Jo Parkinson Love Nature Interview

Jo Parkinson Love Nature Interview

Love Nature, the subscription video on-demand nature app, brought to you by Blue Ant Media and Smithsonian Networks (a CBS company), producers of the world's largest library of 4K (Ultra-HD) wildlife and nature documentaries, has launched in Australia following a successful beta trial.

The subscription video streaming service, available as an app, immerses viewers in the splendour of the natural world through exceptional, high quality, compelling and unexpected stories of animals and landscapes. Its mission is to bring audiences closer to the beauty and wonder of nature and inspire change.

Programming includes original 4K nature series and documentaries including the Australian premiere and Love Nature exclusive -Camp Zambia: The Big Dry' by Plimsoll Productions, -Strange Creatures', and 4K Relaxation Nature Scenes, in addition to curated programming such as IMAX 4K films.

Programme highlights at launch include Academy Award-nominated IMAX 4K film -IMAX: Dolphins' narrated by Pierce Brosnan, the Australian premiere of seven-part 4K series -Strange Creatures' which is an original and exclusive Love Nature production, and Off The Fence production -Ocean Voyagers', narrated by Meryl Streep.

Love Nature's commitment to wildlife and animal habitats around the world is illustrated through their partnership with WWF International. The charity will share Love Nature's exclusive, original wildlife and nature content, showcasing fascinating species and landscapes from all over the world to raise awareness of conservation under the hashtag #WWFLovesNature via its international Twitter, Facebook and Instagram platforms.

To celebrate the launch of the content partnership, Love Nature donated USD20,000 (approx. AUD 26,000) to WWF International to fund a training program for park rangers in Cambodia's Serepok and Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuaries. Love Nature has also donated towards other conservation organisations worldwide including to WWF-Singapore, Earth Hour, and the Jane Goodall Institute, and it will continue to build relationships with charity partners.

'The passion that wildlife and nature fans hold for animals and our natural world is something that audiences relate to across all countries, cultures and languages," said Jo Parkinson, MD Love Nature. 'We are thrilled to share Love Nature's original content with Aussie viewers, in crystal clear 4K providing an up-close experience that comes only second to being there in person."

Available for one-month FREE trial, followed by $4.99 a month, this subscription video streaming service is available as an iOS and Android app from the Apple App Store and Google Play. It is also available on internet-connected devices including mobile and tablet, Sony Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Nexus Player, Roku streaming players and Xbox One with offline viewing of downloaded content on mobile and tablet.

To access go to www.lovenature.com or download from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Interview with Jo Parkinson, Love Nature MD

Question: What do you love about Love Nature?

Jo Parkinson: What's not to love? Our subscription video-streaming app has the world's largest library of wildlife and nature content, including a huge selection of original 4K Ultra-HD documentaries and relaxing Slow TV Nature Scenes. In total we have over 250 hours of shows available on the service. Our subscribers have an extensive catalogue of nature and wildlife documentaries and series, with exclusive footage from the world's leading documentary makers and WWF International.

Love Nature transports audiences all around the planet, bringing them closer to nature by providing access to the dry season of Africa, the depths of the ocean and the heart of the Alaskan wilderness – anytime, anywhere, all at the click of a button. It also includes 4K (Ultra-HD) content that provides a never before seen crystal-clear, up-close experience that comes only second to being there in person.


Question: Can you tell us about the launch of Love Nature?

Jo Parkinson: The Love Nature subscription video-streaming App is launching in Australia, following the success of the Love Nature TV channel, which currently broadcasts to 2.5 million homes across Canada, New Zealand and Singapore.

We are very excited to be connecting with Australian audiences for the first time. It's a fantastic opportunity to share our entertaining and informative stories about the beauty and wonder of nature.


Question: How does it feel to be dubbed the -Netflix of nature'?

Jo Parkinson: It's a pretty big deal being described as the -Netflix of nature'. With the success of subscription video on demand services in Australia, it is great to think Love Nature can be compared to the industry's major players.

Similar to the likes of Netflix or Stan, our App offers subscribers an extensive library of easily accessed programming, however this is the first time Australian audiences have had a subscription-service offer with such a vast amount of high quality nature and wildlife content.


Question: What inspired Love Nature?

Jo Parkinson: Love Nature was inspired by our goal to connect audiences closer to the beauty and wonder of nature, through awe-inspiring stories and shining a light on the fight for survival in a changing world.


Question: What do you hope viewers take from Love Nature?

Jo Parkinson: Love Nature offers stunning wildlife and nature footage, alongside provocative documentaries and series which follow environmental issues which impact the globe. We hope that with our programming, and content partnership with WWF International, we are able to inspire viewers to open up a dialogue on wildlife conservation.
Additionally, a percentage of every Love Nature subscription is donated to global conservation projects. At present these include the Jane Goodall Institute, Wild Is Life and Game Rangers International.


Question: Can you tell us about the app?

Jo Parkinson: The App is available for a 30 day free trial, followed by $4.99 a month subscription. It is available from the Apple App Store and Google Play and can be accessed on internet-connected devices including mobile and tablet, Sony Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Nexus Player, Roku streaming players and Xbox One. It even has the added benefit of offline viewing of downloaded content on mobile and tablet.


Question: Where do the funds raised from the app go?

Jo Parkinson: As mentioned, a percentage of every Love Nature subscription is donated to global conservation projects. At present these include the Jane Goodall Institute, Wild Is Life and Game Rangers International.

In addition to the built in charitable donation and as part of our dedication to raising awareness about environmental issues Love Nature and WWF-International have established a content partnership that see's both organizations working together to promote the protection of wildlife and animal habitats worldwide.

WWF-International is leveraging Love Nature's exclusive, original wildlife and nature programming, showcasing fascinating creatures and landscapes from all over the world, to promote conservation preservation across the globe. WWF-International are sharing these clips via its international Twitter, Facebook and Instagram platforms, under the hashtag #WWFLovesNature

To mark the launch of this content partnership with WWF International in 2016, Love Nature funded a training program for Park Rangers in Cambodia's Serepok and Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuaries. The training program will educate over 60 crime rangers in the areas of field craft, patrolling tactics, navigation, crime scene investigation, law, wildlife monitoring and enforcement to ensure a safe habitat for future generations of tigers. Watch this space for more coming soon on this.


Question: Can you tell us about the conservation work?

Jo Parkinson: The Jane Goodall Institute devotes a huge portion of their efforts to wildlife conservation, working closely with National Parks around the world. The institute projects in Africa are ground breaking and globally renowned for effectively helping local people take charge of the conservation and development of their own communities, and also help chimpanzees who they live alongside.
The Jane Goodall Institute also have a global education programme for young people, empowering them to become involved in hands-on projects to benefit their local community, animals and the environment we all share. In the UK Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots groups are now active in over 1,600 schools, Love Nature were the headline sponsors of the awards in the UK in March this year.

Game Rangers International is a Zambian conservation organization, working alongside the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) to protect the wildlife in Zambia. The organisation has been active in Kafue National Park (KNP) since 2008, originally founded to protect the threatened elephant population in KNP through law-enforcement, animal welfare, education and outreach. GRI has developed over the years and to encompass the following themes; law-enforcement, community outreach and education, research and policy, anti-trafficking and animal welfare.

Wild Is Life is an Animal Sanctuary in Zimbabwe, catering for injured, orphaned and rescued wildlife, as well as endangered and specially protected species.


Interview by Brooke Hunter