TV
鈥楽hared Planet鈥� shows how communities worldwide are learning to coexist with wildlife
Jeff Turner knows that patience pays off. It鈥檚 one skill he鈥檚 learned after decades in filmmaking.
The executive producer is behind the four-part series 鈥淪hared Planet,鈥� which premieres at 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, on New Mexico PBS, channel 5.1. A new part will air at 9 p.m. each Wednesday through May 20. Each episode will be available to stream on the PBS app.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a real labor of love for the last few years,鈥� Turner says. 鈥淭rying to get a project off the ground is a lengthy process. We actually started the idea for 鈥楽hared Planet鈥� before COVID. This global environmental series is something we wanted to be told from a positive side.鈥�
In addition to being an executive producer, Turner is a writer on the project and directed the fourth episode called 鈥淲aters.鈥�
He says the series explores the stories of humans and wildlife thriving together, and the benefits of coexisting with nature.
鈥淏y helping nature, we are helping ourselves,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e really wanted to strengthen the link in this way of thinking. People are making changes and seeing benefits with the natural world.鈥�
The series is broken into 鈥淐ities,鈥� 鈥淥pen Spaces,鈥� 鈥淔orests鈥� and 鈥淲aters.鈥�
According to PBS, in the first episode, filmmakers travel to Los Angeles, where a mountain lion unites a community and becomes the unofficial mascot of the city, while in Kolkata, India, locals clean the urban wetlands, creating an incredible wildlife habitat and supporting thousands of jobs. In New York City, the Billion Oyster Project is restoring reefs to New York Harbor, helping protect the city from dangerous hurricanes. In Singapore, urban reforestation efforts have transformed the city, enhancing citizens鈥� lives and attracting wildlife such as hornbills.
Turner says crews traveled to Mexico, Brazil, Guatemala and Spain.
In the episode 鈥淲aters,鈥� Turner and his crew highlight stories from Idaho to Indonesia, featuring both oceans and freshwater.
Traveling to Bristol Bay in Alaska, salmon are flourishing thanks to efforts to balance harvesting with protection, creating sustainable livelihoods for people and feeding hungry bears and seals every year.
In Raja Ampat, Indonesia, dynamite fishing once threatened marine life, but it is now a Marine Protected Area with biodiversity and jobs for local people flourishing.
In Idaho, a cattle rancher collaborates with beavers to hold water on his drought-stricken land.
鈥淚鈥檝e been fortunate to spend a lot of time in different places and seeing a lot of different wildlife,鈥� Turner says. 鈥淚n this series, I wasn鈥檛 able to go everywhere and see everything. I did get out into the field enough, and I got to see parts of the world I hadn鈥檛 seen before. No matter where I went, I was able to see the generosity of each community. Each day they are trying to make a difference.鈥�
Turner says there were very specific requirements in telling the stories 鈥� each had to focus on a clear benefit to people and nature. He says the editing team did a great job getting the stories whittled down to four parts.
鈥淭his is how both sides benefit,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檓 hoping to do a 鈥楽hared Planet 2.鈥� I think for me, we have to know that there are solutions out there to make the world a better place and have humans coexist with nature. This is a reminder to people that it takes time to build something that makes a difference.鈥�
