Eddy the Eco-Dog! Unleashed!
at the Environmental Media Awards Festival ‘98

Eddy, whose fun-loving antics help kids learn cool stuff about science, nature and ecology, surfed onto the internet three years ago. Hanging ten at www.ecodog.com, Eddy is the hip canine host of his own animated 3D web cartoon series “Eddy the Eco-Dog! Online! Unleashed!” Produced by KidsWebTv, the series is geared to girls and boys ages 6 to 12. Children log on from countries as far flung as Japan, Germany and Australia to join in the fun.

The Eddy the Eco-Dog series, complete with its own theme song, revolves around activities at Eddy’s Club House on Planet Chachachawowa. Interactive web adventures called Eco-Extravaganzas, provide kids with thought-provoking clues and lead them on exciting journeys of discovery throughout the universe. Children play an integral role in the fun-powered action as they surf alongside Eddy learning about the solar system, endangered species and environmental aspects of the world in which we live.

Additional activities on Planet Chachachawowa include “Paws for the Planet Daily”, an E-newspaper to which young EJ’s (earth journalists) can contribute. There is an Intergalactic Games Arcade, Space Quiz, Art Gallery, Joke Factory, Poetry Corner and Post Office, from which E-postcards with environmental messages can be sent and received.

Eddy’s Earth Walk Hall of Fame is devoted to interviews with high profile celebrities who share children’s concerns about saving the planet for future generations. Audio plug-ins allow children to listen to interviews Eddy has conducted with such individuals as Kiefer Sutherland, actor; Mary Hart, Entertainment Tonight Co-Host; Chris Hadfield, astronaut; and Chantal Kreviazuk, artist/songwriter. Eddy’s latest interview features astronaut Steve MacLean of the Canadian Space Agency.

This year marks Eddy’s second appearance at the Environmental Media Awards. Now in their eighth year, the Awards pay tribute to film and television productions which heighten public awareness of environmental problems and offer potential solutions. In past years, the Environmental Media Awards have been supported by environmentally concerned celebrities such as Harrison Ford, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Elizabeth Hurley, Hugh Grant, Bill Pullman and Rob Reiner.

According to Sev Williams, Development Director of the Environmental Media Awards, “Having Eddy the Eco-Dog at the EMA Festival is great because he appeals to children of all ages. He entertains AND educates people about the environment and that’s what this event is all about.”

Eddy will soon be taking his message about science, nature and ecology to television. In a joint production with Global Television Network, ninety second vignettes featuring 3D animated Eddy the Eco-Dog, combined with live footage will be introduced during the new Fall Line-up. The first segment addresses “Why We Explore Space and How it Helps Planet Earth” and will include footage of astronaut Steve MacLean and Eddy’s earth pals at school. Children can surf between the television vignettes and Eddy’s web cartoon to follow his adventures.

“Teaching our young people about the environment and ways to make Earth a better place are Global concerns,” said Jeff Liba, Promotion Director of Global Television, Winnipeg. “This is why we’re very excited to be working with Eddy the Eco-Dog to create a series of television vignettes that are geared to exactly that!”

Eddy the Eco-Dog will be at the EMA awards on October 11 from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. He will be greeting children, signing e-Paw autographs, handing out Earth J reporter’s pads and showing off his surfing skills ! Eddy is on a mission to help children realize that having a funny bone makes learning a cool experience !

Contact: Lorane Poersch
KidsWebTv Inc.
(204) 772 2672; fax (204) 772-2683; website: www.ecodog.com
Eddy the Eco-Dog is a registered trademark of Desert Rose Productions Inc.