In today’s PWF Podcast, Marketing & Development Director Kelly McHugh-White talks story with Conservation Coordinator Shelby Serra about RETHINK, COVID-19 and shutting off the faucet.

Shelby joined Pacific Whale Foundation in the Summer of 2018 as an educator and naturalist both in the Maui and Australia operations before transitioning to conservation work full-time in the Fall of 2019. She obtained her B.S. in Environmental Studies in 2014 from the University of Oregon and has focused on marine science education ever since. Shelby’s passion stems from her interest in the delicate interwoven ocean ecosystem and the human impacts that are affecting those systems. She is responsible for coordinating environmental outreach and conservation messaging for the organization, identifying sustainability goals, and assisting with marine debris research studies.

As a social enterprise, proceeds generated through the PacWhale Ocean Store directly fund the nonprofit work of Pacific Whale Foundation. Retail items are carefully selected with criteria addressing origin, packaging and composition, per our Green Matrix guidelines. By promoting conscious consumerism and offering opportunities to empower philanthropy and social good, our retail products highlight the importance of environmental stewardship.

We are hard at work editing together our very first 360-degree Virtual Eco-Adventure, in which you – the web visitor - have the ability to control what you see and how close or far you see it from; enjoying the views from a PacWhale Eco-Adventure vessel while sipping coffee in your pajamas.

Click HERE for a sampling, in which you can pan around the video by clicking and dragging. You can also view a standard video of last Monday's Whalewatch HERE. 

We are fortunate to have an online, regularly engaged audience of more than 250,000 individuals. Because now is not the time to be asking for major gifts, we're imagining a moment where each supporter simply donated $5. This would allow our Research, Education and Conservation programs to thrive through this uncertain time. If you are able, we hope you join this exciting vision of ours:

Despite the evidence that whales and dolphins are complex social animals that do not belong in captivity, marine theme parks worldwide continue to put them on display. Watch our Chat with the Experts HERE as we interview Dr. Naomi Rose, Samantha Berg, John Hargrove, and David Neiwert about the continuing efforts to end the practice of keeping cetaceans (whales and dolphins) in captivity.

Our teams are currently developing a NEW series of PWF Webcasts (live streaming) and PWF Webinars (pre-recorded) to visually present our findings, interactive games, lesson plans and more. Learn from an additional past PWF Webcast HERE. 

Today is Day 2 of our 30-day countdown to Earth Day, in which we're posting photos of these daily tips in practice. We had an interesting conversation with our Conservation Coordinator during yesterday's PWF Podcast regarding recycling. Do you know your local guidelines? Show us how you recycle by tagging your Instagram or Facebook pic or tip with @pacificwhalefoundation and #EarthDayPWF. We'll share our favorites throughout the 30-day challenge! 

Be sure to join us at facebook.com/PacificWhaleFoundation and instagram.com/ PacificWhaleFoundation for daily inspiration, links and more.

RECENT PWF NEWS:
Pandemic Prompts Layoffs, Pay Cuts at Pacific Whale Foundation (LINK)
Volunteers observe humpback whales during second whale count (LINK)
VR Illuminates Effects of Climate Crisis (LINK)
191 Whale Sightings in 15 Minutes During Latest Whale Count (LINK)

While you may not be able to offer your patronage in person right now,  you can still show support! Shop online at our Ocean Store or think about ADOPT’ing a marine mammal, becoming a Member or making a charitable contribution to our Foundation.