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#05-200 September 26, 2005

‘Journey Of The Loggerhead’ DVD Available To S.C. Schools

“Journey of the Loggerhead,” an interactive DVD about the State Reptile, will be made available to 1,155 public schools this fall by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.

Environmental Media, producer of the interactive DVD, and its marketing partner Box Lunch Media LLC, reduced the cost by two thirds for this special offer in South Carolina.

The S.C. Department of Education and S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) staff will distribute the DVDs to the librarian at each school in the fall. For more information, contact Steve Bates, DNR education coordinator, at (803) 734-3885 in Columbia or e-mail bates@dnr.sc.gov. Go to http://www.dnr.sc.gov/seaturtle/ for more information about loggerheads and the DNR Marine Turtle Conservation Program.

Journey of the Loggerhead” is an interactive DVD containing four videos including a 33-minute documentary about the loggerhead and other marine turtle species and the people who are devoting their lives to their protection and conservation. It features stunning terrestrial and underwater footage and interviews with leading marine scientists. Also included are GIS data, satellite tracking information, still photographs, teachers’ guides, Web site links, and segments from the hard-to-find Kemp’s Ridley “arribada” video showing historical footage of endangered Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles nesting in 1947 at Rancho Nuevo in Tamaulipas, Mexico.

“The interactive DVD is a multi-year cooperative effort among international, federal, state and local agencies, and the credit for the project goes to our many partners, including the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources,” said Bill Pendergraft, president of Environmental Media and producer/designer of the DVD. Environmental Media, a 16-year-old company designing and producing curriculum-based media, is headquartered in Port Royal.

“We believe this is a win-win situation for everyone,” said the DNR’s Bates. “The more the students know about sea turtle conservation, the better the chances are for the animals survival in the future.”

“Since the loggerhead is our official state reptile, it is only fitting that all schools in South Carolina can be exposed to and learn from this stunning video,” said Sally Murphy, DNR sea turtle coordinator. “The project was made possible by the generosity of Environmental Media.” Funding will come in part from the DNR sea turtle program’s endangered species grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that is awarded each year and from the Harry Hampton Memorial Wildlife Fund.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of game and fish law enforcement by the state of South Carolina. The passage of Act 489 in 1905 provided for the appointment of game wardens by the governor, and in 1906 Act 60 created the State Board of Fisheries, beginning a century of progress in the professional management, protection and improvement of our state's natural resources. This DVD is part of the tradition of keeping the public informed about the diversity of natural resources in South Carolina.

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