The snow melts, the ice thaws, and the mosquitos emerge. Such is the delicate balance of nature in the Canadian wilderness, a reality the plucky homesteaders of National Geographic’s Northwoods Survival are learning firsthand. In Tuesday’s new episode, “Regeneration,” airing December 3 at 10 pm, the show’s intrepid Canadians transition from simply surviving to something vaguely resembling thriving – or, as the producers put it, “thrival” mode.
Now eight episodes into its freshman season (premiering October 15th), Northwoods Survival has chronicled the group’s attempts to carve out a life in a remote and unforgiving landscape. We’ve seen frozen fingers, questionable shelter construction, and more than one existential crisis brought on by a lack of decent coffee. But with the arrival of a slightly less hostile season, the focus shifts from basic survival to building something vaguely sustainable.
Will they finally master the art of fire-starting without resorting to rubbing sticks together for three hours? Can they construct a dwelling that doesn’t resemble a pile of sticks haphazardly draped with a tarp? And, most crucially, will they manage to forage something other than pine needles and questionable mushrooms? “Regeneration” suggests a focus on long-term planning and resource management, skills perhaps not as glamorous as wrestling a bear for its salmon but arguably more vital for long-term success. Tune in to witness the delicate dance between man and moderately less frozen nature.
Northwoods Survival airs Tuesdays at 10 PM on National Geographic.
