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00:00Help all kids learn and grow with PBS Kids.
00:03Thank you for supporting your PBS station.
00:07That's me, Fred the house cat.
00:09When my family leaves for the day,
00:11I don't just sit inside watching the world go by.
00:14I become...
00:18Nature Cat!
00:20Backyard explorer extraordinaire!
00:24Tally-ho!
00:26Tally-ho!
00:27We're climbing out the trees now.
00:29We're swinging through the breeze now.
00:31We're getting muddy knees now.
00:33Nature Cat!
00:34Nature Cat!
00:35Nature Cat!
00:35Nature Cat!
00:36Nature Cat!
00:37Nature Cat!
00:38So what are we waiting for?
00:40We're so excited to explore
00:42all that nature has in store.
00:44We're getting wet!
00:45Go, go!
00:45Tally-ho!
00:46Go, go, go!
00:47Tally-ho!
00:48We're the favorite nature guide.
00:50We just can't wait to get outside.
00:52We're swimming through the trees now.
00:54We're jumping in the leaves now.
00:57We're getting muddy knees now.
00:58We're jumping in the leaves now.
01:00We're jumping in the leaves now.
01:00Tally-ho!
01:02Tally-ho!
01:26Tally-ho!
01:27He'll be there in a few minutes.
01:30Just give him a little second.
01:32Tally-ho!
01:35Agents of the Great Outdoors reporting for duty!
01:38What's our mission, Agent Daisy?
01:39Today's mission is to uncover six big secrets of the prairie.
01:44Big secrets of the prairie?
01:45Oh boy, I've always wanted to know the big secrets of the prairie.
01:49Now I'm gonna jump in.
01:50And then I think I speak for Agent Hal when I ask, what is a prairie?
01:54How did you know I was working up to that question?
01:56This is a prairie.
01:58It just looks like some flat land with lots of really tall grass.
02:01Yes, but that's not all there is.
02:03Granny Bunny told me there are six amazing secrets hidden in the prairie.
02:09Secrets?
02:09Like what?
02:10I don't know.
02:11That's why it's a secret.
02:12Well, it's our job to dig them up.
02:14Come on, Agents!
02:16We know lots of stuff!
02:18And we want to know more!
02:20We're the Agents of the Great Outdoors!
02:26Welcome to Windy Wildflower National Park!
02:29National Park?
02:30Uh, I thought we were going to the prairie.
02:32Nature Cat, this national park is a prairie.
02:36Whoa!
02:36Oh, I think I know why they call it Windy Wildflower National Park!
02:43Uh, why?
02:45I don't know, Hal.
02:46Maybe it's the wind.
02:48Oh, right!
02:50Because wind is so windy!
02:52Wink, wink!
02:54Says here that prairies are important habitats to lots of living things.
02:58They can survive all the strong winds, blizzards, droughts, and even wildfires that happen here.
03:04How can prairies survive all that?
03:06That's probably what one of the big secrets is, and what we're here to find out.
03:11Come on, walk this way.
03:15You know, whenever I want to find out secrets, I talk to the trees.
03:19Hey, trees, it's me, Agent Hal!
03:23Hey, there's no trees!
03:25I think I know one of the prairie's secrets!
03:28It's hidden all of its trees!
03:30Looks like the prairie doesn't have many trees, Agent Hal.
03:33Hmm, maybe that's why it gets so windy.
03:35Without lots of trees to block the wind.
03:38But you get a view that goes straight onto the horizon.
03:42Wow.
03:43Ooh, impressive!
03:44I better put it in my secret journal.
03:52Big prairie secret number one.
03:55Very few trees on the prairie.
04:00Come on, Agents.
04:02Let's keep exploring!
04:05Tall grass, tall grass, tall grass!
04:08All I'm seeing is the same tall grass!
04:11Wait a minute, Agent Nature Cat.
04:13Check this out!
04:14This grass looks different from this grass!
04:17Hey, yeah!
04:17This grass has a cute feathery top.
04:20And this grass is, like, bluish.
04:22What?
04:24That's ridiculous!
04:25There are no different types of grass.
04:27Grass is just grass!
04:28Hmm, I'd better use my official Agents of the Great Outdoors prairie scope to investigate.
04:34Ooh, what's a prairie scope?
04:36Houston made it for me.
04:38A prairie scope!
04:40Oh, that's a prairie scope!
04:46This is Indian grass!
04:50This is big bluestem grass!
04:55And this is switchgrass!
04:57How many types of grass are in this wild, wacky field?
05:00Man, oh, man!
05:02The prairie scope says there are over 70 kinds of grass on this prairie alone!
05:06Whoa!
05:08Well, Agents, it looks like we found the second big secret of the prairie.
05:12Big prairie secret number two.
05:15The prairie is home to lots of different types of grass.
05:17Come on, Agents.
05:18Let's find out more secrets of the prairie.
05:21Walk this way!
05:33What was that?
05:35It's the grass!
05:36I think it's doing a prairie dance!
05:38I'll do the prairie dance with you, grassy!
05:42I don't think the grass is moving on its own, Agent Howell.
05:46Hmm, I'm thinking it's something in the grass.
05:49What's in the grass?
05:51Another secret!
05:52This way, Agents.
05:56What kind of bird is that?
05:58I'll check the prairie scope.
06:00Phew!
06:01Ouch!
06:04Oh, it's a greater prairie chicken!
06:08I haven't spoken prairie chicken in a long time.
06:11Am I saying this correctly?
06:12Mmm, boom, boom, boom!
06:13Like that?
06:19I don't think I'm nailing the accent.
06:21Mmm, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.
06:24Look!
06:25Look! It's going this way!
06:31Ooh, now this way!
06:33Now this way!
06:37Over here!
06:42Uh, what are we looking at?
06:44Look closely, Agent Nature Cat.
06:47Its colors blend in with its surroundings.
06:52Sorry, I just don't see it.
06:54Careful, Nature Cat.
06:56Huh?
06:59Snake! Why did it have to be a snake?
07:02Oh, not just any snake.
07:05It's a prairie king snake.
07:07Says here that it mimics a rattlesnake to keep away anything that might want to eat it.
07:11Are there any other animals here in the prairie?
07:14Let's check the prairie scope.
07:22There's a vole!
07:27A milkweed longhorn beetle!
07:35And an eastern cottontail! Wow!
07:38Who knew there were so many different animals living in the prairie?
07:42Looks like we found another big secret!
07:44Big prairie secret number three!
07:46The prairie is home to lots and lots of wildlife.
07:51Uh, what's that sound?
07:54I'll check it out!
07:56A prairie scope!
07:58What?
08:01Ooh, there are some cows coming to say hello!
08:04Hi, cows! It's me, Hal!
08:07Ooh, let me see!
08:09Those aren't cows, Agent Hal!
08:13Clearly, they are bison!
08:15Man, oh, man!
08:16Listen to this, fellow agents!
08:18At one time, millions of bison lived across the prairies.
08:21But today, there aren't many left in the wild.
08:24Whoa! Well, these ones that are left are so big!
08:26And there are so many!
08:28And they're eating so much grass!
08:31How do they not hurt the prairie?
08:33It says here that the bison eat while they move.
08:35So they don't eat too much grass from one place.
08:38And they also help spread seeds around on their woolly coats
08:41and with their, well, their poop!
08:43There, I said it.
08:45So bison are actually good for the prairie!
08:47We got another big secret!
08:49Big prairie secret number four!
08:51Bison help take care of the prairie.
08:53Oh, that's nice. I should tell them.
08:55Nice work, bison!
08:59Uh-oh!
09:00Hal!
09:06Whoa!
09:07Agent Squeaks, where'd you go?
09:10Agent Daisy!
09:11Whoa!
09:12Agent Hal, where did everybody go?
09:17Huh?
09:19What's happening?
09:20Who are you?
09:22Hi!
09:23My name's Laura!
09:24And that there's Pa, Ma, Nelly, and Almonzo.
09:28We're prairie dogs.
09:30Hey!
09:31I'm a dog too!
09:32What do you know?
09:33I'm a how!
09:34Oh!
09:35We're not dogs, despite the name.
09:37We're actually rodents!
09:39Uh, yes.
09:40Kind of like cousins to a squirrel.
09:41Or a mouse.
09:42Oh, really?
09:43Uh, I'm a mouse.
09:45Cousin!
09:47If you don't mind me asking, what are y'all doing around here?
09:50Yeah, why is there a little mouse on the prairie?
09:53Well, we're here to discover its big secrets.
09:55You've come to the right place!
09:57Cause the biggest secret is hidden.
09:59Right who?
10:00Where?
10:01Where?
10:01Tell us, what's the biggest prairie secret?
10:03Hush, Hal!
10:04It's a secret!
10:06Hey, where did they go?
10:08If you want a big secret, then you better look down.
10:11Underneath the tall grass, deep down underground.
10:13If you want to find out more, then you better follow me.
10:18Let's go beneath the old prairie.
10:21We've got lots of tunnels underneath the grass that grows.
10:24We dug them off ourselves, yes they are burrows.
10:26All those burrows when together they make up a colony.
10:31Right here beneath the old prairie.
10:33Big prairie secret number five.
10:35Prairie dogs live under the prairie.
10:37Wow!
10:38Is that the biggest secret?
10:39Not at all!
10:42Look at the grass roots as we sing our song.
10:44The roots are thick and the roots are long.
10:47They keep the grass grown, grown, wild and free.
10:51From deep beneath the old prairie.
10:54Whoa!
10:54I've never seen such amazingly long roots.
10:57They're longer down here than the grasses up there.
10:59These grass roots are super long, but that's just half of the story.
11:04What do you mean?
11:05The weather on the prairie's harsh.
11:06There could be a blizzard or a drought.
11:09But thanks to these protective roots down here, the prairie grass continues to sprout.
11:15Wildfires rage, blustering winds blow.
11:19But the roots down here, they help the grass regrow and grow and grow.
11:25I know the biggest secret of all.
11:27Big prairie secret number six.
11:29The roots are what make the prairie so super strong.
11:33That's right!
11:33Hell, you found the biggest secret!
11:35Yay!
11:37The prairie is awesome.
11:38Compass life is all around.
11:39And the prairie keeps growing.
11:41Thanks to what is underground.
11:42The roots keep it growing so beautifully.
11:46And that's the secret of, the biggest secret of, the biggest secret of the old prairie.
11:52Oh yeah?
11:53Oh yeah?
11:54Oh yeah?
11:54We did it!
11:55We found all six secrets of the prairie!
11:57I guess they're not secrets anymore.
11:59Woohoo!
12:00I love you, Prairie!
12:02I love you, Prairie!
12:04I love you, Prairie!
12:05I love you, Prairie!
12:07I love you, Prairie!
12:08I love you, Prairie!
12:08We love you, Prairie!
12:10We love you, Prairie!
12:12Sticky Sweet Tree Treat!
12:19Ah, that sunshine feels so delightfully warm!
12:24Phew!
12:24I thought it was the hike making me all sweaty.
12:26This is turning into a pretty mild day.
12:28But it snowed last night and was cold this morning.
12:31So it's wintery at night and springy during the day?
12:35Yeah, it's like...
12:36Sprinter!
12:37Or...
12:38Wing!
12:40Hey, look!
12:41Our favorite maple tree!
12:44Shh!
12:44The other trees can hear you!
12:46We love you all equally, trees!
12:49I love you equally, plus one.
12:51I wish it was summer so I could make rubbings of those beautiful pointy maple leaves.
12:55Oh, I wish it was fall so I could jump into a big pile of those leaves.
13:00I want to play with those twirly helicopter whirligig maple seeds!
13:04Well, I wish it was spring right now!
13:07Oh...
13:07Ha!
13:08Sorry to burst your bubble squeaks, but we'll just have to wait for all that.
13:11Good things in nature take time, my friends.
13:14Let's appreciate our tree just the way it is right now!
13:17Group hug!
13:20Oh, poor little tree!
13:21It's crying!
13:23Oh, I better kiss it and make it better!
13:25Oh, wait!
13:28The tree's tears don't taste salty!
13:30They actually taste a little bit sweet!
13:32Pardon me, pooch!
13:33That's my lunch!
13:36Hey, pal!
13:38Did you just make a hole in our tree?
13:40Of course I did!
13:42Don't you know a woodpecker when you see one?
13:45Oh, yeah!
13:46You kind of look like that woodpecker from season one!
13:49Hi, I'm Hal!
13:50You remember me from season one?
13:52That's right!
13:52You noisy fellas make holes in trees to get to the bugs and other food under the bark!
13:57But you're not just any woodpecker!
13:59You're a yellow-bellied sap-sucker woodpecker!
14:01And if I'm not mistaken, you eat sap, right?
14:04Boy, howdy, do I ever!
14:06Oh, that tree sap just keeps me going!
14:09Oh, wait, wait, wait!
14:10Hal!
14:10Those weren't the tree's tears you tasted!
14:13That must have been sap!
14:14Oh, and am I ever glad I flew back up north this week?
14:18These warmer winter days are especially good for the maple sap!
14:23Well, gotta fly off!
14:24I'll see you guys around!
14:25Bye!
14:26Wait a minute!
14:27Do all trees have sap?
14:29And what exactly is this sap stuff, anyway?
14:31You say you want to know if all trees have sap?
14:34He just said he did.
14:36Well, yes!
14:37All trees do have sap!
14:39Well, that's one question answered!
14:41Easy, wasn't it?
14:42But what is sap?
14:43Sap is a watery liquid that moves around inside a tree.
14:47It flows up from the tree's roots, feeding the stems and leaves.
14:51And it flows back down from the leaves, carrying the sugars it makes to feed the rest of the tree.
14:57Sugars, huh?
14:58That must have been why Hal said the sap tasted a little sweet!
15:01That's right, Daisy.
15:03It is!
15:03Huh?
15:04How does he know my name?
15:05And speaking of sweet, I see that you're standing next to a sugar maple tree.
15:09We are!
15:10This guy knows everything!
15:12And sugar maple trees contain the sweetest sap in the woods.
15:16Oh, I knew our tree was special!
15:19Come here, pal!
15:20Ha!
15:21Just like the sap sucker said!
15:23Good memory, Daisy!
15:24But it's not only sap suckers who enjoy sap.
15:27Sugar maple sap is used to make maple syrup.
15:33Maple syrup?
15:34Sugar maple sap is used to make maple syrup!
15:37Do you know what that means?
15:38Pancake party picnic!
15:40Oh, hello, Nature Cat!
15:42Hello, Ronald!
15:44And someone who looks like older...
15:45Ronald!
15:46What's all the commotion?
15:48Hm?
15:48I've got pancakes for a pancake party picnic!
15:51What have you got there?
15:53This is a bucket full of sap.
15:55And this is my Grampy Donald!
15:57Hello, Grampy Donald!
15:58I love your name!
16:00Oh, hello, Ronald friends!
16:02I wouldn't say friends!
16:04Pancakes, huh?
16:05Sounds like you're doing what we're doing!
16:07Collecting sap for maple syrup!
16:09Yeah!
16:09Grampy Donald and I have been collecting sap
16:11for our big waffle wing-ding!
16:13We know all about sap!
16:14Need some help?
16:15Oh, no, no thank you!
16:17We know all about sap, too!
16:19And now...
16:20Pancake party picnic!
16:22Oh!
16:26So...
16:27Um...
16:27Where's the syrup?
16:29I noticed that you hadn't tapped your tree yet,
16:31so I'm here to help!
16:32Oh!
16:32Um...
16:33But we are tapping the tree!
16:35Right, everyone?
16:36See?
16:37We got this!
16:39Tap tap tapity tap tap...
16:41Tap tap tap tap tap...
16:42Tappy tap tap tapping on the tree!
16:45This will knock that sap right out!
16:47Nope!
16:47It really won't!
16:48But this will...
16:50If you do it correctly,
16:52this won't hurt the tree,
16:53and the hole will hit!
16:56This is a tap!
16:58And this spout helps draw the sap out into this bucket.
17:01But what about the sap suckers? Won't the tap take food away from them?
17:05If you only take as much as you need, there'll be enough for everyone, including the tree.
17:11Hey, look, here comes the sap!
17:13Huzzah! Time for our pancake party picnic.
17:18Whoa, it got cold pretty quick.
17:21Well, the sun will set soon. We should get home, Ronnie. You kids should too.
17:25But what about pancakes?
17:27Yeah, Grampy's right. We should get home while it's still light out.
17:30Okay, we'll come back tomorrow morning and have our pancake party picnic.
17:41That bucket should be full to the brim by now.
17:44What? This can't be.
17:46Wait a second. There isn't any sap dripping into the bucket at all.
17:50What's happening? It was dripping when we left the tree yesterday.
17:54Maybe the tap is clogged.
17:58Hey, what's wrong? Don't like my handiwork?
18:00Something's wrong with this tap, Grampy Donald. The sap isn't dripping anymore.
18:04Well, the tree's sap froze last night because the temperature dropped below freezing.
18:08Just wait until the day warms up a bit more.
18:10The sap will thaw and flow again.
18:12But I've already waited so long.
18:19See? It's flowing already.
18:21But it's so slow.
18:24It'll take forever to fill that bucket.
18:26Well, I've always believed that good things in nature take time.
18:30Hey, Nature Cat. Didn't you say the exact same thing yesterday?
18:32That was about leaves and helicopter seeds.
18:35This is pancakes we're talking about.
18:37Who can wait for pancakes?
18:39Think about it.
18:40That sap has been frozen and stored in this tree all winter long.
18:44This is the only time in the whole year when you can gather it for syrup.
18:48It's worth it just to wait a little while longer.
18:50Let me know when that bucket is full and I'll help you.
18:53Gotta go get ready for our waffle-wing-ding.
18:55Toodles to the hoops.
18:56Hi, Happy Donald.
18:58I'll talk to you soon.
18:59Send us a postcard, please.
19:01So now we wait.
19:05And wait.
19:07Um, I'm gonna wait differently.
19:09Me too.
19:10Who wants to have a snowball fight?
19:12I'm in.
19:35Now that's a lot of sap.
19:38That's definitely enough for our pancake party picnic.
19:41Woo-hoo!
19:42Yay!
19:44Sweet!
19:45Let's go tell Grampy Donald so he can help us.
19:47Nonsense.
19:48We got this.
19:50Pancake party picnic over here.
19:52Um, Nature Cat, that stuff doesn't look like the syrup from a store.
19:57Yeah, store syrup is a deep, rich, golden, ambery-brown.
20:01This looks kind of pale.
20:02And store syrup is thicker tutu also.
20:05Well, this isn't from a store.
20:06It's fresh from the tree.
20:08So maybe that's why it looks different.
20:12So, this isn't very sweet, but it is wet.
20:17Very, very wet.
20:19Mm-hmm.
20:19I concur, Hal.
20:20It's a soggy quality with just a small hint of maple.
20:25Hello, Nature Cat.
20:26Hello, Ronald.
20:29Grampy wants to know if your sap bucket is full yet so he can help-
20:32It's okay, Ronald.
20:33Oh, he got this.
20:35Help.
20:36Why is this syrup not very sweet and so very wet?
20:40Wait a second.
20:41Did you just pour that sap right onto your pancakes just straight from the bucket?
20:46Sap isn't syrup, you silly cat.
20:48You have to make sap into syrup.
20:51Look, Grampy and I can show you how to make syrup.
20:54Where's the rest of your sap?
20:55Well, we're plum out.
20:56You used the whole bucket?
21:00Oh, man, you guys are too funny.
21:02It's a good thing Grampy gathered plenty of sap for our waffle wingding.
21:06Come on, we'll make you some syrup.
21:11My word.
21:12What is that lovely aroma?
21:15That's the smell of maple syrup.
21:21What are you doing, Grampy Donald?
21:23Boiling the sap.
21:24You see, sap is mostly water.
21:26By boiling it, a lot of the water evaporates, leaving behind the sugar in the sap.
21:31The longer it boils, the darker and sweeter and thicker the syrup gets.
21:36Hey, Grampy Donald, why are there so many big kettles?
21:39I mean, that is a lot of syrup.
21:40I mean, I like syrup.
21:42Like, I really like, like it, like it.
21:45But this, oof, this is a lot, a lot of syrup, Hal.
21:48It's not as much as you think, Hal.
21:50That's right.
21:51It takes four of those big ten-gallon kettles of sap just to make one gallon of syrup.
21:56Oh, right.
21:57Because so much water gets evaporated into the air.
22:01And boiling away all that water takes a really long time.
22:05You think you can wait just a little bit longer?
22:07I don't know, man.
22:08I'm getting pretty hangry.
22:11Uh...
22:13Yeah, my tummy's rumbling.
22:15And I'm not sure Nature Cat can wait another second.
22:17Nonsense.
22:19Good things in nature take time.
22:22Ah, smell that smoky firewood and sweet maple.
22:26Now that fixed up looks like syrup.
22:29Such a lovely rich brown.
22:32Syrup.
22:33Oh, can we have some now?
22:34Please, please, please, please, please, please, please.
22:36Oh, Hal, I think it needs to cool first.
22:38You mean we have to wait longer?
22:40Hey, I bet it'll be cool by the time we finish making the waffles.
22:44And the pancakes.
22:45And pancakes.
22:46Do you have any idea what this means?
22:49Breakfast, belly hoover, and pizza!
22:53Now this was worth the wait.
23:00Thanks for your help, Ronald and Grampy Donald.
23:03Grampy Donald?
23:07What?
23:07I couldn't wait any longer.
23:16Nature Cat, Squeaks, Daisy, and Hal are cartoon characters and not real animals.
23:22To keep all of our animal friends safe, check with a grown-up before you bring a pet on your
23:27next nature adventure.
23:29Aha!
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