Jeff Corwin is bringing his wildlife adventures to North Carolina, and ABC is the network carrying the show. The Emmy Award-winning biologist and conservationist is teaming up with students from Lees-McRae College for a new series called “Jeff Corwin’s Southern Wild,” which premieres Oct. 3 on ABC.
The show follows Corwin as he travels from the Appalachian Mountains to the Atlantic Coast, exploring the state’s diverse ecosystems and the rescue and rehabilitation work happening within them. He is joined in the field by scientists, wildlife experts, and conservationists, along with Lees-McRae College students, educators, and alumni.
“North Carolina is not a massively giant state, but in this state, you have such a compact diversity of different types of wild spaces with incredible creatures, many of which are found nowhere else.”
Corwin’s North Carolina
Corwin’s enthusiasm for the state is the engine of the series. He points to a remarkable range of wildlife packed into a relatively small area. From alligators and armadillos near the coast to hellbenders and brook trout in the mountains, the show promises a tour of creatures that live side by side in one state.
He also singles out the red wolves, describing them as the last surviving population in the country. His framing is simple: these animals are not accidental survivors. They exist because people are paying attention.
Lees-McRae College’s Role
Dr. Lee King, the president of Lees-McRae College, is a key partner in the project. During the interview, King had Mickey, a Mississippi kite, perched on his arm. Mickey came from the May Wildlife Rehabilitation Center on campus, one of the few rare wildlife teaching hospitals that provides direct patient care for injured animals.
King explained that the center handles about 1,700 injured animals a year, with the goal of returning them to the wild. The college’s students and faculty work directly with these populations, and the show gives them a platform to share their research.
“So, our students are going to be accompanying Jeff out into the field, showing off their own research, showing off the things that they are doing, working with these unique populations that Jeff focuses on in the show,” Dr. King says.
The Premise
The series is built around hands-on, in-the-field research. Corwin and his team will document real-time conservation work and wildlife rescue efforts as they happen. The format puts the viewer alongside the researchers rather than simply watching them on screen.
The show’s focus on rescue and rehabilitation means it centers on documenting efforts to help injured animals recover and return to the wild. That practical approach is central to the series’ appeal.
Why North Carolina Matters
Corwin’s pitch for the show is optimistic. He wants viewers to leave with a sense of hope and joy rather than gloom. In a world full of unknowns and stress, he argues, there is still opportunity in North Carolina.
His final remark captures the tone: “Ultimately, I want the audience to be inspired that in the world today, where there’s so much, so much unknown and stress and there’s a lot of gloom, there’s also hope, and there’s opportunity, and there’s joy. And we find that in North Carolina. North Carolina is a very special place.”
That sentiment is the show’s emotional core. It is not a documentary about decline; it is a celebration of survival and the people working to protect it.
A Campus With A Hospital
Lees-McRae College is not just a location for filming. It is a working institution with a dedicated wildlife hospital. The May Wildlife Rehabilitation Center takes in injured animals and treats them, with the explicit goal of releasing them back into the wild.
The college’s role goes beyond providing a backdrop. Its students and faculty are doing the hands-on work that the show documents. They are the ones handling the animals and conducting the research that Corwin presents to audiences.
That practical connection is what makes the show distinct. It is not a lecture about conservation. It is a demonstration of it, with young people at the center of the action.
The Show’s Message
Corwin’s message is straightforward: conservation works when people commit to it. The animals in North Carolina are not surviving by accident. They are surviving because people are paying attention.
The show’s format supports that message. By following rescue and rehabilitation efforts in real time, it shows the work involved in protecting these species. It is not a passive look at nature; it is an active engagement with it.
Final Word
“Jeff Corwin’s Southern Wild” is a show about hope. It takes a state known for its natural beauty and shows the people who keep that beauty alive. The premiere is Oct. 3 on ABC. Viewers should check their local listings for exact airtimes. The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of ABC and this ABC station.
For anyone who cares about conservation, it is worth tuning in.
Source material: “Jeff Corwin explores rare North Carolina wildlife in new ABC series 'Jeff Corwin's Southern Wild',” ABC7 Los Angeles.
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