Corrigan, Mullaney Featured in New PBS Documentary

ARLINGTON, Va. – Human Footprint, a new six-part science documentary, premieres Wednesdays, July 5 - August 9, at 9 p.m. ET (check local listings) on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS App. Hosted by biologist and Princeton University professor Shane Campbell-Staton, this part-science, part-travel series takes viewers from high-tech labs to sweltering street markets, from farms to restaurants, and from primeval forests to the back alleys of New York to explore the ways humans are transforming the planet – and what those transformations tell us about who we are as a species.

As noted in the PBS blog, “Each episode is built on a foundation of science, but the biggest lessons are about human nature. The series is not a ‘doom and gloom; tale of human villainy. Instead, it is an honest reckoning with our vast footprint and our species’ singular history of transforming the planet. The series’ six episodes cover a wide range of topics: invasive species that are both deeply devastating to ecosystems and critical components of culture; how it came to pass that once-wild wolves now work, sleep, and dance (that’s right, dance) alongside us; how five species that met our needs have hitched a ride along with us to global domination; the way that modern cities are both deadly and delightful for their inhabitants; and the science and history behind a crop with an outsized impact on culture – cotton. 

Episode 5, titled "The Urban Jungle," includes segments with rodentologist Bobby Corrigan and Scott Mullaney, Unique Pest Management, Woodbridge, Va., who is known for his work with ratting dogs. The PBS blog describes the episode as an exploration of “the modern city: an ecosystem built by, for us. [Campbell-Staton] encounters three species thriving in the city, reckons with our complex urban history, and envisions a new and wilder urban future.”

Click here to watch the trailer.