Human Footprint

Over an ice cream with Historian Laponce Harrison, Shane learns the boll weevil’s history – and how this insect became an icon in the town of Enterprise, Alabama.

Shane’s journey begins in North Carolina, where Julius Tillery – a.k.a. “The Puff Daddy of Cotton” – is a 5th-generation Black cotton farmer. Julius and Shane dig into the rich soils that underlie the “Black Belt,” a broad swath of the South that formed the heart of the U.S. cotton industry.

Shane explores the history and science of cotton. A prehistoric coastline from North Carolina to Texas laid the foundation for a crop that re-shaped our history, our culture, and even our DNA.

Meet Craig McClain, the selfie-master turned biological oceanographer. While he studies tiny creatures in the ocean, he's also unraveling the secrets hidden within the rock formations. Join us as we delve into the past to understand the incredible ripple effect behind each layer of time.

Meet Kristin Winchell, the urban evolution expert. She's on a mission to unravel the secrets of anoles — the charismatic lizards thriving in cities like San Juan. Join us as we embark on a journey through the concrete jungle and discover how anoles have adapted to their urban playground.

In "The Urban Jungle," Shane explores the modern city: an ecosystem built by, for us. He encounters three species thriving in the city, reckons with our complex urban history, and envisions a new and wilder urban future.

In Singapore, green spaces are no longer an escape from the city, they ARE the city. Pearl Chee, the genius architect behind Kampung Admiralty, proves that where there's a will (and a law), there's a way to bring nature into the concrete jungle.

Rain or shine, Scott and Angie Mullaney, the rat-busting duo behind Unique Pest Management, hit the city streets at night with their trusty dogs, ready to conquer the rodent kingdom.

Despite their abundance, scientists know close to nothing about what cats are doing in the wild, or what their impact might be. Dr. Roland Kays plan? Track cats the way we’ve tracked other large predators – by fitting them with GPS enabled collars.

Shane follows geneticist Sarah Hearne into a vault of over 28,000 species of maize that has weaved itself into the fabric of Mexico's past, present and future. But in the last century, just a handful of varieties have come to dominate global corn production. What happened?

Shane explores the surprising science and unexpected histories of “The Replacements”: five animal and plant species that made allies of humans, grew to dominate the planet alongside us, and changed their destinies (and our own) forever.

Shane shares a meal with local Mexican chefs committed to reviving the sacred heritage of maize and preserving culture through corn.