The Giant Conifers of the Pacific Coast of North America
In The Giant Conifers of the Pacific Coast of North America, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains how time and sunlight have resulted in some of the largest and oldest living things on Earth. Giant conifers can absorb moisture from fog to survive dry times and thrive here. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Sir David Attenborough takes you inside the most remote, extreme, and jaw-dropping corners of the planet — filmed over four years across 64 countries. Learn more.
Lesson Express
Q: How are coniferous trees adapted to the Pacific coast?
A: If there is a shortage of rain, the needles can extract moisture from the fog that rolls in from the ocean.
Q: How does conifer growth on the Pacific coast of North America compare with that in the Arctic taiga?
A: Those in the Pacific grow at ten times the rate of those in the Arctic, thanks to six months of powerful sunshine versus one.
Q: What type of “living matter” do you think is contained within the trees?
A: Student responses will vary. Students may suggest insects or bacteria.
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A troop of 150 chimpanzees. That's not a typo — it's the largest chimp community ever recorded in Africa, and they all live in one stretch of forest in Uganda. Sir David Attenborough takes you inside their world in this clip from BBC's Planet Earth, and it's not exactly peaceful. Chimps are unusual among jungle animals — they move just as easily through the treetops as they do on the ground, which comes in handy when your diet depends on finding enough fig trees to feed 150 mouths. But a community this size needs serious territory to sustain it, and that means defending it.
Watch as the troop uses coordinated calls to launch a raid into a rival group's land. Once they cross into enemy territory, everything changes: the calls stop, the pace slows, and every chimp is on high alert, listening for signs of who — and how many — they're up against.
It's a side of chimpanzees you don't usually see: strategic, tense, and surprisingly military in style. Great conversation starter for anything on animal behavior, group dynamics, or how intelligence shows up in unexpected ways.
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