7 Nature Docs On Disney+ That Will Help You Celebrate Earth Month

April is Earth Month, and it couldn't have come at a better time. Taking a step back and looking at the planet is a great reminder of life's fundamental truths. For starters, all of Earth's creatures depend on one another, and we all share a common interest to protect our home planet.

If you're spending plenty of time at home, just like the rest of us, it's a great time to get into those nature documentaries that you've been meaning to catch up on and to explore all the ends of the earth without leaving your couch.

To honor Earth Month, Disney+ will be releasing a flood of new titles on April 3, with three anticipated marquee films leading the charge. The streaming service will be premiering Elephant, narrated by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Dolphin Reef, narrated by Academy Award winner Natalie Portman. Additionally, the Disneynature film Penguins will also make its Disney+ debut, following its theatrical release last year.

This just scratches the surface. Read on to discover some of the titles coming to Disney+ that are perfect to help you celebrate Earth Month.

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1. Elephant - April 3

This story is a veritable African elephant odyssey across the Kahalari Desert to a lush Edenic paradise known by a herd's ancestors. A special focus is set on Shani and her spunky son Jomo as the family encounters serious obstacles in their way, including predators, dwindling food, and the elements. In the end, family keeps this troop of magnificent beasts going. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, lends her vocal talents as the narrator. Coupled with the film, the documentary In The Footsteps of an Elephant will also be released, chronicling the filmmaking process. Not to mention, Disneynature and the Disney Conservation Fund have made charitable contributions to Elephants Without Borders, a Botswana organization working to help Elephants and humans.

2. Dolphin Reef - April 3

If you love coming of age stories and dolphins, you're sure to love Dolphin Reef. With Natalie Portman as our vocal storyteller, this journey under the sea brings us into the lives of one of the ocean's most playful creatures: the dolphin. Our protagonist is Echo, a young Pacific bottlenose dolphin. Like many of us, Echo is struggling with the concept of "adulting"; in dolphin society, that means taking on responsibilities to serve the other dolphins of the reef. Will the temptation of adventure sway this spry young cetacean from his supposed "duties"? Diving with Dolphins, a behind-the-scenes look into the film's production, will be released on the same day.

3. Penguins - April 3

Penguins has it all: a charming bachelor, romance, family, cute arctic-dwelling water birds. In case you missed it last year, it's a perfect time to catch up and watch this heart warming Disneynature flick. The film follows Steve, an Adelîe penguin, through all the stages of a relationship. He begins the film solo, ultimately finding his match in a fetching lady penguin. They start a family and plan on a "happily ever after" ... that is, until he finds himself a single dad, trying to raise an entire brood of babies in one of the toughest (though most beautiful) ecosystems in the world. Life on the Edge, a behind-the-scenes documentary about making the film, will premiere on Disney+ as a bonus. Watch this with your partner in life, in friendship, or just another person who appreciates cute things.

4. African Cats

This is the perfect film for the cat person in all of us. Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, this Disneynature documentary follows three felines representing vastly different experiences on the African savanna. First, we have lion cub Mara, a newborn who is being raised by her dutiful mother Layla. The leader of Mara and Layla's pride Fang is our next subject, who is fighting to defend his family from banished son Kali. (Sound familiar?) Kali is the through line to Sita, a fierce and dutiful cheetah mom raising five cubs. With family, ambition, and survival as major themes in the film, it's almost like you're watching an epic family drama.

5. America's National Parks

This series brings you into the lands of eight of North America's magnificent National Parks, and you don't even need to leave your house. Each episode is devoted to the flora, fauna, and sights of a different park, including: the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, the Everglades, the Great Smoky Mountains, the Gates of the Arctic, Saguaro, and Yosemite. From swamps to towering mountains, to forests of alien cacti and mind-boggling rock formations, this is a great watch to take in the natural wonders of the USA.

6. Before the Flood

Leonardo Dicaprio's climate change documentary is a serious wake-up call to all of us. Everyone talks about the ice caps melting, and in this film, you get to see what it actually looks like. Dicaprio also speaks to a series of experts about our nation's addiction to fossil fuels, reminding us that we all have a shared responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint. The film is alarming, but for the right reasons — a reminder that saving the planet is up to us.

7. Planet of the Birds

Did you know that birds are the only animal that can be found on all seven continents? We can owe much of that to the fact that they have wings, but it's still quite the reality to absorb. This documentary showcases the incredibly diverse and fascinating ways these species live in different parts of the world, emphasizing their fascinating adaptability. Plus, it'll really make you wish you could fly.

Here is the list of nature-related titles coming to Disney+ during Earth Month!

Disneynature

+ African Cats

+ Chimpanzee

+ Bears

+ Born in China

+ Crimson Wing

+ Monkey Kingdom

+ Wings of Life

National Geographic

+ America's National Parks

+ Wild Yellowstone

+ The Flood

+ JANE

+ Before the Flood

+ Planet of the Birds

+ Sea of Hope: America's Underwater Treasures

+ Kingdom of the White Wolf

+ Tree Climbing Lions

+ Hostile Planet

+ Wild Russia

+ One Strange Rock

+ Giants of the Deep Blue

+ Kingdom of the Blue Whale

+ Great Migrations

+ Earth Live

+ Winged Seduction: Birds of Paradise

+ Into the Grand Canyon

And new to Disney+

Wednesday, April 1

+ Doctor Doolittle

Friday, April 3

+ A Tale of Two Critters

+ In a Nutshell

+ Don’s Fountain of Youth

+ Don’s Fountain of Youth

+ Donald’s Dog Laundry

+ Double Dribble

+ Dragon Around

+ Elmer Elephant

+ Fish Hooks (S1-3)

+ How to Play Football

+ Lambert, The Sheepish Lion

+ On Ice

+ Out of Scale

+ Penguins

+ Pluto’s Party

+ Sea Scouts

+ Sonny with a Chance (S1-3)

+ The Boy Who Talked to Badgers

+ The New Neighbor

+ The Small One

+ The Straight Story