April is known as Earth Month. This year, Earth Day will be celebrated on April 22, but WHRO Public Media has ways that you and your family can celebrate all month long. Throughout the month, we will feature programs and resources to learn about nature, weather, climate change and more.
This year's Earth Month theme, according to earthmonth.org, is "Planet vs. Plastics," to raise awareness of the health and environmental risks associated with plastics.
As you make plans to celebrate this year, check out our list of learning resources from eMediaVA for teachers or parents to help children learn about science and the environment, a schedule of TV premieres of new PBS programs for families and a list of on-demand programs you can stream anytime.
Learning Resources
Help your kids learn about nature, environmental science, climate change and more.
Earth Day Elementary Resources Celebrate Earth Day and Earth Month in April with fun and informative resources for elementary classrooms. (Grades PK, K, 1-8)
Above the Noise: Earth Month Collection These 12 resources help engage students in discussions around climate conservation. (Grades 6-12)
Batten Environmental Education Initiative K-5 Interactives A collection of 16 interactive games from WHRO Education designed for environmental education fun.(Grades K-5)
Radiolab for Kids | Terrestrials Terrestrials is a podcast that explores the strangeness that exists right here on Earth. (Grades K, 1-8)
Living Organisms & Nonliving Things Collection Explore resources to help early learners understand the differences between living organisms and nonliving things. (Grades PK, K, 1-5)
Soil Collection Explore our elementary resources on soil and growth! (Grades PK, K, 1-12)
Science Trek | Environment Learn more about the environment. (Grades K, 1-8)
Broadcast Premieres
Gather the family to watch these new PBS programs that highlight the science, solutions and personal stories around climate change.
Independent Lens: A Thousand Pines - Monday, April 1, 10 p.m. Over a grueling eight months, a crew of Oaxacan guest workers plant trees across America. This intimate portrait shows how hard it is to balance the physical demands of reforestation and extreme isolation while staying connected to family back home.
A Brief History of the Future - Wednesday, April 3, 8 p.m. "Beyond The Now" - Join Ari Wallach on his journey to seek the individuals and ideas that can shape a better, more sustainable future for each generation can build upon.
NOVA: Great American Eclipse - Wednesday, April, 9 p.m. Explore the spectacular cosmic phenomenon of a total solar eclipse. In April 2024, the Moon's shadow is sweeping from Texas to Maine, as the U.S. witnesses its last total eclipse until 2044, and scientists scramble to unlock the secrets of our Sun.
Speaking of the upcoming Total Solar Eclipse on April 8 -- do you have viewing plans? Check out our tips and resources.
Independent Lens: One with the Whale - Tuesday, April 23, 10 p.m. Hunting whales is a matter of survival for Alaska Native residents of St. Lawrence. A family is blindsided when animal activists target their son, the youngest ever to harpoon a whale for his village - a hunt that feeds the community through winter. Also included is the short film "Everything Wrong and Nowhere to Go." Exploring the field of "climate psychology," this is a candid and comedic self-portrait in which the filmmaker turns the camera on herself and goes in search of a cure for her crippling climate anxiety.
Against the Current - Wednesday, April 24, 8 p.m. Against the Current provides a powerful glimpse of how Virginia's Eastern Shore residents are subject to the challenges of rising water's effects on their lives and livelihood and through resilience and perseverance learn to co-exist and celebrate their rural home. How can this unique community shed light on the national conversations happening around these climate issues?
Programs for Kids
PBS KIDS celebrates Spring with an action-packed one-hour special from Wild Kratts and an all-new movie from Nature Cat.
Wild Kratts: Our Blue and Green World - Premieres April 1, 8:30 a.m. on WHRO TV 15, and 6 p.m. on WHRO Kids While doing their annual Laundry Day, the Kratt brothers disagree on what'' better: blue oceans or green forests. Can the gang get Martin and Chris back in sync in time to save Planet Earth from Zach and Paisley Paver's villainous plans? Watch more Wild Kratts episodes on-demand.
New Episodes of Wild Kratts on WHRO Kids:
No Name Dream - April 2, 6 p.m. Martin has a dream that he's forgotten to name some baby animals and awakens in a sweat. He makes it his mission to go back and name all the "unnamed" and along the way, learn more about their "creaturenality."
Backpack The Camel - April 3, 6 p.m. The gang travels to the Gobi Desert to discover the last remaining wild camels in the world. They experience the harshness of the desert landscape and are rescued from it only by the wild Bactrian camels and their amazing survival skills.
Fish Out of Water - April 4, 6 p.m. After a Creature Power Disc mishap, the bros become marooned in the world of the mudskipper, a fish that can walk on land. They must find their discs within a foreign world of intense competition, with unexpected dangers at every turn.
Nature Cats Nature Movie Special Extraordinaire - Premieres April 22, 12:30 p.m. on WHRO TV 15, and 4:30 p.m. / 8 p.m. on WHRO Kids Nature Cat and his pals realize they've come to the end of their Nature Curiosity List. Meanwhile, Sir Galahad gives himself the title of King and moves into a barren castle and steals pieces of nature to make his castle look more beautiful. Oh no! Watch more Nature Cat episodes on-demand.
GreenBeats GreenBeats℠ is a WHRO-produced series of animated shorts that focuses on critical environmental issues and themes. The 10-part series promotes environmental education and stewardship and is targeted toward children grades 3 through 5. Stream the entire series.
Now Streaming on WHRO Passport
Project: Earth Project: Earth takes a deep dive into the environmental science issues that impact our daily lives. Host Hales Parcells gives viewers an in-depth look at the issues that affect our world, how our activities are changing the planet, and the people who are working to protect the environment.
Human Footprint 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.
Evolution Earth At the front lines of climate change, animals have a surprising story to tell. Traveling to the far corners of the world, we discover the extraordinary ways animals are adapting to our rapidly changing planet. We witness nature's remarkable resilience, as our perception of evolution and its potential is forever transformed.
The Green Planet Sir David Attenborough travels the globe to reveal the secret lives of plants. Using pioneering camera techniques, the series takes viewers on a magical journey inside the hidden world of plants, on which all animals -- including humans -- are dependent.