LOS ANGELES -- March 29 -- Actor, producer and conservationist Cameron Diaz goes on a worldwide adventure with friends, visiting some of Earth's most beautiful and environmentally threatened wild places in MTV's new reality series "Trippin'," which debuts tonight at 10:30PM (ET/PT).

Ms. Diaz is a longtime supporter of NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) and among the spots she and her posse visit on "Trippin'" are the Patagonia Coast and Olivillo rain forest of Chile, and Yellowstone National Park. These places have been identified by NRDC as "BioGems" -- unique wildlands in the Americas that are threatened by industrialization. MTV's web pages for the show link to NRDC and other organizations that involve people in protecting such places.

"'Trippin'' is about having fun and protecting the planet at the same time," said Ari Hershowitz, director of NRDC's Latin American BioGems campaign, and a guide for Ms. Diaz and her friends on the show. "'Trippin'' differs from typical nature or reality shows because it encourages viewers to get involved in saving these endangered locations."

More than half-a-million BioGem defenders helped NRDC stop construction of a major highway through the Olivillo rain forest, with its 3,500-year-old trees, and now are helping NRDC's efforts to establish permanent protections there. BioGem defenders also are helping safeguard the pristine coastal waters of Patagonia, a possible sanctuary for Earth's largest animal, the blue whale, once hunted nearly to extinction.

These places are featured in "Trippin'" episodes, and are expected to benefit from the response of MTV viewers.

Another episode of "Trippin'" follows Cameron and friends to Yellowstone National Park, where NRDC BioGem defenders are fighting efforts by the Bush administration to remove grizzly bears from the endangered species list, clearing the way for oil and gas drilling, logging and other industrial projects in national forests bordering Yellowstone.

"Cameron's love for these places is contagious, and she brings a level of thoughtful commitment to environmentalism that is unusual to see anywhere," Hershowitz said. "She has a knack for connecting with the people and places we're working to protect."

The MTV series originated with visits Ms. Diaz took with her friend, and now "Trippin'" co-producer, Elizabeth Rogers. They envisioned a program that would make far-away wild places accessible and fun, and show people ways to preserve them.

"These trips have been the adventure of a lifetime," said Ms. Diaz, "and the groups we've been able to share them with have been as amazing and diverse as the locations themselves. It's truly been an inspiration to all of us involved with the show to learn and experience for ourselves the incredible impact we have on our planet and how we can continue to preserve and enjoy its beauty and its bounty."

The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, nonprofit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has more than 1 million members and online activists nationwide, served from offices in New York, Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Related Pages
NRDC BioGems: Patagonia Coast
NRDC BioGems: Yellowstone
MTV's "Trippin'"

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