Science and Nature

America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston

AMERICA OUTDOORS with BARATUNDE THURSTON returns with a brand-new season as the best-selling writer, podcaster and comedian travels the country to uncover our complex relationship with the outdoors. From biologists saving snapping turtles to BIPOC mountain bikers, Baratunde meets a fascinating cast of characters with one thing in common: a passion for being outside.

Understory | Climate Change's Effects on Vermont Flooding

13m

In Vermont, summer is supposed to be about picnics, wild blueberries and maple creamies. And that’s how it was in 2023, until the floods came. In the hottest July since we started keeping records, the rain didn’t stop for two days, dropping more than nine inches of rain on some cities. And Montpelier, the state capitol, was fighting for its life.

Episodes

  • Maine: Embrace the Cold: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Maine: Embrace the Cold

    S2 E6 - 53m 11s

    With its magnificent coastline and densely wooded interior, Maine is a place where outdoor adventure has a long history, and a love of wilderness starts in childhood. Baratunde meets a Mainer reviving the timeless craft of harvesting ice, straps on snowshoes to understand how being outside can help folks recovering from addiction and takes an icy plunge in the winter ocean to embrace the cold.

  • Utah: Choose Your Path: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Utah: Choose Your Path

    S2 E5 - 53m 28s

    From paragliding over the Great Salt Lake to canyon climbing to discovering the science behind nature’s healing powers, Baratunde journeys west to find out what modern day pilgrims are seeking in Utah’s outdoor spaces.

  • Oregon: New Heights: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Oregon: New Heights

    S2 E4 - 53m 8s

    From scaling ancient trees to spearfishing in underwater kelp forests to rollerblading through Portland with an Indigenous roller derby team, Baratunde dives into the variety that defines the outdoors in Oregon.

  • New Mexico: Timeless: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    New Mexico: Timeless

    S2 E3 - 53m 1s

    New Mexico was first inhabited by Ancient Puebloans millennia ago, and some of the most stunning ruins on the continent can be found here. From turkey hunting to river rafting on the Rio Grande and ancient pueblos built in alignment with the stars, Baratunde explores how the area’s deep history still shapes the outdoor culture, even as people there are reimagining their outdoor lives.

  • Arkansas: Hidden Gems: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Arkansas: Hidden Gems

    S2 E2 - 53m 6s

    In Arkansas, just about everyone you meet is into the outdoors, yet to many outside the state it barely registers as an outdoor destination. Now, it’s on a mission to earn recognition as a wild mecca. Baratunde heads south to find out why this hidden gem has stayed hidden for so long, and how its outdoor culture is changing.

  • Suwannee: Wild River: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Suwannee: Wild River

    S2 E1 - 53m 8s

    The Suwannee is one of the last wild rivers in America, and its watershed creates woods and wetlands, marshes, and cave systems. From its headwaters in the Okefenokee Swamp, Baratunde journeys downstream, meeting colorful denizens of the Suwannee. From jet skiers to herpetologists, manatees to snapping turtles, he learns how this unique environment inspires a whole range of passions.

Extras + Features

  • Jumping in with Ice Mermaids: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Jumping in with Ice Mermaids

    S2 E6 - 6m 4s

    Baratunde learns to embrace the cold by taking a winter ocean swim with some of Maine's Ice Mermaids.

  • Traveling down the Rio Grande: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Traveling down the Rio Grande

    S2 E3 - 2m 46s

    Baratunde goes rafting down the Rio Grande with Louie Hena and learns about the importance of the river.

  • Baratunde Visits Elaine Arkansas: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Baratunde Visits Elaine Arkansas

    S2 E2 - 7m 2s

    While biking on the Delta Heritage Trail, Baratunde stops in Elaine, Arkansas to talk about their history and how they are using the outdoors to heal.

  • Night Herping in the Suwannee: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Night Herping in the Suwannee

    S2 E1 - 5m 30s

    Baratunde Thurston goes night herping with wildlife biologist Mario Aldecoa along the Suwannee River in Florida and finds a friendly rat snake.

  • Series Preview: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Series Preview

    S2 - 32s

    AMERICA OUTDOORS with BARATUNDE Thurston returns with a brand-new season as the best-selling writer, podcaster and comedian travels the country to uncover our complex relationship with the outdoors. From biologists saving snapping turtles to BIPOC mountain bikers, Baratunde meets a fascinating cast of characters with one thing in common: a passion for being outside.

Schedule

  • Image
    America Outdoors With Baratunde Thurston: Maine: Embrace the Cold: TVSS: Iconic

    America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston

    Maine: Embrace the Cold

    Sunday
    Oct 13

    1 Hour

    With its coastline and densely wooded interior, Maine has a long history of outdoor adventure that even the brutal winters can't deter.
  • Image
    America Outdoors With Baratunde Thurston: Suwannee: Wild River: TVSS: Iconic

    America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston

    Suwannee: Wild River

    Sunday
    Oct 20

    1 Hour

    From jet skiers to herpetologists, manatees to snapping turtles, the wild Suwannee River inspires a whole range of passions.

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