Stream the Full Program Below


Nick Mollé, filmmaker and host of the series A Walk in the Park with Nick Mollé, takes viewers on a guided tour of Colorado’s majestic Rocky Mountain National Park in his latest entry in the series, Nature of the Beasts.

Nick travels through the park on foot and on snowshoe, capturing its natural beauty and showcasing its diverse flora and fauna, including the pika – a cousin to the rabbit – as well as marmots, moose, and more. In addition to highlighting the grandeur of Rocky Mountain National Park, Nature of the Beasts also explores the underlying challenges the park faces.

When to Watch

Nature of the Beasts airs on CPTV Spirit on Sunday, September 1, 2019 at 8 p.m.; Monday, September 2, 2019 at 7 a.m.; Tuesday, September 3, 2019 at 11 a.m.; and Sunday, September 8, 2019 at 2 p.m. It is also now available to stream above.

More About Nature of the Beasts

Over the past several years, Rocky Mountain National Park has experienced an unprecedented surge in visitation. Nature of the Beasts explores how this increase in tourism is stressing the park infrastructure and ecosystem.

Meet the pika and other animals that inhabit Rocky Mountain National Park. (Photo credit: Dick Orleans)

Climate change is also impacting the park. Viewers hear from experts – including Darla Sidles, superintendent of Rocky Mountain National Park; Dr. Scott Denning, professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University; and Dr. Chris Ray from the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at the University of Colorado Boulder, among others – about climate change’s effects on the Rocky Mountain ecosystem, including a decline in the pika population.

The beautiful colors of autumn, as showcased in “A Walk in the Park with Nick Mollé: Nature of the Beasts.” (Photo by Sean Doherty.)

However, Nature of the Beasts looks at possible solutions to these problems as well, exploring how education, positive park experiences, and appreciation for the landscape can potentially spur constructive change for a park in peril.

Featuring an original musical composition written by Nick and musician Brett Wilson, Nature of the Beasts is a stunning feast for the eyes and ears, as well as a thought-provoking look at an ecosystem facing an uncertain future.

Connecticut Public Television (CPTV) is the presenting station for A Walk in the Park with Nick Mollé: Nature of the Beasts. It is distributed nationally by American Public Television (APT).