"We launched a podcast series about a severely endangered species of killer whales (Southern Residents) after the pandemic scrapped the live science-talk event series we host each winter. Rather than simply move those talks to Zoom, we went to the drawing board and dreamed up a limited podcast series that would be accessible to a casual listener who knew nothing about this orca species and their plight, but also came across as stimulating and smart to the most dedicated scientist or conservationist.
The result was an evergreen seven-episode series that has grown our audience, directly resulted in a flow of donor support, communicated our mission, and created a resource that we can share with anybody concerned with the potential extinction of what is easily the most charismatic species in the Salish Sea ecosystem and the Pacific Northwest. The series was creatively conceptualized, planned, executed, and promoted entirely by in-house staff with outside professionals as guests."
From the Judges
What makes this podcast special is that it taps into the DNA of UC Davis. Hosted by Justin Cox, communications manager of the SeaDoc Society—part of the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine—Pod of Orcas chronicles the plight of this severely endangered whale species though the expertise of professors. It’s a smart, riveting, engaging story that very few universities could “own”—and UC Davis tells it masterfully.
