Editor’s Desk: Welcome to Buzzkill!

By Theodore Ross

Today is an exciting day for FERN, and for people who are interested in biodiversity and solutions for the pollinator crisis!

I’m thrilled to welcome you to Buzzkill, FERN’s podcast series on the pollinator crisis. Hosted by award-winning journalist and FERN senior writer Teresa Cotsirilos, the first of Buzzkill’s six weekly episodes will debut in one week, on January 28, 2025.

The trailer for the six-part weekly series is available now on the FERN website and wherever you get your podcasts, as well as through PRX’s podcast distribution platform, Dovetail.

So what is Buzzkill? 

Most of the food crops humans grow depend on pollinators — bees, butterflies, bats, birds, and more. Industrial agriculture and modern land management practices are putting the survival of these crucial animals in jeopardy. Buzzkill asks why we raise food this way and what we can do to change things for the better.

“Working on this show has been endlessly interesting,” says Buzzkill host Teresa Cotsirilos. “A considerable percentage of the food we eat depends on a five-eyed, two-stomached, sentient insect that communicates in waggle dances — you may know them as bees — and we’re killing them en masse with agrochemicals! It’s all pretty fascinating.”

The first episode dives into the “save the bees” phenomenon and whether amateur beekeepers are doing more harm than good. Future episodes investigate the impact of toxic agro-chemicals on pollinators in Nebraska, and how a Native American tribe is pushing back against colonialism in farming. We travel to Mexico to learn how bats might protect the future of tequila, cover the battle over pollinator-friendly homes in Maryland, and in Central California give a glimpse of a future world without pollinators.

The Buzzkill team includes acclaimed journalists, writers, and producers Theodore Ross, Brent Cunningham, and Bridget Huber of FERN, Adizah Eghan (VICE News Reports), Alyssa Jeong Perry (Radiolab), Dan Charles (NPR), Eve Abrams (Unprisoned), Elliott Woods (Third Squad), and Rowan Jacobsen (A Geography of Oysters).

We’ve been telling curious people like you about Buzzkill for a while now. We’re eager to hear what you think, so let us know! And as always, let me express my gratitude for your support. If you want us to continue to make great journalism at the intersection of food and the environment, consider making a donation.ailable for free on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Pocket Casts, and Overcast.