Natural history and science

Watch as the natural world comes to life.

Natural history and science series and films

  • A white pick-up truck drives up a winding country road, surrounded by dry New Zealand farmland. The text reads "The Turning Point"

    The Turning Point

    A new generation of kaitiaki protect and restore our natural environment.
    6 episodes
    13m
  • A school of fish swim together in the ocean. The text reads "Turning the Tide"

    Turning the Tide

    Researchers, kaitiaki, and communities improve the health of Aotearoa’s moana.
    6 episodes
    13m
  • A man wearing sunglasses and a tartan hat is looking out to the left. Text reads, "Our Other Islands".

    Our Other Islands

    Troy Kingi embarks on a journey to explore the "other" islands of Aotearoa.
    6 episodes
    26m
  • Black text on a beige background, text reads "Fight for the Wild". Behind the text are three illustrations, one is of New Zealand the other is a disembodied head of a Tūī and the third is a fantail.

    Fight for the Wild

    Documentary series exploring the notion of a Predator Free 2050 in Aotearoa.
    4 episodes
    45m
  • A podcast cover for "The Aotearoa History Show" features the title written in colorful, chalk-like letters on a blackboard background. The words "THE" and "AOTEAROA" are in light blue, "HISTORY" is in pink, and "SHOW" is in green with green chalk lines radiating outwards.

    The Aotearoa History Show

    The story of NZ and its people from its geological origins to modern day.
    1 season/14 episodes
    19m
  • A coastal scene of a land mass with cliffs leading down to a beach and the ocean. Text reads, "My Cyclone Gabrielle, Four Filmmakers Four Views".

    My Cyclone Gabrielle

    Cyclone Gabrielle left a mark on us beyond the physical destruction.
    4 episodes
    9m
  • A portrait of a child looking into the camera. On their head is a collection of blue and green strips of ribbon that intertwine with their long braided hair. They are wearing a blue shirt, a jacket and a bow tie. Text reads, "Loading Docs". Beside the text is a simple graphic circle meant to look like a roll of film.

    Loading Docs

    Empowers documentarians to unleash bold, creative, & unforgettable NZ stories.
    1 season/6 episodes
    13m

More to watch

If you are interested in Natural history and science you might also want to check out some of our other series and films.

  • Te Ao Māori27

    Comedy, current affairs, and kōrero from tangata whenua.

    The host, Mihingarangi Forbes, smiling at the camera. Text reads, "Mata".
    Whitney Steel & Nathan Taare sit at a table and smell samples of a perfume. White text below them reads: "JOURNEY OF SCENT."
    Against a black background, a group of opera singers sing. The green text reads: "Toiere."

  • Tamariki6

    Series for children, featuring some very well-known New Zealanders.

    Michal Bush, in all pink, plays a guitar in her music room. The text above reads: "Music with Michal."
    A yellow graphic with two blue penguins dancing. Below them is the text: "Bigsies and Littles."
    In an animated graphic, the top of a man's face is seen in front of fence, above which are a collection of native New Zealand birds. In the middle of the image, in the middle of the birds, is the text: "BIRD'S EYE VIEW 2."

  • Hidden gems10

    A collection of some of the best bits you might have missed on RNZ Video.

    One young woman sits on another who is in a wheelchair in a zany candid moment. Text reads "This is Wheel Life with Soph and Indy"
    Whitney Steel & Nathan Taare sit at a table and smell samples of a perfume. White text below them reads: "JOURNEY OF SCENT."
    Eight seperate images edited into two rows of four, each showing different images of people and art. Text reads, "Marauders".

  • Comedy12

    Docos and drama with a healthy dose of humour.

    A man looking into the camera with his mouth slightly open. His left eye is bugged out in a comically over the top way. Text reads, "A Place Called Te Awamutu".
    Piripi is wearing a shirt and a cap and looks into the camera smiling. He is leaning against the side of a vehicle. Text reads, "Oe, The Adventures of of Piripi Kaiwaru AKA Phillip! Narrated by his Mother" There is a small illustration of a truck under the text, as well as illustrations of deer horns and a kangaroo.
    Against a yellow-and-orange background, the cyan-coloured text reads: "the All Goods Race."
Charlotte Cook leaning on a bench and smiling. Beside her is a stack of cookbooks and a bowl of tomatoes. Text reads, "Grilled, with Charlotte Cook".
A portrait of a child looking into the camera. On their head is a collection of blue and green strips of ribbon that intertwine with their long braided hair. They are wearing a blue shirt, a jacket and a bow tie. Text reads, "Loading Docs". Beside the text is a simple graphic circle meant to look like a roll of film.
A two dimensional Illustration of a screen showing DNA shapes in front a conveyor belt with kākāpō on it. Text reads, "What if...? Genomics in Aotearoa".
Black and white faces of Helen Clark, Dame Jenny Shipley, Jim Bolger Geoffrey Palmer and Mike Moore, with the words 'The 9th Floor' underneath them. The background of the image is black.
A Muslim man in a blue shirt stands in a mosque. The text reads "This Is Us"
A podcast cover for "The Aotearoa History Show" features the title written in colorful, chalk-like letters on a blackboard background. The words "THE" and "AOTEAROA" are in light blue, "HISTORY" is in pink, and "SHOW" is in green with green chalk lines radiating outwards.
On the left side of the graphic is the back of a yellow-on-black female athlete as she walks away. On the right side is a block of yellow. In the middle, written from top to bottom, is the text "OUTSIDE" in black and "THE LINES" in yellow.
A yellow graphic with two blue penguins dancing. Below them is the text: "Bigsies and Littles."
A sharp yellow pencil is placed in the center of a tile with a light grey background. The title 'Recovering' is above the pencil, with an underscore after 'Re'.
Dark purple background with text, "Art Stories in Aotearoa".
Side profile of a persons face, silhouetted against a setting sun out of frame. Text reads, "Imposter".
A sepia toned photograph laying on a table. The photograph is of a man looking over his shoulder at the camera, he is wearing headphones and sitting in from of a switch board. Text reads, "Coast Watchers Operation Pacific".
An older woman with grey hair is holding a ceramic bowl up and looking at it intently as she sits at a dining table. In front of her are plates, and a bowl of green apples. Text reads "Crown Lynn: A Māori Story". Above the text is a white line illustration of a tiki with an illustration of a star on either side of it.
A wide long beach withe dark grey sand and blue ocean. Text reads, "Chatham Islanders, Tchakat Tchatam Airani". There is an illustration of an indigenous Moriori tree carving in between the words "Chatham" and "Islanders".
A large group of people protesting, they're all holding signs. Text reads, "Hīkoi, Speaking Our Truth".
Dark grey background with yellow text reading, "The Barber Shope". There is a illustration in the same yellow of a Māori design.
Two men face the camera with serious but open expressions. Text reads "Context, Corin Dann and Guyon Espiner"
Young man with soot on his face looking into the camera, in his left hand he's holding a Patu (weapon). Text reads, "NZ Wars: Stories of Tauranga Moana".
Troy Kingi wearing a traditional red poncho sits in the rocky Californian desert beneath a light blue sky. The text reads "Troy Kingi's Desert Hīkoi"
The host, Mihingarangi Forbes, smiling at the camera. Text reads, "Mata".
Misty Frequency's mask sits by other masks on a shelf in a dressing room. The text reads "What's the Disability-Tea"
A blue graphic with a collection of drawings of items including a flag, a guitar, a dog, and skiis. The yellow text reads: "SIGHT UNSEEN."
A group of people performing a haka outside amongst the trees. The person at the front is in focus and doing a pukana. Text reads, "NZ Wars: The Stories of Ruapekapeka".
A man sits silhouetted on some steps leading down to the water in a cave. He glances out over the incoming waves. Yellow text reads: "BEING Niuean. 50 YEARS OF PULE FAKAMOTU."