Human Footprint

Science and Nature Series / 1 Season

Earth has never experienced anything like us: a single species dominating and transforming the planet. Biologist Shane Campbell-Staton travels the globe to explore our Human Footprint and to discover how the things we do reveal who we truly are.

11m 24s

The Wolves Among Us in Yellowstone

2m 5s

To become the world’s Top Predator, we also have to eliminate the competition. We’ve waged war on America’s wolves for two centuries. For decades, eliminating wolves was an official federal policy. Shane joins Yellowstone National Park’s wolf recovery lead, Dan Stahler, to investigate a fresh kill and learn why humans can’t replace the role that wild predators play in our ecosystems.

Exploring the Epic Whale Warehouse with Shane

2m 59s

Shane steps into a land of giants at the to meet Nick Pyenson, a biologist who studies ancient (and living) whales, to find out why even the biggest animals that ever lived aren't off limits for the planet's Top Predator.

Searching for the Tuskless Elephants of Gorongosa

4m 50s

From Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park to the scars left on the elephant population, Shane's research is revealing how our actions can change the course of evolution itself.

Episode 2 Preview

30s

There’s a killer inside us. Our biology, culture, technology, and economy have transformed our species into the greatest predator the world has ever seen. From Yellowstone to Mozambique, Shane explores our global impact as the planet’s top predator.

The Making of Episode 1: Strangers in Paradise

4m 49s

Invasive species are reshaping the world’s ecosystems, but who’s to blame? Shane wrestles a python, hunts Hawaiian pigs, and gets sucker-punched by a carp to answer the question: how does our species decide what belongs? Here’s how it all went down: the dangers of flying fish, the all-nighters in the swamp, and the myriad ways these “invasive” species challenged our ideas about belonging.

The Wild Horses of Nevada's Deserts

3m 4s

Wild horses are an icon of the American West, but there are no native horses in the U.S. Those wild mustangs we idolize are European invaders. In Nevada, Shane observes a government “gather,” a dystopian round-up where helicopters chase panicked horses into pens to remove them from public lands. We spend millions of dollars a year managing horses, but we still can’t agree on whether they belong.

Making 'Human Footprint': The Grind

6m 51s

"Human Footprint" is unlike any other science series, and it was no small feat to make. Our small crew spent 140 days in over 40 locations, and wrangled nearly 100 characters and experts. We filmed the extravagant and strange, the devastating and dire, the elusive and the abundant. In "The Grind," find out how making "Human Footprint" changed our team's minds and pushed our bodies to their limits.

The 'Human Footprint' Soundtrack

4m 57s

"Human Footprint" was always meant to be a different kind of science show, from the cinematography, to the host, to the style, to the edits. But to have someone like Adrian Younge, multi-instrumentalist and legendary hip-hop producer, lending his talents to the series’ score – well, it seemed like a long shot…until it wasn’t.

What Is 'Human Footprint'?

9m 29s

"Human Footprint" is unlike any other science, natural history, or travel series out there, because it’s all of those things and then some. It’s a journey guided by biologist Shane Campbell-Staton, scored by hip-hop legend Adrian Younge, and made endlessly entertaining by a dazzling array of characters. At its core, "Human Footprint" asks: what do the things we do tell us about who we are?

Our Impact on Planet Earth

1m 30s

Host Shane Campbell-Staton and Director Nathan Dappen explore how humans have impacted and changed the planet in this first look from Human Footprint. Shane explains how PBS has shaped his storytelling.

Cruising the Everglades with a Burmese Python Hunter

2m 46s

Donna Kalil is a professional bounty hunter. The scaly fugitives she tracks down in the Everglades grow to 18 feet long… and eat deer and alligators for supper. Shane joins Donna on a hunt to learn more about Burmese pythons. Brought to Florida as pets, many pythons were dumped into the swamp when they outgrew their owners.

Tracking a Burmese Python with Biologists in Florida

4m 5s

Brought to Florida as pets, many Burmese pythons have found a perfect home in the Everglades, and they’re spreading fast. As the pythons gain ground, biologists are racing to understand them, hoping to find a weakness and stop the invasion.

Episode 1 Preview

30s

Invasive species are reshaping the world’s ecosystems, but who’s really to blame? Shane wrestles a python, hunts Hawaiian pigs, and gets sucker-punched by a carp to answer the question: in the Age of Humans, how does our species decide what belongs?

Preview

30s

Earth has never experienced anything like us: a single species dominating and transforming the planet. Biologist Shane Campbell-Staton travels the globe to explore our Human Footprint and to discover how the things we do reveal who we truly are.

Supported by