Host of show shares own travel, TV experiences

Executive producer and host of the Animal Planet Network’s show "The Jeff Corwin Experience" discussed his experiences with animals, including the now-extinct bird species — the Hawaiian Honeycreeper — and discussed overcoming the idea that only "cute" animals should be saved.

Jeff Corwin won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in a Children’s Series for "Jeff Corwin Unleashed" this year.

He said that winning an Emmy proved "you can take the idea of natural history and mainstream it." He also said his show gives people information they can use and apply to their lives.

"The best thing was finding a job I enjoy doing," Corwin said. "I don’t feel like I’ve ever worked. This is the only country people can do what they love."

Corwin discussed overcoming "charismatic species syndrome," the urge for people only to be interested in learning about or saving "cute" animals, and not caring about the disappearing species of reptiles or insects. "I will look at something and apply a value that’s artificial [to cute animals]," he said. Despite this, his favorite animal always has been a snake.

After telling a story about when he saw the very last of a form of Hawaiian Honeycreeper, Corwin said,

"Although the chapter may have closed on this honeycreeper, there are books to be written on other animals."

"I am constantly looking for more information to show," he said. "Each season we always do something different."

This season, the show is focusing on different concepts. For example, there will be a show on smell and one segment will discuss elephants who hunt poachers by recognizing their smell.

As executive producer and host of "The Jeff Corwin Experience," Corwin said that he usually watches each episode and helps edit them before they air on TV. He also said that he has "creative control," but trusts the people he works with to make decisions too.

Corwin said his show was not scripted and he does a lot of research beforehand. "It’s an experience," he said.

Sophomore Jeremy Paredes, director of media and public relations for the University Program Board, said, "I was impressed by the number of siblings of JMU students who heard about the event and drove over an hour to hear Corwin speak," Paredes said. "He is not just a TV personality, he is a scientist, too, so he was able to teach the audience while being entertaining.

"It was great to see JMU contributing to the Harrisonburg community. I am so glad that we could reach out to a community that we don’t always reach to."

Sophomore Michelle Beach, a biology major, said, "Jeff Corwin is my idol and I want his job." She wants to study zoology or wildlife preservation and attended the program to learn more about experiences with animals.