12 | georgia public broadcasting
GPB EXTRA GEORGIA OUTDOORS’ SHARON COLLINS MAKES EARTH DAY EVERY DAY
Sharon Collins, Executive Producer and host of Georgia Outdoors. Since 1970, people around the world have marked Earth Day on April 22 as a time that encourages greater appreciation of our planet’s inhabitants and resources. For Georgia Outdoors executive producer, host and writer Sharon Collins, every day is Earth Day. She first captivated viewers in 2010 with the episode “Herons and Heroes” after taking over production of the series, and in the years that have followed, she’s led the audience on a journey from the state’s mountaintops to remote islands and everywhere in between. Collins has also featured an assortment of creatures on the program, including the aforementioned herons, as well as bats, lemurs, loggerhead turtles, chimpanzees, deer and bears.
“I was digging sand out of my ears for a week.”
– Sharon Collins
With every episode, Collins’ passion for the topic matter is evident, and from early on, her love for covering nature would help shape her career path. After starting out in radio, Collins’ first professional experience in television was at the Roanoke/Lynchburg ABC affiliate, where she initiated a campaign called “Project Environment.” From there, Collins parlayed her local television experience into a position with CNN and served as a host/correspondent for programs including “Network Earth” and “Earth Matters.” She also worked on projects through her own production company before joining GPB. encore
