Local Wildlife Highlighted in PBS SoCal’s 2025 Earth Month Slate with World Broadcast Premiere and Local Events for New Documentary SOCAL SNOWY OWL
Press Contact
Allison Gray
agray@pbssocal.org
747.201.5298
Los Angeles, Calif. – March 20, 2025 – PBS SoCal, Southern California’s flagship PBS organization, today announced its 2025 Earth Month slate with 15 new titles and headlined by the world broadcast premiere of the new 30-minute documentary SOCAL SNOWY OWL that will be screened at two regional events over the course of the month. When a rare snowy owl appears in a California suburb—the first sighting in 100 years—it captivates residents, turning a quiet neighborhood into a global destination. The documentary explores how one bird fostered human connection, inspired conservation awareness and offered a moment of hope in a rapidly changing world. The film includes interviews with Cypress City Councilwoman Frances Marquez, California State Senator Josh Newman and more. SOCAL SNOWY OWL will premiere on Tues., April 1 at 7:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus and Mon., April 28 at 4 p.m. on PBS SoCal. Following the broadcast, the documentary will stream at pbssocal.org/SoCalSnowyOwl as well as on the free PBS App on April 1 and on PBS SoCal’s YouTube.
The program augments the robust lineup of relevant specials and documentaries that highlight environmental stewardship premiering throughout April for Southern California viewers in partnership with presenting sponsor Metrolink.
Two local screenings will highlight the locally-produced film that was the winner of the Audience Award at the Newport Beach Film Festival. On Thurs., April 10, SOCAL SNOWY OWL will screen at the Rivian South Coast Theater followed by a panel discussion with special guests and a general reception all starting at 6:30 p.m. For more information about the screening and to reserve your tickets, please visit https://rivian.com/spaces/laguna.
And on Thurs., April 24, PBS SoCal and the Natural History Museum will co-host a public screening of SOCAL SNOWY OWL along with the EARTH FOCUS episode “Transforming the Los Angeles River” starting at 6:30 p.m. in the Commons Theater followed by a panel discussion with special guests and a general reception afterwards. Guests are invited to enjoy a first look at the NHM Commons, a brand-new gathering space designed for community and conversation at the Natural History Museum. For more information about the screening and to reserve your free tickets, please visit https://nhm.org/calendar/green-screen-our-planet-film-earth-focus-pbs-socal.
Another PBS SoCal Earth Month highlight includes the locally-produced documentary WILDLIFE ON THE EDGE which celebrates diverse regional wildlife such as Mountain Lions, Bears and Bobcats that live in the mountains around Los Angeles. The 30-minute film examines the many deadly hazards they must face living close to one of the world's largest cities. Narrated by actor Beau Bridges (“Matlock,” “The Neon Highway”), the film also looks at P-22, a cougar that helped emphasize the need for wildlife protection. Featuring the words of California Governor Gavin Newsom and the team behind the new Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, the program looks at solutions.
PBS stations across the country are also rolling out new content, continuing the network’s commitment to the environment including THE FUTURE OF NATURE narrated by Uma Thurman (“Kill Bill,” “Pulp Fiction”). The four-part series follows a growing number of inspiring people, fighting to save nature and understand the impact of carbon on our planet and how nature is helping to mitigate its effects. The program ushers in Earth Month a little early starting on March 30 with episodes that look at oceans, grasslands, forests and humans.
Also, debuting on PBS SoCal Plus in April is the CNN ground-breaking documentary series PATAGONIA: LIFE ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, narrated by Chilean-born actor Pedro Pascal (“The Mandalorian,” “The Last of Us”) that explores the wonders of one of the wildest places on Earth through the lives of the extraordinary animals and people that inhabit it. Filmed over the course of a year, the filmmakers reveal what it takes to survive and thrive at the edge of the world.
The 2025 Earth Month lineup also includes the return of the EARTH FOCUS Environmental Film Festival (EFEFF). Southern California environmental film fans will be treated to a broadcast event every Saturday night in April starting Sat., April 5 at 9 p.m. PT on PBS SoCal Plus, with encores airing weekly on PBS SoCal beginning Wed., April 9 at 11 p.m. PT. Featuring four films that inspire a better understanding of current environmental issues, the broadcast lineup for the Festival includes SIX INCHES OF SOIL (2024), OUTGROW THE SYSTEM (2024), UNTIL THE LAST DROP (2023) and FIRE LINES (2024). Films will be available to stream on the free PBS App for the month of April, with an extended streaming window for PBS SoCal members with Passport.
Select content slated to air during Earth Month is listed as follows (*schedule subject to change):
THE FUTURE OF NATURE: “Oceans” – Wed., March 26 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Sun., March 30 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
See how carbon is drawn down by the oceans. Discover how plankton, whale waste, fish and the secret organisms at the deepest depths of the ocean play a fundamental role in removing carbon from the atmosphere.
WILDLIFE ON THE EDGE – Tues., April 1 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus and Mon., April 28 at 3:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal – New!
Mountain lions, bears and bobcats face many deadly hazards living in the mountains around Los Angeles. Interviews with California Governor Gavin Newsom and the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing team.
SOCAL SNOWY OWL – Tues., April 1 at 7:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus and Mon., April 28 at 4 p.m. on PBS SoCal – New!
A rare Arctic snowy owl’s unexpected visit to a California neighborhood sparks wonder and unites a community and reveals the fragile connection between nature and the changing world. In the Orange County suburb of Cypress, the community find that their encounters with this visitor change their lives for the better.
THE FUTURE OF NATURE: “Grasslands” – Wed., April 2 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Sun., April 6 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
Glimpse into Earth’s grasslands, where the biggest animal numbers are found and see how animal life helps to draw down carbon. The latest science reveals these animals’ importance to our future and what we can do to restore them to health and abundance.
SIX INCHES OF SOIL – Sat., April 5 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus and Wed., April 9 at 11 p.m. on PBS SoCal – New! – EFEFF
The inspiring story of British farmers standing up against the industrial food system and transforming the way they produce food - to heal the soil, benefit our health and provide for local communities.
THE FUTURE OF NATURE: “Forests” – Wed., April 9 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Sun., April 13 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
Forests are the most effective carbon pumps on Earth, but only when they’re functioning well and rich in species. Meet people working to improve biodiversity, saving keystone species and using Indigenous wisdom to rebuild and restore forests.
OUTGROW THE SYSTEM – Sat., April 12 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus and Wed., April 16 at 11 p.m. on PBS SoCal – New! – EFEFF
In the midst of humanity's climate crisis, the pioneers stand ready. Meet the new economic perspectives that have the potential to change the world at its core.
PATAGONIA: LIFE ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD “The Desert Coast” - Sun., April 13 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
A journey along Patagonia's Atlantic coast where the land may be barren but the sea is rich with life; in this wild and unforgiving place, killer whales risk it all to survive, while huge male elephant seals battle for the chance to breed.
THE FUTURE OF NATURE: “Humans” – Wed., April 16 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Sun., April 20 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
As the ultimate ecosystem engineers and keystone species, people can work with nature to make this world thrive. Visit the metropolises of China, the outskirts of LA, the bogs of Ireland and the favelas of Rio for a deeper look.
UNTIL THE LAST DROP – Sat., April 19 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus and Wed., April 23 at 11 p.m. on PBS SoCal – New! – EFEFF
The documentary exposes the global cost and consequences of the destruction of nature. Life-giving rivers have been especially badly hit. Shot on location in Canada, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Albania and Poland, the film conveys a strong message about one of the greatest threats to human civilization: the growing freshwater crisis.
RIVER’S END: “California’s Latest Water War” – Sun., April 20 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
Filmmaker Jacob Morrison reveals California's complex struggle over who gets fresh water and how moneyed interests manipulate the system. Battles over uncertain water supplies herald an impending crisis - not just in California but around the world.
PATAGONIA: LIFE ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD “Fjordlands” - Sun., April 20 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
Along Patagonia's Pacific coast are deep, sheltered fjords. In summer, the nutrient-rich waters are in high demand from both animals and people, which threatens the natural balance.
EARTH FOCUS “Loving Joshua Tree” – Tues., April 22 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
Love for Joshua Tree endangers the local life—both people and ecosystems. The allure of the high desert has drawn generations to the region, from socialites of the early 20th century to social media users today. Amid a boom of tourism and short-term rentals, conservationists and locals hope this love for Joshua Tree can be practiced more sustainably for everyone—and everything—that calls it home.
EARTH FOCUS “Diablo Canyon: California’s Last Nuclear Power Plant” – Tues., April 22 at 7:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
Diablo Canyon ignites conversations about nuclear power in the state’s energy future. Challenged by extreme weather events and eyeing clean energy goals, California reversed its decision to close its last nuclear power plant. This is a set-back for anti-nuclear activists, welcome news for climate activists, and a minor detour in the YTT Northern Chumash’s journey to reclaim their ancestral lands.
CHANGING PLANET: “River Restoration” - Wed., April 23 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Sun., April 27 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
Two ambitious river restoration projects are aiming to bring life back to the Klamath in northern California and the Seine in Paris, France. Dr. M. Sanjayan returns to northern California, where the largest dam removal project in U.S. history is aiming to resuscitate the river Klamath.
FIRE LINES – Sat., April 26 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus and Wed., April 30 at 11 p.m. on PBS SoCal – New! – EFEFF
In northern California, climate change and 150 years of forest mismanagement have led to some of the most catastrophic wildfires in the state’s history, including the Dixie Fire, which in 2021 devastated the Lost Sierra’s already struggling communities. In the face of that destruction, one group turned to trails for hope and to the past for a better future.
WEATHERED: “Inside the LA Firestorm” – Sun., April 27 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
Fire chiefs, survivors, community responders and climate scientists talk about the events that led to the Los Angeles wildfires and what can be done to save lives and homes in the future; hosted by Maiya May.
PATAGONIA: LIFE ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD “Mountains” - Sun., April 27 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
A journey from the low grasslands, where pumas roam, to the towering peaks of the Patagonian Andes, where only the toughest people and animals can survive.
EARTH FOCUS “The Tortoise, the Raven and Us” – Tues., April 29 at 6:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
Ravens threaten Mojave Desert tortoises, and solutions call on shifts in human behavior. While they are one of the smartest birds in the world, their success can pose an existential threat to other wildlife. Scientists and community members work to provide solutions to this increasing environmental problem, which are revealing deep insights into humanity in the process.
EARTH FOCUS “Reimagining the Los Angeles River” – Tues., April 29 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
The L.A River is reimagined through explorations of history, hydrology, and architecture. Designs by local visionaries hope to transform the channel in new ways that benefit both the environment and people. But some residents along the river wonder if these changes will bring more harm than good to their communities.
EARTH FOCUS “Transforming the Los Angeles River” – Tues., April 29 at 7:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
A transformed L.A. River is envisioned by the communities that live at its edge. In the process, residents also must reconcile with the river channel’s past. From artists in Elysian Valley to store owners in Chinatown to Indigenous leaders, these communities are working to ensure everyone is included in new plans for the river’s 51 miles.
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Acknowledgements
PBS SoCal’s Earth Month content is supported by generous institutional funders and partners including Metrolink. Environmental programming is supported, in part, by Edison International.
About PBS SoCal
PBS SoCal uses the power of public media for good, strengthening the civic fabric of Southern California and providing our community with an essential connection to a wider world. As a local, donor/member-supported non-profit organization, PBS SoCal programming is available to viewers on all key streaming platforms via the free PBS App and PBS KIDS App as well as over-the-air, via seven channels — including 2 primary broadcast channels, PBS SoCal and PBS SoCal Plus. With a commitment to make content available anytime and anywhere for free, PBS SoCal reaches nearly 19M viewers in the region with programming that reflects the diversity of Southern California and showcases the full schedule of beloved and trusted PBS content spanning Education, News, Environment and Arts & Culture. PBS SoCal also sparks the sharing of ideas at in-person cultural events and community conversations as well as prepares children for kindergarten and beyond by bringing bilingual, hands-on learning experiences to the community for free.
About Metrolink
Metrolink regional passenger rail service offers reliable, safe, affordable, and environmentally sustainable transportation throughout an interconnected six-county network. Metrolink has 545.6 total service line miles and 67 stations across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, and San Diego counties, connecting people, communities, and businesses and serving as an essential link in the region’s mobility landscape. Metrolink also operates the Arrow service, a nine-mile extension of the San Bernardino County Line linking the cities of San Bernardino and Redlands.
Metrolink is committed to promoting sustainability, and we’re proud to be a part of this global effort. Small acts, like taking the train, can add up to a big green impact and contribute to a healthier, more sustainable Southern California.