A Road Trip and Outdoor Discovery Watch List | THIRTEEN
The flower of the giant water lily Victoria species, of the Brazilian Pantanal wetland, turns pink after it has been pollinated. See it on The Green Planet, hosted by Sir David Attenborough.
Three new television series featuring road trips and exploration of the great outdoors – in the U.S. and in seldom visited parts of the world – is premiering on your local PBS station, THIRTEEN. These weekly summer broadcasts livestream on Thirteen.org/live and are available to stream on-demand on Thirteen.org and the THIRTEEN Explore and PBS video apps, however you screen-travel. Returning travel adventure hosts are Sir David Attenborough and Steve Backshall and new to television are Baratunde Thurston and rapper Mona Haydar and her husband Sebastian Robins.
The breathtaking landscapes, unusual wildlife and little known history revealed in this lineup for July and August will motivate you to get your summer into full swing. Whether your plans involve hiking, biking, taking care of a garden or roadtripping, THIRTEEN is here to help jump-start your adventures.
America Outdoors With Baratunde Thurston
Tuesdays, July 5–August 9, 9 p.m.
American Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston premieres July 5.
America Outdoors With Baratunde Thurston is a six-part travel and adventure series, following the New York Times bestselling author (How to Be Black), podcaster (How to Citizen with Baratunde), former stand-up comic and outdoor enthusiast as he explores diverse regions across the U.S. and how those landscapes shape the way Americans work, play, and interact with the outdoors. Along the way, he meets a vivid cast of characters, from coal-miners-turned-beekeepers in Appalachia to Black surfers catching waves in Los Angeles. Watch clips and episodes.
The Great Muslim American Road Trip
Tuesdays, July 5-19, 10 p.m.
A millennial Muslim American couple – rapper Mona Haydar and her husband Sebastian Robins – hit the road on a cross-country journey along historic Route 66 to explore Islam’s deep roots in America. Highlights of The Great Muslim American Road Trip include a visit to the grave of a famous Syrian-born camel driver, discovering traces of America’s first Muslim explorer from the 1500s, and more.
Watch clips and episodes.
The Green Planet
Wednesdays, July 6–August 3, 8 p.m.
Sir David Attenborough on The Green Planet shoot.
The world’s favorite naturalist and frequent traveler Sir David Attenborough scours the globe to reveal the secret, incredible world of plants in the five-part series The Green Planet. Experience a plants-eye view of life in a rainforest, observe the amazing survival tactics of desert plants and that of the fascinating Venus Flytrap, and discover how humans are helping plants that are facing extinction. Between Attenborough’s wizened yet enthusiastic voice, the music soundtrack and the stunning visuals, a night of The Green Planet is worth the price of a movie ticket. See clips and episodes now.
Expedition With Steve Backshall
Wednesdays, July 6–August 10, 10 p.m.
In Expedition: Tracking the Mountain Ghost, Steve Backshall and experts explore the Djangart Valley in search of snow leopards, using camera trackers
The intrepid explorer and naturalist Steve Backshall is back with a second season of outdoor adventure. In six new episodes, he and his team dive with sharks along Mexico’s Pacific Coast, search for apes in Africa’s unexplored jungles, and more. Watch episodes, including Season 1.
GardenFit
Saturdays, 6:30 a.m.
GardenFit visit to Soul Fire Farm in Petersburg, New York, which focuses on food sovereignty and uses African traditional techniques.
Hold on, not so fast. Do you have all the outdoor adventure you need at home or in your community’s garden? Follow hosts Madeline Hooper, an expert gardener, and personal fitness trainer Jeff Hughes, as they help everyday gardeners take care of their bodies while taking care of the plants and flowers in their gardens. Watch now.
Fans of our Nature series can enjoy full episodes at pbs.org/nature and catch up on Season 1 of the Going Wild With Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant podcast (available free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast listening apps).
In Their Element: Earth, Air, Fire, Water (perilandpromise.org), a four-part digital Peril & Promise series, visits four Indigenous communities who respond to climate change impacts by building better lives and taking control of their futures.
Revisit Treasures of New York: Rails-to-Trails for fun bicycling trails along former railway lines and even over the mighty Hudson River.
