MYGRATIONS - Follows a Human Herd Across Serengeti

Every spring, over 1.3 million wildebeest rapidly travel hundreds of miles across the Serengeti. Starting out from the dry southern Serengeti plains, they have one goal in mind, and that is to reach the lush, thick grasses of the Maasai Mara in Kenya. This is no easy feat for the animals, and literally tens of thousands of the wildebeest will never make it as they journey through some of the most dangerous environments imaginable.

Besides dodging several apex predators such as lions, leopards, hyenas, and crocodiles, the terrain alone is enough to stop many. Mountains, deep ravines, impassable bogs, scorching plains, and raging rivers also stand in their way. Through sheer drive and determination, the wildebeests do somehow manage every season to make it to their destination. So how will a team, or herd, of 20 men and women fare as they attempt to complete the same journey on Mygrations?

This human Mygrations “herd” will set out on foot and will be unarmed. 

On Mygrations, their daunting goal is to reach the Mara River in Tanzania, and it will take the Mygrations team approximately six long and perilous weeks. According to Real Screen, this Mygrations group will not have navigation tools like a map or compass to help keep them on track. Like the wildebeest, the Mygrations team must travel the well-worn path that has been stamped into the ground by billions of hooves over several centuries.

Pop Tower shared that for this intriguing series, the Mygrations herd is made up of individuals with diverse backgrounds and skill sets. The Mygrations team is comprised of ex-special operations forces, survivalists, athletes, farmers, and others. Being prepared is key to completing the journey, and the Mygrations participants will load their packs with as much food and water as they can carry. The Mygrations group will also seek advice and guidance from a native tribe before starting out on their dangerous Mygrations trek.

From the very first episode, which is aptly titled “Into the Unknown,” the Mygrations participants will be dealing with thirst, predators, and each other. Early on, it becomes very clear that not everyone on this Mygrations journey can endure the hardships. With a Mygrations group this large, there are also bound to be several arguments and disagreements. A leader and pecking order of sorts will be imperative for this Mygrations herd if they are to be successful.

No matter how prepared the Mygrations herd may be, their numbers will dwindle as individuals begin to tap out due to exhaustion, hunger, injuries, illness, and extreme fatigue. Each loss is a blow to the Mygations team, but eventually, an elite group will emerge that is willing to push past the many difficulties and dangers they must endure on Mygrations.

The remaining Mygrations herd will be forced to face a wide range of dangers such as crossing hippo and croc-infested waters, scaling sheer cliffs, or figuring out how to get past a soaring waterfall. Throw in an unexpected threat from poachers and it all adds up, making a grueling journey for the Mygrations group even worse.

Can this Mygrations team make it to the end without cracking under the strain? They will certainly test the very limits and capability of what the human spirit and sheer strength of will can overcome and accomplish. This is definitely no walk in the park for these Mygrations individuals, as they must come together as a true “herd” in order to complete their journey across the wilds of the Serengeti.

Mygrations is produced by October Films for the National Geographic Channel. Executive producers for Mygrations are Jos Cushing, Matt Robins, Chris Muckle, and Doug McCallie for October Films. For the National Geographic Channel, Matt Renner is vice president of production for Mygrations, and Tim Pastore is global president of original programming and production.

Will you be watching Mygrations? Do you have what it takes to complete such a hazardous journey? There will be six hour-long episodes, and the series premiere of Mygrations airs on Monday, May 23 at 9 p.m. ET on the National Geographic Channel.

Giving Back to Brooklyn

Thanks to Urban Outfitters, BreakThruTV's Chelsea White got to take a paddle with Jens Rasmussen, founding member of the North Brooklyn Boat Club, and learn about their programs.

Watch the video below for a quick and humorous peek into to this surprising and scrappy community organization, dedicated to getting people on the NYC waterways and protecting those waters.



To see more about Jens' outdoor adventures in NYC and beyond check out the videos and links on this page.

CBS NEWS - City Survival

As CBS 2′s Kristine Johnson reported, in a most unlikely environment — underneath the Pulaski Bridge in Greenpoint — students are learning skills that can save their lives.

“You wouldn’t expect anything like this to be in Brooklyn,” one woman said.

“Normally, you would take a survival class out in the woods somewhere,” said another student, Cynthia.

Instead, students gathered on the bank of Newtown Creek to learn basic survival skills set in an urban environment.

With only basic tools, Jens Rasmussen, an experienced survivalist, teaches some of the skills that could mean the difference between life and death.

“There’s a really deep sense of satisfaction that I see people get from connecting with these, what you might call, primitive skills,” Rasmussen said.

No matter what you call them, they are the same skills needed to survive in natural or manmade disasters.

The focus is also on what Rasmussen calls the most basic skills of all — making a fire without matches.

“The words ‘fire-making class’ kind of sparked the imagination,” one of the students told Johnson.

By the end of the class, all of the students were able to make a flame.

“You never know when knowledge is going to be of handy in any given situation,” Cynthia said.