[Biota]LKS Podcast

With widespread degradation of highly biodiverse habitats across the planet, a sixth mass extinction event caused by anthropogenic activity is currently underway. These extinctions span numerous families of bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals; as well as widespread degradation of highly biodiverse habitats such as coral reefs and rainforests. As it stands, the current rate of extinction is estimated to be 100 to 1,000 times higher than natural background extinction rates. 

Biodiversity loss describes the decline in the number, genetic variability, and variety of species in a given area. The ongoing degradation of the planet’s variety of life could lead to a breakdown in the environmental processes we rely on, and all too often take for granted — such as carbon sequestration, pollination, and water filtration. This is where Hitchcock alumna Shelby Herbert’s podcast takes its name: from all the biota humanity stands to lose.  

[biota]LKS is a five-episode podcast series created to foster environmental literacy by presenting conservation topics in an engaging and accessible medium. To effectively demonstrate the scope of conservation threats and solutions in Northern Nevada, this podcast features engaging audio storytelling, ambient sound from target locations in the region, and interviews with local scientists, activists, and stakeholders in conservation.