Emmy®-winning conservationist, television host, and executive producer Jeff Corwin returns to national television this fall with Jeff Corwin’s Southern Wild, a new wildlife conservation series produced by Hearst Media Production Group in an exclusive partnership with Lees-McRae College. Jeff Corwin’s Southern Wild premieres Saturday, October 3, and will air weekend mornings on ABC stations nationwide as part of the Weekend Adventure educational/informational (E/I) programming block. Filmed across North Carolina, Jeff Corwin’s Southern Wild follows Corwin from the Appalachian Mountains to the Atlantic coast as he explores the wildlife, wild places and passionate people that make the Tar Heel State one of the country’s most remarkable natural environments. Along the way, Corwin will search for bats and salamanders, encounter black bears, alligators and sea turtles, snorkel waterways in exploration of native fish, and take viewers inside wildlife rescue and conservation efforts happening in real time. Joining Corwin in the field are scientists, wildlife experts and conservationists, as well as Lees-McRae College students, educators and alumni, whose hands-on work in wildlife biology, rehabilitation and conservation offers a window into how the next generation of environmental leaders is being prepared.

“North Carolina is an extraordinary place to tell stories about wildlife,” Corwin commented. “But what excites me most about Southern Wild is that we’re not only encountering incredible animals — we’re meeting the people who have dedicated their lives to understanding and conserving them and working alongside students who will carry that mission into the future.”

“Jeff Corwin’s Southern Wild gives us an extraordinary opportunity to demonstrate, on a national scale, why Lees-McRae is the premier institution for experiential learning,” Lee King, president of Lees-McRae College commented. “North Carolina is a living classroom for our students. From actively caring for animals at our rehab center and leading research at our nature preserve, to working with conservation partners across the state, our students are already leaders in wildlife sciences. To have Jeff Corwin showcase their work and studies is incredibly exciting for our college.”

“Educating, informing and inspiring the next generation is at the heart of HMPG’s mission,” Bryan Curb, president of Hearst Media Production Group, commented. “Bringing together Jeff Corwin’s passion for wildlife with the hands-on conservation work at Lees-McRae College makes this series a natural and compelling fit for our viewers.”

For more than three decades, Jeff Corwin has brought audiences face-to-face with wildlife and some of the planet’s most extraordinary environments, building a career that has made him one of television’s most recognizable wildlife conservationists. Corwin has fronted more than a dozen television series seen in more than 100 countries. He holds degrees in biology and anthropology and a master’s degree in wildlife and fisheries conservation and is a noted author, wildlife biologist and conservation advocate. Corwin has partnered with HMPG on several series including Wildlife Nation with Jeff Corwin and Ocean Mysteries with Jeff Corwin. HMPG’s current program portfolio comprises more than 30 original series and hundreds of hours of content annually on leading broadcast networks and station groups and on connected TV and streaming platforms. It has a library of 85 series (6,000 episodes) and its content can be found in 100 countries.