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america-outdoors-with-baratunde-thurston

Los Angeles: It’s a Vibe

Minnesota: A Better World

Minnesota: A Better World

What does the wild mean to Americans today? To find out, Baratunde journeys into Minnesota’s Arrowhead Region, one of the last places where you can hike or paddle your way into the remote wilderness. From passionate birders to harvesters of wild rice, he encounters a fascinating cast of characters—

Los Angeles: It’s a Vibe

Los Angeles: It’s a Vibe

Baratunde explores his adopted hometown of Los Angeles to learn how Angelinos connect with the outdoors in their sprawling city. From kayakers saving a polluted river to urban gardens nourishing a community, and Black surfers claiming their place on the waves - even as climate change brings on the sharks

Idaho: Tied to the Land

Idaho: Tied to the Land

Life on the American frontier is evolving. To find out how, and what it means, Baratunde Thurston ventures into the wilds of Idaho in search of its outdoor culture. He finds ranchers and backcountry pilots sharing the wilderness with newly resettled refugees, and sees how climate change is playing havoc

Death Valley: Life Blooms

Death Valley: Life Blooms

It’s the hottest place on Earth, but Death Valley is remarkably full of life. Baratunde Thurston seeks out the extremes of this national park and finds an outdoor mecca for those who embrace its heat, isolation, and natural beauty. Meet an ultra-marathoner who runs in the brutal heat of

Suwannee: Wild River

Suwannee: Wild River

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

Appalachia: A Different Way

Appalachia: A Different Way

Appalachia may seem like a place locked in time, but its people know a thing or two about change, especially when it comes to the outdoors. Baratunde meets the people driving a revolution in how we see and interact with nature, from a record-breaking hiker, to a 21st century forager

Maine: Embrace the Cold

Maine: Embrace the Cold

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

New Mexico: Timeless

New Mexico: Timeless

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

Arkansas: Hidden Gems

Arkansas: Hidden Gems

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

Minnesota: A Better World

Minnesota: A Better World

What does the wild mean to Americans today? To find out, Baratunde journeys into Minnesota’s Arrowhead Region, one of the last places where you can hike or paddle your way into the remote wilderness. From passionate birders to harvesters of wild rice, he encounters a fascinating cast of characters—

Los Angeles: It’s a Vibe

Los Angeles: It’s a Vibe

Baratunde explores his adopted hometown of Los Angeles to learn how Angelinos connect with the outdoors in their sprawling city. From kayakers saving a polluted river to urban gardens nourishing a community, and Black surfers claiming their place on the waves - even as climate change brings on the sharks

Idaho: Tied to the Land

Idaho: Tied to the Land

Life on the American frontier is evolving. To find out how, and what it means, Baratunde Thurston ventures into the wilds of Idaho in search of its outdoor culture. He finds ranchers and backcountry pilots sharing the wilderness with newly resettled refugees, and sees how climate change is playing havoc

Death Valley: Life Blooms

Death Valley: Life Blooms

It’s the hottest place on Earth, but Death Valley is remarkably full of life. Baratunde Thurston seeks out the extremes of this national park and finds an outdoor mecca for those who embrace its heat, isolation, and natural beauty. Meet an ultra-marathoner who runs in the brutal heat of

Suwannee: Wild River

Suwannee: Wild River

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

Appalachia: A Different Way

Appalachia: A Different Way

Appalachia may seem like a place locked in time, but its people know a thing or two about change, especially when it comes to the outdoors. Baratunde meets the people driving a revolution in how we see and interact with nature, from a record-breaking hiker, to a 21st century forager

Maine: Embrace the Cold

Maine: Embrace the Cold

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

New Mexico: Timeless

New Mexico: Timeless

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

Arkansas: Hidden Gems

Arkansas: Hidden Gems

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

Collecting Wild Rice in Northern Minnesota

Collecting Wild Rice in Northern Minnesota

Baratunde journeys into northern Minnesota, one of the last places where you can hike or paddle your way into the remote wilderness. Along the way, he meets a fascinating cast of characters and finds out why remote places are so important.

How Do You Make the Outdoors Accessible?

How Do You Make the Outdoors Accessible?

Baratunde meets the people driving a revolution in how we see and interact with nature, from a record-breaking hiker, to a 21st century forager to former coal miners working with bees and advocates working to make the outdoors accessible to everyone.

Understory | The Scientist Surfing to Fight Climate Change

Understory | The Scientist Surfing to Fight Climate Change

Baratunde Thurston meets Cliff Kapono, a Native Hawaiian who is using both science and surfing - or rather, his surfer’s understanding of the ocean - to protect coral reefs around the world. Cliff also discusses how surfing, coral reef restoration, and science are all intertwined and woven into his

Understory | Meet the Suburban Deer Hunters of Long Island

Understory | Meet the Suburban Deer Hunters of Long Island

Baratunde Thurston meets Jacqueline Molina, a member of a new group of hunters embracing the sport. Her weapon of choice is a bow & arrow, and while some of the reasons why she hunts are rooted in tradition, others are related to conservation. Deer overpopulation is a big problem in

Understory | The Fossil Hunter Uncovering Florida’s Past

Understory | The Fossil Hunter Uncovering Florida’s Past

Baratunde Thurston meets Jonathan Valentine who dives, digs, and searches for fossils all over Florida. Some of his discoveries include Megalodon Shark teeth, American Mastodon molars, and even an extinct Rhino tooth. But fossil hunting in Florida is more than just a hobby. It’s also a way citizens can

Understory | How the Houseplant Boom Fueled Plant Poaching

Understory | How the Houseplant Boom Fueled Plant Poaching

Baratunde Thurston meets Stephen Camp, an all-around plant lover, who became a plant parent during the Pandemic. Houseplants have brought him much joy and allowed him to remain connected to nature even within the confines of his home. It's also exposed him to the illegal plant trade. With

Understory | Climate Change's Effects on Vermont Flooding

Understory | Climate Change's Effects on Vermont Flooding

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

Understory | Can Dam Demolition Save California's Salmon?

Understory | Can Dam Demolition Save California's Salmon?

A hundred years ago the Klamath River was dammed and diverted, changing the landscape and the salmon population. Now, those same dams are being torn down. What will letting the river run wild mean for the water, the fish and the people who live there?

Understory | Can Ancient Wisdom Save the Forests?

Understory | Can Ancient Wisdom Save the Forests?

Forests are in trouble from climate change and being harvested faster than we can replenish them. But an indigenous community in Wisconsin is setting an example for a better way and traditional knowledge could be the answer to saving our trees.

Understory | The Movement to Save Our Night Skies

Understory | The Movement to Save Our Night Skies

Explore one town’s mission to become a Dark Sky Community, while researchers discover how darkness is not just important to experience the wonders of the cosmos - it’s vital to maintain healthy ecosystems and save the migrations of America’s birds.