Cultivating Conservation

Episode Four: Rob Lott on the power of citizen science, the future of captive cetaceans and 20 years with WDC

Rob Lott is a marine mammal scientist and currently works as a policy manager and orca programme lead for Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), an international charity which campaigns to see a world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free. Based in the UK, Rob works on WDC’s anti-captivity programme, addressing the issue of the live captures of cetaceans in Russia and Japan, as well as improving the welfare of captive whales and dolphins through the exploration of retirement sanctuary options. He is a keen writer and photographer and has published internationally in magazines and newspapers. His favourite places on the planet are Northern Vancouver Island, Iceland, Svalbard and South Georgia. Show Notes: - https://uk.whales.org - https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/650377 - https://belugasanctuary.sealifetrust.org/en/ - https://www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/event/orca-watch-2023/ - https://orcalab.org/blog/a-night-at-cp-rob/

Episode Three: Alexandra Morton on listening to whales, protecting your home and finding your lever

Aged 13 I picked up a book in my school library. Listening to whales by Alexandra Morton. It changed my life, It brought me to British Columbia and it brought me to Alex!  
Alexandra Morton settled in a remote area of the BC coast in 1984 to study orca vocalizations.  When impact of the industrial salmon farms flooding into the area became apparent, Morton began a 35-year effort to convince government to halt the damage by this industry.  She has published dozens of scientific papers on the impact , built the research station Salmon Coast to document the impact, filed 5 lawsuits and never lost, and then occupied the farms with First Nations for 280 days.  Nearly half salmon farms in BC have now been closed. Another round of consultations are underway on the fate of the remaining farms.  Salmon farming in BC is run by three Norwegian based companies, Greig, Mowi and Cermaq.  Morton’s recent book Not on My Watch chronicles, among other things, the coverup of impact of farm salmon pathogens on wild salmon.  Show Notes: - https://www.alexandramorton.ca - https://www.clayoquotaction.org - https://psf.ca - https://bati4salmon.ca

Episode Two: Sam Rose Phillips on ethics, impact and the stories we tell ourselves in wildlife filmmaking

Dear friend and fellow film maker Sam Rose Phillips is a photographer, documentary filmmaker, and poet based in Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Territory, what is currently known as Ucluelet, British Columbia. She focuses her lens on human-wildlife stories and their significance to coastal communities. Sam specializes in off-grid, remote storytelling from land and on the water, spending the first 5 years of her career as a one-woman film crew. She is currently directing her first feature-documentary about the nuances of coexisting with wildlife. Show Notes: - http://www.samrosephillips.com

Episode One: Shari Manning on tree planting, boat rigging and sitting on the same rock for a very long time.

For episode one I simply had to sit down with my best friend and biggest inspiration! Growing up in far north Queensland Shari had an interesting start to life tree planting with her mother. Now is a traditional sailor and rigger, participated in numerous Sea Shepard Society Campaigns, made a documentary about captive orca Morgan and we have spent the last 7 summers volunteering together at OrcaLab in British Columbia, Canada. 
 
Show Notes: 
- @shariana on instagram 
- https://www.movingimage.org.uk/events/to-liberate-a-blackfish/
- https://seashepherd.org
- Orcalab.org 
- https://www.dolphinproject.com
- https://www.freemorgan.org
- Address postcards for freedom to:
      Wolfgang Keissling 
      Av. Loro Parque,
      s/n, 38400
     Puerto de la Cruz,
     Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain