Science & Discovery: Into the Outdoors

1 - The Science & Technology of Industrial Sand Mining

Sand is great for a sandvox, but why would companies go through the trouble of mining tons of it out of the ground. Learn more about the geology of sand deposits, how frac-sand is mined and processed, how a sand mine company limits their environmental impact, and even how they are helping to preserve an endangered butterfly species.

2 - Sensible Sustainable Solutions In Homes & Communities 24 min

More than ever, people are searching for ways to become more sustainable in their homes, communities and as citizens of Planet Earth. In Sensible Sustainable Solutions, our "green team" travel around the countryside exploring sustainable options and solutions to healthier lives, lands and waters. 

3 - The Science of Modern Biofuels 25 min

Did you ever consider the fact that the fuel in your car's gas tank is mostly ancient sequestered carbon about 400 million years old? But part of that mixture is also modern recycled carbon made from today's renewable fuels like ethanol and biodiesel.

4 - Plant Diversities - How they Create Life from the Raw Elements in the Environment 25 min

Are trees plants? Are they worth more as lumbar or as living things? Hosts, Josh and Caroline, help you discover the variety of benefits that plants offer to help you make your own value-based decision about the role trees and plants play in our lives. 

5 - Soybeans - Environmentally, Economically & Socially Sustainable 25 min

Almost all of the foods we eat contain soybean-based products. So how do farmers involved with the soybean industry make sure that they are positively impacting the environment, economy and communities while providing humans with the food they need?

6 - Careers in Agriculture & Soy Production 25 min

Did you know that not everyone with a career in agriculture drives a tractor? There are a large variety of careers that support farming in Wisconsin! This program highlights four careers related to the field of agriculture and production of the leading US export, soy. 

7 - Protecting Forests & Enhancing Lives 25 min

Every one of us uses wood products every single day. So how do we balance the needs of us humans with the forests that provide us with wood? Discover how forests can provide humans with countless resources and animals with places to live and see how forests can be managed in a sustainable way.

8 - The Science & Farming Practices of the Beef Industry 25 min

Dive into the science and real life farming practices of Wisconsin's beef industry. From nutrition to cooking, we'll explore fun and useful information that will help make you beef savvy in the store, on the grill, or at the farm.

9 - Exploring Dairy Science & the Technology of Today's Dairy Farming Industry 25 min

How has dairy farming changed in the past 200 years? What science is involved in getting us products like milk and cheese?

10 - The History & Mystery of the Soybean 25 min

So what's the big news with such a little bean? That's exactly what we'll explore as we unravel the history and mystery of this little legume.

11 - Dam Removal & River Restoration 24 min

Today, thousands of communities across the country face the challenges of removing outdated dams that threaten to fail. So they wrestle with the questions of how to remove these old dams and how dammed rivers can be restored.

12 - Waste Resource Management - Becoming Stewards of Sustainability 25 min

How do professionals safely handle waste while protecting our environment? American's generate more waste per person than almost anywhere else on the Planet. How much? Would you believe about 1700 pounds per person each year. If that's the average, many of us generate over one ton of waste a year! But who takes care of it, where does it go, and what prevents it from contaminating our environment?

13 - The Science of Understanding Wetlands Workings & Ecosystems 25 min

Join our adventure team as they wade into the murky science of understanding our wetlands workings and ecosystems. They paddle, splash and probe their way across various wetlands to discover the water cycles, ecology and human influences that impact Wisconsin wetlands. So come on, it's time to roll up your pant legs and leap-frog into your knowledge of these wet and wild places as we head into the Outdoors.

14 - Understanding Forest Management & Related Ecosystems 25 min

Hang on as our adventure team zip lines their way through the trees and science of understanding forest management and related ecosystems.

15 - Cost of Clean Water - Sources & Solutions to Pollution 25 min

What impacts do polluted waterways and aquifers have on people and natural ecosystems? How can new concepts in land use hold promise to help solve water woes? Discover the science of water pollution. 

16 - A River Reborn - The Life and Livelihood a River Provides to Human & Natural Communities 25 min

Lace up your hiking boots as we explore the mysteries both big and small along Wisconsin's scenic Ice Age Trail.

17 - Know Your H2O - Where Does Clean Water Come From? 25 min

Our team of science investigators get their feet wet with the challenge of discovering where clean water comes from and all the people and science involved in the process of making it safe to drink. 

18 - Ice Age Mysteries from Prehistoric to Present 25 min

Lace up your hiking boots as we explore the mysteries both big and small along Wisconsin's scenic Ice Age Trail.

19 - Amazing Eco-Trek Race 25 min

Keep up with our young scientists as they embark on one of the biggest adventures of their lives in The Amazing Eco-Trek Race.

20 - The Chemistry of Life & How it Affects Everything on Planet Earth 25 min

This program unravels some of the foundational chemistry that affects everything on planet earth. It begins with the primary conversion of simple chemicals into complex compounds that form the building blocks of all life.

21 - Einstein's Law of Thermodynamics Relating to Savvy Sustainability 25 min

Another way to look at how sustainability works is through Einstein's Law of thermodynamics as it relates to the basic laws of nature and physics. Einstein knew that matter can be converted into energy and energy converted into matter. An important concept there is that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. 

22 - Explore Extreme Survival Strategies of Various Species In Extreme Weather 25 min

How do polar vortexes, slimate change, record storms and extreme weaterh of all kinds play havoc on our ecosystems and all the species that live there? Discover what animals do to survive and even thrive, when surviving isn't so easy. From bumblebees to humans, you will learn how animals adapt to their environment.

23 - Avian Stewards - A Habitat for Bird Species & Growing Ecosystem 25 min

All living things need safe habitats to thrive. Tha's a challenge for birds in a shrinking wild landscape. So how can bird sanctuaries make a difference? 

24 - America's Hunter Legacy & The Evolution of Wildlife Conservation 24 min

America's Hunter Legacy explores the history of hunting in North America and the evolution of "wildlife conservation"including how it's funded through regulated hunting and fishing.

25 - Shooting Sports Challenge 25 min

It's a long shot for most kids to ever dream of competing in national competitions or in the Olympics. Today's shooting sports in the form of archery and shotgun competition can make thorse dreams a reality. Discover pathways to safely getting into shooting sports and learn how shooting sports help pay for wildlife conservation programs across the country.

26 - Kids Cookoff Survival Skills against Paleo Mega-Fauna 25 min

Can you imagine living without grocery stores and instead collecting your own wild meat with just a spear against mammoths? That's what Clovis kids did 15,000 years ago. What begins as an anthropology assignment at the mammoth museum turns into a cave-man discovery cook-off where kids learn and test their "Clovis" skills for securing wild game to feed their clan. 

27 - Fishing & Angling Skills For Kids 25 min

How can a family fishing adventure empower kids to discover more about relationships, life and aquatic ecosystems? Studies show that some of the most memorable experiences in someone's life include a few key elements - an outdoor experience, interaction with friends and a first-time encounter with something alive in nature. 

28 - Kids Learn How to Catch their First Catch 25 min

This program explores various fishing opportunities where kids can catch their first fish both in the inner cities of Pennsylvania and in the remote National forests of Michigan.

29 - Wild about Walleye - Learn all About Fish Biology, Master Fishing Techniques 25 min

Catching the elusive walleye is a challenge for many skilled anglers. Discover the biological secrets to finding this fish and the techniques to catch this popular sportfish all year round!

30 - Florida Fishing Fun Fest - Learn the Art of Fishing for Red-fish, Snook & Sea Trout 25 min

Discover the vast fishing adventures that the sunshine state has to offer along it's 2,300 miles of tidal shorelines. This program shows two teens enlist the help of a local mentor to discover the fun, adventure, ecology and fishing action in the 10,000 islands tidal area off the Everglades National Park. 

31 - The Mysterious World of Wisconsin's Lake Sturgeon 25 min

This program explores the mysterious world of Wisconsin's only living fossil, the lake sturgeon. This prehistoric throwback that once faced possible extinction is a conservation success story with the restored populations in Lake Winnebago.

32 - Into Family Fishing and Boating 25 min

In this episode, Adventure Team members Zach and Bella set out to find the best ways to get your family geared up for a fishing and boating adventure! 

33 - Exploring Dairy Science 23 min

You may not have expected Einstein's Law of Thermodynamics, biochemical processes, and dairy farms to be so related but... that's the wonderful thing about science. You never know what may be interconnected.

34 - Trailing Ice Age 23 min

Lace up your hiking boots as our adventure team explores the mysteries both big and small along Wisconsin's scenic Ice Age Trail. 

35 - Soybean Savvy 23 min

So what's the big news with such a little bean? That's exactly what the team explores as they unravel the history and mystery of this little legume.

36 - Savvy Sustainable 24 min

Join the Into The Outdoors explorers as they dive into the physics and science of unraveling Einstein's law of thermodynamics relating to Savvy Sustainability.

37 - Game Shooting - Professional Instruction on Bow & Firearm Safety plus Shooting Techniques 30 min

It's a long shot for most kids to ever dream of competing in national competitions or in the Olympics. Today's shooting sports in the form of archery and shotgun competition can make thorse dreams a reality. 

38 - Careers in Conservation 27 min

In this episode we reveal how recruiting our next generation of outdoor enthusiasts and conservation careers will help manage and preserve America's natural resources for everyone to enjoy for generations to come.

39 - Kids First Catch 27 min

This program explores various fishing opportunities where kids can catch their first fish both in the inner cities of Pennsylvania and in the remote National forests of Michigan.

40 - Fish Pass 27 min

Thousands of outdated dams across the country no longer generate power and block rivers that once flowed freely to places like the Great Lakes or oceans. And that blocks fish species and disrupts the entire energy transfer in an ecosystem. That's why more and more communities struggle with the challenges and innovative solutions to removing outdated and sometimes potentially hazardous dams.

41 - Into Safe and Smart Boating - A Crash Course in Boating Safety Education 27 min

Drowning is as serious as it sounds, and it's a leading cause of accidental death among children.

42 - Into Safe and Smart Boating - Put Your Boating Safety Knowledge to the Test 27 min

In this episode, Adventure Team member Zach puts his parents' boating safety knowledge to the test when they head out on a family fishing trip.

43 - Into Hunting and Conservation 27 min

In this Into the Outdoors episode, we head west to Wyoming and South Dakota to see how hunting and an appreciation for the land has impacted the lives of two young women.