.

And at the airport, this space, called the Forest Valley, acts like a giant lung, ventilating and filtering out pollutants.

And this seniors' residence that Richard designed has its entire roof as a public park... where all are free to connect with nature.

[Doris speaking Mandarin] Richard: We think it's a human right to be within touching distance of nature.

It's a core value of our designs, really.

[Doris speaking Mandarin] Narrator: It's had a huge impact on Doris and her husband's quality of life.

Narrator: Blending greenery into buildings strengthens the sense of community for these seniors.

[Conversation in Mandarin] Richard: This is really what makes life meaningful, I think, is to feel yourself as part of the great web of life.

Narrator: And with the greening of the city, that web of life is growing.

[Birds calling] Narrator: The oriental pied hornbill is back, in numbers not seen in over a century.

[Bird calling] [Camera clicking] Narrator: The white-bellied sea eagle and brown boobook owl... now also draw crowds daily to city parks.

[Camera clicks] Narrator: And Singapore's smooth-coated otters are thriving.

Their population has doubled in recent years.

Increasing urban biodiversity can make dense cities great places to live again.

It can promote community and stewardship of the very nature that inspires it.

Richard: So, Singapore is really a canary in the coal mine for the future.

It's a place that's hit all its limits, maybe 30 years ago.

And so, that makes Singapore a leader by necessity.

Narrator: Singapore could be a model for the future.

Showing one way for a city with limited natural resources to make life better for all its residents, human and wild.

Narrator: More and more of us are living in cities every year.

Narrator: Yet, even in such unnatural environments... people are finding ways to make room for nature.

And it's having enormous benefits, for both ourselves... [Laughter] Narrator: and our wildlife neighbors.

A shared planet is a better home for all of us.