By:
Julie

Source(s):
Mark Hostetler MEHostetler@mail.ifas.ufl.edu, (352) 846-0568
Titus Rush trush@wuft.org, (352) 392-5551

View Photo

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — To help residents of Florida and the Southeast protect natural resources and foster healthy communities, a University of Florida wildlife expert has created a new television series that explores regional environmental problems and shows how people are helping solve them.

The five-part “Living Green” series features homeowners, regulators and industry leaders explaining how they are addressing a variety of environmental challenges, said Mark Hostetler, an associate professor with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

“I think what sets this show apart is its upbeat message — most environmental programming I have seen focuses more on problems than solutions,” Hostetler said.

One episode is already available to public television stations, and several more shows will be completed later this year, he said. The first 30-minute program aired on WUFT-TV/DT in Gainesville on May 18th, and will be rebroadcast by the North Central Florida station on July 28th at 10:30 p.m.

Hostetler, who serves as host, writer, producer and editor for the series, wants to show viewers they can help themselves while helping the environment.

“People are becoming more aware that conservation has tangible benefits for them,” he said. “We’re trying to present our viewers with ideas that will help them save money on power and water bills, and even protect their pets.”

The first program explores strategies for designing landscapes that attract and protect wildlife. It includes interviews with Florida homeowners as well as developers of “green” communities planned to accommodate the needs of local wildlife.

Other shows will deal with energy conservation, invasive animals and plants, and conservation easements, legal agreements that preserve the rural character of farmlands, he said.

Hostetler said he got his inspiration for the television series from years of participation in education and outreach activities with Florida homeowners, developers and policymakers.

“I realized the day- to-day decisions made by people at all these levels have a profound impact on the health and sustainability of our communities,” he said. “I believe environmental issues should be discussed so that they can be solved by all groups within a community.”

Hostetler said he hopes the show’s quirky, humorous tone will appeal to a wide range of viewers.

“‘Living Green’ is designed to provide useful information, but in a way that is entertaining enough to engage viewers and keep them watching,” he said.

Hostetler’s unique approach is part of the reason WUFT-TV/DT helped produce the first program in the series, said station manager Titus Rush. “We became interested in this project because we felt Dr. Hostetler could bring a fresh perspective to some serious issues,” he said.

The station, located in UF’s College of Journalism and Communications, is helping to market the first program, which has been sent to public television stations in Florida. The program is available to broadcasters at no cost, and future editions will also be released through WUFT-TV/DT, Rush said. Major funding for the series is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and various organizations such as International Paper Foundation and Progress Energy.

Hostetler is pleased to see the show, which began production in May 2004, finally reach viewers. No stranger to the TV camera, he has appeared on a number of nationally televised programs, including “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not.” But that experience did not quite prepare him for “Living Green,” he said.

“With this show, I don’t just sit in front of the camera; I’m also thinking about what shots we need, where we are getting the funding for the next episode, and a million other things,” he said. “But building this program from the ground up has been a great experience.”

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