Science stories of the natural world

  Wild Carrot Owner/Producer Audrey Favorito helps environmental educators develop stories about their work. She writes scripts, interviews people on camera, plans visuals, records audio and sees projects through completion. After spending twenty years in commercial production, this intentional shift to the natural world makes her heart sing.

Environmental education projects by Audrey Favorito

Picture
Award winning Japanese barberry video

Invasive species management

In a recent project, I worked with UMN Extension and Minnesota Department of Agriculture to create a short video about identifying, reporting  and managing the invasive species Japanese barberry. Illustrator/animator Kel McNutt created moving illustration to help communicate how the plant multiplies and creates a spiky wall. 

Picture
Urban water cycle explorations

Place-based environmental ed

Mississippi River Water Journey Camp is an environmental education project led by Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota. I worked with the UMN team to create a short video that highlights the experience of this innovative camp. 
Picture
What is Citizen Science Video

Citizen science

Trained as an adult leader of the nationally acclaimed University of Minnesota Driven to Discover youth citizen science program, I led two consecutive teams of youth through scientific research projects. We monitored monarchs the first year and conducted a bird research project the second.  I worked with the UMN Extension team to produce short videos to help introduce the program to new participants and provide background stories about citizen science.
Picture
First Place Engineering Video

Renewable energy

As a University of Minnesota learning technologies graduate student, I volunteered to serve on the communications team of the ICON Solar House, UMN’s entry in the 2009 Solar Decathlon. During the public exhibition in DC, we served as docents and fielded design questions from the general public. I pitched the idea and received a grant from UMN President Robert Bruininks to produce several short mini-documentaries about the house. The videos ran inside the house as part of the Bell Museum Sustainable Shelter exhibit.

See Video Examples