Membership
Join/Renew Your Membership Here!
Schedules
View Television & Radio Listings.
Sponsorship!
Grow Your Business through WGCU!
WGCU 90.1 fm & WMKO 91.7fm
Listen Live & Podcasts
Click Here To Listen Now
In Focus List of Shows
Golf Courses: The Greening of Southwest Florida
Airdate: 12/10/2004 12:00:00 AM
Florida is one of the world’s most popular golfing destinations. At last count there were more than 160 golf courses in Lee and Collier Counties alone, with more planned. Golf course designers say environmental preservation is a key design element. Critics say golf courses are more environmentally friendly than they used to be - but no substitute for Mother Nature.
Hurricanes: Foe AND Friend of the Environment
Airdate: 11/12/2004 12:00:00 AM
Hurricanes have a purpose. They cause devastation, but they can also benefit the natural world. This month, In Focus on the environment explores some of the functions these intense storms serve. And studies the lessons they ferociously teach. Travel into the woods and the mangrove forests to see what’s become of them – while learning how hurricanes shape the landscape.
Florida Panther: The Phantom Cat
Airdate: 9/10/2004 12:00:00 AM
Once thought extinct, the Florida Panther is slowly making a comeback, but not without controversy. As the population of the cat increases, conflict with humans is on the rise. And while research shows panthers require large tracts of land, their habitat continues to be lost to development. Rarely seen videotape of panthers in the wild, and interviews with scientists and public officials, provide an understanding of the critically-endangered species and its future.
Babcock Ranch
Airdate: 7/9/2004 12:00:00 AM
The last, large stretch of undeveloped land in south Florida is up for sale. At 92,000 acres, Babcock Ranch is the size of Cape Coral. With its sale, a huge slice of southwest Florida’s history, and future, hangs in the balance. Babcock Ranch harbors the beautiful Telegraph Swamp and a broad band of habitat containing plants and animals considered rare, endangered, and declining. It’s also home, to a modern southwest Florida cattle ranch, farms, and a mining operation, which now face uncertain futures. Many see this land as rich with habitats and water systems that must be saved, while others see development potential. The Babcock family is selling the entire acreage, and there’s plenty of folks lining up to buy- will there be enough money, in time, to save Babcock Ranch? Tune in July 9th at 9:00p.m. for In Focus on the Environment on WGCU-TV to get a behind the scenes look at the Babcock story.
Where Rivers Meet the Sea
Airdate: 6/11/2004 12:00:00 AM
Dive into an exciting look at what happens when salt water from the sea comes together with fresh water from a river to form an estuary. The brackish mix creates a unique environment that many plants, animals and humans cannot live without. But estuaries are as fragile as they are fascinating. Discover how these special bodies of water protect nature's young, enrich our lives and are under attack.
Turning Back the Clock: Southern Golden Gate Estates Restoration, Part II
Airdate: 5/14/2004 12:00:00 AM
While the restoration is expected to have largely positive effects on the area's ecosystem, not everyone is happy with the plan — including one resident who lives on 160 acres within the “estates,” the Miccosukee Indians, and All-Terrain Vehicle enthusiasts.
Turning Back the Clock: Southern Golden Gate Estates Restoration, Part I
Airdate: 4/9/2004 12:00:00 AM
Join In Focus on the Environment on a trek into the Southern Golden Gate Estates to explore the history of the area, its planned restoration, and the effects such restoration is expected to have on the area's ecosystem. The Golden Gate Estates in Collier County were going to be the largest subdivision in the United States. In the 1960s the Gulf American Corporation began selling lots to thousands of Northerners who had hopes of retiring in sunny Florida.
Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Airdate: 3/12/2004 12:00:00 AM
The Edge of Wilderness Today, the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve protects 110,000 acres of estuarine habitat. Boating, fishing, and other recreational opportunities are available to visitors there. With the past draining of the Everglades, development pressing in on its northern side, and Marco Island with its towering condominiums amidst the mangrove islands, the reserve has become a focal point for research and an outside classroom for grade school and college students.
Brazil
Airdate: 2/13/2004 12:00:00 AM
In August, a group from Florida Gulf Coast University traveled to the Amazon rain forest to learn about the challenges facing South America's largest country, and WGCU Producer Valerie Alker and Videographer Paul Dolan went along to document the journey.