| "We wanted it to be something that was shown at visitors centers, outdoor stores—anyplace where boaters congregate." | |
| Marie Zhuikov, University of Minnesota Sea Grant |
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One of the ways aquatic exotic nuisance species spread is by hitching a ride on recreational boats that unsuspecting owners launch in a variety of water bodies. An 11-minute clean boating video featuring one of the stars from the television show Cheers is providing coastal resource managers around the country with a humorous tool to help educate boaters about the best ways to prevent the accidental spread of alien plants and animals.
"If boaters are given information about exotic species and how to prevent their spread, they'll do something about it," says Marie Zhuikov, communications coordinator at the University of Minnesota Sea Grant program, which produced the video with federal, state, and business partners from across the nation. "We wanted to find a creative way to get the message across."
The perfect person, she says, to give that message was John Ratzenberger, better known as his know-it-all Cheers character, Cliff Clavin. "We liked the idea of using John because he's humorous, recognizable, and his personality would work well for the type of information we were trying to get across."
That information includes the five simple steps boat owners should go through when moving their personal watercraft, motorboats, or sailboats from one water body to another. The video also provides descriptions of the three most well-known exotic species, Zhuikov explains. "We wanted it to be something that was shown at visitors centers, outdoor stores—anyplace where boaters congregate."
The idea for the project grew out of a discussion at the Eighth International Zebra Mussel and Aquatic Nuisance Species Conference about the need for a national video, Zhuikov says. "Everyone agreed it was a good idea, but we didn't have the means or methods to do it." When the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Coast Guard later asked the Minnesota Sea Grant program to take the lead on producing an educational video, Zhuikov and Doug Jensen, coordinator of the program's Exotic Species Information Center, knew they could help.
Both Zhuikov and Jensen immediately thought of Ratzenberger, "but didn't have the budget to hire someone outright." When the video production company they engaged also suggested Ratzenberger, Zhuikov says they had to give it a try. "We figured the worst thing that could happen is that he would say 'no' and we would have to rethink our idea." An avid angler and environmentalist, Ratzenberger agreed to do the video at a reduced fee.
With their star on board, the script was developed by the production company and approved by an advisory committee made up of representatives of 10 state and federal agencies. Video footage was acquired from a number of Sea Grant programs around the country, and filming with Ratzenberger took two days at two locations near Brainerd, Minnesota.
The video was debuted at the 10th International Aquatic Nuisance Species and Zebra Muscle Conference this spring and received "really good feedback," Zhuikov says. Since its release, more than 6,500 copies of the video have been distributed around the country. Several agencies have used the video to produce local public service announcements.
"People really like the humor of it," Zhuikov says. "I think John Ratzenberger's character was key to its success."
Copies of the video are available for $10 each, or $8 apiece for orders of 10 or more. To receive a copy or for more information, contact Marie Zhuikov at (218) 726-7677 or mzhuikov@d.umn.edu.
