Save the World

A Year On Earth Traces The Global Adventures Of Three American Teens On A Mission To Save The Planet

Three teenagers…five continents...one mission: to take the pulse of our planet and report back to their generation. Are they up to the task?

A YEAR ON EARTH chronicles the story of three American teens: Jamie Fiel, 18 from Keller, Texas, Arsen Ewing, 17 from Canyon, California, and Tyler Robinson, 16 from Lincoln, Massachusetts. They have little in common except for a shared concern that time is running out for the planet. Nominated by their respective science teachers, the teens join research projects around the globe to work with scientists supported by Earthwatch Institute. These three teens traded a year at school for a classroom without walls to study the largest, most pressing environmental issues of our time. This riveting two-part special debuts on the Discovery Kids Channel on Sunday, December 3, 2006 from 5-6:30 PM (ET) repeating from 9-10:30 PM (ET) with part two debuting the following Sunday, December 10 from 5-6 PM (ET) repeating from 9-10 PM (ET)

From Botswana’s Okavango Delta to Sri Lanka, right after the tsunami hit, the teens work side by side with Earthwatch scientists, gathering evidence of global warming, deforestation, coral reef degradation and species on the verge of extinction. Their assignments are as varied as their locations: measuring and banding pink flamingoes in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley; wrangling dangerous crocs in Botswana; tracking giant sea turtles in Costa Rica; and exploring a great archaeological site in Thailand.
Throughout the journey, the kids send daily blogs to websites that are followed by thousands of students back in the U.S. and talk by satellite phone for a live Q & A. Sending letters to government officials, making videos, and talking about the issues, Jamie, Arsen and Tyler become determined to make a world of difference.

But A YEAR ON EARTH is more than just a global expedition; it’s also a powerful journey of self-discovery for these three teens. By working with Earthwatch scientists, the students understand the long-term view, at a moment in our planet’s life when time for change is running out. The more they see, the more they understand that solutions to important environmental issues start with the power of one, individual action. In the words of Jamie, “You think you’re going out to change the world, but in the end, the world changes you.”

Shot in high-definition, A YEAR ON EARTH is produced for Discovery Kids by Bahati Productions. John Heminway and Katie Carpenter are producers, writers and directors. For Discovery Kids, Marjorie Kaplan is the executive in charge of production.

Earthwatch Institute is a unique volunteer organization that brings science to life for people concerned about the Earth's future. Founded in 1971, Earthwatch supports scientific field research by offering ordinary people the opportunity to join research teams around the world. Every year over 4,000 volunteers join scientific research teams. The teens in the film visited only a few of 140 research projects open to the public. To find out how you can join these tax-deductible volunteer vacations, see www.earthwatch.org

For media, the Earthwatch web site also contains more details on each of the scientists featured in the film, their research projects, and the educational impact of Earthwatch among citizen scientists.

A YEAR ON EARTH FILM - TRAVEL ITINERARY:
Maynard, MA (Eco-school and trip planning meeting)
Rift Valley Lakes, Kenya
Okavango Delta, Botswana
Pantanal, Brazil
Pacific Coast, Costa Rica
San Salvador Reef, Bahamas
Jungle Temple Ruins, Sri Lanka
Ranong & Phuket, Thailand
Angkor Ruins in Phimai, Thailand
Lowland Forest, Malaysia
Halifax, Massachusetts

A YEAR ON EARTH - TRAVELERS:
Jamie Fiel, age 18, Keller, TEXAS: She’s a cowboy poet who lives in a suburb of Dallas, Texas. A leader on her rugby team, Jamie knows when it’s time to be aggressive. She sees words as swords to battle against the multiple threats of over-population and over-consumption. She was especially inspired by the Earthwatch project in Thailand:“The head scientist, Charles Higham, showed everyone the excitement and complete wonderment that goes along with studying ancient burial sites. I have always wanted to be an archeologist and this project just reinforced the reasons why I wanted to be one.”

Arsen Ewing, age 17, Canyon, California: He was born in Haiti and raised in a redwood forest near Oakland, California, practices African drumming and the Brazilian martial art of capoeira. He sees the land of his birth as a place shattered by environmental destruction – a fate he feels may come to other parts of the world if we delay any further. He is active in Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots environmental education program.

Tyler Robinson, age 16, Lincoln, Massachusetts: He’s an impassioned baseball player, filmmaker, scuba diver and outdoorsman from the Massachusetts woods. He is very tech savvy and used his talent to shoot his companions’ video diaries during the making of A YEAR ON EARTH