ETV to Showcase Rudy Mancke’s Top Five “NatureScene” Destinations in July

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ETV to Showcase Rudy Mancke's Top Five "NatureScene" Destinations in July

Viewers Can Vote for Their Top Five Episodes Through the Month of August

For Immediate Release
June 25, 2007

"NatureScene" By The Numbers

Pick Your Favorite

Columbia, SC...Outfitted with little more than a cameraman, a willing co-host and an enormous sense of curiosity, Rudy Mancke, the host of NatureScene, introduced millions of viewers to a natural world of wonder that the average person might easily overlook. For more than a quarter of a century, South Carolina’s nature guru beat a path through rough and delicate terrains alike with his offbeat field trips. Effortlessly revealing the hidden treasures of the great outdoors, Mancke’s spontaneity and refreshing enthusiasm made the weekly outings a welcome escape for NatureScene fans all over the world.

To honor Mancke and the NatureScene legacy, ETV will feature Mancke’s top five NatureScene destinations beginning Monday, July 9 through Friday, July 13. The shows air statewide at 7 p.m.

Additionally, fans can follow in Mancke’s footsteps by weighing in with their favorite NatureScene trips. Viewers can cast their votes from now until the end of August at www.myetv.org/myPick. "With summer upon us, it seemed a perfect time to pose the often-asked question of show fans, 'What’s your favorite NatureScene'?," explained Tom Fowler, vice president for Radio and Programming at ETV.

The viewers' top five episodes will air this September during a week of programming devoted to NatureScene.

Having traveled to all 50 states and 10 foreign lands, Mancke admits choosing five favorites wasn’t easy. "This was a tough decision," states the easygoing naturalist. Of the more than 350 NatureScene destinations, Mancke was able to narrow the field, stating that these episodes “have the most pizzazz (visually)...and tell really powerful stories, some even without words."

The following episodes are Rudy’s personal picks:

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, airing Monday, July 9, is a poignant display of nature’s resiliency. Filmed 15 years after the catastrophic Washington State volcanic eruption, the program details how wildlife in the area was already returning.

Denali National Park, which airs Tuesday, July 10, gives viewers an up-close-and-personal look at grizzlies, caribou, moose, and wolves that can be found inside the six-million-acre Denali National Park and Preserve in the wilderness of Alaska.

Yellowstone National Park airs Wednesday, July 11, with captivating footage of the park’s countless natural wonders, including hot springs, geysers, mud volcanoes, steam vents, and waterfalls, as well as herds of elk, pronghorn and bison.

Bull’s Island, in the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge near Charleston, airs Thursday, July 12. “This was the most powerful program NatureScene has done where we could actually show what something looked like before and after a catastrophe (Hurricane Hugo),” said Mancke.

Congaree Swamp National Forest airs Friday, July 13. This episode introduces the "land of the giants," as Rudy calls the river-bottom forest in central South Carolina. Here, massive hardwoods, the redwoods of the East, dominate the swamp.

The success of NatureScene is largely attributed to its natural appeal, spontaneity and simplicity. Yet, in addition to its relaxed, folksy approach to the mysteries of the wild, Mancke believes "Everybody’s curious about the world. There’s a built-in curiosity...and when it’s satisfied, it feels good."

NatureScene airs every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. on all ETV stations.

South Carolina ETV is the state's public educational broadcasting network with 11 television and eight radio transmitters, and a multi-media educational system in more than 2,500 schools, colleges, businesses and government agencies. Using television, radio and the web, SCETV's mission is to enrich lives by educating children, informing and connecting citizens, celebrating our culture and environment and instilling the joy of learning.

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For more information, contact Rob Schaller at (803) 737-6556 or rschaller@scetv.org.