PBS Celebrates Science and Nature Programming

Featured Programming Includes New Episodes of NATURE and NOVA, a New Season of CHANGING PLANET, and New Seasonal Content from PBS KIDS Favorites

This Spring and early Summer, PBS will celebrate science and nature programming with dramatic stories, transformative journeys, explorative investigations, and more. From April leading into the Summer, the slate of broadcast, digital and streaming programming will delve into the largest river restoration project in CHANGING PLANET “River Restoration,” test survival skills with NATURE, and get up close and personal with insects in BUGS THAT RULE THE WORLD. Three new specials from PBS KIDS series WILD KRATTS, NATURE CAT, and ELINOR WONDERS WHY will also debut.

“Year after year, science and nature programming are part of the DNA of PBS’s content pipeline, and we could not be more excited about the slate that we are sharing this season,” said Sylvia Bugg, Chief Programming Executive and General Manager, General Audience Programming at PBS. “Here, we unlock the secrets of the world around us, propelling us toward a deeper understanding of the planet, and what makes it so extraordinary.”

“Over the next few months, PBS KIDS invites families to join us on exciting adventures with three new movie specials and episodes from some of their favorite series,” said Sara DeWitt, Senior Vice President and General Manager, PBS KIDS. “This seasonal content encourages kids to learn about how to help animals and their habitats and create connections between the natural world and the world around them — all helping them to learn, grow, and be engaged members of their communities.”

“Through our science and nature stories, we not only explore the wonders of our planet, but we also inspire curiosity and a sense of responsibility to protect the natural world,” said Diana El Osta, Sr. Director, Multiplatform Programming & Development, PBS. “These programs offer a crucial opportunity to engage audiences with solution based stories, which is the cornerstone for our programming.”

Alongside PBS’s linear broadcast schedule, audiences can also watch web series and other digital content on the Earth Month YouTube playlist by PBS Digital Studios. Below is the full schedule of science and nature programming premiering on PBS (check local listings), PBS.org, and the PBS app — available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and VIZIO.

UNTOLD EARTH

Premieres: Tuesday, April 1 and 29, on PBS Terra (YouTube), PBS.org, and PBS app

Our planet is filled with strange but fascinating natural wonders that defy explanation. UNTOLD EARTH explores the seeming impossibilities behind our planet’s strangest, most unique natural wonders. From fragile, untouched ecosystems to familiar but unexplained occurrences in our own backyard, this series examines natural phenomena with insight from scientists and experts who know them best.

NATURE “Katavi: Africa’s Fallen Paradise: Sanctuary” 

Premieres: Wednesday, April 2-16, 8 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org, and PBS app 

Katavi National Park in southern Tanzania is a remote wilderness. NATURE’s filmmakers capture a once-in-a-lifetime event — a severe drought followed by heavy rains that tests the survival skills of all those that call Katavi home.

NATURE CAT: The Nature-tastic Four Movie!

Premieres: Thursday, April 3 on PBS KIDS

After coming out victorious against The Soil, Water, and Plant Stealers, The Nature-tastic Four feel nature-tastic, and ready for a well-earned afternoon of fun and relaxation. Well, all but Nature Cat (voiced by Taran Killam) who’s feeling like he didn’t help Plant Bunny (voiced by Kate Micucci), Water Mouse (voiced by Kate McKinnon), and Rock Dog (voiced by Bobby Moynihan) out during their "battle" with The Stealers. He begins to doubt himself because he doesn’t have the powers the others have, but when the others lose their power and nature needs defending, only one will rise to the occasion and come through! Nature Cat!

WILD KRATTS

Premieres: Monday, April 7 on PBS KIDS

WILD KRATTS: ACTIVATE KID POWER (Movie Special)

When the Wild Kratts receive an overload of calls for creature rescues, their Creature Power capacity fails. The team is left helpless but soon learn that by working with Wild Kratts Kids, Kid Power is perhaps the most amazing and effective creature power of all!

“Mini Heroes & Mighty Mouths”

When the Kratt Bros go on a mission in their Amphipod to understand the foundation of life in the ocean, they get swept up in the planktonic lifestyle. Despite their "buddy system" they are lost in the hustle and bustle of the micro world. The gang must use what they learn about the great filter feeders of the ocean and the important concept of filtration in order to rescue the Wild Kratts team.

“Moose Nibbles”

The Kratt Bros decide to take a day off from adventuring by going camping! While setting up their tents, they meet a mischievous little moose calf who Martin names Nibbles. But, Nibbles seems to have lost her mom! It’s the Wild Kratts to the rescue as they go in search of the missing moose and learn so much about moose along the way.

NOVA “Secrets of the Forest” 

Premieres: Wednesday, April 16, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org, and PBS app 

Can forests help cool the planet? Follow scientists working in spectacular forest landscapes in Costa Rica, Brazil, Australia, and beyond as they try to untangle complex networks of trees, fungi, and creatures large and small — all in a quest to tackle the twin threats of climate change and species extinction.

ELINOR WONDERS WHY

Premieres: Monday, April 21 on PBS KIDS

“Adventure in Moose Mountain” (Movie Special)

When Ari’s beloved plushie, Robin, is scooped by an eagle while he’s playing a game, he, Olive, Elinor, and Dr. June Groundhog follow the purloined toy to the eagle’s aerie. They observe and learn about seasonal changes in the mountain environment, while Ari learns the value of using his imagination.

“Circus Tricks / Stuck in the Mud”

After Elinor breaks her arm, she learns about the importance of bones. / The kids need to come up with a craft for the nature craft show and get inspired by mud.

“Don’t Rain on my Parade / Olive Hiccups it Up”

The kids try to predict what the weather will be like during Animal Town’s Spring Parade. / Olive must figure out why she has the hiccups before the curtains open for their big play.

“Blackout / Tree that Eats Toys”

Elinor learns about shadows when she notices her house looks different in the dark. / When the kids’ toys get stuck in a tree, they look to nature to figure out a way to get them down.

WATER FOR LIFE 

Premieres: Monday, April 21, 10 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org, and PBS app 

WATER FOR LIFE tells the dramatic story of three community leaders in Latin America who risked their lives and resisted government and corporate plans to divert critical local water resources to mining and hydroelectric projects. Narrated by Diego Luna.

CHANGING PLANET “River Restoration” (New Season)

Premieres: Wednesday, April 23, 10 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org, and PBS app 

The largest river restoration project ever attempted is underway in Northern California, aiming to bring life back to the sacred river Klamath. Dr. M. Sanjayan witnesses huge dams being removed and joins the team who are reviving salmon populations, while in Paris, France, the iconic river Seine is being cleaned up after decades of pollution.

NATURE “Hummingbirds of Hollywood” 

Premieres: Wednesday, May 7, 8 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org, and PBS app 

Amid the glamour of Hollywood, a woman finds herself on a transformative journey as she nurtures wounded hummingbirds, unraveling a visually captivating and magical tale of love, fragility, healing, and the delicate beauty in profound acts of kindness.

NOVA “Ultimate Crash Test: Countdown” 

Premieres: Wednesday, May 7, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org, and PBS app 

Surprisingly little is known about the behavior of cars and drivers in uncontrolled, real-world accidents, despite rigorous testing in laboratory-controlled crashes. Now, a first-of-its-kind experiment aims to discover what really happens in a multi-vehicle pileup and how cars and driving could be made safer. In the first episode of this two-part special, go behind the scenes as scientists make a series of high-stakes decisions to ensure the ambitious experiment goes off without a hitch. They only have one shot. The plan is for eight drivers to drive eight different types of cars by remote control at 70 mph down a hazardous roadway.

BUGS THAT RULE THE WORLD 

Premieres: Wednesday, May 7-28, 10 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org, and PBS app 

This four-part global investigation explores the world of insects, the planet’s most populous but least appreciated creatures and their critical roles on the planet. Scientists reveal the beauty of bugs, from pollinators to insect assassins to the tiny clean-up crews that purify the planet, highlighting the importance of their roles and the bleak picture of a future without them.

WOMEN OF THE EARTH (New Season)

Premieres: Summer 2025 on PBS Terra (YouTube), PBS.org, and PBS app

WOMEN OF THE EARTH is a short-form documentary series capturing the resilient work of female land stewards across the United States. Returning for a second season, the subjects in this series represent a diverse group of women whose work continues to lead our world toward effective and reciprocal environmental solutions. Learn about land stewardship practices that are helping to heal communities from the effects of environmental shifts from educators in science, agriculture, and sustainability.

HUMAN FOOTPRINT (New Season)

Premieres: Summer 2025 on PBS, PBS.org, PBS app, and PBS Terra (YouTube)

Biologist Shane Campbell-Staton returns to further explore the global impact of Earth’s most ingenious, destructive, and adaptive species: humans. In his quest, Shane discovers that although we often tell ourselves what it means to be human, the clearest vision of who we are emerges from what we do. In that way, this series is a journey not only to understand our human impacts but also to explore our human nature. HUMAN FOOTPRINT’s second season will also include an eight-episode digital series coming to PBS Terra, PBS Digital Studios’ home for science and nature series online.

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