8) What, in your opinion, is the biggest environmental challenge facing our country today? What are the three most important things children and adults can do daily to help save Planet Earth?
I have the privilege of looking into the eyes of 100,000 children each year, and talking to them about nature and science. And I see lots of kids suffering from a sort of spirit pollution. This simply means that we have forgotten how to be good to ourselves. Many children are overweight and under-exercised. We are in the midst of a sugar epidemic among school-aged kids. We’ve forgotten how to love and how to listen. How to be a good friend. How to be honest in every decision we make. Having said that, I believe that simply teaching kids to respect themselves will allow them to respect the world around them. So number one on my list is respect yourself. Be your own very best friend and let your light shine. Each of us is an astonishing human animal!

Number two is my simple philosophy of being amazed—all the time—by the world around us. There is so much magic in the world to experience, and when we do, we naturally want to appreciate, respect and protect it.

Number three: Recycle, anything and everything.

9) What do you enjoy most about your role as an environmental magician? Why do you think magic is a powerful teaching tool?
I love the creative process of magic and education working hand in hand. I love to perform and really enjoy it when my audience members shine on their own. Stage magic simply reflects nature’s own magic. It makes us think. It’s unpredictable, just as nature is. And it’s lots and lots of fun.

10) How do schools or organizations contact you if they want you to come to their location for a performance? How far in advance do they need to book the show?
Our web page is http://www.drwilderness.com. Booking the show at least 6 months in advance is always a good idea.

11) How can science teachers extend the excitement of the Dr. Wilderness show into their classrooms? (materials, curriculum, environmental awareness, student participation)
Kids everywhere love magic. Learning tricks and illusions that teach simple science concepts are easy to create. Teachers can learn from our own teacher curriculum guide which we donate free to interested schools, or learn from a variety of books and internet sources.

12) If you could invite three famous magicians and three famous environmentalists to your show, who would you invite and why?
Dai Vernon, Doug Henning, Walt Disney (a different kind of magician!) They all contributed greatly to the art of magic with unique and inspired messages.

And for the environmentalists...
Carl Sagan, Jacques Cousteau, Richard Feynman

Publisher’s Note: We are very thankful to Khevin Barnes for taking time out of his very full schedule to answer these questions. We all need a little bit of magic in our lives to see beyond our daily lives and achieve extraordinary things.