Smithsonian Channel(TM) to Offer Tribute to 'Women in Science' Throughout March 2008

Smithsonian Channel(TM) to Offer Tribute to 'Women in Science' Throughout March 2008

Programming Depicts Remarkable Women Scientists Around the Globe

NEW YORK, March 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Throughout the month of March, Smithsonian Channel will pay tribute to women scientists, depicting their work with a variety of animal species around the world, in a series of documentary specials.

WOMEN IN SCIENCE showcases a variety of women -- some affiliated with Smithsonian Institution research programs -- who display keen education, rigorous inquiry, and personal courage in the pursuit of knowledge about the natural world.

David Royle, Executive Vice President of programming and production for Smithsonian Channel, said, "We believe that the work of women scientists doesn't get the attention is deserves, and that young people need to have an opportunity to witness the gutsy and cutting-edge field science being practiced by these remarkable women. Our channel is making a commitment to focusing a spotlight on their achievements and making this a regular feature."

   Featured in the month's offerings are:    -- Woman Among Wolves   For the past six years, Gudrun Plueger, a former world champion   cross-country skier and long distance runner, has been studying wolves in   the wilds of Canada.  In this film, she goes on an expedition in search of   the coast wolves of British Columbia our primal fears of these often   misunderstood animals are challenged when she lies down in a field and   waits for them to encircle her.    -- Batwomen of Panama   On the coast of Panama, the Smithsonian boasts an amazing research center   on the island of Barro Colorado -- home to a mind-boggling variety of   wildlife, including 72 species of bats.  After sunset, a team of women   scientists known as the Batwomen of Panama set out into the jungle to   find, track and study these mysterious creatures.  Among their discoveries   is the rarest and biggest bat in the tropics of the New World.    -- Flying with Condors   Englishwoman Judy Leden, a world champion hang-glider, climbs into the air   alongside giant condors, birds with a wingspan of up to four yards,   accustomed to soaring 1500 feet above sea level in the snow-covered Andes.   Heart-stopping footage serves to bring the habits and habitats of these   enormous birds into focus.    -- Ghost Cat - Saving the Clouded Leopard   SMITHSONIAN SCIENTIST DR. JoGayle Howard and a global team of scientists,   forest officials, and field researchers set out into a Southeast Asian   jungle to save one of the world's most elusive and enigmatic predators --   the Clouded Leopard.  The Smithsonian is a leader in the efforts to save   this beautiful cat from extinction.  The program features exclusive   footage of Clouded Leopards, as well as the trading in illegal animal   parts.    -- Wanted: Anaconda   A multi-national team searches for the largest snake in the world using   advanced technology to spot the snakes in their natural habitat with   minimal disturbances from humans.  Extremely rare footage of a female   Anaconda giving birth in the wild is captured, as is a hair-raising   face-to-face encounter.     ABOUT SMITHSONIAN NETWORKS:  

Smithsonian Networks (SN) is a joint venture between Showtime Networks Inc. and the Smithsonian Institution. It was formed to create new channels to showcase scientific, cultural and historical programming based largely upon the assets of the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum complex. Smithsonian Channel features original documentaries, short-subject explorations and innovative and groundbreaking programs highlighting America's historical, cultural and scientific heritage. Visit Smithsonian Networks on the internet at www.smithsonianchannel.com

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Source: Smithsonian Networks

CONTACT: Michael Shepley, +1-212-786-9064, shepleypr@aol.com, or Jackie
Ioachim, +1-212-708-1220, Jackie.Ioachim@showtime.net, both of Showtime
Networks, Inc.

Web site: http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment