User:KhevinBarnes/sandbox/Dr. Wilderness: "America's premier environmental magician" (The Audubon Society)
The Dr. Wilderness Show was a live, interactive environmental magic show that was created by Khevin Barnes in 1988. Khevin received sponsorship from the Reebok Shoe Company and Adventure 16 Outdoor stores to backpack around the world, presenting free magic performances in 55 countries. The year-long tour was called M.A.G.I.C. T.R.E.K. which was an acronym for Magician's Across the Globe for International Conservation (Trees and rainforests, Recycling, Endangered species, Keep air and water clean.) Upon returning to the U.S., the live show toured through California, Oregon, Washington and Alaska for the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (O.M.S.I.) before being sponsored by Portland General Electric in a yearlong school tour encouraging energy conservation. KOIN TV in Portland, Oregon approached the magician with an offer to create a national children's television series and created the pilot program for $250,000. The show, co-written and co-produced by Barnes, aired as a prime-time family special in January 1987 on CBS stations nationwide and was re-aired on Earth Day the following year. The program received two Emmy Awards for "Best Writing of a children's television show" and "Best Direction"-(Bob Odonnel)
Dr. Wilderness was the longest running environmental magic show in the U.S. when Barnes retired the character in 2022.