NATURAL HEROES SERIES HONORED FOR EXCELLENCE at 36th ANNUAL NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA EMMY® AWARDS

Second season receives Emmy® from The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in regional competition, just as third season readies for release

Philadelphia, PA and Rohnert Park, CA-

Natural Heroes, the series of independent films focused on people making a difference for the environment, was recognized for outstanding achievement in Public/Current Affairs Programming at the Northern California Emmy® Awards held on May 12 at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. Natural Heroes was one of 80 entries to receive an Emmy® statuette from amongst a record 930 submissions. The 13-part series was created by GreenTreks Network and KRCB-TV as a way for filmmakers to reach the public with inspiring stories that show the power of individuals in changing the world.

"The environment is riding a wave of popularity with the media at the moment," said Maria Erades, Executive Director of GreenTreks Network, "and I think that's great. This Emmy® underscores the growing public interest and the quality of programming on the topic out there. Most importantly, it expresses an appreciation for the people who are working for our planet's future, whether they're cleaning up and greening abandoned urban lots, fighting to preserve oceans and wetlands, or going to extraordinary lengths to protect species that are critical to the balance of the natural world."

"It's thrilling to win the Emmy®," adds Val Landes, Series Producer from KRCB-TV, the Bay area public television station that co-produces the series, "and it's really a tribute to the talents of those who have contributed their films. KRCB is proud to have partnered with GreenTreks to lay the foundation for ongoing environmental programming when we released the first Natural Heroes series back in 1994. For Season Three, we've reviewed more films than ever before and have put together a really eclectic lineup of excellent episodes. We expect more stations to pick up the series for airing in the coming year and hope that an increase in viewership translates into even more people becoming 'natural heroes' themselves..."

The producers are delighted to welcome General Hydroponics back as a major underwriter-they have supported the series from the start-and are pleased that The Sierra Club has also signed on to support Season Three, which is scheduled for release this fall. Natural Heroes is available free of charge to public television stations across the country and is backed up by a companion web site, www.naturalheroes.org.

Season three films include:
• Powershift. Hosted and narrated by Cameron Diaz, this film circles the globe to document how energy intersects with our daily lives and some of the alternatives available today.
• South Central Farm. This Sheila Laffey production follows a diverse group of Los Angeles residents (including Daryl Hannah, Joan Baez, and a host of other Hollywood insiders) in their united effort to protect the destruction of a community farm.
• Wings Over the Wild. Travel the world with volunteer pilots who spend their spare team supporting international animal conservation efforts.
• Texas Gold. The award-winning story of a fourth-generation fisherwoman who took on industrial giants when she learned that her home, Calhoun County , Texas had been named one of the most toxic places in America.
• Edward Abbey: A Voice in the Wilderness. A historical biography of Edward Abbey, renowned author of The Monkey Wrench Gang and passionate voice of America's Southwest.
• Birdsong and Coffee. An intimate look at the connections between the coffee we drink, biodiversity, and quality of life in other parts of the world.
• Ocean Conservation. A compilation of stories focused on preserving species that make up the web of life in the oceans, from the mammoth to the microscopic. • And many more.

Complete information can be found on the web at www.naturalheroes.org.

About the Producers

GreenTreks Network Inc.
GreenTreks Network Inc. (GreenTreks) is an Emmy Award-winning nonprofit based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. GreenTreks mission is to make the health of the environment an intrinsic part of everyday life and to inspire individuals to make informed decisions that effect positive environmental change.

KRCB-TV
KRCB serves the San Francisco Bay Area and provides both television and radio programming. KRCB was created in order to encourage full participation in society and community, and provides educational, informational and cultural telecommunication services in partnership with its community.