Conservation Cast

During this episode of the Conservation Cast, Maya spoke with Marcus Wernicke about what Marcus has experienced and learned working at Marine Mammal Rescue for over four thousand hours. Marcus talks about the most common mammals rescued at the two locations, California and Vancouver, and California’s surrogate programs to teach orphaned seals how to survive in the wild. Later, Marcus helps answer many questions from chat about otters such as their threats, diets, and favorite toys. Marcus does a great job bouncing off of the chat which makes sense given that it was his idea for Marine Mammal Rescue to start streaming on Twitch! Maya’s community raised $801.00 for Marine Mammal Rescue, a foundation dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of all marine mammals. MMR also works to educate and research marine mammals in hopes of continuing the upward trend of their populations.

During this episode of the Conservation Cast, Maya spoke with Dr. Tara Stoinski about Tara’s personal experiences with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and what DFGF does in Africa to uphold their organization’s four pillars of conservation. DFGF is continuing to expand its conservation area and research campus in order to provide more room not only for the endangered gorillas but also for scientific research and training new conservationists. On Earth Day, DFGF announced an exciting new agreement with the Congolese government that will hopefully allow them to continue to reduce the poaching done to gorillas. Maya’s community raised $1588.00 for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, an organization focused on the protection of gorillas through four important pillars. These pillars are daily protection, scientific research, training future leaders, and helping communities.

Maya speaks with Niko Ankergren, a video game developer turned zookeeper, about his zoo in Denmark focused on rescuing and providing homes for all kinds of animals. During this episode of the Conservation Cast, Maya spoke with Niko about a few of the 600 rescued animals living at Play Rescue Zoo. Play Rescue aims to save animals from illegal industries like the pet or fur trade. Niko and Maya visit some of the cutest animals found around the zoo and discuss the increased difficulty of running a zoo during quarantine. Niko excitedly awaits for the day he can fully reopen the zoo to the public and have people fall in love with these important species.

During this episode of the Conservation Cast, Maya spoke with Michael about founding a non-profit and his path to becoming a pilot. Michael shares how lucky he feels to be able to do something this fulfilling and impactful. He also encourages others to try flying to feel the freedom it gives. Michael hopes that he and his organization can continue to bring awareness to the hundreds of thousands of animals that could be saved from euthanization if they were given more opportunities for adoption. Maya’s community raised $2562.69 for Pilots to the Rescue, a non-profit organization focused on giving abandoned, shelter, and endangered animals a greater chance of living.

During this episode of the Conservation Cast, Maya spoke with aquatic ecologist and assistant professor Dr. Solomon David, about his favorite fish, the gar. Dr. David shows off all of the interesting and unique attributes of gar in hopes of sparking the same joy he feels for gar in others. He even gives a live demo of gar feeding! Another important topic brought up is the story of how Dr. David got into conservation. He showcases the importance of conservationists sharing their passion with the younger generation to improve our future. Maya’s community raised $1059.82 for Ranger Rick Magazine, a nature magazine being published since 1967. The magazine hopes to introduce kids to the beauty of nature and inspire young conservationists.

During this special episode of the Conservation Cast, Maya spoke with her Mom, Vicki, about the rehabilitating effect animals can have on adults and kids alike. Vicki shares stories showcasing their animal’s ability to brighten up one’s day or be there for those in need. Vicki also emphasizes their animal’s unique ability to connect with kids with special needs and give them a friend to open up with. After seeing these effects firsthand, Vicki hopes to continue to spread smiles using her non-profit. Throughout the podcast, Vicki also explains how Maya became so passionate about animals and shares embarrassing stories of Maya growing up. Maya’s community raised $5340.80 for Animal Assisted Happiness (AAH), a non-profit founded in 2009 with the goal to spread smiles using rehab animals. AAH focuses on giving moments of joy to kids with special needs and their families, a unique experience they claim only animals can bring.

During this episode of the Conservation Cast, Maya spoke with Nick Gladstone, an evolutionary biologist and doctoral student at Auburn University who works in freshwater snail conservation. Nick shared his current studies and research, as well as his story of how he got into the field of freshwater life, particularly freshwater snails. Nick also shared his myriad of experiences in cave biology, detailing the way in which biospeleologists study organisms that live in caves. The two answered viewer-sent questions such as why freshwater snails are important within their ecosystem, what their main conservation threats are, and how giant african land snails became one of the most invasive species in the world. Maya’s community raised $1554.10 for Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society. FMCS is a non-profit organization aiming to inform the public of the incredible life history of freshwater mollusks, as well as raise awareness of the issues that have caused the decline.

Maya speaks with Sonam Tashi Lama, a representative of Red Panda Network who became involved in the organization after contacting its founder who was studying red pandas in his remote area within Nepal. During this episode of the Conservation Cast, Maya spoke with Sonam about the red panda and their important role in our ecosystem as an indicator species. The duo discussed some of the many threats faced by red pandas, as well as the severity of habitat loss on the species. Other topics included their defense mechanisms, social behaviors, and the issues with pet trade, and the perception of them as pets. Sonam shared his experiences with capturing and handling red pandas for monitoring purposes, giving viewers a look into his daily life working with the incredible species. In addition to explaining what he and Red Panda Network do to monitor and protect red panda habitat, Sonam informed viewers of what they themselves can do to help contribute to red panda conservation. Maya’s community raised $1777.77 for Red Panda Network, a non-profit organization that has become a world leader in efforts to protect red pandas and their habitat through conservation programs extending across one million acres of forest in Nepal.

Maya speaks with Susan Tsang, a research associate at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, whose primary interest is in the evolution and biogeography of flying foxes. During this episode of the Conservation Cast, Maya spoke with Susan about the wonders of flying foxes and their important roles in their ecosystem as a pollinator. Susan explained that one of the largest issues faced by flying foxes in the Philippines is hunting, with causes ranging from bushmeat trade to medicinal superstition. Viewers were taught ways in which conservationists tackle the issue of hunting through educating provinces on flying foxes and teaching them more sustainable meat hunting methods such as chicken farms. Susan answered the Viewer’s questions regarding their use of echolocation, the origin of their name, and their social systems and colonies. Progres Mayas community raised $1112.04 for the Progres, a nonprofit organization that began as a community effort that works with government partners to prevent the unlawful hunting of flying foxes through signed agreements with local community chiefs and education.

Maya speaks with Jasmin Graham, a co-founder of the Minorities in Shark Sciences (MiSS) organization During this episode of the Conservation Cast, Jasmin explained her aim to help change the culture of marine science and shark science in particular and ways in which MiSS is going about making marine science inclusive. Jasmin shared her experiences of boat trips, summer camps and workshops set up and funded by MiSS, igniting a passion for children in low-income communities who don’t typically have access to such activities. Viewers were also taught about the significance of getting children excited about and involved in STEM. Minorities in Shark Sciences Maya’s community raised $1862.77 for Minorities in Shark Sciences, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting women of color that are interested in shark science. The organization is passionate about eliminating the financial barrier that has kept a lot of people of color out of marine science. The org was created as a direct result of the #BlackInNature hashtag on twitter, aiming to amplify the voices of women of color through building community and establishing a connection through meetings and collaborations.

Maya speaks with James, an anti-poaching conservationist living on one of South Africa’s largest reserves, accompanied by his multi-purpose anti-poaching canine, Puma. During this episode of the Conservation Cast, Maya spoke with James about his roles on the South African reserve which he and his anti-poaching dog, Puma, live on. The two discussed how they provide research capability through having Puma track and monitor certain endangered or keystone species within the reserve. James explained how the data is used to get a better idea of the population density and how to go about management practices. Other points of discussion included the advantages of canines for anti-poaching methods, as well as how he became involved with the organization CRASH and what they aim to achieve. CRASH Wildlife Maya’s community raised $1405.95 for CRASH Wildlife, a non-profit organization that aims to address the issue of a lack of transparency in the way in which donations are used within wildlife organizations. Through partnering with other organizations, they may accurately track the use of incoming funds and ensure that each donation helps as many animals as possible with the minimum amount of overhead expense, waste, or abuse.

Maya speaks with Laura Kojima, a herpetologist who studies alligator ecotoxicology and behavior at the University of Georgia. During this episode of the Conservation Cast, Maya spoke with Laura Kojima about the field of ecotoxicology and what the data collection process involves. Viewers were taught about the issues faced by reptiles and amphibians as a result of various human activities as well as their importance in our natural and cultural heritage. Other points of discussion included the comeback of American Alligators through the Endangered Species Act of 1969, highlighting the importance of supporting conservation organizations that strive to replicate similar success in other species. Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Maya’s community raised $1015.34 for the Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, an organization dedicated to the conservation of herpetofauna and their habitats. Envisioning a society where amphibians and reptiles are valued for their importance and are considered in all conservation and land management decisions.

Maya speaks with Kassandra Ford, a biologist who studies the craniofacial morphology of electric fishes from South America and Africa. During this episode of the Conservation Cast, Maya spoke with Kassandra Ford about what defines an electric fish, adaptations that electric fish have developed, and how Kassandra’s academic journey led her to study electric fish species. Kassandra answered many viewer questions regarding misconceptions that electric fish face. The two also had a discussion about the importance of diversity and representation in the conservation field and how Kassandra aspires to be an inspiration to people of color in academia. Kassandra taught viewers about what they can do as individuals to support people of color on social media and in their own lives. The donations raised were sent to the Amazon Conservation Association, an organization that is dedicated to promoting conservation within the Amazon rainforest by working with local communities to inspire them to protect their local environment. Amazon Conservation Association Maya’s community raised $1513 for the Amazon Conservation Association, an organization that is dedicated to promoting conservation within the Amazon rainforest by working with local communities to inspire them to protect their local environment.