Three key sequences

A hurricane and a mouse

Beach mice in the dune systems of Florida’s Alabama Point have been decimated by hurricanes several times. The team set out to film the species, but didn’t anticipate the arrival of Hurricane Harvey, the largest storm since Katrina in 2005. It was a tense time for all involved – via satellite, they watched the storm form and head towards land. In the event, mice (and crew) missed the worst of the extreme weather.

New forest, new hope

It is impossible to ignore the devastating impact humans are having on Earth’s tropical forests but, in Tanzania, there’s a story of hope. Guided by satellite imagery, the Jane Goodall Institute and a local community have regenerated an area of forest large enough to be seen from space. Not only has it stabilised the land against landslides and flooding, but it has also given chimpanzees in a neighbouring reserve a more secure future.

Greatest light show on Earth

Auroras are famous for being some of the most dramatic natural spectacles on our planet, but seen from space they are truly extraordinary. The sheer scale of the light displays, their colours ranging from greens to reds and purples, is simply captivating. When the production team saw footage taken from the International Space Station for the first time, it was a real hair-on-end moment.