Mongabay’s 10 most popular videos of 2022

Here we rewatch the top 10 favorite videos of 2022 on Mongabay’s YouTube channel.
Indigenous communities and wildlife are among the main characters of the most-watched videos of the past year.
Mongabay launched two new video series called “Chasing Deforestation” and “Consumed.”

2022 has been full of exciting projects for Mongabay. We covered unique stories, met charismatic characters, and traveled all over the planet through our videos. To celebrate our successes and thank everyone we’ve collaborated with, here is our list of Mongabay’s top 10 videos of 2022.
Top three videos of the year

Animals stole our hearts for another year, as they claimed the top three spots during 2022.

1. How Indigenous values inspired the largest network of wildlife crossings in the USA

A story of cooperation between the new and old takes home the gold. If you’re curious about how a group of Indigenous people prevented the construction of an additional highway line in their reserve, which led to the largest network of wildlife crossings in the United States, you won’t want to miss this video:

2. Wild bison roam England once again

Bison in England? Although unusual, the residents of a small village just 100 kilometers (60 miles) from London were surprised at the arrival of these mythical giants. The wild European bison, which were introduced from Scotland and Ireland, were released this past summer:

3. How unlicensed fishers in Costa Rica are helping to control the invasive lionfish

Lionfish are an invasive species throughout parts of their range, and their mismanagement by fisheries authorities is a problem for many fishers. However, the inhabitants of Punta Uva in Costa Rica have not been indifferent to the threats of this predator. They decided to join a group of scientists not only to control their population, but also to benefit from this fish:

Best of…

Throughout 2022, Mongabay has focused on several series that have been critical in sharing objective, fact-based journalism with the public. We’ve been able to expand our well-known Mongabay Explains and Candid Animal Cam series, as well as launched new shows such as Problem Solved, Chasing Deforestation, and Consumed.

This year we wanted to provide even more value to our audience, so we launched live Mongabay Webinars to inform journalists and others about key environmental topics and how to report on them. So these are the winners in each category:

4. Mongabay Explains: Could aerosols be a good thing against climate change?

Aerosols come in many shapes and sizes. Normally they go unnoticed, but this year they’ve been the stars of Mongabay Explains. They can drift in the atmosphere as spores of pollen, sand blown off arid land, or as black carbon. Discover how aerosols are changing our world in this episode:

5. Candid Animal Cam: It’s not a cat, it’s the African civet

If you love wildlife, conservation, and the environment, you’ll want to keep up with Candid Animal Cam for the latest videos of your favorite animals. Who knows what animals we’ll catch next year? In 2022, the African civet was the star of this Mongabay series:

6. Problem Solved: Will having fewer kids save the climate?

Are you also struggling with deciding whether or not to have children, given the current environmental landscape? If so, our latest episode of Problem Solved is a must-see, in which we explore this question in a very personal way. If you haven’t seen it yet, watch it and let us know what you think:

7. Chasing Deforestation: How did a religious group take over part of the Amazon?

Just a few months ago, we traveled to the Peruvian Amazon where a deeply conservative Christian group, known as Mennonites, have been illegally deforesting land and encroaching into Indigenous territories. Watch this episode of Chasing Deforestation to learn about the full situation on the ground:

8. Consumed: What is the environmental impact of cocaine?

Have you ever wondered about the environmental impacts of the products around us? With Consumed, we tried to find the answers. This year, one of the most consumed products is also the one that’s attracted the most views: cocaine. Follow its trail from source to user to environment in this episode:

9. Mongabay Webinars: How to cover the illegal wildlife trade

The Mongabay Webinars have been a great success this year. If you want to get started or improve your skills as an environmental journalist, these live events are for you. In 2022, how to cover the illegal wildlife trade was the event that attracted the most attention among our followers. The live webinar was recorded and uploaded to our channel where you can watch it at any time: