Traveling the world, Jeff Corwin, the Emmy-winning conservationist and host of “Ocean Mysteries with Jeff Corwin” and “Jeff Corwin’s Unleashed,” has come face to face with the likes of a black mamba, alligators, rhinos, elephants, orangutans, owls, porcupines, and the list goes on and on. When he visits Unity College on May 12, though, Corwin will come face to face with something a little less wild, but equally vital to our future: the graduating Class of 2018.  

“Teachers had a profound impact on me when I was growing up, and I am where I am today because of those people who recognized something in me, and encouraged me to pursue this dream,” said Corwin. “In turn, they inspired me to become a teacher — an enlightener, as I like to say — for future conservationists in every aspect of my career.”

One Unity College student who was inspired by Corwin’s work is Greg LeClair (‘18), a Wildlife Biology major.

“To have Jeff Corwin speaking here is really mind-blowing,” said LeClair. “I used to come home from school and put his show on while doing homework as a kid. Because of him I’ve recognized the importance of bringing science communication into my wildlife work, and plan to do so throughout my career. Hence my YouTube channel Gregments!”

Unity College is recognizing Corwin for his work in educating young people on the environment and wildlife at this year’s commencement with an Honorary Doctorate in Sustainability Science. Corwin’s reach goes well beyond television, authoring the books “100 Heartbeats: The Race to Save Earth’s Most Endangered Species,” “Living on the Edge: Amazing Relationships in the Natural World,” and also branching out into the world of movies with the IMAX-like film “Expedition Chesapeake.”

“One of the reasons we are most excited to bring Jeff to Unity and have him speak at our commencement, is because of his ability to engage young people in wildlife conservation,” said Unity College President Dr. Melik Peter Khoury. “A lot of these students have looked up to Jeff for years, and now they have the opportunity to shake his hand and meet an important role model.”

Corwin continues to enlighten young minds, having recently spearheaded an initiative to create the EcoZone Museum at South Shore Natural Science Center in Norwell, Mass., with the goal of teaching children more about their local habitats, including wetlands, woodlands, meadows, and tidal zones.

Commencement exercises begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 12. The ceremony is open to Unity College graduates, their guests, and members of the media. The ceremony and speeches will be streamed on the Unity College Facebook page.