Parents need to know that The Year Earth Changed is a nature documentary about changes in wildlife habits during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Narrated by David Attenborough (Planet Earth: Blue Planet II), the short doc features visits to locations across five continents starting in March 2020 and ending a year later. Attenborough offers many examples of how animals thrived during that year without as much impact from human interference -- i.e. traffic, noise pollution, and travel. There's lots of beautiful imagery, including various animals exploring empty towns (the most fun is seeing "jackass penguins" roam the streets of Cape Town, South Africa). A sea turtle lays eggs onto the sand; there are closeups and squishy noises. Violence includes elephants being pushed out of farmlands with gunshots and bright lights. Ominous music plays when leopards eat at their own "lockdown buffet"; sounds of tearing flesh are heard. Sensitive kids may pick up on the potentially bleak outcome if human behavior doesn't improve post-pandemic, but the film makes sure to focus on positive changes already being made to help animals and humans coexist peacefully.

THE YEAR EARTH CHANGED is a short documentary, narrated by David Attenborough, that takes viewers through 2020, a year that was very different for wildlife than it was for humans. The film visits locations all over the world, showing how both people and animals' lives change drastically. In the California Bay Area, traffic sounds are down 70%, allowing some swallows to hear each others' mating calls once again. As air pollution drops, people in Jalandhar, India, people can see the Himalayas for the first time in many years. In April of 2020, Florida's beaches are deserted, giving female sea turtles a safe way to return to the waters they were born in and lay their eggs on the now-empty beaches. It's not only quiet on land, but underwater too, which means that Alaskan scientists find that humpback whales are talking more, and talking differently. (One scientist compares it to yelling across a crowded bar versus a quiet coffee shop). In New Zealand, dolphins triple their communication range, and killer whales can use sonar more effectively. Deer in Nara, Japan, have lived on special crackers from tourists for many years -- but this year is different. Locals worry the animals may starve but older deer remember their old grazing grounds and lead their younger peers to it, 2.5 kilometers away. While it makes the clear point that animals do better when humans aren't around, the docu ends on a positive note, showing how some farmers in India are now choosing to live more harmoniously with elephants by planting 400 acres of grasses, welcoming them into their community instead of pushing them out.

The Year Earth Changed