What makes The Wildlife series different from other online video series? Why is it unique?
The Wildlife is written using peer-reviewed primary sources, such as journal articles and papers, which are publicly accessible through services like JSTOR and Elsevier. We also use publications like books, magazines, and websites from organisations like the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and Bureau of Land Management (BLM). These sources are preferred to others because the information they present is supported by peer-reviewed, primary research that is accessible to the public. This focus on transparency of information is critical to establishing confidence in the accuracy of information presented in our videos. All sources used in the script-writing phase of production are cited in each video’s credit roll and made available to viewers in the video descriptions.
Our approach to topic research also insures that the most up-to-date, recent information is featured in our videos at the time of their publication online. And by focusing primarily on peer-reviewed research instead of other videos, newspaper articles, and other, less-reputable sources, we aim to bridge the gap of science communication between researchers and the public.
What are the goals of The Wildlife project?
While focused primarily on species in the class Mammalia, our goals are simple:
- Effectively and succinctly communicate the latest scientific understanding about the species we discuss to the public in an easily understandable and effective manner.
- Inspire investment in conservation attitudes and actions by the public to critical efforts to defend and support the species we share our planet with.
- Entertain viewers in a way that is educational and uplifting.
How are episodes of The Wildlife created?
Each individual episode of The Wildlife starts off with an empty research document that asks six basic questions:
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- What are [species]?
- Where does this species live?
- What makes this species special? What specialisations does this species have?
- What other species are [species] related to and how are they related?
- What challenges does this species face in the wild?
- What conservation challenges does this species face more broadly?
Our research aims to answer each of these questions before moving on to two broader themes:
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- Land/habitat conservation
- Species management
By discussing these topics for each species, we aim to reflect the similarities between featured species’ challenges in the wild and connect individual species to one another in the minds of our viewers.
After researching each species, we synthesise the information collected and develop an educational and informative script to present the information in an easily “digestible” manner.
Once research and script writing phases are completed, we move to video production (filming and editing) in order to share the information with the public audience.
Typically this entire process takes between two and four weeks per episode.