It Looks Like a Desert. But It Has Thousands of Lakes

From PBS Terra. Lençóis Maranhenses sits at the intersection of three biomes—a rare overlap that supercharges biodiversity. Across 350 square miles of dunes, the rainy season brings thousands of crystal blue lagoons into view, many big enough to swim in. What makes this surreal environment possible? And why, even after 2 million years in existence,…

Mushrooms Can Eat Metal?!

From PBS Terra. Environmental scientist Danielle Stevenson is pioneering an alternative to the costly “dig-and-dump” approach that simply moves contaminated soil elsewhere. At fire sites across California, Danielle is harnessing fungi and native plants through a process called mycoremediation—using nature itself to break down pollutants, pull heavy metals from the ground, and help devastated landscapes…

Scientists Agree We’ve Crossed Our FIRST Tipping Point… But It’s NOT What You Think

From PBS Terra. Check out our merch here! https://www.youtube.com/pbsterra/store Scientists just released the 2025 Global Tipping Points Report. And they say we’ve already crossed our first major tipping point, but it’s not what you think. From melting ice sheets to collapsing ocean currents, these sudden, irreversible changes could reshape the planet in ways we can’t…

How are hurricanes hitting ALASKA now?

From PBS Terra. Typhoon Halon, a strong tropical cyclone recently hit into Alaska. But if tropical storms are supposed to be, well, TROPICAL storms – how did it head as far north as Alaska? And what more could’ve been done to prepare for the damage? Weathered is a show hosted by weather expert Maiya May…

The continent that’s tearing itself apart

From PBS Terra. Nothing to worry about, but for the last 30 or so million years now, the African continent has been slowly splitting apart to form a new ocean. Let’s talk about how this and other epic geologic shift may have actually helped shape the evolution of modern humans. ***** PBS Member Stations rely…

Why Did America’s Chestnut Disappear?

From PBS Terra. American chestnut trees fed wildlife, built homes, and sustained communities… until billions vanished, leaving eastern forests forever changed. But hope remains in the millions of sprouts that still cling to life, and in the science working to restore them. Human Footprint host Shane Campbell-Staton meets Sara Fern Fitzsimmons in Pennsylvania to uncover…

Wildfires Poison the Soil. This Scientist Has a Way To Heal It

From PBS Terra. Wildfires don’t just burn homes—they leave behind a toxic legacy. When cars, buildings, and everyday materials go up in flames, they release heavy metals, asbestos, dioxins, and other contaminants that seep into soil and water, threatening communities long after the smoke clears. Environmental scientist Danielle Stevenson is pioneering an alternative to the…

The hidden cause of the life expectancy gap

From PBS Terra. Why do people living in the Southeastern United States die about a decade earlier on average than other Americans? New research reveals a hidden toll that’s been overlooked for decades: hurricanes. Weathered is a show hosted by weather expert Maiya May and produced by Balance Media that helps explain the most common…

Did we just witness a ONCE IN A LIFETIME event?

From PBS Terra. When two hurricanes get really close, it creates a phenomenon called the Fujiwhara Effect, where they essentially start to orbit each other, attracted by their massive low pressure systems. And in the case of Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda, affecting each other’s path… Weathered is a show hosted by weather expert Maiya May…

California’s Deadliest Body of Water

From PBS Terra. Once celebrated as a desert paradise, the Salton Sea lured boaters, swimmers, and vacationers from across California. Now, it’s a chemical soup evaporating under the desert sun and leaving behind toxic dust storms. Shane Campbell-Staton, host of Human Footprint, roams around the toxic wasteland with community advocate Luis Olmedo, navigating how decades…

Something weird happened to these trees…

From PBS Terra. At Petrified Forest National Park, what were once towering trees have turned into stone, preserving a look into life from over 200 million years ago. These fossilized forests and ancient ecosystems tell a story of survival and resilience during one of Earth’s most extreme periods of environmental change.