america right? dots november 25th on d, w. ah aah! surging up from the ocean stats in the heart of the south atlantic, lies an otherworldly drop of land that offers a window into the past riches of our planet. located 2000 kilometers from the nearest land mass. midway between africa and south america, the volcanic island of st. helena is unique, not only for its extreme isolation, but also for the diversity of its exceptional flora and fauna. this baffled jewel is home to a multitude of micro ecosystems, each with its own endemic species. but the discovery of the island by europeans in the 16th century resulted in the systematic exploitation of resources and introduction of alien species destabilizing its fragile balance. yet to day the people of st. helena have come together to save their natural heritage and achieve what many would consider impossible, ah, ah . shaped by thousands of years of volcanic eruptions, the central ridge of st. helena dominate the horizon. rising more than 800 meters above sea level. it's 3 misty peaks. are home to a unique ecosystem. the cloud forest of diana's peak park. this is the beating heart of the island. and the reason why st. helena was so important to european fifths fresh water. within these 81 hector's survived the relics of a tropical rain forest. that once covered the entire island cut off from the rest of the world. the plant life here has evolved over millions of years. and simple france and daisies have become trees. but isolation came at a price in the absence of natural predators. the endemic plants never evolved, the ability to rapidly regenerate, leaving them defenseless, against the ravenous appetite of the domestic animals, introduced by passing ships left to rome, the island in just a few short years. the goats had decimated the islands, ancient forests. having exhausted their resources, the herbivores sealed their own fate, and the once 1000 strong heads have now disappeared. although cattle are no longer a danger to the endemic flora. invasive plants now pose a serious threat to their survival. st. helena redwoods, ebenezer, and tree funds are struggling to maintain their foot home and their future now lies entirely in human hands. saturn margot, the terrestrial conservation officer is part of the small team dedicated to the ambitious restoration of this exceptional forest. diana's peak park is very unique because it holds quite a high proportion of endemic vegetation anna vertebrates. the word endemic means that it's very unique, it's found nowhere else in the world. so there is quite a large number on st. alina, because we have the highest endemic biodiversity off the u. k. and also as its territory, the endemic plans, they are really good at intercepting miss. so the island doesn't receive a high proportion of rainfall, but we do get quite a lot of cloud cover coming over this high central ridge. so they actually have their lease adapted to intercept the nurse and then they fall to this water down into the petey soil. and then they trickle out to the catchment years unless we collect our drinking water. the parks endemic vegetation provides more than a 3rd of the islands drinking water, making the teams conservation work essential to the local inhabitants. and it all starts here at the foot of diana's peak. ah, propagation in the nursery start from feed. so we go out into the wall and we collect seeds from the last remaining individuals. and then from there we would clean the seed, sought it, then we would plant them. we wait for them to germinate this a few stages of putting out until we can actually produce a plant that is very strong and durable and ready for planting back into our fights . after months of care in the nursery, the precious saplings are now strong enough to join the cloud forest. the recently cleared patch of land that will be their new home is at the highest point of the park. and there is only one way to get there. is always go crazy and have a choice of choice. all rounds of forgivable poses roses. you're a good so what we do on diana's pickpocket habitat restoration. and there actually involves propagating endemic, supplant, back into sites. but before we can do that, we do quite a lot of in base of clarence. hopefully in the future, i would like to see diana's pick completely vegetated in endemic habitat and supporting very high populations of endemic invertebrates as well. although there is still a long way to go, the colossal work carried out by the terrestrial conservation team has been a real success tree fans and black cabbage trees now dominate the parks ridge there. canopy shading the forest floor limiting the growth of the invasive plants. many endemic invertebrates, like the blushing snail, find refuge in the newly rehabilitated flora. much to the delight of the entomologists. natasha stevens and liza fowler. selina was quite loving in research on i laboratory because the has been expeditions going back rate from like the 1800s. even charles darwin himself came he at one point to documenting a lot of farm roberts from spiders to beatles to true bugs. so a wide range of it. so the cloud, far as of diana's pick, national pop is the highest habitat for invertebrates. so the whole, like $100.00 in 20, endemic species on average. so was very unique here on st. helena, we, her early 400 endemic species. and although we have all of those, we are actually discovering more every time. oh, another spike eat. let's hear another one, there. bristling with bright yellow spines. this tiny armored creature hides in the forests, most inaccessible corners. this is the spiky yellow woodhouse. and it is one of the world's rarest. i suppose. by the yellow wood lace is not like you average with lace because it tend to live in trees underneath the tree fun. we've been quite lucky here to have a dedicated project to the spike yellow with lowes. why are fortunately the spiky, they don't do much. so i think in like a ph, d student or something, they don't need to come down and actually like stadium fully for a whole year to know and be out in the field every day. sort of thing to actually see what they really active. what is nice that we have touched on a little off them the population and a little off the ecology, and it's also helping with the conservation as well. a recent population survey across the spike is known habitat, has identified between 10200 individuals within diana's peak park due to the research and conservation work for this minuscule creature. the spikey, yellow woodland, is considered to be an umbrella species. so by protecting it all the flora and fauna with which it says its home are also protected. like walk up a love, a veritable eden for the minute. st. helena is home to $25.00 times more endemic species per square kilometer than the famous galapagos islands. however, as in many places around the world, this unique foreigner faces multiple threats among the most worrying r habitat, los climate change, and invasive species. in the dry land, south of the park, near high peak, sasha, liza and natasha are setting out to visit a particularly special part of the ridge. at the edge of a steep cliff cling 6 unobtrusive trees. the value of these false gum woods is immeasurable, despite their modest appearance. they are the last wild survivors of their species . here are quite a few in the demick invertebrates that is associated with plans. the false gum would leaf harbor is associated with the fall scabbards and hence the name, innocent, unique. and it is very sad at the same time there. it's heavy tale has declined to about sucks trees the laughing the while. and if these trees go, the leaf hobbles will go like it's broke off. on 2 of the 6 trees, the entomologists have made a disturbing discovery. some of the leave hoppers appear to be covered in a strange whitish film. they have been infected by a fungus that has devoured them from the inside, out in that range, play a vital role in any ego systems throughout the well. they help with decompose and plant matha did things really and recycle it back into the as long as the restoration of the heavy task, keep going, then it will be safe, gotten better for us. so all that, well, all the effort that everyone is putting into conservation is it will help in the long term and it still needs to continue way off. i go from the striking, spiky yellow wood lice for dazzling golden sail spiders. the cloud covered heart of st. helena is a treasure trove of biodiversity, precious and fragile thanks to the conservation team's work. the cloud forest is gradually being restored to its former glory and one day its borders may once again reach the coastline. the water captured by the cloud forest trickles down from the central ridge, feeding thousands of mango trees as it meanders through sharks valley to the sea. but the islands, natural riches are not confined to its flush peaks. testament to this or the raucous colony of red built tropic buds that populate the colossal wall of great stone. driven to the fringes of the island by the hungry cats and rats that arrived with the 1st settlers. many sea birds now find refuge on these inaccessible cliffs and the surrounding islets. busy ah ah ah, he had recently, many of the once threatened populations have begun to show signs of recovery and some species like the tropic birds and white very tons have become particularly fond of the rocky slopes that surround the islands, capital, james town. the elegant 10 have even become somewhat of an avenue fixture, and frequently raised their young here for the next 2 months, the young tech will need his parents full attention. as they take turns to feed him, he will have to wait for his adult plumage to grow before he can leave the comfort of his balcony and enjoy a freshly caught fish. if he survives until in a short distance from the city, knows a small islet reserved that his home to some curious cannon ears flamed egg island, hundreds of brown and black ne saudi turns. madeira and storm petals and topic birds have taken up residence here to lay their eggs, which will once highly prized by the markers. to day, the glamorous islet bleat to white by centuries of bird droppings is a true sanctuary. so he turns, and brown naughty is nest side by side, and in order to avoid competition for food, the 2 species have separate foraging grounds and hunt different species. but this understanding does nothing to prevent the incessant quarrelling at home. and each parent ferociously defending their offspring's living face ah. limits to the public. egg island is the ideal place to monitor population health. a project run by the government through its environmental management division. lee and henry, a marine conservation officer managers this vital work the abundance of sea birds on the island is evidence to the exceptional richness of its waters. and in 2006, the 200 nautical miles around st. helena were classified as a marine protected area since then, numerous research programs have been put in place, many of which are run by lee ann and her team. in 2012 we started. 7 in finance project, it was an habitat, an abundance survey, with a view to making a marine managed from them because then it had never had a marie mentioned before. was something that we were working towards i think are damaged is very important. because if we list them, yes, there is no way of getting back on us back. and because send the news, so oh, we have quite a few and damage. so it's just time and distance that may be safe, special. and if they go, then you know the. 9 well, his last and watch to that congress passed. now this is james and i needed to use some of the think most people of the see yes just but it's the same that happened on the one of the things that you can see that makes all the different. mm ah ah ah ah ah, ah ah, with such a striking array of species, st helene as marine life represents a level of ecosystem health, but few other regions in the world still possess from underwater caves to great spies of ancient lava life flourish is here as it has done for centuries. ah ah, this crossroads of the atlantic is a key stump of point for many pelagic species. make the trillion devil re who effortlessly meander through the large coast to show fish before returning to the open ocean. ah, ah, every year new species are discovered and the ongoing scientific research is helping us to understand how to better protect them after 30 or so known and demick species that inhabit these crystal clear waters. the st. helena butterfly fish is its undisputed ambassador present in vast numbers all along the coast. they hover in thick clouds over the sunken ships that litter the sea floor. scrawled file fish, damsel fish, and st. tilley, no white sea bream. black bar, so to fish and trumpet fish, all take advantage of the haven offered by these steel caucuses. the butterfly fish play a major role in the coastal ecosystem of st. helena. and every year, a sudden and spectacular phenomenon takes over the coast. ah, for just a few days, a magnificent white storm swirls through the sea, millions of juveniles gather in the shallow waters, seeming to fill the entire ocean. the coastline explodes with life. and this impressive bloom attracts numerous predators from the open sea to take advantage of the great bounty. ah ah, a true oasis of life in the vastness of the atlantic st. helena is far from having revealed all its secrets. the islands isolation which allowed its unique wildlife to evolve has now become a hindrance to its preservation. far from the borrower, trees and universities, the conservationists often lack the human and financial resources needed to carry out their research. yet, despite these difficulties, they tirelessly push on sometimes even late into the night. ah ah ah. emboldened by the darkness the islands, more cryptic inhabitants begin to imagine amongst the via did fire worms and fung two's more ideals. knowledge ahmed anthropoid speak in their day brown, spiny and dread slipper lobsters. the latter, endemic to st. helena. take advantage of the dark to move around in safety. gregarious and sedentary species, these pre historic looking creatures are the focus of a new tagging program or by monitoring the population. the research is hoped to shed light on their life cycle and behavior. and determine if they can be sustainably fished with only the narrow beam of their torches. each lobster is caught by hand and given a tag, which will identify it if it is recaptured. after carefully recording the information needed that thus i'll crustaceans are released back into the darkness to continue their enigmatic lives. anticipating a dramatic inc. centuries on the island is in a race to obtain baseline information on its natural resources. to understand how much can be taken without compromising the population's health. if this is still possible. when you start with all those pieces together, you look at how many. and then when you look at the, the amount and the quantities and stuff like that. so i mean is when environment is quite rational and even if you look at like a fishing, you know, we've always had po 9 phishing as one fish. wonderful. and i, so things like that, if you put all that together then yes, if there's the marine capillaries baffled centers . small face thing, apartment, larger picture when it comes to tune with for 4 years, maybe 5 now we've been doing work to mostly gather then weights of the the fish that's been landed. we've been doing some tagging so it's been tag in the smaller fish. you release them and this e, they grow, and then when you fishermen started catch us do that. then you start to get information back on how they move around the island and fishermen say, lina. they will have more information on what they should or should not catch in order to make their staff more sustainable in order to make sure that they can keep catching fish into the future. st helene as fish stocks are closely monitored and the islanders know how precious they are. but these bountiful waters i'm much more than a well stocked larder. they are of global importance in the field of marine biology and perhaps hold the key to unlocking the mysteries of the world's largest fish, the well shark up to 18 meters long and weighing 20 tons. this colossus leads a discreet and often solitary life. a great nomad, the whale shark, regularly travels to use and deaths rally of entering into shallow coastal waters. this makes it a particularly difficult animal to study despite its imposing size and much about its life is still unknown. between its long eyes. this gentle giant sometimes visits the surface to feed on plankton warm up and perhaps even mate. but no one in the world has ever observed well sharks and the false rose of love. no one except here at st. helena, the islands waters are the only known place where adult males and females aggregate in equal numbers as the most likely known breeding ground for well sharks. st. helena plays a vital role in understanding and safeguarding this globally endangered animal. but for the st. the whale shark is also an indicator species, meaning that the population directly reflects the health of the islands waters well known by the locals for their acrobatics. the friendly pan tropical spotted dolphins are not the only species that can be found diving among the waves. after a long fishing trip, this masked booby is making its way home. this charismatic species has settled on the rocky ledges of sandy bay to mate and raise their offspring ah, preferring to forage in deep waters. they journey far from these barren cliffs to find enough resources for this crucial period. perhaps long every 6 hours. so parents take turns to fish and look after their chick until it is old enough to be independent. low the parents raise only one infant. the female generally lays 2 eggs in order to strengthen its chances of survival. the eldest shake is strong enough. it pushes its sibling out of the nest. the parents then fail to recognize the asteroid youngster as their own. and it is left to starve. yet despite all efforts to survive, some appetites seem insatiable. josh, ah ah, their parents attention may be constant, but the harsh combination of heat, hunger, and relentless wind is too much for sun. the masked rubies only returned to saint helena's shores a few years ago once present in large numbers across the island. it 2 suffered with the arrival of the 1st settlers in the 17th century, a disastrous cocktail of hunting habitat, modification, and intensive predation by rats and cat quickly led to the decline of the islands, entire bird population. and almost all of saint helena's endemic bird species are now extinct. almost all despite its apparent fragility, or is also survivor, her surprisingly benefited from the islands deforestation. the wire, but a clover are found only on st. helena is particularly fond of the wind swept grasslands and semi desert plains. yet, in spite of its adaptability, this little bird was once on the verge of extinction. dennis leo, a member of the st. helena national trust managers the conservation project dedicated to this prover. that is the islands emblem. the 1st why bird nurse and i was the 1st. why bird nurses? well actually if i thought was a chuck and i was so excited that i thought it should regular like this was the biggest discovery ever. you know? what from the on? i was hoping that was it. why? but as a little plumber about 20 centimeters, he is got a gray coat with a black mas and a white on the body, and quite distinctly gone. why really? but he just laughed, run on the ground. you know, he's like, you same pull the birds he's bomb is gone, you know as more so if he takes you away from the nurse and then he's running back to it. you know, he's on the move his a boat. he's foster boat for the past 15 years during their breeding season. these endearing sprinters have been closely monitored by the trust every january, dennis and his volunteers survey no fewer than that. he one site to cross the island, binoculars and notebooks at the ready. they sweep each area on foot to record the size of the fragile po for population. why? but because tragedies, the cat is the furl cat. you know, we have rats were rats a seasonal like with good range. we got lot of wraps so we can bake. why cats is a constant battles, not just in the wire burg routes, and james savage and saint paul to longwood. the are too many feral cats and we need to tell it as an allan problem, not just as why we're brum or if we can drop from october to march, then run analyses that will give the birds a chance for the trucks, his voice, and enjoy the rest of the year we can create new habitats, which is the plan. in the space of 10 years, dennis and his predecessors have succeeded in doubling the wire bird population. and today their species is no longer classed as endangered. but with only 510 adults counted in 2020, the little clover is still vulnerable. as a result of climate change and habitat modification, st. helena is facing increasingly frequent periods of drought, which is having a devastating impact on the islands flora and fauna. now more than ever, support is needed to faith. this unique bird but the little insect of all has not had its last word. and recently, it has taken up residence in a very special place. on the north east side of the island, the arid land still bears the scars left by colonial axes, previously known as great wood. this sandy expanse was once covered in a dense forest of endemic plants and home to many insects and birds that are now extinct. it took only a few decades for the newly settled humans to pillage this green paradise down to the last stump and the fight. our soil of great ward, exposed to the elements was swept away by the trade winds. but in 2000 the people of st. helena launched an ambitious project to re forest the area. every member of the community took part in the planting of 3000 trees, the number of which has now more than tripled. the millennium forest was born. among the gum woods and dwarf ebony is a dozen other endemic species classified as endangered, are growing in the nursery under the green fingers of martina peters and her small team. between them they have the monumental task of carrying for all 250 hector's of this young forest. this new habitat is encouraging the return of many insects and invertebrates much to the delight of the wire birds. the millennium forest is a titanic project that will span across generations, but neither the horse wins nor the arid soil seemed to be able to bend the saints determination and seed by seed. their perseverance brings them closer to the green, eden that was great. wood once neglected, plundered and exploited saint helena's natural. heritage is now being passionately defended by its people. this job is not without its difficulties, and both engineers and the government have to make do with a limited means at their disposal. even with the construction of an airport in 2017, the island still remains largely untouched by mass tourism. but this also means that it has not benefited from the economic boost enjoyed by many other destinations where nature is sometimes treated as an inexhaustible commodity. now open to the rest of the world. the saints have a unique opportunity to protect and preserve their resources. by pre empting, the changes to come and creating the basis for a more responsible form of tourism, respectful of the wildlife with which they share their home they spa, salts, jewel with its hidden riches, is the pride of its people who understand the importance of safeguarding its priceless beauty for generations to come to make st. helena a true bastion of biodiversity for me, for and supporting the communities. pretty good because i know a lot of people in the i get a lot of like, you know, hey i saw why, but the i so why that here. so which is good now i think is a gradually increasing awareness of conservation. ah, everything our ass, i mean his have us everything his benefit. even if we don't fully understand that the man the more people understand or, or feel a connection to the scenes, the moist e. c, a b s from to understand why they should not off from, for tacker with. now it is up to us as conservationists, to try to protect what we already have the now and expand the heavy tests for the unique life to go on for the future. and poor, future generations me ah ah, the star of species conservation, the panda. but what about animals that are less cuddly? they often find themselves on the side line. researchers want to change all that and call for more courage to be ugly. step aside and in 30 minutes on the d. w. o. again, they get all the harvesters or immigrants go. lucas, take everything you enjoy. eating at home with your family, was harvested by people who are being exploited. and then i d, 's for free, and we're going to need to, uh huh. can we keep doing what we're doing? and that's why your green revolution is absolutely necessary. unit reveal the future is being determined. now, our documentary series will show you how people to companies and countries are rethinking everything and making major changes. you have reviewed this week on d, w. a. ah ah, this is dw news live from berlin, after criticism and controversy, the man's football world camp has kicked off in katara. it's been 12 years in the making for the golf nation, but well the action on the pitch give fever and the host country a break from top.

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