Here at The War on Wildlife Project we were thinking that as us campaigners, conservationists and activists can’t get out to meet and see each other now, how about creating something to bring the conservation community together – everyone from individuals to grassroots organisations to larger charities – something that reminds us all that we’re still out there, still working, but that also shows the human side of things during this COVID-19 crisis.

An ongoing series of short podcast conversations we could think of as ‘check-ins’ (as in ‘we’re checking in to make sure we’re all okay’) – chats about how we’re getting on, how we’re adapting as campaigners, how connecting with Nature – even if it’s just through the window – is helping us cope.

Now, we appreciate that everyone has Facebook, Twitter, their own blogs even, but perhaps bringing everyone together like this in one place could really create an interesting set of viewpoints/tips/different thinking – and maybe even keep us from feeling alone…

So that’s the idea, and today I’m speaking with conservationist and whale and dolphin researcher Erich Hoyt. Erich has written 22 books – including Marine Protected Areas for Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises and the best selling Orca: The Whale Called Killer – and more than 600 reports, articles and papers. He is currently a Research Fellow with Whale and Dolphin Conservation, and is co-founder of the International Committee on Marine Mammal Protected Areas, a group of international experts dedicated to the conservation of marine mammals and their habitats.

“…we’re all going to have to rethink – all of us who work in conservation and conservation science – we’re all going to have to re think how we work – let’s make a path that works, for all of us…”

Checking-in…with Erich Hoyt
April 2020

Whale and Dolphin Conservation is online at uk.whales.org and on Twitter and Facebook at whalesorg.

For more on Important Marine Mammal Areas and the work of The Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force (MMPATF) please go to marinemammalhabitat.org: the site hosts an e-Atlas and lists every IMMA, and also provides news updates and downloadable reports.

You can find out more about the work of the International Committee on Marine Mammal Protected Areas at icmmpa.org.

If you like the idea of these podcasts please do spread the word on social media, and if you’d like to come and have a virtual chat yourself email me at charlie at waronwildlife.co.uk

Thankyou very much for listening – and please stay well