Past Projects: Television, Video, Radio

Television

Nature Walk

This documentary television series was produced by Soma Media Works and partially funded by Parks Canada. It consists 52 half-hour episodes filmed in natural areas across Canada, the United States, Central America, Hawaii and the US Virgin Islands. The series was produced by SOMASmedia Works. Sue Ellen Fast was the writer and on-camera host, and Will Husby was chief researcher. Both participated in the design of the series.

Nature Walk has been broadcast in Canada on Life Network, Knowledge Network and Cable to the Classroom, and in the U.S. and Canada on Outdoor Life Network. It will soon be available on Hulu in the US.

As a new cable show in 1996, Nature Walk was watched by 300,000 viewers per week. Since then, the 52 episodes have been re-broadcast many times.

Some shows have been regularly screened in nature centres in national and provincial parks across Canada.

View Nature Walk videos www.naturewalk.ca.

Awards for Nature Walk

Nature Walk has been honoured with 20 international awards including:

Silver Apple, National Educational Media Festival, Yoho National Park

Best Outdoor Lifestyle Program, Canpro Broadcast TV Festival for Nature Walk Series

Silver Screen Award, U.S. National Festival, Aransas-Matagorda

Certificate for Creative Excellence, U.S. Film Festival, Cape Breton

Certificate for Creative Excellence, U.S. Film Festival, Buffalo Pound Provincial Park

Certificate for Creative Excellence, U.S. Film Festival, Fraser River Delta

Certificate for Creative Excellence, U.S. Film Festival, Kejimkujik National Park

Certificate of Merit, Chicago International Film Festival, NW series

Special Recognition, Columbus International Film Festival, NW Press Kit

Bronze Plaque, Columbus International Film Festival, US Virgin Islands

Bronze Plaque, Columbus International Film Festival, Banff/JasperNational Parks

Bronze Plaque, Columbus International Film Festival, Zion National Park

Bronze Plaque, Columbus International Film Festival, Crooked Tree

Bronze Plaque, Columbus International Film Festival, Gros Morne National Park

Honorable Mention, Columbus International Film Festival, Craters of the MoonNational Monument

Honorable Mention, Columbus International Film Festival, Rocky Mountain National Park

Honorable Mention, Columbus International Film Festival Forillon NP

Honorable Mention, Columbus International Film Festival, Aransas National Park

Honorable Mention, Columbus International Film Festival, La Selva

Honorable Mention, Columbus International Film Festival, Gwaii Haanas National Park

Weed Watch

Sue Ellen Fast wrote and hosted a series of short PSA videos broadcast on Knowledge Network in British Columbia and used in landowner seminars to educate about dealing with exotic weeds. For the Open Learning Agency with the BC Ministry of Agriculture

View the videos www.weedsbc.ca/resources.html (scroll to bottom of the Weeds BC webpage).

Discovery

Sue Ellen wrote and presented 13 short nature vignettes for this magazine-format science television series. These were aired as public service announcements for over ten years on Access Alberta regional television.

Radio

For 1 ½ years, Sue Ellen delivered a weekly nature column for CBC radio in Edmonton, serving central and northern Alberta. Some were re-broadcast nationally.

Sue Ellen was interviewed by Peter Gzowski (Morningside) and Vicki Gabereau (Gabereau) on CBC national radio.