GPB EXTRA

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georgia public broadcasting

GPB EXTRA

GEORGIA OUTDOORS’ SHARON COLLINS MAKES EARTH DAY EVERY DAY

Sharon Collins, Executive Producer and host of Georgia Outdoors.

Since 1970, people around the world have marked Earth Day on April 22 as a time thatencourages greater appreciation of our planet’s inhabitants and resources.

For Georgia Outdoors executive producer, host and writer Sharon Collins, every day isEarth Day. She first captivated viewers in 2010 with the episode “Herons and Heroes”after taking over production of the series, and in the years that have followed, she’sled the audience on a journey from the state’s mountaintops to remote islands andeverywhere in between. Collins has also featured an assortment of creatures on theprogram, including the aforementioned herons, as well as bats, lemurs, loggerheadturtles, chimpanzees, deer and bears.

“I was digging sand out of my ears for a week.”

– Sharon Collins

With every episode, Collins’ passion for the topic matter is evident, and from early on,her love for covering nature would help shape her career path. After starting out inradio, Collins’ first professional experience in television was at the Roanoke/LynchburgABC affiliate, where she initiated a campaign called “Project Environment.” From there,Collins parlayed her local television experience into a position with CNN and servedas a host/correspondent for programs including “Network Earth” and “Earth Matters.”She also worked on projects through her own production company before joining GPB.

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Now looking back at 12 years of producing the Emmy-winning series, Collins chokes up a bit when asked what it is about the program that continues to bring meaning to her. She relays a particular experience that took place during filming on the beach at Ossabaw Island for the episode “Loggerheads: An Epic Journey.”

“Who gets to be on their belly next to a loggerhead turtle as she’s covering her eggsafter she’s gone all over the ocean?,” said Collins. “Who gets to do stuff like that? Iwas digging sand out of my ears for a week. But you know, I’ve just gotten so manyexperiences. I just want more.”

Luckily for viewers wanting more, three new episodes premiere this month:

“Horse Country” - Thursday, April 15, 7:30 PM

In “Horse Country,” Collins explores theimportance of horses to Georgia’s culture andeconomy, revealing that the industry is one of thetop 10 commodities in Georgia according to thedepartment of agriculture.

“Wildfire” - Thursday, April 22, 7:30 PM

“Wildfire” features Georgia firefighters who helped fight the 2020 wildfires in Oregon and California that burned millions of acres and discusses concerns about more potential wildfires in Georgia, such as the one in the Cohutta Wilderness area that burned about 28,000 acres.

“Urban Coyotes” - Thursday, April 29, 7:30 PM

“Urban Coyotes” examines the biology of coyotes through the story of Carmine, who gained international fame for his exploits trying to befriend dogs in Cobb County, just outside the city of Atlanta.

Watch all-new episodes of Georgia Outdoors on GPB, or stream our broadcast at gpb.org/live. You can also catch up on past episodes at www.gpb.org/television/show/georgia-outdoors.

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