New Season of Windows to the Wild Packs a Bigger Punch

Durham, NH (October 1, 2025) — Windows to the Wild host Willem Lange knows that he’s in a different category from most television hosts. At ninety years young, Lange gets a real kick out of his job, and launching the new 20th season of Windows to the Wild feels just as good as the first. 

“You’d expect us to be slowing down, but the truth is, we’re picking up the pace,” said Lange. “Two or three fresh stories in every show, all over New England. For a small crew, that’s pretty good.”

The new broadcast season of Windows to the Wild kicks off on Thursday, October 9th at 8PM on New Hampshire PBS and can also be streamed on the PBS App and YouTube. 

On this season of Windows to the Wild, viewers will travel through New England’s waterways, forests, trails and backyards—highlighting stories of adventure, conservation and community. 

“Season 20 is proving to be our most vibrant yet,” said executive producer Phil Vaughn. “We not only launched some of these stories digitally first, but the half hour programs will have even more stories from Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine and, of course, New Hampshire.” 

The WINDOWS team has covered three to four times more tales of outdoor adventure than they have in previous years. Vaughn said he hopes this new approach will make WINDOWS easier to watch and more accessible for audiences old and new.

There’s no stopping Lange—he’s an integral part of story development, he records all voice overs, goes out on shoots and helps craft the scripts. For season 20, on camera you’ll see Lange rowing a dory, traipsing through Shaker Village in Canterbury and interviewing teenagers on the longest ice-skating loop in Vermont. “Sometimes we have to remind him that we do have a timeline, and the sun is going down,” Vaughn laughed.

What will you find in this season? Lange sums it up best, “Each episode’s packed with folks who love the outdoors, some critters you might see in your backyard and places you just might want to go yourself.”

With the roll-back in federal funding for public media, unique local programs like WINDOWS TO THE WILD are facing an uncertain path forward. Viewers can help secure the future of environmental, nature and outdoor programming by donating to the Willem Lange Endowment Fund.

WINDOWS TO THE WILD – SEASON 20 PROGRAM GUIDE:

Off to Portugal: Episode 2001

NHPBS Broadcast airdate: Thursday, November 20 8 PM 

Join Willem Lange as Windows to the Wild journeys beyond New England to the colorful streets of Porto, the dramatic coastlines of Boca do Inferno, and explore the enduring traces of Roman influence. Alongside fellow New Englanders, Willem discovers the charm, culture, and deep-rooted history that make Portugal unforgettable.

Discover Austria: Episode 2002

NHPBS Broadcast airdate: Thursday, December 18, 2025

William Lange travels through Austria, from Salzburg’s Pegasus Fountain to Vienna’s Lipizzaner stallions. Along the way, he uncovers Baroque gardens, Melk Abbey and architectural marvels. This episode blends history, music and personal reflection, marking Lange’s 90th birthday with a heartfelt tribute to nature, culture and adventure.

Waterways and Wonders: Episode 2003
NHPBS Broadcast Premiere: Thursday, October 9, 8 PM

Discover exciting activities on New England’s waterways – from rowing in a Dory along Maine's coast, hunting for an invasive crab in New Hampshire, to skating on one of the world’s longest ice trails.

From Backyards to Bedrock Gardens: Episode 2004
NHPBS Broadcast Premiere: Thursday, October 16, 8 PM

Host Willem Lange takes you from the backyard of gardening social media star Jessica Zander to a horticultural oasis in Lee, NH. Witness how connected people are to the outdoors, right in their backyards.

Echoes of Granite State History: Episode 2005
NHPBS Broadcast Premiere: Thursday, October 23, 8 PM

Explore the history, culture, and people of Canterbury's Shaker Village. While there, hear about the story of a Revolutionary War veteran who found refuge in the forest behind the Village. Then we travel with a docent to Appledore Island.

Guardians of the Wild: Episode 2006

NHPBS Broadcast Premiere: Thursday, October 30 8 PM

Host Willem Lange shares stories of people who have found incredible ways to protect nature. You'll meet a 15 year-old who save orangutans in the rainforest of Indonesia. We dive into the lakes of NH to salvage sunken wrecks, and then witness the efforts to restore oysters to Great Bay.

Strong Kids, Wild Places: Episode 2007

NHPBS Broadcast Premiere: Thursday, November 6 8 PM

Host Willem Lange takes you on a hike with Little Foot and her second grade classmates. Then we go kayaking with kids who have a “Can Do” attitude.

River Runs and Nightfall Trails: Episode 2008

NHPBS Broadcast Premiere: Thursday, November 13 8 PM

We begin with a paddleboard journey along Sandy River. Then host Willem Lange takes you to New England’s only Dark Sky Park in northern Maine.  Then tag along with children and their parents on a hike into darkness with a South East Land Trust guide.

When the Wild Needs Us: Episode 2009

NHPBS Broadcast Premiere: Thursday, November 27 8 PM

Host Willem Lange meets the people who keep our wildlife, from the forest and backyards, safe. Moose are threatened, orphaned and injured bears are cared for, and the critters displaced in neighborhoods find their way back home.

Trail keepers & Trailblazers: Episode 2010

NHPBS Broadcast Premiere: Thursday, December 4  8 PM

Host Willem Lange takes us to the Presidential Range where folks from the Randolph Mountain Club keep hikers on-the-go. Mirna the Mirnavator empowers others to get outdoors, and we take you to a trail where all persons belong.

Healing in the Wild: Episode 2011

NHPBS Broadcast Premiere: Thursday, December 11 8 PM

Host Willem Lange learns how nature changes the lives of “at-risk” youth at a camp in Bristol, NH.  You'll meet a runner who leaves the roads for the solitude of forest trails. Then we take you to the mountains where the remains of a plane crash still has a story to tell more than sixty years after it disappeared from the sky.

Each Windows to the Wild episode celebrates the people, places and wildlife that makes New England unique.

HOW TO WATCH WINDOWS TO THE WILD WITH WILLEM LANGE

Broadcast Premiere Starting October 9th:

WINDOWS TO THE WILD airs Thursdays at 8 PM on NHPBS, with repeats throughout the broadcast schedule. Following their initial broadcast, episodes will be made available to stream on the PBS App and YouTube.

Podcast:
Download Willem Lange’s podcast Words from the Wild or listen from your favorite podcast platform. The podcast encompasses short stories and essays from Lange’s book Words from the Wild and from his weekly column, A Yankee Notebook. Hear Lange’s wisdom and perspectives garnered from decades as an outdoor enthusiast. The podcast is a partnership with the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communication at Franklin Pierce University.

WINDOWS TO THE WILD is generously supported by the Alice J. Reen Charitable Trust, John D. McGonagle Foundation, Bailey Charitable Foundation and Road Scholar.

Pressroom Contact

Carla Gordon Russell
Director of Communications
crussell@nhpbs.org
(603) 868-4339