Amanda Beard, Jeff Corwin Get Wild For Defenders of Wildlife

Amanda Beard, Jeff Corwin Get Wild For Defenders of Wildlife

Gold Medal Swimmer and Television Host/Wildlife Biologist Appear in New Public Service Announcements Touting Wildlife Conservation

WASHINGTON, May 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Olympic gold-medal swimmer Amanda Beard and Animal Planet's Jeff Corwin, host and executive producer of "The Jeff Corwin Experience" and his new series "Corwin's Quest" appear in separate television spots for Defenders of Wildlife that promote the conservation of endangered wildlife and the habitat they depend upon. The spots will air nationwide, and can be viewed on the Web at:

Amanda Beard: http://www.saveesa.org/video/legacy60.html
Jeff Corwin: http://www.saveesa.org/video/life.html

"Amanda and Jeff bring smarts and sizzle to the fight to save endangered wildlife," said Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife. "They're both in tremendous demand right now, and we're deeply thankful that they could join with us in this important effort."

Amanda Beard has filmed several sets of public service announcements for Defenders over the past three years, and has participated in educational outreach with the organization on wildlife issues in her home state of Arizona.

"As we celebrate the accomplishments of our Endangered Species Act, let us pledge to our children and grandchildren that we will protect America's wildlife heritage for them. Join me and Defenders of Wildlife to help save something wild," Beard says in the spot.

Jeff Corwin is the host and executive producer of "The Jeff Corwin Experience" and his new series "Corwin's Quest" on television's Animal Planet and is a member of the Board of Directors of Defenders of Wildlife.

"In my work, I often look into the eyes of endangered animals, and sadly I realize that for many of them, time is just running out. What kind of world would it be without many of these creatures in the beautiful web of life? I don't want to find out and neither do you," Corwin says in his PSA.

Amanda Beard first emerged as a swimming star at the Atlanta Olympic Games as a 14-year old, winning two individual silver medals and one relay gold. She won a bronze at the Sydney Games in 2000, and then stormed the pool at the Athens Games, winning an individual gold medal in the 200 meter breaststroke, as well as an individual silver and relay silver. She is the current world- record holder in the 200 meter breaststroke, and has five U.S. National titles, as well as gold and silver medals from the 2003 World Championships. Since the Athens Games, Beard has embarked on an extremely successful career in modeling and marketing, and was voted the ESPN Zone's "Hottest Female Athlete of 2005."

Jeff Corwin has been working for decades to conserve endangered wildlife and while pursuing undergraduate degrees in both biology and anthropology helped established the Emerald Canopy Rainforest Foundation, a grassroots organization dedicated to protecting rain forests through educational outreach and habitat conservation. Before the move to Animal Planet, Corwin co- created, produced and hosted "Going Wild with Jeff Corwin" on the Disney Channel. In his Animal Planet series "The Jeff Corwin Experience" and his new series "Corwin's Quest," premiering in June, Jeff brings viewers spectacular wildlife up close on eye-opening global adventures that are both fascinating and fun, and stress the importance of conservation. He is developing a series of books on endangered species and the habitat they depend upon. The first of these, Living on the Edge: Amazing Relationships in the Natural World, was published by Rodale Books in 2003.

Defenders of Wildlife is a leading nonprofit conservation organization recognized as one of the nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and its habitat. With more than 480,000 members and supporters, Defenders of Wildlife is an effective leader on endangered species issues. To stay current on hot topics in wildlife conservation, subscribe to DENlines, Defenders of Wildlife's electronic update and action alert network.

Source: Defenders of Wildlife

CONTACT: William Lutz, +1-202-772-0269, or Brad DeVries,
+1-202-772-0237, both of Defenders of Wildlife

Web site: http://www.defenders.org/

-------
Profile: intent