Wild Balkans Nature Series – THIRTEEN Thursdays

04. March 2010 · 2 comments · Categories: Environment, Nature · Tags: , ,

It’s Week 3 of our THIRTEEN Thursdays series, the group of dkM articles that shares with you a bit about the Nature series on PBS that I’ve been enjoying so much.  The most recently watched episode in our family is Wild Balkans, a look at the almost magical world of the Balkan Peninsula.  In this episode, we’re taken on a journey easily paralleled with J.R.R. Tolkien’s world in The Lord of the Rings.  As viewers are transported from the Durmitor Mountains of Monetenegro to the Danube Delta of Romania, mystical, seemingly untouched lands are opened up; forests, wetlands, deeply secluded areas which lay around the Balkans and have managed to go strangely unchanged, even in an era where so much of our natural world has been disrupted and too often diminished.

But don’t be fooled – these areas have indeed been disturbed by human presence throughout the generations, but ironically it is this that has served to keep them safe.  Much of these areas are war torn, some even containing abandoned land mines which keep humans clear of the area as the natural wilderness continues to flourish.

Wild Balkans originally aired on January 31, 2010, and can be viewed for free on PBS.org/nature or on WNET.org.  Or support the efforts of THIRTEEN by purchasing copies of this and others of the Nature series and build your family DVD library.

“Invasion of the Giant Pythons” Nature Series – THIRTEEN Thursdays

18. February 2010 · 1 comment · Categories: Environment, Nature · Tags: , , , ,

 

Check out Nature's "Invasion of the Giant Pythons" this Sunday, 8 pm ET on PBS

Over the next several weeks, we’ll be exploring the PBS show “Nature” through our THIRTEEN Thursdays series.  ”Nature,” a production of THIRTEEN in association with WNET.ORG, is a magnificent series that can be seen either on PBS or online at www.pbs.org/nature.  This Sunday, February 21, 2010 at 8 p.m. ET, is the premiere of “Invasion of the Giant Pythons”.   I had the privilege of previewing this documentary, which tells the story of the Burmese python and how it’s begun to flourish within the  Florida Everglades National Park.

The Burmese python, foreign to U.S. soil, began to populate the Everglades after numerous pet owners released their overgrown and unwanted pet snakes into the wild.  Also contributing to the problem were unintentionally released pythons who escaped captivity after hurricanes destroyed Florida animal warehouses where pythons were being raised.  The Burmese pythons quickly discovered the wild wetlands of Florida so closely resembled their own native homelands that they effectively set up house and are now thought to number in the tens of thousands!

“Invasion of the Giant Python’s” stunning footage and valuable information will entertain and educate, no doubt.  And if snakes and the rest of the reptilian world give you the creepy-crawlies, there’s some of that as well.  But one thing’s for certain – the jaw-dropping visuals, paired with facts and stats new to most viewers, make this documentary a must-see.  Viewers will see first-hand what happens when humans carelessly tip the scales of Mother Nature.

If after seeing Sunday’s episode, you want to view more of “Nature,” visit PBS.org/nature or THIRTEEN.org where you’ll be able to watch over 30 episodes for free, all without commercials.  You can also purchase the Nature DVD’s if you’d like to begin your own collection.  ”Nature” puts the true meaning of “reality” back into television!