The 90-second radio featurette “Isla Earth,” produced by the Catalina Island Conservancy, now airs on 126 stations in 43 U.S. states, as well as worldwide via the islaearth.org Web site.
The environmental call-to-action featurette is in its second year and has covered topics such as the history of Arbor Day in North America to zubr (Bison bonasus) extinction in Poland.
According to Patricia Florez, “Isla Earth” producer, the program has been successful because it focuses on positive action.
“There’s plenty of doom-and-gloom programming about the environment,” she said, calling much of it “disempowering.” “Our approach is to focus on positive actions that are being taken by companies and individuals alike, and to provide listeners with tools to get involved and to help make a difference.”
Ann M. Muscat, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Catalina Island Conservancy, stated that the show was developed to inform and inspire a worldwide audience. “The conservancy is an innovator in conservation practice, species recovery, and habitat restoration, with all of our practical experience applied on Catalina Island,” she said. “‘Isla Earth’ is one of the ways we share our expertise with the global community.”
All scripts produced by conservancy writers pass through a five-tier review process to ensure scientific accuracy, that the information is current and that the exploration of topics is balanced.
