Uploaded April 2016 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Watch the three-part Britain's Treasure Islands documentary series on BBC FOUR, starting Tue 12 Apr 2016 21:00. (repeated Wed 13 Apr 2016 20:00).
This mini-documentary follows the story of Ascension Island, a UK Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean. Ascension is a small, desolate volcanic island, yet it proved essential in the 19th century as an important victualing station for ships rounding the capes. The British garrisoned the island, built large forts and relied on the strongholds with vital supplies that could make or break round the world voyages. After Charles Darwin and Joseph Hooker visited the island, the two naturalists developed a radical idea - to create a man-made rainforest on Ascension's tallest cinder to create drinking water for the garrisoned soldiers. The experiment was a spectacular success, and by the 1870s, the dry volcanic desert had been transformed into a lush rainforest. We explore the legacy of the experiment, and the surprising use of planted Norfolk Island pines.
BritainsTreasureIslands.com
Please note: although complementary to the BBC FOUR series, the 40 short mini-documentaries are not commissioned or editorially overseen by BBC.
BRITAIN'S TREASURE ISLANDS - MINI-DOCUMENTARIES
Introduction
Overview of the UK Overseas Territories youtu.be/gl9As81DiDE
Filming the Britain’s Treasure Islands TV documentary series youtu.be/W2_yNNE-mCw
Stewart McPherson’s lecture at the Royal Geographical Society youtu.be/xOt93lM2F2I
Mini-documentaries about each of the UK Overseas Territories
Ascension Island – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/XpLeHUCuY8c
Saint Helena – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/qIsI6paJYZs
Tristan da Cunha – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/Fspkfxcrfwc
Falkland Islands – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/DzOIb4D8SQE
South Georgia – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/oHZUibDpWuk
British Antarctic Territory – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/_V88voefIQk
British Indian Ocean Territory – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/nnDKVZQhCbI
Pitcairn Islands – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/yJZQyhx13AA
Bermuda – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/oIxF74vcfzM
Cayman Islands – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/TrSetBtLAB8
British Virgin Islands – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/z1lvLLG1Csg
Montserrat – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/BFnetjV8W2c
Anguilla – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/Bf3E6pD1nHM
Turks and Caicos Islands – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/JR_vLHHCO10
Akrotiri and Dhekelia – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/t4vqTl3EozM
Gibraltar – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/F4ueaYy9TRM
Mini-documentaries about specific subjects on particular UK Overseas Territories
Ascension Island – natives and aliens youtu.be/F0xMAIFgPg4
Ascension Island – supplying the garrison youtu.be/8BUDEUwx0hE
Saint Helena – wirebird conservation youtu.be/dlXg5zrBIlA
Saint Helena – plant conservation youtu.be/bL-pAsNHLdY
Life on Tristan da Cunha – the World’s Most Remote Inhabited Island youtu.be/n4ElF8awm90
Tristan da Cunha – the Monster Mice of Gough Island youtu.be/wT14Q7pZJzo
Falkland Islands – Jimmy the ex-whaler youtu.be/alaCe4LbWyo
British Indian Ocean Territory – coconut crabs youtu.be/JCkNSWz-IDc
British Indian Ocean Territory – seabirds youtu.be/quksfCDxbGE
British Indian Ocean Territory – underwater youtu.be/cTJd_WW_NHI
Pitcairn Islands – Henderson Island’s wildlife youtu.be/6jK3As_VAjc
Life on Pitcairn Island – home of the descendants of the mutineers from HMS Bounty youtu.be/vPZHzfRXzjA
Mini-documentaries about systematic wildlife groups across all of the UK Overseas Territories
Terrestrial Invertebrates of the UK Overseas Territories youtu.be/16AuBMsI_GY
Amphibians and Reptiles of the UK Overseas Territories youtu.be/JrFeLvyJ0Io
Plants of the UK Overseas Territories youtu.be/JimYKMzLaqY
Mammals of the UK Overseas Territories youtu.be/lnthUbLaBFk
Birds of the UK Overseas Territories youtu.be/A0irRRrUbKk
Marine Life of the UK Overseas Territories youtu.be/Bu5TydBKFFo
Overview mini-documentaries
Conservation Lessons of the UKOTs youtu.be/8VIK87Gd134
Islands of Evolution youtu.be/dP7nFXkOg48
Overview of the Britain’s Treasure Islands book youtu.be/OYgKyuC3xVY
Shipping 5,000 books to all UK secondary schools COMING SOON
Overview of Britain’s Treasure Islands TV documentary series youtu.be/ynR40R50Unc
Watch the three-part Britain's Treasure Islands documentary series on BBC FOUR, starting Tue 12 Apr 2016 21:00. (repeated Wed 13 Apr 2016 20:00).
This mini-documentary follows the story of Ascension Island, a UK Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean. Ascension is a small, desolate volcanic island, yet it proved essential in the 19th century as an important victualing station for ships rounding the capes. The British garrisoned the island, built large forts and relied on the strongholds with vital supplies that could make or break round the world voyages. After Charles Darwin and Joseph Hooker visited the island, the two naturalists developed a radical idea - to create a man-made rainforest on Ascension's tallest cinder to create drinking water for the garrisoned soldiers. The experiment was a spectacular success, and by the 1870s, the dry volcanic desert had been transformed into a lush rainforest. We explore the legacy of the experiment, and the surprising use of planted Norfolk Island pines.
BritainsTreasureIslands.com
Please note: although complementary to the BBC FOUR series, the 40 short mini-documentaries are not commissioned or editorially overseen by BBC.
BRITAIN'S TREASURE ISLANDS - MINI-DOCUMENTARIES
Introduction
Overview of the UK Overseas Territories youtu.be/gl9As81DiDE
Filming the Britain’s Treasure Islands TV documentary series youtu.be/W2_yNNE-mCw
Stewart McPherson’s lecture at the Royal Geographical Society youtu.be/xOt93lM2F2I
Mini-documentaries about each of the UK Overseas Territories
Ascension Island – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/XpLeHUCuY8c
Saint Helena – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/qIsI6paJYZs
Tristan da Cunha – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/Fspkfxcrfwc
Falkland Islands – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/DzOIb4D8SQE
South Georgia – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/oHZUibDpWuk
British Antarctic Territory – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/_V88voefIQk
British Indian Ocean Territory – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/nnDKVZQhCbI
Pitcairn Islands – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/yJZQyhx13AA
Bermuda – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/oIxF74vcfzM
Cayman Islands – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/TrSetBtLAB8
British Virgin Islands – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/z1lvLLG1Csg
Montserrat – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/BFnetjV8W2c
Anguilla – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/Bf3E6pD1nHM
Turks and Caicos Islands – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/JR_vLHHCO10
Akrotiri and Dhekelia – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/t4vqTl3EozM
Gibraltar – wildlife and heritage youtu.be/F4ueaYy9TRM
Mini-documentaries about specific subjects on particular UK Overseas Territories
Ascension Island – natives and aliens youtu.be/F0xMAIFgPg4
Ascension Island – supplying the garrison youtu.be/8BUDEUwx0hE
Saint Helena – wirebird conservation youtu.be/dlXg5zrBIlA
Saint Helena – plant conservation youtu.be/bL-pAsNHLdY
Life on Tristan da Cunha – the World’s Most Remote Inhabited Island youtu.be/n4ElF8awm90
Tristan da Cunha – the Monster Mice of Gough Island youtu.be/wT14Q7pZJzo
Falkland Islands – Jimmy the ex-whaler youtu.be/alaCe4LbWyo
British Indian Ocean Territory – coconut crabs youtu.be/JCkNSWz-IDc
British Indian Ocean Territory – seabirds youtu.be/quksfCDxbGE
British Indian Ocean Territory – underwater youtu.be/cTJd_WW_NHI
Pitcairn Islands – Henderson Island’s wildlife youtu.be/6jK3As_VAjc
Life on Pitcairn Island – home of the descendants of the mutineers from HMS Bounty youtu.be/vPZHzfRXzjA
Mini-documentaries about systematic wildlife groups across all of the UK Overseas Territories
Terrestrial Invertebrates of the UK Overseas Territories youtu.be/16AuBMsI_GY
Amphibians and Reptiles of the UK Overseas Territories youtu.be/JrFeLvyJ0Io
Plants of the UK Overseas Territories youtu.be/JimYKMzLaqY
Mammals of the UK Overseas Territories youtu.be/lnthUbLaBFk
Birds of the UK Overseas Territories youtu.be/A0irRRrUbKk
Marine Life of the UK Overseas Territories youtu.be/Bu5TydBKFFo
Overview mini-documentaries
Conservation Lessons of the UKOTs youtu.be/8VIK87Gd134
Islands of Evolution youtu.be/dP7nFXkOg48
Overview of the Britain’s Treasure Islands book youtu.be/OYgKyuC3xVY
Shipping 5,000 books to all UK secondary schools COMING SOON
Overview of Britain’s Treasure Islands TV documentary series youtu.be/ynR40R50Unc
