Student-produced reports on North Carolina state parks to air April 2019 on UNC-TV

A video series about environmental challenges in western Carolina will air in April 2019 on North Carolina Public Television.

The stories were produced by students in the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media in collaboration with UNC-TV’s science program, Sci NC.

“All three reports highlight how human exploitation and forces of nature threaten precious habitat in North Carolina,” said Glaxo Wellcome Distinguished Professor of Medical Journalism Tom Linden, who taught the environmental documentary class that produced the pieces.

The first report on Thursday, April 4, will show how drones are mapping the deer population at Pilot Mountain State Park north of Winston-Salem. Extensive grazing by deer threatens the survival of native plant species on park lands.

In the second story, students look at how nature has recovered from a massive 10-square mile fire that swept over South Mountains State Park near Hickory in 2016. That story will air on Thursday, April 11.

The third report — to air on Thursday, April 18 — will look at how poachers are threatening the survival of the herbal remedy ginseng in the mountains of North Carolina.

All three reports will be broadcast on UNC-TV’s program Sci NC on successive Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. and repeated again the following Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.

Student producers for the Pilot Mountain drone report included Trent Brown '19, Olivia Corriere and Lauren Glaze. Rob Gourley '18, '19 (M.A.) and Kara Kochek produced the South Mountains State Park story. Nez Covington '19 (minor), Allie Miszewski '19 and Raymond Tu produced the ginseng poaching story.

Scriptwriters included Haley France '20, Minali Nigam '19 (M.A.) and Charlotte Harris '19.

Principal videographer and video editor was UNC-TV’s Bob Gunter, with additional videography from students Brown, France and Covington. Gourley and Covington also contributed video editing.

Linden was executive producer.