Thank You, Wanda Borland, Pollinteer!

by Julia Babb

We are pleased to introduce and celebrate the volunteer in our “Pollinteer Spotlight” this month — our dear friend Wanda Borland! We are very grateful to Wanda for sharing her skills, passion and talents with us, especially since she is also busy volunteering with a few other impactful Rogue Valley nonprofits.

In fact, it was through her association with these other organizations that she found her way to PPRV, and began producing shows on our local community television as Public Service Announcements and videos made exclusively for us. Wanda is a powerhouse, bringing wide swaths of the community together. In other words, she Pollinates!

One of those organizations is the animal advocacy organization, Southern Oregon Animal Rights Society, which airs the monthly radio program on KSKQ, ‘Animals Matter’, produced and hosted by Lin Bernhardt. Wanda heard Kristina being interviewed on the show, and “I was taken with her deep knowledge and passion for all things pollinator. In that particular interview, her focus was on getting the word out about the devastating effect neonicotinoids have on pollinators and the insect population.”

‘Animals Matter’ is also a television program for RVTV, Rogue Valley Community Television. Wanda continues: “At the time I was collaborating with a friend, Julia Babb, to produce a few ‘Animals Matter’ episodes, who was [is!] volunteering with PPRV, and she suggested we put together a few episodes about the pollinator crisis by interviewing Kristina, and that is what led to us all working together. I believe PPRV's mission is important and I admire Kristina and her team’s tireless dedication to creating a better world for all of us."

So, together, we produced two 30-minute programs and three PSAs (short videos) last year. This body of work resulted in ‘Animals Matter’ winning RVTV’s award for best Ecology and Nature show for 2019! You should also know that Wanda has won RVTV's Best Producer award for one year and Best Director for the past three years! Congratulations, Wanda! Keep up the good work!

Speaking of work - I had a great time working with Wanda and her great volunteer crew at RVTV. They all put in long hours behind their cameras and screens to put out quality work for the Valley. We appreciate it!

But that is not the end of our story! In addition to her other volunteer work, Wanda has created two more videos with us, and is actively working on a third, to document and share the transformations happening in our pollinator gardens at our office in Phoenix.

So, we feel very lucky - and honored - that Wanda shares our passion for pollinators, and generously shares her skills as a videographer and producer with us. Wanda’s videos can be found on our Facebook page, and also on our website.

Let us - and Wanda! - know what you think!

Note: This article was updated to correctly state Wanda's two awards and number of years for each - May 15, 2020.