Overview

The Everglades is a water world — It’s the widest and slowest river in the United States. But in the heart of this great water body exist secret islands that have outsize importance for the cultural heritage of a people and for the biodiversity of this important wetland.

The charismatic beaver is more than a charming, vegetarian stream-dweller. it’s actually a master architect, capable of restoring rivers, bringing back dwindling fish populations and even preventing wildfire. Travel with host Joe Hanson to Central Oregon where a group of scientists set up a kind of beaver laboratory to learn more about the crepuscular creatures.

The Bonneville Salt Flats are perfect for speed. Every year, cars and motorcycles break land speed records on the flat expanse of the Bonneville Salt Flats. It’s been a tradition for more than a century, and racers have built a thriving community around the salt races. But how did these salt flats form, and why are they disappearing now?

Chicago is the third-largest city in the U.S., and one of the country’s most diverse. There’s a secret subculture here that’s growing larger by the year but lurks out of sight in shadow — coyotes! More than 4,000 of these canines prowl the streets of Chicago; you’ll even find them stalking amongst the skyscrapers of Michigan Avenue and busy Lake Shore Drive.

Why do dunes sing? Head into the mysterious world of sand with host Joe Hanson! Along the way we meet Dr. Melany Hunt and Dr. Nathalie Vriend who solved the longstanding mystery of why dunes sing.

It was the scene of the most cataclysmic natural disaster in American history, a place of unimaginable devastation. Today, the crater of Mt. St. Helens Volcano is experiencing a rebirth — it’s the site of the world’s newest glacier. Not only is it the newest, it’s also one of the few that’s growing. What’s behind its growth and how might it one day help scientists discover life on other planets?

Every spring, the beaches of Delaware Bay play host to one of the world’s wildest parties. Millions of prehistoric crabs (and hundreds of thousands of birds) converge here. These horseshoe crabs spend most of their lives in the ocean depths. But every May and June, their spindly little legs will carry them 60 miles or more to congregate on sandy beaches up and down the Atlantic coast.

Roller coasters have the power to heal. Host Joe Hanson explores the world of coasters, exploring the safety protocols ride engineers consider in designing them and the impact they have on the human body. We learn about how the experience of riding coasters can have positive impacts in our lives.

Cars dominate US city streets, and there’s no better example than Atlanta, GA. Streets in Atlanta are designed for getting cars around as fast as possible. The result? Pedestrian deaths in ATL are twice the national average. But the city is trying to change that, starting with Peachtree Street.

The ancient forests of the Pacific Northwest are home to giant trees and many secrets, which science is just beginning to understand. But these forests are at risk of disappearing. In British Columbia on First Nations territory, a small band of forest defenders are risking life and liberty to protect some of the last remaining ancient forests.

Corals all over the world are threatened by warming ocean temperatures. But 30 years of data show that reefs off the Florida Keys could protect themselves from rising temperatures if they weren’t also dealing with nutrient pollution coming from land. What’s weakening these corals? Sewage. And there’s something we can do about it.

Texas is an oil state, right? Yes! But it’s also a wind state. If Texas were a country it would be fifth in the world for wind energy generation. Take a trip through wind country with host Joe Hanson as he explores a wind farm in his home state of Texas.