WaterBear Network: The New Streaming Service Dubbed ‘Netflix For Nature’

By Megan O’Neill

After its launch in December 2020, WaterBear has become the first interactive streaming platform dedicated to the future of our planet.

The service is planning to take the world by storm - not literally, you understand, but climate is very important to them – so let me explain who they are.

Following their mantra, ‘Watch, Connect, Take Action,’ WaterBear has built a streaming service around sustainability, climate action, biodiversity, communities, and so much more. The service provides access to inspirational content that empowers its members to learn more and take action for a more sustainable future. 

The Netflix-style streaming service was named after the microscopic sea creatures, technically known as Tardigrades, but informally named ‘Water Bears’. The eight-legged micro-animals are said to be the most resilient animals and are basically indestructible as they can survive extreme weather conditions - even outer-space!

It’s so prettyyyy… the tardigrade, aka water bear. [Image: sciencemag.org]

The free online platform features original content and curated climate documentaries inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Produced by the team behind the award-winning Netflix documentary My Octopus Teacher, the first WaterBear original film titled Africa’s Hidden Seaforest uses unseen footage from said Netflix documentary. Africa’s Hidden Seaforest was co-produced with partner NGO, the Sea Change Project, and delves deeper into nature’s healing powers while simultaneously exploring carbon sequestration below the ocean.

Other short film examples include Turning the Tide on Plastic, produced by non-profit Clear Rivers, that shows how 80% of plastic waste enters the ocean via rivers; and The Black Jaguar’s Amazon, which investigates the devastating deforestation of the world’s largest rainforest. 

The streaming service has quickly built a support system of over 80 non-profit organisations (NGOs), including Greenpeace, WWF, Conservation International, Africa Parks, Lonely Whale, and the Jane Goodall Institute.

For their part, Greenpeace said “WaterBear will inspire action by sharing our planet’s beauty and complexity,” while Circle Economy stated “WaterBear is a great example of technology used for good and how we can take action to change the course we are on.”

As well as this, celebrities have been eager to become brand ambassadors including Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex; actresses Lily Cole and Maisie Williams; and ornithologist and campaigner for equal rights Mya-Rose Craig.

WaterBear’s CEO, Ellen Windemuth, highlights that the interactive nature of the platform is essential for its success with getting an audience involved. Windemuth speaks about how crucial storytelling is for driving action in a positive way. “For many of us, the magnitude of the climate crisis can be overwhelming, but WaterBear hopes to inspire people to action and not feel helpless. [We want to] make films that are not apocalyptic, but give people a handle on what's happening.”

Ms Windemuth added: “Nothing matters more to me than training a young generation of talented storytellers to create more inspiration and excitement around those values that will give our children a better future."

Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, supports the new streaming service, WaterBear, which will make environmental documentaries (Image: WATERBEAR)

The Duke of Sussex, president of partnering NGO Africa Parks, voiced his support for WaterBear stating, “For me it’s about putting the dos behind the says, and that is something that WaterBear is going to be doing: capitalising on a community of doers. There’s a lot of people that say, but this is about action.”

Prince Harry continued his interview by saying “somebody said to me at the beginning of the pandemic, it’s almost as though Mother Nature has sent us to our rooms for bad behaviour to really take a moment and think about what we’ve done”. 

What’s coming next?

WaterBear is still very much in the early stages after only a few weeks since the launch, so what can we expect next?

The platform is currently available in eight countries: the Netherlands, UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

With a combined reach of 25 million viewers, the representatives will actively assist in content creation for the site as well as being interviewed for The Bear Hug, WaterBear’s upcoming original interview series. The Bear Hug will be hosted by WaterBear’s head of strategy Sam Sutaria and is set to debut in 2021.

With the mantra ‘Watch, Connect, Take Action’, WaterBear provides much more than documentaries and films. Members have the opportunity to connect with over 80 organisations on the same mission to save the planet by exploring content from each organisation and the ground-breaking work being done. This is a coalition of knowledge that hasn’t been offered before. WaterBear also gives members the facilities to donate, volunteer, and engage directly with sustainability and climate related issues.

Windemuth says that over the course of next year WaterBear will be focussing specifically on four key areas: biodiversity, climate, circularity, and community. New content is added weekly for members and can be accessed from the mobile app or online. As it is a free service, it is very simple to join the community.

“At WaterBear we believe in collaboration, local and global partnerships, and using the power of inspirational storytelling, networking, and technology to reach and inspire as many people around the world as possible to act (in a small or big way) to make a positive difference to the world we live in,” Victor Eckard, WaterBear’s managing director stated. “WaterBear represents the collective vision of millions of people around the world that believe there is hope and that the future is full of opportunities to make the world a better place,”

It is too early to determine the success of WaterBear after only a few weeks since its launch but with the huge support it’s already generating, 2021 looks set to be a promising year for the team and it will be interesting to see their progress both with WaterBear and The Bear Hug.