California is by far America's most diverse state. It's a hotbed for diversity and relicts from the past. How do you generate such diversity, how has it been maintained and what can we learn from California's geologic history. Join Patrick for a look at the coasts, shrublands, deserts and mountains of San Diego County.
Like it or not, change has come to the Arctic. Join Patrick as he explores the dramatic changes happening today in this frozen tundra and how they might impact our everyday lives.
It was rice that built wealth in South Carolina - vast project of converting swamps to fields that was abandoned in the early 20th century. These fields have reverted to one of the most spectacular natural treasures in the South - havens for wildlife and wildflowers. Sometimes man's alterations can have positive consequences.
When you think of southern Arizona you probably don't think about prairies, moist Sycamore and maple forests, or lush oak and pine forests, but they are a huge part of southern Arizona. Join Patrick as he explores the unexpected and unusual diversity found in Arizona's sky islands.
Much of the diversity of southern Arizona is more Mexican than American. Political borders are changing biological movements and frontiers. Join Patrick as he explores the Mexican connection of American wildlife and challenges they face due to the border fence between the two countries.
The Southern Blue Ridge escarpment in South Carolina is often overlooked for the loftier peaks of the Appalachian spine but they are the diverse and resilient center of the eastern Deciduous forest. Join Patrick for an unforgettable journey through the "Blue Wall" of South Carolina.
Home to several unique plant species that exist nowhere else in the wild, the Southern Blue Ridge Escarpment is a haven for biodiversity. Waterfalls are aplenty in this region as well, with water playing a major role in the biome’s very existence. However, the Southern Blue Ridge Escarpment is undergoing changes to its habitat, some of which involve water, that forebode major transformations to come. Follow along as Patrick pays a visit to one of nature’s most remarkable melting pots in a region that truly is a crucible of life.
The state of Nebraska is the heart of the Great Plains, the heartland of the North American continent that is tied to every corner and every life. Join Patrick on an unforgettable voyage of discovery through this immense sea of grass as he explores the ever-changing tapestry of the Great Plains.
Imagine 30 million Bison sharing the plains with humans. In only a decade these massive herds were all but extinguished. Today Prairie Dogs, Black-footed Ferrets and Kit Foxes are the endangered species living on the plains of the American West. Join Patrick as he journeys into the prairie with researchers who are trying to change the fate of those that are on the verge of becoming ghosts.
Few places can inspire a naturalist as much as Roan Mountain, located on the border of Tennesse and North Carolina. The crown jewels of this highland are its grassy balds, vast treeless grasslands that are reminiscent of prairies. They shelter many rare and endangered species and connect man to the natural world. Join Patrick as he explores the grassy balds, the heart of Roan.
Birds migrate huge distances from wintering grounds. Frogs call from wetlands. Deer and elk battle with anglers as weapons. What is the point of all of this? Every spring, thousands of species participate in rites with a single goal in mind: breeding. Join Patrick as he explores the amazing, and often bizarre rituals of many creatures across the continent.
There are very few places that we think of as more inhospitable than a hot humid tropical forest, but they are incredibly intriguing. This forest is not only diverse but you can see animals such as Ocellated Turkeys, Spider Monkeys, and a diversity of tropical birds much easier than you can in much of the remaining forest in Central America. Join Patrick as he explores the Mayan Forest.
Belize is the smallest country in Central America both in size and population. Nearly 75% of the forests here still stand. But this place has been impacted by man for thousands of years and despite that it still harbors incredible diversity. Join Patrick as he explores Central America's last best chance, Belize, a land of resilience.
This is a very special bit of land, it is a destination for millions...of visiting animals! Dolphins, sea turtles, Seabirds, shorebirds, even Piping Plovers, Curlew and Red Knots use this place. Most stay for part of the year and then move on to other lands but without this place of refuge they may not survive. Join Patrick as he explores Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge.
The Ivorybill Woodpecker is a legend in the Southern swamps, but for years it was thought to be only that, a legend. Recently a small glimmer of hope has emerged to suggest that the largest woodpecker in North America might still haunt the floodplain forests of the South. Join Patrick as he explores the wild bottomland forests in a quest to find evidence of the "Lord God Bird," the Ivorybill.
When you think about prairie you probably at least indirectly think about grazing. If you think about cattle or cowboys, you're thinking about grazing. Grazing has been an integral part of what has happened in the Great Plains for eons. The web of life here revolves around the biology of Bison. Join Patrick as he seeks to find out if there is a place for a true American on the plains, the Bison.
Is it possible to enjoy a steak and at the same time heal the weary Great Plains? Ranchers today must break the law to conserve the prairie on their own property. Join Patrick as he visits a ranch in western Kansas where a landowner is fighting to keep his prairie dogs, without which black-footed ferrets, burrowing owls, ferruginous hawks, mountain plovers and swift foxes might soon disappear.
The lofty peaks of the Blue Ridge rise like islands in the sky. They provide unique habitats that act as ecological islands generating diversity and preserving fragments of the past. No peak has a more prominent position or poignant story than this one. Join Patrick as he takes a unique look at a very familiar place, Grandfather Mountain.
During a time when development reigns supreme in the Southeast, few places still exist where wild areas are conserved intact. With over 350,000 acres of protected land, the ACE Basin of South Carolina offers one of the best and largest pieces of protected land on the Atlantic coast. Join Patrick as he explores the seaside habitats and wetlands of the magnificent ACE Basin.
What happens when large pieces of land are conserved? Amazingly enough, what we find is a congregation of some of the rarest plants and animals seen anywhere. Large, intact sections of protected habitat bring common and seldom-seen organisms alike, and many depend on this area for some or all of the year. Long-distance migrants, beautiful songbirds and even the ubiquitous and often less-revered creatures all need this habitat to survive. We, in turn, are afforded an excellent opportunity to see not only the organisms that we know well, but also those that occur nowhere else in our area. Join Patrick and Matt Johnson as they continue to visit the beautiful coastal properties of the ACE Basin.
Join Patrick as he explores the Florida Scrub, one of the most unique and endangered habitats in North America. A place that is filled with bizarre plants and animals found nowhere else, some of which look as though they come straight from science fiction. As we learn about each species' engaging stories and histories, the history of Florida itself emerges.
One of the most unique and fascinating places on the planet is also one of the most endangered. Legless lizards that swim through the sand, giant Indigo Snakes, burrowing tortoises and brilliant jays all depend on this fragments of scrub that remain. Join Patrick as he explores whether a collaboration of science and will can save the scrub.
Table Rock is one of the most recognizable and most visited landmarks in the southern Blue Ridge. Join Patrick as he traverses rock outcrops in search of 10,000 year old Native American petroglyphs, explores one of the world's most unique wetlands and discovers the surprising life hidden in the recesses of the mountain's craggy rock.
Few creatures capture our attention and admiration more than hummingbirds. These miniature jeweled treasures move at mind-boggling speeds but also have the power to shape and change our world. Join Patrick as he explores the lives and biology of these creatures using high-tech technologies to uncover the secret lives of these little birds that live life in fast-forward.
While the island of Avalon is purely mythical, in theory, its essence does indeed exist on the picturesque island of Catalina that is quaintly nestled off of the southern coast of California. Boasting a remarkable plethora of wildlife, Catalina Island is a wildlife sanctuary in every sense of the term. Journey with Patrick as he navigates the breathtaking landscape of this unique island.
Catalina once played host to a native population that utilized Catalina's intricate landscape. The island has faced its share of tribulations, though, mostly due to the introductions of disease and environmental hindrances from various non-native species. Join Patrick as he discovers firsthand just how incredible the success story of Catalina Island and its inhabitants truly is.
One of the most misunderstood regions of North America, the Trans-Pecos, is not a desolate expanse of nothingness like commonly thought. In fact, it is a melting pot of several different biomes. Come along with Patrick as he explores the Trans-Pecos during its peak time of year, monsoon season, and discovers all of the wonders that Texas' natural melting pot has to offer.
On top of being a hotspot for biodiversity, the West Texas region of the Trans-Pecos is a constantly evolving landscape. Boasting a remarkable array of flora and fauna, the Trans-Pecos is home to several species unique to that particular area. Tune in as Patrick draws attention to the spectacular vegetation that calls the Trans-Pecos home.
Life in the alpine is existing on the fringe. It's hard to believe that life could persist here, let alone flourish. From beautiful alpine flowers to mountain goats and the shy pika, life is abundant. Join Patrick as he explores just how life thrives in the Colorado Rockies, the rooftop of America.
When you think of the Rocky Mountains you probably picture a wilderness that is far removed from our influence. It turns out that may not be the case. Life is changing here from the alpine lakes to fragile tundra life to the mighty forests of the mountain slopes. Join Patrick as he explores the challenges and changes that are happening in the Colorado Rockies.
This is a place that few of us will ever visit. It's packed with biodiversity. Many of the plants and animals that are found here can be found no place else in the United States and their future is tied to a connection with Mexico, here on the border. Join Patrick as he explores a land of Green Jays and Plain Chachalacas in South Texas.
How important is the border region to the ebb and flow of life in your backyard? How important is it to our natural heritage? Do the birds you enjoy or the waterfowl you pursue need this place to survive? Join Patrick as he explores the connections to your backyard on the volatile border region of South Texas.
How many youngsters become fascinated with nature by playing in mud puddles catching tadpoles and frogs? I did. Today, all around the globe, these harbingers of spring are disappearing at an alarming rate. Join Patrick in a race across the region, through the seasons, and against time, to uncover the most secretive, strange, and seldom seen frogs in the Southeast.
The Clemson Experimental Forest is over 17,000 acres of woodland and pastoral agricultural land surrounded by a suburban and agricultural landscape in the piedmont of South Carolina. It doesn't boast lofty summits, towering waterfalls or rushing rivers but it does contain a world-class diversity of plants and animals that is difficult to surpass in the highly modified piedmont landscape.
Today, the Clemson Forest is over 17,000 acres of lovely, pristine-looking woodland and pastoral landscape. But seventy years ago this landscape was an ecological disaster. Join Patrick as he explores the unique and rare plants and animals and the changes that led from catastrophe to the restoration of the vibrant world-class ecosystem and working outdoor classroom that is the Clemson Forest.
The once vast Longleaf Pine woodlands once dominated the South with their green, open and grassy expanses. Today this is one of the rarest habitats on the planet reduced to just two percent of its historic extent. Join Patrick as he explores a land filled with some of the strangest plants and animals anywhere in the Appalchicola National Forest, a land kissed by fire.
It seems that no matter where we look we can find evidence of man shaping the world around him. Fire is essential for the existence of the longleaf pine woodland, one of the rarest and most interesting habitats on the planet. Join Patrick as he continues to explore the incredible and strange life that makes its home here in the heart of the longleaf empire in the Francis Marion National Forest.