ARLINGTON, VA, December 17, 2013 – On January 20, PBS KIDS will premiere “Nature
Trackers Adventure Camp,” an all-new, one-hour special from The Jim Henson Company’s hit
series DINOSAUR TRAIN. Kids will follow Buddy, Shiny, Tiny and Don in four exciting new
stories as they travel to different ecosystems and learn about erosion, tree lines, rainforests and
canyons.

Mr. Conductor and his nephew Gilbert lead Buddy, Tiny, Shiny, Don and friends on an actionpacked journey during “Nature Trackers Adventure Camp.” Throughout their adventures at
camp, the group finds courage as they race down rivers, have a snowball fight, climb a tall
mountain, ride a zipline over the rainforest and hike down a canyon to dig for fossils! Viewers
won’t be able to resist tapping their feet and singing along as the whole gang makes discoveries
about the world around them.

“Research demonstrates that children today spend less time playing outside than their parents

did1; yet studies show that exploring nature helps promote health and wellness and motivates
kids to learn,” said Lesli Rotenberg, General Manager, Children’s Programming, PBS. “At PBS
KIDS, we believe a love of nature opens the door to a whole world of science exploration. In
DINOSAUR TRAIN ‘Nature Trackers Adventure Camp,’ children learn about earth’s natural
wonders with Buddy and friends at their side, while being encouraged to make their own
discoveries outdoors.”

PBS KIDS will feature clips and full stories from “Nature Trackers Adventure Camp” online at
pbskids.org/video, on the free PBS KIDS Video App and on the PBS KIDS Roku channel.
DINOSAUR TRAIN’s website will also re-launch in mobile-friendly HTML5 in mid-January, along
with a new game: “River Run!” In this two-player racing game, Buddy and Don paddle through
the river collecting insects for Don’s ever-growing collection. Players will learn about river
currents and insects as they race to the finish line.
Images from DINOSAUR TRAIN “Nature Trackers Adventure Camp” are available on PBS
PressRoom. Screeners are available upon request.
DINOSAUR TRAIN “Nature Trackers Adventure Camp” includes the following four
stories:

“Nature Trackers Adventure Camp: Rafting”
Buddy, Tiny, Shiny and Don go river rafting for the first time at Nature Tracker Adventure Camp.
Their old pal Jess Hesperornis meets up with them, and they all learn about erosion and the
importance of rivers before finishing up their adventure by cruising through some rapids!
Educational Objective: Rivers and streams are ribbons of water that start at a high point and
flow downhill – often with streams gathering into rivers. Animals and plants living on land
depend on rivers and streams to provide fresh water and nutrients.
“Nature Trackers Adventure Camp: Mountain Climbing”
For their second outing at Nature Trackers Adventure Camp, Buddy, Tiny, Shiny, Don and other
friends learn about the tree line as they set out to hike up a mountain. Shiny is determined to get
to the top of mountain forest. Buddy wonders if they’ll be able to see anything from the
mountaintop, through the tall trees. The kids are amazed that the higher they hike, the shorter
the trees and bushes become! Then they reach the tree line – a certain point on the mountain
where trees are really small because they don’t have enough air to breathe and the temperature
is too cold. In the end, Shiny and all the kids use teamwork to all reach the mountaintop
together!
Educational Objective: The timberline, or tree line, is a certain elevation on a mountain where
the temperatures are colder, the air is thin and the soil is less moist, making it hard for most
plants and trees to grow. Trees may grow as small shrubs. There is less oxygen, so it’s harder
for animals to breathe at the tree line and above.
“Nature Trackers Adventure Camp: Ziplining”
The Nature Trackers Adventure Campers are back for another adventure – and this time they’ll
be travelling to a rainforest! Once they arrive in the dense rainforest, the campers explore
different levels of the ecosystem, including the forest floor and the canopy of leaves at the top of
the forest. After a hike through the rainforest, the campers’ adventure culminates as each kid
takes a ride on a zipline, where they all get a bird’s eye view of the entire rainforest!
Educational Objective: Rainforests are very dense, warm, wet, forests that are home to a vast
array of different life forms. Rainforests get a lot of rain, at least 70 inches per year. Rainforests,
often called the “lungs of the Earth,” generate much of the oxygen we breathe.
“Nature Trackers Adventure Camp: Canyon Hiking”
The Nature Trackers Adventure Campers are led by Mr. Conductor and Gilbert on a hike down
a canyon, where they can see the different layers of the Mesozoic Era! At first, Lily
Lambeosaurus is reluctant to go, thinking that a new adventure sounds hard, but Don convinces
her that a new adventure can be worth the effort. At the bottom of the canyon, the kids dig for
fossils. Each Nature Tracker goes home with a “new” Ammonite fossil, and Lily is so glad she
tried something new!
Educational Objective: Canyons are deep cuts in the earth’s surface. They are formed by
erosion. Erosion is mainly caused by the flow of rivers. It takes millions of years for canyons to
become the grandiose natural landmarks they are today. The bottom rocks in canyons can date
back billions of years, beyond the Mesozoic. Canyons can also be formed by a shift of the
earth’s tectonic plates.
About PBS KIDS
PBS KIDS, the number one educational media brand for kids, offers all children the opportunity
to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, online, mobile and community-based
programs. Kidscreen- and Webby-award winning pbskids.org provides engaging interactive
content, including the PBS KIDS video player, now offering free streaming video accessible on
computer- and mobile-device-based browsers. For more information on specific PBS KIDS
content supporting literacy, science, math and more, visit pbs.org/pressroom or follow PBS
KIDS on Twitter and Facebook.

Contacts:
Maria Vera, PBS; 703.739.3225; mvera@pbs.org
Meredith Gandy, 360PR; 646.568.3238; mgandy@360pr.com
1 RHONDA CLEMENTS (2004) An Investigation of the Status of Outdoor Play, Contemporary Issues in Early
Childhood, 5(1), 68-80. http://dx.doi.org/10.2304/ciec.2004.5.1.10
# # #