Documentary Production and Distribution News
Emmy Winner Jeff Corwin Joins Expedition Chesapeake
By StudentFilmmakers.com
posted Aug 23, 2011, 11:49
Animal Planet Star with Worldwide Following Joins Whitaker Center for Science & the Arts & Chesapeake Bay Stakeholders to develop IMAX film and a series of educational tools to inspire 17 million Bay watershed residents
Animal Planet Star with Worldwide Following Joins Whitaker Center for Science
& the Arts & Chesapeake Bay Stakeholders to develop IMAX film and a
series of educational tools to inspire 17 million Bay watershed residents
(Cooperstown, NY) Jeff Corwin has tangled with wildlife in every corner of
the world, from horned vipers in Morocco to red pandas in the Himalayas throughout
a globetrotting career that has seen him build an audience of more than 13 million
viewers worldwide.
Now, he will focus his talent and energy on the Chesapeake Bay watershed, a
singular natural resource that is home to 17 million people.
Corwin announced that he has joined Expedition Chesapeake, a $10 million multi-media
educational and entertainment experience anchored by an IMAX film.
He made the announcement at the SUNY College at Oneonta Biological Field Station
on Lake Otsego, the starting point for the headwaters of the Susquehanna River
and the entire Bay watershed.
"This is going to be an incredible journey and it starts right here, in
Cooperstown and on this beautiful lake. The Chesapeake Bay watershed is home
to a staggering 17 million people and we want to educate and inspire those citizens
to better understand and appreciate this incredible treasure," Corwin said
after kayaking on the lake with members of the Expedition Chesapeake team. "IMAX
is ideal for telling the story of the Bay and the entire watershed."
"You really can't find anyone else better qualified or more suited to
this role and this challenge. Jeff Corwin has traveled around the world and
now he is going to focus his talent and his energy right here in our backyard,"
said Michael L. Hanes, President & CEO of Whitaker Center.
"We reached out to Jeff and told him what we were building and he jumped
at the opportunity. He understands the significance of the Chesapeake Bay watershed
and he understands our mission -- to educate 17 million residents of the watershed
to act to preserve this treasure," Hanes added.
Expedition Chesapeake is a sweeping initiative that includes a made-for-television
documentary series, a hands-on, traveling 4D science exhibit, and a set of online
learning experiences designed to engage students. The Chesapeake Bay watershed
is the largest estuary in the United States and covers 64,000 square miles in
New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware and Washington,
D.C.
The educational tools are designed to inform, engage and challenge all citizens
in a comfortable and interactive conversation. The initiative will serve as
a model for watersheds around the world.
Corwin was joined by members of the Expedition Chesapeake Advisory Committee,
including Dr. Willard Harman, Director, and Biological Field Station SUNY College
at Oneonta.
"We're involved because this initiative is really about engaging citizens
about this watershed and just how important it is to how we all live our lives.
This field station was established here for just that purpose and we're thrilled
to be playing such an important role and we're honored that Jeff has joined
the team," said Dr. Harman. "We want people to connect to this resource
so that they understand what it means to them -- and what impact they have on
this watershed on a daily basis."
Monday's paddle on Otsego Lake is the first in a series of kayak trips that
will take Corwin and the entire Expedition Chesapeake team from Cooperstown
to Havre de Grace Maryland, where the Susquehanna River empties into the Chesapeake
Bay.
Resources:
www.whitakercenter.org
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