To celebrate Earth Day, The Disney Company is really raising the bar and announced today the creation of its own studio, Disneynature, to produce nature documentaries. I know. Super rad. Like, amazingly awesome. Basically, Disney was all like, “Oh, really, NBC, you’re doing a whole week of green programming? Isn’t that special. We’re launching a new studio. With movies and everything. Eat it.” From the press release:

The Walt Disney Studios is launching Disneynature, a prestigious new production banner that will literally go to the ends of the earth to produce major big screen nature documentaries, Studios Chairman Dick Cook announced.

Hell and yes. This is exciting stuff. And it gets even better.

Among the first films to be released domestically under the new label will be Earth, from award-winning British producer/director Alastair Fothergill, whose credits include the landmark Planet Earth series for the BBC and The Discovery Channel and The Blue Planet. Earth, which is produced by BBC Worldwide and Greenlight Media and co-directed by Mark Linfield, will take us on a tour of our home planet as we’ve never seen it before. It will be narrated by renowned actor James Earl Jones and will premiere theatrically on Earth Day, April 22, 2009.

Big Cats, Chimpanzee, Orangutans: One Minute to Midnight, and Oceans are a few of the titles planned for release by 2012. I, for one, didn’t think Disney could get much more exciting than the Indiana Jones ride and Toy Story 3 (and I say neither of those things ironically. I have a season pass to Disneyland and I own the Toy Story box set. And yes, I am a mid-20’s straight male. Don’t give me that look).

But bringing Disney production value to nature subjects is a great way to introduce the younger generations to that which is worth saving. And I’m positive it’s going to look stunning. I’m officially geeking out. By all means, here and check out Disneynature’s website. It will seriously get you really excited about this. I can’t even make a joke right now. I just don’t know if I can wait a year for this to happen.