Xploration Awesome Planet

We head to a winter wonderland in Banff, Alberta, Canada. Philippe joins the avalanche safety team at Ski Lake Louise as they show a few different ways of avalanche control including dynamite blasts on the mountain. We then head to the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise for a snowshoeing expedition. And finally we look at the dynamics of ice while climbing a frozen waterfall.

We look at different examples of cultural science. Starting off in Hawaii, Philippe paddles out on a 6-man canoe during a lesson in early Hawaiian navigation. Then it's off to Florida to join members of the Seminole tribe who show us different uses of plants as tools and food in the harsh terrain of the everglades. We wrap things up in the Pacific Northwest looking at the Suquamish tribe.

This week we head to the bright sunshine and clear waters of the Bahamas. Philippe will start off getting up close underwater with Great Hammerhead sharks. Then we join a professional freediver to get a look at the world's deepest saltwater blue hole. After that it's into the mangroves to see how local researchers have been tracking baby lemon sharks for decades.

This week we look to debunk a few predatory myths from our oceans to deserts. We join the shark research team at the University of Miami for two days of shark studies--first right by the city skyline and then further out to sea. We then head to Florida where Philippe will visit an antivenom lab home to hundreds of venomous snakes. We also see how venomous snakes use defense mechanisms to scare.

The week from oceans to mountains we follow the paths of animal migrations. We start in Hawaii as Philippe joins a humpback whale research team to get up close and in the water with these majestic animals that swim thousands of miles each year to and from Alaska. Then it's into the rocky mountains to see how Jackson, Wyoming accommodates thousands of elk that migrate to this area each winter.

See how we can save our planet. We start at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation center in North Carolina as Philippe gets a tour of this incredible facility. We then head to the beach where dozens of sea turtles are released back into the wild. In the Pacific Ocean, Trilogy Excursions leads regular coral reef cleaning to preserve the ecosystems there.

This week we visit South Carolina. Philippe joins the Department of Natural Resources to tag tiger sharks in Port Royal Sound. Then we head inland for a hike to find wild venus fly traps. From there it's back to the shoreline of Port Royal Sound to examine ecosystem indicators through three different species of crab. Finally Congaree National Park is home to the largest hardwood forest in the US.

Host Philippe Cousteau looks at new ways of cultivating fresh, nutritious food.  He visits a farm in Los Angeles where they grow food on a parking lot, just to show that fresh food can be grown in an urban environment.  We also look into what distinguishes fruits from vegetables.  The results can be surprising.  And then we look at the amount of food that is wasted world wide.

Host Philippe Cousteau looks at ways scientists are measuring the health of our forests.  In New England, Philippe visits a white pine forest that is being threatened by invasive plants.  At the University of California - Santa Cruz, students use sonic-tomography to look inside trees in order to detect any signs of disease.  At the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, we learn about the pitch pine tree.

This week we look at the wonderful world of insects. Philippe heads to the University of Texas to see how research helping to control invasive fire ant populations. Then we go to Penn State University to look at the complex societies ants create. We stay at PSU to look at the importance of pollinators and end at the University of Pennsylvania to see how researchers study disease transmission.

This week we head to the beautiful landscape of Glacier National Park. Philippe heads out to uncover insect fossils dating back 45 million years.  Then we look at the intricate geology of the park itself.  From there we track one of the most important food sources of the park - wild huckleberries.  And then we join a group of students participating in a citizen science expedition. 

This week we see how nature can sometimes be the best classroom.  Philippe heads to Key Largo to join a high school class getting up close with local sea grass habitats. Then we head to the streams of Pennsylvania to go on a "Bio-Blitz" surveying aquatic insects.  From there it's up to the Pacific Northwest to see how volunteers use camera traps to keep tabs on elusive animals.

This week we see how science helps us prepare for natural disasters.  Philippe heads to the University of Miami to see their incredible SUSTAIN lab that can simulate a category 5 hurricane.  Then it's off to the mountains of Alberta to learn about avalanche safety.  From there's we head to South Carolina to follow researchers that study floods.

This week we look at our microscopic world. Philippe heads to the University of Texas to break down the microscopic world of sand.  He'll stay on campus to then look at how microscopic science plays a role in researching fire ants.  Then it's off to the University of Pennsylvania to get deeper look into soil.  And finally researchers at USC study some of the smallest organisms in the ocean.

This week we take flight within the animal kingdom.  Philippe joins a researcher to go into Congaree National Park in South Carolina to catch and tag local bats.  We then look at the flight patterns and tendencies of wood storks.  And finally from caterpillar to butterfly we examine the transformation from crawling to flying.