Behind the Stories
Living With Wolves
By Bruce ReichertDecember 5, 2008
The return of the wolf to Idaho and neighboring states has been a bitter pill for some and a source of satisfaction for others.
Ranchers, avid elk hunters, and a lot of my neighbors from rural Idaho – these are some of the folks angered by efforts to return a calf-eating carnivore to the countryside.
But most of my city friends seem to have no problem with the wolf’s return.
Frankly, I don’t think these two groups will ever agree.
Maybe that’s the best reason in the world for us to produce an OUTDOOR IDAHO show on the wolf.
We’ve hesitated to tackle an entire show on wolves, primarily because wolf footage is hard to come by. What isn’t hard to find are angry Idahoans and passionate defenders. And of course, we can find the wolf biologists. It’s those dang wolves that are so hard to find.
But in October of 2009, we will explore what it takes to live with the wolf. We’re mentioning it now, in case you have a story or, better yet, some usable wolf video.
The wolf has been on the Endangered Species list, off the Endangered Species list, and back on the list. Who knows, in ten months the state of Idaho might again be in the driver’s seat, as the ones managing the wolf.
It’s a rapidly changing story, but one thing seems to be holding steady. Everyone I’ve talked with says -- like it or not -- the wolf is here to stay. So deal with it.
Lights, Camera . . . Learning!
By Bruce ReichertNovember 18, 2008
"Behind the Scenes at Idaho Public Television" with The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
When they started arriving 15 minutes early, we knew they weren't your ordinary "students." Indeed, most of them were older than us and had already received their college degrees. They also shared a common belief, that there were still things to learn in life, even if that meant going back to school.
Last week our Production team
spent more than two hours with fifty members of Boise State
University's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. The group's director, Ellie
McKinnon, had asked if we would offer a two-hour "Behind the Scenes" class on
how television is made. We were happy to oblige. In fact, we've put together a
photo montage of that
evening.
Afterwards, Ellie wrote to thank us. "What a remarkable, rich learning experience you provided . . . What talent and experience, expertise and good humor you exhibited, and what respect you garnered."
We knew they weren't your ordinary students!