Still grumpy about missing Chef Hajime Sato on Food Network?  You now have two opportunities to finally right that wrong.  The Pacific Northwest episode of Extreme Cuisine with Jeff Corwin will be re-aired on Thursday, November 26th at 9:00pm ET/PT and again on Friday, November 27th at 12:00am ET/PT.  It will be a great way to unwind after an entire day of pigging out with a bunch of people whose company you hopefully enjoyed.  Don’t miss it!

Click here to read the original, fun-filled post.

So I’m a zoology major.  I’m not really sure what that mean’s to me right now.  I love animals and I have this amazing ability to understand concepts of evolution and natural selection.  I understand that things aren’t always adaptive; sometimes, traits are prominent because of random genetic drift.

During Animal Diversity, EEOB 405.01, Dr. Reising would always ask possible reasons why an organism would have evolved a certain why.  Natural selection was always a consideration, we would discuss the reasons why it would be beneficial for certain conditions.  However, he always looked at me waiting.  I would raise my hand and say Genetic drift.  Genetic drift is always a plausible answers because we can never be sure of anything.  Like the answer Glaciers in Physical Science class, Genetic drift is always an answer in an Evolution class.

I knew I picked the right major when my lecturers told me about theories like:

The Anna Karenina Principle- Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.  Zebra’s have a nasty disposition.  Elephants grow too slow.  Male cheetahs have to chase female cheetahs long distances to put them in heat.  Deer panic too easy.

The Red Queen Hypothesis- “It takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place.”  This deals with a macro and a micro evolutionary theory.  Macro being the evo arms race between host/parasite or prey/predator;  to over come the defenses of the prey the predator best be getting some better attack moves.  Micro being the benefits of sexual selection- gots to do everything you can to make up for your slow generation time.

However, I didn’t know about these things when I was choosing my major.   So where did it come from?

One time in PSR (Parish School of Religion, aka Sunday School), Mr. Triola had us write down what we wanted to be when we grew up,  stapled it shut, slab  a do not open till 21′, and keep it… till we were 21.  I did, but I didn’t have to open it to know what it said.  I wrote down Marine biologist.

However, turns out I don’t like fish.  I don’t like plants, I don’t want to work on algae for the rest of my life.  So I didn’t want to go into marine biology.  I did however decide to have an underwater style border on my wall with a light sea-foam green above and a dark green below to show the inability of light to penetrate water at a certain depth (Gay interior designer meets nerd, who knew I was so multifaceted).

So I didn’t really have a purpose like most individuals; no set path do guide my way unlike those who knew they wanted to go to law school or become a doctor.   I floated between arts and academics.  AP Calc and AP Physics alongside Honors Bands and Art Council.  But let’s face it, being a mathematician doesn’t sound very exciting, neither does being physicist.  And my parents suggested music being a hobby as and choosing something more profitable as a career.

I thought, “Hey, I wanna pet penguins and play with otters.”  I mean I used to watch animal planet all the time…. well okay maybe just Jeff Corwin cause he actually had a decent program as well as short shorts, a tight shirt with THO, and is a major hottie in general.

Without Animal

With Animal: He Makes Faces Like I Do

Gorgeous!  Holding Animals makes you even more attractive, duly noted.

So that’s why I’m a zoology major:  I don’t like people, I want to pet penguins and play with otters, I wanted to be like Jeff Corwin.

But people ask, “What are you going to do?”  Yes I could work at a zoo, but I dont have practical experience to work at a zoo I have theoretical knowledge so that puts me at the level of any other science major…  Meaning I could also do grad school or teach.  I could get a masters and do research or work for an organization on the conservation of animals.

But do I really have to do anything with it.  Part of my Ethology class that I really enjoy is that ethology wasn’t made specifically to solve a purpose.  I came off of Natural history,  which is about just documenting not actually putting anything into it.  Ethologists try to explain the behavior observed and answer proximate and ultimate questions.  But Ethology is not conservation biology.  It doesn’t have to help save diversity or help an ecosystem.

Maybe for once, Knowledge is enough.

I mean I haven’t done anything yet, I haven’t even got to touch an animal.  But I have watched a lot of squirrels, I can name a lot of mammalian families, and I did dissect a shark, rabbit, mudpuppy, and pig.  As well as meet some pretty amazing people,  especially Kevin Lumney my Comparative Anatomy Instructor and Animal Diversity Lab Instructor.  He is probably my favorite person even.  I know that he is a grandpa and he wears his pants and his actualy waist.  He can be seen walking down the sidewalk thinking.   You aren’t sure if these are happy old man thoughts, or really deep intellectual thoughts.  All of which he is capable of.

-EPF

Dictionary.com defines hope as the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.

As I mentioned in my first post, sometime it’s hard to have a positive outlook in this field.  There are so many problems, most of them compounded by other issues, and solutions are neither quickly nor easily come by.  Often, the solutions that are found require years and years of patient persistence before they pay off.  And then there’s the problem of financing all this long-term work.

Sometimes I think I must be an anomaly.  I fully believe that everything will turn out for the best – I have hope.  I don’t know where it comes from.  I don’t know how I found it.  But I have an unwaivering faith that we will find a way to prevent disastrous global climate change, and preserve species, and provide livelihoods for all the world’s poor and hungry people.

The question I most often ask myself is: how can I share that hope with other people?  How can I help other people believe what I believe?  Fortunately for me, and for conservation as a whole, there are a handful of amazingly talented, capable spokespersons who do just that.  One such person is Jane Goodall.  I had the opportunity to work for Jane, albeit briefly, as an intern in the Africa Programs Department at the Jane Goodall Institute.  Jane is an incredible person; with little training, just an innate sense of our obligation to our closest relative – the chimpanzee – Jane opened the eyes of the entire scientific community with her ground-breaking research on chimps in Tanzania.  And after spending nearly 30 years in Tanzania, Jane left her beloved Gombe Forest to travel the world and talk to people.  Even now, at the age of 75, Jane travels 320 days a year, speaking at conferences and universities and giving lectures.  Jane is an amazing speaker – she has the ability to reach every person in the audience.  The room falls silent as everyone strains to hear every syllable she utters.

Another such person is Jeff Corwin.  Jeff defines the modern conservationist – witty, gregarious and intelligent, Jeff captures his audiences’ attention with his humor and every-man likeability.  I recently had the chance to hear Jeff speak at a reception held in his honor here in D.C.  You could tell the audience was drawn to him because they felt he was one of them.

One of the qualities that Jane and Jeff share that sets them apart from other conservationists is their ability to tell stories, illustrated in their respective new books, “Hope for Animals and Their World,” and “One Hundred Heartbeats: The Race to Save Earth’s Most Endangered Species”.  Each auther uses examples from conservation to tell stories of the courage and determination that is required to conserve the Earth’s incredible diversity of life.  Beyond these moral lessons, the books demonstrate that it IS possible to rescue imperiled species.  The numerous conservationists profiled in these books believe unconditionally that there is reason to hope for a future for the our planet.  And Jane and Jeff have hope that future generations will be able to see these species in the wild.  Their message is: never give up hope.

Guess I’m not such an anomaly after all.  And I have to admit, I love the company.

For more information about Jane’s book, visit the website: http://janegoodallhopeforanimals.com/

For more information about Jeff’s book and the accompanying documentary, airing on MSNBC on Nov. 22, visit the website: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29840099/ns/msnbc_tv-future_earth

100 Heartbeats by conservationist Jeff Corwin took me by surprise. I wasn’t sure what to really expect when I began reading it, but I find that my view of the world and our job as its guardians have changed. I’ve never been one that is super eco-friendly. I take my reusable bags to the grocery store and would like to recycle if it were easier, but I haven’t really considered the effects that humans have on the planet.

My first comment on this book is that there is no incredible writing. The transitions are either non-existent or awkward. It’s difficult to remember what the general theme of a section is sometimes, but the writing is clear and simple; Corwin is not one for adding “fluff”. One of the difficult parts of reading this, though, is that it is very dense with information.

What does come across is the amountof animals that are losing their battles everyday. In fact:

Every 20 minutes, another unique animal species becomes extinct. Every year, more than 20,000 species tragically disappear from our plant. If the rate of extinctions isn’t slowed, by the end of the century, more than half the animal species alive today will be lost forever. (26)

This statistic stopped me in my reading. Every 20 minutes!

The chapter on animal poaching made me physically sick to my stomach. Elephants have their faces cut off so poachers can harvest their tusks. Snakes, undoubtedly my least favorite creature but a living, breathing creature nonetheless, are skinned alive. Crocodiles are kept bound in containers or wheelbarrows behind stores until they are butchered for their meat. Even writing about this right now disgusts me. Fellow humans are literally tearing animals apart, for money. While we live in a world that is run by money, at what point will we get to before we say, “Stop”? At what point will we use our precious money to help protect habitats and cultivate conservation programs! Or do we let our fellow inhabitants die away until there is nothing left for our children and children’s children to see or learn about? It’s a matter of personal responsibility, today!

While I was still reading this book, I found myself upset at the trees that were torn down near my apartment to make way for a wider road. Maybe that’s what it takes: people being made aware that our actions (building, polluting, poaching, even pure apathy) have consequences. God created this world with millions of different, beautiful lifeforms and left us as the stewards of the earth. It’s our job to protect it.

My Bookshelf Rating: B+

Still cranky about missing Chef Hajime Sato on Food Network?  Here’s your chance to right that wrong.  The Pacific Northwest episode of Extreme Cuisine with Jeff Corwin will be re-aired on Saturday, October 24th at 7:00pm ET/PT.  We’re quite fond of the scene where an impatient Hajime waits to sample his sea cucumber creation.  Enjoy!

Click here to read the original, fun-filled post.

Ryan Reynolds has been in a BUTTLOAD of movies recently. I mean, and insane ammount. The Proposal, Wolverine, Adventureland..Apparently he’s going to be in  Greenlantern. I mean, the guy is EVERWHERE right now. Don’t get me wrong, I am not a Ryan Reynolds hater. In fact, I think he is kind of amusing. It’s just that he’s everywhere! Everytime I add a movie to my Netflix queue it turns out that Ryan Reynolds is in the movie, and I wasn’t even aware that he was in it! Again, not a huge issue, except the Netflix Recomendation feature now apparently thinks I am a Ryan Reynolds Fanboy!

I log in, Check my recomendations and it starts shooting Ryan Reynold movies out at me.”Based on your undying loyalty and unconditional love for Ryan Reynolds we suggest you watch: Van Wilder, Just Friends  and The Nines! We have even added a whole Ryan Reynolds category just for you!” or something close to that effect is all the Netflix website has to say to me!

Pretty soon it’s going to start suggestion I watch The Jeff Corwin experience because that’s like….Ryan Reynolds clone. Seriously! Have you guys noticed this? I would be surprised if they weren’t brothers. If they ever decide to do a movie about Jeff Corwin Ryan Reynolds better play in it. For those of you who don’t know who Jeff Corwin is…He’s one of those animal people who go around poking wild animals with sticks on animal planet. Kind of like…a watered down, slightly less crazy version of Steve Irwin.

Oh, and for anyone who says Corwin and reynolds aren’t twins seperated at birth…view the following picture, click it for a larger image.

BAM! Debate settled, picture says it all!

It’s true!  Our very own Hajime Sato is a guest chef on this week’s episode of “Extreme Cuisine with Jeff Corwin”.  Prepare to watch in awe as Hajime magically transforms a freshly harvested sea cucumber into tasty fare.

Don’t let their name fool you.  Sea cucumbers are not vegetables.  They are, in fact, oddly interesting oceanic creatures of the deep.

Know your food! Click on the sea cucumber to learn more.

The show airs Thursday, October 8th at 9:00pm PST on Food Network.  We strongly encourage pre-show tailgating to include dinner at Mashiko.  As always, reservations are highly recommended.  Don’t forget to set your DVR!

Programa da Band, "Jeff Corwin".

15:20 hs

Globo: 20,3

Record: 5,8

SBT: 4,6

Band: 2,2

Yesterday I finished one of my latest homework assignments from Amazon Vine. I read the book 100 Heartbeats, by Jeff Corwin. It’s to an extent a knock-off of Douglas Adams’ far more interesting work, Last Chance to See. It’s about some of the most endangered animals in the world and what’s being done to protect them.

One of the interesting things that Corwin brings up in the book is the idea of using DNA samples to revive extinct species. It’s a fascinating concept that exists only in theory so far. I’ve thought about it, and I am of two minds on the issue.

First, I’d say that any creature that went extinct without the help of humanity should probably just be left extinct. This includes things like dinosaurs, so sorry, folks, but no Jurassic Park. If we were to revive species that went extinct without our help, we should do so in a place where they can be isolated and never, ever released into the environment. The planet has spent hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of years learning how to live without these animals and probably should continue to do so.

On the other hand, any creature that we killed off or any creature that’s gone extinct before about 10,000 BC is fair game. The odds of us being able to revive such a creature through cloning are decent, and while the environment has learned to adapt without them, it can readapt to have them without there likely being too much trouble (though I’d still want them raised up in an isolated area and then have their release into the wild closely monitored).

I think it’d be cool to bring back some of these creatures. Imagine herds of mammoths wandering the tundra of Alaska, Canada and Siberia, being hunted by the smilidon and maybe cave bears. Imagine seeing giant sloths, moas, and dodos all doing their thing. Picture huge flocks of passenger pigeons darkening the sky as they fly over plains where the Volkeswaggen-sized glyptodons roam wild.

If your car hit one of these, it's even money which would be damaged more!

We’ve already had some slight progress in reviving long-dead species the old-fashioned way; through breeding back. We’ve managed to get Heck cattle, which are similar to the aurochs. A creature that heavily resembles the quagga has been created through the same technique. It’s slower and less certain than cloning, and you might end up with a creature that only looks like the extinct species, but it’s a start.

Within a decade we’re likely to have the ability to revive some of these extinct species through cloning. I hope we do. I long to some day ride a moa through the wilds of New Zealand, or watch Steller’s sea cows graze. It’s something to look forward to.

A lot of you have probably read the Varlamov interview in which he says American girl’s aren’t fashionable because it caused quite the internet sensation today. I don’t mind he said this because I think most people in general are unfashionable. I myself have been an offender at times. What I am going to do is say what popped in my mind when looking at the picture accompanying said interview;

Glass houses. Semyon, glass houses. The first thing I thought of when I saw his shirt was Jeff Corwin. If you don’t know who Jeff Corwin is he was the like the American crocodile hunter and I watched his show religiously in the fifth grade. Jeff Corwin always wore shirts like that with kakis and even now that its years later and he has a show on the Food Network he still dresses like he’s getting ready to wastle some crocodiles.

Then there’s the fact he has it tucked in. I leave that with no comment.

Then I saw the jeans. Acid wash jeans Semyon? Are we going to a Foreigner concert?

Add that to the inline skates and I feel like I’m having major ninties flashbacks. Semyon if your idea of high fashion is what I wore in the ninties I am going to have to track down some adult size footie pyjamas because that was what I wore a lot when I was five. I wonder if I can still find some with Simba from the Lion King on them?

Now that Tim Gunn has stopped crying I think you need to go make it work before we start throwing stones.

If you’re like me, you’re struggling to get your child to expand his or her culinary repertoire beyond chicken nuggets, pizza, and macaroni and cheese.  It’s not like I expect him to devour kim chee his first time out, but it would be nice if he would take a bite of a California roll or sample some samosas.  

My strategy has been to get him to take two bites of something and then if he doesn’t like it, we don’t argue about it.  But this is a long process and I’m afraid I’m a little impatient.  Many parents have suggested that my son and I prepare these recipes together, and this has been slightly more successful.  We’ve already made California rolls, African peanut soup, and shrimp and soba noodle soup.  

It seems like exposure to different foods is a long process.  For some people, they will never develop a taste for more adventurous food.  Then again, you never know.  Your child – or mine – might grow up to be the next Jeff Corwin!

I just got an email message from Jeff Corwin (OK, a lot of people got the same email) on behalf of Defenders of Wildlife. Jeff has been a great friend to Amphibian Ark. He’s taped PSAs you can find on YouTube. He talked about Amphibian Ark and held up a Panamanian Golden Frog on the Ellen Degeneres show. Here’s the email message from him:

Dear Jeff,

Yesterday, I was in Washington, DC to testify on behalf of Defenders of Wildlife before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies.

My message was simple and urgent: Within my youngest daughter’s lifetime, 20-30% of the world’s known species may be on the brink of extinction if we do not act now to address the impacts of global warming on our wildlife.

Congress has heard from me. Now they need to hear from you, Jeff.

Please send your U.S. Representative a message today and urge him or her to dedicate just 5% of the anticipated revenue from new global warming cap and trade legislation to safeguard wildlife and ecosystems in a warming world.

As a wildlife biologist and host of my own show on Animal Planet, I’ve seen the devastating effects that global warming is already having on our world’s wildlife and their habitat.

I have been to the North Pole to study the iconic polar bear, whose habitat is melting away before our eyes.

I’ve traveled the world studying the decline in the planet’s already-vulnerable amphibians – a decline that threatens up to one-third of our amphibian species. And scientists fear that climate change could dramatically accelerate these devastating losses.

But you don’t have to go to the ends of the Earth to find the effects of global warming on our wildlife. The pika and the wolverine in the Rockies, our nation’s waterfowl, even fish, shrimp and oysters are already in trouble.

Join me in urging Congress to protect wildlife threatened by global warming. Please send a message to your U.S. Representative today.

As a biologist, I firmly believe that we should not only reduce carbon emissions that are fueling global warming, but also expand our scientific understanding of global warming’s impacts on the living world.

Without this knowledge, we cannot develop and implement an effective strategy to safeguard our precious wildlife in a warming world. Please urge Congress to take action for our wildlife today.

These are exhilarating and challenging times that we live in. But with the help of caring people like you, I know we can secure the resources, knowledge and action that we need to give our vulnerable wildlife a better chance to survive the threat of global warming.

Sincerely,

 9:12 pm

Dear Mr. President. Please Help. My Life Sucks-  By now, everybody with a brain in America realizes that Barack Obama is no joke.  He’s been busting his hump to clean up Little Georgie Bush’s screw-ups, and there’s not doubt W made a ton of them each and every day he was in office.  Aside from the middle east oil wars and financial collapse of the American banking system, Obama has focused his efforts on other important domestic issues like the environment and education.  Hell, he’s so driven by what’s good for the public that he began to asnwer 10 emails a day from regular Joes and Janes.  But, when you begin to reach out the to half-wits and poverty stricken street hustlers, there’s bound to be some goddamn ridiculous emails that makes the lad laugh in his loafers.  Here’s a few he passed around to the boys at his favorite rib joint in D.C.

Deer Kaiser Obama,  I am former hit man for the KGB but I fled country with only my bag of balls and one of those funny fur hats Russian Mafia men like.  Can I please have political asylum?  If yes, I can gurantee lots of tax dollars from import of Russia mail-order brides.  I have oen for you, free of charge, if your wife into swinging fun.   Singed Fyodor Drunksi,

Dearest Mr. Drunksi, Hello and thanks for your kind offer.  I am not able to offer you asylum at this time so you will have to leave the country immediately. I don’t want to end up on Vlad’s hit list so you’ll have to find another hiding place.  Try that maniac Hugo Chavez.  He’ll do anything for money.  Best, Barack.

Hello Mr. President, My name is Jeff Corwin and I’m currently under federal indictment for housing endangered primates, but mostly because one of my naughty monkeys escaped and mauled  a few 3rd graders on the playground.  I mean the kids are okay and everything, aside from the one who needed her arm reattached, but I was hoping you might be able to commute my sentence and get my monkeys back for me.  They might go crazy if I’m not around.  Peace, Jeff.

Yo, B.O.  What’s up, cuz?  I’m hitting you up to complain about the propaganda my former boss is spewing.  That white devil fired me for allegedly breaking into the office and stealing money. This is blasphemy my brother.  Yes, it does look like me on the tape, but it must have been my long-lost identical twin brother or something.  Can you please send a little something extra in my welfare and unemployment checks.  Black Power, Shabazz Shamgod Shabazz.

Mr. Shabazz,  First, my name isn’t B.O. Second, I’m definitely not your cousin.  Third, I saw the tape and there’s no doubt it’s you wearing panty hose over your afro.  Last, get off welfare and get a damn job, boy.  Your exhulted leader of the lost tribe of Shabazz.  Barack Hussein Obama  (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_pl306).

So, folks. President Obama is known as a pretty good communicator and he’s a good man for the people. He made a name for himself with soaring speeches and he’s held virtual town halls and took the live version to Europe.  Shucks, he even built a bowling alley in the White House complete with a deepy fryer for wings and a fridge for 40s of Old E. But, keep one thing in mind, if you have the balls to write a ridiculous email, know that it will be passed around capital hill like the office hoe at a Christmas party.  As always, stupid questions get stupid answers.  Big ups to Obama for keeping it real.

Hey guys! I had a great day today! The school quarter is coming to an end and I have a few biology projects that I have to wrap up before my final on Wednesday. Since we are studying ecology this week, one project was to watch a video from a long list of assigned picks from my instructor, and then writing a little blurb on it. The other was to do a little “nature walk”/lab project and find different kinds of moss, ferns, conifers, flowering plants, and seeds. It was quite a project.

My friend Victoria and I decided to watch the video and collect our plant specimens on campus since our instructor told us right where we could go to find everything. It’s always more fun and productive to do these kinds of projects with a friend, which is why I am glad that we got to do this together instead of me getting stuck doing it by myself. Plus, when we get together the conversation is always good!

There’s Victoria with book and scotch tape in hand ready to search for leaves!

Man, it was such a beautiful day today!!! I walked out of class and my first instinct was to bag the projects and go put my running shoes on, but I resisted because dammit, I need to let this knee heal! Victoria distracted me and reminded me of all the reasons why I should not run so that I can heal. She said that she was going to be my “sponsor” and every time I have the urge to run I should talk to her instead and she will talk me out of it! Thanks Victoria! I needed that accountability

Look! Snow on the ground in March…even though it’s just a little patch this is not really a normal thing here, but BRING ON THE SUNSHINE!

Anyways, I digress..we first decided to watch our video, which was totally sad and depressing! But, on the up-side it was hosted by Jeff Corwin and Anderson Cooper who are both pretty easy on the eyes so it made our viewing experience much better!

The video is a series produced by CNN called “Planet in Peril” and I highly recommend that you guys check it out. As depressing as it may seem, it really opens up your eyes to what we are doing to our planet and what we need to do to restore our natural resources. Oh, and why I was thinking about all of that philosophical stuff and wondering what I could do to save our planet…I ate a Think Thin bar. Hehehe, it’s brain food!

After our required 55 minutes of video watching we headed upstairs in the library to get started on our project.

It was frustrating, and our instructor asks some pretty random things….hence the look on Victoria’s face!

When we were done in the library, we headed outside on our scavenger hunt!

There I am, taping my leaves to the paper. It was quite fun actually…to find the things that we have been learning about in class and be able to think about them biologically and not just see them as things hanging off of trees!

There I am again, with the sun in my eyes….kind of a goofy picture but I figured I should just get over it and post it!
We collected almost all of the stuff we needed and headed out of there because it was time for lunch!
When I got home I had my normal pre-workout snack and headed to the gym.

Workout for Today:
I felt great after our walk in the sun and had lots of energy so I hit the stationary bike on the hill climb mode for 30 minutes and it kicked my butt!! Not as much as running, but it was good enough for now.
For my weight training I did circuits, three sets of each:

24 lunges with 15 lb dumb bells in each hand
20 single leg pelvic raises on each leg (boy were my hamstrings screamin!)
15 60lb tricep pull overs

15 smith squats with 45lbs on each side
15 60lb dead lifts
15 dips

What a great workout! Needless to say when I was done I was starving and worn out, which is always a good feeling after a workout. I came home, showered got in my jammies and started studying for my finals.
Hubby came home from work after a long day around 7:00 and I made him two cheese burgers on our George Forman Grill with sweet potato fries drizzled with EVOO and sprinkled with cinnamon. Sorry that there are no food pics today…I was running around like crazy and completely forgot!

Pfew…it’s been a long day and I am ready for a hot cup of chamomile tea and a warm bed. Thanks for reading guys! Hope you all had a great day and have a better night!!

Jeff Corwin

I’m sure that many of us have not even turned an eye at this Animal Planet wonder, but if you ever take the time to watch “The Jeff Corwin Experience,” you would realize that not only is he adorable, but he is smart, witty, and funny…and he loves animals?  Total package. As fineyouthings would say, “Suck my d.” 

A Massachusetts native, Jeffy studied at both Bridgewater State and UMass-Amherst. As a biological anthropologist, Jeffy is an activist for going green, or rather, the preservation of our rainforests and the wildlife that they sustain. 

Here is how he explains his infatuation with snakes (vomit):

When I was, while exploring my grandparent’s backyard in Middleboro, Massachusetts, I turned over a log and had an encounter that forever changed my life. I saw this garter snake, and was immediately transfixed by it. I remember catching it and bringing it into the house with me and seeing the terror it unleashed in people, but not understanding why they were so afraid of it. As I’ve often said, if I’d rolled back that log and found a golf club, I would have been Tiger Woods. I tracked that snake for two years and would visit it every time I went to my grandparents. One day, the neighbor next door snuck up behind me and cut off its head with a spade, thinking it was attacking me. I was so shocked by that behavior, by that expression of ignorance, it focused me on what I was going to do with my life. The day I found that snake was the day I became a naturalist. The day I saw it get killed out of a misunderstanding was the day I became a conservationist”^[1]

Even more fantastic is that he has filmed shots with Anderson Cooper, which is a wet dream come true. Pardon the excessive puns. 

What can I say? Who doesn’t love a rugged man who is in touch with nature?

“Not I,” said the Pig. 

Wet Dream

Emmy winner Jeff Corwin has been working for the conservation of endangered species and ecosystems around the world since he was a teenager. Animal Planet audiences best know Jeff as host of THE JEFF CORWIN EXPERIENCE, one of the most popular shows on cable television. The series reaches over 13 million viewers in the United States and is viewed in more than 70 countries worldwide. Continue your collection with 13 all-new episodes of The Jeff Corwin Experience, Season 2 now on DVD!

Jeff Corwin Experience, Season 2 is available at Amazon for $20.99. To Order click here
Amazon Product Pages contain a lot of other details on this product as Customer Reviews, Sales Ranking, Special Offers, Alternate products that customers are going for and much more.Want to read these details? click here

Want to get some other Format / Binding / Version? You can search for them from here

Other Products of Interest

• The Jeff Corwin Experience – Season 1
• Into Alaska with Jeff Corwin
• Living on the Edge: Amazing Relationships in the Natural World
• Jeff Corwin Experience – Out on a Limb
• Survivorman

Thanks to the CoquiFrogNews blog , I learned that Jeff Corwin’s Animal Planet special on the amphibian crisis can be viewed in its entirety HERE. Mr. Corwin is right up there with Sir David Attenborough in raising awareness of the crisis, and he is a major supporter of Amphibian Ark.

So, I’m struck as I’m watching a promo for Food TV’s new show, Extreme Cuisine, that it sounds JUST LIKE the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Food.

Blurb from the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Food page: “Unmasking an aspect of dining out that will make you think twice before ordering off the menu, and utilizing his knowledge of all things edible, Andrew Zimmern is on a quest to find the world’s most bizarre foods. Andrew knows that one man’s poison is another man’s delicacy, but he isn’t afraid to poke a little fun at the local fare or himself.

Blurb from the Food Network’s Extreme Cuisine page: Jeff Corwin has encountered amazing things on his travels around the world, and now he sets his sights on eating them! In this one-hour special, the renowned anthropologist and passionate foodie tears through Thailand on a radical culinary adventure illustrating how exotic foods and customs have molded the country’s culture.

I realize that there are no new ideas and that the Food Network has fallen behind both Bravo and the Travel Channel in producing edgy programs, but c’mon guys (or gals).

OK, so I was wrong. It was really really good. Edgy, unexpected, entertaining. My first reactionwas that this doesn’t belong on the Food Network. But give them their props. I’d watch another episode in a different country (first one was Thailand – how fish sauce is made was a revelation). Hope there are more episodes to come. Another glass of Chardonnay but no water bugs.

New Primetime Special Premieres February 21st at 9pm ET/PT
Corwin Journeys Through Thailand on a Fun-Filled Culinary Quest

NEW YORK – February 9, 2009 – Renowned for his expertise in wildlife and conservation, Jeff Corwin now sets his sights on exploring human culture through regional cuisine in his first Food Network endeavor: Extreme Cuisine with Jeff Corwin. With an open mind (and mouth), this thrilling primetime special follows the passionate foodie and anthropologist as he tears through Thailand on a radical culinary adventure. Premiering Saturday, February 21st at 9pm ET/PT, Jeff enjoys countless surprises and unforgettable flavors as he interacts with natives and showcases how exotic foods and customs uniquely shape each community – all in a day’s work!

The adventures begin as Jeff hikes northwest to the remote mountain region of Mae Hong Son to sample local delicacies like deadly wasp and bamboo larvae straight from the groves. In the nearby Pai River, Jeff and his guide use traditional bamboo materials to catch and cook catfish mixed with forest-grown greens and spices. Next, Jeff veers off the beaten path in Bangkok for an extraordinary feast including silk worms, grasshoppers, and live shrimp that literally “dance” into his mouth. In the southern Trang Province, Jeff helps prepare Moo Yaang Trang, the region’s famous roasted pig cooked in underground ovens. Then, in the Muslim fishing village of Palian, Jeff learns the extensive production process of fish sauce and trudges through coastline mud to harvest and eat the area’s surprising treat: fresh blood cockles. Loy Krathong (The Festival of Lights) and delicious street food wrap up Jeff’s entertaining culinary quest through Thailand.

For more information and photos from Jeff’s trip, visit: www.foodnetwork.com

Move over Jeff Corwin.

There’s a new nature boy on the horizon – Nick Baker.

I realize I’m probably behind in finding him as his show has been on the Animal Planet network before, but I caught two hours of “Nick Baker’s Weird Creatures” this morning on the Science Channel and fell in TV love all over again.

Newscoma and I have always enjoyed Corwin’s sense of humor, his pop culture references and his sensitivity to the animals’ habitats and well-being. Unlike Brady Barr’s proclivity to wrestle and subdue each and every creature he encounters, Corwin was as gentle as possible with the animals he introduced us to – all the while smiling and making me laugh.

Now Baker has a similar take on his show. I also enjoyed the fact that he looked for the exotic right here in North America. One of the two episodes I watched dealt with hellbenders, a giant member of the salamander family. Also known as devil dogs, this ugly swimmer can be found in the rushing streams of Appalachia but is in trouble in the waters of the Ozarks.

Baker does a good job of mixing the science with the curious facts, entertaining and informing at the same time.

I think I’ll tune in again.

Recently on CBS, Jeff Corwin provided yet another thought provoking explanation of the amphibian crisis. He and Clorox teamed up with Animal Planet for a special that premiered last Thursday night.

It’s currently 12:09 am as I look at my clock, but I’m not tired. And since you can only play so much online tetris til you turn into “A Beautiful Mind,” I thought I’d put up a post.

I went to a lecture done by the animal expert Jeff Corwin tonight. It was pretty inspiring, even from a non-conservation viewpoint. He talked about visiting a Hawaiin bird called a honeycreeper. It was in a zoo and was the last of it’s species. Every day, the bird would belt out a mating song that would never be answered. That really resonated with me. Even with the crushing loneliness that it must feel, this bird is still trying to find a mate, still singing it’s song. It was a strong image for me, maybe you’ll get something out of it too.

Then I met Jeff Corwin, in the flesh! How badass is that? Got a picture with him and everything…awesome!

A new picture of the Montauk monster was released on Friday. This new picture makes it seem like the 2nd picture takers rolled over the creature. Also, the legs seem to have been unbound by that small leather strap. This picture seems a little shady already because of the missing strap.

There are some things that do make a lot of sense about this picture though. The new picture definitely makes it look like a bloated, decomposed dog. On the underside where it was laying against the sand it’s not as dark seeing as how it was out of the sun. It also still has some fur on this side. There are 2 flies more visibly shown on this picture giving proof to its actual size being around that of a dog.

The Gawker and I are still not convinced along with many other people. A new interview with the 3 girls that were the “first” picture takers is also out. They show Plum’s Nick Leighton their camera with the picture in it and also the 2nd angle shot which is different than the rolled over pictures (That’s 5 pictures now including the new 3). The face looks different in these new pictures as well if you ask me. Nick Leighton also reveals that they’ve checked with several scientists who all think it’s neither a dog nor a raccoon (Still can’t believe you said it was a raccoon Jeff…). Anyways you can watch the interview for yourself and see what you think about it (And notice the dumb girls who supposedly took the pictures).

Check out my previous Montauk Monster article here.

Edit: Check out the newest Monty news here.